GPRS -- Remote Monitoring for Equipment in the Middle of No Where...

**redozqld** · 07-02-09, 08:46 AM

Morning Ladies and Gents,

We've been approached by a company that installs pumps and water seperation equipment all over australia to do remote alarm monitoring and control for them (eg when pump 1 fails, raise an alarm, then send it to the control room, who then emails etc the technician, who then in return dials into the equipment (I was thinking a Challenger or NX Panel in a Nice IP66 Box inside the control rig with Inputs and Outputs))

The question is, does anyone know of a GPRS/GSM Solution that will allow for multiple Inputs/Ouputs and the ability to transfer RS232 Data? (Telemetry Product?)

As when the technician dials in he could either come in via the PSTN interface if the unit allows for it, or we put a uart into the device and get in via the native RS232 or 422/485 if it can transfer data via this method (RS232 to 422/485 Convertor?)

Anyone got any thoughts product information or the like, as they would like to get things underway ASAP

If I didnt already not have enough to do..

Thanks!!

ReD

**IPAlarms** · 07-02-09, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by redozqld

who then emails etc the technician, who then in return dials into the equipment (I was thinking a Challenger or NX Panel in a Nice IP66 Box inside the control rig with Inputs and Outputs))

ReD,

Can you clarify what equipment the tech dials into ?

Is it the pump equipment or the alarm panel ?

Originally Posted by redozqld

The question is, does anyone know of a GPRS/GSM Solution that will allow for multiple Inputs/Ouputs and the ability to transfer RS232 Data? (Telemetry Product?)

Don't the main GPRS players allow transfer over RS232 ?

We have a GPRS board that has 8 digital inputs and 8 digital outputs to control equipment but the RS232 port is only used for programming the board params.

Originally Posted by redozqld

As when the technician dials in he could either come in via the PSTN interface if the unit allows for it, or we put a uart into the device and get in via the native RS232 or 422/485 if it can transfer data via this method (RS232 to 422/485 Convertor?)

If PSTN is available then surely it has to be the best way to gain RS232 access to the equipment if you are going via the panel ?

Give your customer a copy of the upload/download software and let their tech control their equipment through the panel (if possible). The only downside is that the customer would have full access to all programming information in the panel

**No Brainer** · 08-02-09, 12:28 AM

Take a look at the following SCSI products, being the DW-SAM Modem or the DW-DTU/4. They may be suitable to your needs

Trade prices on these products are very low with new price lists issued as at 1st Feb 2008.

**Homer Simpson** · 22-02-09, 10:03 PM

Permaconn 2020 has an ability to put on a I/O module, it has 1 input and 3 Relay outputs that you can turn on and off when ever you want. Serial Protocol can be written to anything!!

**Security-Tech** · 25-02-09, 02:26 PM

We had a problem once with permaconn, wasn't good, I believe someone used a blocker or something and well there was NO redundancy.....
It's the biggest cause its the cheapest, but the cheapest isn't always best...

**keef82** · 25-02-09, 05:46 PM

UHS all the way babbbyy

**Homer Simpson** · 25-02-09, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Security-Tech

We had a problem once with permaconn, wasn't good, I believe someone used a blocker or something and well there was NO redundancy.....
It's the biggest cause its the cheapest, but the cheapest isn't always best...

Incorrect, Permaconn has dual redundancy and the control room would have gotten a Poll fail and would have notified the client...the jammer you speak of sounds like a BS story..all GPRS units would have trouple...incl UHS (thats alot dearer than PC by the way)

**keef82** · 25-02-09, 06:15 PM

UHS use the GPRS as the backup, and the ADSL as primary, PSTN in a complete failure. So in this case, because there is ADSL, the so called "jammer" would have done nothing.

**Homer Simpson** · 25-02-09, 07:25 PM

ADSL also has its flaws...a simple unplug of the router or network will fix that..in this world, there is no FAILSAFE method.

Atleast a failed poll can be actioned on by the monitoring company if all is down.

