Questions and answers
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the accessPRO system.
Q. Will accessPRO still work if I my cellphone coverage is weak or non-existent?
A. The aerial that comes with the system will give much stronger reception than a cellphone aerial can achieve. If 3G is poor at your location, and there isn’t a line of sight to a cell tower, a local point-to-point radio may be used to obtain good 3G coverage. Our mobile specialists can find the nearest point of connection and advise the correct 3G reception method.
Q. Do I have to use the 3G network?
A. No. The accessPRO console will operate through a local or wireless Ethernet connection. 3G is an optional feature requiring a SIM account.
Q. I want to put sensors on my gateway as well as manage my irrigation. Do I have to buy two accessPRO consoles?
A. Not necessarily. Functionality from different products may be combined. Wireless accessPRO Tele-Nodes™ can be networked, which means they bounce information back to the accessPRO console using each other, covering large distances (1500m line-of-sight each). If distances are too large and you’re not using accessPRO Tele-Nodes™ then another console may be the easiest option. You will see each console on your web page. We can advise your options.
Q. Can I connect an existing sensor system to accessPRO?
A. Yes. An additional supervisory system can be of great benefit to monitor and report on existing controls. accessPRO will work with any system to give you additional access to data and controls, and provide an overall supervisory service for existing networks.
Q. Do I have to keep upgrading software?
A. No. If there are updates, they can be selected to be installed remotely if you wish. Later added features may be an optional purchase.
Q. How do I install accessPRO?
A. You can install accessPRO yourself if you have the confidence and ability to wire in sensors, otherwise we can recommend a trained accessPRO electrical technician in your area.
Q. How safe is ‘The Cloud’ environment?
A. If you’re using a computer, there’s no escaping using the ‘Cloud’ (internet banking, TradeMe account, Facebook,etc). There’s nothing mysterious about cloud computing. It’s just a pile of heavy duty, highly secure, ultra-backed-up computers used for all kinds of internet facilities. accessPRO operates in the same secure environment, making information available to you without the possibility of it being shared (unless you give permission).
Q. Can I use it to control machinery that is unique to my property?
A. Yes, you can gather information and control any machinery, technology, appliances, sensors, loggers and controllers if they are electric, electronic or electro-mechanical. If it’s not already in our repertoire of approved devices we may need to do some configuring for you. In most instances, it’s “plug-and-play”.
Q. What happens if 3G is temporarily unavailable?
A. The console carries on communicating with sensors, measuring and storing data. When 3G is restored accessPRO will catch up on sending data. Even in major events like the devastating earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand, the 3G towers kept working, so it is a highly reliable system.
Q. What happens if the power goes out?
A. The accessPRO console has a battery backup so is not affected by power outages of up to 4 hours (approximately). Optionally a solar kit may be installed to charge a 12V battery so mains power isn’t required at all.
Q. Will accessPRO communicate with a variety of communications protocols?
A. Yes. A wide range of protocols are handled by accessPRO. For additional protocols, please advise the accessPRO suppliers with the protocol name. (In some instances there may be a fee involved to set up other protocols.)
Q. How does it work if I have more than one accessPRO console?
A. All your accessPRO consoles will appear on your own website. For example, you may have consoles in various locations (home, farm, vehicle, remote work place), and you’ll be able to monitor and control all from the one site. You may give other people permission to access selected parts of your network. e.g. Different process control engineers may review and operate all elements of a multiple-console system concurrently. A vet may have access to imagery in your stables, but no access to your gate camera imagery and home system. Science colleagues may be granted access to download data but not to controls of instrumentation, or to view results but not download data.
Q. What if my Ops Manager doesn’t notice an important alert by text or email?
A. You can set up an ordered contact sequence. If there is no response to an alert within a specified time accessPRO will keep contacting your sequence of contacts, following your set rules until a response is received or action taken.
Q. How does accessPRO differ from a control system or PLC?
A. accessPRO readily integrates information from any source/working system to a single configurable screen/s or to the back-end of an existing database. It allows any number of authorised users to view the ‘watch’ screens and interact with them from wherever they are, using desktop or mobile browsers. Each console includes a lot processing power so that every moment, each day, all measurements and events are analysed and interpreted precisely for the user’s requirements. accessPRO communicates over the internet with in-built redundancy for security.
Q. How does accessPRO differ from a logger?
A. accessPRO has logging functions, combined with the functions of process control, telemetry and remote access into one convenient system. The console will accept IP addresses from many devices and integrate measurements and actions between the various devices. It is remotely programmable using open source Linux and Python software, so requires no expensive tools to programme. The user has a secure cloud account which provides access to any number of accessPRO consoles, which may include a number of loggers. At any time in the future you may add other modules to increase functionality.
See it. Know it. Control it.
