Configuring your RockBLOCK Sense Switch

Follow this link for documentation on the RockBLOCK Sense Switch product range.

If you own your device, and you know your PIN number, this option will allow you to configure all of its options - such as transmission frequency, alert settings, and more. Changes you make here will take effect on your Sense Switch straight away.

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The Default PIN number for all devices is "1234".

Visit our Power Options and GPS Settings, Tracking Basics, and Alert Basics chapters for more information on the items on this menu.

Configure

The Configure menu allows you to access:

• IO Config
• External data
• Settings (plus advanced settings)
• Logging

IO Config

Within this menu users can configure the parameters for Channels 0, 1, 2, & 3. Each Channel can be configured individually beginnning with selecting the Mode, this allows you to choose between 6 options; Digital Input Alert Disabled, Digital Output, Analogue Input 0-10V, Analogue 4-20mA, Digital Input Alert Enabled, Off. Once you have selected the mode required, click or swipe back to the previous screen, you will now see more options have become available, these will vary depending on which mode has been selected.

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All settings configured via the Connect App will remain in place after closing the App, however, they can viewed and changed remotely within CloudLoop.

Channel Mode Selection

Channel Mode Setup

Digital Input Alert Disabled

Available on Ch0, Ch1 and Ch2. The digital input is designed for the connection volt free contacts. Each has an open circuit voltage of 3.3V and can source 300uA wetting current. As an alert disabled channel, this will not send an alert when the state is changed.

• Mode - this will read as the mode selected
• Time Sensitivity - Time sensitivity is effectively a filter that will prevent the sense-switch unit reacting to a transient pulse. It is set as a multiple of the sampling period from instant up to 4 x sampling period
• Sampling Period - the time between each successive sample of the channel value
• Regular Reporting - the number of samples accumulated before a transmission of the data occurs

As an example a setting of Sampling Period 1 minute and Regular Reporting of 1 per log will send one value every 1 minute, a setting of Sampling Period 10 minutes and Regular Reporting of 6 per log will send 1 value every 1 hour (6x10 mins).

Digital Input Alert Enabled

Available on Ch0, Ch1 and Ch2. When alert is enabled the Sense Switch unit will transmit an alert message for every positive or negative edge transition. As an alert enabled channel, this will send an alert when the state is changed.

Settings as Digital Input Alert Disabled

Digital Output

Currently only available for setting on Ch2. Provides an open drain output capable of switching non-inductive loads (30V open circuit, 100mA maximum closed).

• Mode - this will read as the mode selected
• Value - on/off
• Time Period - the total length of time for each cycle
• One Shot/PWM - One Shot will perform the selected cycle once, PWM will repeat the cycle on a loop (see below for example)
• On Time - Percentage of time for the On period of the cycle (see below for example)

As an example the required action could be for a light to switch on for a set period of time, then switch off, Time Period would be the total time of this action eg: 1 minute. One Shot/PWM will determine if the action will be a one off or a repeated action. On Time is the percentage of time the light will be on for eg: 50.4%. Therefore in the One Shot scenario the light would be on for 30.24 seconds and off for the remaining 29.76 seconds and then stay off. In the PWM scenario the light would be on for 30.24 seconds and off for 29.76 seconds and repeat on a loop.

Analogue Input 4-20mA

Currently only available for setting on Ch3. Provides a 100ohm sense resistance for current measurements over a 0-20mA range.

• Mode - this will read as the mode selected
• Upper Trip - the upper limit before an alert is triggered
• Lower Trip - the lower limit before an alert is triggered
• Hysteresis - value 'buffer' range (example below)
• Time Sensitivity - Time sensitivity is effectively a filter that will prevent the sense-switch unit reacting to a transient pulse. It is set as a multiple of the sampling period from instant up to 4 x sampling period.
• Sampling Period - the time between each successive sample of the channel value
• Regular Reporting - the number of samples accumulated before a transmission of the data occurs

If the upper trip point is 13.0mA, the lower trip point is 3.0mA, and the hysteresis is 1.0mA, and you want an alert when it reaches 13.0mA.

Upper Trip Point (13.0mA):

• When the current rises and hits 13.0mA, alert triggered.

Hysteresis (1.0mA):

• Hysteresis creates a 'buffer' range of 1 unit below the trip point where the alert will not trigger even as the current drops slightly.
• After the alert is triggered at 13.0mA, it will only alert again if the current falls below 12.0mA (13 - 1 = 12).

Lower Trip Point (3.0mA):

• Similarly, when the current drops to 3.0mA, the system will alert.
• Hysteresis creates a 'buffer' range of 1mA above the trip point where the alert will not trigger even as the current increases slightly.
• When the current rises above 4.0mA (3 + 1 = 4) an alert will be triggered.

The hysteresis buffer of 1mA prevents alerts from rapidly switching ON/OFF when current readings fluctuate slightly near the trip points.

Analogue Input 0-10V

Currently only available for setting on Ch3. Provides a 620kohm input impedance for voltage measurement.

Settings similar to Analogue input 4 - 20mA

External

Within this menu you can adjust settings for the following options:

• MOB watcher (On/Off)
• Serial Mode (External Sources that transmit data through the RS232)
• Sample Rate (5, 10, 20, 40, 60 seconds)
• Baud Rate (4800,9600,38400,57600,115200)

Settings (including Advanced Settings)

Within this menu you can adjust settings for the following options:

• External Power (Unlimited, Limited, Unlimited+Activate)
• GPRS Strategy (Never, Always, Preferred Cost Bias, Preferred Speed Bias)
• Settings > Advanced Debug Log Mode (None, Internal, External)

Debug log mode sets the destination for the internally generated debug logs. The factory setting is to have the logs saved to internal storage. The logs allow the Ground Control service team to evaluate the performance of the device firmware in the unlikely event that a fault occurs. External mode redirects the logs to the device serial port and would normally only be used by Ground Control service team members. It is not advisable to set this to 'None'.

Note: If you have selected Unlimited + Activate, the Sense Switch unit will automatically turn on/off based on the presence of external power (it will not revert to battery backup and Sense Switch functionality will cease).

Logging (not applicable to Sense Switch)

Within this menu you can adjust the settings for the following options:

• Position Log Enabled (Off/On),
• Position Log Rate (1, 5, 10, 30 seconds, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 minutes).