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      Digital Channel Advanced Configuration

      You can configure parameters of your digital channel in the Advanced Device Configuration area for the device.

      Contents

      Introduction to Digital Channel Advanced Configuration

      Terminology

      First Things First: Is This an Input or an Output Channel?

      Accessing a Channel’s Advanced Settings

      Configuring an Input Channel’s Advanced Settings

      Examples of Digital Sensors

      Step 1: Determine the Input Channel Type

      Step 2: Set an Input Channel’s Advanced Settings

      Description of an Input Channel’s Advanced Settings

      active

      location

      type

      polarity

      pull

      edge_event

      debounce_time_ms

      pcnt_sample_interval_sec

      pcnt_sample_interval_type

      graph_normalizer_a, graph_normalizer_b, graph_normalizer_c

      graph_mean_count

      graph_level_index

      graph_level_count

      group_priority

      Configuring an Output Channel’s Advanced Settings

      Final Step: Reboot the Device

      Appendix A: Correlation between Event and Polarity

      Appendix B: Description of an Output Channel’s Advanced Settings

      Appendix C: Digital Connector Pinouts  

       

      Introduction to Digital Channel Advanced Configuration

      Most device configuration actions are performed in the Transmission Interval and the Stream Management sections of the Ayyeka graphic user interface (GUI). However, certain advanced configuration tasks can only be done using the Device Advanced Configuration hierarchical tree, available also through the GUI. One of those tasks is the advanced configuration of a device’s digital channel (which accepts only a logical 0 or 1). This article describes that task.

      Note that the digital channel configuration you set through the Advanced Configuration tree is applied to the channel in addition to the other channel settings you set graphically through the GUI (such as Threshold definitions, described in Configure Data Stream Thresholds and Alerts).

      Terminology

      A digital signal has two possible states. In professional literature, these two states are referred to in various terms, among them:

      • A pulse / No pulse
      • Closed circuit / Open circuit
      • High state / Low state
      • Digital signal / No digital signal
      • '1' / '0'
      • Logic one / Logic zero
      • True / False
      • 2.8V / 0V

      First Things First: Is This an Input or an Output Channel?

      Advanced channel configuration is useful both in scenarios where the device receives incoming (Input) signals from equipment connected to the device connector, and in scenarios where the device sends (Output) signals from the device to equipment connected to the device connector.

      The device is mostly used in Input scenarios (such as those described in Examples of digital sensors), where you connect a sensor to the device's digital connector and receive incoming signals from the sensor.

      An example of an Output scenario is one where you connect to the device’s digital connector a pump, which starts operating when it receives a pulse from the device. You could then configure a Threshold Action for some water level channel, which instructs the device to send an output signal to the pump – thus effectively activating the pump – when water level exceeds the defined threshold.

      Depending on whether the channel is an input or output channel, refer to either:

      Accessing a Channel’s Advanced Settings

      To access a channel’s advanced settings:

      1. Click Devices in the left pane.
      2. In the Sites Tree pane, select the device.
      3. In the right pane, click the Configuration tab.
      4. In the Stream Management table, locate the desired stream’s channel number in the # column. For example, suppose that the channel number of the Float Switch stream is 0.
      5. Scroll down past the Stream Management table, and then click Advanced Device Configuration.
      6. Check the parameter values for all sample groups. For details of the parameters and their values, see Configuring SampleGroup (Group of Sensors in a Channel).
      7. In the configuration tree, click Digital to expand it.
      8. Click Channel to expand it.
      9. In our example, select 0 under the Channel node because in Step (4) we wanted to configure channel 0.
      10. Define the channel settings in the parameter nodes nested under the channel number node. Depending on whether the channel is an Input or an Output channel, you can configure an Input channel or configure an Output channel.

