When packaging goes wrong (or actually the supplier)

We have a new build underway. The subcontract company (a good quality outfit) email me to let me know that our GSM modules have arrived.

That ought to mean that a customer build can proceed; but not yet.

For the second time in recent builds the parts have arrived not in a vacuum sealed dry bag protecting the moisture sensitive parts, but in open waffle trays wrapped in bubble wrap.

Unfortunately this is not how our parts were packed
(picture from http://www.ebnonline.com/author.asp?section_id=2480&doc_id=269960)

This ought never to happen. It's easy for any distributor to get handling advice about moisture sensitive components. However it's also easy to neglect when customers order part trays or tubes. No doubt it's difficult and time consuming to re-bake or re-bag items but the potential field failure cost of using the product is far greater in both monetary and reputation terms.

Another supplier who has failed to make the grade. Very sad.

We can't use the components without at least an extended bake or replacement parts. Now the explanation to the end customer about why the build has been delayed...

GSM and wireless technology for railways and the leisure industry - consultancy

We have been busy and we have rather neglected the blog, sorry.

So what have we been busy on and why might it be interesting for you?

Over the last 12 months we have been involved in two major programmes featuring custom designs for our customers. Both these programmes are nearing the final delivery phase and will complete before the end of the year.

One has been the development of a tracking system for leisure equipment. This started simply enough as the integration of GSM, accelerometer and GPS technology into an anti-theft system. Over a 9 month development the product features were enhanced and wireless key fob capabilities, to arm and disarm the system, added.

As is often the case, as the customer understands the possibilities that our consultancy and design service offers, they seek to enhance the product. The final production units should be in the shops in December this year and we'll provide all the product details after the launch.

Track-side testing at feasibility study stage

The other big programme has been in the rail industry. It has featured a carefully graduated feasibility programme that is leading to a production ready system. The design provides telemetry information from the track-side to a remote server that can monitor the track condition.

This program will save the customer money by putting in place, preventative maintenance actions, before damaging rail and wheel wear occur. It has brought together data acquisition in an electrically noisy environment, GSM telemetry, expert systems and web based delivery of information.

We have also expanded our own range of capabilities over the last year so that now we have a wider range of engineering building blocks solutions that we can assemble to meet customer requirements. Is there a problem in your organisation that we could help you find the answer to?

Get in touch with us and talk it through, perhaps we already have most of the answers you are looking for. www.emmtek.co.uk

How can you use EMM-Tek products? Here are some ideas.

I recently spoke with a security installation company and the conversation turned to how the EMM-Tek products could be used in more creative ways.

So I recently updated the application ideas page on the EMM-Tek web site and here are some of those ideas.

Know when your car/boat/tractor has been started by linking battery voltage to the ALARM function at 11V. (Battery voltage dips when the starter is used) 
 
Use the digital input on the RMC301 to monitor a float switch in the boat bilge to warn of rising water levels.  
 
Use the RMC301 digital inputs to monitor a float switch to know when oil/water or slurry tanks are running low or about to become over full.  

You do not want this spilling out into local watercourses (Slurry tank pictures from Wikipedia)

With a temperature sensor connected to the RMC301.

Use NAP & ONWAKE functions to send an hourly log of temperature. (ideal for cold storage log files)
   
Exhibiting at a show? Protect that storage cupboard you built on the stand with your stock in it with the RMC320 or RMC302. Reuse at the next exhibition.  

With a GPS receiver connected to the RMC301

A Twitter message is simply an SMS message sent to Twitter, so why not Tweet system status updates? Then anyone can look at the latest information. Tweet the location of your delivery van, mobile shop, mobile fish & chip van. You can set how often a Tweet is sent. Tweet any variable being measured by your system to a wide audience. 

You can see many more usage ideas on the web page http://www.emmtek.co.uk/ideas.html 

Is 2% margin on the power grid enough? What will happen to you if the lights go out?

There have been several articles recently about how the national grid is under increasing strain. (For example here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23093581)

High voltage pylons but will they carry electricity in 2015?

