Distributed LonWorks control and monitoring system for environment and security
1999
Mitchell, B.W.
An integrated monitoring and control system was needed to monitor and control over 100 items of research, security, and safety equipment in 17 buildings at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory. A LonWorks-based system was chosen to provide maximum interconnectability between three existing systems, to provide a variety of wired or wireless connection options, and unlimited expansion capabilities. The resulting network has 36 nodes including controllers, network access cards and routers connected by a twisted pair of wires, and it monitors equipment such as incubators, hatching cabinets, freezer and walk-in cooler temperatures, controlled environment rooms, static pressures, fire alarm, door access, and sewage tank cooking parameters in 17 buildings. It also controls two sewage cooking tanks and access for three doors and two gates. Local and remote access to the system is possible through any one of three desktop computers; two of which are accessed using PCanywhere (Symantec Corp., Cupertino, Calif.), a remote control program for PCs, and one of which is accessed by telephone using Win911 (Specter Instruments, Austin, Tex.), a program for remote telephone access of the system and alphanumeric alarm paging. Alarms are annunciated locally and through digital and alphanumeric pagers. The system has been in use for approximately 24 months and overall it has performed very reliably. Most failures have been caused by insufficient suppression devices to protect against high voltage transients during thunderstorms, but new suppressors have corrected this problem. The generic nature of the system and easy expansion lends itself to many applications.
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