ESIS Newsletter - December 2011
Merry Christmas! Esis Christmas closure
Esis will be closing for the Christmas break from 2pm on Thursday 22 December 2011, and re-opening on Monday 9th January 2012.
We would like to wish all our customers and suppliers a very Merry Christmas, and we thank you for your support in 2011, and wish you a very happy and prosperous year in 2012.
In this issue:
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Note: Prices shown are subject to change without notice.
If you have any questions, please email us, or phone us on 02 9481 7420.
DataTaker Clearance - hurry while stocks last!
The world renowned DataTaker DT80 and DT82I general purpose data loggers are on special at Esis, WHILE STOCKS LAST!!
These programmable loggers are versatile enough for almost any job, from simple temperature data logging up to complex jobs involving Modbus devices, remote FTP of data, etc. The loggers come with a graphical web-based interface for easy setup, and the kits on offer include a DataTaker resource CD, USB cable, mains adaptor, screwdriver and DPlot graphing software.
Esis is offering the DT80 and DT82I at special CLEARANCE PRICES for a limited time:
DT80: 5-15 analog channels, plus digital, counters, serial, Ethernet, etc: $2325+GST (normally $2580+GST)
DT82I: 2-6 analog channels, plus digital, counters, serial, Ethernet, etc: $1689+GST (normally $1900+GST)
More details about the DataTaker range can be found on our DataTaker page.
Stocks are very limited at these prices, so call now to avoid disappointment!
Please contact us and we will gladly discuss them with you.
Flash Flooding? Blackouts? Be warned!
Summer is upon us again, and with it comes a much greater chance of intense storms, flash flooding, power outages and heat waves. The extreme events of last year have proved just how much damage can be done by the ravages of nature.
If you could be warned about such events as soon as they occur at your premises, how much could be saved? Consider the following examples:
- Storage of food or medicines in refrigerators and cool rooms - a power outage on a Friday night might not be discovered until Monday morning (or even worse, not known about at all!). How much stock could you lose? What could be the consequences of selling compromised stock to your customers? Food poisoning, dangerous side effects of uncontrolled medicines, court cases... the potential costs could be massive.
- Businesses prone to flash flooding - how much stock or equipment could be saved if you were alerted to a flash flood before it happened? What would be the flow-on effects to the business if you couldn't take preventative action?
- Security systems - would your building security systems be compromised by an extended power outage? If this happened, how would you know about it?
- Boats exposed to extreme weather - would you know if your moored boat slowly started to fill with water? A simple alarm system could save you from a total loss.
- Server rooms and data centres - would the right people be alerted immediately when your server room starts to overheat, or suffers a water leak? How critical is your server room to your business?
Esis specialises in environmental monitoring and alerting. With our wide range of systems and our engineering expertise, we can provide a customised solution to meet your exact needs. Our systems can monitor many different parameters, including:
- Rainfall (mm per time interval - useful to predict flash flooding)
- Temperature and humidity (single or multiple points - wired or wireless)
- Power outages
- Water leakage
- Smoke
Instant alerts sent to you via SMS, voice message or email give you the maximum opportunity to take corrective action and avoid costly damage. The monitoring system could be a lot less expensive than you think, and protection from just one event could pay for the system many times over.
Contact us to discuss your requirements, before it's too late!
Who Cares About CO2 Concentration?
There are legal limits to the level of carbon dioxide that you can expose people to.
A high level of carbon dioxide in a room indicates inadequate ventilation. This can cause headaches, fatigue, eye and throat irritation, increased heart rate, dizziness, fatigue, rapid breathing visual and hearing dysfunctions.
1000ppm should be used as an upper limit for all indoor areas. Exposure to higher levels may cause unconsciousness or death within minutes of the exposure.
| Percent | Parts per million (ppm) | Effect |
| 0.036% | 360 | Normal air |
| 0.06% | 600 | People notice the air is "stuffy." |
| 0.1% | 1000 | Indicates inadequate ventilation. Complaints of fatigue, headaches and eye/throat irritation will be widespread. Should be Upper Limit for Indoor Areas |
| 1% | 10,000 | Some people may begin to feel: shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, rapid pulse rate, headaches, hearing loss, hyperventilation, sweating, and fatigue. Can cause drowsiness with prolonged exposure. |
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a surrogate for indoor pollutants emitted by humans and correlates with human metabolic activity. Carbon dioxide at levels that are unusually high indoors may cause occupants to grow drowsy, get headaches, or function at lower activity levels. Humans are the main indoor source of carbon dioxide. Indoor levels are an indicator of the adequacy of outdoor air ventilation relative to indoor occupant density and metabolic activity.
To eliminate most Indoor Air Quality complaints, total indoor carbon dioxide should be reduced to levels recommended by various international bodies:
- NIOSH considers that indoor air concentrations of carbon dioxide that exceed 1,000 ppm are a marker suggesting inadequate ventilation.
- ASHRAE recommends that carbon dioxide levels not exceed 700 ppm above outdoor ambient levels.
