Gecko SMA STRONG MOTION ACCELEROGRAPH. 141 Palmer Street, Richmond VIC 3121 Australia T:

Transcription

1 Gecko SMA STRONG MOTION ACCELEROGRAPH 141 Palmer Street, Richmond VIC 3121 Australia T: eqsupport@src.com.au

2 Welcome to the world of simplified seismic recording with your new Kelunji Gecko accelerograph. Within minutes you can be recording earthquakes, blasts and other ground vibrations using our latest generation instrument that takes high dynamic range, high sample rate, low power, continuous recording into new territory. In the Gecko, we have reinvented the modern digital seismograph. The low cost of flash memory means you can save weeks, months, even years of continuous data on a single memory card. The Gecko simply records everything continuously while logging trigger times for you to sort through back at the lab. Even if your trigger settings missed the event, you ll always be able to find that chunk of time in the continuous archive. An even more efficient way of managing your data is not to have to collect it at all, so we have included a simple telemetry protocol that streams data packets over the Internet via a 3G or 4G cellular data modem, or Ethernet link. Data from all of your stations is then available in a single archive for you to access whenever you need it. Simply install our free Live Stream data reception software on your Windows PC and watch your data live on screen while it is archived away to your PC. Live Stream is ideal for collating data from multiple network-connected structural monitoring instruments. Our Waves waveform analysis application is available as a free download for Windows, Mac and Linux from Each Gecko purchased is entitled to one Waves product key that will remove the advertisement that pops up for 10 seconds when you launch the program. Simply sales@src.com.au with your recorder serial number to obtain a product key. Each product key can only be used once and is not transferable to another computer. Happy recording! From the Gecko development team.

3 Table of Contents Getting Started... 1 Installing the Gecko SMA... 1 Powering your recorder... 3 The User Interface... 4 Menu Map... 4 The Home Screen... 5 The Main Menu... 6 Stop/Start Sampling... 6 Inspect... 7 Firmware Info... 7 GPS data... 7 Temperature, Power... 7 Sensor Values... 8 Raw Signal... 8 Station Codes... 9 Station Code... 9 Network Code... 9 Location ID... 9 Sample Rate Data Storage Data Capacity Sensor Select a Sensor Set Gain Calibration Sensor Serial No Sensor Lock, Unlock & Centre Trigger & Alarm Level Triggering STA/LTA Triggering Alarm Outputs System Alerts On-screen Alerts Telemetry Send (channels) Device Socket Settings (3G modem only) Settings File... 18

4 Data Storage and Formats The Root Directory The Data Folder The Histogram Folder MiniSEED files Data in the remote archive Upgrading the Gecko firmware Temperature Performance Ethernet Adaptor (optional) Change IP address of the Ethernet adaptor Define IP address of Kelunji Hub computer Ports & Wiring Technical Specifications Register your Gecko Warranty Extended warranty... 27

5 Getting Started Installing the Gecko SMA You ll need a hammer drill, safety goggles, a hammer, and the included accessory kit Using the supplied 10mm masonry bit and your hammer drill, make a vertical hole for the drop-in anchor. Tip: measure the depth of the anchor and place some tape on the drill bit so you know how deep to drill 2. Insert anchor thread-side up into hole. Gently tap with hammer until flush with surface 3. Remove the masonry bit from your drill, then insert the tapered end into the anchor. 4. By tapping down the embedded spreader, the anchor will bite into the hole. A few firm taps of your hammer will be enough to punch the spreader to the bottom of the anchor. Note: be sure to use safety goggles as the tip of the drill bit may chip when used as a punch 5. Screw the supplied 8mm threaded rod into the anchor. After tightening, ensure the rod cannot be pulled out of the ground by hand. 6. Using the central hole in the Gecko SMA, slide the unit over the threaded rod. 1

6 7. Orienting your recorder depends on your application: a. For earthquake monitoring, rotate the Gecko until the arrow is pointing North b. For dam monitoring, point the North arrow along the dam wall with East direction pointing downstream c. For building monitoring, align the arrow of the Gecko to the axis of your building that is closest to North 8. Loosen the upper locking nuts on the two adjustable feet and screw the feet in or out until the bubble on top of the Gecko is centred indicating that the chassis is level. 9. Screw the locking nuts up to the base of the Gecko so that the feet can no longer be adjusted. 10. Use the supplied flanged plastic nut to lock the Gecko down onto the threaded rod. Hand tightening is sufficient to tie the Gecko down in case the ground acceleration exceeds the force of gravity or horizontal friction. 7b 7c 2

