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Metasphere Point Colour User Manual

Remote telemetry unit
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Point Colour User Guide
Point Colour
Remote Telemetry Unit
User Guide

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  • Page 1 Point Colour User Guide Point Colour Remote Telemetry Unit User Guide...
  • Page 2 Permission is, however, not required to copy sections on conditions that a full reference to the source is shown. Published by Metasphere Ltd, Millfield, Dorking Road, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 7TD. Point Colour User Guide User Guide, Issue 9.0 ©...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Software versions ......................7 Terms and Abbreviations ................. 8 Storage and Handling ..................10 Storage .......................... 10 Handling ........................10 Point Colour Range Overview ................. 11 Available models ......................12 Basic functionality ......................13 External connections ....................13 Configuration ....................... 13 External I/O ........................
  • Page 4 Point Colour User Guide Active voltage ....................... 31 Passive loop ........................32 Passive voltage ......................33 Serial ......................34 Overview ........................34 Modbus ......................... 35 SDI-12 ..........................40 Mainstream ........................44 Internal I/O....................45 Local monitoring ......................45 Modem Points ....................... 50 RTU diagnostic points ....................
  • Page 5 DNP3 Object Flags ....................... 81 Standalone ....................82 Overview ........................82 Limitations ........................82 Examples ........................82 Powering the Point Colour ................83 Internal Battery ......................83 External Battery ......................83 External DC source ...................... 83 Power source switching ....................83 Configuring Point Colour ................
  • Page 6 Point Colour User Guide Points List ....................101 Analogue Inputs ......................101 Counters ........................108 Digital Inputs ......................109 String Points ....................... 110 Diagnostics ....................112 DNP3 Error codes ....................... 113 DNP3 Communication Logs ..................115 Technical details – Point Green ..............116 Technical details –...

  • Page 7: About This Manual

    Point Colour User Guide About this manual This manual describes the functionality of the Point Green, Point Orange and Point Blue Remote Telemetry Units (RTU) from the Point Colour range. It explains how to configure, program and install these RTU’s. ➢...

  • Page 8: Terms And Abbreviations

    Point Colour User Guide Terms and Abbreviations Abbreviation Description Access Point Name Bulk Configuration File (WITS) Configuration Application (WITS) CCITT Comité Consultatif International Téléphonique et Télégraphique (International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee) Cyclic Redundancy Check Carrier Signal Quality Comma Separated Value...
  • Page 9 Point Colour User Guide Abbreviation Description Remote Terminal Unit Secure Digital Subscriber Identity Module Universal Serial Bus Coordinated Universal Time WITS Worldwide Industrial Telemetry Standard WITS-DNP3 Worldwide Industrial Telemetry Standard extending the DNP3 protocol...

  • Page 10: Storage And Handling

    The manufacturer of the cells used in Point Colour has an exemplary track record and excellent design and quality assurance. These cells are used in many industries and have been certified to all relevant standards.

  • Page 11: Point Colour Range Overview

    Point Colour Range Overview This overview section introduces the Point Colour family and includes descriptions and information about all members. The Point Colour family has three versions of compact Logger/RTU devices with integrated battery, cellular modem, internal and external antenna options, flexible I/O, and an integrated submersion sensor.

  • Page 12: Available Models

    Point Colour User Guide Available models Point Green There is one version of the Point Green available which has a 3G modem that provides GPRS fall-back if no 3G network is available. The model can be identified by reading the serial number label or the product identification label.

  • Page 13: Basic Functionality

    Poco+ please contact Metasphere. The Point Colour connects to the PC running Poco+ using the Point Colour Service Cable which connects to the main connector on the Point Colour and a spare USB port on the PC. External I/O The Point Colour supports a range of I/O input channels;...

  • Page 14: Assembling The Point Colour

    RTU, fit the SIM card and re-assemble the unit. Open the unit To open the Point Colour, turn the unit upside down so the coloured battery cap is on top. The cap can then be removed by unscrewing and lifting away. The gasket should remain on the grey enclosure but may come away.

