Download Manual - Rivulis Irrigation

Everything you need to know and a few things you probably don’t!
WHAT IS PLEXUS?

Plexus is a radio soil moisture monitoring system which consists of:
1. Soil moisture sensors  attached to…
2. Field Stations  which read sensors, stores and sends data to…
3. A central Hub  that collects, stores and transfers all the data to…
4. Rivulis Brain  a software application in the cloud (internet).

Plexus is a self-healing, radio mesh network.
WHAT IS A RADIO MESH NETWORK?

Field Stations do not need direct contact with the Hub for their information to be passed to it.

Data can be sent via neighbouring Field Stations, who pass (or ‘hop’) the information down the
line.

Imagine a cargo net lain down over your property. At the point where the rope meets, imagine a
Field Station. You can see that there are many paths that the data can take and these are just
made by connecting with their nearest neighbour. Imagine the possibilities when you can ‘jump’
further.

A Plexus network can facilitate up to 5 hops in a transmission path to get data back to the Hub
from far reaching Field Stations.

The recommended length of a hop is up to 1km.
HOW IS IT SELF-HEALING?

If one Field Station goes down, no other units are affected as its neighbours will simply find a
new path back to the Hub (provided an alternate path exists), thus the network has self-healed.
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FACTS ABOUT PLEXUS
Plexus:

Radio operates on the International 2.4Ghz band using standard Zigbee protocols.

The radio band width that Plexus uses is licence free

Operates in temperatures of -10 to 60oC.

Field Station and Hub batteries are charged prior to packing.

Field Stations and Hubs are sent to you in a ‘sleep’ state (low battery draw) induced by a magnet
attached to them.

Australian Designed, Australian Made and Australian supported.
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WHAT IS SO GOOD ABOUT IT?

Plexus is a self-healing, radio mesh network.

The self-healing feature allows the network to function even when individual Field Stations are
temporarily disabled.

The mesh feature allows data transmission in traditional ‘radio-challenged’ terrains.

Suitable for small or large properties.

Data from many hectares of a property is sent back to a single point.

Low maintenance (5-10 years without a service).

Solar powered.

The Field Stations have a farm friendly design:
o
Robust,
o
one integrated unit to house the solar panel, measurement system, battery, radio &
antenna,
o
slimline body means no snagging on machinery,
o
insect and moisture proof,
o
fold down pole option for laying down out of the way of overhead machinery (optional).

Designed for easy and rapid installation.

Plug and play. It is easy to expand the network at a later date.

Data is available on the Green Brain web application on a PC, tablet or smart phone.

Software upgrades are free and automatically applied in the case of web-enabled systems.

Rivulis Brain warns of data transmission failures and low battery.

Full support and diagnosis is available by Rivulis Irrigation and MEA technical staff who can log
into systems and see what is happening.

Australian designed, Australian made, Australian assembled and Australian supported.

12 month warranty on Plexus components and gypsum block sensors. 5 years warranty on
EnviroPro probes.
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THE HUB
Controls the Field Stations, receives data from them and transmits it to the internet where it can be
viewed in the Rivulis Brain web application.
The Hub:

Contains a modem with a Telstra NextG SIM already
installed, to push the data to the internet via the
Telstra network*.

SIM card will only be activated when you advise us to
do so but keep in mind this process can take a few
days.

Comes with an external 2.8W solar panel to ensure
sufficient battery charge to receive data from
hundreds of Field Stations during all weather
conditions.

Is attached to a PC via USB for initial system set up
using Magpie software before installation.

Is ideally located at a central high point of the
property.

Should be located outside of the crop.

Does not need to be physically accessible after
initial installation as it can be configured via SMS.

Has two ports:
1. Port 1 is for the USB cable for set up,
2. Port 2 is for the solar panel.

After installation a ‘blanking’ plug is connected to Port 1 to seal the Hub.

Cannot have sensors attached to it.

Batteries are anticipated to last for at least 8 years. A Hub with a dead battery can be returned
to MEA for battery replacement.

Is supplied with two 1m mounting posts.

The Hub logs and stores data from the whole network for a number of days if an internet outage
occurs, ensuring that no data is lost.
* Annual ongoing cost of telemetry and software support is $350+GST payable to MEA direct
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FIELD STATIONS

Field Stations sit above the soil moisture sensors and are responsible for taking and storing
readings from the sensors and sending this data to the Hub.
Attaching sensors

Field Stations come in two models:
1. Gypsum block and Temperature Field Station
which can read
 up to 4 GBLites, or
 up to 4 GBHeavy blocks, or
 up to 4 soil temperature sensors or
 Any combination of both, up to a
maximum of 4
2. EnviroPro Field Station – supports up to two
160cm EnviroPro probes* measuring soil
moisture, temperature and EC.
 The Field Stations sit on top of one or two 1m
lightweight aluminium poles which clip together

8m cables will be supplied to connect the Field Station to the soil moisture sensors. You will need
to feed this cable through the poles. (From April 2015 to be 5m and 10m cables)

The cable connectors are then fitted securely into the Field Station with a weather proof plug.

