Flexible and robust electronic telemetry system for monitoring of large-scale unmanned technological installations

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic system intended for the remote management and control of technological equipment installed in remote unmanned locations. Large-scale system, designed to manage several thousand locations with similar installed equipment. It incorporates innovative solutions that allow easy management and overview of the installed, equipment, as well as low installation and configuration costs. The open architecture and modular design allow seamless interfacing / integration with other systems, making the system 'Future Proof' towards changes in controlled equipment and required functionality. The system provides multiple type of connectivity with, the location-installed equipment including multiple types of analog, digital, serial, ethernet and wireless interfaces and protocols.

Description

[0001] Flexible and robust electronic telemetry system for monitoring of large-scale unmanned technological installations

[0002] The present invention relates to an electronic system intended for the remote management and control of technological equipment installed in remote unmanned locations; Large-scale system, designed to manage several thousand locations with similar installed equipment. It incorporates innovative solutions that allow easy management and overview of the installed equipment, as well as low installation and configuration costs. The open architecture and modular design allow seamless interfacing / integration with other systems, making the system ‘Future Proof’ towards changes in controlled equipment and required functionality. The system provides multiple type of connectivity with the location-installed equipment including multiple types of Analog, Digital, Serial, Ethernet and Wireless interfaces and protocols

[0003] The system is used for.

[0004] > Ensuring the operations of any remote unmanned technological plant (Stations, Site).

[0005] Reducing the operational costs for managing a large number of remote unmanned locations.

[0006] Large-scale system, supporting more than 100,000 points such as:

[0007] o Mobile Telecom Towers

[0008] o Landline Telecom and optic fiber cabins

[0009] o Power transformer sites

[0010] o Water Pumping stations

[0011] o Pipeline networks

[0012] o Renewable energy Wind turbines and Photovoltaics.

[0013] > The advantage of the system is that it can support large groups of similarly equipped sites, i.e. group of sites which consist of similar installed equipment that require remote monitoring and control.

[0014] > The system allows monitoring of vital characteristics, measurements and equipment status (temperature, power, etc.)

[0015] Provides alarm management (intrusion, fire, high temperature, low voltage, etc.)

[0016] > Provides remote monitor and control of site equipment (rectifiers, air conditioners, generators, transformers, etc.).

[0017] > Provides local automation (Air conditioning, Hybrid operation, fuse automation, etc.)>■ Provides Access control, using smart Keys and Locks (Smart Locking) or access readers and electromechanical locks

[0018] > Can be installed without interrupting / disrupting the existing operation and making use of the already installed sensors and equipment,

[0019] Provided Use and Benefits:

[0020] ✓ Predictive maintenance.

[0021] ✓ System availability

[0022] ✓ Preventive maintenance

[0023] • Remote corrective maintenance

[0024] ✓ Remote configuration of site equipment

[0025] ✓ Accurate fault detection

[0026] ✓ Local automation

[0027] Current state of the art

[0028] The systems currently used for remote management and telemetry, usually consist of different subsystems designed for other uses and adapted to implement the required telemetry and automation applications. Currently, there are three main approaches used:

[0029] (a) Solutions based on PLC devices, which are clearly not intended for iinmonitored equipment in unmanned locations, are expensive solutions, difficult to customize, and cannot be scaled to large-scale systems with many thousands of locations.

[0030] (b) Solutions that use Communication Gateways, and then adding peripheral devices and I / O expansions. These solutions tend to be very unreliable with poor performance and difficult to adapt to all the requirements for management and control of unm anned locations’ equipment.

[0031] (c) Solutions based on one or more installed systems with some capability of extra functionality (e.g. PSU Controller or telecommunications router or alarm system) and connect to these systems additional equipment, a solution with minimal capabilities and usually very poor Software tools for managing of the extended functionality.

[0032] All existing solutions are very expensive to implement, especially if you include the installation cost which nowadays has become tire largest part of the project cost. The use of multiple components designed for different purposes and from multiple manufacturers significantly impact the robustness and the reliability of the final solution.. Moreover, it is verydifficult to maintain in large scale projects, where equipment keeps changing and you need to adapt the system to the new equipment.

[0033] Design Requirements Leading to Innovations in Design

[0034] The system is designed to monitor and control equipment installed at remote unmanned locations. For such type of installation, the following considerations have to be taken in account:

[0035] The total cost of a single vi sit to the site in most cases can be larger than the cost of the telemetry system installed.

