AppNote 76
Contents
1. Z3 0 g Relay 2 X3 0 g Y3 0 g Z3 0 g Relay 3 X3 0 g Y3 0 g Z3 0 g EDIT gt gt relay Relay parameters Relay 1 NT 0 Relay 2 N T 0 Relay 3 NT O EDIT gt gt Now set the threshold level of the first relay to a very low trigger level 0 2 of g and set the relay for a hold time value of zero EDIT gt gt thr 1 0 2 0 2 0 2 EDIT gt gt relay 1 NT 0 NOTE that the trigger levels you are entering are as of g Then QUIT the EDIT mode to save the new values EDIT gt gt QUIT gt gt Trigger initializing Please wait Trigger initializing Please wait READY The MitiGator should trigger almost immediately and will stay triggered TRIGGER X0 002g Y0 021g 20 003g TRIGGER X0 002g Y0 021g 20 003g TRIGGER X0 002g Y0 021g 20 003g TRIGGER X0 002g Y0 021g 20 003g and soon At this point you can disconnect the PC from the MitiGator but leave the MitiGator powered on The MitiGator when left in this mode will report the peak highest values seen until the unit is reset If higher values occur in a few seconds or tomorrow they will be remembered and reported continuously in this manner We recommend that you get a good sample of the vibration at the site This means you should leave the MitiGator in this peak gathering state for a few days preferable for a week or more Obviously if there s an earthquake d2. Basic MitiGator Setup Common Questions and Configuration Issues Encountered with using the EQMet MitiGator Seismic Switch Application Note 76 Dennis Pumphrey March 6 2015 This application note copyright EQMet Inc 2015 All rights reserved EQMet products are covered by U S and foreign patents issued and pending Printed in U S A Kinemetrics Inc 222 Vista Avenue Pasadena CA 91107 USA Phone 1 626 795 2220 Ml Fax 1 626 795 0868 E mail support eqmet com Website www eqmet com Kinemetrics SA Le Tresi 3 1028 Preverenges Switzerland Phone 41 21 803 2829 MM Fax 41 21 803 2895 E mail kmi_sa bluewin ch Basic MitiGator Setup Common Questions and Configuration Issues Encountered with using the EQMet MitiGator Seismic Switch Introduction The EQMet MitiGator Seismic Switch is an intelligent switch that is capable of detecting and acting on detected motion for the purposes of activating or shutting down related equipment Often those involved with setting up or configuring MitiGator s are unfamiliar with the use of such sensors The purpose of this document is to help address the most common concerns and questions of those users For detailed reference material on the MitiGator see the MitiGator User Manual P N 300996 This document is available for download from the EQMet web site at www eqmet com at downloads gt downloads support gt downloads The MitiGator is available i
3. T gt gt QUIT gt gt Trigger initializing Please wait Trigger initializing Please wait READY How do I Change Relay Behavior The MitiGator s three relays can be set to indicate various conditions including seismic trigger vector seismic trigger power failure internal sensor failure and heartbeat To change the relay settings set up your computer to communicate with the MitiGator as described in the section Communicating with the MitiGator above Enter EDIT mode by typing the EDIT command at the gt gt prompt gt gt E EDI edit DIT MODE T gt gt If entered with no parameters the RELAY command will cause the current settings of the RELAY parameters to be displayed as follows ED Re EDI IT gt gt relay lay parameters Relay 1 NT 0 Relay 2 NT 0 Relay 3 NT 0 T gt gt If entered with parameters the RELAY command accepts four parameters that are The relay number ranging from 1 to 3 The state N for Normal I for Inverted If normal the set state will be relay energized and the unset state will be relay de energized If inverted the set state will be relay de energized and the unset state will be relay energized The usage T for Threshold TF for Threshold Fault V for Vector VF for Vector Fault P for Power F for Fault H for Heartbeat T usage will cause the relay to set when the correspon
4. The levels may be changed to values between 1 and 50 of g The MitiGator convention is to enter and display threshold levels as of g For example to trigger when the peak g level exceeds 0 050g enter the threshold as 5 0 of g The TRIGGER peak and the AQDVM levels reported are in actual g not percentage levels Consult the MitiGator User Manual P N 300996 for details on the setup options How do I Know What Level to Set Trigger levels that are appropriate for your use will vary significantly depending on the structures buildings etc that are involved the site geology and environmental noise such as people and machinery The best way to address all of the factors involved is to hire a civil engineer who can tell you what is appropriate for your specific situation Short of that you can use the MitiGator to determine the common noise level at the site and adjust the MitiGator Trigger level accordingly This can loosely be called a site survey The procedure is as follows Physically mount the MitiGator the way that you intend it to be used Set up your computer to communicate with the MitiGator as described in the section Communicating with the MitiGator above Enter EDIT mode by typing the EDIT command at the gt gt prompt gt gt edit EDIT MODE EDIT gt gt Type the THR and RELAY commands and make note of the current settings EDIT gt gt thr Thresholds Relay 1 X3 0 g Y3 0 g