      Configuring an Input channel’s advanced settings

      Examples of digital sensors

      In digital Input channel scenarios, you typically connect a digital sensor to the device’s digital connector and receive incoming signals from the sensor. Typical digital sensors include, for example:

      • A digital float switch that sends a pulse when the level of liquid is above a certain point, and does not send a pulse when the level of liquid is below a certain point. Thus it can be used to detect whether water level is above a certain level (such as 5 meters) or below.
      • A digital flow meter that sends a pulse whenever a certain volume of liquid (such as 5 cubic meters) flows through. By summing the number of pulses sent in a time interval (such as an hour), we can deduce the flow rate during that hour (such as 2 cubic meters/sec).

      Step 1: Determine the Input channel type

      Before you start configuring Advanced Settings for an Input channel, first determine the desired channel type, that is, how you want data from the sensor to be analyzed and displayed in the UI. Ayyeka offers three digital input channel types:

      Edge

      An Edge scenario is one in which you want an indication every time an "edge" event occurs – such as a switch state changing from closed to open or from open to closed.

      A common Edge use-case is a float switch. This means you can, for example, get an indication every time the level of liquid goes above or below a certain level.

      PCNT – Pulse Counter

      A PCNT scenario is one in which you want to know how many events occurred in a defined time interval, such as an hour.

      PCNT use-cases typically utilize a flow meter sensor. This means you can, for example, learn how many times an hour, a liter of water flowed through a pipe, and thus deduce the pipe flow rate.

      Periodic

      A Periodic scenario is one in which you want to know the sensor state at the end of a configurable time interval. For example, you want to know, every five minutes, whether a pump is working or not.

      Step 2: Set an Input channel’s advanced settings

      To set an input channel’s advanced settings:

      1. Follow the instructions for Accessing a Channel’s Advanced Settings.
      2. Configure the parameters nested under the channel number node, as described in Description of an Input Channel’s Advanced Settings below.

      Description of an Input channel’s advanced settings

      To set the advanced settings of an Input channel, configure the parameters described in this section.

      active

      Description:

      Defines the channel’s state as enabled, disabled, or waiting for an event trigger.

      Options:
      • AS_ON – Channel is active/enabled. Samples will be recorded.
      • AS_OFF – Default. Channel is inactive/disabled. No samples will be recorded.

      • AS_ON_HOLD – The channel is active but is waiting for a trigger to instantiate.

      Steps to Put a Channel On Hold:

      In FW version 2.320 and newer, this value cannot be used. If a channel needs to be on hold, do the following steps:

      1. Set the channel's active parameter value to be AS_ON.

      2. Assign the channel to a group.

      3. Set the group to be On Hold by clicking SampleGroup > Group > group_number > group_active), and then selecting AS_ON_HOLD.

       

      location

      Description 

      Defines which pin number on the device’s digital connector port 3 is receiving signals from the sensor. 

      On the Wavelet V2™ device, an additional pin for digital input is on connector port 1 (analog) of the device.

          

      Notes 

      Important: Locations that are appropriate for your device might vary, depending on the device type. Use the detailed pinout information for your device to select the appropriate value for Location. 

      Value for Location 

      Function 

      Connector  

      Port on Device 

      Pin # on  

      Connector Port 

      Found in 

      Which  Device  

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_PCNT_0, 

      PL_MCU_PCNT_0 (old name) 

      PCNT, Edge, Periodic, output 

      Digital 

      1 

      Wavelet 4™,

      Wavelet V2™,  

      Wavelet Ex™,

      Wavelet 4R™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_PCNT_1, 

      PL_MCU_PCNT_1 (old name) 

      PCNT, Edge, Periodic, output 

      Digital  

       

      3 

      Wavelet 4™,

      Wavelet V2™,  

      Wavelet Ex™,

      Wavelet 4R™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_2, 

      PL_ACMP_0 (old name) 

      Edge, Periodic, output 

      Digital 

       

      5 

      Wavelet 4™,

      Wavelet V2™,  

      Wavelet Ex™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_3, 

      VLSense1 (old name) 

      Periodic, output 

      Digital  

       

      2 

      Wavelet V2™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_4, 

      VLSense2 (old name) 

      Periodic, output 

      Analog

      2 

      Wavelet V2™ 

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_1 

       

      DO NOT USE – Unsupported by hardware and/or firmware 

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_2 

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_3  

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_4         

      PL_ADS_GPIO_1 

      PL_ADS_GPIO_2 

      PL_ADS_GPIO_3 

      PL_ISO_INPUT_A 

      PL_ISO_INPUT_B 

      PL_ISO_OUTPUT_A 

      PL_ISO_OUTPUT_B 

      type

      Description:

      Defines the Input channel’s Input channel type, which determines how sensor data will be analyzed and displayed.

