The main difference is that the WxDux has no built-in network capability, and must be connected to a host PC running its supplied client software via a serial port, whereas the WxGoos contains a built-in Web server and Ethernet port which allows it to connect directly to the network and produce a web page without any need for an external host PC or client software.
The WxGoos also has five RJ-12 jacks for connecting external Dallas Semiconductor 1-Wire sensors, and can support a maximum of 16 such sensors; the WxDux can potentially support a larger number of sensors, but only has a single RJ-12 jack.

Analog Sensors:

Door Sensors

Water Presence

Occupancy Sensor

Current Transformer

Serial Bus Sensors:

Temperature

Air Flow & Temperature

Power Egg

In the WxDux, the data are logged every minute into an Excel spreadsheet file. Each month the old file is dated and closed, and a new one created

In the WxGoos-1, WxGoos-2, and WxGoos-3, data are recorded at a user-set time interval and recorded to RAM on the built-in server. The server sends this data to a DataFlash memory chip each time 1Kb of data has been recorded.

It is a more descriptive name for the device, generally the location of a remote temperature sensor, or the type and location of an IO sensor. To change a friendly name edit the text and select save changes.

SNMP is the Simple Network Management Protocol. It provides a way for network devices to communicate. In the protocol there is a manager device that uses SNMP to find out the status of devices on the network. These devices are called agents. Normally, the manager makes a request to an agent, and the agent responds to this request. For example the manager asks the Goose for its temperature, the unit reads the temperature and sends this back to the manager. The exception to this is SNMP traps. A trap is an alert sent by an agent to the manager about some abnormal condition. For instance, if the temperature on the unit leaves an acceptable range, the Goose can send an SNMP trap to the manager.

To telnet into out products you need to be running a machine with a Windows OS, or if using unix press control + enter.

All current IT Watchdogs climate monitoring equipment has three analog inputs, with the exception of the MiniGoose.

These are 0 to 5 volts DC analog inputs with built-in loop current (provided through a 100K ohm pull-up resistor). Typical applications are magnetic door sensors, occupancy sensors, liquid sensors (conductance), or any other sensor using a dry-contact switch (no power supplied by switch). The 0-5V input voltages are scaled to a reading of 0 - 100 in the Weather Duck and WxGoos. 

For analog signal sensing,  a relatively low-impedance (<10K ohm) source is needed to overcome the pull-up resistor.  For applications requiring higher-impedance sensing, a command can be sent  to the WxDux -- but not to the WxGoos -- to disable the pull-up voltage.  (see help menu in WxDux by keying lower case "h").

These are general-purpose analog signal-input ports. The most common use is door-position sensing with magnetic door sensors. Other devices which are commonly used with these ports include water sensors, smoke alarms, and current transducers. The ports have an input voltage range of 0 - 5VDC; in addition, a weak pull-up is provided on each input, allowing the ports to measure passive devices such as dry-contact switches.

To connect devices to the ports of the WxDux and the older WxGoos-1s, the analog ports are screw-type terminal blocks. Use a small flat-blade screwdriver to open each terminal, insert the sensor wire into the terminal underneath the screw, then tighten the screw again to grip the wire into place. On the newer-style WxGoos-1 and WxGoos-2 units, the terminals are of a spring-loaded type; insert a small flat-blade into the top part of the port to be opened, pry upwards to push the spring-loaded terminal open, then insert the wire. When you remove the screwdriver, the spring-loaded terminal will automatically grip the wire.

