NexSens X2-SDL User manual

X2-SDL Submersible Data
Logger
User Guide
Last Revision: 3 April 2023
Date Generated: 28 April 2023
Copyright © 2023 NexSens Technology, Inc.

Table of Contents
1. General
X2-SDL Body Tag Identification
What depth of submersion is the X2-SDL rated for?
2. System Power
What type of batteries does the X2-SDL take?
Apply Power to the X2-SDL
Basic Requirements
Input Channels
Connector Wiring
Install Batteries in the X2-SDL Data Logger
UW-6 Universal Pinout
Buzzer Indicator
Performing a Measurement System Power Budget
Instructions for Use
Advanced Custom User Entry
Disclaimer
Additional Resources
3. Establish Communication
X2 Data Flow
Wi-Fi
Cellular
Iridium
Radio to Cellular
Radio to PC
Wi-Fi
Configure Network Settings
Cellular
Set up a 4G Cellular Account for an X2 Data Logger
Install a SIM Card
Enable Cellular Communication on an X-Series Data Logger Using CONNECT
Iridium
Setup Gmail Account to Allow WQData LIVE Access (Iridium)
Setup Iridium (SBD) Data Account
Setup Iridium Logger Through CONNECT
Iridium Transmission Delay
Radio
Set Up a NexSens Radio Network
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4. Connect Sensors
X2 Supported Sensors
Tier 1 Sensors
Tier 2 Sensors
Tier 3 Sensors
CONNECT Software
UW Connectors
UW-8 Sensor Port Pinout
UW-8 Plug Pinout
X2 Sensor Detection
When Sensor Detections Occur
Important Considerations
Setup in WQData LIVE
Creating a WQData LIVE Project
Adding a Data Logger to a WQData LIVE Project
Changing Sensor Log Intervals
Changing Data Logger Transmission Interval
Run Remote Sensor Detection
X2 Logger Diagnostic Readings
X2 Meta Parameter Descriptions
5. Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Sensor(s) Not Found During X2 Auto-Detection
Running a Sensor Re-Detection
Re-Detection Considerations
Re-Detection Process
Confirming the New Sensor Configuration
Updating the Sensor Configuration on WQData LIVE
At what voltage should batteries be replaced?
Cycle Power
X2-SDL O-ring Maintenance
X2-SDL Storage Requirements
6. Warranty
7. Service Request
Service Request
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1. General
X2-SDL Body Tag Identification
Each X2-SDL and SDL-V2 data logger has a body tag number for identification. The long
housing tube has the tag etched between the antenna and sensor bulkheads.
The default name of the device on WQData LIVE will incorporate this number (see Figure
3). NexSens technical support specialists will typically request the body tag for remote
troubleshooting or if NexSens-supplied data services require activation or cancellation.
Figure 1: X2-SDL body tag location on the long enclosure tube opposite the NexSens logo.
Figure 2: Example body tag marking 1715.
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Figure 3: X2-SDL default
device name. Note all
SDLs will have a ‘3’
entered in front of the
Body Tag number.
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What depth of submersion is the X2-SDL rated for?
The X2-SDL is rated for submersion up to 200ft (~60m) depth.
Note that the SDL-CAP accessory is required to fully submerge cellular or radio models
containing an external antenna. The antenna port of Wi-Fi only models is epoxied closed
and may be completely submerged using the standard battery lid.
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2. System Power
What type of batteries does the X2-SDL take?
The X2-SDL requires (16) D-Cell Duracell1 Alkaline batteries.
1D-cell batteries from other manufacturers may have sub-flush negative terminals which
can result in poor contact and may affect the consistency of power supplied to the X2-SDL
logger.
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Apply Power to the X2-SDL
The X2-SDL has flexible power input choices that provide several options in terms of type
and number of power sources.
Basic Requirements
5-24 VDC [+/-10%] (Reverse polarity protected)
Current Draw (Typical @ 12VDC): Low power sleep: 350uA; Logger Active: 35mA; Wi-Fi
Transmitting: 43mA; Cellular Transmitting: 300mA
Peak Current: 500mA @ 12V for 1 second
Input Channels
The X2-SDL data logger is equipped with two separate power input channels. The logger
pulls power from the highest priority channel that has a voltage within the specified range.
If one of the sources falls outside the range, the next highest priority channel will
automatically take over without an interruption in supply.
From highest to lowest priority, the channel order is as follows.
Primary
Backup
This multi-input design allows users to connect redundant power sources in order to
mitigate the likelihood of system power loss.
Typical Application
Figure 1: X2-SDL Data
Logger.
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Frequently, X2-SDL systems receive power from (16) internal D-Cell Alkaline batteries. The
following article describes the process for installing these batteries properly before
deployment.
Install Batteries In an X2-SDL Data Logger
Connector Wiring
Power may be applied to the X2-SDL via the UW-6 receptacle port by a UW-USB-485P for
connection to a PC, or from a customized solar power kit. Most applications, however, rely
on the internal D-Cell Alkaline batteries during deployment.
X2-SDL UW6 Power Port Pinout
Pin Number X2 Wire Color Signal
1 Green Host RS-485A
2 Blue Host RS-485B
3 White Backup Power Input
4 Black Ground
5 — —
6 Red Primary Power Input
Figure 2: UW-6 Pin
Numbering.
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Install Batteries in the X2-SDL Data Logger
The battery compartment of the X2-SDL data logger accommodates (16) D-Cell Alkaline
batteries for system power. These batteries should be replaced once the reported
secondary power falls to 8V to avoid data collection interruption.
