Beyond 2G cellular modems?

I’m using systems from Onset U30 which have been upgraded – see a post I made elsewhere. The sensor interaface is typically 20mA current or Voltage.

If you are after an Arduino shield its only going to be the typical Arduino distributors.
For “coming soon” that should be Arduino suppliers you could make a downpayment on
https://www.particle.io/prototype#electron

For currently available – but probably not recommended for small project runs, ie if you buy a lot the price could drop
NimbeLink, LLC Skywire
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?FV=fff40036,fff803ec,fffc05c5&chp=0

For professional grade with power available these might work.
http://www.embeddedworks.net/wwan723.html
and they have lots of data plans

Hi Stephanie
This is a great area to collaborate… I’m personally working on something …. and built some devices in the past see
http://www.azonde.com:8080/azondeView/hydroGraph.htm?nodeAddress=401
So as ever partly depends on budget.
I only know about Android based “GSM Field Test Pro” – for techy stuff the iPhone is a more closed environment – not open source.
The 3G(4G+) devices modems are evolving, the cellular network is cellphone driven – and the big industry players are a bit sticky about the lower revenue data M2M (machine2machine).. however the IoT (Internet of Things) is driving new products.
I’d be interest in what you are doing as I’m working on powering in remote instruments … so particularly interfaces and what instruments you are hoping to interface to would be interesting.
Physical sensors are a major budgetary challenge – scientists can sense elements on Pluto – but not many places have a Nasa budget to do it 🙂
The specific challenges in sensors are accuracy, long term stability, calibration and powering. Each physical sensor has its own unique challenges to turn the real world sensing into traceable units.:(
The Nutrient sensor challenge is one example of trying to solve the problem with I hear 28teams trying to create a Nitrate or Phosphate sensor
http://www.act-us.info/nutrients-challenge/

Neil

Hi Stephanie
Thanks for the azonde.com comment – I started it many years ago – somewhat based on TinyOS.net – which is an embedded CompSci teaching tool.
A better way is to use a REST based reporting.
An example I’ve done using a Rain Gauge (Arduino based) thingspeak.com/channels/8652 (supplied by iobridge.com)
which when using a JavaScript framework looks like this
LiveRainGauge

Wow really interested in your “research interest is in evaluating the effect of engineering hydrologic flowpaths to maintain downstream water chemistry” & “Streams with SC > 500 uS/cm are typically degraded and have significantly reduced biological diversity”
My suggestion would be to collaborate on a significant part of that, measuring the stream SC.
Where would you see the SC probe placed in the water column (see below)?
The challenges from what I understand with SC sensors is the buildup of slime that can impair the readings.
I’m working on a low cost depth gauge – open source.
Part of that could be adapted to a SC probe.
A possible place designed for collaboration could be here..
makerspace.com/u/neilh20/projects/specific-conductance-probe
let me know if this works, but I’m open to anywhere else.

The context: Wireless Sensors Networks (WSN) are challenging and IMHO Riparian WSN (RWSN) are even more challenging, and the technology stack to pull this together is still evolving unless you go for a commercial solution.
I’m seeing if I can solve this technical challenge with the focus on the riparian stream side locations.
– WSN are particularly applicable to long term, sensing over many years with a wide variety of environmental conditions and reliability needs.
– Sensing in the water column is varied and sensors need to be easily changed for both equipment management (failures) and varied traceability requirements. (Some sites require more defined measurement trace-ability than others)
– Depth sensors placement has to be at the bottom of the water column, and best practices are typically 6in/15cm below the lowest level the water is expected to drop to for any stream flow. The primary challenge is the physical sensors themselves – which have temperature dependency and resolution/ accuracy that is challenged with low water heads.

BTW its also worth compiling a list of different ways of doing remote long distance RWSN – what works and what doesn’t
One cellular method is to use an integrated Cell phone
https://developer.mbed.org/platforms/u-blox-C027/
And I’ve just seen this that might answer your original question, an Arduino shield for 3G Multitech Socket Modem.
https://developer.mbed.org/components/Multi-Tech-SocketModem-Arduino-Shield-MT/

Hello Stephanie
Goodluck with it. Thanks for the detail. Out of curiosity what base arduinio are you are looking at.
One way to share the experience is to blog on the stages that you go through.
The challenges – from how to check what works and how to protect it, and how they are overcome are as valuable as the end result.

