Vega Absolute VEGA NB-13 User manual
www.vega-absolute.ru
NB-IOT MODEM WITH RS-232/RS-485
INTERFACE
VEGA NB-13
USER MANUAL
DOCUMENT REVISION
FIRMWARE VERSION
06 0.9
Vega NB-13 / User Manual
2 Revision 06 of 24 January 2022
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................................................3
1 DEVICE PURPOSE AND OPERATION PRINCIPAL..............................................................................................................4
Device Purpose .......................................................................................................................................................................4
Operation Algorithm..............................................................................................................................................................4
Functional ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Marking..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2 SPECIFICATION .......................................................................................................................................................................6
Device Specification .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Default Device Settings .........................................................................................................................................................7
3 OPERATION..............................................................................................................................................................................8
Device Appearance ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Contacts .................................................................................................................................................................................10
“ModBus Settings” Tab ........................................................................................................................................................12
Connection Of Terminator.................................................................................................................................................14
Hall Sensor .............................................................................................................................................................................15
Buttons ...................................................................................................................................................................................16
Indication ............................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Mounting Recomendations................................................................................................................................................ 18
4 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL ........................................................................................................................................20
Data Collection Mode..........................................................................................................................................................20
Transparent Mode ................................................................................................................................................................ 23
5 STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................... 25
6 CONTENT OF THE PACKAGE .............................................................................................................................................26
7 WARRANTY .............................................................................................................................................................................27
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INTRODUCTION
This manual is designated for Vega NB-13 modem with RS-232/RS-485 interface
(hereinafter – the modem) manufactured by Vega-Absolute OOO and provides information on
powering and activation procedure, control commands and functions of the counter.
This manual is targeted at specialists familiar with installation work fundamentals of
electronic and electrical equipment.
Vega-Absolute OOO reserves the right to make changes to the manual related to the
improvement of equipment and software, as well as to eliminate typos and inaccuracies,
without prior notice.
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1 DEVICE PURPOSE AND OPERATION PRINCIPAL
DEVICE PURPOSE
Vega NB-13 modem with RS-232/RS-485 interface is designed for the data collection
from the external devices connected through RS-232/RS-485 interfaces and transmitting them
to the server by the NB-IoT technology.
In addition, Vega NB-13 can be used as a security device – two additional inputs operate
in security mode, there is also a Hall sensor.
The modem with RS-232/RS-485 interface can be used for any utilities’ meters and
industrial equipment with RS-232 or RS-485 interface or for the periodic collection of
temperature values from the 1-Wire sensors.
RS-232 and RS-485 have the separate contacts but they can’t operate at the same time.
You can choose it at a software level while setting the device.
Vega NB-13 has an external NB-IoT antenna and ingress protection rating IP67. Also,
modem has an output for external devices powering with 8 V.
The counter is powered by an external supply with power 5…55 V.
OPERATION ALGORITHM
Modem can operate in two modes: in the transparent mode the Vega NB-13 modem
does not collect data, in the data collection mode the data collection and communication are
carried out by the schedule.
In the “Transparent” mode, the modem opens a transparent radio channel between the
device connected via the RS-485/RS-232 interface and the TCP server. After connecting the
power, the device immediately opens the communication channel if the timeout of the
transparent channel session is not set, and the session is supported indefinitely. If the timeout
is set, then the session closes automatically after the timeout. Opening a session can be
performed: when the power is connected (only when the timeout is not set), during an event
at the security input, by the Hall sensor, by the button (holding up to two LED flashes), by
command from the configurator. In the transparent mode, the modem does not accumulate
data in the black box.
In the “Data collection” mode the readings are collected from the meter with a
configurable period 5, 15, 30 minutes, 1, 6, 12 or 24 hours. The readings stored in the device
memory and transmitting during the next communication session with the NB-IoT network.