Historically, the National Grid maintained an excess of reserve generation capacity to deal with cold weather, equipment failure or transmission faults. That safety margin in the past was much higher (at least 10% and some sources indicate 15%).

Why the strain? Old Magnox reactors will be out of service by 2015, coal fired plants are becoming too expensive to run as a result of climate change levies and new nuclear reactors have not been installed.

National Grid does have an extensive range of top up generation capacity, from warm start gas turbines to widely distributed diesel generators but the safety margin is wafer thin  especially if we have more cold winters.

By 2015, some industrial users will be paid not to turn on their machinery so that the grid does not collapse.

This comes at a time when more than ever we rely on a constant supply of electricity to power trains, computers and all manner of control systems. No grid = no control.

Since individually we are unlikely to influence new power generation it seems more sensible to concentrate on dealing with the almost inevitable power cuts that will happen as the grid's reserve diminishes.

If you have equipment that must keep running (fridges for food stores or similar) it would be good to know when there is a power failure so that back-up plans can be actioned.

The EMM-Tek RMC301 has a power fail function that warns you if the primary power supply has failed. It does this by storing energy in Super Capacitors which provide enough reserve power to send up to three 'Power Fail' text messages to nominated users. When power is restored those same users get a follow up message confirming that power is back on.

Whilst this won't stop the grid failures at least an early warning will allow you to take actions to reduce or avoid loss and spoilage.

This feature also seems to have been popular with the leisure boating community as a warning when harbour side electrical connections get unplugged.

Take a look at the RMC301RC here. http://www.emmtek.co.uk/System-level-GSM-GPS-products.html

Protecting your boat

Most leisure sailors invest a considerable amount of time and money into their past time.

As well as the original purchase price of the boat, the tweaks and gadgets, the modifications and regular repairs all add up in both time and monetary value.

That investment is worth protecting. From theft, from loss of ecternal power or from mechanical failure.

EMM-Tek products can be used in a variety of ways to help you protect your boat.
The photo below is from http://www.flickr.com/people/8043800@N05/

Perhaps you want to measure the temperature too?

Location

It's reassuring to know where your boat is and a GPS reporting system is ideal for this purpose. Our own MarineGuard product is an extension of our RMC301 that adds a GPS system. This uses the GPS satellite technology used by TomTom and Garmin to get a position fix on the boat when you arm the MarineGuard.

If the boat should move from this position, an alarm is raised, and you can be alerted by a text message. The internal relay can also be activated to power a siren or similar warning device.

But why a text message? Isn't email better?

Probably not. Modern mobile phones are amazing allowing you to send and receive data almost anywhere; it's the almost that is important.

In a city centre you'll probably get a strong 4G or 3G signal for any mobile device but that's not where you sail. In the harbours of Cornwall or the more remote areas of coastline the strength of the data element (GPRS, EDGE, 3G or 4G) drops away quickly. Eventually it can be a struggle to make a voice call. But, even in these conditions an SMS message will often still get through.

When you really want a message to get through send it by text and that is exactly what our products do.

Power

If your boat uses a mains power connection to keep electrical and electronic equipment going whilst you're away, what happens if that power is interrupted? Pumps stop, refrigerators get warm, alarms become useless. So you need a warning system.

Our RMC301RC has internal Supercap reserve energy technology that means it can send messages when power is interrupted. It can monitor its own DC power feed or even monitor the mains with an adaptor and optional I/O board. (Ask us about this for your application).

Result? You know within seconds if there is a power failure, wherever you happen to be.

Theft

It's a sad fact of life that there will always be a thief willing to take the risk of stealing from your boat. However add a PIR sensor or magnetic reed switch to your boat; hook it up to the MarineGuard or RMC301RC and you'll have an alarm system that will notify you by text and scare of the would be thief if you have it linked to a siren.

