Lord MicroStrain G-Link-200-40G User manual

G-Link®-200
Wireless Accelerometer Node
LORD
USER MANUAL

G-Link®-200
User Manual
Contents
1. Wireless Sensor Network Overview ..........................................................................................................................6
2. Node Overview.........................................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Components List.................................................................................................................................................8
2.2 Interface and Indicators ......................................................................................................................................9
2.3 Node Operational Modes..................................................................................................................................10
Figure 2 - Node Operational Modes .........................................................................................................................10
2.4 Mechanical Shock Limits .......................................................................................................................................11
3. System Operation ....................................................................................................................................................11
3.1 Software Installation.........................................................................................................................................12
http://www.microstrain.com/software........................................................................................................................12
3.2 Gateway USB Communication..............................................................................................................................13
3.3 Connect to Nodes..................................................................................................................................................14
3.3.1 Add A Node Via Node Discovery.....................................................................................................................14
3.3.2 Add A Node Manually .....................................................................................................................................15
i. Move Node To Base Station Frequency ...............................................................................................................17
4. Wireless Sensor Configuration..............................................................................................................................19
4.1 Hardware Configuration ...................................................................................................................................19
Figure 11 - Node Configuration Menu ......................................................................................................................19
a. Calibration Configuration .....................................................................................................................................20
Figure 12 - Wireless Sensor Calibration Menu .........................................................................................................20
b. Sampling Configuration ........................................................................................................................................21
Figure 13 - Sampling Configuration Menu................................................................................................................21
c. Power...................................................................................................................................................................23
Figure 14 - Node Configuration Power Menu ...........................................................................................................23
5. Wireless Sensor Sampling Configuration .............................................................................................................24
5.1 Start Collecting Data ........................................................................................................................................24
Figure 15 - Single Node Sampling............................................................................................................................24
Figure 16 - Network of Nodes Sampling...................................................................................................................24
a. Network Options ..................................................................................................................................................25
b. Raw Waveform Channels.....................................................................................................................................26
Figure 18 - Raw Data Output ...................................................................................................................................26
l IPS G-Link-200 Only .......................................................................................................................................27
Firmware < 10.36231 ...............................................................................................................................................28
i. Windows ..............................................................................................................................................................28
Figure 19 - Derived Data Window ............................................................................................................................30
Figure 20 - Derived Data Chunks .............................................................................................................................31
iv. Incoherence......................................................................................................................................................32
d. Sampling Operations Options ..............................................................................................................................32

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Figure 21 - Sampling Operations Menu....................................................................................................................32
Figure 22 - Event Triggered Sampling......................................................................................................................33
Figure 23 - Data Type Menu ....................................................................................................................................34
f. Output Operation .................................................................................................................................................35
Figure 24 - Data Outputs..........................................................................................................................................35
6. Viewing Data ...........................................................................................................................................................36
i. Connect to SensorCloud ......................................................................................................................................37
Figure 25 - SensorCloud Log-in or Register .............................................................................................................37
Figure 26 - SensorCloud Menu Views......................................................................................................................37
Figure 27 - SensorCloud Data View .........................................................................................................................38
http://sensorcloud.com/mathengine .........................................................................................................................39
b. SensorConnect ....................................................................................................................................................40
Figure 30 - Viewing Data..........................................................................................................................................40
iii. Widgets Options...................................................................................................................................................41
Figure 31 - Widget Settings Menu............................................................................................................................41
Figure 32 - Time Series Widget Menu......................................................................................................................41
Figure 33 - Exporting Data .......................................................................................................................................42
7. Installation ...............................................................................................................................................................43
7.1 Mounting Recommendations .................................................................................................................................43
Figure 34 - Mounting the Node.................................................................................................................................43
i. Range Test...........................................................................................................................................................46
Figure 36 - Range Test Menu ..................................................................................................................................46
Figure 37 - Range Test Statistics .............................................................................................................................46
8. Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................................47
Figure 38 - Update Node Firmware ..........................................................................................................................51
Warranty Repairs.....................................................................................................................................................52
Non-Warranty Repairs .............................................................................................................................................52
9. Parts and Configurations.......................................................................................................................................53
a. Node Accessories ................................................................................................................................................53
b. Wireless System Equipment.................................................................................................................................53
10. Specifications .....................................................................................................................................................54
a. Physical Specifications.........................................................................................................................................54
b. Operating Specifications ......................................................................................................................................55
C Mechanical Shock Limits..........................................................................................................................................56
11. Safety Information ..............................................................................................................................................57
a. Powering the Node...............................................................................................................................................57
b. Replacing Batteries..............................................................................................................................................57
c. Battery Hazards ...................................................................................................................................................58
d. Disposal and Recycling ........................................................................................................................................58
e. Radio Specifications.............................................................................................................................................59
f. Frequency Setting ................................................................................................................................................59

