Advantages and disadvantages of simple vs. smart devices

The question whether it is better to use single-purpose devices or rather to integrate more functions into one device has been debated since the first microprocessors. By using more single-purpose devices, better system scalability can be achieved but possibly at higher costs. By integrating functions, hardware costs can be significantly reduced but there is an increased risk that a fault in one subsystem will make the whole system inoperable.

At the same time, the decision whether to use smart autonomous devices or a cloud-based solution should not be based on the device costs alone; it must reflect the actual application – for what purpose is an independent monitoring solution being implemented – as well as the system design and installation.

Smart devices (Poseidon, Damocles, PWR and so on)	SD-Devices
Autonomous operation without a permanent Internet connection	Easy installation by non-qualified personnel
Support for several types of communication protocols, easy integration into monitoring systems	Bidirectional communication works without the need for in-depth network knowledge
Internal logic can perform autonomous actions	Function easily changed using a unified portal
Extended support for M2M communication	Unified communication format
Internal datalog	Very stable operation
More complex system design	Higher system modularity
Installation requires expert personnel	System functionality limited by the portal capabilities
Higher price	Operation dependent on a third-party system

System design and scalability

Simple single-purpose devices offer a clear advantage. They contain a small, clearly-defined number of inputs, outputs and sensors. They do not combine functions within a single package; however, it is easy to combine different devices. This makes it much easier to design the entire ecosystem and also to extend it.

When designing a monitoring solution, it is important to keep in mind not just the function but also the range of monitored elements and quantities. Monitoring can encompass elementary quantities, such as temperature and humidity, and also things such as door contacts, equipment states, voltages or currents. From this point of view, single-purpose devices and smart devices serve equally well. In simpler applications, smart devices have an advantage because an all-in-one solution provides all the necessary elements and functions at low installation costs. So, to monitor the environment inside a rack, all that is needed is a STE2 with a thermometer, a humidity sensor and two door contacts, or a Poseidon2 3268 that can also control additional fans. However, in case of more complex applications, it is harder to keep the costs under control. Smart devices provide a limited number of inputs, outputs and sensors in various combinations; therefore, it is necessary to know all the available models and choose a suitable combination. It can easily happen that a user who needs just 1 additional digital input ends up purchasing an entire additional (and expensive) device.

Installation and configuration

Simple single-purpose devices are all configured at a single place – the central SensDesk portal.

Simple devices themselves do not process data in any way; they just send the data to a remote master system (the portal), where all further processing takes place. This requires highly reliable measurement devices and a robust method of registering them in the system; at the same time, it provides two significant advantages. All configuring and setting up is performed at a single place – in the central SensDesk portal. There is no need to configure each remote device separately, which might require creating tunnels through the Internet to each device. Anyone who has tried to make their data at home accessible over the Internet knows that setting up the required routing at the home gateway (e.g. modem) is not always a straightforward task. And while it is relatively easy to set this up for one device, it can become very complex for multiple devices. Simple single-purpose devices, such as SD-Devices or NB-devices, connect to the server automatically without the need to configure any tunnels.

Smart devices, by their nature, need to be installed by an expert who, in addition to the intended application, also understands computer networks, address translation, and so on. Such people are expensive to hire; moreover, they may not be always qualified and authorized to work on the equipment to be monitored. As a result, the installation may need two people – a technician installing the sensors and an engineer configuring the monitoring device. On top of that, if the installation is done at a customer’s premises, the customer’s IT department may need to be involved, too. If you need to monitor one rack, it is possible to fine-tune the settings and, with the help of the IT team, put in place remote access for possible reconfiguration. A large installation can use a virtual LAN (VLAN) to simplify the situation. However, in case of many devices at different physical locations, the situation becomes complex and the advantages of simple single-purpose devices quickly become an important factor.