      Options:
      • PT_INPUT_EDGE – Sets the type to Edge.
        Note that Edge type influences not only how data is analyzed and displayed, but also when the device samples and even transmits, because when in Edge mode, every state change triggers the device to immediately sample (record the time and value) the data from the sensor. Depending on the edge_event setting, it can also trigger the device to transmit.
      • PT_INPUT_PCNT_AUTO – Sets the type to PCNT
      • PT_INPUT_PERIODIC – Sets the type to Periodic

      polarity

      Description:

      Specify how to indicate an incoming signal from the sensor.

      Options:
      • PPOL_ACTIVE_LOW – Select this if you want 1 to indicate pulse received, and 0 to indicate no pulse
      		  
      • PPOL_ACTIVE_HIGH – Select this if you want 1 to indicate no pulse, and 0 to indicate pulse received
      		  

      pull

      Description:

      Specify the function of the pull-up resistor used in the device to ensure a known state for a signal. The resistor is used to raise or lower voltage between pins.

      Options:
      • PPULL_UP – Select this if the resistor raises the voltage to 2.8 volts
      • PPULL_DOWN – Select this if the resistor lowers the voltage to ground
      • PPULL_NONE – This is the default setting. Change this to PPULL_UP or PPULL_DOWN when configuring channel parameters.

      Schematic diagrams:

          

      edge_event

      Description:

      Specify which occurrences are considered events.

      • For an Edge channel type – This parameter setting defines which occurrence is considered an event, and therefore triggers immediate device sampling (record time and value) of sensor information and transmission of data.
      • For a PCNT channel type – This parameter setting defines which occurrence is considered an event, and therefore added to the count of how many events occurred per the specified interval.

      Note:  This parameter is not relevant for a Periodic channel type.

      Options:
      • PEE_NONE – No event (trigger) is defined, and therefore, data will not be transmitted automatically.
      • PEE_HL – A change from 1 to 0 is considered an event, and data will be transmitted.
      • PEE_LH – A change from 0 to 1 is considered an event, and data will be transmitted.
      • PEE_BOTH – Any change (whether from 1 to 0, or from 0 to 1) is considered an event, and data will be transmitted.

      Note:

      Note that polarity and edge_event are correlated. For more information, refer to Appendix A: Correlation between Event and Polarity.

       

      debounce_time_ms

      Description:

      The time, in milliseconds, that the sensor persists in the same state, after which that state is considered to be the actual sensor state.

      Illustration:

      		  

      pcnt_sample_interval_sec

      Description:

      The time interval, in seconds, for a PCNT or Periodic channel type. 

      Pcnt_sample_interval_sec is not relevant for an edge channel type.

      Example:

      For example, if you define the time interval to be 60 seconds, then:

      • In the case of a Periodic channel type, the device checks the sensor state (is it 0 or 1) at the end of every 60-second interval
      • In the case of a PCNT channel type, the device sums  up the number of Edge-events that occurred during the 60-second interval since the previous 60-second interval ended.

      Note:

      The Pcnt_sample_interval_sec value is relevant only when the Firmware is older than version 2.301 and group is set to 0. Otherwise, this parameter is ignored because sampling is done only for a group of channels (use group_sample_interval_type).

      pcnt_sample_interval_type

      Description:

      The type of time interval for a PCNT or periodic channel type – whether it is rounded to whole minutes, or not.