  • Page 15: Fit Sim Card

    Point Colour User Guide Fit SIM Card Point Green Inside the Point Green enclosure is a single PCB with the SIM card holder located on the rear of the PCB; see Figure 5. Figure 5: Point Green SIM card location The SIM card holder is a push style with a spring loaded catch to retain the SIM card in the holder.
  • Page 16 Point Colour User Guide Point Orange IoT The Point Orange IoT has the same SIM card holder as the Point Green, but it has two PCB’s internally. Figure 7: Point Orange IoT SIM card location Point Orange 3G and Point Blue The SIM card holder is located on the modem PCB at the back of the RTU, see Figure 8.
  • Page 17 Figure 10: SIM card fitted in Point Orange 3G WARNING Metasphere strongly advise that all SIM cards are fitted in a clean dry environment observing the necessary ESD handling precautions. Under no circumstances should the Point Blue be opened whilst in the in...

  • Page 18: Check The Gasket

    Point Colour User Guide Check the Gasket With the battery pack disconnected, now is a good opportunity to check the gasket and ensure that it is fitted correctly. There should be a ridge on the exposed face as shown below;...

  • Page 19: Close And Lock

    ➢ Note: To assist with opening and closing, there is an enclosure locking tool available. (PN 5-108). Please contact Metasphere for more information. Check the gasket Before locking the enclosure, check the gasket has not been pinched. Figure 14 shows a pinched gasket on the left and a well installed gasket on the right.
  • Page 20 Point Colour User Guide Fit the interlock Once the tabs have aligned, insert the grey interlock (found earlier in the antistatic bag) ensuring the T is visible on the top face as shown in Figure 15. Figure 15: Insert the interlock Lock the enclosure Lock the interlock in place using the colour coded pin as shown in Figure 16.

  • Page 21: Points

    Point Colour User Guide Points The Point Colour has a fixed list of points built into the firmware. These points are available to be read by the selected telemetry master or can be monitored using Poco+. A complete list of all available points is provided in the Points List section of this User Guide.
  • Page 22 The first exception is when the Service Cable is connected to the Point Colour and a PC. Under this condition the Point Colour will not go to sleep, as it is assumed that the user is configuring the RTU or wishes to monitor the point values as they are updated. In this instance, all passive points are updated continuously on a 2 second cycle.

  • Page 23: External I/O

    The second exception is for passive analogue points that are configured with an alarm. In this instance, the Point Colour will wake up at the frequency specified by the ‘Alarm Check’ setting in Poco+. This setting is NOT used for any active sensors or serial points which are checked according to the trend period.

  • Page 24: Point Green

    RS232, RS485 and SDI-12. External I/O Configuration The I/O tab in Poco+ is used to configure the I/O of the Point Colour and is made up of three sections (Available I/O, Configured I/O Channels, and Pin table). This is shown below for a Point Green and Point Orange.

  • Page 25: Available I/O

    The number of available channels of a particular type is displayed in brackets after each I/O type i.e. with no I/O configured a Point Colour can have up to 5x digital inputs, 2x Active loops, 2x passive Loops etc. These numbers are updated as I/O channels are added.

  • Page 26: Pin Table

    Point Colour User Guide Pin Table Below the Available I/O box is the pin table: Figure 24: Available I/O This table lists the pins that are allocated to the configured I/O channels. As channels are added the table is updated, with the pins used highlighted in the colour of the RTU. Using the same example as Figure 23, Figure 24 shows how the pins are allocated when an active loop, digital input and a counter have been added.

  • Page 27: Connector Pin-Out

    Point Colour User Guide Connector pin-out The pin numbering scheme of the single 12-pin connector on Point Colour is shown in the following table. Note that many of the pins have multiple uses, depending on how they are configured in Poco+ as detailed above.

  • Page 28: Digital Inputs

    Point Colour User Guide Digital inputs The Point Colour can be configured to read up to 5x digital inputs (DI). Each of these inputs is defined as volt-free. i.e. no whetting voltage is required for the change in state to be detected.

  • Page 29: Counter Inputs

    Point Colour User Guide Counter inputs The Point Colour can be configured to read up to 4x counter inputs (CI). Like the DI channels, they are defined as volt-free. The counters can count at up to 100Hz and include a debounce filter for use with mechanical switches.

  • Page 30: Analogue Inputs

    I/O configurations. Active loop The Point Colour can be configured to read up to two active loop inputs. An active loop channel provides a 12V DC power supply to power an external sensor and can read a 4-20mA signal from the sensor. Figure 28 shows a typical connection for this 2-pin interface.

  • Page 31: Active Voltage

    Figure 29: Active Loop configuration Active voltage The Point Colour can be configured to read up to two active voltage analogue inputs. An active voltage channel provides a 12V DC power supply to power an external sensor and can read a 0-2V signal from the sensor.

