Re^6: Quick script to check data logger data

The sensor is just a solenoid about 2m long with, I'd guess, tens of thousands of turns. The electronics is a very sensitive DC coupled amplifier with extremely low low frequency (especially 1/f) noise followed by an ADC. The system is looking at low frequency changes in the local Earth's magnetic field due to changes in current flowing in the ionosphere which is influenced by the solar wind.

A complication for our situation is that everything is running off solar power and there is no network connection available (cellular, POTS or fiber). The main issue we have with the logger is that it doesn't reliably recover from low power situations. It doesn't help that the system is powered over a 60m cable which generates about 1V drop between the 14V boosted supply and the logger. Things were much worse before I put a voltage boost system in at the supply end.

Optimising for fewest key strokes only makes sense transmitting to Pluto or beyond

Comment on Re^6: Quick script to check data logger data

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Re^7: Quick script to check data logger data by cavac (Prior) on Aug 14, 2024 at 06:27 UTC
At least for status monitoring (low bandwidth keep-alive packets), there are other options available. LORA (and/or LoraWAN) can bridge quite big distances line-of-sight. And there is the possibility of using something like an Arduino with a RockBLOCK Iridium sat module to send a daily "i'm still here" message that includes the battery charge status, if you can read that out from the solar charge controller. The Arduino also could monitor the logger itself and basically press the reset button if the logger has crashed. As for the power situation itself: The 60m cable is a big resistor and a decent amount of inductance as well, i suspect. If the logger pulls more power momentarily, the voltage will drop very sharply for a brief moment, then possibly rise above safe levels when power usage drops due to the inductance. The voltage instability problem will be possibly be worse if the power cable is buried in the soil, especially if it's wet, because on every change of power usage, this will change the voltage in the cable and the soil would act as the other end of a capacitor. Therefore, the voltage booster needs to go on the end of the cable where the logger is, with extra input capacitors. Making sure it can momentarily handle ovrevoltage as well and regulate that down. It should be a combined buck/boot converter. PerlMonks XP is useless? Not anymore: XPD - Do more with your PerlMonks XP Also check out my sisters artwork and my weekly webcomics	[reply]

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Re^7: Quick script to check data logger data
by cavac (Prior) on Aug 14, 2024 at 06:27 UTC

At least for status monitoring (low bandwidth keep-alive packets), there are other options available. LORA (and/or LoraWAN) can bridge quite big distances line-of-sight. And there is the possibility of using something like an Arduino with a RockBLOCK Iridium sat module to send a daily "i'm still here" message that includes the battery charge status, if you can read that out from the solar charge controller.

The Arduino also could monitor the logger itself and basically press the reset button if the logger has crashed.

As for the power situation itself: The 60m cable is a big resistor and a decent amount of inductance as well, i suspect. If the logger pulls more power momentarily, the voltage will drop very sharply for a brief moment, then possibly rise above safe levels when power usage drops due to the inductance.

The voltage instability problem will be possibly be worse if the power cable is buried in the soil, especially if it's wet, because on every change of power usage, this will change the voltage in the cable and the soil would act as the other end of a capacitor.

Therefore, the voltage booster needs to go on the end of the cable where the logger is, with extra input capacitors. Making sure it can momentarily handle ovrevoltage as well and regulate that down. It should be a combined buck/boot converter.

PerlMonks XP is useless? Not anymore: XPD - Do more with your PerlMonks XP
Also check out my sisters artwork and my weekly webcomics

[reply]