Milli-Q Connect: Monitor Laboratory Grade Water Quality Parameters in Real-Time
Merck Millipore Water Purification Systems Connected to the Cloud over LoRaWAN
Be instantly alerted if critical water quality parameters drop below thresholds or the system enters an alert or alarm state
Lab Grade Water Quality Monitoring in Real-Time
Purified water plays a crucial role in pathology laboratories, as it is essential for operating analysers and other vital equipment. Any interruption in the laboratory's water supply can lead to substantial downtime, incurring significant costs in terms of both money and time. Historically, real-time monitoring of a laboratory's water supply has been challenging and costly, often involving substantial ongoing annual expenses and notable limitations. However, Telemetry2U offers a superior and more cost-effective solution.
Telemetry2U: The perfect Real-Time Monitoring Solution
Telemetry2U's elegant solution is simple to implement and allows you to integrate the Merck Millipore CLX Range of Water Purification Systems directly to the Telemetry2U cloud over a LoRaWAN network. See real-time parameters on responsive dashboards as well as configure email, SMS and voice alerts that will instantly notify you if the water quality deteriorates or the system enters an alert/alarm state. You can even look over historical data to help plan preventative maintenance schedules as well as gain a better understanding of the overall system performance.
The Merck Millipore CLX range of water purifiers have an output accessory option referred to as a “Data Report” (DRP). It offers two 24V digital outputs and two 4-20mA analogue outputs. The DRP interface kit is sold separately, but once installed the outputs are made available via a connector and cable.
The Dragino LT22222L I/O Controller conveniently hosts two digital inputs and two 4-20mA inputs, making the perfect LoRaWAN device to integrate to Merck Millipore’s CLX range to the Telemetry2U cloud.
We provide a complete plug-and-play solution, including the hardware, installation and configuration. Contact us today for an obligation free quote.
So Many More Potential Applications with LoRaWAN
Once you have a LoRaWAN network on-site, a wide range of applications becomes available to you. There are numerous LoRaWAN devices on the market equipped with various sensors and controllers. Here are just a few examples of what you can do when combined with Telemetry2U:
- Early leak detection: Particularly useful in laboratories with water purifiers where incidents are common.
- Temperature monitoring of Cryo Stores, ULT -80 freezers, -20 freezer, fridges, incubators, ovens, water baths, and more.
- Direct monitoring of equipment alarm outputs.
- Measure real-time water flow and accumulation.
- Real-time power measurement and control of equipment and assets.
- Keep track of air quality, including VOC, CO2, PM2.5, PM10, and more.
- Human movement and presence detection.
- Monitoring the status of open/close doors.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg, showcasing the versatility of LoRaWAN technology.
Quick installation with minimum downtime
As mentioned, we can supply this solution in a plug-and-play format. We can even arrange for a Merck Millipore service engineer to install the necessary components and configure your Merck Millipore CLX Water Purification system on-site. It’s a very quick installation with minimum interruption to the supply. Below outlines the steps that are involved in some detail so that your own technical team can perform the integration if so desired.
1. Install a LoRaWAN Gateway On-Site
A LoRaWAN gateway utilises a long-range wireless RF link to establish direct communication with sensors, transmitting their data to the cloud over the internet. A single gateway has the capability to connect with hundreds of sensors. Thanks to its high noise immunity and low data rates, it can achieve an indoor range of hundreds of meters, even in noisy laboratory environments. The gateway can connect to the internet via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or 4G. When paired with an optional battery backup and a backup 4G connection, the gateway ensures a highly reliable connection to the cloud.
Adding a LoRaWAN gateway to Telemetry2U is very simple and offers tremendous advantages and potential applications. A LoRaWAN network is a very wise investment for any health care facility.
Check out our LoRaWAN Gateway Network Configuration Guide as well as out YouTube video on Adding a LoRaWAN Gateway to Telemetry2U.
2. Installation the DRP Interface Kit in the Milli-Q CLX
As mentioned, the DRP cable is not included with the Milli-Q CLX range of water purification systems by default. It must be requested separately at the point of sale or retro fitted by a Merck Millipore service engineer. The DRP kit consists of a connector assembly that plugs directly into the main PCB along with a pigtail cable. It can be installed by a certified Merck Millipore service engineer in under 15 minutes with only a few minutes of downtime to the distribution loop. Once installed, the service engineer will also need to activate the DRP cable options in software. Navigate to the Menu and go to Processes >> Options and tick the boxes for both Alarm and Alert Outputs and Measure Outputs. Now select which parameters will be assigned to each output. For the 4-20mA outputs, use the Milli-Q display and navigate to Processes >> Measure Outputs. We like to use ELIX Resistivity (MΩ.cm TC) for Output 1 and Tank level (%) for output 2.
