Frequently Asked Questions

Cobalt

Wireless system range is generally specified as a line-of-sight measurement, that is, without physical obstacles. OCEASOFT systems offer a line-of-sight range of around 800 meters. Using repeaters, this range can be extended to around 3 km (line-of-sight).  In a closed environment (i.e. indoors) range can reach from 25-100 meters without a repeater, and 100–400 meters using up to three repeaters. Variations in range are due to obstacles in the environment.

Radio wave propagation
In order to setup wireless network architecture, it is useful to have at least a little background on Hertz wave propagation, particularly when setting up repeaters to achieve optimal range. The propagation speed for waves in a vacuum is 3.108 m/s. In all other environments, signals are attenuated by:
· Reflection
· Refraction
· Diffraction
· Absorption

Radio wave absorption
When a radio wave encounters an obstacle, part of its energy is absorbed and transformed into lost energy, part continues to propagate in an attenuated manner, and part may be reflected. Signal attenuation during transmission is referred to as power loss. Attenuation increases with distance. In addition, when radio waves collide with obstacles, the attenuation value depends largely on the obstacle’s composition. Metallic obstacles generally reflect radio waves strongly, while water absorbs the signal.

Environment properties
The weakening of wireless signals is largely due to the properties of the environment crossed by the radio waves. This table shows some sample attenuation properties for various materials:

Materials Attenuation Examples: 

• Air None - Open space, interior courtyards
  
• Wood: Low  - Doors, floors, walls
  
• Plastic: Low - Barriers
  
• Glass: Low - Non-tinted glass
  
• Tinted glass: Medium - Tinted glass
  
• Water: Medium - Aquariums, fountains
  
• Living beings: Medium - Crowds, animals, people, plants
  
• Brick Medium Walls
  
• Plaster: Medium - Dividing walls
  
• Ceramic: High - Tile
  
• Paper: High - Rolls or reams of paper
  
• Concrete: High - Heavy walls, floors, pillars
  
• Safety glass: High - Bulletproof windows
  
• Metal: Very high - Reinforced concrete, mirrors, metal cabinets, elevator shafts

Cobalt products use the license-free ISM band (Industrial Scientific Medical). This frequency is reserved for remote monitoring-type applications, which is different from that used for cellular telephones and DECT phones. There is therefore no risk of frequency interference or disturbance with these types of devices. The wireless system used in Cobalt products complies with current international standards in each country, and radio emissions are 80 times weaker than a cell phone. Our wireless modules are compatible with all CE-labeled equipment.

Yes, Thermo-Server runs on a networked computer. User workstations run the Thermo-Client application, which you can install simply by copying the executable file into a folder on the hard disk or a USB key. The solution uses TCP/IP networks. Thermo-Client is a client application that connects to the Thermo-Server server application, enabling users to view, change, and setup the software and sensors. User access rights can be configured in order to control access to the system and avoid unauthorized use.

Battery life depends exclusively on the frequency of radio transmission, which is not the same thing as the measurement frequency. For example, you could use memory in the wireless modules to store readings every 10 minutes, and transmit them back to the PC every 2 hours. You can conserve battery power by using on-board storage and sending data at relatively large intervals. Modules are equipped with an SAE (Spontaneous Alarm Emission) mechanism that overrides the programmed transmission period in order to inform you of incidents immediately.
Alerts are therefore received within one minute of an observed, non-compliant measurement. The following table shows the average battery life for various quantities of modules connected to a single receiver, operating at a temperature of 25°C.

Yes, all you need is a Philips-head screwdriver to open the casing in order to change the battery. Special batteries are used, but they are readily available on the market.

ll you have to do is define the device to be monitored. Each device has a wireless system and probe. Measurement ranges from -40°C to +80°C as standard. Support for other temperatures is available on request.

Probes are generally placed inside enclosures, and wireless modules are generally placed outside enclosures. Cobalt can use an 8 mm opening if one is available. Otherwise, we can use a capillary cable that enables you to maintain water/air-tightness without damaging the door joint. Capillary cables are sold together with radio modules.

For measuring ambient temperatures, you can place the wireless module and probe inside the enclosure to be monitored. For example, this is the case for large, constant-temperature rooms, medicine storage and positive cold rooms larger than 20 m3.

Calibration of digital probes (those covering temperature ranges from –40°C to +80°C) is handled by standard exchange. That is, old probes are removed and replaced by new ones that are calibrated.

Thermo-Server software and Cobalt modules offer an alarm buffer mechanism, which avoids sending an alarm in case the enclosure door is opened at the same time a measurement is made. For example, you can define an upper threshold of 8°C with a time buffer of 30 minutes. The system will trigger an alarm if the temperature does not descend below 8°C in the 30 minutes following the door opening.

A dedicated PC is necessary when your system includes more than 10 – 15 measurement end-points. Make sure that the PC meets system requirements to handle the actual number of end-points in your network.

For small projects involving 10 – 15 end-points, just make sure that the user has access rights to install the software on the computer. This user should have administrator rights. If he or she is not the administrator, then the software cannot be installed without the help of authorized computer support staff.

Wireless modules have internal memory that can store information from 2,000 - 3,000 measurement end-points, depending on the model. If the PC is turned off, it will not be able to collect measurement data, which is therefore stored in receiver memory. When the PC is turned back on, it will automatically download all the data stored on the receiver.
Attention: a PC cannot generate alarms if it is not running! Therefore, we recommend using a backup power supply and surge protector.

Laptop computers can be used for small sites. For larger sites, we do not recommend using a laptop computer because they are generally less reliable than desktop PCs and servers, which also tend to offer a better price/performance ratio.