[0036] Many of these sites may not be accessible for several months every year due to severe weather condition or luck of transportation (mountains islands etc.)

[0037] v" In many cases these sites are rural, exposed to surges caused by power or lightning.

[0038] Technician visiting these sites, may not have expertise for all the type of installed equipment

[0039] k Any remote intervention may avoid a trip to the site.

[0040] Any remote accurate diagnosis of an issue in the site, can correctly prepare the visit to the site and avoid a secondary visit.

[0041] Predictive maintenance based on good information is less costly than periodic preventive maintenance or corrective actions

[0042] The equipment on site is already installed, thus the system must adapt to the existing equipment

[0043] v" The equipment is changing; thus, the system must be future proof to accommodate any device installed in the site

[0044] The system is designed to address all these issues using the following design concepts:

[0045] The system must be able to connect to all site equipment; thus, it must provide multiple types of 170 and protocols. The more equipment accessed and controlled remotely,

[0046] c> the fewer visits required,

[0047] o less expertise required for the visiting technician, since the task can be monitored remotely, by experts in office.

[0048] o More actions and interventions can be performed remotely

[0049] > All system boards, connected sensors and 3rd part devices must be resettable, automatically by the system watchdog, or remotely for the UI. > The system is modular. Installed boards depend on the number of devices required to be connected, and the modules can be installed close tothe controlled devices, in order to reduce the installation cost and to achieve higher robustness.

[0050] > The installation cost is minimized, by minimizing the cabling and connections required. Software modules (Python modules) can be easily developed to accommodate any new device installed on site.

[0051] > All modules automating a process on site, include safe operation modes in case of power or sensor loss etc.

[0052] Dual communication path is available for back up

[0053] > All sensor and protocol ports are surge-protected, and all power ports are surge-protected and short-circuit protected with resettable fuses

[0054] System Architecture

[0055] The system consists of the electronic equipment installed in the remote unmanned location where the monitored equipment / devices are located, and the Control Center which includes all system software running on the servers (Central Management Software).

[0056] A,. The system software includes:

[0057] • The User interface which, is a web Application running on IIS.

[0058] • Core services, which are services allowing the communication between all the software components. These services can be distributed in multiple servers and multiple locations for scaling, redundancy and performance. • The Communication Gateways, which are software services managing the communication between the remote sites and the server. These services can be distributed in multiple servers and multiple locations for scaling, redundancy and performance.

[0059] ® The database where all data and logs are stored

[0060] » North Bound Interface services, used for interfacing 3rd party software. B. The Remote Site System, called System Controller, and includes:

[0061] ® Main Controller Board Module, one for each remote location.

[0062] » Extension Boars Module, up to 64 boards installed for each remote location (in most common applications 1 -4 boards).

[0063] ® External Al ami Board Module, usually one board for interfacing exi sting alarm systems.

[0064] » Power Supply with Battery backup.

[0065] « Communication Modem or router.The System Controller installed on site is connected to all equipment on site requiring remote management and control. For a special case of Telecom Radio" Base Stations (RBS Sites) the equipment connected to the System Controller include (Figure 1):

[0066] * Site smart locking system for every' entrance of the site and access control.

[0067] ® Intrusion protection sensors.

[0068] ® Site’s Generator control, for monitoring, control and management of Hybrid operation of Energy Saving.

[0069] ® Site’s Fuel Tanks monitoring and estimation of consumption.

[0070] ® Site’s Power Supply Units (PSU) monitoring.

[0071] ® Monitoring of climate control units, including air conditioning units, heaters, circulating fans, free cooling fans for energy saving.

[0072] * Management of tower aviation lights for automation and energy saving. * Management of site back up battery (UPS) batery Cells (impudence test, remaining capacity etc...).

[0073] ® Security Systems, Fire detection and control.

[0074] ® Connectivity to existing alarm systems.

[0075] ® M anagemen t of motori zed fuse monitor and control.

[0076] System Hardware

[0077] The hardware of the system consists of 3 type of Electronic Boards. All 3 boards have been designed to operate as separate independent units or combined together to provide the full system capabilities.

[0078] Controller Board Module: Specially designed Electronic Board that contains the Central Processing Unit and the power management for all the Expansion modules and Sensors. As an independent unit, this module can be used as a Gateway for monitoring and control in cases where all systems under control use IP based protocols (Ethernet or WIFI) or RS485 serial protocols.

