ALTA PSIG Pressure Meters Configuration and Installation Guide

Overview

The ALTA® Wireless 50, 300, 750, and 3000 PSIG Pressure Meters measure gauge pressure in a gas, liquid, or vapor supply line. They use an industrial-grade pressure transducer to measure pressure on a user-configurable time interval or Heartbeat.

The pressure transducer is energized on every Heartbeat, and a proportional analog voltage is converted to a digital pressure measurement. On a user-configurable time interval or Heartbeat, or when the sensor is triggered, the measurement is sent to the gateway, making the data available in iMonnit or another approved data service.

Pressure meters are gauge meters, meaning that the pressures the meters measure are relative to atmospheric pressure and are pressures over and above the atmospheric pressure. They combine a piezo resistive pressure transducer with 1% full-scale accuracy and a corrosion-resistant, NEMA 4X (IP66), 316L stainless steel housing interfaced to an ALTA wireless radio.

Depending on the meter, it measures pressure from 0 to 50 pounds per square inch, gauge (PSIG, where gauge means the pressure is measured above atmospheric pressure), 0 to 300 PSIG, 0 to 750 PSIG, or 0 to 3000 PSIG.

An ALTA Pressure Meter can be calibrated for improved accuracy. Also, remember to remove the pressure from the sensor when performing maintenance on this device. For more information about the operation of ALTA Sensors, see the ALTA General Information Guide.

Settings to Configure

The settings below are specific to the ALTA PSIG Pressure Meters.

Name—A unique sensor name to easily identify it in many in-app views and notifications.
Heartbeat Interval (Minutes)—The expected time between communication from the device to the gateway while in the Normal State and the absence of any data-triggering events.
Aware State Heartbeat (Minutes)—The expected time between communication from the device to the gateway while in the Aware State.
Assessments per Heartbeat—How many times between Heartbeats a sensor will check its measurements against its thresholds to determine whether it will enter the Aware State.
Below (PSIG)—Assessments below this value will cause the meter to enter the Aware State.
Above (PSIG)—Assessments above this value will cause the meter to enter the Aware State.
Aware State Buffer—Prevents the sensor from bouncing between Standard Operation and Aware State when the readings are very close to a threshold.

Example: If a Maximum Threshold (above) is set to 90° and a Hysteresis of 1°, then once the sensor takes an assessment of 90.0° and enters the Aware State, it will remain in the Aware State until the temperature readings drop to 89.0°. Similarly, at the Minimum Threshold (below), the temperature will have to rise a degree above the threshold to return to Standard Operation.

Stabilization Delay—Determines the number of milliseconds the pressure meter allows the pressure transducer to stabilize before taking a measurement. The default is 750 milliseconds.
Synchronize Off (Default)—The next report will occur one Heartbeat after the last report time. This allows the sensor to self-optimize network traffic patterns and reduce congestion.
Synchronize On—Aligns the next report with UTC (Global) time, regardless of the last report time. This allows multiple sensors to generate reports in a synchronized manner. Aware State Transitions will still report on a threshold breach, but the following report will return to the next aligned report interval.

Warning: Too many synchronized reports will increase network congestion. We recommend that no more than 10 devices per gateway be synchronized.

Example: The Heartbeat is configured to 60 minutes, and the device reports at 1:47 PM.

If Synchronization is Off, the subsequent reports are expected at 2:47 PM, then at 3:47 PM.

If Synchronization is On, the subsequent reports are expected at 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM.

Calibrate

ALTA PSIG Pressure Meters support a zero and a span calibration. The meters must be connected to a gateway on the same network/location before calibrating the sensor. For zero or span, ensure the meter is in a stable pressure environment before calibration to ensure a stable and known calibration.

Zero: To zero the meter, in the Actual Input field, enter 0 and press Calibrate. We recommend zeroing the meter with the threaded lead port exposed to the ambient environment.
Span: Enter a non-zero, non-negative number in the Actual Input field and press Calibrate. For the most accurate calibration, zero the sensor first, then calibrate the meter at its maximum accurate pressure or the maximum pressure the meter will be exposed to in your application or use case.

Scale

Based on the scale configuration in iMonnit, the readings can be reported in pounds per square inch, atmospheres, bars, kilopascals, Torrs, or a custom unit defined relative to the upper and lower PSI range.

Installation Steps

If this is your first time setting up your Monnit system, you must set up your iMonnit account and connect your ALTA Gateway to iMonnit before registering your meter. See this article for steps to start: Creating an iMonnit account.

Step 1.

Remove the meter from the package. If installing an industrial meter, attach the antenna.

Step 2.

Register the meter in iMonnit. Do not install the batteries until told to do so in iMonnit. Refer to this walk-through guide and configure the meter’s Settings and Scale information in iMonnit for your specific application or use case.

Step 3.

Determine the pressure meter’s installation location. We recommend placing the meter in the location and ensuring it reports to the gateway before final installation. See this article if you’re using an ALTA Site Survey Tool to perform a site survey to determine sensor installation location.

Step 4.

After ensuring that the meter is communicating with the gateway, mount the sensor using the supplied screws or double-sided tape. Ensure the meter’s lead is long enough to connect to the pressurized system you’re monitoring.