  • Page 32: Passive Loop

    Figure 31: Active Voltage configuration Passive loop The Point Colour can be configured to read up to two passive loop analogue inputs. A passive loop channel can read a 4-20mA signal from the sensor. The maximum current that the RTU can sink is 40mA.

  • Page 33: Passive Voltage

    Point Colour User Guide Passive voltage The Point Colour can be configured to read up to 4x passive voltage analogue inputs. A passive voltage channel can read a 0-2V signal from the sensor. Figure 34 shows a typical connection Signal...

  • Page 34: Serial

    12, SDI-12 Multidrop or Mainstream can be selected. Connecting to sensors The Point Colour can be connected to a wide range of serial devices each of which require a specific cable. For example, the cables for RS232, RS485 (half and full duplex) and SDI-12 are all different.

  • Page 35: Modbus

    Modbus The Point Colour can be configured to communicate with a Modbus Slave via RS232 or RS485 (half or full duplex). This is done using a specially designed cable connecting to the main connector (see the I/O cable section and Serial cable info sheet for more details).
  • Page 36 Pin 3 Figure 39: Modbus RS485 Full Duplex connections The Point Colour reads various configured coils and registers and records these values as digital, analogue, counter and string points on the Point Colour. Specific Modbus points have been added to the points list to record the values read from the Modbus slave these include 10x digital points, 10x analogues points, 10x counter points and 5x string points.
  • Page 37 The Modbus slave address to be used Response Timeout The length of time the Point Colour will wait for a response from the slave to single command. i.e. to read each register. Care must be taken to ensure this timeout is not too long...
  • Page 38 Point Colour User Guide Parameter Details Register Type Holding Register or Input Register Start The register address of the value to be read Modbus Registers Length in bytes Calculated dependent on the Modbus format Int16 16-bit signed integer data contained in 1 register...
  • Page 39 It is good practice to pre-test your external device using a Modbus master simulator. Same can be done with the Point Colour using a Modbus slave simulator. Some simulator can allow multiple points types to be setup and run at the same time.
  • Page 40 Figure 43: SDI-12 connections SDI-12 Single Device In this mode the Point Colour will initiate the measurement and retrieve the data from one SDI-12 sensor. Up to nine serial analogue input points can be read from the sensor, dependant on what is available from the sensor.
  • Page 41 Point Colour. SDI-12 Points The Point Colour has 9x serial analogue input points that are used to store SDI-12 data. There is no specific configuration as SDI-12 always uses a floating-point format. Please refer to your SD-12 device data sheet for available data points that can be read.
  • Page 42 7 values from 3 sensors, 2 values from 4 sensors and 1 value from another sensor. To minimise the time it takes to read values from all sensors on the bus, the Point Colour uses the SDI-12 concurrent measurement command. This single read command instructs all devices on the bus to start reading their sensors and then send the readings to the SDI-12 master (Point Colour) when they are ready.
  • Page 43 SDI-12 Points The Point Colour has 30x serial analogue input points that are used to store SDI-12 multidrop data. For each point the sensor address and value index should be defined for the value to be read. This information is normally available in the SD-12 device data sheet.

  • Page 44: Mainstream

    Pin 3 Figure 50: Mainstream connections The Point Colour will initiate the measurement and retrieve the data from a Mainstream sensor. The data updates eight predefined serial analogue input points. Communications with a Mainstream sensor will be started 7 seconds ahead of when the trend is to be taken to ensure it completes in time.

  • Page 45: Internal I/O

    Point Colour User Guide Internal I/O The Point Colour has a wide range of internal points that can be measured such as battery voltage, or whether the unit is submerged or not. These conditions are mapped to points and are always available.
  • Page 46 Point Colour User Guide Sensor supply voltage (AI8) If the Point Colour has been configured to power an external sensor (active loop, active voltage or serial), then the sensor supply voltage can be measured. Similar to the active sensor readings this point is only updated when the sensor is actually powered. For example, if an active loop is trended at 15mins and this point is trended at 5min, the value will only be updated every 15 mins.
  • Page 47 Reed Switch (DI10) The Point Colour has a reed switch that can be activated using a magnet, and if configured, it will force the RTU to contact the master. The reed switch is located on the side of the RTU as shown in Figure 52.
  • Page 48 Poco+ to know that the switch has been closed successfully. Submersion sensor (DI12) The Point Colour has an internal submersion sensor that can be used to determine if the Point Colour is submerged. The sensor is located in the cap of the enclosure; therefore, the water level must be higher than this to trigger the sensor.
  • Page 49 Point Colour User Guide Calibration and Recalibration The submersion sensor is calibrated by the RTU if no calibration exists. This calibration process takes approximately 5 minutes, after which the sensor is sampled at regular intervals depending on the configuration of the RTU.