[0079] Expansion Board Module: Specially designed Electronic board with a variety of available connectivity used to connect to the monitored and controlled equipment and sensors. This module can also be used as an independent module, as an I / O connection module, controlled by a 3rd party controller or 3rd party system. The communication protocol used is open, using Ethernet Modbus TCP, or RS485 Modbus~RTU.

[0080] External Alarm Board Module: Specially designed Electronic board with 16 High “Impedance floating voltage Digital inputs and 16 optocouplertransistor outputs. This board is used to easily interface digital I / O of existing systems installed on location without interfering with their operation. This module can also be used as an independent module, since the communication protocol used is open, using RS485. Modbus-RTU.

[0081] Dual WAN router: A dual WAN router is used for communication of the remote site with the Control Center Software. The router may support one of the following network combinations depending on available networks ® Ethernet & 4G mobile network router

[0082] ® Dual SIM 4G mobile network router

[0083] » Ethernet & Narrow Band loT mobile network router.

[0084] The router automatically switches to the available network based on priority, based on the internal watchdog which continually pings the system servers to verify network availability.

[0085] Power Supply unit: The system is powered by 12V DC with a backup battery when needed. Depending, on the application a 230AC (e.g. in power distribution networks) or -48V DC (e.g. in Telecom Networks) power input is used.

[0086] Controller Board Module

[0087] The Controller Board Module (Figure 2) is the core of the system installed in the remote location. It communicates and controls all peripherals, implements all the control logic, generates events and alarms, and manages all upstream communication with the Central Management Software.. A single.Controller Board is used in each remote site.

[0088] Controller Board Module consists of 2 main parts:

[0089] a. The Linux Embedded controller. The system is designed so that the embedded controller used can be easily changed based on the project requirements and the latest available Linux embedded controllers available. To this end, minimal I / O usage of the Linux Controller peripherals are used. Basic use of controller:

[0090] > The Controller may communicate with the router using Ethernet or WiFi communication.

[0091] > I2C or SPI is used to communicate with the Watchdog and power management controller, which constitute part.of the Controller Board Module.> Ethernet or WIFI or serial (RS485) communication is used for downstream communication to the peripheral boards.

[0092] > Linux Controller power and Reset pin are controlled by the Watchdog and power management.

[0093] b. Power Management and system Watchdog. This part of the controller has a small AVR controller which is used for;

[0094] > Independent watchdog monitoring the controller and reset it in case of failure.

[0095] > Power controls all peripherals, the Linux Controller and the router.

[0096] Real Time Clock including dedicated time retention clock battery, which keeps the real time, even when the system is out of power.

[0097] The core of the Controller Firmware performs the following tasks:

[0098] > Manages all firmware modules running on the Linux Embedded Controller.

[0099] o Starting and Initializing of the firmware modules.

[0100] o Monitors all firmware modules for proper operation and causes them to restart when they stop working (Watchdog monitoring).

[0101] o Updates and refreshes all Site State data in all firmware modules, Site State consists of the total data collected for the site equipment, i.e. all measurements and data from sensors and interconnected systems.

[0102] > Data Logging in the local database all Site State based on sampling frequency.

[0103] > Logging of Alarms.

[0104] > Communication with Management System,

[0105] o Communication from Site to Management System in case of al amis (event driven communication).

[0106] o Communication from Management System to Site in the predefined poling frequency (polling communication).

[0107] > Includes all the Control Software Modules which perform all the automation required 011 site for monitoring and controlling the connected equipment and sensors.

[0108] Access Control and Smart Locking

[0109] The Controller Board Module provides full Access control functionality. It provides 3 types of Access Control:

[0110] (a) with R. F -Readers and RF-access cards. In this case the controller is storing on its local database all the used rights, and it is managing the accessto the site for up to 4 Doors. The Reader used are serial protocol readers connected to an Expansion module installed in the controlled space.

[0111] (b) With I-Button readers and I-Button tags. The access control ftmctionality in this case is the same as the one with the RF-Readers, by the user is assigned with I-Button Tag (Figure 3) in place of the RF-Reader.

[0112] The innovation provided by this system is that the functionality of the I- Button readers and I-Button tags is used not only for access control but also for equipment maintenance tracking. Each equipment requiring maintenance is equipped with a reader, installed on the equipment, and the technician is obliged to show his tag every time he is performing maintenance or service to this equipment. The system automatically registers this maintenance action and the technician’s name in the maintenance history of the equipment.

