Factors affecting the device service life

Weak mobile network signal

In areas with weak mobile network signal

• the modem automatically increases the transmission power.
• establishing the connection takes longer, as for example the network search takes longer.
• the connection time increases as the transmission rate may need to be decreased.
• connection aborts may occur, which lead to retries (see Procedure in case of connection aborts).

The following measures can be taken to reduce the resulting increase in energy consumption:

• Optimise the antenna position, for example by using antenna extensions.
• Use of antennas with higher gain or suitable directional characteristics (see Antennas).

Transmission technology

The mobile communications technologies currently in use differ in terms of their energy requirements. As a rule, newer mobile communications technologies require less energy than their predecessors. Based on the implementation chosen by Microtronics and considering experience values, the following order with decreasing energy requirements applies: 2G, 3G, 4G, NB-IoT, LTE-M. This may differ from the order listed in other documents.

The myDatalogEASY IoT ATEX is offered with different modem variants. The only way to influence the energy consumption caused by mobile communications technology is to choose the appropriate variant of the device. It is important to consider which mobile communications technologies are available at the intended location of use.

Transmission and measurement cycle

Establishing a connection and transferring data are among the most energy-consuming processes. Measurements are also considerably energy-intensive. Unless a separate measurement interval has been configured, measurements are carried out at the record interval. To reduce energy consumption, both the transfer and record intervals should be set as long as possible.

If it is only necessary to carry out measurements more frequently and/or transfer data to the server at shorter intervals under certain circumstances, it is advisable to use triggers instead of generally using a shorter record and/or transmission interval. Triggers can be used to switch to the "alternative record interval" and/or the "alternative transmission interval" based on the current value of a measurement channel. This optimises energy consumption, as the shorter intervals are only activated when necessary.

Connection type

The connection type chosen has a considerable influence on the energy consumption and therefore on the service life of the device. "Interval" mode has the lowest energy consumption. In "Interval & wakeup" mode, consumption increases by a factor of approximately 20. "Online" mode, in turn, increases energy consumption by a factor of approximately 10 compared to "Interval & Wakeup" mode. The varying energy requirements are due to the operating mode of the mobile communications modem. In "Interval" mode, the modem is switched off between transmissions. Transmission can only be initiated by the device. In "Interval & wakeup" mode, the modem is registered in the mobile network but does not maintain an active connection to the server. However, transmission can also be requested by the server. In "online" mode, there is an active connection to the server. New data records or configuration changes via the server interface are transferred immediately. This means that the connection type also has a direct influence on the response time. The required data volume is also determined by the connection type.

Tip: Additional explanation about the connection types

Connection type	Energy consumption	Data volumes	Response time
online
Interval & wakeup
Interval

In order to select the appropriate connection type, the requirements for "response time", "data volume" and "energy consumption" should be considered carefully. To use the energy-saving "interval" mode and still achieve a short response time, "warnings", "alarms" or "triggers" can be used. Threshold values can be defined for individual measurement channels, which, when exceeded or not reached, trigger an immediate transmission or switch the connection type to "online" mode.

Aloha transmission mode

In "Aloha" transmission mode, an active connection to the server is maintained for a configurable period of time. For the duration of "Aloha" mode, all outputs that are operated in "Ext. warm-up time" mode are also switched on. This supplies the connected sensors and ensures that valid sensor measurements are determined. Regardless of the measurement and recording interval, measurements are generated every 3 seconds and transmitted to the server. This results in an increased energy consumption. The "Aloha" mode should therefore only be activated when necessary (e.g. for setting up the sensors during commissioning). To optimise energy consumption, it is recommended to end the "Aloha" mode prematurely by clicking on the cross in the speech bubble labelled "Aloha" as soon as all necessary data has been transmitted.

Warnings, alarms and triggers

Threshold values can be stored for measurement channels, which trigger a warning or alarm if they fall below or exceed these values. When a warning or alarm occurs or is withdrawn, an immediate transmission follows. Since transmissions are among the most energy-intensive operations, the threshold values for warnings and alarms should be chosen with care.

For measurement channels, threshold values can also be stored for triggers. Unlike warnings and alarms, triggers allow you to specify which actions are triggered when the threshold is exceeded. Some actions (e.g. "Activate online mode" or "Trigger transmission") significantly increase energy consumption. Therefore, the threshold values for the triggers and the actions to be triggered should be chosen with care. This applies in particular to the two actions "Use alternative transmission interval" and 2Use alternative record interval", which can be used to shorten the corresponding interval as long as the trigger is active. They can therefore be used to influence the intervals for the most energy-intensive processes (transmission and measurement/recording). In order to minimise energy consumption even when the trigger is active, the alternative intervals should therefore be set as long as possible.

Energy consumption of the sensors

Sensors can be connected directly to the myDatalogEASY IoT ATEX without an additional power source. In this case, the available power is shared between the myDatalogEASY IoT ATEX and the sensors. To save energy, the sensor supply is not permanently active, but is only switched on for a certain period of time before each measurement. This period is configurable and serves as a waiting time until the sensor delivers a stable measurement value. To keep additional energy consumption as low as possible, it is recommended to use sensors with the following characteristics:

• Own power supply
• Short warmup time (i.e. short time difference between switching on and the first stable measurement value)
• Rapid measurement
• Low energy consumption during initialisation and measurement

Commissioning

During commissioning, several connections are usually triggered, the measurement or recording interval is shortened, or Aloha mode (see Aloha transmission mode) is activated several times. If the device has been in storage for a long time, a software update may also be necessary. All these operations are highly energy-intensive and should therefore be carried out with care. Aloha mode can be terminated prematurely, for example, by clicking on the cross in the speech bubble labelled "Aloha" if all the necessary data has already been transmitted. The device can be briefly put into operation in the office to check whether a software update is necessary. Since the mobile network in the office usually has better signal quality and stability than at the installation site, software updates are usually loaded faster and without interruptions or retries. For the same reason, it is also recommended to create the site in the office and define the basic configuration. When commissioning in the office, the device can also be powered externally, which conserves the internal energy source.