      Options with Example:

      Suppose that at time 11:01:30, you set the sample interval to 60 seconds. In that case:

      • If you choose interval type to be INTERVAL_NORMAL, then the first interval will start at 11:01:30, the second interval will start at 11:02:30, etc.
      • If you choose interval type to be INTERVAL_SYNCED, then the device waits for the closest round minute, which is time 11:02:00, so that the first interval starts at 11:02:00, the second at 11:03:00, etc.

      Note:

      Pcnt_sample_interval_type is not relevant for an edge channel type.

       

      graph_normalizer_a, graph_normalizer_b, graph_normalizer_c

      Description:

      These three parameters define the graph normalizer, where to every raw value x, we apply the following normalizer function to determine the final value displayed in the Samples table (see Viewing a Data Stream):

      y=(a/b)*x + c

      Example:

      If you are using a flow rate sensor and every event indicates a 5 m3/sec flow, you can set a=5, so that the final value in the Samples table will display the actual volume of liquid that flowed through, instead of the number of Edge-events.

      Note that you can alternatively set these a, b, c values in the Stream Eng. Units Converter Configuration window, as described in Changing the Conversion Formula in Viewing and Editing the Treatment of Raw Data.

      graph_mean_count

      Description:

      The number of samples required for calculating an average (mean). Relevant only for a PCNT channel type.

      graph_level_index

      This setting is populated by the Thresholds definitions in the GUI.

      graph_level_count

      This setting is populated by the Thresholds definitions in the GUI.

      group_priority

      Description:

      If several sensors are assigned to the same Group, this parameter determines in which order the sensors will be sampled. The channel with the highest group_priority number is sampled first, then the channel with the second highest Group_priority number, etc.

      Configuring an Output channel’s advanced settings

      To set an output channel’s advanced settings:

      1. Follow the instructions for Accessing a Channel’s Advanced Settings.
      2. Configure the parameters nested under the channel number node, as described in Appendix B: Description of an Output Channel’s Advanced Settings.

      Final Step: Rebooting the device

      Most of the settings available through the Advanced Device Configuration tab require a device reboot before they take effect.

      Save the configuration changes, and then validate that the device rebooted by doing the following steps:

      1. Click Devices in the left pane, and then select the device in the Sites Tree pane.
      2. In the right pane, click the Commands tab. You will see a Reboot command after a few seconds.
      3. If no Reboot command is displayed, click Actions > Reboot in the Device Information pane to manually reboot the device.

       Both the configuration changes and the reboot will take effect after the device contacts the server.

       

       

      Appendix A: Correlation between Event and Polarity

      Polarity and Edge event are correlated when Edge Event is set to either PEE_HL or PEE_LH, because:

      • Polarity defines whether 1 indicates a pulse and 0 indicates no pulse, or vice versa.
      • PEE_HL / PEE_LH define whether sampling is triggered by a change from 1 to 0, or from 0 to 1.

      This means that flipping the setting of either polarity or Edge Event HL/LH, reverses the conditions when sampling is triggered, as shown in the following table.

      If Edge Event is this value

      and if Polarity is this value

      Then Transmission will be triggered by:

      PEE_HL
      (change from 1 to 0 triggers sampling)

      PPOL_ACTIVE_HIGH
      (1 indicates no pulse)

      A change from no pulse to pulse

      		  

      PPOL_ACTIVE_LOW
      1 indicates a pulse)

      A change from pulse to no pulse

      		  

       PEE_LH
      (change from 0 to 1 triggers sampling)

      PPOL_ACTIVE_HIGH
      (1 indicates no pulse)

      A change from pulse to no pulse

      		  

      PPOL_ACTIVE_LOW
      (1 indicates a pulse)

      A change from no pulse to pulse

      		  

      Appendix B: Description of an Output Channel’s Advanced Settings

      To set the advanced settings of an output channel, configure the parameters described in this section.

      Active

      Description:

      Defines the channel’s state as enabled or disabled.

      Options:

      AS_OFF – Default. Channel is inactive/disabled. No samples will be recorded.

      AS_ON – Channel is active/enabled. Samples will be recorded.

      AS_ON_HOLD – Channel is active and waiting for a trigger to instantiate.