The Field stations have 2 ports – these are labelled ‘1’ and ‘2’ on the plastic moulding on the red
base.

Similarly the cables will be labelled either a ‘1’ or ‘2’ and refers to the port on the Field Station
that the cable needs to be plugged into. The label appears at each end of the cable to make life
simple.

All sensors are attached to the other end of these using Scotchloks
Data collection and transmission

Reading of the soil moisture sensors are taken at intervals specified by the user (we recommend
30mins for EnviroPro and 1 hour for Gypsum blocks).

A Plexus network with a mixture of Field Stations (ie both GB & EP Field Stations) requires the
sensors to be measured at the same rate (ie once hourly).

All Field Stations in a Plexus network connect at a scheduled log interval

Field Stations transmit for a programmable period (60 seconds by default) during which they will
try and connect with the rest of network and if successful, will transmit their data and act as
routers for other Field Stations.
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
If the data transfer fails, the data is stored and will be transmitted when a connection to the
network is next made.

The Field Station will hold more than 3 days’ worth of data – this time frame depends on the
number of values being measured, and the measuring frequency (see separate document).
Batteries

Each Field Station has an internal Lithium ion battery which is recharged by a solar panel.

The battery can survive a week of cloudy, dull conditions (but again this depends on the type of
sensor, number of measurements made and the measurement frequency).

Batteries are anticipated to last for at least 8 years. A Field Station with a dead battery can be
returned to MEA for battery replacement.

Encourage the customer to regularly check the solar panel for cleanliness and to remove dust and
bird droppings if present.
Other bits and pieces

The standard mounting bracket is a fixed design which is attached either using coach or bugle
head screws to a wooden post or U-bolted to a metal one.

Tilting brackets and other designs are available (see section Mounting Brackets).

Field stations should not be opened by either agents or customers.

Field Stations are made from the same no-fade polycarbonate as the GDots, so we know they will
be resilient in the harsh Australian climate.

Replacement of Field Stations is a quick and easy process. Simply unclip the Field Station from
the pole, remove the connectors from port 1 and 2 and exchange for a new one.

If the second port is not being used, a ‘blanking’ plug should be connected to keep the Field
Station sealed against the environmental elements.

A moisture sachet is included in each Field Station body.

Replacing the magnet (in the top right of the Field Station when looking at the back) for greater
than 5 seconds resets the unit.
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MOUNTING BRACKETS
Mounting Brackets:

Come in three models:
1. Standard fixed bracket
2. Push down/ spring back
3. Tall tree mounts
4. May 2015 – short crop mount available

Standard Bracket
The Standard bracket is included in the RRP of a Field
Station.

The mounting plate of the fixed bracket allows for a number of mounting options including bugle
head screws into a wooden post or U-bolts for attaching to metal posts.

Push Down Mount
The Push Down mounting bracket will be supplied as an option item for an additional cost per
bracket.

Please stress to the customer that the maximum speed they should approach and push down the
Field Station is 5km/hr.

The mounting bracket may be attached to a pole of any height to allow the positioning of the
Field Station above the canopy.

Tall tree mount
Used for tree crops, incorporates a 6m aluminium pole to elevate the Field Station above the
canopy.
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INSTALLATION INFIELD – OVERVIEW
This is an overview only, please see the Plexus Installation manual for comprehensive instructions

IMPORTANT - Install your sensors LAST!

Place your hub where you will notionally want it situated on the property.

Head around the property, putting up Field Stations in their ideal locations.

Make sure the solar panels are facing North and getting plenty of direct sunlight.

Check on Green Brain that all of your Field Stations have joined the network. If not you will
have to move them and recheck for connectivity.

Please note that during set up and installation Plexus is placed in ‘test mode’, which means
that the transmission of data from the Field Stations occurs every 5 mins instead of at the
normal rate.

ONLY when all Field Stations are reporting to the Hub, is it time to dig holes!!!

