Data logging system design for sensors monitoring and test data recording. PIC-CONTROL can custom design a logging system specifically for your business use.
Sensor Data Logging Features
Type of Sensor Interface
Data Log Interface
Time-stamp of Data Logged
Power Supply
Type of Sensor Interface
There are many types of sensor connection interface.
Voltage ranges 0-3.3Vdc, 0-5Vdc, 0-10Vdc
Current interface 4mA to 20mA (Old standard, but still commonly used)
Digital communication interface, I2C, SPI, USART, RS232, RS485, Ethernet
Wheatstone Bridge
Data Log Interface
There are a number of data interfaces to choose from. It depends on your application.
Data collecting using a memory card is suitable for a standalone application where you want to leave the system to do the measurement or monitoring. You can collect the data at a later time, and open the file with your Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc software for manual data analysis. The logged data can be presented with a timestamp for your archive. The amount of data collected will depend on the data being logged, the memory size of the storage and the time frequency of each data sample.
For an application that requires real-time data collection or real-time data analytic, you should consider using Ethernet communication line. Ethernet communication system is also more efficient when you are collecting from a number of sensors deployed to various different location.
microSD memory card
USB Thumb Drive
Harddisk
Cloud Server, Webserver data storage
Ethernet communication network
Wireless WiFi, Bluetooth, XBee
USB
RS232, RS485
Wireless sensors and equipment for monitoring weight. Sensors’ data are being transmitted via the internet for data logging to the cloud server.
Timestamp of Data Logged
Date and time logging is typically necessary for analytic. This is also known as the data timestamp. This is especially useful for fast changing sensor data. Data logged can be archived for future reference.
Power Supply
The recommended method of powering up the data logging system is to use the wall mains 230Vac power supply.
For outdoor data collection, you may like to have your data logging system plugged to your vehicle for power or have it powered up from a battery.
A logger system can have the battery built in. There is a limit to how much power a battery can supply. For longer data collection usage, a large size battery will be needed. It usually means more bulky and heavy. There will be a charging function to charge up the built-in rechargeable battery.
Sensor Storage
Built case for storing sensitive equipment and dedicated sensors. Neat and protect against wear and tear.
Custom Data Logging System
Email PIC-CONTROL today for your custom sensor data logging system. We are able to design and custom built the system for your business. Custom built set starts from S$2500 and above.
The Rain Sensor that is installed outdoor detects raining.
The indoor rain signage gets illuminated to indicate that it is currently raining outside.
An alarm sounds to alert nearby personnel.
Personnel can push the mute button to acknowledge the alert.
The alarm can be muted, but the rain signage is still illuminated as long as it is still raining.
Rain signage will be turned off when the raining activity is stopped for about 2 or 10 mins.
The buzzer will not sound off again if the rain is stopped for less than 30 minutes.
Optional Features for Rain Detection System
Email Alert Notification
Email alert notification.
SMS Notification System
Option SMS alert using online cloud services.
Cheaper than traditional monthly SMS subscription sim card.
No need SMS modem or SMS sim card.
Requires SMS cloud service subscription.
Requires internet connection.
Wireless Connectivity
Wireless connectivity over 300-500m (in open space).
Rain Detection for Outdoor Premises or Activities
Rain sensor can be used to enhance the safety of outdoor activities. Outdoor play area can be deactivated when rain is detected to discourage children from their playing activities.
Custom Rain Sensor Automated System
The rain sensor system can also be integrated directly with automated awning shade system, automated gate, door or window system.
It can also be used as a sensor to alert or halt outdoor aqua playground system to protect children from dangerous activities when the weather is bad.
This is the distribution box for the water level detector system using electrode sensor, design and built by Hong Lam Engineering Pte. Ltd. .
The system consists of a total of 8 electrode sensor for 2 water tank. Each tank has electrode sensors of 4x different length to detect the water level.
When the water is too low, a water pump can be activated to transfer water to/from the tank. An emergency sensor is also position to prevent the water level being too high which can result is water overflow damage. The water level system is completely automated through the electrode sensors and pumps system.
The water level system is also wired up with indicators to alert the user. Remote monitoring can also be implemented so that the status can be monitored from a central control room.
The electronic control boards can be wired accordingly for your own water level control.