5. ator The MitiGator does not record files so there is no format The MitiGator is a switch and does not record the seismic activity that causes actuation of the switch EQMet makes other products that are designed to record seismic events and which may be more suitable for an application that requires this functionality Is my MitiGator Dead If your MitiGator doesn t seem to respond and you re not sure about the health and well being of your MitiGator here are some simple trouble shooting tips to help understand what the truth is Lights on First thing to do is check the LED on the top of the MitiGator After initial power on the MitiGator will perform a self test and will turn the LED green if the self test is successful If the LED never comes on turns red or turns off and stays off those are bad signs You should probably go next to Look for Messages below Shake it If the LED lights up the next thing to do is to shake the sensor gently and see that it reacts correctly If the MitiGator is mounted properly and the thresholds set right it should be difficult to trigger it unless there s an actual earthquake Unbolt the MitiGator from its mounting and give it a gentle shake to cause it to trigger How gentle you need to be depends on how the thresholds have been set Look for Messages If the MitiGator does not seem to be functioning properly you ll need to connect a computer to it in order to see
6. c calibration the unit should be returned to EQMet as special equipment is required to perform the calibration Even though periodic calibration is not required as with all sensing devices it s a good idea to periodically check to make sure the switch is still operating properly To do this follow the Check Sensor Output procedure described above Communicating with the MitiGator You communicate with the MitiGator using a serial RS 232 connection On a PC this is commonly called a COM port You can also communicate with the MitiGator via USB using the USB Device Driver available on our web site that presents the MitiGator to your Windows PC as a virtual COM port Communicating with the MitiGator should only be necessary for the following reasons To change the setup of the MitiGator for example to change trigger sensitivity levels or how the relays respond to various conditions To perform periodic checks or diagnostics of the unit see Check Sensor Output above To check the peak trigger level detected by the MitiGator only possible if the relay hold time has been set to zero so that the unit does not automatically clear the alarm NOTE that a computer connection to the MitiGator is NOT necessary for normal operation of the MitiGator First of all plug the cable into the PC and into the MitiGator and make sure the MitiGator s power is on If you have a MitiGator IND this is a standa
7. d relay polarity the relay will energize after the MitiGator powers up and initializes If a seismic trigger OR a power failure occurs the relay will de energize Note that all relays have both Normally Open and Normally Closed contacts EDIT gt gt RELAY 1 I T O Automatic Alarm Reset In some cases it is desirable to have the relays automatically reset after a seismic alarm To do this set the relay hold time parameter to a non zero value The hold time is specified in milliseconds 0 001 seconds So to get the relay to auto reset after 30 seconds set the hold time to 30000 EDIT gt gt RELAY 1 N T 30000 Detecting Internal Faults One of the relay settings is the F fault function When set in this way the relay will indicate faults including power on self test failures or failure of the seismic sensors which are monitored constantly As with the T setting relay output can be Normal or Inverted The relay hold time parameter will not cause automatic reset of the fault condition The fault detection function may be a dedicated relay or you may combine it with Threshold and or power failure detection by using the TF setting EDIT gt gt RELAY 1 N TF O What is the Calibration Interval of the MitiGator The MitiGator uses a MEMS silicon sensor Strictly speaking there are no mechanical parts so field recalibration is neither required nor recommended For customers whose policies demand a periodi
8. ding threshold is exceeded TF usage will cause the relay to set when the corresponding threshold is exceeded or when a fault is detected Note that fault indication is not subject to automatic reset by the hold time parameter V will cause the relay to be set when the total vector acceleration in any direction exceeds the threshold VF will cause the relay to be set when the total vector acceleration in any direction exceeds the threshold or when a fault is detected Note that fault indication is not subject to automatic reset by the hold time parameter P usage will cause the relay to set after the MitiGator initializes F usage will cause the relay to set when the self test is detected as successful A failed seismic sensor will be indicated as a fault H usage will cause the relay to alternate between set and unset unless a fault is detected The hold time Once triggered due to a threshold or vector trigger the hold time specifies the amount of time in milliseconds that the relay remains set before being cleared again If the hold time is zero the relay will remain set until the clear switch is activated clearing the alarm EDIT gt gt relay 1 I T 0 Are There Standard Setup Values Well yes and no As should be clear by now not one set of parameters fits all applications However there are pre determined sets of defaults that may make good starting points for some applications These ar