7 Powering your recorder The two-pin connector is the power input to the Gecko, with the top pin (1) as the supply voltage or battery positive, and the bottom pin (2) as the ground or battery negative. A power cable with a matching plug and bare wire ends (black=negative, white=positive) is supplied for connection to an external battery. By default, the Gecko will operate on voltages between 11.5 and 24 Volts DC, but it can be factory configured to extend the range to 7-30VDC. If the power is removed then restored, the Gecko will restart using its previously saved settings. The power cable plug simply pushes into the socket when correctly aligned (look for the red marks on the plug and socket) and is then locked in place. Pulling on the plug s body will slide it back to unlock it and enable the removal of the plug. The Gecko only takes a few seconds to initialise the operating system after power is applied. If an SD card is installed, the recorder will start storing continuous data to the SD card within seconds. The small gold coaxial socket is the connection for the GPS aerial. The GPS is crucial in maintaining accurate absolute time to synchronise recordings from various instruments and monitoring locations, but it also provides global position information. Simply screw the GPS cable plug onto the threaded GPS socket until finger-tight. The 6-pin socket is for alarm and communications. This socket will be plugged with a cap to ensure IP67 sealing if a communication module was not purchased with the SMA. At this point you now have a fully functioning recorder, but you will need to modify some settings to suit your application. Setting a unique station code is an essential starting point. 3

8 The User Interface Unlike previous generations of Kelunji recorder, the Gecko does not require a computer to set it up. All settings are MENU (LEFT) ACCELEROGRAPH RIGHT accessible through the LCD and changed using the control buttons. After start-up, pressing the Menu button will toggle UP DOWN between the main menu and the home screen. The LCD backlight will stay on for 30 seconds from the last button press. Pressing the Menu button from the home screen will show you a list of actions, settings, and information that you can access using the control buttons. Scroll Up and Down through the list, and enter a menu item by using the Right button. Pressing the Menu button will take you back one menu level. Menu Map :52:16 Inspect E: Firmware Info N: > GPS Data Z: Temperature, Power p Sensor Values :52:16 Raw Signal E: mm/s N: mm/s Station Codes Home Screen Z: mm/s Station Code p > Network Code :52:16 Location ID GECKO 100sps x1 GPS: 04 Runningqqqqq Sensor (Custom) 32GB free: % Select a Sensor Custom Sensor Setup - > Set Gain Sensor Name Main Menu Calibration > Units Stop Sampling Sensor Serial No Output Type > Inspect Mass Lock Sensitivity Station Codes Mass Unlock Input Mode Sample Rate Mass Centre Cal Enable Sensor Cal Type Trigger & Alarm Trigger & Alarm Cal Duration Telemetry Level Cal Sine Freq Settings File > STA/LTA Self Test Delay Alarm Outputs System Alerts STA/LTA Triggering Enable: Off Communications > Threshold STA window size > Send: Z+N+E LTA window size Device: 3G modem Filter 2-20Hz Socket Port Channels Z+N+E Socket IP/DNS Socket APN 4

9 The Home Screen The home screen shows: the current date and time station code, sample rate, and gain setting number of GPS satellites visible, a dynamic Running indicator that shows that data is being written down to the SD card or up to a remote server (or both) the capacity of the SD card, and how much of the SD card memory is available; pressing Right toggles through sensor name and server connection status lines :52:16 GECKO 100sps x1 GPS: 04 Runningqqqqq 32GB free: % If the Running indicator animates using q down arrows, it indicates packets of data are being stored to the SD card. If p down arrows are shown, it indicates packets of data are only being streamed to a remote destination (e.g. SD card missing/error), or if data is being both stored down to the SD and uploaded, both symbols qp are shown. On start-up you may notice a Self Test timer counting down. This allows the SMA sensor to settle before the Gecko recorder sets the zero-level, which compensates for the 1g offset in the vertical component. Data is being recorded during the test, but the zero level will be uncorrected during this time. After changing some settings, the Self Test message may briefly appear as some settings require the data acquisition process to restart. Pressing the Up button from the home screen will display Signal Values in real time. For details about this screen, see the Inspect > Signal Values section of this user manual. Pressing Up again will display Raw Signal in real time. For details about this screen, see the Inspect > Raw Signal section of this user manual :42:42 E: g N: g Z: g :42:42 E: N: Z: Pressing Up again will return you to the home screen. Pressing Left from any of these screens will take you to the main menu. 5

10 The Main Menu Pressing the Menu button from the home screen will show you a list of actions, settings, and information that allow you to manage your recorder. The main menu items are: Main Menu Stop Sampling > Inspect Station Codes Sample Rate Sensor Trigger & Alarm Telemetry Settings File If you change any settings, the settings are applied automatically once you exit the settings screen, and the settings are also automatically saved to the recorder s configuration file. Stop/Start Sampling Before you remove the SD card, you should stop sampling data so that the system does not try to write data to the SD card while it is being removed, an action that in rare circumstances can corrupt the file, file system, or SD card. When the arrow is next to the Stop Sampling, press the Right button to stop data sampling and exit to the main menu. The menu item will then change to Start Sampling. When you insert an SD card, press the Right button again to resume capturing data. If you remove the SD card without stopping sampling, the Gecko will check for the presence of an SD card when the next minute clicks over, and if an SD card is present the Gecko will automatically start sampling again. 6