The water level detector system consist of 3x electronic circuit boards which provides the automation control. They are namely,
Flow Switch & Auto Change-Over Relay Board
Water Level Detector Relay Board
Water Level Electrode Sensor Board
Flow Switch & Auto Change-Over Relay Board
The water flow switch board detects the water flow and will activate the system accordingly.
Water Level Detector Relay Board
The water level detector relay board consist of 8 relays. Each is activated by the connected electrode sensors that are detecting the water level. When a water level is detected, the relay will be active, hence allowing the system to activate pumps, motor, etc… or alarm to alert the user.
The interface is simple to understand and the wiring is easy to connect.
Water Level Electrode Sensor Board
The water level electrode sensor board, connects up the 8 electrode sensor. 4 electrode sensors will be used for each water tank. The 4 electrode length will be at their respective water level, each indicating the following staus,
common
low water level cut-off
restart level
emergency level
Clearance Sales !!! (for a Limited Time Period Only)
Buy Your Water Level Detector System Now
Flow Switch & Auto Change-Over Relay Board
click on the picture to view larger image.
Stock Qty: 96
Water Level Detector Relay Board
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Stock Qty: 191
Water Level Electrode Sensor Board
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Stock Qty: 163
For purchase of this water level detection system or further information on the installation,
please contact Hong Lam Engineering Pte. Ltd (Your Specialized Pump Contractor).
Price will be discussed.
Also check out the other sensor electrodes, pumps and accessories product and services offering at their website (http://hlameng.com).
Optical water level sensor work with the principle of light refraction. Light is internally reflected. When in contact with water, the light ray gets refracted out of the sensor. The reduce light intensity through internal reflection indicates the presence of water, hence water level is detected.
The sensor is usually mounted on the side of the tank to detect water level. Water is required to be in contact with the sensor in order for the sensor to work.
Ultrasonic water level sensor works by emitting a sound wave pulse and listen to the reflected wave (like how a bat detects its surrounding). The time it takes for the reflected sound wave to return determines the water level.
The sensor is usually mounted on the top of a water tank, with the emitter facing downwards. The water surface will reflect the emitted wave back to the sensor. If the sound wave takes a longer time to return, the water level is low. A shorter time for the reflected wave indicates a higher water level in the tank.
The advantage of using an ultrasonic sensor for water level detection is because the sensor has no contact with the water or any other liquid in the tank. There is also no need for any drilling or installation on the water container tank.
A float switch is a simple and cheap way to implement a flow level detection system. The switch is activated by a float which will get lifted up by the water. This float switch sensor is sealed and waterproof. The lifted float contains a magnet will then activate a reed switch on the wiring end. The activated switch can then be used to trigger or stop motor pumps.
If you need to have a multiple water level indicator, you will need to install more than one of this float switch. This sensor can only sense the water level when the water reaches the level where the sensor is installed.
On the market, there is also a newer advance water level float switch sensor. The working principle is similar, except that this single float sensor contains multiple switch point depending on the water level.
You can detect multiple float level using only on of this advance float switch, which allows you to implement an automatic water level control system, without having to install multiple sensors.
Capacitive water level sensor works by detecting the change in capacitance on the surface of the sensor. This allows the sensor to be mount outside of the water tank or pipe, without having to be in contact with the water.
Check out the various magnetic product that you can get in Singapore.
*** Please note thatPIC-CONTROL do not sell magnets XXX No Magnet to Sell XXX
Where can you buy “Neodymium” magnet in Singapore?
Neodymium magnet also known as NEO magnet has a very strong magnet strength. The bigger it is, the more magnetic strength it has.
Handle with care especially if the magnet is big. The strength of the magnet is enough to get you hurt badly. Always wrap around the magnet with thick packaging. The magnet is actually quite brittle and can chip off easily. Once the magnet is in contact with another magnet, the likely way to separate them is to slide them away from each other. The bigger the magnet, the more difficult it is to slide them apart.
A liquid magnet is known as Ferrofluid. Being liquid means it does not have any forms. This results in its ability to display itself in a shape of the magnetic field. It is fun and educational to watch the ferrofluid changing its pattern when interacting with a physical magnet.
Magnet putty is a semi-solid stuff. It looks like soft play dough. Due to its magnetic properties, the magnet putty changes its shape and move when there is a magnet nearby influencing it.