  • Page 50: Modem Points

    This digital point is updated by interrupt and is set to 1, when a USB cable is connected between the Point Colour and a PC. This can be used as a tamper detection to determine if and when a local connection is made to the RTU. Thus, it can be used as monitored point in Telemetry Master Station.
  • Page 51 Point Colour User Guide Point Value Scaled value (dBm) Notes 15-31 -83 to -51 Good coverage. Not known or not detectable Point Orange IoT For a Point Orange IoT unit, this point reports the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) from the modem. This is a raw value that uses the a 0 to 97 range which can be scaled.
  • Page 52 Check the SIM card activation and consider increasing the network registration timeout period. Couldn’t register on the For Point Colour IoT check the APN settings and the network Network Operator Number. If you see this command check the Registration Code (AI13) for more information on the failure.
  • Page 53 FTP failed to open local file The file on the Point Colour could not be opened. Data could not be read from the file on the Point Colour. FTP failed to read from local Point Colour hardware or firmware errors, please contact file Metasphere.
  • Page 54 FTPS PEM file not found downloaded to the Point Colour FTPS Error using PEM file Error in writing the PEM file to the Point Colour modem NTP failed to connect to server FTP filed to get time from network or from NTP server...
  • Page 55 This point shows the last signal strength read when the internal antenna was in use. Typical signal strength values and their meaning are detailed in the Modem Signal Strength (AI10) Modem Types (AI23) This point shows which modem is installed in the Point Colour. Point Value Modem None...
  • Page 56 4G Cat-M1 4G NB-IoT Network Technology (DI14) This digital point indicates which network technology is being used by the Point Colour. 0 = 2G, 1 = 3G. ➢ Note: This point has been deprecated and should not be used for new configurations. It has been maintained for backwards compatibility.

  • Page 57: Rtu Diagnostic Points

    New configuration invalid Configured New configuration valid Awake Seconds (CI11) This is the number of seconds that the Point Colour has been awake for. i.e. running at full power processing data. The clock is stopped each time the RTU goes to sleep.
  • Page 58 Point Colour User Guide Serial Number (ST0) This is the serial number of the Point Colour unit and will match the number located on the top of the enclosure. This can be useful for tracking where units are. Date of Manufacture (ST7) This point contains a numeric string representing the date that the Point Colour was manufactured.

  • Page 59: Dnp3 Diagnostic Points

    Point Colour User Guide DNP3 Diagnostic Points When configured as a DNP3 slave the Point Colour maintains several local points that can help show the current state of the RTU. DNP3 IIN Bits (AI21) This point shows the current state of the IIN bits for the slave. The point is an analogue point (16-bit number) which is a bit array where the LSB represents IIN1 and the MSB represents IIN2, see section 4.5 of the DNP3 standard for more information.

  • Page 60: Events And Alarms

    Digital Inputs The external DI’s on Point Colour are interrupt driven. This means that if configured with an external DI the RTU will sleep until the point value changes. Upon detecting the change in state, the RTU will wake and assess what action to take. Depending on the configuration of the RTU digital events can be created on the change of state of a particular digital input.

  • Page 61: Counter Inputs

    Analogue Inputs When alarms are raised, analogue inputs fall into one of two categories, active or passive points. Active points are those that require the Point Colour to power an external sensor i.e. active loop or active voltage. Active points Active points are only sampled on a specified configured trend frequency and once at power up.
  • Page 62 Point Colour User Guide ➢ Note: Medina does not support Overrange and Underrange on the Point Colour. They should be disabled for all analogue points within Master Control. Event cleared Event raised Overrange Event cleared Event raised HiHi Event cleared...

  • Page 63: Deadbands

    When configuring alarms, the concept of deadbands is applicable to AI and DI points. There are two types of deadband that are used by the Point Colour, time deadbands and level deadbands. Time deadbands can be applied to both digital and analogue points. Level deadbands are only applicable to analogue points.
  • Page 64 A limit is defined as the boundary separating states. The states are numbered from 0 (normal) to the maximum configured rather than given names. As the Point Colour offers a maximum of two negative limits and two positive limits, Poco+ avoids the WITS numbering system and uses the same naming as with other stacks.

