Concurrent Data Collection Using Push3 and Dash

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Ezzie
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:44 am

Concurrent Data Collection Using Push3 and Dash

Post by Ezzie »

I have a current setup using Dash to collect data from three Omnimeter V.4 devices. I use a Windows PC running a Blink on one of the USB COM ports to connect with a mesh network of Zigbee radios deployed aound a small community. I log electrical and water flow useage data from a few water wells on an hourly basis and the system suits my needs very well. However, this is a closed system and data is not accessible anywhere but from the host PC. I have on order a Push3 gateway that I would like to add to the network. My objective (once it arrives) is to add some bi-directional tank level monitoring and control (sort of a budget SCADA system) and would like to send the monitored data to the "cloud" (one reading each midnight) so that this informaton will be viewable by outside users. My question is, can both Dash and the Push3 be configured to use the same radio and Omnimeter V.4 network simultaneously but for slightly different purposes??
Jameson
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:42 pm
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Re: Concurrent Data Collection Using Push3 and Dash

Post by Jameson »

Hello Ezzie,

It is not easy to have the EKM Push3 and the USB converter share the same RS485 bus and wireless mesh network at the same time. This is because the EKM Push3 is always trying to read the meters it is assigned to as fast as possible. So the Push3 is trying to read the meters faster than once per second it is then sending the latest meter read to the cloud once per minute by default (this can be changed to faster or slower send rates) but there is not a good way to slow down the fast as possible read rates. This means that the USB converter does not have any time to try and send or receive any RS485 data without causing a data collision. Data collisions are not bad, they just garble the data which has to be discarded.

One kludgey way which may work for you would be to set the timeout on the Push3 to a high value. Then when you interrupt the Push3 with the USB converter the Push3 will wait longer for good data to come back, during this long wait time you could send and receive some data on the RS485 bus with the USB converter. Another kludgey way to do it would be to power cycle the Push3 once in a while on some sort of auto timer, and when it is powered down you could send and receive data with the USB converter.

Or you could just use the Push3 to gather electrical data, water flow data, tank level monitoring (in the form of float switches connected to the pulse inputs of an Omnimeter Pulse v.4, which will tell you the float switch states in real time), you can also control loads and valves through the Push3 system (with your Push3 controlling the controllable outputs of an Omnimeter Pulse v.4). You will probably be interested in taking a look at triggers as well so you could receive email alerts or control valves and relays based on the metered data: https://help.ekmmetering.com/support/so ... gers-beta-
Jameson
EKM METERING
http://www.ekmmetering.com
831.425.7371
Ezzie
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:44 am

Re: Concurrent Data Collection Using Push3 and Dash

Post by Ezzie »

Data collection for my purposes is not necessary with a resolution of any less than an hour. Just another thought on this to see if you think it might work. Both Dash and the Push3 gateway have there own 485bees to interface to my network of deployed Xbees. I only need to have Dash collect data from the deployed Omnimeters at the top of every hour. What if I put the 12VDC power supply to the Push3's radio on a timer to shut off once per hour from about 10 minutes before the hour to 10 minutes after the hour?? Then when power is restored, the Push3 can retreive the stored data from the Omnimeters and "catch up"???
Jameson
Posts: 860
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:42 pm
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Re: Concurrent Data Collection Using Push3 and Dash

Post by Jameson »

Yes, that should work. When the Push3 is unpowered you could still read your Omnimeters with the USB converter. You could play with the timing of the outage to find something that would work for you. You could even use the Omnimeter Pulse v.4 and the EKM Push3 trigger function to run the timing. Just look into the Recurrence Rules to setup scheduled triggers. You could say every hour at xx:50 turn the EKM Push3 off for 20 minutes for example. You would just control the relay output of the Omnimeter to open for 1200 seconds in that case.

Here is more information about Push3 gateway based triggers: https://help.ekmmetering.com/support/so ... gers-beta-
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Jameson
EKM METERING
http://www.ekmmetering.com
831.425.7371
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