[0113] (c) With smart locks and smart key (Figure 4). In this case the access rights for each key are stored in the key und updated by a mobile device, phone or tablet.

[0114] hi all three cases, the management of the user rights from the Management System is handled the same way, and the operator cannot distinguish between the three types.

[0115] For each door, there is a door sensor (Door Open / Close) and a Lock Sensor (Door Locked / Unlocked). These sensors are connected to the Expansion module installed in the controlled space. The system provides smart events, like (Valid Entry, Door Forced, Door Left unlocked, Dorr Left Open etc..) based on the information collected from the reads and the sensors and the timing. Smart messages and alerts are also sent to the mobile device of the visitor to assist on connective actions when needed.

[0116] Expansion Board Module

[0117] The expansion module (Figure 5) is designed to provide modularity and expandability to the system. Purposely designed to simplify and reduce the cost for the installation on site and the flexible connectivity to the site- installed equipment that needs to be monitored and controlled remotely. Each. Main Controller Module can support up to 64 expansion modules in one location. The expansion board uses Morbus RTU and / or Modbus-TCP to communicate upstream following the open architecture design principle of the system.

[0118] Hardware Board specification include:The Expansion Module communicates with the Main Controller Module using Ethemet-IP-Modbus and / or RS485-. Modbus protocol depending on the project requirements. The Expansion Module includes the following connectivity:

[0119] > One (1) Ethernet Upstream communication port, for communication with site’s controller.

[0120] > One (1) dedicated RS485 upstream communication port, for communication with site’s controller.

[0121] > One (1) alternative RS485 downstream port, for connectivity to site’s equipment.

[0122] Two (2) RS232 Downstream Ports.

[0123] > One (1) high-precision 4-20mA analog input for sensors.

[0124] > One (1) high-precision ±60V analog input.

[0125] o Eight (8) multifunctional connectors for connectivity to site equipment with that provide the expansion module with:

[0126] o Up to 8 Analog Inputs which can be alternately used as Monitored Digital Inputs (i.e. digital inputs with multiple states).

[0127] o Up to 8 Digital Inputs which can be alternatively used for 1-Wire Ports for smart sensors. Each 1-Wire bus can support multiple sensors.

[0128] o Up to 8 Relay Digital Outputs, which can provide dry contact output, or controlled power +12V or 5V, or controlled GND depending on configuration.

[0129] > Tamper Switch on board and additional connector for connecting external Tamper Switch.

[0130] > The board is powered by DC 12 V provided and controlled by the Main Controller Module.

[0131] > All Signal pins use TVS (Transient Voltage Suppressors) and PCB Spark Gap to protect the board from electrical overstress generated by induced lightning, inductive load switching and electrostatic discharge.

[0132] A Microcontroller is used on board to manage the board with the following functionality:

[0133] > Sample all the Analog Inputs, (total 10 analog inputs).

[0134] > Sample all the Digital Inputs, (total 8 digital inputs and one Tamper switch input).

[0135] > Control all Digital Outputs, (total 8 relay digital outputs).

[0136] Communicates with 1-Wire sensors, (total 8 1-Wire bus).

[0137] > Manage the upstream communication with the Main Controller Module through Ethernet IP, and / or RS485 protocols.

[0138] > Manage RS485 and RS232 downstream communications.> Mange Initial conditions of All outputs on startup.

[0139] > Manage default output status (safe condition) when the board is off line and it cannot refresh its status from the Main Controller Module.

[0140] > Software Watchdog monitoring the operation of the CPU on board. > The Expansion Modules communicate with the Main Controller Board periodically, and update all measurements and other I / O connected to the Site State.

[0141] Multifunction Device RJ45 Connector

[0142] Each expansion board includes 8 Multifunction Device RJ45 Connector (Figure 6). This innovative connector is designed based on accumulated experience with devices used on the type of unmanned sites where the system can be used.

[0143] The purpose of this interface port is to provide both controlled power (so th at it can reset th e devi ce with a power reset) to the connected device / sensor, to be used as a control output and at the same time as an input, so that a single connection with a single cable can easily manage one device. This significantly simplifies the installation and maintenance of the installed system, thus reducing this cost, which is the largest cost in such unmanned station telemetry applications.

