It is a system that enables remote control and monitoring, as well as the detection of alarms, measurement of class 1 energy and GPS geolocation of the public lightning luminaires.

The architectural graph offers a general view of the system.
There exist two different control modes:

• Individual Control: Nodes are installed on each luminaire.
• Control per circuit: a controller is installed in the cabinet to enable the control of a group of luminaires connected to the circuit.

The nodes and the cabinet controllers gather all operational data of the luminaires (alarms, voltage, current, etc.) and send these data to the central system. Such central system may be hosted by Smartmation or by the client’s infrastructure. The light points are remotely set, monitored, and controlled. 

Yes, all communications are secure and are encrypted with symmetric and asymmetric passwords (same security level as for home banking) depending on the preferred communication technology.

Additionally, data are hosted in Amazon and/or Azure, where several daily backups are executed.

The GPS has proved to be a key tool to avoid human errors during configuration and maintenance, as it enables the automatic geolocation of each device. The operators of systems with no incorporated GPS make a huge operative effort to correct these types of situations.

By adding a Class I certified meter, Municipalities are enabled to negotiate with electric utilities and choose the option of paying for actual electricity usage instead of paying flat tariffs. This aspect is essential for Municipalities that choose dimmer to cut energy costs. 

The in-field devices (nodes and cabinet controllers) are communicated with the central system through the most widely known communication technologies in IoT applications:

• NBIoT/CatM1/2G through several telephone operators in Latin America.

•  6LowPan sub-GHz communication in ISM band over IEEE 802.15.4g and IPV6 routing, using Cisco CGR-1240 routers and Cisco FND network server.

• LoRaWAN, sub GHz communication in ISM band using Kerlink gateways and alike, and Orbiwise or Lora.IO network servers.

• EEE 802.15.4 Sub GHz communication in ISM band though the use of Smartmation Concentrators.
  

  

Depending on the communication technology used by the nodes, there are multiple ways in which the nodes can communicate with the control center.  

• IEEE 802.15.4 up to 1.000 nodes per concentrator can be installed.

• 6LoWPan up to 500 nodes per concentrator/gateway can be installed.

• LoRaWAN allows the installation of up to 500 nodes per gateway.

• NB-IoT / LTE Cat M1 / 2G nodes directly communicates with the control center thus concentrators/gateways are not required.

Depending on the communication technology chosen, the calculation basis for the number of nodes per concentrator/getaway may vary.
The estimation of the number of the concentrators/gateways needed for the IEEE 802.15.4 technologies and its different versions G, 6LowPAN and LoRaWAN is based on an a map that includes all the luminaires’ geolocation; however, in order to make an approximate estimation of the concentrators/gateways needed for a specific project, it can be stated that the maximum number of luminaires connected to each concentrator/gateway should never be higher than 1.000 in the case of IEEE 802.15.4 technologies. As for LoRaWANy 6LoWPAN, the suggested number devices is 500. Some important facts to consider involve the need to avoid the existence of obstacles such as buildings, embankments, etc. between two devices to be connected. The distance between the first node, or batch of nodes, and the concentrator/gateway should not exceed 500 meters (In line of sight) and the maximum distance between nodes should not be more than 200 meters (In line of sight).

As for the nodes and cabinet controllers NB-IoT, the concept of concentrator/gateway does not apply because each device is connected through a cellphone network with the central system.

There is enough evidence that in the cities, most of LED lighting artefact burnouts are not caused by lightning but by human errors that take place while affecting maintenance of the electricity network, more precisely, when the neutral is released in a 220 volts installation, voltage may raise at 380 volts on a constant basis, which leads to all the connected devices burnt out. Smartmation remote management node includes a system that protects the luminaire’s driver and LEDs in such situations, and it is not degraded after repeated interventions.

Yes, all Smartmation products can be updated when new software and firmware is available, which translates into the possibility of improving installed products over time.

Yes, each node is equipped with an astronomical clock and a light sensor that enables its operation in a completely autonomous mode, even when the central system is not available.

No, the nodes have an internal memory that stores up to 10 days of consumption measurements, and once the communication with the central system is re-established, the nodes will unfold all data stored during the period with no communication.

No, Smartmation manages and activates the data plans as part of its integral service.

Smartmation has servers in Amazon, where data is stored and protected; however, clients also have access to a series of API’s to extract data through open and document interfaces (web services).

Yes, if a client prefers to host its own data, Smartmation will install and maintain the software in the client’s infrastructure.  This service has an additional fee.

Yes, you can. This will make the planning and execution of preventive and corrective actions easier, thus reducing maintenance costs.

No, each node is equipped with an incorporated photocell that allows the luminaire’s ON/OFF actions since the very same moment it is connected, even before its initial configuration.

Yes, each of the actions performed by the users is recorded in the log and such information can be visualized by the system’s administrator later.

Yes, the system enables the granting of visualization and operation permissions for each of the software functions, thus restricting the access, at group or user level, depending on the user’s profile.

The cabinet controllers are used to manage luminaires remotely at circuits levels. In this way, LED luminaires not equipped with NEMA socket, ornamental lights, sodium vapor, mercury vapor, fixtures with only “shorting caps”, etc. can be controlled remotely.

Yes, lighting circuits should be independent and use a cabinet for this specific purpose.

It is not necessary in most of the cases, provided that the existing cabinet has the necessary space.

The remote management system per circuit, which uses the cabinet controller, is mostly used in green areas such as public parks and squares, highways, areas of difficult access, and places with ornamental lights, or luminaires without NEMA socket.

There are no limitations in this aspect, which means that there is no maximum number of luminaires to connect (and thus, there is no restriction for resulting total of their wattage either) provided that the contactors capacity located in the distribution cabinet is appropriate.