Vega SI-13-485 User manual

www.vega-absolute.ru
LoRaWAN Pulse Counter
VEGA SI-13
User manual
LoRaWAN Pulse Counter Vega SI-13 is used for reading of
values from metering instruments, such as water-, electricity
and heat meters via RS-485 and RS-232 interfaces or via
pulse inputs and further transmitting of this data to
LoRaWAN network.
Vega SI-13 can be used as a security by sending alarm signal
in case a specific contact pair is closed.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
2
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
Document Information
Title
LoRaWAN Pulse Counter VEGA SI-13
Document type
Manual –Translation from Russian
Document number
V02-SI13-01
Revision and date
08 - 04 May 2018
This document applies to the following products:
Product name
Type number
End devices
Vega SI-13-232
Vega SI-13-485
Revision History
Revision
Date
Name
Comments
01
23.03.2017
KEV
Document creation date
02
14.04.2017
KEV
Photos were added, minor edits
03
10.05.2017
KEV
New photos of the appearance
04
29.05.2017
PKP
A little changes at the communication protocol
05
21.06.2017
KEV
Technical characteristics were changed
06
05.09.2017
KEV
Part “Vega LoRaWAN Configurator” was added, and
some additions at the communication protocol
07
23.10.2017
KEV
Minor edits
08
04.05.2018
KEV
Edits concerning the field of application with meters
with pulse outputs, minor edits, new illustrations in
the “Operation” part

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
3
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................................................4
1 DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION ............................................................................................................................................5
2 SPECIFICATION .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
3 OPERATION ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Contacts ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Indication .................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Initial startup............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Connecting via USB ................................................................................................................................................................12
4 VEGA LORAWAN CONFIGURATOR......................................................................................................................................14
Interface of the application................................................................................................................................................... 14
Connection to the device...................................................................................................................................................... 14
“Device info” tab......................................................................................................................................................................16
“LoRaWAN settings” tab......................................................................................................................................................... 17
“Vega SI-13” tab ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22
5 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL ........................................................................................................................................... 24
Vega SI-13 pulse counter transmits the following types of packets............................................................................. 24
VEGA SI-13 pulse counter receives packets of the following types .............................................................................26
6 STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS...................................................................................................... 28
7 CONTENT OF THE PACKAGE ................................................................................................................................................29
8 WARRANTY................................................................................................................................................................................30

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
4
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
INTRODUCTION
This manual is designated for Vega SI-13-232 and Vega SI-13-485 pulse counters
(hereinafter –the counter) manufactured by Vega-Absolute LLC 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 for
electronic and electrical equipment.
The counter shall be installed and adjusted by qualified specialists in order
to ensure proper operation of the device

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
5
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
1 DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION
Vega SI-13 has two design options, varying by data exchange interface:
Vega SI-13-232 with RS-232 interface;
Vega SI-13 -485 with RS-485 interface.
Vega SI-13 pulse counter is designed for counting of pulses incoming to 2 independent
inputs, further accumulating and transmitting of this information via the LoRaWAN protocol to
the gateway through wireless communication within 860-1000 MHz frequency band.
In addition, Vega SI-13 can be used as a security device - all inputs can be configured as
security inputs.
The pulse counter can be used for any utilities’ meters and industrial equipment with RS-
232 and RS-485 interfaces or pulse outputs, including water-, electricity-, and heat meters.
Vega SI-13 can work as a wireless modem or query some meters’ models.
Equipment with NAMUR pulse output is not supported
De-bouncing logics with 5 msec time constant is integrated in the pulse counter. The
pulse counting is carried out for frequencies up to 200 Hz.
The counter is powered by a 8…36 V external power supply.
The counter is configured via USB with special software.
The label on the board contains the information for registering of the device in the
LoRaWAN network:

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
6
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
DevEUI,
DevAddr,
NwkSKey,
AppSKey,
AppEUI,
AppKey.
Moreover this information is repeated in the label-sticker on the housing cover in the
form of a QR code.
The pulse counter uses port 2 for data receiving and sending