  • Page 65: Trending

    Server (DS). DNP3 If a Point Colour is configured as a DNP3 slave, the maximum number of events that can be stored for each class can be configured in the configuration file. If the Point Colour reaches this maximum number of events it will attempt to dial-in to the Telemetry Master Station and continue to collect events.

  • Page 66: Wits Logging

    Poco+. Dynamic Trending The Point Colour is able to change its trend frequency based on the alarm state for any analogue input. If the value of a point indicates that it is in an alarm state, and it has been configured to dynamically trend, the sample period for that point is changed, from the normal trend frequency, to the dynamic trend frequency.
  • Page 67 RTU is allowed to make decisions about when it can lower the trending rate to preserve battery life. To use the dynamic trending on the Point Colour, the Medina master should be configured with the fastest trend frequency and the Point Colour, using Poco+ should be configured with the slower trend frequency.

  • Page 68: Time

    Colour has an integrated RTC that is responsible for maintaining time. When the Point Colour is first powered up or is reset, the time is initialised to the start of Unix time, i.e. 01/01/1970: 00:00:00. When configured for Medina, the time is reset to 01/01/1976, 00:00:00.

  • Page 69: Communications

    Power up connection When a Point Colour powers up or is reset, it will attempt to read its configuration file, and if configured with a communications route, will attempt to contact the appropriate Telemetry Master Station.

  • Page 70: Terminating A Connection

    Point Colour will assume that the Telemetry Master Station no longer needs to communicate, and it will terminate the connection. Additionally, if the master terminates the connection the Point Colour will shut down the modem and set the DNP3 stack ready for the next scheduled connection.
  • Page 71 Point Colour User Guide Start Connect Retry Regime Success? Count = 0 Wait_Time = Short Retry Delay Wait_Time Delay Connect Success? Hold Off Delay Count ++ Count < No. Wait_Time = Short Alarm? of Retries? Retry Delay Scheduled Wait_Time = Long...
  • Page 72 Figure 62: Short & Long retry times ➢ Note: The Point Colour will continue to sleep and collect data as normal between connection attempts when in the retry regime. ➢ Note: If an alarm occurs or the Reed switch is activated while the RTU is in a retry regime the RTU will dial-in immediately and the retry regime will reset.

  • Page 73: External Antenna

    However, the automatic switching uses an algorithm to determine which antenna to use. On power up, if configured for automatic the Point Colour will always try to use the internal antenna first; it will then follow the flow chart shown in Figure 63.

  • Page 74: Ftp

    Point Colour User Guide The FTP mode on the Point Colour allows the RTU to be used without a traditional Telemetry Master Station. Instead of storing data on the RTU in binary format and then reporting to the Telemetry Master Station using the relevant protocol messages, the Point Colour stores the data in human readable Comma Separated Value (CSV) files.

  • Page 75: Communication

    Communication Setting the Time The Point Colour will attempt to get the current time at the start of every communication session. This uses the mobile network time (adjusting to UTC), and if this fails then it will attempt to contact a Metasphere NTP server to receive the time in UTC. An initial connection is made after a new configuration is downloaded to set the date and time and create initial files.

  • Page 76: Configuration

    2047 bytes, and only use line feeds. It should only include the - ----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- and -----END CERTIFICATE----- strings, any RSA PRIVATE KEY section must not be included. When configured for FTPS, the Point Colour will connect using explicit mode.

  • Page 77: Wits

    A Comms Configured configuration, contains the communication settings to allow the Point Colour to contact a WITS master. After this file has been downloaded to the Point Colour, it will set the CONFIG_CORRUPT DNP3 IIN bit and then attempt to contact the WITS-DNP3 master.
  • Page 78 IC detailing if any errors were found. The format of this is defined in the WITS-DNP3 Application Notes. ➢ Note: If a BCF and accompanying IC are sent and activated in the same communications session, the IC will not be applied until after the Point Colour has reset to update to the new BCF.

  • Page 79: Connections

    (e.g. temperature is in °C), or 1:1 scaling. On/Off scan The complete Point Colour, as well as each point can be set to be on or off scan. This is as detailed in the WITS-DNP3 Application Notes. Once configured this can be changed with the appropriate IC record.

  • Page 80: Data Set Events

    Poco+ CA. Bit 7 - Close comms link The Point Colour will always set this bit to indicate that it wishes the link to be closed when the master has completed its actions.

