The R-3 remote sensor probe (patent no. 4914686) represents the latest in the line of low cost monitoring of water environments developed by Dr. William Hagar, Arthur Linardos and Nobel Truong at the University of Massachusetts. Consisting of a low end laptop computer, cellular phone, and a suitable probe (Endeco\YSI 600 series as shown above), it is capable of collecting data on the various characteristics of either an ocean or fresh water environments. (Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, pH) Additionally, a color digital camera is connected to observe the day and weather cycles of the site during operation.
Power to the remote sensor is provided either from a 110 V connection through an on-board 12V 2A power supply or through a marine battery. A photovoltaic source is currently being considered for future use in keeping the marine battery charged.
The system operates using two critical programs running simultaneously and independent of each other under the Microsoft Windows95 OS. The first program, written in Microsoft QBasic for ease of use and modifications for other probes, controls, manages, and stores incoming data from the probe. The second program is Datastorm's Procomm Plus v.2.01 (running a script file) manages data file transfer through the cellphone, automated control of the digital camera (using Connectix Quickpict), and storage of image files (using Lview Pro v.1.b).
Locked and secured in a weather resistant container during regular operation, the system will continuously collect data and images 24 hours a day. An outside user with access to an analog phone and modem can log into the probe and download the data using one of the provided download protocols available. (Z-modem being the choice of preference.) The user can also update the remote sensor's camera image upon logging in.
The length of time this system can remain on a site to collect data is 2 months (providing that the marine batteries are routinely recharged.) At that time, the system is pulled in for recalibration, cleaning, and reconditioning before being redeployed. Further technical information is provided below:
| Computer: | Toshiba Satellite 110CS (Pentium-100MHz) |
| Modem: | Megahertz XJ3328 cellular compatible modem |
| Cellphone: | Motorola cellular phone |
| Camera: | Connectix Quickcam 2 |
| Probe: | Endeco/YSI 600 probe |
| Power: | 12V 2A power supply, or two 12V marine batteries (parallel connection) |
| Software: | Microsoft Windows95 Datastorm Procomm V.2.01 Buoy v.3.0 (MS-QBasic) Lview Pro v.1.b (16-bit) Connectix Quickpict (32-bit) |
| Data collected: | temperature salinity dissolved oxygen pH |
| Max throughput: | 4800 bps (cellular) |
| Time of operation: | 60 days |
| Commissioned: | May, 1997 |
| Location: | Savin Hill Cove, Boston Harbor |
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This system runs similarly to the R-3 save for a few exceptions. This unit was built for quick aquisition of data or as a temporary replacement should the R-3 fail. It sports only the laptop computer and the probe. Power is exclusively supplied only through the marine battery. The data collected is the same type of data collected from the R-3. See below:
| Computer: | Generic laptop (386SX-16MHz) |
| Modem: | none |
| Cellphone: | none |
| Camera: | none |
| Probe: | Endeco/YSI 600XL probe |
| Power: | two 12V marine batteries (parallel connection) |
| Software: | Microsoft Windows v.3.1 Buoy v.3.0 (MS-QBasic) |
| Data collected: | temperature salinity dissolved oxygen pH |
| Max throughput: | N/A |
| Time of operation: | 14 days |
| Commissioned: | June, 1997 |
| Location: | Neponset River |
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The R-2 remote sensor, predecessor of the R-3 systems, was the first major attempt to modernize the "R" class remote sensor systems using the latest of low cost modular computer components. Its construction consisted of a laptop with a low powered CPU (486sx), a PCMCIA modem, cellphone, monochrome camera, and the Endeco/YSI 600XL probe. (Essentially, it was the prototype of the R-3.)
The first test was conducted at Savin Hill Cove in March 1996 during a mild snow storm. For 3 days the probe successfully collected data (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH) and captured image information of the surrounding environment where the probe was submerged. However, after the 3rd day the probe abruptly stopped transmitting. Apparently, the tidal changes caused the 100ft cable that connected the probe to the laptop became entangled with the wheel of a nearby gangway. The entanglement became severe enough where the sheer tension cut the cable thus killing the power to the probe. The system was hauled in for repairs and a software upgrade after that.
(An upgrade of the system's collection program and script file was found necessary in order to compensate for the problems involved with the laptop's low powered CPU and memory. The majority of the upgrade involved removing un-necessary function calls of the QBasic collection program and the Procomm Plus script file. The "streamlining" improved performance of the system by 30%.)
After the repairs were made, the system was redeployed in May, 1996 at the marshes of Nantucket, MA. The system successfully collected 2 weeks of data. In June, 1996, the R-2 was again moved back to Savin Hill where data and images was collected for 4 weeks. However, it was after the 4th week that the system was vandalized and ultimately destroyed. The laptop (with modem) and camera was stolen. We were fortunate enough to retrieve all the data and captured images on the day before then. We were also able to recover the cellphone and probe (which cost more than the laptop itself. ;-))
Even with this system's unexpected demise, the information collected proved that this modern low cost remote sensor worked and was practical to use.
| Computer: | Altima Traveler laptop (486sx-20MHz) |
| Modem: | Megahertz 1444 (cellular compatible) |
| Cellphone: | Motorola |
| Camera: | Connectix monochrome minicamera |
| Probe: | Endeco/YSI 600XL probe |
| Power: | 12V 2A power supply |
| Software: | Microsoft Windows95 Buoy v.2.0 (MS-QBasic) |
| Data collected: | temperature salinity dissolved oxygen pH |
| Max throughput: | 4800 bps |
| Time of operation: | 30 days |
| Commissioned: | March, 1996 to June, 1996 |
| Location: | Savin Hill Cove and Nantucket, MA. |
The R-1 is the first of the line of systems used for remote environmental sensing at UMass of Boston. Unlike its successors, the R-1's construction consisted of hardwired solid-state electronics (such as A-to-D converts, voltage comparators, etc.) The central processing system was a Radioshack portable computer. (The very earliest in laptop design.) With only 10K of memory, and accepting only programs written in Basic on its elementary operating system, the system stored incoming data from the probes connected to it. (The probes collected pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and light intensity readings.)
To collect the data remotely, an early model Radioshack cellphone was reversed engineered and hardwired to work with a 300bps modem. The Basic program that collected data also had provisions written into its code to handle incoming remote access calls through menu driven interface the user encountered during an active call.
The system behaved as stably as the technology would allow it, however power consumption was always a major concern since the R-1 system relied entirely on 12V marine batteries. On a single set of batteries, the system had a maximum operating life of 1 week before needing battery replacement.
| Computer: | Radioshack portable |
| Modem: | Radioshack 300bps |
| Cellphone: | Radioshack |
| Camera: | none |
| Probe: | Endeco/YSI 59 probe Orion 290S pH probe |
| Power: | two 12V marine batteries |
| Software: | Basic system controller |
| Data collected: | temperature light intensity dissolved oxygen pH |
| Max throughput: | 300 bps |
| Time of operation: | 7 days |
| Commissioned: | Sept, 1991 to June, 1992 |
| Location: | Savin Hill Cove and Nantucket, MA. |