Cindy Dyrness

Telemetry is described as a highly automated communications process by which measurements are made and other data collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to receiving equipment for monitoring. Telemetry is a service that runs in the background, collecting information and monitoring data that can alert us to situations or occurrences that are typically hazardous or costly.

Using wireless service and a wireless network to receive or transmit "data bursts" remotely is called wireless telemetry. With revenues dropping and excess capacity on many paging and wireless carriers' networks, telemetry is getting a stronger look these days for applications in the retail, security and utility industries. Leading the charge are companies such as CellNet, BellSouth Wireless Data, Aeris Communications and American Mobile Satellite.

There are numerous applications for wireless telemetry products and services on the immediate horizon. The Strategis Group has identified 260 million control and monitoring points that are candidates for wireless telemetry services and the Yankee Group projects that the market for wireless telemetry will grow to over $6.6 billion by the year 2004.
One wireless telemetry solution provider, Aeris Communications, uses MicroBurst technology to enable two-way communications using the non-voice or "control" channel of the public cellular network. They provide cellular service to a number of companies in the wireless telemetry space. One of those companies, Telemetric, manufactures small cellular units that can remotely monitor and control equipment anywhere in North America. Their web-based software allows the customer to view the data and to configure selected events that trigger an immediate user notification by pager, e-mail, or text-to-speech voice calls. The customer can also define commands that can automatically turn equipment on or off, based on the data being collected.

One specific application for wireless telemetry has been in the water and wastewater utility industry. Logical Concepts of Greenwood, Ind. serves customers in this industry and has begun using wireless telemetry to better meet their customer's needs. They teamed up with Telemetric to design a ten-input wireless monitoring unit suited specifically for monitoring remote sewage pumping stations and water booster stations. The unit can monitor up to ten different alarm conditions and equipment variables such a pump run-time, pump cycles-per-day, pump GPM and totalized daily flow. The Logical Concepts web site, Omni-site.net, collects, analyzes and displays the data for their customers.

The Logical Concepts device, the Omni-site.net XR-50 MicroRTU, is a direct replacement for telephone alarm dialers or proprietary telemetry radios that are commonly used to monitor remote equipment in the water and wastewater industry. It has a much lower initial cost, can be installed more quickly and can be monitored and programmed at any time (and from anywhere in the world) using an ordinary Internet Web browser. The monthly monitoring fees are also much less than utilities usually pay for telephone lines. Logical Concepts predicts that the monthly savings will allow a utility to pay for a wireless monitoring system in 6-18 months.

Some of the specific industry applications include:
• Sewage Lift Station Pump Monitor
Utilities can monitor the health of hard-to-reach sewage lift station pumps by using the XR-50 MicroRTU to monitor pump failure, pump leaks, pump temperature, power failure, high wet well level, excessive pump runtime, pump cycles, total pump runtime, GPM or site intrusion.
• Water Tower Monitor
Utility personnel can receive an alarm notification if a water tower is reaching a dangerously high or low water level. The XR-50 can work even on water towers that do not have electrical power available, using an optional solar battery charging power supply.
• Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Monitoring
The XR50 provides an economical method for meeting new EPA monitoring requirements for sewer overflows. Using the solar battery charging power supply, the XR-50 can time and date stamp the duration of overflow events, even when electrical power is not available.
• Remote Chlorination or Odor Control Stations
The XR-50 can alert utility personnel to low chemical conditions, or chemical leaks, so that action can be taken before a serious condition occurs.
• Remote Pumping and Pressure Regulator Stations
The remote unit can send an alarm if a distribution pump has failed, or if a remote PRV is not delivering the proper pressure. The Omni-site network can also provide alarm indication if a pump amperage usage changes significantly - indicating a pump no-load condition, broken shaft or loss of phase.

Cindy Dyrness works as a contract technical writer in Boise, Idaho. During the past five years she has created documentation for companies in the electric utility and semiconductor industries. Originally from Oregon, she has an English degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a masters degree in Irish Literature from University College Dublin, in Ireland.

Contact Telemetric at www.remoteconnection.com
Conatact Logical Concepts, Inc.'s at www.omni-site.net
Contact Aeris Communication's at www.aeris.net