Temperature

Winter is here and it's possible that you are more concerned about the interior of the boat getting too cold whilst unattended. Our SENS2 temperature sensor can be connected directly to the RMC301RC or MarineGuard units to provide a warning if the temperature gets either too hot or too cold. It's a simple way avoid frost damage.

EMM-Tek products are designed to used in a wide variety of flexible ways. A little thought or a phone call/email to us can often be the basis of a very workable protection system for your boaty investment.

Can you have a solar only installation?

Can you have a completely solar based installation of a GSM controller or alarm?

The EMM-Tek RMC301RC is very small and very adaptable which means that it is often pressed into service where installation of other systems might be a challenge.

Let's think about protecting an outbuilding; perhaps it's a stable or storehouse.

We'll assume that there is no main electricity available to make this an easy task.

We'll also assume that the stable is in the London area (latitude, that is distance from the equator changes the amount of daylight we get).

What we need is a calculator to help us with all the tricky details of working out the solar data; fortunately there is an on-line one here http://www.solarelectricityhandbook.com/solarcalculator.aspx.

We'll use this for our calculations. It's a free service and the results are delivered to you by email.

Once we have named our project it asks us to list all the power consuming items in our 'off-grid'; in this case it's just the RMC301RC. From the data sheet we know that the average current draw is about 35mA (0.035amps) so at 12V that 0.42watts. Let's assume we have a 0.5watt load.

Then it prompts us to enter our cable lengths, shorter is always better to avoid losses.

Then it asks for a location and what direction the panel will face. The further south you are the better the light will be and a south facing panel will be better than a north facing one. However life is rarely that easy, walls tend not to be movable!

But we'll assume that we can use a south facing wall.

Will you use the system every month of the year? Do you need the system battery backed in case the panel gets covered with snow and produces no usable electricity?

Let's assume we want round the year use and a 3 day power reserve.

So that's all the basic details in, just request the report.

The first thing the report does is to recommend the best angle from vertical to mount your panel. If it is to be fixed at one angle then the winter setting is the one to go for, in this case 22 degrees from vertical.

22 degrees from vertical

We then note that it recommends a 20-Watt panel  with a 4Ah (Amp hours) battery. Not too bad then.

A quick check on the web shows that http://www.grantsolarpanels.co.uk/ can provide us with a 20 Watt panel and charge regulator for £95 (ex VAT)

A small 12V gel style lead acid battery will be perfect as our back up supply. A quick look on the Maplin web site shows that we can get a this for £31.99 (inc. VAT) from here http://www.maplin.co.uk/sealed-lead-acid-batteries-19363

So for around £146 (excluding any brackets needed) plus the RMC301RC we can have a very practical solar only installation to protect your 'off grid' building.

Is a solar installation possible? Yes it is.

We're under cyber attack!

Britain's infrastructure is being cyber attacked every day by foreign, hostile states according to the UK Government. http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/49106

These attacks are attempts to disrupt networks that control our energy infrastructure and seem likely to continue as the UK energy grids become increasingly web based and IP enabled.

The result for end customers is likely to be unpredictable power cuts or brown-outs where the power grid 'dip's and causes problems.

So much of what we do today needs continuous electrical power and whilst for small installations like a computer file server a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is ideal short term protection, this is impractical for larger installations such as chiller units.

Of course it's not just cyber attacks that take down the mains grid, recent high winds and floods have caused millions of pounds worth of damage through power being interrupted.

Whilst EMM-Tek does not have a line in portable power generation, our equipment can warn you of a rise in temperature of a chiller unit and warn you if the power is disconnected for any reason.

How?
In our RMC301RC controller system there is a power reserve provided by Super Capacitor technology. These capacitors (used in hybrid cars to store energy) provide a power reserve, so that even when the main supply goes off, up to three warning text messages can be sent. Unlike a rechargeable battery these capacitors last for the life of the product.

It may be that a temperature controlled system has failed for some other reason, our optional temperature sensor can provide you with an immediate warning, potentially saving you an expensive bill for spoiled goods.

For less than £200, with an RMC301RC you can monitor and control your systems to insure against these threats.