These jacks are actually RJ-12 ports. The RJ-12 has six conductors while phone jacks will have either two or four. All of the sensors, except the RTAF and RTAFH, can operate with a four-conductor RJ-11 connector. (The RTAF/RTAFH devices require additional power to operate, which is delivered via the extra two conductors on the full 6-wire RJ-12 jack.) The devices attached to these jacks use the Dallas Semiconductors 1-wire serial protocol. Each sensor has a built-in 64 bit unique address. The devices, which are wired in parallel, can have an aggregate cable length of up to 1000 ft. (300m). The WxGoos-1 and WxGoos-2 have 5 jacks, while the WxDux and the MiniGoose (WxGoos-3) have only one. The WxGoos can have up to 16 devices on the 1-wire bus via the use of appropriate splitters; the WxDux can potentially support dozens of sensors, subject to the aggregate wire-length limit.

The digital sensors are wired in parallel using four-conductor wire or six wires in remote airflows(RTAF RTAFH), typically using telephone splitter blocks or hub connection blocks.

We found that most people working in IT positions have a Cat 3 crimper and a box of RJ-11 connectors. Also most people are familiar with the operation of such a connector.

It should be able to monitor 100 ducks and geese.

The load is minimal.

Yes.

If your power load is approaching the limit, the breaker could trip and bring down the entire cabinet full of equipment. The CT can spare IT managers midnight or weekend trips to the office to reset breakers by letting them know if they are operating near the limit.

Not reliably. The current consumed varies widely depending on how many accessories are installed and is generally the maximum the unit is rated for.

An electrician powers the equipment down, inserts a break-out box and reads the current using a clamp-on ammeter. This costs about $65 per power strip and causes about 30 minutes of down time.

Power usage changes substantially as equipment is added and removed. One additional piece of equipment could put the breaker right up against the trip point.

In AC circuits, loads that are not purely resistive can cause voltage and current to be out of phase. This causes the apparent power (which you are billed for) to be greater than the actual power used. This can be corrected by adding reactance to a system to make it purely resistive. Such measures, however, are generally reserved for large scale operations.

Apparent power is the calculation of watts times amps which is mathematically equivalent to current squared times impedance. Real power current squared times the resistive component of your load's impedance.

The acronym means Root-Mean-Squared. This means the DC voltage which would generate the same heat in a resistor as the AC voltage you have. The usefulness is that you know the actual power being consumed and not an estimate as in peak-to-peak calculations. RMS takes much more computing power but is more useful.

Peaks are troublesome because they trip surge protectors and you come to work with power-down servers and wonder why. The graphs will show peaks coming and going as a trend.

Yes, the unit e-mails or pages you if you set up the alarms properly. Some units have audible alarms.

Watch the graphs. One user had chronic server shutdowns in the early morning hours. The graphs showed a morning power sag caused brownout conditions and server shutdown.

You will see the voltage and current of each phase. You can easily balance the phases when you know what each power strip is using.

Power changes. Voltage sags and peaks. The graphs tell the story. Taking occasional readings doesn't show trends.

We recommend that you set up your goose by directly connecting it to a computer using the following steps:

1. Power the unit using the supplied power supply.
2. Ensure that the green power indicator is on. Soon after powering on, the green Ethernet status indicator will blink three times.
3. Connect the unit to a local system using a cross-over cable.
4. The orange Link indicator will turn on if a good link has been established. If the indicator does not light, then check the connections and/or try a new cross-over cable.
5. The unit has now been connected to a local system, it is time to setup the network card, so that the system can communicate with the unit.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Select the Control Panel. If the control panel is not an option you may need to choose Settings -> Control Panel.
3. Click on the Network Connections icon.
4. You should now see one of more icons that represent network cards installed on your system. Choose the network card you connected the Goose to and right click it and select Properties.
5. Find and double-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
6. This opens a window that shows your current network card settings. It should like similar to the window shown in Figure 2. Make a note of the current settings, so that they can be restored later.
7. Ensure that "Use the following IP address" is selected and enter the following settings in the appropriate fields.

   IP Address: 192.168.123.100
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
   Gateway: 192.168.123.1

8. You can leave the DNS fields blank. Click the OK button on the TCP/IP window to save the changes. Then click OK on the Local Area Connection window to finalize the process.