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12. References...........................................................................................................................................................61
http://www.microstrain.com/support/documentation .................................................................................................61
Technical Support .......................................................................................................................................................61
b. Product Ordering..................................................................................................................................................62
http://www.microstrain.com/wireless ........................................................................................................................62
Sales Support..............................................................................................................................................................62
c. Related Documents..............................................................................................................................................62
Table 9 - Related Documents...................................................................................................................................62
14. Glossary ..............................................................................................................................................................67

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1. Wireless Sensor Network Overview
The LORD Sensing Wireless Sensor Network is a high- speed, scalable, sensor data acquisition and
sensor networking system. Each system consists of wireless sensor interface nodes, a data collection
gateway, and full- featured user software platforms based on the LORD Sensing Lossless Extended
Range Synchronized (LXRS) data communications protocol. Bi- directional wireless communication
between the node and gateway enables sensor data collection and configuration. Gateways can be
connected locally to a host computer or remotely via local and mobile networks. Some gateways also
feature analog outputs for porting sensor data directly to stand-alone data acquisition equipment.
The selection of available nodes allows interface with many types of sensors, including accelerometers,
strain gauges, pressure transducers, load cells, torque and vibration sensors, magnetometers, 4 to 20mA
sensors, thermocouples, RTD sensors, soil moisture and humidity sensors, inclinometers, and orientation
and displacement sensors. Some nodes come with integrated sensing devices such as accelerometers.
System sampling capabilities include lossless synchronized sampling, continuous and periodic burst
sampling, and data logging. A single gateway can coordinate many nodes of any type, and multiple
gateways can be managed from one computer with the SensorConnect and SensorCloud software
platforms. Integration to customer systems can be accomplished using OEM versions of the sensor nodes
and leveraging the LORD Sensing data communications protocol.
Common wireless applications of LORD Sensing Sensing Systems are strain sensor measurement,
accelerometer platforms, vibration monitoring, energy monitoring, environmental monitoring, and
temperature monitoring.

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2. Node Overview
The G- Link- 200 wireless accelerometer node features an on- board triaxial accelerometer that allows
high- resolution data acquisition at noise levels as low as 25 or 80 µg√Hz. The G- Link- 200 can output
continuous waveform data, or one of four derived channels, including Velocity (IPSrms), Amplitude (Grms
and G pk- pk ) and Crest Factor, allowing long- term monitoring of key performance indicators while
maximizing battery life.
G-Link-200 inputs are 20-bit resolution with ± 0.1% full scale measurement accuracy. The node can log
data to internal memory, transmit real-time synchronized data, and it supports event driven triggers with
both pre- and post- event buffers.
To acquire sensor data, the G-Link-200 is used with a LORD Sensing data gateway such as the WSDA-
200 USB or WSDA-2000.
Figure 1 - G-Link-200

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2.1 Components List
G- Link- 200 sensor nodes come with the following components and options. For a complete list of
available configurations, accessories, additional system products and ordering information,
see Parts
and Configurations on page 53
.
Item
Description
Quantity
A
G-Link-200
1
B
½ AA, 3.6 V Lithium Batteries 3
--
Calibration Certificate
1

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2.2 Interface and Indicators
The G- Link- 200 LEDs indicate operational modes showing when the node is booting up, idle and
waiting for a command, sampling, resynchronizing, or if there is an error.
Indicator
Behavior
Node Status
Device
status
indicator
OFF
Node is OFF
Rapid green flashing
on start-up Node is booting up
1 (slow) green pulse
per second
Node is idle and waiting
for a command
1 green blink every 2
seconds Node is sampling
Blue LED during
sampling Node is resynchronizing
Red LED
Error or low battery
Table 1 - Indicator Behaviors

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2.3 Node Operational Modes
Sensor nodes have three operational modes: active , sleep , and idle . When the node is sampling, it is in
active mode. When sampling stops, the node is switched into idle mode, which is used for configuring
node settings, and allows toggling between sampling and sleeping modes. The node will automatically
go into the ultra low-power sleep mode after a user-determined period of inactivity. The node will not
go into sleep mode while sampling.
Figure 2 - Node Operational Modes

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2.4 Mechanical Shock Limits
The accelerometers used by the G Link 200 are sensitive instruments that can suffer mechanical damage if
subjected to large or frequent accelerations beyond their rated range while in operation. To protect
themselves from occasional over-range events, the accelerometer’s control circuitry will temporarily reduce
drive power to the sense element if acceleration exceeds twice the full-scale range. While this protective
mode is enabled, the reported acceleration values will be inaccurate, and will appear to drift towards zero.
Normal operation will resume after sensed acceleration returns to an acceptable level.
It is essential to note that, even with this automatic protection circuitry, repeated exposure of the
accelerometer to shock and vibration acceleration levels exceeding twice its full-scale range will cause
excessive mechanical wear. Over time, damage can accumulate and may cause the device to become
defective. Care should be taken not to subject the sensor to accelerations beyond twice the full scale range
during normal operating conditions.
3. System Operation
The gateway is the interface between LORD Sensing sensor nodes and the data acquisition computer.
The gateway coordinates the configuration and sampling of the nodes and can handle many nodes
simultaneously. Communication between the nodes and gateway is wireless and uses the LORD Sensing
LXRS and LXRS+ data communications protocols.
LORD Sensing has two software programs available for data acquisition from the wireless sensor
network: SensorCloud and SensorConnect. SensorCloud is an optional web-based data collection,
visualization, analysis, and remote management platform, based on cloud computing. SensorConnect is
PC-based software used for configuring gateways and nodes, selecting and sampling modes and
parameters, initializing data acquisition, and viewing and saving data.