Places where you can buy Magnet Putty to play with
This is the latest magnet technology on the market. The magnet is printed and is able to generate creative magnet field pattern. This results in many creative applications that we could not imagine implement using this magnet technology.
To measure the distance of an object a distance away, you will need a distance sensor. The following presents a list of range distance sensors to measure longer range with more precision. These sensors can be interfaced with an electronic controller which you can take the reading and use the information for automation control.
Laser Distance Sensor
Laser distance sensor can measure distance up 40 meters with accuracy +/- 0.025m.
The ultrasonic sensor uses sound as a medium to detect the distance to a distanced object. A sound is transmitted and the time it takes for the reflected sound to return helps determine the distance of an object.
The sensor has to transmit and receive the sound, therefore no object like glass should be placed in front of the sensor.
Suitable for measure distance from a few cm to a few metres.
There are so many types of rain sensor technologies to choose from. It is important to understand the various rain sensors so that you know which one is the most suitable for your project.
Some rain sensors are cheap, while some are durable and robust against wear and tear. The even higher-end rain sensor can even detect the weather even before it starts raining down water. So which sensor should you go for?
Here, I will be showing you various type of technologies available for detecting rain and where you can buy the sensors.
Smart System
Singapore is a tropical country near the equator of the earth. We get a lot of sunshine as well as wet rainy day throughout the year. It can be sunny now, and the sky can turn dark the very next moment. Having a sense of the weather from the condition of the current sky can be difficult. Rain sensors can help alert us or automate our system when raining weather is detected.
Rain does bring us cool air, comfortable and relax. It also brings in some inconveniences into our life. We travel out with our umbrella. Closing the window to keep the rain out. Worrying about the clothing that you are drying outside now. Looking across the raining street, watching your neighbour’s clothes soaking wet while you urgently retrieving your clothing into your house. Alerting neighbours who are not even aware of the rain. Rain is a daily affair that we have to be constantly paying attention to.
What we need is a smart system that can help us live with the inconvenience raining situation. A smart system that can detect the rain and alert us to bring in our drying clothes. A smart system that can remind us to close our windows.
Selecting a suitable rain sensor for your automated rain detection system application is important. It is good to learn the range of rain sensors available on the market, and understand their advantages and disadvantages.
There are many methods of rain detection. You can read the following sections to understand more about the advantages and disadvantages of each of the rain detection method.
Our recommendation for outdoor rain detection would be the optical rain sensor. Optical rain sensor has a very fast response, minimum maintenance and has a longer lifespan compare to many other types of rain sensing. If you are looking for a simple and hassle-free way to deploy a rain detector, the optical rain sensor is the best option.
The cheapest sensor will be the resistive rain sensor, but it is also the worst in terms of the overall rain sensor comparison.
For a quick comparison of the detection method, check out the rain sensor comparison table at the end of this page.
These are the types of rain detection technologies that are currently available on the market. We will be going through them in the following sections on this page.
The optical rain sensor is by far the best rain sensoravailable today. It works by detecting the IR light intensity reflected on the transparent top. When the water gets on the surface, some of the lights gets refracted out. Less light gets reflected internally. The reduced in the intensity detected indicates the presence of water.
The rain detection response from this optical rain sensor is fast. The sensor reacts instantly when rain is detected and takes only a few minutes to deactivate after it is clear of rain water.
A hassle-free solution with little maintenance throughout the year. Dirt on the transparent dome surface will not affect its performance significantly, though it is good to have it clean once in a while.
This optical rain sensor is highly recommended for outdoor rain detection installation. Deploy the sensor and you don’t have much to worry much about. The only disadvantage is the high cost compared to the resistive sensor which cost about a few bucks. But if you compare to maintenance cost, manpower cost and time of maintaining a resistive sensor, this sensor is actually quite worth its value.
A resistive rain sensor module is cheap and is a commonly available sensor you can find on the market. The circuit used is often also known as a water detector or a water sensor. It is typically used in detecting rain, detecting water level.
Resistive Water Sensor Kit
Resistive Rain Detector
Resistive Rain Sensor from VELUX for automated window
The sensor works base on the resistance of the water. You can visually see the expose copper strips from this sensor. The running copper strip in proximity is exposed on the surface of the PCB board. They look like crossing fingers and basically form two point of contact.