The Adafruit FON doesn’t state its temperature range – which is usually important for an outside environmental logger, but amazing with the lib
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_FONA_Library – amazing what is being created.
As someone who plays with software/hardware – the technical challenges with software is testing. So personally with this I would
1) Generate a test suite – pick a simple pattern of data reporting,(incrementing number) and then test out the linkages from test unit to reporting. This verifies from unit to internet.
2) For “integration test” – that is checking it works except for the real data – create an air temperature probe – and then stick it out in a realistic situation – just outdoors where it can be easly investigated – and leave it running for a month. This allows all the gremlins to safely introduce themselves and be encouraged to move on.

One technology that’s become recently available is LoRa, which is a ISM (900 MHz) band system that’s optimized for data transmission. More details at https://www.lora-alliance.org/ but PCB’s with LoRa radios on them are available from Tindie.com at reasonable pricing (sub $20 ish). It looks like these would require a base station to complete a network, but they claim 5 to 10 km of coverage, which might be sufficient for may applications. I’m not affiliated with them, I just find the technology interesting.

Stephanie-

This is independent of a cellular carrier, you use unlicensed ISM bands for communications. You can sort of think of this as very long distance Wifi. The sensors communicate with a separate base station that you configure. The Datarates you can get over this are somewhat dependent on the distance between the sensors and the base station, so it’s good for transmitting data, not good for web pages. I haven’t used it, but I’ve spent 6 to 10 hours looking at it.

Dave

The LoRa are part of a group of emerging technologies – some that may be built out like the Cellular Network for easy use.
One example is http://www.weightless.org/keyfeatures/5-km-range
Right now they are point to point – that is you have to have both sides of the link – and do Line of Sight analysis. The wireless signals will not go through hillsides.
Cellular providers generally do a regional geographical analysis to attempt to place their cell towers at the highest point so that they can reach the widest number of cell phones.
The big advantage of “LoRa” point-to-point wireless sensor network is overall lower consumed power – the local equipment can manage it better. The disadvantage is that all nodes have to be maintained.
The big advantage of Cellular systems is you only need the end modem – but it has to be in range of a provider and requires much more electrical power.

That’s a great summary of things. Doing both sides of the link is both an advantage and disadvantage for these approaches. There’s also no re-occurring charges for service, although the up-front cost is probably higher.

Hi Dave
Sounds like you have a good idea of what you want to do and the technologies, but to start with the basics.
1) I’d suggest a plan with cost options including what ever time its going to cost in time billing. If there is team install project time with two people per visit for safety and x hours traveling time – the costing analysis changes. If you expect to visit the site regularly and can absorb the wireless network planning then it is a different cost structure.
2) First is to identify locations on the ground (sorry sounds basic but sometimes this step gets missed) and the wireless telemetry options.
2) a cellular radio-site survey – probably first on paper, and then if there is the possibilty of a specific cell carrier to organize having that carriers cell phones and then investigate the site options for actual radio signal.
3) if there is a local building with internet then you could consider a point-to-point system. For a local internet need to investigate how to access that network – sometimes it is easy (eg School, sympathetic property owner) other times the network owner (eg County Water Agency) is challenging to get to the right person and permission to install at top of building. Then need to map the Line of Sight for the radio waves – in valleys its tricky.

One narrow valley I installed in – the property owner knew where there was a narrow alley for Verizon Cellphone – its where he could get his Cellphone to work. And we installed a Verizon system in that alley – which was very unique as almost nobody uses Verizon CDMA systems

Regards

Neil-

I don’t have any current active projects, I’m pondering an open source lagrangian drifter for stream flow measurements, but nothing build yet. You’ve written up some nice installation instructions to keep in mind.

Regards

Dave