Smart devices that allow connecting sensors and detectors to buses can save hardware costs but rigorous testing and documentation is needed. Without it, it will be very difficult to troubleshoot e.g. swapped sensors in full operation. Therefore, simple single-purpose devices make things much easier. These devices actively send data to the remote server; instructions for the installation crew can be as simple as “plug the brown sensor into jack 1 and the white sensor to jack 2”, minimizing the risk of errors.

In case of M2M communication, the communication port must always remain open on the target router / firewall, which requires the intervention of a network specialist.	Access to individual devices from the external network (Internet) is also uncomfortable with direct connections, as communication ports need to be open on the destination router / firewall (one port per device), which requires the intervention of a network specialist.
When SensDesk is used as an intermediary, there is a slight slowdown in communication, but there is no need to interfere with the network infrastructure, which increases the security of both the application and the rest of the network.	By using the portal solution for setting up the behavior, Saferange and other target application parameters, the security of not only the application but also of the rest of the network is again increased. This method is very user-friendly, and what is more important, it remains the same across different products.

Changing the device configuration

When it comes to reconfiguring the devices, the differences between simple and smart devices are similar as in the case of installation. The portal solution is simpler and faster to maintain. Moreover, a single experienced engineer can manage even very large systems.

M2M operation

When two devices need to cooperate, the solution must be chosen according to the particular application. Compared to all-in-one solutions, simple devices offer the advantage of easy scalability. However, a direct connection between two devices is always faster and more secure than an intermediate central portal. Due to the architecture of cloud solutions, when an action needs to be performed with an output of a device via the portal, it is necessary to wait until the device connects to the central server; this can take anywhere from tens of seconds to several minutes. On the contrary, Poseidon2 and Damocles2 devices can establish a direct connection between themselves and react within a few hundred milliseconds to a few seconds. However, if the devices are in different networks, such a connection requires special routing configuration; this may take significant effort or, in corporate networks, can be even impossible.

Suitable applications for smart devices

Smart devices, such as Poseidon2, Damocles2 or HWg-PWR, are ideal for use in critical applications where the reaction, such as the sending of a text message or switching an output, must be as fast as possible. These devices also keep track of the real time and maintain a time-stamped data log. Moreover, they support multiple communication protocols, such as SNMP, ModBus/TCP, MQTT and more; however, configuration is required for proper operation. They are, therefore, better suited for industrial applications or closed networks and systems.

Independence of the solution

The need for a truly independent monitoring is the strongest argument for using devices such as Poseidon2, Damocles2 or HWg-WLD (smart devices). These device can autonomously measure the monitored quantities, evaluate the measurements and, if needed, send alerts, turn on a back-up system or switch off the monitored equipment to prevent further damages. The only criterion here is the importance of the application and its purpose. To send e-mail alerts, all that is needed is a working connection to the Internet (a SMTP server); to send text messages, a HWg-SMS-GW3 in the same network can be used (some devices can also interface with a modem).

Any single-purpose device relying on cloud services or another server solution is dependent on Internet access. Such a topology introduces at least one element to the communication chain that the user does not have under control. For this reason, smart devices are better suited for critical applications, or for installations where a company policy prohibits the use of server-based or cloud services.

Suitable applications for single-purpose SD-Devices and NB-Devices

Simple single-purpose devices are primarily intended for larger installations in terms of their geographical scope or the number of sensors.
They are suitable for applications that encompass many small installations spread over multiple locations. They allow connecting a few sensors and detectors and thus enable simple installation. At the same time, they do not require any special configuration, apart from e.g. configuring the Wi-Fi in case of SD-Devices. All subsequent operations are performed in the SensDesk portal only, and can be done by a qualified person. The low per-device cost is an advantage when extending the system; it is sufficient to buy just the inputs or outputs that are needed.

NB-Devices are typically used at remote locations without electricity and internet.

Cooperation between smart and simple devices

Both technologies can be combined within a single solution. The SensDesk portal can be used as the unifying element for both monitoring solutions, combining their advantages. For example, smart devices can be used to measure values and simple devices to control remote outputs or watch for water leaks.