11 Inspect This menu has a number of sub-menus that relate to inspecting the status of the Gecko. In general, pressing any button from a status screen will take you back to the previous menu. Firmware Info The current version number of the firmware and the compiler build number is displayed, along with the serial number of your recorder s main processor board. Firmware: 2.40 Build No: 3444 Serial No: d GPS data This screen shows the location of GPS antenna (Latitude, Longitude and Altitude), the nuber of satellites visible, and the accuracy of the position. GPS is primarily used by the Gecko for accurate timing, which can be maintained with only 1 satellite. Lat: Long: Sats: 09 Alt: 32m hacc: 3m vacc: 4m The hacc value is the horizontal accuracy of the position in metres, and vacc is the vertical accuracy. Pressing any button will take you back to the previous menu. Temperature, Power The temperature reading on the display in this menu is taken from a sensor in the Gecko s main processor. This reading is not the ambient temperature outside the Gecko, but it can act as a relative measure of the environmental temperature. The voltage displayed is that of the input power source. Pressing any button will take you back to the previous menu. Temperature: 27.5 Voltage:

12 Sensor Values You can view real time ground motion values from the sensor from this menu. These values consider the gain that you have selected, and are shown in g. Simply tap or shake the sensor and watch the numbers change. This gives you an idea of the noise level of your site which can help when deciding trigger level settings :42:42 E: g N: g Z: g Pressing the Right button on this screen will show a prompt to press the Right button again to set the zero level of the sensor based on the average signal level over the next 2 seconds. This may be required if you have moved the sensor since Gecko start-up. Raw Signal You can see the raw numbers from the ADC in real time also. The values shown are ± counts, which represents a signed 24-bit number. Pressing the Right button will again prompt you to confirm a reset of the zero level. Another feature of this screen is the ability to view the STA/LTA ratio in real time (see section below for an explanation on how STA/LTA triggering works). The value at the end of each line is the ratio of the average signal in the short term divided by the average signal in the long term. When nothing much is happening, this value will sit around 1.0, but a short burst of anomalous signal will increase this ratio. Use this as a guide to setting your STA/LTA trigger threshold :42:42 E: N: Z: Note: The STA/LTA value will only display if STA/LTA triggering is enabled. 8

13 Station Codes Every seismic monitoring point needs to have a unique identifier. As part of the MiniSEED data format standard there are three tiers of identifier Network, Station, and Location. Important! Please change your station code to a unique code, otherwise data from all of your stations will be called GECKO and it will be difficult for you to work out which data files came from which station! Station Code The station code identifies the location of the station. If a location has multiple sensors (e.g. monitoring a building, or setting up an array of sensors) you can use the same station code but identify each recording point with a different Location ID (see below). This station code (default is GECKO) can be up to 5 characters long and can only contain uppercase letters and numbers. If you wish to use less than 5 characters, end the code with blank space character. Note that any characters after a blank space will be ignored (e.g. if you enter ABC 1 the Gecko will use station code ABC ). Enter Station Code GECKO A flashing block indicates the cursor position. Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll through letters and numbers, and use the Right button to move to the next character. Press the Left/Menu button when on the first character to save and exit. Network Code The MiniSEED format allows you to include a two character network code, which can be your FDSN code. For example, the Seismology Research Centre uses OZ, Geoscience Australia uses AU, and the British Geological Survey uses GB. You can register for an FDSN code at fdsn.org, or you can use this field for you own identification purposes. Location ID As mentioned above, a seismic monitoring station may have multiple monitoring points, so rather than coming up with a station code for each, they can all use the same station code with a unique Location ID. This field is any two character code. For example, if you are monitoring the basement, middle and top of a building you could use Location IDs of B1, M1, and T1; or simply 01, 02 and 03. 9

14 Sample Rate Select Sample Rate 40 sps > 100 sps 200 sps 250 sps 400 sps 500 sps 800 sps 1000 sps 1600 sps 2000 sps 4000 sps All sample rates in the Gecko use an FIR filter to remove frequencies above the Nyquist frequency (i.e. half the sample rate, e.g. 50Hz at 100 samples per second). Scroll to the sample rate you wish to use, then press the Menu button to exit and apply the new sample rate. Lower sample rates have a better signal-to-noise ratio and allow you to store more data in the SD card ring buffer, so use the lowest sampling rate for your application to maximise your dynamic range and duration of recording. Data Storage Before removing the SD card from your Gecko, it is advisable to first Stop Sampling so that the current file is closed off neatly. To remove the card, use the included tool to unscrew the SD card cover and press in the SD to eject it. Insert the SD card into your computer (directly if you have an SD card slot, or via a USB card reader) and you ll be able to browse your continuous data files. To start recording again, push the SD card into the socket (ensuring you feel the card spring back from push-lock) and slide the cover closed, then select Start Sampling from the menu and check that the down arrows after the word Runningqqqqq on the home screen are progressing, which indicates data packets are being written down to the SD card. We supply a 32GB Sandisk brand microsd card in an SD card adaptor. This is the maximum capacity supported by the FAT file system. 10