9. e selected using the DEF command that is available from the EDIT mode m DIT gt gt def mtg his command will default most MitiGator parameters H Are you SURE you want to do this Y N y EDIT gt gt All relays are set for the same trigger levels N normal relay polarity and no hold time automatic reset T threshold or V vector triggering will depend on the set of defaults chosen At this time four default sets are available DEF MTG restores the defaults for a standard MitiGator using threshold triggering and the standard MitiGator trigger filter with threshold values of 3 0 DEF ASCE2597 restores the defaults for a MitiGator configured to meet ASCE 25 97 an ASCE standard for gas shutoff devices including use of vector triggering and the ASCE specific trigger filter with threshold values of 17 5 DEF ASMEA17 restores the defaults for a MitiGator configured to meet ASME A17 1 an ASME standard for elevators using vector triggering and the standard MitiGator trigger filter with threshold values of 7 5 g DEF CA3137H restores the defaults for a MitiGator configured to meet California Code 3137 a California code of regulation for hospital elevators using vector triggering and the standard MitiGator trigger filter with threshold values of 30 0 g WARNING You should contact a California Registered Professional Engineer before using the CA3137H setting What if have Other Qu
10. estions If you have further questions regarding the MitiGator we refer you to the MitiGator User Manual P N 300996 If your questions are still not answered please send e mail to support eqmet com we take all Technical Support inquiries seriously and respond to them as quickly as we can We find that this system works well for Technical Support inquiries in most cases as it allows us to direct the inquiries to available knowledgeable personnel We also find that writing down the question in the e mail helps clarify the question Making Technical Support efficient and a satisfactory process helps us keep the prices of products like the MitiGator low which benefits everyone
11. n two forms The MitiGator module Intended mainly for OEM customers and Systems Integrators In keeping with the needs of those users wiring of the MitiGator for communication with a computer for configuration purposes reset buttons and power supply not included is left to the user The MitiGator IND A more complete pre wired assembly that utilizes the same MitiGator module but includes a battery battery charger fuse reset switch 9 pin RS 232 connector and a weather resistant box Common Basic Questions What Independent Certification exists for the MitiGator One question that often comes up from potential users of the MitiGator is that of independent certification The short answer is none The MitiGator is not CSA UL or CE certified although some distributors and 3 systems integrators have undertaken specific certification at their own expense In addition to its general purpose design the MitiGator is designed to be able to meet several common standards The MitiGator should be able to meet the requirements of ASCE 25 97 a gas shut off standard ASME A 17 an ASME standard for elevators and CA 3137H a California standard for hospital elevators although no certification tests have been performed and no certification obtained Why do get False Triggers In my application of the MitiGator I seem to get a lot of false triggers The unit triggers due to motion that we don t feel is impor
12. rd 9 pin serial cable that you can get at any computer store It is not supplied with the MitiGator If you have a MitiGator module only this cable is one that you must make yourself Only three wires are required Transmit Receive and Ground You can make this cable by purchasing a standard 9 pin serial cable and cutting and stripping one end of the cable For wiring instructions see the MitiGator User Manual P N 300996 Next start your communications software on the PC This can be any standard terminal program such as PuTTY or HyperTerminal The MitiGator is configured for 38400 baud with no flow control At this point you should be able to communicate with the MitiGator by typing commands as described in the MitiGator User Manual P N 300996 gt gt help EDIT Edit mode for altering parameters HELP Displays command help summaries LOCK Locks restricted functions SETUP Display Data Sheet SYSRESET System reset TEST Self Test as performed at power up UNLOCK password Unlocks restricted functions VER Displays system version gt gt If you can t communicate with the MitiGator check the cable wiring as this is the most common problem Setting Trigger Levels The MitiGator is shipped with default settings which use simple threshold triggering of 3 of g on all relays No single set of default settings will be good for all applications so you ll probably have to adjust these settings