1. Locate the white battery lid at the top of the X2-SDL.
2. Rotate the lid counter-clockwise to remove it.
a. Note: Due to the double O-ring lid seal, this will take significant effort to loosen.
b. The 3/16″ ball-point hex driver included in the X2-SDL maintenance kit can be
inserted into either of the two recesses in the lid to provide extra leverage.
Figure 1: Remove the white battery lid.
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3. Note the polarity labels affixed to the inside of each battery tube prior to inserting
fresh D-cell batteries.
4. Thread the battery lid back on to the top bulkhead of the X2-SDL.
5. Rotate the lid clockwise and tighten securely using the hex driver.
a. Once the large washer at the bottom of the white battery lid makes contact with
the battery terminals, power will be applied to the X2-SDL and a buzzer will sound
once confirming it is running.
Figure 2: Insert (16) D-cell batteries.
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UW-6 Universal Pinout
The schematics and table below detail the 6-pin plug and receptacle (UW-6) universal
pinout for all 6-pin NexSens cables excluding the 6-pin AC adapter.
Figure 1: NexSens UW-6 receptacle pinout Figure 2: NexSens UW-6 plug pinout
Figure 3: X2-CBMC/SDLMC MCIL-6-FS 6-pin
power port Figure 4: NexSens MCIL-6 plug pinout
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Universal Pinout
Note: For instruments shown below, all signals in the table refer to their 6-pin receptacle
port.
Plug Pin Receptacle Pin Wire Color G2-Series Signal X2 Signal X2-CB Buoy Solar Signal**
1 6 Red Ext. Power Input Main Power Input X2 PCB Power In
2 5 Yellow — Secondary Pwr Input* Unregulated Solar In
3 4 Black Ground Ground Ground
4 3 White — Backup Power Input Internal Buoy Bat.
5 2 Blue RS-485 B RS-485 B RS-485 B
6 1 Green RS-485 A RS-485 A RS-485 A
*X2-SDL’s purchased
after August 2021 do not
include secondary
power.
**Wire colors for the X2-
CB/X2-CBMC follow the
UW-6 Bulk Pinout
iSIC-V2 X2 X2-CB**
G2-RAIN X2-SDL* X2-CBMC**
G2-EXO X2-SDLMC
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Buzzer Indicator
X2-SDL & X2-CB data loggers are equipped with an onboard buzzer indicator to provide
audible system status feedback to the user.
X2-SDL/X2-CB Buzzer Indicator Status Lookup
Event Beep Type Status
When power is applied Short beep System boot successful
During telemetry
connection Two short beeps Connection successfully established
During telemetry
connection
Three short
beeps No signal/connection failed
During Sensor Detection 3 second beep WQData LIVE setup completed
successfully
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Performing a Measurement System Power Budget
Analyzing a measurement system power budget is a useful practice to help ensure that a
proposed system design will meet the monitoring objectives and reliably deliver data. To
aid with this, NexSens has developed a power budget tool which can quickly estimate the
expected power performance of systems using the most common NexSens buoy platforms,
data logger configurations, and commonly integrated NexSens and third-party sensors for
deployment locations throughout the world.
The power budget tool receives frequent updats with site locations, sensor types and other
information. Contact a NexSens applications engineer to request an up-to-date copy:
Contact NexSens
Instructions for Use
1. Begin by entering the company and/or project name and date in the top section. It is
recommended to save the file with a unique identifier before proceeding past this
point.
2. Proceed to enter basic information about the system – equipment type (logger and
hardware), telemetry option (if any), sample and transmit intervals, and extra battery if
used.
a. The example below shows a CB-950 data buoy with X2 data logger and CB-A05-3
battery pack with (3) 28 A-hr batteries. The system will sample every 20 minutes
and transmit all data every 60 minutes and has no additional batteries connected
(as is normal on buoy-based systems).
3. Proceed to select the relevant sensors from the predefined sensor list (drop-down
menu in Sensor column). Select the quantity of each sensor type and whether they will
use full power, switch power or internal power.
Figure 1: Project information header.
Figure 2: Enter system information.
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a. The example below shows an Airmar 200WX-IPX7 weather station, NexSens T-Node
FR temperature string with 10 nodes, Nortek Signature 1000 current profiler, and a
YSI EXO3 sonde all on switch power.
Figure 3: Select sensors from drop-down list.
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b. While the pre-populated sensor list is fairly extensive and frequently updated, it
does not list all compatible sensors. In such cases, it is possible to enter up to four
devices manually by selecting Custom 1/2/3/4 from the drop-down list.
Figure 4: Custom sensor entry.
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c. Once selected, proceed to the Custom User Entry tab of the spreadsheet. Then,
navigate to the Sensor Details section. Fill in the prompted information either using
data from the device manufacturer or measured data during device testing.
Figure 5: Custom sensor data entry.
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d. Note that some instrument types have a number of different configurations which
may affect power performance. The predefined sensors in the drop-down list reflect
a typical configuration and information provided by the manufacturer or NexSens
bench testing where applicable. These therefore represent a best approximation
based on available information. However, it is possible to edit manually in the
Sensor Details section of the Power Budget Calculation tab if more precise
information is available.
4. After entering all sensor information, select a deployment location from the drop-down
list. The predefined list contains locations throughout the world. It is normally sufficient
to select the closest possible location provided that the latitude and general climate
conditions are similar. However, if an appropriate location is not available, contact
NexSens as new locations can normally be added quickly upon request.
5. Select the expected months of the year for system deployment. In many cases, all
months will be selected, and December will be the limiting month for sites in the
northern hemisphere. However, this option is available because, particularly for data
buoy systems, some applications require only seasonal or short-term deployment.
6. Having entered all equipment information and deployment site conditions, the Results
section will now display the calculated results.
Figure 6: Select deployment
location.
Figure 7: Select months of
active deployment.
Figure 8: Calculated results display.
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