Sensors

This page shows the current value of the sensors and a graph of all the stored sensor data on a goose, this is also where it shows the webcams.

Logs

On this page you can graph your choice of sensors over your choice of a time period, this is also where you download the log data as well as clear the log data.

Display

This page allows you to set the names of your remote sensors, and choose the unit the temperatures are measured in.

Alarms

Here you can set and test your alarms for the sensors, there is an event log at the bottom of the screen that shows you the history of the alarms.

Control

This tab allows to control anything linked to the goose. Currently the only thing that is controllable from a goose is a Power Egg II.

Configuration

This tab allows you to setup many of the features of the goose including SNMP, email, user account, and IP camera.

Below are the instructions to update the firmware on the unit. These instructions can also be found in the firmware zip file.

1. Download the latest firmware for your device from: www.itwatchdogs.com/downloads.shtml
2. Connect the unit with a CROSS-OVER CABLE to the computer that will be used for the update. Trying to update a unit not directly attached to a computer MAY damage the unit and WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
3. Change your Network Interface Card's (NIC) settings to the following:
   

   IP Address: 192.168.123.100
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
   Gateway: 192.168.123.1

4. If you have enabled the built-in Windows firewall or any third-party firewall, disable it before continuing.
5. Extract the zip file to an easy to find location (ie a folder on your desktop or at the root level of your hard disk)
6. Open the folder in Windows Explorer.
7. Double-click on the 'updater.exe' file and follow the on-screen instructions.
8. If everything works properly, the device should be available for use about two minutes after the update is complete.
9. Restore the NIC's previous settings once the firmware update is complete.

Should you run into any trouble while updating, please DO NOT reset your Goose. Contact ITWatchdogs at:
Phone: 512-257-1462
E-mail: support@itwatchdogs.com

Email us at support@itwatchdogs.com and we will send you a new password so you can access the goose the change the password.

• WeatherGoose unit running firmware version 2.51 or higher
• Computer with Internet Explorer 6.x or higher with Active enabled
• Windows XP/2000/Me

You can use a telephone-type RJ-12 splitter with at least four conductors per jack to expand the number of ports. You can order one from us, or use one from your parts box or your local Radio Shack. (Note that RTAF and RTAFH sensors will require an RJ-12 splitter with all six conductors per jack.) Make sure it's a straight-through splitter and not a crossover type, otherwise the signals will not be passed through correctly and the devices will not appear on the bus.

We have tested the one we sell. Other Web Cams may work, but are not supported.

The MIB for the unit can be found in two places. In the header of the unit web page, under Alternate Formats, is a link to the MIB. A copy of the MIB is also included in the firmware zip file of version 2.53 and higher.

In the zip file for firmware versions 2.53 or higher there is a CSV file that contains the list of OID's for the unit.

The Test Alarms feature can be used to turn the buzzer off remotely. The following step will lead you through this process.

1. Go to the Alarms tab.
2. Scroll down to the Test Alarms section.
3. Pick one of the internal sensors from the Sensors drop-down.
4. From the Alarm State drop-down, choose Buzzer.
5. Select Clear from the Trap Type drop-down.
6. Click on the Test button.
7. The buzzer should turn off in a few seconds.

This is not a problem, the web firmware is for the web server in the goose, but the firmware on the LCD is the firmware on the processor so they should be different.

The LCD will display anything that the logs page is set to display.

The web server on the goose is limited, and if there is higher traffic on the site, or if you try to change between tabs rapidly it will slow down while it processes the requests.

The following is a guideline for using the graph CGI query:

timerange

A negative value of -1 means all data points available. A positive values means the last N seconds of data. Values under 100 are too small to be effective and ignored by the unit.

width

This argument refers to width of the image rendered. The maximum value is 416. Values less than 1 or greater than 416 are undefined and result in undefined behavior.

height

This argument refers to the height of the image rendered. The maximum value is 300. Values less than 1 or greater than 300 are undefined and result in undefined behavior.

device

This argument includes ALL sensors from a given device into the graph. The device value must be a valid 16 character ID.

sensor-

Notice the dash after the sensor label. This argument includes a sensor from a device into the graph. The sensor- value must be a valid 16 character device ID followed by the 0-based index of the sensor of intereste. Sensor offsets to non-existant sensors result in undefined behavior.

