8. SuDS Deployment - sunny-day-flooding-project/tutorials_v1 GitHub Wiki

Tutorial Overview

It is recommended that a location is determined prior to install to determine the depth of the drain that the pressure logger is in and whether or not the communications gateway will have access to power. This wiki provides a checklist of equipment to bring and tasks to complete before going out in the field. It will walk you through how to determine the optimal location for installation, and the installation process itself.

Deployment Field Kit

Sensors:
- Communication Gateway box (with pole mounting kit installed and labels placed)
- Hardware for pole mounting (bring stainless steel hose clamps of assorted sizes)
- Pressure Logger (with labels on PVC housing, and battery pack installed)
- Hardware for final pressure logger assembly (desiccant, two 2" PVC Rubber Caps)
Tech:
- Field Laptop (plus charger) and Notebook
- Monitor including adapter (such as this one), and keyboard and mouse
- Cell phone with hotspot (tip: connect Pi to hotspot ahead of time)
- RTK GPS + chargers
- extension cords (e.g., 12 ft)
- USB-C cord (in case we need to talk to sensor directly)
- Micro-HDMI to Micro-HDMI / HDMI (depending on what the monitor accepts) cable
- Additional OLA wiring and components
Toolbox:
- General tools: assorted hand tools, cordless driver (5/16 bit), measuring tape, hex keys set (metric and English)/multitool, electrical tape, sharpie, scissors, needle nose pliers, compressed air)
- PVC supplies: PVC cutter, ½” coupler, PVC primer, PVC Cement (e.g., for sensor length adjustment in the field), super lube, hose clamps and spare hose clamps, zip ties and/or electrical tape to tidy power cord, tape measurer, voltmeter (to check for power)
- Field solder supplies: heat gun, heat shrink kit, solder pieces, anti-static mat
Health and Safety:
- Traffic cones, safety vests, gloves, table, chairs, hand towel, paper towels, medical emergency kit
Large Items:
- Ladder, grate-lifting tool, crowbar, tool belt, bucket

Location Scouting

Access the available WIFI networks and their strength (e.g., use mobile app). Take screenshots to compare later.
Analyze the grate and grate in relation to pole. Note anything that will block the camera's view (e.g., flags, trees). Take photos for documentation.
Regarding the power supply on the pole, confirm that power is turned on and will supply power at all times.
Test Bluetooth connection, if possible.
IRB Wi-Fi in-person handouts, check office hours of local businesses for install day.

Prior to Installation

After choosing your installation site from location scouting, do the following to prepare for installation day:

Label Communications Gateway box and sensor; add components to catalog spreadsheet
Set up database to receive data
Verify Communications Gateway box settings in ~/bin/config.ini, dataHandler.sh, webcam.sh
Check for public WiFi and/or reach out locally to request use (if no WiFi, it will require a return trip when we get access)
Test sensor connection over Bluetooth
Program sensor settings
Remove large sensor test files (system will download all to catch up using a lot of battery)
Fully charge sensor battery

Communications Gateway Installation

Once on-site, establish WiFi connectivity.
- Enable cellphone hotspot so Pi can connect to it.
- Connect field laptop to local WiFi (best) or cell hotspot.
- Plug in the Gateway to an outlet.
- Connect external monitor via micro-HDMI to Pi. Connect mouse and keyboard to Pi via USB.
- Open and hold power button for 4-5 seconds to power on Gateway (power button is small button on far side of micro-USB connector).

Connecting the Communications Gateway to a monitor while in the field

Complete the first two steps in the pressure sensor installation guide below.
Test that the pressure sensor is connected to the Gateway over Bluetooth. The Bluetooth symbol on Pi screen should be green if connected.