[0144] Each RJ45 port’ of the expansion module includes an analog input, a digital input that can also be used as a protocol and 1_wire power supply. Table xl (Figure 7) presents the functionality of each innovative multifunctional RJ45 port.

[0145] In the cases where more than one Sensors / De vices need to be connected using the same Multifunction Device RJ45 Connector, then a common RJ45 splitter or an RJ48 to common connectors can be used to split the cable to multiple devices (Figure 8).

[0146] Analog Input

[0147] The analog input (Pins 1 & 2 in Table xl) of the Multifunction RJ45 Connector has a multiple functional purpose. It can be used as a simple Analog Input or a Monitored Digital Input. The specifications of the Analog Input are:

[0148] > Analog Input with 10-bit resolution

[0149] > The measurement is the average of 32 samples, after discarding the first 8 measurements as inaccurate (a total of 40 measurements of which 32 are used).> Software configurable voltage range:

[0150] o 0 - 5V

[0151] o 0 - 4,3V

[0152] o 0 - 2.5V

[0153] o 0 - 1,5 V

[0154] o

[0155]

[0156] 0 - 1.1V

[0157] o 0 - 0.55 V

[0158] > This input can also be used as Monitored Digital Input. In this case a current is injected in this line when the measurement is performed and based on the measured line resistance the system can identify the following states for the sensor (see Diagram xl Figure 9 for sensor connectivity)

[0159] o Sensor Tampered Open Circuit.

[0160] o Sensor Tampered Short Circuit.

[0161] o Sensor is in Open State,

[0162] o Sensor is in Closed State.

[0163] > TVS (Transient Voltage Suppressors) and PCB Spark Gap is used for each Analog Input pin to protect the board from electrical overstress generated by induced lightning, inductive load switching and electrostatic discharge. Digital Input

[0164] The Digital Input (Pins 3 & 6 in Table xl) of the Multifunction RJ45 Connector has a multifunctional purpose which is software defined. It can be used as:

[0165] > Normal Digital Input.

[0166] > Digital Counter.

[0167] > Frequency measurement (e.g. fan operation performance or KWh measurement etc.),

[0168] > 1-Wire protocol sensors. Typical examples of 1-wire sensors used are environmental sensors.

[0169] > TVS (Transient Voltage Suppressors) and PCB Spark Gap is used for each Digital Input pin to protect the board from electrical overstress.

[0170] Digital Output

[0171] The Digital Output (Pins 4, 5, 7 and 8 in Table xl) of the Multifunction RJ45 Connector has a multifunctional purpose. By changing the configuration of the Jumpers., it can be used as:

[0172] > Dry contact Digital Output, with both Normally Open (NO) and Normally Closed (NC) connectors ( using Juniper position 3 in Diagram x2).> As a Digital output with 12 V or 5V output: with both NO and NC connectors. In this configuration it is also used as a power source of a device or sensor where the controller can reset the power when the device or sensor is not responding, (using Jumper position 1 in Diagram x2).

[0173] As a Digital output with short to Ground (GND) output with both NO and NC connectors, (using Jumper position 2 in Diagram x2).

[0174] Both 5V and 12V outputs are protected by 0.5A resettable fuse and TVS Diodes, for short: circuit.

[0175] Diagram x2 shows how the different configurations of the Digital Output are achieved on die Expansion 'Board, and Table x2 (Figure 10) shows all configurations and the function of each connector.

[0176] Use of Multiftmcfion Device RJ45 Connector

[0177] The innovative design of the Multifunction Device RJ45 Connector allows easy installation and maintenance of the system in the remote site with significant cost reduction in installation time and cabling. Table x3 shows real case application of the connectivity of different Sensors, Devices for Telecom Tower Application (Figure 11).

[0178] From the examples in the x3 table, it is clear how a single cable and a single interface port, combined with the modular design of the controller software, can provide monitoring and control of complex devices in the field, minimizing costs.

[0179] Multifunction Protocol RJ45 Connector

[0180] Each expansion board includes 2 Multifunction serial Protocol RJ45 Connector. This connector is designed based on accumulated experience with devices used on the type of unmanned sites where the system can be used.

[0181] The 2 RJ45 Connectors are parallelly connected (i.e. the 2 connectors have the same pins shorted) so that the RS485 protocol can connect to the Expansion Board and continue to the next device without external cabling connections.

