J
I’m building a weather station and home security system based on open systems, open architecture, and network based standards. (Yes, I know I can get off the shelf weather stations and security units for one third the price and none of the effort, but they are closed systems).
For the purpose of this project, It’s important to be able to take readings every 30 seconds, and place data into a MySQL database. All readings and interrogation will be a standard network management server interrogating an Ethernet I/O server using SNMP. Once the data is in the database, it is simple for me to post this to a web page and post real time results. Currently, I have the Ethernet I/O controller happily posting to the Network Management Server simple things like Contact open/Close, counting closures etc. and the Management Server is happily sending out Emails/text messages when programmable thresholds have been reached. In addition, all the appropriate red light/green light eye candy stuff is occurring on the management server reflecting the status of the Ethernet I/O controller in near real time.
There are two pieces missing from my project;
1: Anemometer
2: Wind Direction.
I am an IT guy, not a controls guy, so I understand everything right up to the point where I actually attach a sensor to the I/O server. The Ethernet I/O server has analog input options for:
0-20ma
4-20ma
0-150mv
0-500mv
0-5v
0-10v
I’ve figured out how to report back to the NMS using a 9 volt battery and a potentiometer, with the analog I/O setting on 0-10v. From that process I figured out that a J type thermocouple with a transmitter for 4-20ma conversion is the way to go to record temperature. Unbelievable amount of time researching and figuring out I need a transmitter for the thermocouple, but that’s another story.
I’m not stumped on the anemometer or wind direction, but I’m seeing myself building 9VDC generators and getting bearings from a child’s motorized toy car. It will require much trial and error and weather proofing. I would like to short circuit this process with something more robust than scraps I’ve picked from a toy store. My question is;
Is there a short cut solution to the anemometer and wind vane problem knowing the analog input specifications I have to deal with? I’m thinking that process control guys deal with this simple problem every day, but for me, it’s a real pain to think about.
Thanks in advance for any advice/assistance you may have.
For the purpose of this project, It’s important to be able to take readings every 30 seconds, and place data into a MySQL database. All readings and interrogation will be a standard network management server interrogating an Ethernet I/O server using SNMP. Once the data is in the database, it is simple for me to post this to a web page and post real time results. Currently, I have the Ethernet I/O controller happily posting to the Network Management Server simple things like Contact open/Close, counting closures etc. and the Management Server is happily sending out Emails/text messages when programmable thresholds have been reached. In addition, all the appropriate red light/green light eye candy stuff is occurring on the management server reflecting the status of the Ethernet I/O controller in near real time.
There are two pieces missing from my project;
1: Anemometer
2: Wind Direction.
I am an IT guy, not a controls guy, so I understand everything right up to the point where I actually attach a sensor to the I/O server. The Ethernet I/O server has analog input options for:
0-20ma
4-20ma
0-150mv
0-500mv
0-5v
0-10v
I’ve figured out how to report back to the NMS using a 9 volt battery and a potentiometer, with the analog I/O setting on 0-10v. From that process I figured out that a J type thermocouple with a transmitter for 4-20ma conversion is the way to go to record temperature. Unbelievable amount of time researching and figuring out I need a transmitter for the thermocouple, but that’s another story.
I’m not stumped on the anemometer or wind direction, but I’m seeing myself building 9VDC generators and getting bearings from a child’s motorized toy car. It will require much trial and error and weather proofing. I would like to short circuit this process with something more robust than scraps I’ve picked from a toy store. My question is;
Is there a short cut solution to the anemometer and wind vane problem knowing the analog input specifications I have to deal with? I’m thinking that process control guys deal with this simple problem every day, but for me, it’s a real pain to think about.
Thanks in advance for any advice/assistance you may have.