Delta Watch: How to set up the system diagnostics module

Only for DW3.4 and lower!

System diagnostics: An important tool to keep an eye on your monitoring equipment. Delta hardware and software are packed with features made for this task.

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Delta Watch: How to set up the system diagnostics module

This article is for Delta Watch version 3.4 and lower!

For v3.10 and later, check the article: Configure System diagnostics

 

Delta Watch version 2.15 and higher has a module for viewing system diagnostics information from both your Delta Link box or the currently connected total station. In this document, we will guide you step-by-step through the setup process. Once the numeric data is imported into Delta Watch, it can be viewed and, more importantly, alarmed in a similar way as you do with other sensors.

Your Delta Link unit will generate this information on a regular basis or on an event, such as loss of AC power. By knowing what goes on with your monitoring equipment, you can be more reactive or even take preventive measures.

If you don’t have the module, contact your local Topcon dealer for a license upgrade.

Requirements

To be able to use this functionality, you need to ensure you are using the following:

  1. Delta Watch v2.15 or higher

    Ensure the Delta Link box add-on is enabled. You can check this in the About Delta Watch dialog box accessible from within Delta Watch via the Help menu. See image on right.

    If you don’t have this, please contact your local dealer to purchase this add-on.

  1. LinkConfig 1.3 or higher

    On each Delta Link unit, check the version. This is visible in the title bar or in the Update tab together with all other versions, see image.

  2. Delta Log v1.3 or higher

    The version number is visible in the title bar or in the LinkConfig Update tab.

Preparation

For simplicity of this document we assume that:

  1. One or more of your Delta Link units is operational.
  2. You have checked the minimum Delta Log and LinkConfig versions required.
  3. A total station is connected to your Delta Link unit.
  4. Delta Log is configured to do some regular rounds of observations, e.g., monitoring mode. No actual prism has to be found and measured if not available, but it will create the STNI files we need.
  5. Data flow from Delta Link to Watch is working.
  6. You have checked that from each of the below files, one or more are on your system:
    • Delta Link Control Unit Information files (*.CUI). This is only created every hour or after an event such as a reboot or power failure.
    • Station Information files (*.STNI)
  7. You know which total station is connected to each Delta Link unit.
  8. Delta Watch v2.15 or higher is installed, and the Delta Link box module is enabled.
  9. An (empty) project is already created in Delta Watch.

 

General workflow

The configuration process has several steps in different modules of Delta Watch. Each step will be explained in detail later but for reference purposes: This is the general workflow.

  1. Checked minimum requirements for Delta Link and Watch software [jump to]
  2. Ensure that at least one data file of each type (STNI and CUI) from each Delta Link unit is available to Delta Watch
  3. Configure Sensor management [jump to]
    1. Delta Link unit: full SN needed
    2. Total Station: Station SN needed
  4. Configure System diagnostics [jump to]
    1. Make pairs of each Delta Link unit and its Total Station
  5. Configure data import [jump to]
    1. Use sensor type ‘AMTS Import’
  6. Check the data [jump to]
    1. Just wait until the first import has executed
  7. Configure a view [OPTIONAL] [jump to]
    1. Add a MAP view
    2. Select the info-fields in system diagnostics
  8. Configure Alarming and Messaging [OPTIONAL] [jump to]

 

Detailed workflow

To be able to configure Delta Watch you might need to use information from the actual CUI or STNI files. The best way to do this is to use a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel, instead of a text editor. This is to ensure you look at the correct columns. When importing a file use the comma ‘,’ character as column separator. The column names can always be found on the second row.

Sensor management -> Add Delta Link unit and Total Station

Adding sensors in the sensor management module is straight forward. Each sensor type might have some unique configuration items. For our purposes we need to add both the Delta Link unit and the Total station as sensors in this module, make sure you do this in the correct project. You can activate your project in the ADMINISTRATION > PROJECTS module.

  1. In Delta Watch navigate to the module: ADMINISTRATION > POINT AND LIMIT MANAGEMENT > SENSOR MANAGEMENT
  2. Click on [+] Add button icon to ‘Add’ a new sensor. A new dialog should show similar as in below Figure.

Tip:    If you already have an existing sensor of the same type configured here you might want to select one and then use the duplicate function! In that way you have the same symbol settings and a reminder of the fields you need to complete

 

  1. Enter a name, this can be any name but must be unique.
  2. Set the ‘Type’, this must be either ‘Delta Link box’ or ‘Total Station
  3. Enter the full serial number of the sensor in the ‘Serial number’ field. If you copy it from a text file make sure you only copy text and no delimiters, like double quotes.
    1. Delta Link unit: this looks something like ‘82EE13-000099’ for Delta Link unit 99 and can also be found in the CUI file under column ‘Controller_ID’.
    2. Total Station: This could look something like ‘KM1234’ for a MSAXII and can also be found in the STNI file under column ‘SN’.
  4. Make sure the ‘Active’ field is checked
  5. Any other configuration is optional but if you want to display the new sensor on a map view you need to enter its coordinates and assign a meaningful symbol.

    Tip:        To avoid the Delta Link unit to overlay on the Station position you might want to give it a little X and/or Y offset compared with the Total station coordinates. How much depends on your view configuration.