• Ethernet & Standalone Monitoring devices (LAN)
• IoT Monitoring (portal required)
• Ares family (USB)

Ethernet + Standalone Monitoring Devices

RJ45 cable connection

1. Connect your device to the Ethernet (direct cable to the switch, crossed to PC).
2. Connect the power adapter to the grid and connect it to your device's power supply connector.
3. The green LED in the Power&Mode RJ45 connector will light up.
4. If the connection to the Ethernet is functional, the LINK (yellow) LED should light up shortly afterward and switch off during data transfer to the Ethernet (Activity signalization).
5. A quickly flashing yellow LINK LED signalizes communication with the DHCP server.

IP address setting (HWg-Config)

The HWg-Config program can be downloaded from HWg-Config page. You can find device on the network and set the IP address.

1. Click on the icon to launch the HWg-Config program – the program automatically searches for connected devices. 
2. Launch the search by clicking on the Find Devices icon.
3. The program searches for devices in your local network. Click on the MAC address of the device to open the dialogue window for device settings.

DHCP (IP address assigned automatically)

Click to underlined IP address (192.168.1.23 for example) in the HWg-Config and device web GUI will be openet in your default WEB browser.

 

Fixed IP address (configure your LAN parameters manually)

Set device network parameters:

1. IP address / HTTP port (80 by standard)

2. Your network mask

3. IP address of your network gateway

4. Device name (optional parameter)

Save the settings by clicking on Apply Changes.

Opening the device web GUI

• Enter the device IP address in the browser window.
• Click on the underlined IP address in the HWg-Config application.
• Click on the IP address in the HWg-Config program.

Configuration webpages

Continue with the device manual

Connecting the device to the Portal (optional)

1. Login to your user account on the SensDesk Technology based portal
   • HWg-cloud.com for free as service from manufacture.
   • SensDesk.com as paid service
   • Any portal from Portal Providers
      
2. On your portal, go to your "My Team" page (top-right menu).
3. On the first screen is Portal settings block - these 4 items you will need configure to your device.
    
4. Open the Ethernet connected device web administration, go to the Portal tab.
5. Click to Portal Enable
6. Fill 4 items of the Portal settings (Server Address, IP Port, Team, Team Password)
7. Click to Save / Manual Push.
8. If is the device properly connected to the network (have acces to public internet), it will appear within few seconds in the "Devices" on your Portal.
9. Name & setup the device
   • Rename default device name + fill device location
   • For each sensor: Fill sensor name (Alias) + SD SAFE RANGE
   • Try email alerting from the portal.

 

PS: You can ignore the device hash (xxxx-xxxx on the label), because portal feature is not enabled on these devices in default configuration.

Continue with the SensDesk Technology portal(s) manual

 

IoT Monitoring devices (portal required)

Physical installation (on site)

1. Plug RJ45 cable from LAN switch / Insert SIM card + Attach the external antenna.
2. Connect external sensors (and place them to the right position).
3. Connect the power adapter to the electrical grid / remove insulating strip from the internal battery.
4. Check the Device hash number on the label (xxxx-xxxx).
5. Wait until the LED activity indicates connection to the portal (details in each product manual).
6. Default portal where new devices are connected is www.HWg-cloud.com - open it in web browser..

Details in the device manual

 

Portal adoption / configuration  (remotely)

1. Login to your user account on the www.HWg-cloud.com (it's free portal from manufacture).
2. Go to your "My Team" page (top-right menu).
3. Scroll down to the Device Adoption. Fill in the device hash (xxxx-xxxx number on the label of the physical device).
4. If is the device properly connected to the network, it will appear after some time in the "Devices".
5. You can migrate the device to any other portal based on SensDesk technology (click to Migrate device in Device details) or configure and use it in HWg cloud.
6. Name & setup the device
   • Rename default device name + fill device location
   • For each sensor: Fill sensor name (Alias) + SD SAFE RANGE
   • Try email alerting from the portal.