13. tant enough to trigger an alarm In the vast majority of cases false triggers are due to improper mounting of the MitiGator or are due to inappropriate trigger levels Regarding mounting The MitiGator should be mounted horizontally bolted into a concrete slab It should normally not be mounted on a wall unless the wall is substantial concrete or reinforced masonry and any mounting shelf is substantial enough to not amplify ground vibrations that reach the sensor Concrete Pad Drill bit with diameter equalling the Anchor s diameter Drill to depth exceeding maximum Anchor embedment Nut aligned with top of Anchor Bolt Concrete Anchor Mitigator QDR IND placed down over Anchor Bolt followed by Sealing Washer Washer amp Nut with Nut tightened such that Anchor is expanded Washer 1 4 x 0 04 thick quatity 2 1 75 Anchor expanded by tightening nut three to five turns The MitiGator should be at ground level if at all possible Regarding trigger sensitivity levels The MitiGator is shipped with default settings which use simple threshold triggering of 3 of g on all relays No single set of default settings will be good for all applications so you ll probably have to adjust these settings The levels may be changed to values between 1 and 50 of g See Setting Trigger Levels which is a separate section below What is the Data Recording Format of the MitiG
14. the messages that the MitiGator displays during startup See the section below on Communicating with the MitiGator After your computer is properly connected and you can communicate with the MitiGator turn the power to the MitiGator off Wait 5 seconds and turn the power back on Watch the messages that come from the MitiGator They should look something like this KMI MitiGator Application Code v2 1 S N 5012 gt gt Trigger initializing Please wait Trigger initializing Please wait READY Gt ct The specific versions will vary So don t worry if your MitiGator reports v2 2 instead of v2 1 What you re looking for are unusual messages Faults Errors or other messages that lead you to believe there is a problem Check Sensor Output Finally if all else seems OK you may want to check the sensor output of the MitiGator To do this start by connecting the computer to the MitiGator and turning the power off and back on as indicated above When the MitiGator displays READY press the RETURN key It will look like this gt gt Type DIAG at the gt gt prompt as follows gt gt diag DIAG MODE IAG gt gt And type AQDVM at the DIAG prompt DIAG gt gt aqdvm Reading Sensor samples Z to zero C to clear offset any other key to stop X 0 000g Y 0 002g Z 0 001g AQDVM will continue to output scaled raw data
15. uring that time the test is invalid and must be repeated but otherwise you are measuring the cultural noise at the site When you come back reconnect your PC and you should see continued peak values being reported TRIGGER X0 022g YO 071lg Z0 033g TRIGGER X0 022g Y0 071g 2Z0 033g TRIGGER X0 022g Y0 071g Z0 033g TRIGGER X0 022g YO 071g 70 0339 and so on These values will undoubtedly be higher than the values when you left it That is because the highest values seen are being remembered Make a note of these values Determine your new trigger levels Usually you want to use the same values for X and Y so pick the greater of the two You can use a different value for Z Give yourself a little margin say 1 2 times the values seen during the survey and you have your new values Re enter EDIT mode The TRIGGER messages will continue to display Ignore them Enter the new values you have determined With the example above X 0 022 Y 0 071 so the highest value seen was 7 1 The margin of 1 2 times 7 1 gives a new trigger level of 8 5 A similar process is used for Z EDIT gt gt THR 1 8 5 8 5 4 0 Enter appropriate values for all three sets of relays if you are using all relays Even if you are not using all relays we recommend setting unused relays equal to or greater than the largest level used Now type QUIT and the MitiGator will reinitialize itself with the new values EDI
16. values for each axis Press Z to zero correct the display and you should see values typically less than 0 010g Tilting the sensor 90 degrees in various directions should range the sensor readings between 1 000g and 1 000g If you get the type of output described here the sensor is operating correctly If you get no sensor output on some channels all zeros all of the time or if the MitiGator reboots or displays Fault or Error messages there is a problem with the unit How Do I Detect Fault Conditions In many uses of the MitiGator it is desirable to not only detect seismic triggers but also to detect fault conditions that can range from failure of the input power to internal failures of the MitiGator itself The MitiGator supports several methods of indicating alarms and faults and each of the three MitiGator relays may be used to indicate various conditions There are more options than can reasonably be covered here but we ll cover a few basic examples For details see the MitiGator User Manual P N 300996 Simple Trigger Detection By default this is the standard setting Relays are set for the T function threshold detect with N normal relay polarity and no hold time reset This means that the relay will energize when a seismic trigger occurs and will stay energized until the alarm is cleared EDIT gt gt RELAY 1 NT O Power Safe Seismic Trigger Detection By setting the relay to I inverte
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