  • Page 81: Dnp3 Object Flags

    Point Colour User Guide DNP3 Object Flags WITS actions can be configured to be performed when the following DNP3 object flags change. All other DNP3 object flags are not supported. DNP3 Object Flag Details ONLINE All points can configure the action to perform on a change of the ONLINE DNP3 flag.

  • Page 82: Standalone

    Point Colour User Guide Standalone While the Point Colour is designed to work with a Telemetry Master Station, it can be configured to operate in a standalone capacity. This enables it to be used for short periods to test sensor and installation performance without having to setup or configure a master station.

  • Page 83: Powering The Point Colour

    Point Blue is supplied with either an internal or external battery pack. These battery packs are capable of powering the RTU and external sensors for up to 5+ years. The internal battery pack is not user replaceable and the Point Colour internal battery pack should never be opened by the user.
  • Page 84 Point Colour User Guide ➢ Note: To power the Point Green using an external supply the voltage must be between 7.5V and 15V DC. ➢ Note: To counter the effect of battery voltages fluctuating as loads are added and removed, any alarms configured on DI5 should have a long time deadband > 3minutes.

  • Page 85: Configuring Point Colour

    Point Colour. If Point Colour does not have a valid configuration it will go into a sleep mode when unplugged from the PC. The Point Colour can only be woken from this mode when connected to the PC via a USB Service Cable.

  • Page 86: Remote Configuration

    Note: The Point Colour does not support remote configuration when using FTP The following flow chart shows the various states that the Point Colour can be in with regards to configuration file download. In the flow chart reference is made to AI22. This is an RTU diagnostic point displaying the current configuration code.

  • Page 87: Installing/Upgrading Firmware

    The firmware files are identified by name and firmware number with the table below providing a summary. All Point Colour firmware version numbers start with v90c followed by a four digit release number. The first digit in this release number specifies the variant and the subsequent 3 identify the release number.

  • Page 88: Dnp3 File Transfer

    DNP3 File Transfer The firmware on Point Colour can be updated remotely from a DNP3 or WITS-DNP3 Telemetry Master Station using DNP3 file download and activation functions. The firmware file must have an extension “*.rfu”.

  • Page 89: Accessories

    The test box also has the option for a DC input (7.5V). If connected to a DC source, the test box will power the Point Colour and will be treated as the external supply. If the DC input is not present, Point Colour will use its internal battery to stay awake for the period when the...
  • Page 90 Note: The DC input will not work with the Point Blue 3Gi as it can’t accept an external power source. WARNING Connecting the Point Colour to the PC using the test box, without the DC connection, will drain the Point Colour’s battery. Long periods connected to USB should be avoided.

  • Page 91: Connector Cap

    Figure 70: Connector cap Installation Bracket The installation bracket can be used to safely secure the Point Colour to a wall. The bracket features two arms that are designed to slide into the mounting feature on the back of the enclosure.

  • Page 92: Antenna Cap

    Point Colour User Guide Antenna Cap The antenna cap is included as standard with all Point Colour units. The purpose of this cap is to prevent debris from being caught in the connector that might damage the connection should an external antenna be needed later. This cap should always be used unless an external antenna is fitted.

  • Page 93: Installation

    The Point Colour has been designed to minimise the time required to install the unit enabling rapid deployment of the unit in the field. The Point Colour can be installed to a wide variety of sites thanks to its unique design offering three different methods: Pipe; Bracket; and Wall.
  • Page 94 Any connection to Poco+ using USB must be made using the Metasphere IS Barrier or outside of the hazardous area. Overloading of equipment WARNING The Point Colour is susceptible to damage if the inputs of the device are overloaded.

  • Page 95: Pipe

    RTU while rotating or vibrating. Pipe The first installation method for the Point Colour is to secure the unit to a pipe or pole. This is achieved by sliding a cable tie (or two) through the specially designed slot on the back of the enclosure before securing to a pipe.

  • Page 96: Bracket

    Figure 75: Point Colour installed on the bracket Wall The third option available to the user is to use two screws in a wall, which the Point Colour can hang on. The bracket described above provides the perfect guide to the installer, allowing the mounting holes to be quickly and easily marked.

  • Page 97: Configure And Connect

    Point Colour User Guide Configure and Connect To preserve the internal battery of the Point Colour, all units are manufactured with a default deep sleep configuration. In this mode, the unit is in permanent sleep with all peripherals turned off. The unit can be woken from this sleep connecting it to a PC using the Service Cable.