Change Hub from test mode Log Rate to the correct logging rate (ie. 1 hour) by sending an
SMS to the Hub – SMS command: plexus+bothrates=60
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USEFUL SMS COMMANDS
Note: - Preface all commands with “plexus+”.
- Commands are not case sensitive.
When you send and SMS to the Hub you will receive a reply message. This will either be a simple ‘Ok’ or
the reply message will outline the details of any problems that occurred in executing the text command.
plexus+unload
plexus+bothrates=30
Forces the Hub to upload its data. You will get a reply message
For use after installation mode. This command sets the Plexus network log
and upload rate to 30 mins. If you want hourly readings use the command
‘plexus+bothrates=60’
RIVULIS BRAIN (WWW.GREENBRAIN.NET.AU)

Rivulis Brain is the software that serves two functions for you. It allows you to:
1) Centrally manage your Plexus customers.
2) View your customers’ soil moisture and any alerts their systems may have.

Green Brain is a web application. It is web-based but it is not a website! This makes it faster,
more responsive and better able to do what we need it to.


Access to
password

Rivulis Brain has responsive
design meaning that it will resize
itself for sensible viewing on PC,
tablets and smart phones.

Updates to Rivulis Brain will
become available to every user
the instant that the changes
have been implemented (no
need for downloading software
updates).

Rivulis Brain flags potential
problems with a customer’s
system, such as a low battery or
missing data.
,

Rivulis Brain will allow you to
send email style messages to
your customer.
,
Rivulis
The graph module allows you to add refill and full points, irrigation and rain events and
comments.
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Brain is
protected

Rivulis Brain requires that you and your customers are using one of the following internet
browsers:
1. Firefox
2. Chrome
3. Internet Explorer (version 9 or higher)
4. Safari
5. iOS (mobile safari)
6. Android (native, Chrome and Firefox)


There is a demonstration site available to be viewed by the public:
Login at www.GreenBrain.net.au
Username: [email protected]
Password: demo
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I change the batteries in the Hub or Field Station?
No, the battery is permanently fixed to the electronics and needs to be replaced at the factory.
However, the battery life is somewhere between 8 – 10 years so this will be a rare occurrence.
How will I know the battery in the Field Station is charged?
Battery voltage is monitored. If the battery voltage falls to a certain level, Green Brain will let you
know.
As the battery voltage drops below a critical level, the Field Station will progressively shut down. At
3.6V, the data transmissions will stop and not begin again until the charge reaches 3.7V, the sensor
recordings will continue.
However, if the problem is not fixed, the sensor readings will also stop.
When the battery has recovered, any stored data will be transmitted.
The solar panel temperature is also monitored and if this is too high battery charging will cease,
protecting its longevity.
How will I know the battery in the Hub is charged?
Battery voltage is monitored. If the battery voltage falls to a certain level, Green Brain will let you
know.
At a voltage of 3.6, the Hub will initially cease NextG transmissions. If the problem is not fixed and the
voltage continues to fall, the Plexus transmissions will stop and the Hub will no longer receive data. In
this instance, the Field Stations will hold onto their data until the Hub functionality is restored.
Once the battery starts to recharge the system is progressively re-established.
Can the Hub have sensors attached to it?
No.
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Can I place Field Stations under hail net or will this affect battery charge?
Yes, you can locate Field Stations under hail net. The solar panel will still quite happily charge the
battery.
What is the maximum number of Field Stations that you can have in a Plexus network?
Theoretically, a Plexus network could have many hundreds of Field Stations but in practical terms it will
depend on the property size. The key restriction is that there will be a maximum of five hops to the
base.
What happens when a Field Station fails or is removed?
The network is self-healing so, where possible, the other Field Stations will direct their transmissions
through alternative, nearby stations.
How good does the Telstra Next G coverage need to be for the Hub to transmit data?
The Hub will work in poor coverage areas. You must have sufficient signal to send an SMS but do not
actually need voice call coverage for the Hub to send its data out. In very poor coverage areas, a larger
antenna may be used to boost communications.
What is this $350 +GST yearly telemetry fee?
The $350 plus GST annual fee is used to pay for the:
 Telstra SIM’s monthly network access charge,
 Server space to host the data
It is also used to contribute towards the ongoing costs associated with
 Maintenance of Rivulis Brain application
 Continuous development of Green Brain to add more features and functionality
 Data backup processes
 Ensuring the security of the user’s information and data on the internet
This fee is paid to Rivulis Irrigation in the first year and direct to MEA in subsequent years.
CONTACT RIVULIS IRRIGATION
Rivulis Irrigation Pty Ltd
Post
13-15 Duntroon Street, Brendale QLD 4500 Australia
Social Media
facebook.com/RivulisIrrigationAusNZ / twitter.com/Rivulis_AusNZ
Web
Rivulis.com.au / Rivulis.co.nz
Customer Service Phone & Email
Phone: +61 7 3881 4071
Email: [email protected]
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