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
7
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
2 SPECIFICATION
Main
Double-contact digital inputs
up to 2
Maximum input frequency
200 Hz
Security inputs
up to 2
Interface
RS-232 or RS-485
USB-port
yes
Operating temperatures
-40…+85 °С
Built-in temperature sensor
yes
LoRaWAN
LoRaWAN class
C
Quantity of LoRaWAN channels
16
Frequency band
EU-868, RU-868, custom
Activation type
ABP or OTAA
Communication period
1, 6, 12 or 24 hours
Type of the LoRaWAN antenna
internal
Sensitivity
-138 dBm
Radio coverage in restrained urban conditions
up to 5 km
Radio coverage within line of sight
up to 15 km
Power output
up to 100 mW (configurable)
Power
External power supply
8…36 V
Case
Housing dimensions
95 х50 х45 mm
Ingress protection rating
IP65
Mounting
Clamp fastening to the support,
DIN-rail, wall-mounting
Vega SI-13 pulse counter is class C device (LoRaWAN classification) and has the
following features:
oOperation as LoRaWAN <-> RS-232 or LoRaWAN <-> RS-485 wireless modem
oQuery of some meters’ models
oADR support (Adaptive Data Rate)
oSending of confirmed packets (configurable)
oInputs can be switched to «security» mode for connection to external leakage
and safety sensors, etc.
oCommunication in case of security inputs actuation
oTemperature measurement

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
8
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
3 OPERATION
CONTACTS
The pulse counter has 10 contacts, see table below:
Contact
Description
-V
Power -
+V
Power +
B
RS-485 B
A
RS-485 A
Tx
RS-232 TX
Rx
RS-232 RX
,
Signal ground
In1, In2
Pulse inputs 1 and 2
Ground “” contact is used for connecting of RS-232 or RS-485; ground “ ” is used for
connecting of pulse inputs 1 and 2.
The counter pulse inputs are used to connect circuits with the following types of NO
contacts:

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
9
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
- reed switch (Herkon);
- mechanical pushbutton;
- open-collector output.
Equipment with NAMUR pulse output is not supported
Any input can be configured for work in the "Security" mode with special software when
connected to the counter via USB. In this case, the device does not count pulses at the
"Security" input, but only monitors its closure. Should the "Security" input close, the device is
activated and sends an alarm message to the network.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
10
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
INDICATION
There is one red LED on the terminal board. The indication is only used when the device
is activated in the LoRaWAN network.
LED signal
Meaning
Series of short flashings
Linking to the network
One long flashing
The device connected to the
network and is in active mode
Three long flashings
The device failed to connect to
the network and will not send
data regularly

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
11
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
INITIAL STARTUP
VEGA SI-13 supports two activation methods in the LoRaWAN network - ABP and OTAA.
Select one of the methods using “Vega LoRaWAN Configurator” application (See part 4).
1. ABP. After pressing the start button, the device immediately starts working in the
"Active" mode.
2. OTAA. After pressing the start button, the device makes three attempts to connect to
the network within the set frequency band. After the activation in the LoRaWAN network is
confirmed, the device sends a signal (LED flashing for 3 seconds) and switches to the "Active"
mode. If all attempts fail, the counter switches to the “Storage” mode.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
12
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
CONNECTING VIA USB
The pulse counter can be adjusted with the "Vega LoRaWAN Configurator" application
(See part 4).
Before connecting the device to the computer for the first time, you must install the
driver for the COM port stsw-stm32102, which can be downloaded from iotvega.com. After
running the executable file VCP_V1.4.0_Setup.exe, the installer window will appear:

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
13
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
In this window, you need to click Next, then Install, and then the installation will begin.
When the installation is completed successfully, the following screen appears:
After pressing Finish the driver is ready for operation, - it is possible to connect the pulse
counter via USB.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
14
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
4 VEGA LORAWAN CONFIGURATOR
The "Vega LoRaWAN Configurator" application (hereinafter referred to as the
configurator) is intended for setting up the device via USB.
The configurator has two modes of operation - "Simple" and "Expert". In the "Simple"
mode, only basic settings are available. In the "Expert" mode, the basic settings, advanced
settings and the ability to check the coverage area of the signal from the gateways are
available. Next, the work of the application is considered in the “Expert”mode.
INTERFACE OF THE APPLICATION
The "Vega LoRaWAN Configurator" application does not require the special installation.
When the executable file is launched, the window for working with the application appears.
The menu on the left allows you to switch between the “Simple”and “Expert”modes,
select the device model, connect to the device or disconnect from it, get and apply settings.
The application window contains three tabs –Device info, LoRaWAN settings and device
settings.
The language selection menu is in the upper right corner.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
15
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
CONNECTION TO THE DEVICE
For the connection to the device, perform the following steps:
1. Connect the USB cable to the device.
2. Start the "Vega LoRaWAN Configurator" application.
3. Click the "Connect" button in the menu on the left.
The application automatically recognizes the type of device, and the device selection
menu becomes inactive.
To read the settings from the device, you need to click the "Get settings" button, until
this point the application will display the default settings or from the last connected device.
After making the necessary changes to the settings, you should click the "Apply settings"
button and only then disconnect from the device with the "Disconnect" button.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
16
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
“DEVICE INFO” TAB
The "Device info" tab displays information about the device, its current status, and also
the data needed to register the device in the LoRaWAN network.
ABP info - displays the data necessary to register the device in the LoRaWAN network
with ABP method (Activation By Personalization).
OTAA info - the data required to register the device in the LoRaWAN network with OTAA
method (Over The Air Activation) is displayed.
Regional info (not displayed in the "Simple" mode) - shows the frequencies of the JOIN
channels and the second receiving window. These frequencies can be changed in the
"LoRaWAN Settings" tab when selecting a frequency plan.
Device info - the configurator reads information about the device model, its firmware
and automatically corrects the device's time when connected to it.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
17
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
Update firmware - allows you to select the firmware file from your computer's hard
drive and load it into the device. The device will automatically disconnect from the
configurator when the download is complete. The current version of the device firmware can
be downloaded from iotvega.com.
Network info - shows whether the device is connected to the LoRaWAN network and its
network address.
Join network button - launch the LoRaWAN network connection procedure with the
previously selected ABP or OTAA method. If the device is already connected to the network,
reconnection procedure will occurs.
Link check (not displayed in the "Simple" mode) - when pressed, the device sends a
special signal to the LoRaWAN network, in response to which the network informs it of the
number of gateways that received this signal and the signal quality. This button only works
when the device is connected to the network.
Device output (not displayed in the "Simple" mode) - monitoring the device status, all
events in real time are displayed.
“LORAWAN SETTINGS” TAB
The "LoRaWAN Settings" tab allows you to configure various parameters of the LoRa
network.
Region - allows you to select RU-868, EU-868 or specify a custom frequency band.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
18
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
The pulse counter supports the following frequency bands:
Frequency band
Channel
Frequency
Modulation
EU-868
1
868.1
MultiSF 125 kHz
2
868.3
MultiSF 125 kHz
3
868.5
MultiSF 125 kHz
RX2
869.525
SF12 125 kHz
RU-868
1
864.5
MultiSF 125 kHz
2
864.7
MultiSF 125 kHz
3
864.9
MultiSF 125 kHz
RX2
869.05
SF12 125 kHz
Custom
Set with «Vega LoRaWAN Configurator»application
In the EU_868 and RU_868 frequency bands, only 3 channels are active by default. The
device sends requests for connection to the network on this "join" channels. The remaining
channels that the device should use can be transferred by the LoRaWAN network server during
the device activation procedure (only OTAA).
If you select "Custom" in the "Region" field, you must manually specify the frequencies
that the device will use. To do this, click the "Edit" button, the channel frequency editing
window will appear:

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
19
Revision 08 –04 May 2018
This frequency band allows you to set up to 16 channels, as well as the frequency and
speed of the second receiving window.
The first three channels and the second receiving window
parameters are mandatory. Without these parameters the custom
frequency band will be considered empty
Activation type –selecting ABP or OTAA device activation method.
Confirmed uplinks –when you choose "confirmed", the device will retry sending the
packet until it receives the server confirmation, or until the "Uplink number of transmission" is
over (see below).
ADR –this option activates the Adaptive Data Rate algorithm for automatic control of
the data transfer rate from the LoRaWAN network side. The higher the quality of the signal
received by the network, the higher the speed will be installed on the device. This option is
recommended only on permanently installed devices.
RX1 offset (not displayed in the "Simple" mode) –specifies the time between end of
packet transmission and first receiving window opening. The second receiving window always
opens after 1 second after the first.

VEGA SI-13/User Manual
20
Revision 08 –
04 May 2018
Join accept delay 1 (not displayed in the "Simple" mode) –sets the time that the device
will open the first receiving window to receive confirmation for the join request from the
LoRaWAN network. The second window always opens after 1 second after the first.
Uplink number of transmission (not displayed in the "Simple" mode) –if the "Confirmed
uplinks" function is disabled, the device will simply send each packet as many times as specified
in this setting. If "Confirmed uplinks" is enabled, the device will send packets until it receives a
confirmation or until it sends as many packets as specified in this setting.