- The UK standards for schools say that carbon dioxide in all teaching and learning spaces, when measured at seated head height and averaged over the whole day should not exceed 1,500 ppm. The whole day refers to normal school hours (i.e. 9.00am to 3.30pm) and includes unoccupied periods such as lunch breaks.
- European standards limit carbon dioxide to 3500 ppm.
- OSHA limits carbon dioxide concentration in the workplace to 5,000 ppm for prolonged periods, and 35,000 ppm for 15 minutes.
Esis offers the KeepAlert range of CO2 instruments, a cost effective range of Carbon Dioxide monitoring and alerting instruments. There are very few CO2 instruments on the market that are as cost effective and convenient as the KeepAlert range.
KeepAlert instruments are designed to measure CO2 levels as well as temperature and humidity. Two kinds of instrument are available: 
- Meters
- Data Loggers
The KeepAlert Desktop meter simply plugs into a powerpoint and monitors the CO2 level, Temperature and Humidity. The KeepAlert Handheld CO2 Meter measures up to 10% CO2 levels. Ideal for spot checking many locations.
The KeepAlert Logger and KeepAlert Display CO2 Logger with display are designed to measure CO2 levels as well as temperature and humidity. These battery operated instruments can 'wake up', take readings, store them in memory and then go back to sleep.
For more information please contact us.
(parts courtesy Wikipedia)
New Industrial Server Motherboard supports Xeon E3
Esis announces the introduction of Advantech's ASMB-781, an industrial value serverboard accommodating a single Intel® Xeon® E3 processor, four ECC/Non-ECC unbuffered DIMMs with up to 32 GB capacity, and a rich array of expansion slots with high bandwidth support. The ASMB-781 ATX form factor fits seamlessly with standard IPC chassis and industrial peripherals for a variety of system configurations. Four GbE LANs are supported for teaming and failover, with simultaneous remote management.
Built with industry-leading performance and advanced security features, this new model is designed to deliver 24/7 dependability while optimizing system management capabilities. All Advantech server-grade products including the ASMB-781 provide 5 to 7 years of long-life component support plus strict revision control; such service is unavailable from commercial suppliers.
Serverboard Based on New Intel® Technology
ASMB-781 is powered by the most energy-efficient Intel® Xeon® E3-1200 processor family, the next generation of 64-bit multi-core desktop processors built on 32-nanometer technology. It supports a single LGA1155 socket for server/workstation platforms and ECC (Error Correcting Code) memory, a method to detect and correct errors introduced during storage or transmission of data for higher performance in computing efficency. In addition to leading performance, the new technology offers elevated memory capacity, higher I/O bandwidth and upgraded data integrity.
All-round I/O Expansion Design
ASMB-781 possesses two PCIe x16 slots, one PCIe x4, one PCIe x1 and three PCIs. Auto switch via x8 link is supported when one PCIe x16 slot is occupied; and double-deck expansion cards such as for graphics, can be carried due to the special card slot placement. The board accommodates up to four full-length cards with no trouble. ASMB-781 LAN functions are impressive too. The onboard GbE LAN bandwidth using Intel® chipsets enables advanced feature support in terms of teaming and failover, jumbo frame and remote management. Slots not occupied by LAN cards remain available for other applications, and cost is reduced. Other I/O support includes: up to twelve USB ports, two COM ports, and up to six SATA drives–composed of four SATA IIs and two SATA IIIs, which can achieve fast 6Gb/sec data access.
Optimized Placement Enhances Rack Chassis Reliability
One approach to thermal issues is to mount a beefy system fan. But Advantech has a smarter solution. The ASMB-781 serverboard supports a smart fan control for a quiet-running system, and parallel placement of heatsink, memory slots, cabling and connectors channel airflow smoothly from front to back. All ASMB-781 components are industry-proven; only solid capacitors are utilized, for high MTBF reliability. ASMB-781 is compliant with Intel® VTT (Voltage Regulator Test Tool) design and validation criteria.
Intelligent Security and System Management
Security is essential for businesses everywhere. ASMB-781 has an internal socket for an optional TPM (Trusted Platform Module), which offers secure generation of restricted-use cryptographic keys, and a hardware pseudo-random number generator. TPM utility settings can be used to lock and unlock OS boot, hard drive disks, and file folders. Two onboard, type-A USB 2.0 ports support plug-and-play USB dongles. This benefits OS image backup and recovery. Also, sensitive data or specific software programs are easily protected, with no worries about theft. Remote management is also a key function on the ASMB-781. It supports IPMI 2.0, which permits out-of-band OS and a cross-platform interface for remote system update and recovery, as well as monitoring of temperature, voltage, fan status, etc. If the system should fail or encounter a blue screen or any error messages, a system reset or power down can be automatically enabled. This helps system administrators maintain and troubleshoot systems easily, especially in unmanned environments.
3-5-7 and Server Build Services
All Advantech server-grade products, including this new ASMB-781 serverboard, offer 3-5-7 Services as a long-term commitment to customers. 3-5-7 Services means: 3 levels of service, 5 years of extended warranty, and a 7-year product supply! For the 3 levels of service, if any customer has a system issue, Advantech supports a dedicated professional AE for 1st level trouble shooting; strict revision control and parts repair comprise the 2nd level of service; and flexible BIOS or mechanical customization support form the 3rd level of expert back up.
