Module Configuration
How to apply installation module specific settings
Julien Stamatakis avatar
Written by Julien Stamatakis
Updated over a week ago

The module configuration tab allows you to control node and sensor-specific settings. On the node, this includes the ability to enable the internal sensors for use as data, change the frequency at which data will be collected for the module, and modify network ID that the module should connect to. For sensors, you can customize the sampling frequency, precision, conversion functions and multiples, and sensor specific data channels. 

To access an Installation page, click on the Installation dropdown on the top right of the screen and select an Installation. Next, click on the Module Configuration tab.

In the module configuration tab, you can view your module list, edit module and channel names, create conversion functions to convert raw sensor data, and also perform advanced module-specific settings such as Global Polling Frequency and Impose Pan ID.

Module List

The module list includes all of the modules that have been connected to the installation, whether or not they are currently active. If you visit the settings page following the system status, the selected module in the list will be the module last selected in the system status. Otherwise, it will be the gateway.

Module and Channel Names

This tab also allows you to name modules and name data channels as well as their relevant units. We recommend renaming the module to a brief description of the location where the module is installed to help you locate your nodes and gateway. This label, in conjunction will the 'Module ID', will be used to identify this module throughout the dashboard and installation screens.

Rename the channels to be even more specific about the data that you are collecting. The channels names are used to identify your data in all of the graphs, so be as descriptive and concise as possible.

Conversion Functions

Conversion functions are used to convert the raw sensor data into something more meaningful. For some sensors, this can include display in different units and for others it can relate to the format of the numbers themselves. Several conversion functions allow the use of user configurable multipliers to scale data as needed.

Refer to the Configuration section of each sensor bridge for more specific details

Polling Frequency

You have the option to perform advanced module-specific settings. One of these is the Global Polling Frequency, which is only available for the gateway.

The Global Polling Frequency setting controls the frequency at which data will be collected for all modules in the network that do not select unique polling frequencies. By default, all modules added to a network will use the Global Polling Frequency value unless configured otherwise. This value is set to 60 seconds by default. The exception is for AAA Nodes, which will automatically configure themselves to collect data every 5 minutes in order to conserve battery life. See the AAA Node / Endpoint Node Specific Settings section for more information.

You can change the polling frequency for specific modules without affecting modules that collect data at the global polling frequency.

Impose Pan ID

The Impose Pan ID setting, which is only available for nodes, forces a Node to connect, or stay connected, to a specific network.

When used in conjunction with a new setting for the Pan ID field, this setting forces the node to connect to a different network. This is useful in cases where there are two networks present and you want the node to connect specifically to one of them.

Alternatively, you can impose the Pan ID for the current settings. This forces the Node to stay connected to the current installation. This will prevent the Node from connecting to another Gateway or installation if one is added, or becomes accessible, since the Node was first installed.

AAA Node / Endpoint Node Specific Settings

When you power a Node using AAA batteries, they automatically receive a special configuration from the Senseware Cloud: the Node is used as a temperature and relative humidity sensor (referred as Internal Sensors) and the polling frequency is set to 5 minutes to optimize battery life. 

Nodes on battery can only connect to the Senseware mesh network as end-point, meaning that they will not relay information from other modules in the network. A node can act as an end-point when it is running on battery or when the Mode option is selected as 'force endpoint'.

Some of the settings on the Module Configuration page only appear when a Node is running on battery or forced as an end-point: Internal Sensors and Update Listen Frequency

Enabling the internal sensors will configure the Node to send ambient temperature/relative humidity readings and the internal voltage reading of the module. They are enabled by default when a Node is powered by AAA batteries as long as the module was not previously connected to outlet power in the installation.

The Update Listen Frequency setting dictates how often a Node will listen to configuration updates from the Senseware Cloud. The less often it listens, the longer it takes to apply configuration changes, but the longer the batteries will last. We recommend keeping the default of 'Auto'. This setting will allow the Node to receive speedy updates for the first day of operation, or after new batteries have been installed, while reducing the listening frequency after that time period is over.

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