15 Data Capacity The sample rate affects the size of the data files stored, so we will briefly discuss how much data you can expect to record given a particular sample rate. The Gecko is recording three channels of data to the SD card continuously in MiniSEED format using Steim-1 compression. Data is stored on the SD card in one-minute long files in a Year > Month > Day > Hour folder hierarchy to make browsing data on your computer as easy as possible. Your Gecko will probably be recording low levels of signal from your sensor most of the time, so the data files are usually quite small. The occasional earthquake or noise signal will increase the size of the data files in the short term, but for estimation purposes we will look at what volume of data is generated at typical background signal levels. Recording 3-channels at 100sps in an urban environment generates about 2GB per month. Increasing the sample rate to 250sps generates about 5GB per month, and running at 4000sps creates about 70GB per month, so the sample-rate to data-volume relationship is reasonably linear. Low noise environments (such as underground vaults or remote stations) will generate smaller amounts of data due to the MiniSEED format data optimisation. At a quiet station, recording at 100sps, the standard 32GB SD card will typically store about 20 months of continuous triaxial data in the ring buffer. When the SD card fills up it starts to delete the oldest data to make room for new data. The Gecko supports SDHC cards with capacities of up to 32GB. The card can be formatted with a FAT file system in most PCs. The Gecko does not support exfat file system or SDXC cards. You can view your data by inserting your SD card into your computer and starting up Waves. Simply drag a single file, an hour folder, or a day folder (Waves can display up to 24 hours data in a single window) onto the empty Waves viewer window to view your data. Waves will read the.ss file from your data folder to auto-fill the station information. Keep your files in their respective folders or risk losing this meta-data link, or save the file in a meta-rich format like PC-SUDS, or as a MiniSEED zip file (where the waveform file and.ss files are zipped together into a folder that can be read directly with Waves without decompression). Download Waves for free from 11

16 Sensor The Sensor Setup menu has sections that deal with the sensor information and control. Sensor Select a Sensor > Set Gain Calibration Sensor Serial No Mass Lock Mass Unlock Mass Centre Select a Sensor The Gecko has a range of popular sensors settings preloaded into the menu, but as your SMA has an integrated sensor we have preselected the configuration settings for this sensor for you. Do not change the selected sensor. Select a Sensor Gecko SMA 2g > Gecko SMA 5g Gecko SMA 10g Set Gain The Gecko SMA s sensor has an output of ±4V, so to utilise more of the Gecko s 40V peakto-peak input range, the gain is by default set to x4. If you wish to reduce the range to increase the sensitivity at lower amplitudes, you can increase the gain further. Input Range x1 (40Vpp) > x2 (20Vpp) x4 (10Vpp) x8 (5Vpp) x16 (2.5Vpp) x32 (1.25Vpp) x64 (625mVpp) x128 (313mVpp) x256 (156mVpp) Percentage of Gecko Sensor Clip Level Gain recording range used ±2g ±5g ±10g x1 20% ±2g ±5g ±10g x2 40% ±2g ±5g ±10g x4 80% ±2g ±5g ±10g x8 100% ±1.6g ±4g ±8g x16 100% ±0.8g ±2g ±4g X32 100% ±0.4g ±1g ±2g X64 100% ±0.2g ±0.5g ±1g X % ±0.1g ±0.25g ±0.5g X % ±0.05g ±0.13g ±0.25g 12

17 Calibration The MEMS accelerometer does not have a calibration circuit, so this feature is not available in the Gecko SMA. Sensor Serial No. The serial number of the integrated sensor in your Gecko SMA is stored here. Sensor Lock, Unlock & Centre The sensor in the SMA does not require mass locking for transport and is self centering, so these menu items have no effect of the SMA. Trigger & Alarm The primary function of the Gecko is as a continuous data recorder, but we realise that triggering is still required to help find events of interest and to control alarms. The Gecko has a Level trigger process and an STA/LTA trigger process that can be enabled and disabled. It also has several system monitoring parameters that can generate an alarm. Trigger & Alarm Level > STA/LTA Alarm Outputs System Alerts The Gecko logs the trigger times, trigger type, and channels that triggered to a text file that can be used to help you find the data in the continuous archive. The trig.txt file is located in the top level folder of the SD card. Level Triggering By default the Level trigger process is OFF, but simply toggle this using the Right button. Level Triggering The trigger value is set as a percentage of the full scale input range of the Gecko, to two decimal places. It is > Enable: On calculated from the zero-offset corrected signal value. For Set Trigger Level example, a Gecko SMA ±2g with a gain of x4 has a theoretical full scale range of ±2.5g, so a Trigger level of 5% would equate to an triggered acceleration threshold of ±0.125g. Use the Up/Down and Left/Right buttons to change the values from 0.01% to 99.99% of the recorder s full scale range. The line below will update with the ground motion value based on the sensor and gain setup of your Gecko. % of Full Scale 5.00 % g 13

