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Test preparation

Deploy Border Gateway at forest edge

Deploy the Border Gateway at the edge of the forest or near a path or roadway. This allows the solar panel to be free of obstructions to sunlight. It also allows better line of sight to the Mesh Gateway.

As well as placing it near the edge of a forest, find a location where it can obtain a power supply and/or Ethernet connectivity.

Before starting the test, ensure the deployed Border Gateway is connected to the Internet.

  • The Border Gateway MUST be online with a stable connection either through cellular modem or POE (Power Over Ethernet).

  • The deployed Border Gateway MUST has a reliable power source and is fully charged before testing.

    If the border gateway is powered only by the solar panels, then it most likely enters power saving mode during the night. Allow the Border Gateway to fully charge in the morning before testing.

    Fire alerts

    Fire alerts will be handled with priority and will wake up the modem from power save mode.

Deploy sensors in grid pattern

Deploy the sensors using a grid pattern with 2 m distance between sensors. Place the fire pit in the center of the sensor deployment. Be aware of wind direction and speed. This may affect which sensor or sensors the smoke hits triggering the fire detection process.

You should prepare this grid pattern when preparing the Packet. Furthermore, as the sensors are deployed in a dense grid, the test deployment does not need a Mesh Gateway. It does, however, require all sensors to be in range of the Border Gateway.

Avoid hilly terrain

Sensors should not be set up in hilly terrain where hills or large rocks could interfere with the wireless signals. Ensure the sensors are at least 3 meters above ground level. They should be oriented towards the sun (at 12:00 noon).

When running tests, use a variety of deployment arrangements. In all cases, use shorter and longer distances between sensors. A short distance such as 2 m results in quick detection times while longer distances such as 15 m results in longer detection times. Therefore, use different sensor spacings depending on the objective of the fire tests (quick detection vs. longer distances). The fire pit can also be placed in different locations within the sensor grid.

In all cases, wait 24 hours between tests and do not interact with the sensors between tests.

Allow 14 days for sensors to calibrate

Do not skip calibration period

Before beginning the test fire, ensure you allow the sensors to perform the 14 day initial calibration period. Sensors will not provide accurate readings when tested before or during the calibration period. Afterwards, start the test fire and begin testing Silvanet.

After deploying the sensors for the first test, wait 14 days for the sensors to perform their initial calibration to determine a baseline Air Quality. No testing should be conducted prior to the completion of the initial calibration period since the sensors will not provide accurate readings.

14 day sensor calibration period

14 day calibration period

As described in Sensor Calibration, the gas sensor in the Silvanet sensor is very sensitive to changes in the environment. Consequently, moving, touching or interacting with the sensors beyond what is necessary influences the sensor readings and also the sensor calibration settings.

Avoid contact with sensors after deployment

AFTER SENSORS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED, CALIBRATED AND SETTLED, DO NOT INTERACT WITH THE SENSORS AS THIS WILL CAUSE ERRORS WITH SENSOR VALUES AND COULD ALSO RESET THE SENSOR CALIBRATION.

Verify deployment

After the sensors and Border Gateway have been deployed and charged, ensure they are communicating with the Silvanet Network. You can verify this using the Site Management app.

From the Site Management app, select the test site. In the Site Dashboard, active sensors appear as green icons while inactive sensors appear as gray icons.