**keef82** · 26-02-09, 08:56 AM

Yep, so ADSL fails, System falls back to the GRPS, increases the polling intervals, if that fails, Client is called (as both paths are down) and if connected, PSTN reports alarm events

**keef82** · 26-02-09, 08:57 AM

BUt i know nothing of Permaconn to be honest, is it dual GPRS or something?

**Homer Simpson** · 26-02-09, 09:17 AM

Yes the Permaconn is Dual Sim, it runs both Telstra and Optus, if a network fails it takes around 8-10 seconds to switch to the backup Network sim, it will stay on that network for 24 hours to give the Primary network time to come back online, if both GPRS sims fail it will send a poll fail to the CMS and also switch to PSTN and report via that path.

Both the 1020 and 2020 run Dual sim, the 1020 is a direct securitel replacement while the 2020 uses contact ID.

**keef82** · 26-02-09, 10:30 AM

Cool.. I still prefer the IP & GPRS, you can send video to the control room over the clients ADSL, does permaconn allow this ?

**bss904** · 26-02-09, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Homer Simpson

Yes the Permaconn is Dual Sim, it runs both Telstra and Optus, if a network fails it takes around 8-10 seconds to switch to the backup Network sim, it will stay on that network for 24 hours to give the Primary network time to come back online, if both GPRS sims fail it will send a poll fail to the CMS and also switch to PSTN and report via that path.

Both the 1020 and 2020 run Dual sim, the 1020 is a direct securitel replacement while the 2020 uses contact ID.

Duel sim, SINGLE modem, SINGLE antenna backing up to a psdn line that is monitored for voltage.

**IPAlarms** · 26-02-09, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by keef82

Cool.. I still prefer the IP & GPRS, you can send video to the control room over the clients ADSL, does permaconn allow this ?

- I doubt it, but VideoFried have amazingly conned a few respectable security industry vets into believing video over GPRS is the way to go.

**keef82** · 26-02-09, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by bss904

Duel sim, SINGLE modem, SINGLE antenna backing up to a psdn line that is monitored for voltage.

Oh, Single Modem? Single Antenna, now thats interesting.

**Homer Simpson** · 26-02-09, 11:48 PM

why is single modem an issue guys?? 8 seconds for the modem to reboot??? doesnt seem a problem to me?? why use 2 antennas?? seems odd to me.

Come back when your talking sense guys.

Streaming video is certainly a growing market...DVR's will be a thing of the past soon. But not untill its better than 1 FPS

**bss904** · 27-02-09, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Homer Simpson

why is single modem an issue guys?? 8 seconds for the modem to reboot??? doesnt seem a problem to me?? why use 2 antennas?? seems odd to me.

Come back when your talking sense guys.

Obviously if you need to ask the question then you are not able to comprehend the reason why. I won't spell it out for every Tom, Dick or Harry to see but i sugest you think about your statement. Sit down, draw yourself some pretty pictures of how the equipment works and then the penny might drop.
I did not say to use 2 antenna's.....open up an arrl handbook and see what purpose a single antenna serves especially in a marginal signal area. And before you comment further ,i did not imply using TWO antennas on a SINGLE modem.

Food or thought; Maybe the second sim has electronic repair capabilities and can repair a faulty modem after a 8 second reboot.
This is not about which product is better or worse but what are the true capabilities of a product to do the job that it is being asked to do, and do those using that product fully understand its workings or is the product being used because of the sales brochure and price only.

**Arbiter** · 27-02-09, 12:53 PM

We did a routine maintenance at a major Aus company head office with a TecomV8 and a permaconn "u-beaut dual SIM" plugged into it last week.
I generated 100s of alarms during the day - checked with my CMS they all got through ok and left site.
Three days later I get a call from my CMS saying it's gone delinquent!
It's polling but not reporting anything.
I re-attend site and found the permaconn has fallen asleep.
Heartbeat, panel comms etc. all good but nothing getting out over the GPRS or PSTN.
Powered it down/up and my CMS receives 100s of buffered opens/closes/alarms soon after.
Not good enough sonny Jim.
I disconnected it and re-routed the PSTN line direct to the panel until we can bolt something more reliable on the wall.
Maybe a piece of string.