The Lumitrol installation and commissioning process is plug-and-play: The node is installed into the fixture in the same manner as a twist-lock photocell, and has complete over-the-air
activation. Each module self-registers its GPS location information and is regularly updated. Zones are automatically created and modules automatically join zones based upon the GPS location.
The standard upfront system costs are for nodes, gateways, and software, typically sold as a one-time charge in which the owner owns and operates the system from its server with no recurring charges. Airinet also provides an optional Software as a Service (SAAS) package, in which it hosts the system software.
CIMCON LightingGale
COMPANY BACKGROUND
CIMCON Software Inc. is a medium-sized company based in Westford, MA, specializing in industrial automation systems. CIMCON has been in business since 1988, and currently has 180 employees. CIMCON‟s primary areas of expertise include oil and gas operations, water resource management, and power transmission and distribution.
CIMCON has pilot and commercial installations in Massachusetts and Asia, including a 5,000 light installation in central India. In addition, the U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power
Authority is in the process of installing 14,000 streetlights controlled by the CIMCON system. This project began in February 2011 and as of May 2011, 600 fixtures have been successfully fitted with CIMCON controls.
Figure 6: CIMCON’s Fixture-Level Controller
SYSTEM OVERVIEW
The CIMCON controls system, released in 2007, consists of an iSLC controller (see Figure 6), a wireless gateway, and the LightingGale (LG) central management system (see Figure 7). CIMCON offers three levels of iSLC controllers depending on need (see Table 8): the iSLC10 is the most basic wireless controller, which allows simple on/off switching; the iSLC3000 offers additional features, such as dimming and power metering. The iSLC4000 offers a similar feature set to the iSLC3000 but is based on PLC communications technology. These latter two communication technologies can be utilized within the same network, although separate gateways are generally required to manage each of these sub-networks. The communications system is scalable to hundreds of thousands of nodes per installation (1,000 nodes per gateway, several hundred gateways per installation).
Table 8: Overview of CIMCON’s Controls System
System Components
Components Fixture-level node:
iSLC10/3000/4000 Network gateway device: Wireless Gateway Management system: LightingGale
Node to gateway ratio 500 to 1000:1
Node installation NEMA twist lock, or inside
fixture or pole Lamp/fixture type
compatibility All
The CIMCON system is compatible with any fixture type, from HIDs to LEDs. CIMCON‟s iSLC controllers and wireless gateways can be installed on the lamp in place of existing photo sensors or mounted either inside the lamp or at the pole. CIMCON‟s controllers are therefore compatible with many different types of fixtures. The iSLC controllers draw 2 W of power, while the gateways draw an average of 1.5 W. CIMCON reports that both iSLCs and wireless gateways have a rated lifetime of 10 years. RF transceivers are FCC certified in the U.S. CIMCON‟s standard warranty is one year (an extended warranty is available at additional cost) and also covers troubleshooting and remote support.
Figure 7: Screen capture of CIMCON’s LightingGale Software
LightingGale (LG), a web-based central management software program, allows users to monitor and manage individual or grouped iSLC controllers from any location. LG is
compatible with operating systems from Windows 2003 server onwards. In the LightingGale interface, shown above in Figure 7, controlled fixtures are identified in the Google maps
overlay as green circles. Users can remotely configure streetlight operating schedules, dimming schedules, and alarm and event settings and notifications. LG identifies each controller by its pole ID and GPS coordinates; it can then specify different modes of operation (manual, astronomical timer, photocell, etc.) for each pole or group of poles. Each controller also has data storage memory (32kb) to log events and energy data in case of communication failure. In the event of fixture or communications failure, LG generates alarms for immediate delivery via text message (SMS) or email to the appropriate parties.
HARDWARE AND CONTROLS DETAILS
CIMCON‟s full line of iSLC controllers offers the following features: - Luminaire grouping
- Remote on/off scheduling - Backup astronomical clock - Failure detection
- Web-based access and control
All iSLCs can also track lamp burn hours, which can then be used for predictive maintenance, allowing lamp replacement to be planned in advance. In addition to these features, CIMCON‟s iSLC 3000 and iSLC4000 controllers allow for dimming (0-10V or PWM) over the full range supported by the ballast (see Table 9). The iSLC 3000 and iSLC4000 controllers can track 13 parameters including current, voltage, power, and power factor to one percent accuracy. Fault monitoring is used to report lamp burning, lamp cycling, and ballast failure, over/under voltage, abnormal power consumption, low power factor, network communication failure, as well as other potential failure events. All faults are sent to the central management software which generates alarms to relevant parties. Additionally, alarms are recorded and stored at the central server. LightingGale generates monitoring reports in Crystal Report, Excel, or Word formats. Customers have the ability to design and customize these reports to suit their needs.
Table 9: Overview of CIMCON’s Features
Features Details
Power metering I, V, P, PF; Accurate to 1%.
Dimming support 0-100%; Requires ballast that supports
0-10V or PWM dimming
Photocontrol Yes
Sunrise/sunset trimming Location based
Mapping/GIS compatibility Google maps overlay
Reporting options Crystal Reports, PDF, Word and Excel
NETWORK
As previously noted, CIMCON can use both PLC and RF in a single installation (see Table 10); however, this typically requires separate gateways for the different sub-networks. For RF communication between iSLC nodes, CIMCON relies on Zigbee Pro. It operates at 2.4GHz and has a transmission range of up to two miles between nodes with no obstructions. In a typical city installation, its transmission range is around one kilometer. CIMCON also offers other frequency options for RF range, based on the customer‟s requirements. Backhaul
communication with the wireless gateways occurs through an Ethernet or cellular (GPRS) connection. CIMCON relies on a standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 128-bit security encryption for protecting network communications.
Table 10: CIMCON’s Communications Specifications
Communications
Communication Type Mesh RF and PLC
Frequency/Protocol 2.4GHz IEEE 802.15.4
Zigbee Pro
Range 1 km
Backhaul Communications Ethernet or cellular
(GPRS)
NTCIP 1213 compliant No
Security AES 128
SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT AND COST CONSIDERATIONS
CIMCON‟s installation process is comprised of three steps. First, gateways are installed in locations that allow for Ethernet or GPRS connectivity. Next, controllers are fit to each lamp, and then LG central management software is installed on the customer‟s own server. Each lamp is identified by a unique controller ID linked to the pole ID. The pole location is defined
by the GPS coordinates and can be configured from the central management software. CIMCON offers two software licensing models; the customer can choose to either host the central monitoring software on-site, incurring a one-time charge, or to pay an initial setup fee plus an annual service fee for CIMCON to host the software remotely. For the customer-hosted option, CIMCON charges based on the cost of the server and the number of users required. For the CIMCON-hosted option, the cost structure depends on the total number of controllers in the system.