[0182] Table si (Figure 12) presents the Pinout of the Multifunction serial Protocol RJ45 Connector. The connector provides one RS485 protocol (pins 1 & 2) and one RS232 protocol (pins 3, 6 and 8), together with power (Pins 4 & 5 positive voltage and Pins 7 & 8 ground pins) controlled by the Controller Board Module.Downstream Serial Ports management (Ethernet to Serial Converter) The expansion board module manages a total of 3 downstream serial ports, for communication with regional devices. The expansion board controller manages the traffic from and to the serial devices through its protocol Any package arriving from the upstream communications (Ethernet or RS485) is redirected to the correct serial port based on a switching protocol which defines the currently ‘connected serial port’. This way the board can function as an Ethernet to serial converter, and any package arriving from the upstream communication are redirected to the connected serial port and back. It is not possible to have 2 Downstream serial devices communicating at the same time. The protocol works as:

[0183] (a) a Master-Slave protocol with the Main Controller Module being the Master through the expansion board,

[0184] (b) or as a listener for transmission coming from the Downstream serial devices (e.g. in case of NME A protocol).

[0185] This innovative solution provides an easy way of converting any serial protocol to Ethernet without the need of additional 3rd party hardware, and this functionality is available to multiple serial ports.

[0186] Providing Virtual Serial Port connection to remote device

[0187] In many telemetry cases it is required to connect the Device software directly to the serial port of the device for configuration. For remote unmanned sites, it is very expensive to visit the site to perform such a task. The system, through, the user interface, offers an innovative solution, and can provide a virtual serial COM port to the configurator in the office, thus eliminating the need for a site visit. This virtual port is virtually connected to the remote device, by transparently transferring all data between the virtual COM port and the remote device (see Diagram x4 Figure 13). For the remote device, it is as if its custom- software is running in the same location where the user PC is, using a direct connection.

[0188] External Alarm Board Module

[0189] The External Alarm (EA) Board is used to easily interface existing alarm systems installed on location without interfering with their operation. This is very useful when in the site there is already a 3rd party installed system collecting alarms for devices. The innovation of the system is that with the external alarm board, it is possible:(a) To read all these alarms using the high-impedance inputs from a single point (without the need for new wiring to each device), thus reducing installation costs,

[0190] (b) and at the same time, it is possible to trigger additional alarms generated from the system, to the 3rd party systems.

[0191] The simple design of the board, provides the required functionality, with high robustness and reliability. Similar boards are available in the market but using very expensive components with operational amplifiers and aimed for laboratory use. Moreover, an additional output board would be required complicating and adding on the installation cost, as well as lowering the reliability of the system.

[0192] The specifications of the External Alarms module are presented in Figure 14 for one of the 16 identical ports it includes. The External Alarms module includes:

[0193] > On Board microprocessor, sampling the digital inputs, controlling the digital outputs and managing upstream communication.

[0194] > RS-485 Upstream communication, directly to Main Controller Module or through the expansion board depending on what is convenient during installation.

[0195] > Powered by the 12V of the system. Power controlled by the Main Controller Module so that the board can be reset by system watchdog if required.

[0196] The Input & Output part is opto-isolated from the rest of the system. The board has 16 Inputs and Outputs.

[0197] > The power for the isolated Input & Output part of the board is provided either directly from the 5V main power of the board (in the case where a common ground is used between the systems), or using a DC-DC isolated converter (in case where total isolation is needed).

[0198] > The Digital input is high impedance more than 1 MOhm. A FET- transistor is used to drive the input optocoupler. The voltage range of the input can be from 5 to 50 V.

[0199] > The Digital output is an opto-isolated transistor controlled by the microprocessor.

[0200] > When it is used as an output, the corresponding input can read the status as a verification feedback

[0201] > RJ45 connector is used for the digital Inputs and Outputs. Each connector supports 4 Inputs or Outputs.The default output state can be defined in case the EA-board is offline. System Software - Management Platform

[0202] The core functionality of the Management Platform includes:

[0203] Single Platform for Managing all Site equipment.

[0204] Scalable to 100.000 Sites.

[0205] > Data for same Equipment handled similarly irrespective of the Manufacturer / Model, or the protocol used for communication.

[0206] Alarm Management, alarms generated from any logical combination of any system Variable.

[0207] > Collecting Historic Data from all equipment on Site.

[0208] > Flexible Reporting Tools at site, region or network level.