Continue with the SensDesk Technology portal(s) manual

Ares Family - GSM/LTE devices with USB port

Connection to PC

1. Connect Ares to PC with a USB cable and open the ARES disk that appears
2. Double-click the AresConf application to start it
3. The General tab appears and shows the device status:

Continue with the device manual 

Connecting Ares to the Portal (optional)

1. Login to your user account on the SensDesk Technology based portal
   • HWg-cloud.com for free as service from manufacture.
   • SensDesk.com as paid service
   • Any portal from Portal Providers
      
2. On your portal, go to your "My Team" page (top-right menu).
3. On the first screen is Portal settings block - these 4 items you will need configure to your device.
    
4. Open the USB connected device - AresConf configuration utility, go to the Portal tab.
5. Click to Portal Enable
6. Fill 4 items of the Portal settings (Server Address, IP Port, Team, Push (Team) Password)
7. Click to Save / Manual Push.
8. If is the device properly connected to the GSM / LTE network, it will appear within few seconds in the "Devices" on your Portal.
9. Name & setup the device
   • Rename default device name + fill device location
   • For each sensor: Fill sensor name (Alias) + SD SAFE RANGE
   • Try email alerting from the portal.

 

    

Icons indicating the states of sensors and digital inputs/outputs

State	Color	Icon	Description
OK	Green		Indicates an OK sensor – the sensor is sending a valid value that is within the safe range.
Alarm	Red		Indicates a sensor in the Alarm state – the measured value is outside of the allowed safe range.
Unknown	Orange		Indicates a sensor with an Unknown state – the sensor is connected but SensDesk does not yet have its configuration information.
Invalid	Orange		Indicates a sensor in the Invalid state – the sensor is disconnected or otherwise damaged, and Sensdesk does not have valid information about its value, even though its device is communicating normally.
Disabled	Gray		Indicates a Disabled sensor – the sensor is turned off for processing in Sensdesk configuration. The device works with it normally.

Icons indicating device status

State	Color	Icon	Description
OK	Green		Indicates that the device is OK – it is functioning normally and sending data.
Alarm	Red		Indicates a device in the Alarm state – some of its sensors are in Alarm, the measured value is outside of the allowed safe range.
Unknown	Orange		Indicates that the device state is Unknown – the device is already registered in SensDesk but its configuration and connected sensors are not yet known.
Invalid	Orange		Indicates a device in the Invalid state – the device has not reported for more than 2 Push periods.
Disabled	Gray		Indicates a Disabled device – the device has the Push function disabled but otherwise works normally.

 

The Dashboard displays information from devices added to the Team. However, it does not necessarily include information about all devices, locations or groups. As explained below, the information to be displayed can be changed by editing the Dashboard.

In SensDesk, the Dashboard focuses on the sensor states, not the sensor values or the device status (that is only supplementary information). It consists of three parts. The first part gives a quick sensor state overview, grouped by sensor state and showing the number of sensors in that state. Each state has a specific color and icon; this scheme is applied throughout the SensDesk portal.

Status	Color	Sensor icon	Device icon
OK	Green
Alarm	Red
Unknown	Orange
Invalid	Orange
Disabled	Gray

The green color indicates sensors that are in the OK state, that is, they communicate normally and their value is within the allowed “safe range”. A device is OK as long as all of its sensors and detectors are OK. The Dashboard shows how many sensors are OK and on how many devices. The latter piece of information is particularly useful for devices that are turned off (Disabled) or malfunctioning (Invalid) as it allows to distinguish a problem with a sensor from a problem with an entire device.  Click the OK block to go to the list of sensors in that state.

