Stations / Station Control Configuration

Introduction

The NovaStar5 base station can send control or poll commands through the receiver/decoders to the master stations using the ALERT2 VHF two-way radio. This document describes how to configure NovaStar to implement this functionality.

While the focus of this document is Flasher Control, the base station can also send the water level alarm trigger limit to a remote station if this feature is implemented in the remote stations. Examples of that functionality are also provided.

Prior to sending control commands to a station, the functionality must be properly configured.

In this example, flasher commands are:

1 - Turn on lights, disable level control of lights
2 - Turn off lights, disable level control of lights
3 - Enable level control of lights
4 - Disable level control of lights
5 - Poll station to report current data
6 - Reset Master
7 - Reset Flashers

Configuring the Station Control Functionality

If the system has already been configured, skip ahead to controlling the flasher.

The following steps provide detailed descriptions for configuring Station Control functionality. A control station must be defined using an appropriate station type, with each transmitter assigned as a point, each of which also having an appropriate point type. Then, in order to monitor the status of each transmitter, a status point, with appropriate point type, must also be created.

• Step 1 - Define Station Type for Two Way Controllers
• Step 2 - Define a New Point Type for the Base Station
• Step 3 - Create a New Control Station
• Step 4 - Create Control Points
• Step 5 - Define Status Point Type
• Step 6 - Create Status Point
• Step 7 - Define Alert Port Configuration
• Step 8 - Define Poll Port Configuration

Step 1 - Define Station Type for Two Way Controllers

Each Control Station is defined in NovaStar using the Station Type with the Protocol of ALERT2 Two Way along with a set of Polling parameters. The Poll and Control Command uses the NovaStar core program called nsctrlhydroALERT2 to communicate control instructions to the appropriate ALERT2 receiver/decoder/transmitters and then on to the remote primary/data nodes.

While numerous two way transmitters are available and work with NovaStar5, the following example uses a HydroLynx 50388 transmitter. In this example, the arguments passed to the poll command are -i101 and -v5.

• -i defines the control point on the station, in this case 101
• -v defines the value sent, in this case 5

Station Types (see full-size image)

Step 2 - Define a New Point Type for the Base Station

A new point type, in the example below called Base Station Flasher Control, is defined and used to enable two-way control.

• Set point class to flag,
• Set control to set value,
• Define flags

Point Types (see full-size image)

For non-flag point types,

• Set point class to analog
• Set control to set value

Point Types - Non-flag (see full-size image)

Step 3 - Create a New Control Station

Create a new station.

Control Station (see full-size image)

Step 4 - Create Control Points

Points can be created and associated with a station in one of two ways. Either:

• Click Add to add new points while editing the station created in Step 3 or
• While viewing the points list, click Add to add a new point, assigning the control station as Station

In either case, set the point type class to the point type defined in step 2.

Control Point (see full-size image)

The station now includes these points.

Control Station with Points (see full-size image)

Step 5 - Define Status Point Type

Each roadway flasher defined as a data station to the controller station requires a status point in order to monitor it.
The point type for this point uses flags to represent the status and in this example is called Flasher Status.

• Set point class to flag
• Set control to none

The values transmitted from the controller station to NovaStar, which are defined by the hardware and indicate flasher stations include:

0 - Off
1 - On, relay off
2 - On, bypassed
4 - On, relay on

The current from the flasher LED is measured and reported for both LEDs.

Flasher Status Point Type (see full-size image)

Step 6 - Create Status Point

Using the point type from step 5, create a new point to monitor the status of the transmitter.

Flasher Status Point (see full-size image)

Step 7 - Define alert_port Configuration

If not already defined, create an alert_port for the reception of ALERT2 data from each receiver/decoder.

alert_port Configuration (see full-size image)

Step 8 - Define poll_port Configuration

Create a poll port for out-going communication from NovaStar to the receiver/decoders.

In this example, the following additional options are specified:

• -tdmaNormal and -tdmaForce commands determine the tdma timeslot that the decoder will send out to the station.
• -hopLimit determines how many repeaters a report can bounce between before it stops sending.

poll_port Configuration (see full-size image)

Utilizing the Station Control Functionality

Once the above configuration is completed, the station is ready to control the flashers.

Refer to the Station Control documentation for instructions.