[0209] > Bidirectional Communication with the remote site. Any Alarm will be communicated in real time to the Management system, together with all the measurements from all connected equipment on site. The Management system is periodically poling the site to retrieve sampled data used for reporting and predictive tools.

[0210] > Powerful and flexible APIs for integration with other systems (North Bound Interface API).

[0211] > Remote access to Site devices, direct through the system or indirect through vendors software and virtual com port.

[0212] Site State Variables

[0213] A new innovation used in the system is the concept of the ‘Site State’ at a given time. This consist of status of all collected information (measurements, status, inputs outputs alarms etc.) from all device and sensors at any given moment. This allows the system to perform operations / automations and generate alarms based on the complete information of the system and at the same time. Data logged by the system consist of the site state at the given sampling time. Moreover, the user can corelate any measurement or event with the status of all the other equipment at the same time. The system Controller has the following type of variables in the site state:

[0214] A Digital Inputs. These are all digital values which are not used as control outputs.

[0215] o Digital Inputs from Peripherals (e.g. Door is open or Closed).

[0216] o Digital values from devices communicating through any protocol (e.g.

[0217] A / C unit in Operation or in Standby based on the value provided by protocol).o Digital States of a Module, intermediate variable of modules of flags (e.g. in the Free cooling Module, if the climate conditions allow for Free Cooling, or the A / C units should be used),

[0218] c> Digital inputs can be used as Counters (e.g. Number of battery discharge).

[0219] o Digital inputs can be used as timers (e.g, generating running hours). C Digital Outputs, These are all digital values which are used as control outputs,

[0220] o Digital Outputs to Peripherals (e.g. Command to Start or Stop Generator with a relay).

[0221] o Digital Outputs to devices communicating through any protocol (e.g.

[0222] e.g, Command to Start or Stop Generator through a protocol).

[0223] V Analog inputs, all non-digital values

[0224] o Any measurement from a peripheral or sensor (e.g. 'Temperature measurement, site battery voltage... ).

[0225] o Analog values generated from Modules (Voltages and Currents from PSU controller).

[0226] o Any analog value from Devices communicating through protocols, (e.g.

[0227] the operating hours of an A / C unit in the Free cooling Module).

[0228] o Counters

[0229] o Etc...

[0230] A Analog Input State:

[0231] Each analog input can be configured to generate the following Analog states based on configured thresholds.

[0232] o High Alarm

[0233] o V ery Hi gh Alarm

[0234] o Out of Range High Value

[0235] o Low alarm

[0236] o Very Low Alarm

[0237] o Out of Range Low Value

[0238] v External Alarm and Scenarios:

[0239] External Alarms and Scenarios are the Alarms of the system, and are digital state variables of the system that have a time stamp, i.e. they are the record of the change of state of the system. All alarms (time stamped events) generated by the system are based on a logical combination of all available information from the state of the station, combined with time. These types of alarms generated by the system are called Scenarios. When a Scenario is also used as an output to a third system through the external Alarms unit, these scenarios are also called External Alarms. The algorithm that manages the Scenarios updates the state of all scenarios every second. o The Scenarios are usually alarms indicating the true source of the problem on Site. e.g. When there is a High Temperature, but the rootcause is 'No-FueT the alarm generated will be ‘Call Fuel Contractor’. In this way, a single signal guides the operator to the actual problem, and the generation of a large number of alarms that could occur simultaneously (e.g., loss of voltage, battery discharge, etc.) is avoided. o The generated alarm can also be redirected to any other Alarm System, most commonly used as External Alarms connected to the DDF of the Site.

[0240] o These. Alarms can have Time filtering, i.e. for the alarm to be triggered the logic function must be True (or false) for more than a specified time. This way alarms that are repeating in short time period are not resent in each change of status.

[0241] o When a defined Scenario is changing state,

[0242] « the system records the time and automatically connects to the management to report the change.

[0243] » The Site State of the system at the given time is always recorded and linked with the Scenario, and is available in the UI to provide complete information for the site.state.

[0244] Smart Devises, Protocol Communication

[0245] The system is designed for large scale networks, which include many thousands of sites, using similar equipment and configuration, as is the case of Telecom Towers, power distribution Transformers, pumping stations etc., where the same type of equipment, but from different manufactures are found in all sites.