Red means Alarm, i.e. the reading of a sensor or a detector is outside of the specified safe range. If a sensor or detector is in the Alarm state, the entire device is in the Alarm state, too. Sensors that do not communicate (are disconnected) are not listed in the Alarm section but rather in the Invalid section, even though alarm notifications are still sent for these sensors. This makes it easier to identify problems. The Dashboard also gives an overview of the number of alarms for the past 2 hours (bottom part of the page), so that there is a quick way to see the recent history of alarms, including those that only lasted a short time. This makes it easier to identify the problem if the user received a notification but the alarm ended before the user had a chance to look at it in SensDesk. Click the Alarm block to see a list of sensors in that state.

The orange color represents sensors in the Invalid state, i.e. sensors that either do not communicate at all (disconnected or destroyed), or are not sending valid data (faulty or damaged). Unlike the Alarm state, the Invalid state does not propagate to the device; a distinction is maintained between the Sensor invalid and the Device invalid states. In particular, Sensor invalid means one or more faulty sensors, while Device invalid means a faulty device. On the other hand, when a device is in the Device invalid state (e.g. due to loss of communication), all its sensors and detectors are also reported as Device invalid, so that it is possible to distinguish sensor faults from device faults. In the Dashboard, the Invalid section lists the number of sensors in the Invalid state, regardless of the cause. The number of devices with such sensors is also shown. Click the Invalid block to see a list of sensors in that state.

The grey section represents Disabled sensors. At the first glance, the number of sensors disabled by the user may not look like an interesting piece of information; however, it is very useful when diagnosing a problem. Sensors and detectors (digital inputs) can be disabled by the user at the Edit Sensor page of the respective sensor, digital input or output. Sensors may be disabled to make the SensDesk overview more concise or to avoid storing unnecessary data. It is also possible to disable (and remove from reports) unused digital inputs, outputs, or for instance counter values. The disabled items are then listed under Disabled so that they are easy to find if needed. In the Dashboard, the Disabled section shows the number of sensors as well as the number of devices with these sensors. Click the Disabled block to see a list of sensors in that state.

The sensor block only displays information about sensors and digital inputs of devices that the user has selected at the Edit Dashboard page.

The next important section is the list of Locations and Device groups. This section gives an overview of how many Locations and Device groups are in Alarm, that is, contain at least one sensor in Alarm, how many sensors are affected and how many sensors are Invalid or Disabled. It is a different presentation of the same information as above.

The Locations and Device groups block only displays information about sensors and digital inputs of devices that are assigned to Locations and Device groups selected by the user at the Edit Dashboard page.

The last part of the Dashboard is a list of last sensor state changes (that is, transitions from no alarm to alarm and vice versa, loss of communication, and so on). The table only lists the last state change for each sensor, and by default only in the last 2 hours.

 

The list always includes the date and time of the state change in UTC (universal time, without regard to the user’s time zone); the name and ID of the sensor, digital input or digital output in question; the Location and Sublocation assigned to the sensor; the current value and its unit of measurement; and the previous and current state. Clicking the sensor name or ID leads to more details about the sensor.

The Current state column displays the current sensor state, while the Last state column displays the previous state. In this way, it is easy to see e.g. that a sensor or a digital input has transitioned from the Alarm state to the OK state or vice versa. It is also possible that both columns show the Alarm state; this can happen, for example, when the sensor was in Alarm because its reading was below the Safe range, and then the reading jumped to a value above the Safe Range.

To display the last sensor state changes regardless of when they have happened, click the Show all sensors link.

There is one particularity with the list of sensor state changes. Since the table displays state changes, for new devices the state may not be shown or may show as Invalid because there is no record of a state change yet.

To edit the Dashboard, click the Edit tab under the Dashboard name. The process is the same as if creating a custom dashboard – see below.

What is My Dashboard

My Dashboard is the possibility to create additional dashboards with different contents. While the main Dashboard is the same for the entire Team, individual departments or users can define their own dashboards (i.e. devices to monitor) in order to simplify their view of the monitored environment.  This function is particularly useful in large installations where users can define separate views with devices that monitor different sets of equipment in order to see only sensors and devices that they are interested in.

