4-1
SECTION 4. OPERATION OF THE RADIOTELEMETRY
NETWORK
All field stations can be accessed and monitored from the central base site. Regular visits to the
field sites are required to ensure that all sensors are in place, enclosures are dry, solar panel is
clean, and that the tripod and antenna are secure. Frequency of visits to the field sites are
variable depending on environmental conditions and the sensors utilized.
4.1 RTMS RF NOTES
The Real Time Monitoring Software is
described in detail in the RTMS manual.
This section gives a brief overview and
provides specific RF application notes.
RTMS is designed so a description of the
physical datalogger network is only done
once in the NetAdmin program. The
programs used for display and archival of
data have no RF-specific entries. The
module that runs in the background, DlsMgr,
provides all communication with the
dataloggers and RF modems. NetAdmin
provides DlsMgr with a description of the
datalogger network. When specifying
parameters and understanding the behavior
and performance of RTMS, it is important to
consider the effects of the communication
devices used.
4.1.1 NETADMIN
In addition to providing a “Net Description
Editor," NetAdmin also provides tools to set
and check datalogger clocks, send
datalogger programs to the dataloggers, view
status-warning-fault messages, do remote
keyboard emulation, and test RF links.
4.1.1.1 NET DESCRIPTIONS
NetAdmin is used to edit descriptions of the
datalogger network in terms of hardware,
phone numbers, ID switch settings, and
communication addresses. Completed
descriptions may be saved. One description
is “made active." The active description is
used as the basis for all communication with
dataloggers in the network. Once a
description is active, DlsMgr continues to
use it until another description is made
active, even if RTMS is completely stopped.
If alternative communication paths exist (i.e.,
a backup repeater in case the main repeater
fails), network descriptions utilizing these
paths can be created but not made active
until needed.
Only the RFBase station and datalogger sites
are entered as nodes in a RF network
description. Repeater-only sites are not
entered as nodes. Repeaters (repeater-only
sites or sites serving as both a field site and a
repeater) are utilized by entering their station
ID (switch settings) as part of the path in the
VIA RF MODEM box for the [REPTR,]
SWITCH SETTING: parameter. Field sites
are entered as children nodes of the RFBase.
When filling out parameters for the RF network,
the following need special RF consideration.
POLLING INTERVAL: This determines how
often the RFBase polls the remotes for data. It
also determines how often the computer polls
the RFBase for data. Both are polled at the
same interval. The RFBase will attempt to poll
its entire network at this rate. This is specified
as part of the description of the RFBase.
NOTE: Poll at least every 20 minutes.
OFFSET: This determines when in the
POLLING INTERVAL the computer checks the
RFBase for data. Generally, this is used in
conjunction with the RF POLL OFFSET
parameter to minimize the time the data waits
in the datalogger or RFBase. This is specified
as part of the description of the RFBase.
RF POLL OFFSET: This determines when in
the POLLING INTERVAL the RFBase will begin
its poll of the remote RF modems. This allows
polling to begin after the datalogger has stored it
data. For example, if data were being stored
every five minutes and the network was polled
every five minutes, setting the RF POLL
OFFSET to one minute and the OFFSET to four
minutes would allow the most recent data to be
collected from the dataloggers and the RFBase
on most networks. This parameter is specified
as part of the description for the first child node
of the RFBase.