Install Gateway on pole.
Aim, focus and set zoom on camera. See Gateway Setup Wiki for detailed instructions.
- Check camera field of view by typing camera, which is an alias, into terminal and hitting enter.
Run site enable program by running command sudo site-enable.sh in terminal.
- Within site-enable.sh: when testing connection between the Gateway and the pressure sensor, only enable data and image collection or option 1 and option 3.
  - Enter slog (serial log) into terminal (another alias); you should see sensor data transmitted to the Gateway that looks like the image below. This is the data stream from the pressure sensor (e.g., pressure and temperature readings in the third and second columns from the right). Verify these values to make sure they make sense, but note the if the sensor is on it's side or upside down the pressure sensor may return negative values.

Verify that the date/time and sampling rates are correct in the data stream.
If you selected write data and photos to cloud during site-enable, you may not see the expected OLA data stream which should show every measurement taken. Instead you would see something like the image below. The OLA is stuck in the download menu and will continue to get stuck there after taking measurements until the database has been properly configured to incorporate data from the new location.

Use a Philips screwdriver and the screws that came with the Polycase Box to secure the lid to the communications gateway box. The screws are initially hard to screw in. Press hard, but make sure not to strip the threads.
Secure power cable using zip ties to mounting pole so it doesn't flap around in the wind! Voila!

Pressure Logger Installation

Check that the length of the pressure logger reaches either to the top or the bottom of the storm drain intake pipe. Recall that the pressure transducer must dry out every 24 hours.
Power on the OLA and hit the reboot/power button. Check that the OLA power light comes on. Because the OLA cycles on and off, this light may turn off.
Insert the electronics carrier in the PVC housing and glue any remaining PVC connections.
Insert 2 - 4 desiccant packets on either end of the PVC housing to keep interior dry and eliminate internal movement.
Add a small amount of Parker's Super Lube to the inside of the end 2" PVC rubber caps and secure the end caps to the PVC with hose clamps.
Secure the PVC housing to the bottom of the grate using hose clamps. Make sure to not place a hose clamp over the location of the BLE sensor. Instead, place closer to the center of the battery pack for better signal strength.

Measure the distance from the bottom of the pressure transducer to the top of grate (i.e., the distance from the forthcoming GPS survey point to the pressure measurement elevation).

Recording measurements from top of grate to bottom of pressure transducer

Place grate back on top of the drain. Check the slog data stream again to verify the Bluetooth connection still exists.
Survey the top of the grate and surrounding area using an RTK GPS.

Surveying hide of curb with the RTK GPS

Battery Maintenance

Carefully remove grate (avoid damaging the sensor) and rest it upright on a sturdy object for easy access to electronics carrier.
Remove both rubber end caps by loosening hose clamps and check for moisture inside sensor (check for wet wiring or damp desiccant).
- If there is moisture inside the sensor, wipe the inside using shop towels and use compressed air to remove water from wiring.
Carefully unplug the transducer from the Qwicc board and remove carrier from sensor.
Unplug the OLA connection and remove old batteries.
- Use multimeter to check the voltage across new batteries; each battery should read close to 1.5 volts.
Replace batteries, reconnect the transducer to the Qwicc board, and then press the reset button on the OLA board.
- Ensure that the blue light on the BLE board is on and connect to the gateway via VNC viewer on the field laptop.
Open a terminal and type "slog" to display sensor output.
- Check the date, time, and other outputs; let the sensor log for a few minutes and watch for a "parse error."
- If date, time, or other outputs are incorrect (usually indicated by a "parse error"),
  - Close the "slog" terminal.
  - Open a new terminal and type "mini" to view OLA settings.
  - Follow the Pressure Logger Setup wiki to ensure all settings are correct.
  - After all settings are correct, return to the main menu and press "x" to return to logging. Close the "mini" terminal and reopen a "slog" terminal.
- If date, time, and other outputs are correct, the sensor should begin relaying data files to the gateway.
Once the sensor has started the downloading process, slide the carrier back into the sensor, replace desiccant and rubber end caps (apply more lubricant if necessary), tighten hose clamps, and check that the transducer arm is perpendicular to the grate.
Carefully place the grate back in the desired orientation (avoid damaging the sensor).