The adjustable data transfer period can be equal to 5, 15, 30 minutes, 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours. Data
transferring in random point in time during set period. At the next communication session, the
device starts sending accumulated packets with readings, from the earliest to the latest. If there
is no network registration or server connection the undelivered packets are saved in the device
memory until the next communication session according to the schedule. Herewith, the device
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continues to collect data according to the data collection period and store it in memory. When
any event occurs (time, alarm at the security input, the “Init” button pressed on the board, the
"Generate" button pressed in the Configurator), the modem collects all data, including polling
the ModBus device (if the checkbox "Enable ModBus" is active). All received data is stored in
non-volatile memory as a record in a black box.
The internal clock is set automatically when device connected to the "Vega NB-IoT
Configurator" via USB.
FUNCTIONAL
Vega NB-13 modem has the following features:
RS-232 or RS-485 interface;
Requests through ModBus protocol;
1-Wire interface for connection of temperature sensors (up to 10) in ‘data
collection’ mode;
Two inputs operating in the «security» mode for connecting the external leakage
and safety sensors, etc;
Two operating modes: “Transparent” and “Data collection”;
Time referencing of readings by internal clock;
Communication in case of security inputs or Hall sensor actuation ;
Temperature measurement;
External voltage measuring
MARKING
Device marked with sticker that contain the next information:
Device model;
IMEI;
Month and year of manufacture.
Sticker located in three places – on device case, in factory certificate and on the packing
box.
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2 SPECIFICATION
DEVICE SPECIFICATION
MAIN
Interfaces
RS-232/RS-485, 1-Wire
ModBus support
yes
Security inputs
2
USB-port
micro-USB, type B
Operating temperatures
-40…+85 °С
Built-in temperature sensor
yes
Hall sensor
yes
Quantity of black box records
up to 100 000
CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS
Supported Cellular Standards LTE Cat NB1
Data transfer protocol MQTT
LTE NB-IoT antenna type external
POWER
External power
5…55 V
CASE
Housing dimensions 95 х 95 х 50 mm
Ingress protection rating IP67
PACKAGE
Dimensions
165 х 118 х 57 mm
Weight
0,290 kg
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DEFAULT DEVICE SETTINGS
PARAMETER
VALUE
Confirmed Uplinks OFF
Communication period 24 hours
Data collection period 24 hours
Time zone UTC +00:00
Guard inputs operate on short
Hall sensor ON
Send network statistics OFF
For changing the device settings, you need to connect to it with “Vega NB-IoT
Configurator” application. You can download app on the iotvega.com site in SOFT section as
well as User Manual for configurator. Go to the app page.
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3 OPERATION
DEVICE APPEARANCE
Vega NB-13 is represented in gray plastic case which has six screws and mounting for
DIN-rail. The device case is equipped with a hermetic gland of M12 size. A sealant is installed
inside the gland, ensuring compliance with the declared Ingress Protection rating of the device
case.
2 – cable gland of M12 size for installing the cables and wires with circular cross-section
with a diameter of 5...6 mm
3 – input of external antenna
1
2 3
Internal structure of cable gland
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All of elements for manage and indication as well as connecting contacts are placed on
the board inside the case.
4 – input for connecting an external antenna
5 – contacts
6 – USB-port
7 – LED indicators
8 – SIM holder
9 – manage buttons
4
5
6
8
9
7
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CONTACTS
Contacts description is in the table below.
Contact Naming on the board Description
1 GND Ground
2 ALARM1 Security input 1
3
GND
Ground
4
ALARM2
Security input 2
5
GND
Ground
6
ONE_WIRE
Interface 1-Wire
7
RS485_A
Interface RS-485 A
8
RS485_B
Interface RS-485 B
9 RS232Tx Interface RS-232 Tx
10 RS232Rx Interface RS-232 Rx
11 +8V Output power 8 V for external devices
12
GND
Ground
13
+VPWR
External power 5…55 V
14
GND
Ground
RS-232 and RS-485 interface can not be used at the same time. You can change one
interface to other through Vega NB-IoT Configurator application.