  • Page 98: Maintenance

    Maintenance Battery Life Battery powered Point Colour RTUs have a finite source of power, and once depleted will no longer operate. Therefore, it’s important to monitor all batteries to ensure that they are replaced before the RTU encounters any loss of service.
  • Page 99 Point Colour User Guide Power Usage The Point Colour RTUs have been designed to conserve power wherever possible and will spend most of their time in a sleep state. The RTU will only wake up when required to complete the following tasks: USB communication ■...

  • Page 100: Point Blue Non-Volatile Memory

    Imminent Failure The Point Colour has a Low Voltage Detection (LVD) that will cause the RTU to reset upon the detection of an unexpected low voltage. This feature is designed to protect the batteries from damage due to over discharged.

  • Page 101: Points List

    Point Colour User Guide Points List This section provides a summary of all points available on the Point Colour, including scaling information. Analogue Inputs Point Name Notes Index Analogue input 0 (if configured) If configured as passive voltage or active voltage: Offset = 0, multiplier = 0.0000625...
  • Page 102 Point Colour User Guide Point Name Notes Index -20°C = 2000 0°C = 4000 20°C = 6000 85°C = 12500 Min = 0, Max = 32767 Internal battery voltage Point Green Offset = 0, multiplier = 0.000222 0V = 0...
  • Page 103 Point Colour User Guide Point Name Notes Index Signal quality from the modem. 2G/3G Modem Offset = -113dBm, multiplier = 2 -113 dBm -83 dBm -53 dBm Modem Signal Not known or not detectable Strength IoT Modem Offset = -140dBm, multiplier = 1...
  • Page 104 Point Colour User Guide Point Name Notes Index Socket closed by remote host Connection closed by remote host Could not connect to phone number (GSM) Can’t communicate with modem power controller Could not connect to FTP server FTP data read ended...
  • Page 105 Configuration Error Configured Code No new Configuration found Configured New configuration invalid Configured New configuration valid Current modem used by the Point Colour None Unknown Modem Type Wismo 2G Telit 3G Telit 2G Trend Delta CI0 Number of pulses on counter 0 during the counter 0 trend period...
  • Page 106 Point Colour User Guide Point Name Notes Index Acknowledge Memory Parity error Not Configured Command not supported Communication Timeout Data Length incorrect CRC error Unsupported function Incorrect address SDI-12 Specific Parity error in response Incorrect number of values Timeout while waiting for response...
  • Page 107 Point Colour User Guide Point Name Notes Index Serial AI8 Serial Analogue point 8 Serial AI9 Serial Analogue point 9 Average battery / external voltage during previous call Point Green Offset = 0, multiplier = 0.000222 0V = 0 5V = 22523...

  • Page 108: Counters

    The number of network registration failures since the unit was last reset Reserved Reserved Awake seconds The number of seconds the Point Colour has been awake since it was last reset DNP3 Events The number of unreported DNP3 events currently stored on Point...

  • Page 109: Digital Inputs

    Point Colour User Guide Point Name Notes Index Modem Seconds The total number of seconds the modem has been on for since reset. This value is updated after each connection is completed. Number of Start The total number of times that the start bearer command has timed bearer timeouts out.

  • Page 110: String Points

    1 = Reed switch activated (closed) Indicates antenna currently being used; Antenna 0 = External antenna 1 = Internal antenna Indicates if the Point Colour has been submerged; Submersion 0 = Unsubmerged 1 = submerged Indicates if local USB is connected to a PC;...
  • Page 111 Point Colour User Guide Point Name Notes Index Location Area Code Cell ID Cell Identity Manufacture Date of manufacture Serial ST0 Serial String point 0 Serial ST1 Serial String point 1 Serial ST2 Serial String point 2 Serial ST3 Serial String point 3...

  • Page 112: Diagnostics

    Point Colour User Guide Diagnostics The Point Colour can be configured to record diagnostic information regarding its operation. This is useful in the event of unexpected operational characteristics. Multiple files are generated with diagnostic information as the following table shows...

