ALTA 500 VAC Voltage Detection Meter Configuration and Installation Guide

Overview

The ALTA® Wireless 500 AC Voltage Detection Meter detects the presence or absence of AC voltage up to 500 volts alternating current (VAC) Root Mean Square (RMS).

It can be connected to an electrical device or power supply line's hot (black) and neutral (white) terminals. The sensor will trigger on the state change from voltage presence to absence and vice versa.

When a state change is detected, the sensor reports its state—No Voltage or Voltage Detected—to the gateway, making the data available in iMonnit or another approved data service. If no change is observed within the user-configurable time interval or Heartbeat, the state is continuously reported on that interval.

An ALTA 500 AC Voltage Detection Meter can be used in several applications, such as sprinkler systems, HVAC systems, commercial and industrial appliances, machines, equipment, electrical sources, power couplings, line power, power supplies, and sump pumps.  

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 500 AC Voltage Detection Meter.

  • Name—A unique meter name to easily identify it in many in-app views and notifications.
  • Heartbeat Interval (Minutes)—The expected time between communication from the meter 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 meter to the gateway while in the Aware State.
  • Sensor is on—The time of day or range of time the meter is actively working. No communication is sent while the meter is hibernating.
  • 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 (V)—Assessments below this value will cause the meter to enter the Aware State.
  • Above (V)—Assessments above this value will cause the meter to enter the Aware State.
  • Aware State Buffer (V)—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 on a Temperature Sensor 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.

  • 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.

  • View Power Options—Lets you see the Power Options on the Settings page.
  • Delay in milliseconds—If the Power Option is either Digital High or Low, this will specify the time delay after switching on the power before measuring the analog voltage.

Scale

Based on the scale configuration in iMonnit, the readings are reported in volts (V) alternating current (VAC), Root Mean Square (RMS). In the Measurement Scale, you can enter values for 0 Volt Value and 500 Volt Value. Then, you can measure volt ranges or VAC RMS from 4 VAC RMS up to 500 VAC RMS.

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 meter's housing using the supplied screws or double-sided tape. Ensure the meter's lead is long enough to connect to the system or device you're monitoring.

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