Planning tool tutorial

This tutorial guides you through the steps to prepare an example Site using the Planning tool in the Site Management app.

The plan includes high density Sensor zones called Paths and low density Sensor zones called Areas.

To ensure Sensors have connectivity to the Silvanet Cloud, the plan includes a Connectivity Mesh consists of a Border Gateway and several Mesh Gateways.

After completing the plan, it is then released to the Deployment app and exported as a summary document.

Goal

After completing this tutorial, you should know how to:

• Open the Planning tool in the Site Management app

• Search for an appropriate Site location

• Save the planning file to a local drive

• Define Areas and Paths and add a Connectivity Mesh

• Export a summary document and release the plan to the Deployment app

Prerequisites

To complete this tutorial, you need to complete the following prerequisites. You can skip ahead if you've already completed these tasks:

• Access credentials to the Site Management app. Contact Dryad Sales if you don't already have one.

• Deployment app installed on your Smartphone.

• Site created in the Site Management app. To learn how to create a Site, see here.

1. Find Site location

In the Planning tool, find a suitable location for the Site. You can select any location as an example. In this tutorial, we make a plan to deploy Silvanet in an area in northern British Columbia, Canada. It includes a deep valley, thick forests, a settlement, power lines, roadways and forestry paths.

1. Open the Site Management app.

2. Select Site view, then select Planning tool from the ellipsis menu (upper-right corner).

3. In the Planning tool use the Search field to find a deployment location.

4. Save your project by selecting Save from the dropdown menu (upper-left corner).

2. Draw three paths

Use the Draw Path tool to define high density areas the Site. They can be set as hiking paths, power lines, roads or railroads.

Draw a hiking path

Add the first path which is a line of Sensors that follow a hiking path in the Site.

1. Create a path: Select the Draw Path tool. Select a starting point and drag the path along the route. End the path by double-clicking on the map.

1. Describe the path: In the Path Settings panel shown on the left enter the following information:

   • Name: Enter a descriptive name.

   • Path type: Select Hiking Path.

   • Protection Level: Select Mid. The slider is used to determine Wildfire Sensor density (Low, Mid, High).

1. (Optional) Add Wildfire Sensors to path: Select Manual Planning, then select Add Sensor. Try placing an additional Sensor icon somewhere in the path. Notice the Sensor number increments by 1.

2. Save the project.

Draw a power line path

Add another path but In this case select Power Line from the Path type dropdown.

Notice how the Planning tool wraps each power line tower with four Sensors.

Draw a roadway path

Add the third path but in this case select Roadway from the Path type dropdown.

Notice the increased density of Sensors for a roadway compared to a hiking path.

You should now have three paths shown on the map.

3. Draw three areas

Use the Draw Area tool to define lower density areas of the Site. It also can be used to define inaccessible areas within the Site.

Add the first area

Find an area on the map to add the first of three areas. In this case, we use the area that includes a valley, a hillside and areas that are sparsely wooded.

It follows the contours of the hiking path and crosses the power line path. Name it the North ridge.

1. Create an area: Using the Draw Area tool, begin the area by selecting a start point, then drag the path along the boundary of the area. Double-click on the map to complete the area. Notice how the Planning tool placed Sensors. These locations are automatically generated.

2. Describe the area: Enter the following information in the Path Settings panel:

   • Name: Enter a descriptive name, such as North Ridge.

   • Surface area: This is automatically generated.

   • Accessible: For this area, do not select this. This slider sets the area as inaccessible (such as private property, military area, restricted area).

   • Protection Level: Select Mid. Use the slider to determine Wildfire Sensor density (Low, Mid, High). The distance between Sensors affects the amount deployed. The higher the protection level, the shorter the distance between Wildfire Sensors.

3. Save the project.

Draw a second area

Add a second area is on the opposite side of the hiking path and crosses the power line path. We call it the South ridge.

1. Use the same procedure as for the first area to add a second area. Give it a unique name.

2. Use the same Area settings as the first area.

3. Save the project.

Draw an inaccessible area

In this area, define an inaccessible area. This is an area that is off-limits and cannot be used to deploy Sensors.

Use the Draw Area tool to define this area but in this case, slide the Accessible selector to Off. The area then is defined without Wildfire Sensors.

1. Select the Draw Area tool and define this area using the same settings as the other areas but set the Accessible slider to off. This makes the area inaccessible and no Sensors are added to the area.

2. Save the project.

4. Add connectivity zones

Use the Plan Connectivity tool to define connectivity zones. Each zone (shown in blue) represents the areas around Border Gateways and Mesh Gateways where Wildfire Sensors can connect to the Gateway.

Connectivity zones have the following properties:

• Blue overlay: The line-of-sight of the Gateway is indicated by an irregular blue overlay that shows areas where the Gateway has connectivity.

• Open areas: Bounded areas within a connectivity zone indicates topology such as a hill or rock face that interferes with Sensor connectivity with Gateways. These areas may require additional Mesh Gateways but they must be added within existing blue areas.

Add a Border Gateway

First add a Border Gateway. Look for a location at the forest edge where the Gateway can expect clear line-of-sight to mobile towers and free of trees or structures to ensure good solar radiation on the solar panel.

1. Select Connectivity Mesh.

2. On the Connectivity Mesh page, select Add Gateway and place the Gateway icon on the map.

3. Double-click the Gateway icon and in the Edit Gateway dialog select the following:

   • Gateway type: Border Gateway

   • Installation Height: 5m Pole

   • Network: Cellular

   • Power Type: Solar

   • Latitude/Longitude: GPS location of the Border Gateway is automatically generated.

4. Save the project.

Add Mesh Gateways

Next, add Mesh Gateways to build up a Connectivity Mesh.

1. Add a Mesh Gateway using the same procedure as adding a Border Gateway but select Mesh Gateway from the Gateway Type. Place the Mesh Gateway within the blue connectivity zone of the Border Gateway.

2. Save your project.

Add additional Mesh Gateways

Continue adding more Mesh Gateways until the Site has sufficient network coverage (minimum 95%)

1. Use the same procedure to add more Mesh Gateways until you see the Network Coverage progress bar reaching at least 95% threshold.

1. Save your project.

5. Add comments

Add a few relevant comments to the map. They can be anything you notice about the terrain, the amount of human activity, anything you think needs to be noted directly in the plan.

6. Release Deployment Plan

When you are satisfied with the deployment plan, generate the Packets for use by the Silvanet Deployment app. You do this by releasing the deployment plan.

1. Select Release Deployment Plan.

2. If the Planning tool identifies issues with the planned locations of Sensors and Gateways, it prevents Packets being generated. Go through the list of issues and fix them.

1. In this example a Sensor was placed outside a Connectivity Zone. You need to move the Sensor within the nearest blue zone. In the example below, notice the Sensor placed outside a connected area. After moving this Sensor a few meters into the Connectivity Zone, it resolved this issue.

1. With all issues resolved, the Deployment Plan is ready to be released. Select Release Plan to generate the Packets. You can now find the Packets in your Deployment app under the same Site you used to start the Planning tool.

1. Save your project.

7. Export summary document

An editable .docx file can be exported for use during deployment.

1. From the Planning tool, select Export Summary.

1. Save to a local drive for use by teams deploying Silvanet devices in a Site.