To assign the digital outputs, use the Milli-Q display and navigate to Alert Alarm >> External Signals and select which parameters should be linked to each output. By default, we configure all the Alerts to digital output 1 and all the Major Alerts to digital output 2. The output assignment can be changed at any time by the end-user.
3. Configure the Dragino LT22222L I/O Controller
Before adding a Dragino LT22222L I/O controller to the Telemetry2U IoT platform, it is best to physically connect to the device via a terminal program (such as Real-Term) at 9600:8:N:1 to configure some settings that will optimise performance, including enabling interrupts on the digital inputs so that will trigger an up-link as soon as they change state. Send the following commands.
- AT+CFM=1 - Turn on message confirmations for better reliability.
- AT+ADDMOD6=1 - Enable Triggering mode on the LT22222L.
- AT+DTRI=1,1 - Enable Triggering on the digital inputs.
- AT+TRIG1=0,1000 - Configure Digital Input 1 to trigger on a 24V input with a 1-second delay.
- AT+TRIG2=0,1000 - Configure Digital Input 2 to trigger on a 24V input with a 1-second delay.
Make sure the device is running the same frequency plan as the gateway before adding the device to the Telemetry2U platform.
4. Configure the Dragino LT22222L I/O Controller
Once the LT22222L I/O controller has been configured correctly, the following connections need to be made between the I/O controller and the DRP cable. You will also need to provide a 12-24V power input to the I/O controller. This is usually done with a 240V to 12V power supply.
| DRP Pin Number | DRP Pin Colour | DRP Pin Description | LT22222L Input |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pin 1 | Brown | Alarm 2 - +24V | DI1+ |
| Pin 2 | Blue | Alarm 1 - Trigger | DI1- |
| Pin 3 | Pink | Alarm 2 - +24V | DI2+ |
| Pin 4 | Yellow | Alarm 2 - Trigger | DI2- |
| Pin 5 | Red | 4-20mA Out 1 + | ACI1 |
| Pin 6 | Violet | 4-20mA Out 1 - | GND |
| Pin 7 | Grey/Pink | 4-20mA Out 2 + | ACI2 |
| Pin 8 | Red/Blue | 4-20mA Out 2 - | GND |
5. All Inclusive IoT Platform
Now that the configuration of the Milli-Q and the I/O controller is complete, you just need to configure a few settings on the Telemetry2U platform.
The Elix resistivity (MΩ-cm TC) has been assigned to DRP analogue output 1 and is physically connected ACI1 on the LT22222L. We need to scale the 4-20mA signal to the Elix resistivity range (0-15MΩ.cm) Navigate to Admin >> Calibrations >> Enter Calibrations and apply a 2-point calibration to input (ACI1). The Uncalibrated readings should be 4,20 and the Calibrated readings should be 0,15. The same need to be done to DRP analogue output 2. It is physically connected ACI2 and assigned to the tank level (%). In this case, the Uncalibrated readings should be 4,20 and the Calibrated readings should be 0,100. You could easily change this to litres, for example, if you have a 80 litre tank the Calibrated readings should be 0,80.
Now you will need to configure the input labels, units, and precision. Navigate to Admin >> Node Maintenance >> Input Labels and set as follows.
| Input | Label | Units | Precision | Translator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACI1 | Distribution Quality | MΩ.cm TC | 1 | None |
| ACI2 | Tank Level | % | 0 | None |
| DI1 | Alert | N/A | N/A | 0/1 => Alarm/No Alarm |
| DI2 | Major Alert | N/A | N/A | 0/1 => Alarm/No Alarm |
It's also a good idea to Hide all of the other unused inputs and outputs to help minimise the amount of data on the reports page.
Receive Instant Notifications on Water Quality Parameters
As well as see real-time water quality parameters on beautifully responsive dashboards and charts, you and your team can also configure a range of alerts that will trigger E-mail, SMS or even voice notifications if parameters fall outside of your comfortable range ensuring you have plenty of time to rectify any issues before the become real problems and cause any costly down time.
In this example, we have configured the outputs for the distribution loop quality and the tank level, but any parameter can be monitored simply by assigning it to the desired output via the Milli CLX menu. The real advantages of this should not be underestimated. If there is a component of the system that is not performing optimally, like the RO permeate quality or RO recovery, these parameters can easily be monitored. Access can be given to you service technician so they to can monitor the system remotely and potentially save you many call-out fees.
You’ll also receive instant notifications as soon as the systems throws and alert or alarm. This will help you maintain the highest quality water by ensuring your always up-to-date with preventative maintenance.
Contact us today for an obligation free quote or demonstration.