18 STA/LTA Triggering By default the STA/LTA trigger process is OFF. Toggle this ON/OFF using the Right button. STA/LTA Triggering Enable: Off > Threshold STA window size LTA window size Filter 2-20Hz Channels Z+N+E Short Term Average 2.0 second averaging window The Short Term Average (STA) signal level divided by the Long Term Average (LTA) signal level produces a ratio indicating how much above-average signal is occurring. If you want to trigger when the short term average signal level is three times higher than the long term average signal level, you set the Threshold to 3. The length of the short term and long term time windows is also user selectable. The LTA value must be higher than the STA value. Signal averages can be calculated using the raw data or a filtered stream. When the cursor is on the Filter line, use the Right button to toggle between 2-20Hz and Off. The STA/LTA algorithm can run on any, some, or all three input channels, which you can cycle through using the Right button on the last menu item. You can visualise the effect of various STA/LTA settings using the Waves application: 6 STA/LTA ratio scale 5 LTA 20 sec 4 3 STA 2 sec The STA:LTA ratio is the yellow line. When little is happening, the short term and long term averages are similar and the ratio sits at around 1:1. When the short term signal reaches some multiple of the long term signal average (say, 3:1 if the threshold setting is set to 3), a trigger is declared. For example, in a system with settings of STA=2, LTA=20 and Threshold=3, if the long term average signal level over 20 seconds is a velocity of around 1µm/s, when the average signal level increases to 3µm/s in the latest 2 seconds, a trigger will be declared. 14

19 Alarm Outputs Gecko recorders built from mid 2016 include an alarm output function. There are two alarm outputs available. The signal on pin 6 of the comms/alarm connector is connected to pin 4 when Alarm #1 is activated, and to pin 5 for Alarm #2, for the alarm duration. By default the Gecko s positive power is hard-wired to pin 6, but on request we can modify the hardware to make pin 6 a user input line that switches to the Alarm outputs. If this modification is done, the switching circuit is rated to 10A at 250V AC or 30V DC. Alarm Outputs #1: Level > #2: System Alarm Duration Each Alarm can be controlled by one of three processes Level triggers, STA/LTA triggers, and System Alerts; or the alarm feature can be turned Off. Simply press the Right button to cycle through the options for each alarm. The final menu item is self-explanatory this setting determines how long the alarm stays active after being triggered. If this value is set to zero, the alarm will continue until the Right button pressed on the Gecko. An on-screen alert will prompt the action required. System Alerts System Alerts enable an alarm to be raised when certain monitored parameters get to a particular level that may indicate an impending problem with the system. System Alerts > Low Voltage High Temperature The values are user-editable, but by default the alert will be raised when: The voltage drops below 11.9V The processor temperature exceeds 55 C A Gecko SMA with optional wide voltage input range will operate down to almost 6V. Such low voltages may damage some batteries, hence the default low voltage cut-off of 11.5V. The internal temperature of the processor can get close to 80 C if the external ambient temperature gets as high as 70 C, but at typical stations the reading would not exceed 50 C, hence the default alert value of

20 On-screen Alerts When an enabled alarm is triggered, a message will appear on the home screen to indicate which of the two Alarm Outputs has activated, and which parameter triggered the alarm :52:16 Alarm1: Level Trig Alarm2: Low Voltage Press > to dismiss AlarmX: STA/LTA Trig AlarmX: Low Memory AlarmX: High Temp The on-screen alert will be cleared after the Alarm Duration time has elapsed if the alarm condition is no longer true (e.g. when the ground motion subsides after an earthquake). If the alarm condition persists (e.g. low voltage) the alert will be displayed on the LCD until the user presses the Right button to dismiss the alert. The on-screen alert for this alarm will not be displayed again until the condition changes to false (e.g. voltage returns to normal) and then becomes true again. The Gecko uses a data ring buffer, which means it will overwrite old data with new data when the memory card has only 2% storage remaining. A Low Memory alert will be raised when less than 4% of storage remains. Telemetry The Gecko has a communication port to allow streaming of continuous data to a remote computer. Data is sent using a custom protocol that communicates with our Kelunji Hub and Live Stream applications which are used for data acquisition, display, remote recorder setup, and remote firmware upgrades. The Gecko supports a 3G cellular modem or an Ethernet adaptor for data telemetry, which are available for purchase separately. Communications > Send: Z+N+E Device: 3G modem Socket Port Socket IP/DNS Socket APN The Gecko can stream data to a remote computer with or without an SD card present. If Telemetry is enabled on start-up and no SD card is present, it will connect and stream data. If an SD card is removed or fails during operation, telemetry will continue regardless. 16