Working with My Dashboard

Working with Dashboards in SensDesk is similar to working with Device groups, Locations or My Graph. To work with the Dashboards, use the Dashboards item in the menu. To create Dashboards and switch among them, use the Select My Dashboard drop-down menu in the top right-hand corner of the Dashboard.

To create a new dashboard, click +Add my Dashboard to open the new dashboard creation menu. Set a name for the new Dashboard and assign devices, locations and groups to it. To select devices, click their names. Selected devices are highlighted in blue and also shown in the pane at the right-hand side. In the same way, selected Locations and Device groups are highlighted.

The sensor block only displays information about sensors and digital inputs of devices that are listed among Assigned devices. Sensors, digital inputs and outputs of devices in the Assigned locations and Assigned device groups are not automatically included in the sensor block.

After saving, the Dashboard page is displayed and the data loaded. To switch among Dashboards, use the drop-down menu.

Users of the SensDesk Technology portal can create My Dashboard. If more are needed, users are advised to contact their distributor and agree on the conditions of using extended SensDesk functions, such as increased number of supported devices, extended the datalog length or increased number of custom dashboards or graphs.

 

When speaking of a Portal or a Cloud, most people think of a website with graphs or a remote repository that costs money. And it is often the case. However, SensDesk by HW group is not just a portal or a cloud; it is primarily a unified measuring and control center for HW group products. SensDesk gives a quick overview of sensor states, displays a history of measured values, and allows creating simple conditions to trigger alarm actions such as sending an e-mail or a text message or activating a remote output. Its main advantage is the unified presentation of information from many different sensors and detectors in a human-readable and a machine-readable form.

 

The SensDesk portal offers features for home users, small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), as well as large enterprises and corporations. For homes and small offices, it is often enough to monitor the current states of sensors and detectors, and to be able to download the past temperature or consumption values (or to receive an e-mail if a value is out of an allowed range). Larger clients put emphasis on the integration of independent monitoring with existing systems. This can be complex, and thus expensive, because different measuring devices provide data in different formats – either for legacy reasons, or due to the particularities of the measured quantities. In these cases, SensDesk provides the most value – it makes data from different sensors and devices available in a unified and serialized XML file format.  

Basic SensDesk features

• A simple and concise Dashboard provides an overview of only those sensors that are interesting for the user. Multiple custom Dashboards with different contents can be defined. For example, the IT department would only watch the data that is relevant for them, and so would the power engineers.
• Independent Safe Ranges can be set for each sensor for the purposes of e-mail alerts. Support for HWg-SMS-GW3 in order to send alerts via text messages (SMS).
• An overview of devices and sensors that can be sorted by the status (Normal, alarm, invalid) or by the unit of measurement.
• Devices and sensors can be grouped according to their physical (Locations) or logical (Groups) place.
• Graphs of measured values for individual values (sorted by the measured quantities) as well as for individual sensors; data can be exported to CSV, XML, PDF, SVG, PNG or JPG
• Custom graphs combining different quantities can be created to watch for interdependencies.
• Advanced user management with a simple administration can assign individual users only the permissions they need. Individual users are grouped under a Team.
• Permission groups to assign users the rights to individual devices. While the User management restricts what the user can do, the Permission group restricts the resources that the user works with.
• Export of current values to XML is available for all values belonging to a team as well as for individual dashboards and graphs, and provides for an easy integration with ERP systems.
• SensDesk Technology can be used as either free HWg-cloud.com or paid SensDesk.com platform operated by HW group, platform by another portal provider, or on the customer’s premises using a virtual server.

There is no need to list the common features of all portals, such as the ability to display the readings from individual sensors and detectors and plot their history in a graph.

SensDesk unifies measurement and control

SensDesk integrates the monitoring and control of all types of HWg devices, including the communication among them. All settings are done in the SensDesk portal.

