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We chose the RCM2020 core module for the Data Door because in the past
we've found Z-World's products to be reliable, economical, and easy to
develop. |
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| Kelly Garrod, President |
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Monitoring data at remote industrial locations is a constant challenge for offsite operators
who need quick and regular access to information about their facilities. Driving out to sites
to manually check conditions and equipment takes lots of time and effort, while laying down cable
and renting phone lines to transmit data directly entails a hefty investment. Fortunately, remote
facility operators now have a better way to get vital information about their operations—without
leaving the office or breaking budgets. The Data Door, developed by Wireless Systems, Inc., is
a new compact wireless communication device that transmits key field data from remote sensors,
measuring devices, and other instruments via cellular technology to any computer or Internet connection.
Open the Door
Powered by Z-World’s RabbitCore™ RCM2020, the Data Door gives users the freedom
to continuously monitor—and even control—remote devices from afar. “The Data
Door is an affordable and effective technology that will change the way many companies communicate
with their facilities,” says Kelly Garrod, president and founder of Wireless Systems. “We
chose the RCM2020 core module for the Data Door because in the past we've found Z-World's products
to be reliable, economical, and easy to develop.”
The Data Door is ideal for use in a broad range of remote industrial applications, including
oil and gas facilities, electrical power systems, water and wastewater infrastructure, and mining
operations. “With the Data Door, you don’t have to run miles of cable or send your
operator from tank to tank or site to site to measure levels or retrieve data,” says Garrod.
“You can add these modules to your existing sensor technology at a fraction of the cost
of other telemetry methods.” Operators simply utilize their cellular phone and sensor infrastructure
to tap facility data on a regular basis, prompting essential tasks such as replenishing product,
scheduling production runs, or inspecting equipment. The Data Door requires very little power
and incurs low monthly cellular charges.
Employing Z-World’s low-cost RabbitCore to drive the Data Door helps make it cost-effective
for remote monitoring needs. But selecting the RCM2020 was also based on important functional
considerations and Z-World’s time-saving software/hardware integration.
“At only $39 per module [qty. 1], the low cost was obviously a factor,” says Tim
Sullivan, vice president of engineering for Wireless Systems. “But just as important were
the RCM2020’s four serial ports—we use all of them—and the [Dynamic C™]
software. I had used Z-World’s other core modules before, and I found the accompanying software
to be dependable. In other words, I felt comfortable that . . . we’d have a reliable product
when we were done.”
Product development was completed in less than four months, with the first Data Doors coming
to market in January. “With Z-World’s [development] tools and integrated approach,
we can really move product to market more quickly,” says Garrod. And despite its relative
newcomer status in the industrial controls market, the Data Door has already garnered an Automation
Excellence Award from Industrial Automation Monthly (IAN).
Cellular Data to SCADA
The Data Door capitalizes on Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) technology—or Wireless
IP—to send and receive data through cellular phone systems. This technology facilitates
direct communication to remote devices through TCP/IP. The Data Door is accessed by IP addresses,
and cellular billing rates are determined by the amount of data transmitted. The Data Door is
also the first commercially available device that provides low-cost interface of cellular data
technology with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) applications.
For more information, visit www.wirelessystems.com
or call 303.679.9666.
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