21 Send (channels) Use the right button to toggle which Gecko channels will be sent over the network link. You can stream any, some or all channels to a Kelunji Hub server. It you do not wish to stream continuous data, scroll through the channel list until it displays Trig Only. This will ensure only trigger data packets are sent to the remote computer, along with a keep-alive packet every few seconds. When the reception software receives a trigger packet, it can perform alarm actions and request triaxial waveform data from the Gecko for a user-defined time before and after the trigger time. A trigger process must be active for trigger packets to be sent to the remote computer. Device This setting defines the type of communication device connected to the Gecko s communication port. By default this is set to Off, but use the Right button to cycle through Ethernet or 3G modem if you have one of these devices connected. Socket Settings (3G modem only) If you have selected 3G modem as your communication device, exit to the home screen and re-enter the menu and you will see several additional settings. These settings only relate to the use of the 3G modem. When using our Ethernet adaptor the socket configuration is done in the Ethernet adaptor device itself via a web interface (see later section in this manual). Socket Port To start data telemetry, the Gecko needs to establish a socket connection to a remote computer using TCP/IP, so a port on the computer needs to be assigned for this communication link. The default port is set to 58772, but this can be changed if required. Socket IP/DNS The Kelunji Hub application will be running on a remote computer, so for the Gecko to be able to find it we need to define its IP address or domain name. The normal text entry method is used to define this after you enter the Socket IP/DNS menu. Socket APN The 3G modem also requires the cellular carrier s APN (Access Point Name) to be able to connect to the Internet. This is normally internet or carrier.internet (e.g. telstra.internet for Australia s largest carrier) and can be modified within the Gecko using the normal text entry method. 17

22 Settings File You can save the configuration of your Gecko to a text file. Simply enter the Settings File menu located at the bottom of the main menu. Configuration File > Load Settings Save Settings Use the Right button to select the action. When saved, a file called user-settings.dat is written to the top level folder of the SD card. Similarly, using the Load command will read in this file and apply the settings contained therein. If a user-settings.dat file does not exist, no settings will be changed. Although the user-settings.dat file is a simple text file that can be manually modified, we would advise against doing this as incorrect syntax may corrupt your recorder s settings. Data Storage and Formats The Gecko stores continuous data to the SD card in a logical file hierarchy to make it easy to find the data you re looking for, but it also stores some additional files that you may find useful. The SD card is formatted in standard FAT32 file system and can be read by most computers with an SD card slot or using a USB SD card reader. The Root Directory The root directory contains a folder called data that contains all of the seismic waveform files, and a folder called Histogram which contains daily files that record data values each minute. The top level folder also contains a number of other files: log.txt (and older log_0.txt log_9.txt): a simple text files that record several parameters for instrument performance analysis, such as history of restarts and any system exceptions. Up to 10 past text files are stored, with a new file started on power-up if the current log file is too big settings.ss: also a text file, containing all of the current configuration settings of the Gecko. It is updated each time the user changes a setting and every hour. user-settings.dat: the current configuration of the Gecko as written by the Load/Save Settings function described earlier trig.txt, which is a list of times that a trigger process was activated. It includes the trigger date and time, the name of the trigger process that was activated, and the channel(s) that triggered 18

23 The Data Folder The top level folder named data contains subdirectories named by date to allow you to quickly find the files you re looking for. The first level down is the Year folder, which contains Month folders, which in turn contain Day folders, and the Hour folders are the next and final folder level. Each hour folder will contain MiniSEED format data files, each file being one minute long. Each hour folder also contains one or more files ending in.ss which contains information about the recorder parameters which include the correction factors that are needed for analysis of the data. The Histogram Folder The top level folder named histogram contains daily CSV files where an entry is written to file each minute, recording peak data values and other parameters. The files are simply named by date (e.g csv). Open the file using Excel or a text viewer and you will be able to plot the following data by minute: Minimum and maximum signal value for each channel (Z, N, E) in the last minute Voltage and Temperature at the time of the data entry Latitude, Longitude, Altitude, and other GPS parameters at the time of data entry The voltage controlled crystal oscillator (vcxo) value, related to time stability # Histogram & SOH # Site=HELIX # sensor: # "sens"= # "unit"="m/s" # recorder: # "cpv"= # "gain"=2 "datetime","max Z","min Z","max N","min N","max E","min E","Voltage","Temperature","Latitude","Longitude","Altitude(m)", Sats, hacc, vacc, vcxo :20:00,290183, ,181380, ,785940, ,14.91,30.7, , ,-0.89,7,2.7,4, :21:00, , , , ,454108, ,13.63,30.8, , ,9.25,8,2.5,3.8, :22:00,271281, ,206468, ,518269, ,13.63,30.8, , ,15.64,10,2.3,4.3,2081 Dividing the peak value by the cpv, sens and gain will give you the value in units, e.g = m/s (or mm/s) 19