[0246] To manage the variety of equipment these equipment's are handled in a similar way, using the same variables and commands and the same user interface, so that the user has the same experience independently from the Manufacturer, protocol, available data etc...

[0247] For each Protocol, a special module is configured so as to implement the device protocol, for reading all required information from the smart controller and sending commands generated from the user through the UI, or automated commands from the Management system and the local controller.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Autonomous modular electronic system used for the remote management and control of technological equipment installed in remote unmanned locations, consisting of:(i) Means of interfacing with all devices installed in the remote location. (ii) Means for data collection(iii) Means for processing the data collected(iv) Means for managing, locally and remotely, the connected devices. (v) Means for transferring the processed data to one or more remote servers(vi) Means for access control of remote location.characterized in that the system includes an electronic board for the interconnection of the equipment with eight (8) multifunctional ports with RJ45 connector, each of which can provide:(i) One analog input with 10-bit resolution and a configurable measurement voltage range of 5V, 4.3V, 2.5V, 1,5V, 1. IV, 0.55V (ii) An analog input used as a monitored digital input with indications for (a) Sensor violated (broken line or short circuit), (b) open state, (c) closed state(iii) Programmable analog measurements that, in addition to the measured value, also characterize the measurement as: (a) out of range high, (b) value very high, (c) value high, (c) value normal, (d) value low, (e) value very low, (g) out of range low. Based on the characterization of the measurement, corresponding alarms can be generated.(iv) One digital input which can be used as:(a) normal digital input, (b) digital pulse counter, (c) for frequency measurement, (d) for sensor interface with 1- ire communication protocol(v) One digital output which can function as: (a) Digital output with dry contact normally open (NO), (b) Digital output with dry contact: nonnally closed (NC), (c) digital output with 12 V or 5 V or 0 V (GND) output with NO and NC contacts.(vi) The analog and digital inputs are protected with TVS diodes for overvoltage(vii) The digital output is protected by an automatically resetable fuse.

2. Autonomous electronic system according to claim one (1) characterized in that it includes an electronic board for interconnecting the equipment with two multi-Syrian protocol ports with an RJ45 connector, each of which can provide:(i) One connection for RS485 protocol(ii) One connection for RS232 protocol(iii) Controlled 12 V power supply for peripheral devices used also for power reset of the devices.(iv) The power supply is secured with resettable fuse.(v) Ability of the Syrian protocols to operate as (a) Master-Slave and (b) as a “listener”.

3. Autonomous electronic system according to claims one (1) and two (2) characterized in that it can connect up to 64 electronic expansion boards used for the interconnection of equipment, with upstream communication capability using (a) Ethernet Modbus-TCP, (b) R. S485 with Modbus-RTU, (c) WIFI Modbus-TCP.

4. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that its electronic expansion boards has appropriate software so that it can function as an Ethernet / Wifi to serial protocol converter, for all its serial ports, so that each packet arriving from the upstream Ethernet / Wifi communication is redirected to the connected serial port and vice versa.

5. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that it includes a special electronic board for interfacing with third-party alarm systems, for reading existing alarms, activating new alarms without affecting their operation, which is achieved by using: (a) 16 digital outputs implemented with an opto-isolated transistor, (b) 16 digital inputs implemented with FETs driver, with high input resistance above 1 MOhm and (c) with the capability of this interface to be isolated through an isolated DC-DC converter.

6. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that its main controller board includes an independent controller that monitors the operation of the system with appropriate signaling and simultaneously controls the power supply to all peripheral devices and sensors and can reset the central controller and / or the peripherals by power reset in the event that the main controller or a peripheral is not operating normally.

7. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that it provides access control with three alternative identification methodsWith RF access cards(ii) With I-Button readers and I-Button tags(iii) with smart locks and smart key (Smart Locking).S. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that it provides the capability, through I-Button readers and I-Button Tags, of monitoring equipment: maintenance by technicians.

9. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that through the user interface and the software of its modules, can provide a virtual serial COM port which is connected to the remote device through the system, transferring all data between the virtual COM port and the remote device as if it were locally connected to the users computer.

10. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the software of its modules provides at any time and for each alarm, the overall ’’Site Status” which consists of the status of all information collected by all devices and sensors managed by the system at any given time.

1. Autonomous electronic system according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the software of its modules allows the data collected and available to the user to be independent of the type of connected equipment, and treated in the same way, regardless of the manufacturer / model or the protocol used for communication.

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