When the sensor is dry, the resistance between both contact is very large (open circuit). When there is water on the surface of the board (touching the expose copper), the water forms a resistive connection across the 2 copper strip. This change in resistance allows the circuit to detect between dry and wet, hence the sensor can detect rain.
This method is cheap and simple. The disadvantage is that the copper in contact with water/air, the copper will get oxidised after a period of time. Performance can change over time (3-12 months depending on the climate condition of your country), therefore it is usually not recommended for industrial deployment use.
In Singapore, such sensor may start to fail in about 3-6 months time, due to our humid weather throughout the year. You just need to maintain the sensor, keeping it clean most of the time, ensuring that it don’t oxidise. If it does, just change to a new sensor board. It is inexpensive sensor anyway.
This is a very clever design rain sensor from Rain-Bird that uses the principle of mechanical weight to activate a switch inside as a means to detect rain water. A cost effective and robust way of detecting rain. An angled mounting bracket is available to help you mount the sensor on the wall.
This is how the mechanical rain sensor works. On the top of the sensor cap is some holes which allow the rain water to be collected. Just below the hole inlets are thick board brown-colored rings (like a thick washer) stack on top of one another. Below this stack is a momentary push lever for a mechanical switch.
Normally when there is no rain, these rings are light in weight. The spring from the mechanical switch is strong enough to deactivate the switch. The switch is not activated (in contact), and it simply means that there is no rain water in the sensor.
When it starts to rain, the water will flow down from the hole inlets on top, and pass through the rings. The rain water will get absorb into the ring like a sponge. The stack of rings becomes slightly bigger and heavier in weight. This heavy weight will add pressure to the switch. When enough water gets absorbed and become heavier, the mechanical switch will be trigger, hence indicating that rain is detected. It will take some time to collect enough rain water for the sensor to be triggered. The rainfall setting can be adjusted via a rotating knob just below the top cap. It basically regulates the flow of the rain water flowing through it, hence control the rate of absorption.
When the rain stops, the stacked rings will begin to dry up, and eventually, after some time, the mechanical switch at the bottom of the sensor will have enough force to deactivate itself. This provides a signal for rain stop. This is a reliable method of detecting rain if the speed of detection is not very important. This is because it takes the stack of rings some time to absorb water and trigger the switch, as well as enough time for the ring to dry up and deactivate the switch.
Rain-bird rain sensor brochure (0.23MB) and user manual (0.6MB) is available here.
Rain sensor onboard luxury cars. They are designed to be small and is usually fitted behind the car’s front window (usually right behind the car’s rear mirror). The working principle is the same as the optical rain sensor above.
This sensor detects the sound of the dropping rain. The rain will hit on the platform which will generate vibration which will be pick up by the sensor.
Using sound to detect rain.
picture was taken from
Weather Sensor, Cloud and Rain Detection
This is an advance environmental sensor which can detect the cloud and sky condition. It can also measure wind speed, temperature, etc… This sensor can detect dark cloud and coming rain. It is commonly used for astronomy observatory, to alert the user if there is any bad weather, or automatically trigger the system to close the dome before the rain damage the precision telescope equipment.
Boltwood Cloud Sensor
The sensor product is not expensive, but compare to the rest of the rain sensors, it is definitely the most advance and expensive weather sensor. This sensor has been deployed at the roof top of Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore (School of Electronic/Electrical Engineering), to automate the dome system for the astronomy telescope. When it is about to rain, the rain will alert the computer system which will trigger the dome controller to close the dome. This protects the expensive telescope and computer system from the rain.
The system requires some customisation in order integrate to your own automated system. You can contact PIC-CONTROL if you requires such a weather sensor.
We can custom design rain detection system for your application. You want it wireless, automated, send notification or etc…, they can be done.
Rain sensor helps detect rain, but it does not offer services to notify the neighbourhood.
We are offering a smarter solution that user can subscribe upon for services that can make a positive impact on their lifestyle. A rain problem that becomes easier to manage. Allowing the user to better manage technology and their life.
PIC-CONTROL takes one step further in building up a framework for a smart nation. A smart system that is simple to use and inexpensive cost of ownership through the sharing of resources. A framework that simplified integration for office or home automation control and enables progressive evolution growth.
Distance: 0 – 6.45 meters (42kHz)