24 MiniSEED files Continuous data files in the Gecko are in MiniSEED format, which is a widely adopted international standard format for seismic data. You can find out more about this data format at the IRIS website: Being a data only format, the lack of embedded station information makes it impossible to simply open a file and read a ground motion value (and therefore calculate magnitude). The way we have handled this is to embed a seismograph settings (.ss) file in every Hour folder. If you use our Waves application to open a data file, it will look for an.ss file in the file s folder and automatically read and apply the appropriate corrections to the data so that ground motion units are displayed. Similarly if you drag an entire Hour or Day folder into Waves, it will read the first.ss file and apply these station settings to the merged data file displayed in the Waves window. The problem then becomes needing to keep the.ss files and MiniSEED data files together to retain this association. The simplest solution is to use the Save As function in Waves to save the file in PC-SUDS format (a less common international standard seismic data format) which embeds all of the relevant station data within the data file. Alternatively, select the option to save the file as a MiniSEED zip file which will bundle the.ms data file and.ss info file into a zip package. Data in the remote archive When data files are received by the Kelunji Hub or Live Stream software applications, files are written to the computer s storage as a zip file containing both the MiniSEED file and the.ss file. This way, when a file is opened by Waves it will automatically apply the factors so that Waves can display real ground motion values instead of raw MiniSEED data values. Upgrading the Gecko firmware The process of upgrading the firmware in the Gecko could not be easier. The firmware upgrade file is called Rasbora.bin and simply needs to be copied to the root level of an SD card. With the Gecko turned off, insert the SD card, then apply power. After a few seconds you will see a message indicating that it is Upgrading Firmware, which only takes a few seconds. The Gecko will then restart and the new firmware features will be available. A Gecko will only upgrade its firmware if the Rasbora.bin has a later build number, otherwise the file will be ignored. After the upgrade the Rasbora.bin file remains in the root folder of the SD card so that the card can be used to upgrade other Gecko recorders, but it can be deleted from the folder at any time with no adverse effect on the Gecko. 20

25 Temperature Performance We have tested the Gecko SMA in our calibrated temperature test chamber to confirm that it will keep recording seismic data in extremes of temperature and humidity. A sample temperature cycle test is shown below. The red line is the temperature of the main processor chip. The blue line is the chamber temperature, and the green line is the internal battery voltage (with 24V cut-off disabled). The test started at an ambient temperature of around 25 C. The chamber temperature increased to +60 C (at 100% relative humidity) over 2 hours and remained at this temperature for an hour. The temperature was reduced to -10 C over two hours and held for an hour. The temperature was then raised to +70 C over 2 hours and held for an hour, then down to -20 C in two hours and held for an hour. The cycle was then restarted. As you can see, there is roughly a +10 C offset from the ambient temperature in the chamber to the temperature of the processor. The Gecko SMA was still operating at almost 80 C, confirming an operating range of -20 C to +70 C with 100% R/H. Note that the voltage of the internal battery used in the test increases with temperature. The standard power circuit will suspend operations above +24V. 21

26 Ethernet Adaptor (optional) If you need to stream your seismic data over a Local Area Network (LAN) or over the Internet in real time to a remote computer, our Ethernet adaptor is available for connection to the recorder s communication port. Our free Kelunji Hub and Live Stream software is available for installation on your own remote Windows or Linux computer, or you can subscribe to our cloud data hosting service. sales@src.com.au for more pricing and conditions on our cloud hosting service. The IOLAN Ethernet adaptor, manufactured by Perle, is a serial to Ethernet adaptor which can be configured using a web browser connected to the Ethernet side of the device. We have set the default IP address of the device to with a gateway setting of It is unlikely that the default IP address will be allowed on your LAN, so you will need to modify the device settings. The device is also configured to stream data to our cloud data service, so if you have installed Kelunji Hub on a computer on your network you will need to modify the IP address to that of the destination computer. To change these settings, you will need to communicate with the device using a web browser. To do this, set your computer s IP address to , then set your computer s gateway address to , then open a web browser and type into the address bar. You will be asked for a username and password to log in to the device, which are admin and superuser respectively. 22

27 Change IP address of the Ethernet adaptor When you log into the Ethernet adaptor, you ll see the screen below. You will most likely need to change the IP address of the device to one that is compatible with your LAN. Click on the Network button on the main screen or the Network folder in the left side bar to view the network settings. Click on the IP Settings button or icon in the side bar folder to edit the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address. You can set the device to have a fixed IP address or you can set it to use DHCP to request an automatic address from your network. DHCP is the most common way computers connect to a LAN. If you have set the device to use DHCP but are unsure what IP address it has been assigned, use the included Perle CD to install the discovery software on a Windows PC to see all Perle devices on the network. Additional network settings are available. If you are unfamiliar with these settings, please consult your IT Administrator for advice. 23

28 Define IP address of Kelunji Hub computer As supplied the Ethernet adaptor will try to connect to our Cloud-based Kelunji Hub data reception system. If you have subscribed to our online hosting service you will be able to extract data from this server s archive using Waves. If you have chosen to run Kelunji Hub on a computer on your local network, you ll need to modify the Host destination IP address that your Ethernet adaptor is trying to connect to. In the left side bar menu, click on Advanced under the Network settings, as shown below. Click on KelunjiHub in the Host Table to highlight it, then click the Edit button. A small window will pop up allowing you to edit the Host name and address. Warning: DO NOT change the name of the Host from KelunjiHub Enter the IP address of the computer that is running your local copy of Kelunji Hub, then click OK. To apply all of the new settings, reboot the IOLAN device using the link at the bottom right of the screen. If you have enabled Telemetry via Ethernet in your Gecko, the Gecko will now connect to the Kelunji Hub application on the Host server, then automatically start streaming data. You can check on the connection status on the Gecko Home screen by pressing the Right button until the Connection status message is displayed. 24