  • Page 113: Dnp3 Error Codes

    Point Colour User Guide DNP3 Error codes Where issues arise in DNP3 communication, the following codes may be present in the diagnostic logs. Number Name Notes SDNPDIAG_OPER_OBJVAR Object/variation not supported for operate request SDNPDIAG_FREEZE_OBJVAR Object/variation not supported for freeze request...
  • Page 114 Point Colour User Guide Number Name Notes SDNPDIAG_REQUESTED_POINT Requested point is not available SDNPDIAG_PATTERN_QUAN Invalid quantity for Pattern Control Block SDNPDIAG_INV_QUAL_CTRL Invalid qualifier for control SDNPDIAG_INV_QUAL_PATTERN Invalid qualifier for Pattern Control Block SDNPDIAG_INV_QUAL_FILE Invalid qualifier for file request SDNPDIAG_INDICES_PATTERN Invalid indices for pattern mask...

  • Page 115: Dnp3 Communication Logs

    The use of the logs is for diagnostic purposes and will have a small impact on performance and battery life. ➢ Note: Before the time has been retrieved from the DNP3 master, the Point Colour will record the time as 1st January 1970 in the log.

  • Page 116: Technical Details - Point Green

    Point Colour User Guide Technical details – Point Green Digital inputs Up to 2 channels Volt free, Impedance: 50kΩ Support change of state up to 100Hz Counter inputs Up to 2 channels Volt free, Impedance 50kΩ 32-bit counter support up to 100 Hz...

  • Page 117: Technical Details - Point Orange 3G

    Point Colour User Guide Technical details – Point Orange 3G Analogue Inputs Up to 4 channels Type: Active Current, passive current, active voltage, passive voltage Current range: 0-20mA, Voltage range: 0-2V Active AI power supply (12V DC, 80mA) Input impedance: 10.2kΩ...

  • Page 118: Technical Details - Point Orange Iot

    Point Colour User Guide Technical details – Point Orange IoT Analogue Inputs Up to 4 channels Type: Active Current, passive current, active voltage, passive voltage Current range: 0-20mA, Voltage range: 0-2V Active AI power supply (12V DC, 80mA) Input impedance: 10.2kΩ...

  • Page 119: Technical Details - Point Blue

    Point Colour User Guide Technical details – Point Blue Analogue Inputs Up to 4 channels Type: Active Current, passive current, active voltage, passive voltage Current range: 0-20mA, Voltage range: 0-2V Active AI power supply (12V DC, 21mA per channel) Input impedance: 10.2kΩ...

  • Page 120: Standards And Approvals

    Point Colour User Guide Standards and Approvals Point Green 3G Directives Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU EMC Directive 2014/30/EU General Product Safety 2001/95/EC Standards EN 62368-1:2014 - Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment. Safety requirements EN 60950-22:2017 - Information technology equipment - Safety -- Part...

  • Page 121: Point Orange 3G

    Point Colour User Guide Point Orange 3G Directives Council Directive 1999/5/EC Radio equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Council Directive 2004/108/EC Electromagnetic compatibility Council Directive 2006/95/EC Low Voltage Standards EN60950-1:2006 - Information technology equipment - Safety - Part 1: General requirements...

  • Page 122: Point Orange Iot

    Point Colour User Guide Point Orange IoT* Directives Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU EMC Directive 2014/30/EU General Product Safety 2001/95/EC Standards EN 62368-1:2014 - Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment. Safety requirements EN 60950-22:2017 - Information technology equipment - Safety -- Part...

  • Page 123: Point Blue 3Gi And Point Blue 3Ge

    Point Colour User Guide Point Blue 3Gi and Point Blue 3Ge Directives Council Directive 1999/5/EC Radio equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Council Directive 2004/108/EC Electromagnetic compatibility Council Directive 2006/95/EC Low Voltage Standards EN60950-1:2006 - Information technology equipment - Safety - Part 1:...

  • Page 124: Further Information

    Point Colour User Guide Further information For further information on the Point Green, Point Orange, Point Blue or any of the other Metasphere products, contact Metasphere using one of the methods below: Post Metasphere Ltd Millfield Dorking Road Tadworth Surrey...

  • Page 125: Index

    Point Colour User Guide Index Alarms CSV Files ............74 FTPS ..............76 Alarm Check ............23 Time synchronisation ........68 Alerts Trend file ............74 Analogue inputs ..........61 Installation Counter input ............ 61 Bracket ............... 96 Deadbands ............63 Pipe ..............
  • Page 126 Point Colour User Guide Start bearer timeouts ........56 SDI-12 ..............40 Successful connections ........56 Submersion sensor Unsuccessful connections ........ 56 Recalibration ............. 49 Points Time Flow calculations ..........29 Synchronisation..........68 List ..............101 Trending Updating values ..........21 Dynamic .............

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