In SMB and home applications, monitoring is easy to install given the small number of devices and locations and the simplicity of user permissions. However, infrastructure maintenance projects and large-scale deployments need to access the data in SensDesk through various extensions and third-party monitoring applications.

Advanced functions of the portal include the integration and mutual control among all types of HWg devices.

Monitoring center – Alarm messages and the control of other devices

The SensDesk portal can be used to quickly set up the communication among all types of HW group devices. It is the most effective way to establish feedback between HWg sensors and actuators.

As already mentioned, SensDesk allows to set a Safe Range for each sensor or detector and trigger an alarm action whenever this range is exceeded. The action can be the sending of an e-mail or a text message (HWg-SMS-GW3 required). Another possible action is the activation of an output at one of the monitored devices. For example, if there is a water leak from an air conditioning or heating system at your Prague site, another device in the monitoring center in London can close its contact to sound a warning horn. While the boxes themselves are capable of doing that, by using SensDesk as the monitoring and control center, equipment and installation costs can be significantly reduced. With SensDesk, HW group devices of different product lines can be integrated; for instance, a HWg-WLD water leak detector can control an output of a SD-2xOut device, without a Poseidon2 or Damocles2 unit that would be required for a direct connection. The purchase price of a SD-2xOUT device comes to about 30% of the cheapest Damocles2 product – the Damocles2 MINI.

Smart devices offer completely autonomous operation but their installation requires qualified, and thus expensive personnel.

Single-purpose devices can be pre-configured at the company headquarters and then sent to wherever they are needed. The administration takes place completely via the SensDesk portal.

   

The SensDesk portal also simplifies the installation. It enables bidirectional communication without the need to configure network equipment or to tunnel ports. In order to control a device from another one, if the devices are not connected directly to the Internet with public IP addresses, routers need to be specially configured. The SensDesk portal makes things simple - all devices communicate with SensDesk only, and the portal is in the public Internet.

In case of M2M communication, the communication port must always remain open on the target router / firewall, which requires the intervention of a network specialist.	Access to individual devices from the external network (Internet) is also uncomfortable with direct connections, as communication ports need to be open on the destination router / firewall (one port per device), which requires the intervention of a network specialist.
When SensDesk is used as an intermediary, there is a slight slowdown in communication, but there is no need to interfere with the network infrastructure, which increases the security of both the application and the rest of the network.	By using the portal solution for setting up the behavior, Saferange and other target application parameters, the security of not only the application but also of the rest of the network is again increased. This method is very user-friendly, and what is more important, it remains the same across different products.

Interoperability of HW group devices when using direct connections

Local Condition	Controlled	Poseidon2 3268	Poseidon2 4002	Poseidon2 3468	Damocles2 MINI	Damocles2 1208	Damocles2 2404	Ares12	SD-2xOUT	IP WatchDog2 Lite	IP WatchDog2 Industrial
Controlling
Poseidon2 3266
Poseidon2 3268
Poseidon2 4002
Poseidon2 3468
Damocles2 MINI
Damocles2 1208
Damocles2 2404
Ares12 (LTE)
HWg-PWRxx
SD-2x1Wire
SD-2xIn
SD-WLD
HWg-STE Plus
STE2
HWg-WLD
WLD2
IP WatchDog Lite
IP WatchDog Industrial

Using SensDesk as a communication center

Push protocol	Controlled	Poseidon2 3268	Poseidon2 4002	Poseidon2 3468	Damocles2 MINI	Damocles2 1208	Damocles2 2404	Ares12	SD-2xOUT	IP WatchDog2 Lite	IP WatchDog2 Industrial
Controlling
Poseidon2 3266
Poseidon2 3268
Poseidon2 4002
Poseidon2 3468
Damocles2 MINI
Damocles2 1208
Damocles2 2404
Ares12
SD-2x1Wire
HWg-PWRxx
SD-2xIn
SD-WLD
HWg-STE Plus
STE2
HWg-WLD
WLD2
IP WatchDog Lite
IP WatchDog Industrial

Values.xml – Export of measured values and connecting to third-party software

Different HW group devices may generate different XML data formats. When using SensDesk, the output XML for a master system looks like a single device with many sensors.