29 Ports & Wiring The Gecko SMA has three sockets on its rear connector panel. The small gold coaxial socket is the connection for the GPS aerial. The GPS is crucial in maintaining accurate absolute time to synchronise recordings from various instruments and monitoring locations, but it also provides global position information. Simply screw the GPS cable plug onto the threaded GPS socket until finger-tight. The two-pin connector is the NiMH charger input to the Gecko, with the top pin (1) positive and the bottom pin (2) as negative. The cable plugs simply push in when correctly aligned (look for the red mark) and are locked in place. Pulling on the plug s body will slide it back to unlock and remove the plug. Note: the Gecko SMA is only rated to IP67 when these connectors are mated The remaining six-pin connector is for alarm output and communication adaptors. A cable plug can be ordered or sourced locally (LEMO part number FGG.1K.306.CLAC50Z). The wiring of this cable connector is shown below. Pin 1 (white wire) RS232 Transmit (for Ethernet adaptor or 3G modem) Pin 2 (green wire) Pin 3 (black wire) Pin 4 (red wire) Pin 5 (blue wire) Pin 6 (orange wire) RS232 Receive (for Ethernet adaptor or 3G modem) Ground (for RS232 and Power) Alarm #1 output (connects pin 6 when active) Alarm #2 output (connects pin 6 when active) Power +VDC (can be factory-set to be alarm line in) 25

30 Technical Specifications Accelerometer Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) type Full scale range: ±2g (±5g, ±10g, ±25g, ±50g, ±100g, ±200g, ±400g available at no extra cost) Note: 1g offset in vertical component due to gravity (e.g. -1g to +3g for ±2g sensor), offset corrected in recorded data Bandwidth: DC to 300Hz (±2g version) Typical noise over DC-50Hz: ~300µg (±2g version) Recorder 3-channel with simultaneous sampling 32-bit ADC per channel Dynamic range of (RMS noise, Peak to Peak) Gain options of x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, x32, x64, x128, x256 User-selectable sample rates of 40, 100, 200, 250, 400, 500, 800, 1000, 1600, 2000 and 4000 samples per second 32GB SD card included Internal GPS receiver for 100 micro-second timing accuracy Power Operating voltage: V DC (optional 6-30V DC range, factory fitted) Power consumption: 1.1W typical (recorder and sensor combined) Inputs 4-button keypad user interface Coaxial GPS aerial connection 2-pin 12V DC input socket 6-pin alarm and communications socket Outputs 4-line LCD panel with backlight Continuous MiniSEED format data to SD card Two programmable alarm lines (triggered by STA/LTA, Level, or System events) Data streaming over Ethernet or 3G modem to Kelunji Hub or Live Stream software Physical Diameter: 135mm Height: 150mm (including legs and levelling bubble) Weight: 1.5kg Protection: IP67 (dustproof, water resistant to 1 metre for 30 minutes) 26

31 Register your Gecko We highly recommend registering your Gecko with us so that we can add you to our firmware and software update mailing list. Simply with your Gecko serial number (Main Menu > Inspect > Firmware Info) and we will send you links to download Gecko firmware updates and Waves software updates from time to time. Warranty Seismic equipment manufactured by ESS Earth Sciences is warranted to the original purchaser only, to be free of defects in material and workmanship at the time of shipment and for a period of one year from the delivery date. This warranty applies to equipment purchased from ESS Earth Sciences that has been properly installed and operated, but not to equipment which has been subject to neglect, accident, improper installation, misuse, misapplication, abuse or alteration. It does not apply to damage caused by factors beyond our control including fire, flood, lightning or vandalism. ESS Earth Sciences will, at its own option, repair at its laboratory or replace equipment covered under this warranty. All costs of freight and insurance plus any applicable customs and clearance fees will be paid by the purchaser. All goods must be sent in original packaging with appropriate protection against damage including electrostatic charge. It is the responsibility of the purchaser: to give prompt notice of any claim; to request a return authorisation before returning any equipment to ESS Earth Sciences; and to return the goods within the warranty period. Extended warranty Extensions to the standard 12 month warranty are available. These are available at the time of purchase, or at any time before the expiry of the original warranty. Extended warranties have the same conditions as the original warranty. Please contact ESS Earth Sciences for further information. Products that are out of warranty can be returned to the factory for refurbishment and will then qualify for extended warranty. Contact ESS Earth Sciences for further information. Seismology Research Centre a division of ESS Earth Sciences 141 Palmer Street, Richmond VIC 3121 Australia