Remotely located environmental monitoring installations often require sensors, loggers or telemetry systems that have a large power requirement. The ICT International RMS range of remote monitoring power supply system supplies solar based power systems to support a range of sensing applications, from a LoRaWAN gateway in a forest or plantation to a Nitrate (NO3) system in a remote catchment monitoring study.
Base range of off-the-shelf RMS systems:
The ICT RMS is available base unit has the following basic features:
For sensing and logging systems, the following expansion modules can be added for off-the-shelf customisations:
For telemetry systems, the following expansion modules can be added for off-the-shelf customisations:
Example System 1 – RMS140 with customisations for real time Nitrate (NO3) sensor
Requirement: Support remote installation of the TriOS NICO real time Nitrate (NO3) sensor at a far north Queensland banana plantation. The TriOS NICO, TriBox mini controller (sensor conditioning computer) and Wiper W55 (wiper motor & wiper arm) continuously draw 8 Watts of power at 12V. The TriBox mini controller reads the sensor every 5 minutes looking for changes in sensor output and controls the Wiper W55 for routine sensor maintenance TriOS NICO real time Nitrate (NO3) sensor output converted to mg/litre of Nitrate (NO3). The TriBox mini controller outputs the sensor data over 4 – 20mA. A Keller Acculevel water level sensor (SDI-12) was also to be supported. All data was to be read and transmitted every 15 min.
Solution:
The ICT RMS140 base unit was modified with the following additional features:
Additional Features:
MFR Node is continuously monitoring internal and external battery status of the power system. Batter is 140 Ah
In low power conditions the power system is engineered to shut down the TriOS NICO Nitrate (NO3) sensor and to continue powering & monitoring the Keller Acculevel sensor and hence water level in the RBC Flume.
Example System 2 – RMS140 for LoRaWAN Gateway
Requirement: Support the remote installation of a RAK7240 WisGate Edge Prime LoRaWAN gateway at an Avocado orchard. Located across an undulating site, and with the packing shed, office and pumping sites (points of mains power) in non-optimal positions a solar powered LoRaWAN gateway was installed on a central hill (holding pond).
Solution:
The ICT RMS140 base unit was modified with the following additional features:
Example System 3 – Soil Moisture, Soil Oxygen and Microclimate Monitoring for Peat Soil Research
Requirement: Build multiple stations to support the installation of 3 x SO-411 Apogee Soil Oxygen probes and 3 x SMT-100 Soil Moisture and Temperature probes into a peat soil research project in Indonesia. The configuration of soil oxygen and moisture probes requires a continuous 0.24W (soil oxygen heater), with a peak of 0.8W during measurement cycles. Data is logged at 15-minute intervals and transmitted hourly.
Solution:
The ICT RMS12 base unit was modified with the following additional features: