Eltek GenII Radio Data Logging System

GenII Transmitters				GenII Receiver Logger

The Wireless Datalogging System
Eltek GenII radio data logging system combines exceptional performance and stylish products ideally suited for a wide range of applications and installations.

Now with 250 sensor capability, 125 transmitter capability, 250,000 readings and built in standby battery. Cost effective, even on occasions when using one transmitter and one sensor only, GenII can be expanded to meet any users requirements.

The GenII system enables sensors to be connected to the Receiver Logger by means of a radio link. Using UHF licence exempt radio provides a very cost effective and practical alternative to wired or cabled-in systems. Cabling is not only costly and labour intensive but can often lead to considerable disruption to the building or plant during and after installation. Radio overcomes these problems. Sensors and their associated radio transmitters are simply placed or permanently fitted as required once a radio connection has been established.

Radio lends itself ideally to installations where communications across a river, road or even just a large site need to be established quickly and effectively. Using high specification radio means a range of several kilometers, if line of sight reducing to several hundred meters in difficult environments (such as a brick or stone building or one containing considerable steel work).

Since no cables are used there is a great deal of freedom to change the placing of sensors or move the complete system to another site, again without disruption or significant cost.

Typical Applications

Typical applications by market include:

Cold chain and warehousing including pharmaceuticals
Monitoring the temperature in a store with ability to raise alarms if temperatures go out side limits. An audit trail can be recovered from the logger. Often this requirement is mandatory, dependant upon the commodity being warehoused.

Housing project monitoring
New building materials with high thermal efficiencies and new space heating systems can make for a warmer and more humid environment in a building. Monitoring such environments to ensure that the comfort levels the occupants expect can readily be achieved using GenII either for a temporary study project or as a permanent installation.

Monitoring ground water, compost manufacture etc.
The sensors for such uses are frequently sited some distance away from the logger, making cabling impractical. GenII provides a rapid reliable and flexible solution. GenII design allows for the connection of standard or complex sensors with no loss of accuracy or performance. Eltek has considerable experience in these fields.

Earth-moving equipment
Monitoring critical components on an earth-moving machine can be costly in the event of a breakdown. Even getting info back to the cab – let alone a site office can be difficult. GenII solves this problem and by warning of potential faults can prevent expensive plant outages.

Food production or through process
Monitoring a process for analysis or adherence to a specification is readily solved due to the small size and wireless capability of GenII. Even at high temperatures, such as in curing or cooking ovens, monitoring is possible using Eltek supplied thermal barriers, to safely protect the transmitter from high ambient temperatures.

Monitoring the environment where precious artifacts are displayed or stored
GenII finds ready application in museums and galleries. Transmitters are small and can be mounted discreetly and securely in a room or gallery. Temperature, relative humidity, light and visitor numbers can be metered and logged. Precious items require a high level environmental stability not only to insure the longevity of the exhibit, be it painting, sculpture or documents, but also for insurance purposes!

Eltek has an impressive list of referrals to assure customers that the system is field proven over many years of operation. Please contact Eltek to learn more.

Whatever the application, the feature common to all systems is that the data from the sensors is transmitted to a central combined Receiver Logger which stores the data for real time monitoring or subsequent transfer to a computer.

Typical System Configuration

System features

• An integrated system with all components matched for optimum performance and ease of use.
• Transmitters available with built-in LCD display
• Transmitters available with built-in light, temperature and/or humidity sensors
• Transmitters available with sockets for external sensors, e.g. temperature, humidity, light, voltage, current (4-20mA) and RH / Temperature probe
• Transmitters can give more than 5 year battery operation (at 5 minute intervals)
• Uses readily available off the shelf batteries
• Small compact light weight transmitters
• Receiver Logger with nonvolatile memory up to 2Mb readings (250,000 readings is standard)
• 12-bit system resolution
• Flexible data analysis using Eltek's Darca Plus software
• Powerful long range transmitters
• 250 input channels or sensors
• Up to 125 transmitters
• Up to 15 channels per transmitter
• RX250AL data logger with high specification built in receiver
• Alarms including GSM text messaging
• Transmitter low battery alarm and "% available remaining" indication at logger
• On-line metering via direct connection
• Tamper resistant wall bracket for transmitters and repeaters
• Wall bracket for added security and difficult surfaces
• Battery back-up throughout
• RP250GD repeater option to extend range
• Licence exempt (UHF and other frequencies are available)
• Darca Plus set up, data download and analysis software
• Program transmitters from PC or Receiver Logger

What is Telemetry?

Simply the transfer of information using radio waves. The Eltek Telemetry System uses UHF licence exempt frequencies. Note - we can provide frequencies available for use in your country, please contact Eltek.

How does the environment affect range?
Transmitters for UK users are limited to the permissible transmitter power limits. For use in other countries, other power levels, higher or lower, are available. Transmitters can give several kilometers line of sight coverage, however when the transmitter is in a building or working across a built up area, range will be reduced. Remember that within buildings, the building materials and furnishings can reduce transmission distances dramatically. We always recommend a survey. Range can be optimised easily using well sited antennae and repeaters.

Repeater extending range
In cases where distances prove too great for simple transmitter to Receiver Logger operation, the RP250GD repeater can be used. This picks up the information from a transmitter and retransmits it to the Receiver Logger or to a further repeater. Note that multiple repeaters can be sited around the Receiver Logger (referred to as radial operation) or multiple repeaters can be used in line to the Receiver Logger (referred to as tandem operation). Using one repeater with a dipole antenna can give a range of some kilometers. Please note that radio coverage is for guidance only, distances in excess of those indicated are quite possible in ideal circumstances. The RP250GD can be easily wall mounted.

Data analysis

Retrieve data via direct connection or GSM modem
Data can be viewed on the Receiver Logger's LCD display for instant system check or can be downloaded to a PC either directly or via a modem link. GSM communication is an ideal way of accessing the data in remote locations where no landline is available. Data retrieval is carried out using Darca Plus software. This program can be used to set up the system transmitters, the logger's channels, monitor or graph the data on screen in real time, and store the data for analysis and printout. Data can also be exported to a spreadsheet for analysis and archiving.