ModBus device can be connected both via RS-485 and RS-232 interfaces. Below is a
connection diagram. To equalize the signal levels when connecting, it is necessary to connect
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the ground of the devices, thus, for connection, at least 3 wires are required: GND,
RS485_A/RS232Tx, RS485_B/RS232Rx.
The modem can power up the ModBus device connected to it before polling it, for this
use the "+8V" contact.
1-Wire interface allows to connect there up to 10 temperature sensors (see details in part
4).
There are two security inputs on the board. The device monitors status changes on the
security inputs and when the security input triggers, the device is activated and sends an alarm
message to the network.
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“MODBUS SETTINGS” TAB
The “ModBus settings” tab is used when the ModBus devices are connected.
The modem at the time of polling the sensor can perform up to 10 read operations
(requests), at independent addresses. Each read operation can read up to 8 bytes of data (four
16-bit registers or 64-bit registers). This means that the maximum amount of encoder data read
out is 80 bytes. For each request, a response timeout is started. If the response is not accepted
during the timeout, the modem proceeds to the request at the next address. The timeout is set
in the "RS interface settings" section on the "Settings" tab.
Enable ModBus – activates the ModBus functionality. The modem additionally polls the
ModBus device by events and puts the received data into a black box. When sending to the
server, the "modbus" key with data is added to the JSON message. If the checkbox is off, the
ModBus device is not polled, therefore, ModBus data is not accumulated in the black box, the
"modbus" key is missing in the JSON message.
Use 8V power - if the checkbox is checked, the modem supplies power to the "+8V"
contact, maintains the time specified in the "Warm-up time" field, and only then polls.
Warm-up time - time in seconds (from 1 to 60) from the moment of power up until the
moment of polling. It should be noted that the longer the warm-up time, the greater the
consumption of the modem.
ModBus poll - the button allows to poll the ModBus device in real time without adding
data to the black box. Can be used to debug ModBus connections. In this case, the request
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packets, and the corresponding response packets from the ModBus device are displayed in the
Configurator's log completely without any transformations.
Function, Address, Read count - supports configuring up to 10 independent read
operations of a ModBus device. For each read operation, you can set the start address of the
read, the function, and the number of registers to be read. If the "None" function is selected,
then the reading of the corresponding address is not performed. If the function 0x01, 0x02
(read bits) is selected, then the "Read count" field sets the number of read bits (from 1 to 64 bits).
If the function 0x03, 0x04 (reading 16-bit registers) is selected, then the "Read count" field sets
the number of registers to be read (from 1 to 4 registers).
Read data - the field contains data read from the ModBus device. The data is displayed
in cells with the name: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. Each cell displays a byte in HEX format. If fewer
bytes are read, then unused cells are darkened and "00" is displayed in them.
Format and Value - fields are used for visual display of the read data in the required
format in the Configurator. In the ModBus JSON message sent to the server, the data is
presented in its original form (HEX) without any transformation, in the same sequence as
transmitted in the packet on the RS line. See below for the JSON message format.
The sequence of actions for configuring ModBus:
1. Specify settings on the “Settings” tab of the Configurator.
Specify the "Collect data" operation mode (ModBus works only in this mode). Specify
connection settings and server settings. Specify the RS interface settings in accordance with
the documentation for the connected ModBus device.
2. Enter the settings on the “ModBus Settings” tab of the Configurator.
Enable ModBus, set the "Function", "Address" and "Read count" parameters.
3. Press the button "Apply settings".
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CONNECTION OF TERMINATOR
Terminator installed on the board is a resistor with nominal of 120 Ohm which is inactive
by default.
For resistor activation you need to install a jumper at the XP1 connector on the board.
Terminator is used for defense from distortion in long transmission lines RS-485,
therefore it must be activated when line is longer than 100 meters.