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3.1 Software Installation
Install the SensorConnect software on the host computer before connecting any hardware. Access the
free software download on the LORD Sensing website at:
http://www.microstrain.com/software
SensorCloud is an optional data collection, visualization, analysis, and remote management tool. It is
based on cloud computing technology and is accessed directly from a web connection. For more
information go to: http://www.sensorcloud.com/.
NOTE
The SensorConnect software includes hardware drivers required for use with USB
gateways. Once installed, the software will automatically detect and configure any USB
gateways that are plugged into the host computer.

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3.2 Gateway USB Communication
Drivers for the USB gateways are included the SensorConnect software installation. With the
software installed, the USB gateway will be detected automatically whenever the gateway is plugged
in.
1. Power is applied to the gateway through the USB connection. Verify the gateway status
indicator is illuminated, showing the gateway is connected and powered on.
2. Open the SensorConnectsoftware.
3. The gateway should appear in the Controller window automatically with a communication
port assignment. If the gateway is not automatically discovered, verify the port is active on the
host computer, and then remove and re-insert the USB connector.
Figure 3 - USB Gateway Communication

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3.3 Connect to Nodes
Several methods can be used in SensorConnect to establish communication with the nodes: the
automatic node discovery feature, manually entering the node address, and scanning transmission
frequency and node address ranges.
3.3.1 Add A Node Via Node Discovery
If the base and node are on the same operating frequency, the node will populate below the
Base Station listing when powering on the G-Link-200.
Figure 4 - Node Discovered On Same Frequency
If a red circle with a number appears next to the Base Station, the node is operating on a
separate radio channel (
see Move Node To Base Station Frequency on page 16 ).
Figure 5 - Node On Other Frequency

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3.3.2 Add A Node Manually
Adding a node manually requires entering the node address and its current frequency setting.
From the Base Station, select the Manual Add Node tile, enter the Node Address, last known
Frequency (factory default is 15), and select Add Node.
Figure 6 - Add Node By Address
If the node was successfully added, two confirmation messages will appear and it will be
listed under the Base Station.
Figure 7 - Add Node Confirmation

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If the node failed to be added, a failure message will appear. This means the node did not
respond to the base station which could indicate the node is not in idle mode or it may be on
another frequency. If "Add Node Anyway" is selected, it will associate that node with the
channel entered but it is likely there will be a communication error. If the node was not in idle,
move the base station to the frequency of the node and issue a "Set to Idle" command.
Figure 8 - Failure to Add Node

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i. Move Node To Base Station Frequency
If a red circle with a number appears next to Base Station, the node is operating on a
separate radio channel. Select the Base Station and then select the Nodes on Other
Frequencies tile.
Figure 9 - Nodes On Other Frequencies
Highlight the new node being added and select Move Node to Frequency (#).

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Figure 10 - Move Node

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4. Wireless Sensor Configuration
4.1 Hardware Configuration
Node settings are stored to non-volatile memory and may be configured using SensorConnect. This
chapter describes the user-configurable settings.
Figure 11 - Node Configuration Menu
l Input Range - Set the accelerometer range to fit the application. Available ranges are
±2.048 g, ±4.096 g, and ±8.192 g.
l Low Pass Filter and Group Delay - The accelerometer provides two filter stages for
limiting bandwidth and maintaining excellent noise performance. The first stage is an
analog, fixed frequency, anti-aliasing filter with -3 dB attenuation at 800 Hz, and 6.18 dB
attenuation at 1500 Hz. The second is a user adjustable digital decimation filter. The
decimation filter allows low-pass filtering between 26 Hz to 800 Hz on each channel
independently. To minimize aliasing, it is recommended that users set the low pass filter to
a frequency ¼ that of the sample rate or less.

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Group Delay is the time delay of the signal amplitude imparted by the low pass filter. See
Table 2 - below
for group delay values corresponding to the low pass filter configuration.
Low Pass Filter (Hz) at -3 dB
Group Delay (ms)
800
0.88
418 1.51
209
2.75
104
5.27
52
10.31
26 20.38
Table 2 - Group Delay
l High Pass Filter - The accelerometer contains an optional high-pass filter which is
disabledbydefault.Thehigh-passfiltercorner frequencyiseffectedbythelowpassfilter
setting.Whenenabled,thehighpassfilter-3dBpointwillbeequaltothecorrespondinglow
pass filter value as shown in Table 2 below.
Low Pass Filter (Hz)
Resulting High Pass Filter
(Hz)
800 2.48
418
1.24
209
2.48
104
1.24
52 0.62
26
0.31
Table 3 -High Pass Filter Values