Product category:
Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications
News Release from: Total Remote Control | Subject: GPRS-based control systems
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 10 September 2004
Remote control opens new international
markets
The development of a control system with full TCP/IP facilities over GPRS by Total Remote Control (TRC) has led to the opening of new international markets for Arbel Electronics.
The development of a control system with full TCP/IP facilities over GPRS by Total Remote Control (TRC) has led to the opening of new international markets for Arbel Electronics, a specialist in systems for the agricultural industry The technology created allows end users to have geographically remote monitoring and control functionality, directly via the Internet, with no new cables or fixed phone lines
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 8 Feb 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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It is available for both new installations and as an upgrade for most existing Arbel integrated systems.
Field trials have been successfully completed across Europe and New Zealand, with the system currently available for general demonstration.
The product user-interface is either through a standard browser or via the proprietary, highly efficient communications software developed by TRC.
The improved system incorporates Internet and GPRS communication features that offer a wide range of customer benefits, including: provision of an integrated, mobile Internet communications platform and a web-server, all embedded onboard (allowing it to act as a remote access, web enabled, embedded control system, with Internet server capabilities); the system is fully interactive and has a customisable web interface that consists of a set of interactive screens; software upgrades can be provided online; alarm and self diagnostic features available via e-mail or SMS, with online interrogation functionality; and a wide range of analogue and digital I/O, all in a small, lightweight enclosure.
The reliable integration of the embedded and mobile Internet technologies was undertaken in such a way as to facilitate full service capabilities in a globally remote way, and this was a major task.
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"This latest development has proved to be exceptionally reliable, even on farms that have a tendency for highly variable voltage supplies", according to Keith Elcomb, Technical Director.
"This product will give Arbel a leading edge in their particular market, which is for use with bulk tanks that both contain and cool milk on farms prior to collection, and also the automation of the associated pipeline washing systems".
The new system has been designed to benefit both service engineers and end users alike.
The operation provides for direct communication to the control unit so that system parameters, usage log and settings can be monitored and changed remotely, but in a highly secure way.
Additionally, should any alarm condition occur, an SMS text message is sent to a mobile phone indicating the type of situation that has arisen, thus giving the opportunity to immediately react to any potentially costly problem.
This means that service callouts can be drastically reduced, as many issues can now be resolved directly online.
To simplify the implementation of the new product, TRC designed the system such that it takes no more space than the original Arbel "stand alone" product, with an upgrade path from a non-GPRS version being a simple board change.
Also, making the user interface appear on any computer screen look identical to the existing interface that service engineers use on their laptops, minimises the training required to use the system.
The software functions that facilitate the implementation of the system are both highly efficient and secure, which means that both engineers and non-technical users can feel confident in using it.
Tests across Europe and the Southern hemisphere have proven the robustness and resilience of the system and even systems in Northern Ireland have been successfully monitored and controlled from Hamilton in New Zealand.
Implementation of the system is a simple operation and a number of benefits have been found to accrue from its use.
The system control parameters and measured variables are all available in near real time to any authorised user anywhere in the world with a PC and Internet access.
System interrogation and new software updates can be done "from the office", with routine and spurious callouts being minimised.
Alarm conditions can give immediate SMS warning of potential problems, such as cooling or cleaning not to specification.
This means that possible disastrous situations, such as high bacterial count, can be mitigated.
The operator interface for the control system mimics the existing Arbel interface, thus training is only a minor requirement.
Installation and commissioning, together with routine maintenance of the controlled plant, can be undertaken with the minimum of fuss, and online assistance can be requested should any unforeseen problems occur.
Automatic defaults are embedded into the system to ease commissioning.
TRC is now finalising the development of a monitoring system that automatically updates an online database, again using embedded GPRS and Internet functionality.
According to Elcomb: "The new monitoring system will integrate easily with an online database, which can be either based on a company server or on the TRC facility and with a custom user interface embedded into the device, operation will be a simple matter".
TRCs' objective is to now create new products and services that can be implemented in a matter of weeks rather than months, using the skill set and software library created during the original development.
This would make the implementation of these mobile Internet technologies into products or processes for other companies a highly efficient and cost effective undertaking.
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