Sensor Properties

Sensor Properties

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````When creating, editing or copying a sensor, an additional dialog with sensor properties is displayed. It consists of several tabs. In the first one, the basic properties are adjusted:


Name
Type the name of the sensor. It must consist of one or more characters. The name is visible in the unit tooltip, in reports and messages.

Sensor type
Choose the sensor type to form the dropdown list of available types.

Measurement system
In the dropdown list, choose a measurement system in which the sensor values will be received. This property and the corresponding dropdown list are only displayed for those sensors whose units of measurement differ depending on the selected system of measures.

Metrics
Metrics is presented in reports (also in chart legends), tasks, tooltips etc. As a rule, every kind of sensors has its own default metrics (units of measurement). For some sensor types, units of measurement cannot be changed, for others you can do it manually. This is particularly applicable for digital sensors such as engine operation sensor or custom digital sensors. Instead of default On/Off values you can set Activated/Deactivated, Laden/Unladen, Open/Closed, etc.

Parameter
Select or enter the parameter(s) whose data the sensor will interpret.

Last message only
This checkbox affects sensor value in the unit tooltip and similar places. If enabled, the value of the sensor is calculated only from the most recent message, and in case when no required parameters are present in the last message, there are marked as Unknown. If disabled, the last known values are displayed even if they appear invalid (no matter how up-to-date they are).

Description
This field is optional. It is displayed only in the list of sensors in the unit properties dialog.

Validator and Validation type
Validation is optional. It determines the interdependence of sensors from each other.

Next, you need to set the calculation table for the sensor. It is especially needed for analogue sensors. Not all sensors send ready-made values that can be put into a report and understood by the end user. If the possibility to transform parameters is not provided with a device itself, this transformation is adjusted with the help of the Calculation Table or the Calculation Table Wizard.

Intervals and colors

gTrack system provides a possibility to differentiate sensor values by color. For this purpose in sensor properties it is possible to create intervals of values and choose their colors. There is also a possibility to accompany received digital values with text.

By default any sensor values (from -∞ to +∞) are displayed in black. Click the  button next to the scale to set the interval, select a color for it, and enter text. Note that values are set for each interval individually. Here are some peculiarities of setting intervals and choosing their color that could be useful:

  • No value in the first field corresponds to -∞, in the second — to +∞;
  • If you add an interval that intersects with an existing one and goes beyond its boundaries, the added interval will overwrite the existing interval;
  • If you add an interval that intersects with an existing one and does not exceed its boundaries, the added interval will be inserted inside the existing one. In addition, both the intervals to which the existing one was divided will receive its text and color;
  • You can select a color from a color picker or indicate its text value (in HEX) in the corresponding field.

Upon completion, all the set intervals of a chosen color along with their text info are shown on the scale. Each interval of the scale, its color, and text can be edited. To do so, click the corresponding interval on the scale and set the necessary parameters. To delete all the set intervals from the scale, click the Deletebutton to the right of it.

                                                                                    

To enter intervals, select colors and specify text values, an alternative interface is also provided - in the form of a table. To switch to the table view, click the corresponding icon to the right of the scale. Click the same button to switch back to the scale. Note that the scale is automatically switched to the table view if more than 10 intervals were created.

                                                                                    

  If a sensor sends values smaller than ones indicated in the first interval, such values are considered to be a part of the first interval.

Created intervals can be used in several cases:

  • to visualize sensor state in the corresponding column of the Monitoring panel;
  • to display multicolor tracks of unit movements;
  • to show unit on the map according to the sensor state (if it is chosen to replace usual icons with the motion state signs);
  • to quickly find the necessary information on sensors either in the unit tooltip or in the extended unit information;
  • to visualize sensor state in the Nearest Units tool.

In the first three cases, on the Advanced tab of the Unit Properties of the unit, you must also specify a sensor for each case individually.

Additional Properties

Additional sensor properties are the parameters that are peculiar to sensors of a strictly defined type:

Redefine filtration level
This property is specific for fuel level sensors. Filtration degree is usually adjusted on the Fuel Consumption tab. However, in some cases each sensor needs to be set up individually. This provides gives such possibility.

Filtration level
The possibility of indicating filtration level is applicable to the following sensors: temperature sensor, engine revs sensor, voltage sensor, accelerometer, custom sensor, weight sensor. This option allows to apply smoothing algorithm to the sensor values. It is necessary to indicate the level of such smoothing (from 0 to 255) in the corresponding field. The filtration level is indicated individually for the sensors of such type.  The filtration level is only taken into account in reports (in tables and in charts while drawing smoothed lines).

Validate unbinding
This property is specific for sensors of driver/trailer binding. If the option is activated, the driver bound to the unit can be automatically unbound from it only if empty value comes from the same parameter which was used to bind the driver. Otherwise, the removal of the driver based on any parameter will result in the removal of all drivers assigned to this unit. The same works for the trailers as well.

Unbinding code
This property is also applicable to the drivers/trailers binding sensors. Any code can be entered in the Unbinding code field. If the code is specified, the driver/trailer unbinding is carried out both when the empty value is received, and when the code is received.

Overflow by raw data
This option appears only for differential counter sensors with overflow. If it is activated, raw data is analyzed first, and then the calculation table is applied. It means that raw data (and not data processed with calculation table as in case when the option is disabled) is taken to estimate overflow.

Timeout
This property is a specific feature for engine ignition sensor and custom digital sensor. Indicate time value (in seconds). If nothing is indicated in the field or 0 is entered, the option is considered to be disabled. If time between messages exceeds the one indicated by you, then the period of time on which the timeout has been exceeded will be considered invalid, and the remaining time will be divided into intervals (before and after the invalid time period). In other words, the last message before, and the first message after the invalid time period will be considered the end of the first and the beginning of the second interval, correspondingly.

For example, a custom digital sensor is used and 1 hour timeout has been indicated. The following data comes from the digital sensor: 1 (22:00), 1 (22:10), 1 (07:50), and 1 (08:00). If the timeout property had not been indicated, we would have one continuous interval (from 22:00 to 08:00). But using 1 hour timeout we receive the following situation: there is less than 1 hour between the 1st and 2nd message, so we have the first interval (from 22:00 to 22:10); between the 2nd and 3rd messages more than 1 hour passes, so this data is considered to be an invalid time period (from 22:10 to 07:50); and there is less than hour between the 3rd and 4th message, so we receive the second interval (from 07:50 to 08:00).

Consumption, l/h
This option is designed for the motor operation sensors and is used for calculating fuel consumption mathematically.  If the ignition is off, the consumption is considered to be 0 l/h.

With overflow
This option is available for the sensors, that can be influenced by occasional resets (mileage sensor, absolute engine hours, absolute fuel consumption sensor). When this option is enabled, the system uses the following algorithm. The value from the latest message is compared to the previous one. If the value is greater than the previous one, their difference is added to the previous value. If it is less, the value from the latest message is added. Therefore, this function guarantees receiving correct mileage data.

Text parameters
This option is available only for the custom sensors. It should be activated if a sensor sends text parameters instead of numeric. In this case, in the table of intervals and colors you can list these parameters and give them broader descriptions. For example, a device sends parameters error1, error2, error3, etc. In accordance with the documentation for the device, you can specify a decryption for each parameter(i.e. Power supply disconnected, Invalid data, etc.). Besides, you can use special characters like * (asterisk). For example, the values can be entered as error* and its text would be simply Error.


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