       In the case of an Output channel, the AS_ON_HOLD setting is equivalent to the AS_ON setting.

      location

      Description 

      Defines which pin number on the device’s digital connector port 3 is receiving signals from the sensor. 

      On the Wavelet V2™ device, an additional pin for digital input is on connector port 1 (analog) of the device. 

           

      Notes 

      Important: Locations that are appropriate for your device might vary, depending on the device type. Use the detailed pinout information for your device to select the appropriate value for Location. 

      Value for Location 

      Function 

      Connector  

      Port on Device 

      Pin # on  

      Connector Port 

      Found in 

      Which  Device  

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_PCNT_0, 

      PL_MCU_PCNT_0 (old name) 

      PCNT, Edge, Periodic, output 

      Digital 

      1 

      Wavelet 4™,

      Wavelet V2™,  

      Wavelet Ex™,

      Wavelet 4R™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_PCNT_1, 

      PL_MCU_PCNT_1 (old name) 

      PCNT, Edge, Periodic, output 

      Digital  

       

      3 

      Wavelet 4™,

      Wavelet V2™,  

      Wavelet Ex™,

      Wavelet 4R™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_2, 

      PL_ACMP_0 (old name) 

      Edge, Periodic, output 

      Digital 

       

      5 

      Wavelet 4™,

      Wavelet V2™,  

      Wavelet Ex™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_3, 

      VLSense1 (old name) 

      Periodic, output 

      Digital  

       

      2 

      Wavelet V2™

      PL_DIGITAL_IO_4, 

      VLSense2 (old name) 

      Periodic, output 

      Analog

      2 

      Wavelet V2™

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_1 

       

      DO NOT USE – Unsupported by hardware and/or firmware 

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_2 

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_3  

      PL_IOEXT_GPIO_4         

      PL_ADS_GPIO_1 

      PL_ADS_GPIO_2 

      PL_ADS_GPIO_3 

      PL_ISO_INPUT_A 

      PL_ISO_INPUT_B 

      PL_ISO_OUTPUT_A 

      PL_ISO_OUTPUT_B 

      type

      Description:

      The behavior of the output signal sent as the result of a Threshold action.

      Options:
      • PT_OUTPUT_DRIVE – An output signal is sent multiple times in a cyclical fashion, as defined by Output_pulse_count, Output_time_high, and Output_time_low. This is best illustrated by an example. Suppose that:

      Output_time_high = 15

      Output_time_low = 10

      Output_pulse_count = 3

      Then when the Threshold action is triggered, a signal is sent for 15 ms, followed by 10 ms of no signal. This behavior is repeated three times.

      • PT_OUTPUT_OPENDRAIN – deprecated

      pull

      Description:

      Specify the function of the pull-up resistor used in the device to ensure a known state for a signal.

      Options:

      PPULL_UP – Select this if the resistor raises the voltage to 2.8 volts

      PPULL_DOWN – Select this if the resistor lowers the voltage to ground

      PPULL_NONE – This is the default setting. Change this to PPULL_UP or PPULL_DOWN when configuring channel parameters.

      Schematic diagrams:

                   

      Output_pulse_count

      Description:

      The number of signal-cycles to send as the result of a Threshold action. Refer to PT_OUTPUT_DRIVE.

      output_time_high

      Description:

      How long, in ms, to send an electrical signal in a signal-cycle. Refer to PT_OUTPUT_DRIVE.

      output_time_low

      Description:

      How long, in ms, to refrain from sending an electrical signal in a signal-cycle. Refer to PT_OUTPUT_DRIVE.

      Appendix C: Digital Connector Pinouts

      The digital connector in the WA1111 and WA1111-V2 is port 3. The port is an M12 5-pin male panel connector with 3 digital inputs for WA1111 and 4 digital inputs for WA1111-V2. Download the WA1111 and WA1111-V2 Pinouts PDF. 

      The connectors in WA3888 are on Ports 1, 2, and 3. Each port is an M12 8-pin male panel connector. Download the WA3888 Pinouts PDF.