Esis provides Custom Server Building that enables flexible server system configuration with local service. ASMB-781 can be integrated with a wide range of 2U, 3U or 4U/Tower IPC chassis (including other brands) to fulfill server applications requiring a high level of compatibility or specific requirements.
ASMB-781 Main Features
- Supports embedded Intel® Xeon® E3/ Core™ i3 processor with C206 chipset
- Dual Channel DDR3 ECC/non-ECC 1066/1333 MHz unbuffered DIMM, max. 32 GB
- Supports 2 x PCIe x16 (x8 link) double-deck expansion cards
- Supports 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s, Quad LAN (optional), TPM (optional)
- Supports Embedded software APIs and utilities
ASMB-781 began shipping in the beginning of December and is available now. Please contact Esis for more information.
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DataNet – Wireless Monitoring for Automated Storage
This application note describes the use of the DataNet system for wireless temperature monitoring of stored pharmaceuticals.
"Saves us critical time in setup, data download and data analysis …"
- Facility Validation Engineer
Organization: A leading global pharmaceutical company
Background: Rapid expansion in the pharmaceutical industry has also brought with it increased regulatory inventory controls. In response, state-of-the-art automated storage and retrieval systems have emerged, ensuring product integrity and accommodating high volume distribution.
About the Customer: Among the top 15 pharmaceutical companies in the world, this organization specializes in the development, production and marketing of branded pharmaceuticals and active ingredients. Recently they installed at a main production site one of the top ten largest automated storage and retrieval systems in the world. The system has a volume of over 226,800 square meters and a capacity of 38,069 storage locations. PLC and control technology are used to manage the facility's logistical system, automatically tracking and retrieving each inventoried item.
Key Customer Challenges
- Strict Regulations - Materials must be stored between 15 and 25˚ C to avoid spoilage
- All temperature sensors must maintain an accuracy of ± 0.5˚ C
- Audits and validation directives demand comprehensive reports without data loss
- Highly perishable goods - Extremely sensitive materials can be ruined if exposed to high temperatures
- Implementation Obstacles - The vast scale and use of metallic material throughout the warehouse requires data logging system with a very robust wireless capability. Each storage aisle alone measures 40 meters in height and 150 meters in length, providing a very condensed clean space for data transmission.
- Measuring points span several floors, each floor with a complex system of electrical power grids and air conditioning units, using high voltage & current.
DataNet Implementation
Functioning as a backup and increasing the density of the facility's existing built-in sensors, the DataNet system ensures limitless monitoring points throughout every warehouse zone. Flexible onsite deployment, provides secure, real-time data backup.
System Configuration: 85 Mini DataNet (DNL808) units with external NTC temperature sensors were installed and configured to 10 minute sampling rate and 20 minute transmission rate. Low and high alarm levels of 15 ˚C and 25 ˚C respectively were set. To accommodate the warehouse dimensions and ensure robustness of the DataNet network, 9 Mini Repeaters (DNR800) were also installed, for an extended transmission range.
Operational Procedure: A bi-weekly procedure driven by regulatory-compliance was implemented. Accuracy of all temperature probes are verified in a calibration bath before a one-week deployment throughout the warehouse. Specific deployment of each logger may differ depending on the season, after taking into account heat, humidity and air flow changes. Recorded data is then exported to Microsoft Excel ™ and a PDF report generated with alarm notifications defined. All units are retested to ensure their sensor accuracy was maintained. This process produces reports with a 3-year validation, satisfying the Ministry of Health and FDA regulations, as well as customer and internal audits.
Notable Results
- Zero data loss – The units' internal memory stores data, no matter what transmission disruptions occur, allowing full data retrieval and transfer at any time.
- Standalone – The Mini DataNet's long battery life allows the system to be deployed anywhere, without requiring electrical points or extension cables.
- Scalable and reliable monitoring - ZigBee technology overcomes transmission obstacles, automatically finding the most cost effective, efficient and secured data path to the PC. As units are constantly relocated, or Repeaters introduced to increase the network range, the intelligent system remains flexible and trustworthy.
- User-friendly software – In this complicated and large-scale environment, the DataNet software provides a clear visual map of the data network path, deployed units, alarms indications, and data strength and flow throughout the facility.
- Multi-setup – Rather than individually configuring each logger, 85 Mini DataNet units were configured with a single click, saving valuable installation time.
- Meeting regulatory requirements - Using the data export to Excel ™ feature proves data integrity and the intuitive reports module provides transparent data records for achieving regulatory compliance.
Customer's Last Word: "This user-friendly system saves us critical time in setup, data download and data analysis. The online capability gives me a real-time picture of the system, so I can see problems immediately and react instantly to prevent irreversible damage to temperature-sensitive materials."
Wireless data logging is one of our main specialties at Esis - please contact us to discuss your needs.