  6. Click [ OK ] to save and close
  7. Repeat above steps for any other Delta Link or Total station units on this project

 

Configure System diagnostics

Now that both the Delta Link sensor and Total Station sensor are created we can configure the System diagnostics module. In this module we pair the Delta Link with a Total Station.

  1. Navigate to HARDWARE > SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS and click on the [+] Add button button to Add a new pair.
  1. A dialog, like on the right, should appear. Select one Delta Link unit and one Total station and click on [ OK ] to save and close.

Tip:    It is possible to select ONLY a Delta Link unit without Total station, but selecting a Total station sensor without Delta Link unit is not possible.

Configure Import & Export module

  1. Navigate to INTERFACES > IMPORT & EXPORT and click on the [+] Add button button to Add a new import definition
  2. A dialog, like in the figure below, should appear. Now configure at least the following fields:
    1. Name: Freely chosen unique name
    2. Import/Export: set to ‘Import’
    3. Sensor type: set to ‘AMTS Import’
    4. Base directory
    5. Select monitoring assets: multiple pairs as created in System Diagnostics could be selected as long as all their data arrives in the same base directory
    6. Optional match the Time interval to your needs. If you want to set alarms later then a small time interval should be chosen, otherwise a 60 minute interval is fine
    7. For additional settings in this module we refer you to Quick guide: ‘How to use the Import & Export module’
    8. Click [ OK ] to save your settings

Tip:  If you later add more pairs of Delta Link and Total station for the same project you can simply edit this import configuration instead of creating a new one.

Check the data

Now that all basic configuration has been done we must wait for the automatic import to start. Depending on your setting in the Import job this could take a while. But once imported you should find the data in the HARDWARE > SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS module.

  1. You can switch between ‘DELTA Unit’ and ‘Total Station’, see #1 in below figure
  2. If you can’t see your data, it might be that the data is older than what is specified in the ‘Last’ field. Adjust the value to go back more in time. See #2 in below figure

Tip:        You can use drag-and-drop to rearrange the column order for the displayed data

  1. Additional settings can be made as to which data is visible in an info field on the map. To change this open the [ Settings ] from the toolbar and a dialog will show as in Figure below.

Optional - Configure a map view

Now that you have made pairs of Delta Link units and total stations you could put them on map views and also use them in reports. Either put them on the same map as observations or simply create a view for their own, like a dashboard.

  1. Navigate to the module ADMINISTRATION > SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > MAP
  2. If you don’t have any backgrounds yet and you want to use one, then do this now or later in the submodule REFERENCING
  3. Open the submodule VIEW CONFIGURATION
  4. Select the view you want to use under ‘View Type’ and optional which layer/background
  5. In the section ‘Geotechnical sensors’ locate the items ‘Delta Link box’ and ‘Total station’ and select them. See #1 in below figure
  6. You can now select which Delta Link and station you want to see on your map by selecting them. As per #2 in below figure
  7. You can further customize some view settings at #3 in below figure. Make sure you select ‘processed values’ if you want to see them in the info box on the map views
  8. Click [ Apply ] and close the module
  9. Navigate to SYSTEM CENTRE > MAP
  10. Click on [ Views ] and select the view you just created
  1. Can you see all your items? No…
    1. Check if they have coordinates in the Sensors Management section of the point and limit management module
    2. If you use a background, then maybe the referencing is incorrect. You can find you sensors by right-click in the map area and select ‘Zoom All’ This will zoom out and include all that is configured for this view
    3. The zoom ratio might be to small (or to big) This can be adjusted on 2 places.
      1. Sensor settings as found under Sensors Management section of the point and limit management module. This affects than only that particular sensor symbol
      2. Changing the zoom factor in the Settings of the map view. This would affect all symbols on the map on all your views
  2. Can I change the info field fields? Yes you can! You do this in the HARDWARE > SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS module under [ Settings ], as per earlier description under "Check the data"

 

Optional – Configure Alarming and messaging

It is possible to get email messages if certain channel exceed user set values. The configuration for this is done on two places. It is assumed that the user has already setup and tested the email server and has created one or more contacts for the project.

  1. Navigate to ADMINISTRATION > POINT AND LIMIT MANAGEMENT > SENSOR MANAGEMENT
  2. As per below figure:
    1. select your sensor (#1)
    2. select the channel (#2)
    3. click on the edit icon (#3)
  3. An Edit sensor dialog pops-up and you can define up to 3 limit bands here, see #4 in below figure
  4. Repeat this for any other channel of this sensor and for each sensor
  5. When done click [ Apply ] to save your changes, this is the first part configured.

 

  1. Navigate to HARDWARE > SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS
  2. Click on the [ Settings ] button in the toolbar, see #1 in below figure
  3. The ‘Table and view settings’ dialog will show and now select either ‘DELTA unit’ or ‘Total station’ depending on what you want to configure. See #2 in below figure
  4. Click on the [ + ] Add button, item #3 in below figure to add a new item
  5. A dialog ‘Alarm settings, item #4 in below figure will show and configure here which channel to alarm on and to whom to send if the selected level(s) have been exceeded
  6. Repeat the last 3 steps for any other person; channel or level that should receive the alarms

Note:    Alarming from the system diagnostic module can only be done via email