Location of XP1
connector on the
board
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BUTTONS
There are two buttons on the board which can help you to manage the device. Buttons
are described in the table below.
RESET
Short pressing Device reloading
INIT
Pressing for 1 second Registration at the network
Pressing for 2 seconds Data transmitting
Pressing for 3 seconds LTE-modem switching off
When you hold down the button, the red LED starts flashing once a second, which will
help you to find out the duration of pressing. Pressing for 1 second corresponds to one flash of
the LED, pressing for 2 seconds corresponds to two and so on.
INIT button
RESET button
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INDICATION
There are two LEDs on the board: red and blue. Blue LED VD19 shows LTE-modem state,
and red LED VD18 – the device state.
GSM-modem
Short flash every three
seconds Device search the network
Short flash every
second
Device successfully registered and it is
in the network
Two short flashes every
one second Device transmits data to the network
No light LTE-modem switched off
DEVICE
Short flash every five
seconds Device in the ‘Operation’ mode
No light
Device in the ‘Sleep’ mode or
switched off
LEDs location on
the board
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MOUNTING RECOMENDATIONS
The counter shall be installed and adjusted by qualified specialists to ensure proper
operation of the device.
Before starting mounting work, you must make sure that the latest
firmware version is installed on the equipment
For mounting you will need:
SIM-card;
wire stripper;
laptop.
Step by step mounting be like:
1. Installing SIM-card into holder.
2. Setting the device through the “Vega NB-IoT Configurator” – the first and second
steps are usually carried out in the office.
3. De-energizing the connected equipment, metering devices, etc.
4. Placement the wires in the cable gland. It must be remembered that the wires must
be united in one cable of circular cross-section with diameter of 5…6 mm
Inside the cable gland there is a sealant ensuring compliance with the
declared Ingress Protection rating of the device case. When removing
the sealant, as well as when installing wires of a different diameter or
cross-section, device performance may deteriorate until failure due to
moisture entering the case
5. Connecting all necessary wires to the contacts.
6. Connecting the battery at the connector. After the battery connection the device
loads and comes to sleep until the next communication session.
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7. If you need to test the data transmitting, then press and hold the INIT button for the
2 seconds.
8. Before assembling the device, you can reset the pulses accumulated during testing
and connection through the “Vega NB-IoT Configurator” if it is necessary.
9. Assembling the device.
Расположение
слота для SIM-
карты на плате
(если есть)
Питание 5…55 В
подключать здесь
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4 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL
DATA COLLECTION MODE
Data transmits via MQTT protocol. You should to specify in the device settings the address
and port of the server where the data will be sent. Those settings specified in application “Vega
NB-IoT Configurator”. It must be MQTT broker as a server (received side). You should to specify
in the device settings the address and port of the broker. Also, you should to specify a topic
name where the data published and a client name – the name which the device use for
publishing. All those settings specified in “Vega NB-IoT Configurator” in part “MQTT settings”.
For watching the data sending by the device you should to deploy MQTT broker on a PC and
subscribe some application on MQTT broker.
Vega NB-13 sends the message on the server as a text of JSON format. See example
below.
{
"Message": {
"dev": "NB-13 v0.4",
"IMEI": "867723030670532",
"IMSI": "250023039331783",
"ICCID": "897010230393317839",
"num": 25,
"UTC": 1576817755
},
"CellStatus": {
"TAC": "13A8",
"CID": "083DA429",
"SQ": 27,
"EARFCN": 3648,
"PCID": 492,
"RSRP": -610,
"RSRQ": -108,
"RSSI": -581,
"SNR": 263
},
"Telemetry": {
"reason": "time",
"UTC": 1576760400,
"supply": 6.49,
"temp": 25,
"s_alarm1": 1,
"s_alarm2": 1,
"s_magnet": 0,
"s_outpwr": 0,
"onewire": [25.3, 25.1, 24.9]
"modbus": {
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