Bruno Albuquerque

Key Account Executive

Data importance has increased drastically recently. Its management and reliability has become the foremost concern in most companies - which is very understandable - once most decisions are data-driven. Data must be safe, easily accessible and displayed in a friendly way, so that action can be taken without hesitation.

Industry has been gaining productivity with the advances in data acquisition and communication systems, being able to perform predictive maintenance or acting in processes remotely based in data.

LogBox Connect

NOVUS has recently launched a new data logger family - the LogBox Connect. It provides wireless connectivity to field signals and devices while offering ease of integration with Cloud systems and alarming capability.

The LogBox Connect comes in three different versions - 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy. These can fulfill connectivity and data acquisition needs of any application.

In this article we will review a case study using the LogBox 3G, explaining its advantages and usage within the industry in any segment.

Case study - Remote water pump station control

Let's imagine the following scenario: A company has 3 remote sites in nearby towns and in each of these sites there is one water pump station that must be monitored and controlled. The important variables are: Water tank level, flow and the pump status. There is no cabled internet connection in these sites and they are very far from each other. These pumps need to be controlled from both the office and from maintenance engineers' mobile phone. These engineers will eventually need to turn the pumps on or off from their mobiles. It is desired that all sites could be monitored from a based monitoring system displaying important alarms and variables.

Value proposition

The solution offered would integrate a LogBox 3G in each of the sites to provide connectivity and control for the pumps while the NOVUS Cloud platform will display relevant data in a user-friendly way.

The flow, level and status sensors are connected directly to the LogBox via its analogue and digital built-in inputs. Its digital output is connected to a contactor that can switch on or off the water pump.

The LogBox 3G requires a SIM card to connect to the internet and send SMS alarms. It will record data locally and then send this data to the Cloud system periodically. In case internet connection is lost, the device will keep the data in its internal memory until the connection is back on.

SMS alarms are sent to the maintenance team in case level is too low or too high. It happens also if the water flow is not according to the specified. In case any alarming situation happens, the maintenance team can switch the pump station on or off via SMS command while they travel to the location to perform maintenance.

The NOVUS Cloud portal can be used to access historical data, display variables from all sites or to configure the devices assigned to the portal. This is a safe environment to store your data, password protected and with defined user's hierarchy. Most importantly, it can be accessed from wherever! NOVUS Cloud portal is free of charge for LogBox Connect users. Besides this, the LogBox 3G can be easily configured using a PC through its USB. There is no need for expensive cables or software - it is all free of charge and available for download at NOVUS website.