Many companies now use a monitoring or information system, such as Nagios or another NMS in the IT sector, or PRTG in facility management. Integration of new devices into existing systems is expensive, and system managers are often reluctant to implement more than one device or protocol. However, different devices cannot have the same communication protocol due to the different nature of the measured quantities, or simply due to technical evolution. SensDesk allows to integrate all HW group devices into a single system with a unified XML format; for a master system, Sensdesk behaves as a single device with many sensors. For the user, there are values.XML files available for the whole Team (containing the current readings from all sensors and detectors) as well as for individual dashboards. The XML files can be accessed with http username/password authentication or with a URL containing an authentication key. For more details about the XML format, see the protocol description.

Other interesting SensDesk features

Dashboard

The Dashboard is a signpost and control center. It allows to get quick overview about how many sensors are OK and how many are in alarm, not reporting or turned off.
A single click leads to the list of such sensors. A significant advantage is the ability to create custom Dashboards, for instance displaying only devices that relate to a particular process or technology area (e.g. only refrigerators, only freezers, or only electricity consumption). With a custom Dashboard, users do not have to waste time figuring out whether a sensor in alarm belongs to their area of responsibility, and instead concentrate on their work.

Groups and Locations

Groups and Locations can be used to logically structure the network according to users’ needs.

When a user has more than just a couple of devices in SensDesk, it is usually a good idea to group related devices together. For this purpose, SensDesk uses Groups and Locations. Both of these features allow to group related devices together; however, the usage is different. Locations relate to physical locations of devices (Prague, New York, 1st floor etc.), while Groups relate to logical groupings (servers, engineering, etc.). This is reflected in different behavior. Only an entire device can be assigned to a Group. At the same time, one device can belong to several Groups. On the other hand, one device can belong to only one Location. However, Locations can be broken down to Sublocations, where individual sensors can be assigned.

Graphs

SensDesk allows you to create graphs that combine sensors and measured values in order to display critical process values simultaneously.

Any portal solution includes graphing features. SensDesk can generate graphs for individual sensors or detectors as well as a quick device-level overview. There, the graphs are separated according to the unit of measurement so that the rendering of different quantities is not mixed up in a single graph. However, the added value of SensDesk is the ability to create graphs with multiple sensors regardless of the unit of measurement. This allows to easily visualize and monitor interdependencies of quantities and values. For example, it can be found out that a temperature drop in a room was caused by an open door or a rise in humidity. Rising costs of laundry drying may be caused by high external temperature. And so on. These and many other pieces of information can be very useful to save operational costs or as an early warning about possible malfunctions.

What is Teams and User Management

Devices and device groups can be displayed to selected users, and data tracking, control and device administration functions can be separated.

In order to efficiently and securely share data among several users, these users need to be grouped under a Team. Usually, a Team would be a company; it can also be an interest group or just a company department. A Team has an owner that can add users and set their roles. A Team is also subject to all limits and restrictions applied at the portal level. Push parameters, including PUSH login and PUSH password, also apply to a Team as a whole. Therefore, the devices do not belong to an individual user anymore; they belong to the Team. This greatly simplifies the situation when responsible people change in the company. A serialized output of all values in a XML file is also available for every Team.

Types of user roles

• UM: Team admin – Has all the privileges to work with the Team. The admin can add users, add devices, set alarms or add dashboards and graphs.
• UM: Device admin – May add and configure individual devices and sensors, and obviously view the measured values. In combination with the Permission groups function, these users may be restricted to working with selected devices only, in order to increase system security as well as simplify the work of individual users.
• UM: Report admin – Reserved for future use. The Report admin will be able to configure and edit reports, such as overviews of the measured values, displayed data and so on.
• UM: Visitor – Can only view data.