Notes: Mixing device and sensor- arguments in the same graph CGI query may produce undefined results.

Examples:

Query all data points for all sensors in main weathergoose device
http://www.weathergoose.com/graph.bmp?width=256&height=150& timerange=-1&device=010307640B00006A

Query last 15 minutes of data points for light level sensor in main weathergoose device
http://www.weathergoose.com/graph.bmp?width=256&height=150& timerange=900&sensor-=010307640B00006A3

Query all data points for relative humidity and sound level sensors in main weathergoose device
http://www.weathergoose.com/graph.bmp?width=256&height=150& timerange=-1&sensor-=010307640B00006A1&sensor-=010307640B00006A4

You can use 3rd party software like IP Sentry or you could write a script to provide the glue logic that parses the Goose's XML and then sends the correct HTTP POST transaction to the Goose to turn on or off the controllable relay based on parsed sensor values.

Every 60 seconds, for faster refreshes please hit the refresh tab. Cameras on the page refresh every 20 seconds.

By device, so all the sensors in a Power Egg with show up on one graph, and the one sensor in an remote temperature will show up in one graph.

PDA: A small version of the Sensors page, used on PDA's and cell phones.
WAP: A special version of the Sensors page, used by WAP-enabled cell phones.
XML: The current data, along with device information, displayed in XML.
MIB: Check on this link to download the MIB for the Goose. Used in SNMP.

This error is most commonly caused when the graphing routine cannot recognize or interpret a data point correctly. At present, we are still investigating the exact cause of this, but in the meantime there is a simple workaround:

First, download your log data (only if you want to keep the data; otherwise, you can skip this step). Second, clear the unit's log history by going to the logs page, checking the clear log history box, then press the button marked save changes. Your graphs should come back in a few minutes (the exact time will depend on your logging frequency setting) once the unit has accumulated sufficient new data to begin graphing again.

This can be caused if the Goose is having trouble connecting to an NTP server. Check the time shown on the Goose's web page in the upper-left corner; if the time shown is incorrect, or the unit says no NTP service is available, this is likely to be the source of the problem. If your goose cannot access an external NTP server (due to, for example, being behind a firewall), there is software available from AdjustTime.com that will allow a PC server to act as an NTP service.

No, this page cannot be modified by an end user.

On the Logs Tab is a set of controls for the Logs graph. You can select sensors and the time span to use for the graph. The Y-axis shows the sensor values and the time is shown on the X-axis. The legend at the bottom of the graph, provides the sensor name for each color used on the graph. On the left side of the screen is a series of checkboxes, one for each sensor. To graph the sensor, make sure its box is checked. Use the Time range drop-down above the graph to adjust the time range for the graph. Click on an Update Graph button to get a new graph, when a change is made. On a unit with a LCD display the checkboxes also control which sensors will be displayed on the LCD.

To download the log history, select the "Click here to download raw log data" link. The log file is in CSV format and will be called "log.csv". This download can take quite a while, if the unit has been running for some time.

The Goose saves log data on a set interval, determined by the logging frequency. To change the frequency, edit the value in the Logging Frequency input field and click Save Changes. The acceptable range is 15 to 250 seconds. A lower frequency saves data more often, but at a cost of fewer days of saved data. The text under the graph, gives the number days that can be logged at the current logging frequency. The data log is a circular buffer. Once it fills up, old data is overwritten by the newer data.

To clear the log data, check the Delete Log History checkbox and click on the Save Changes button. In a few seconds the graphs should clear and graphing will resume in a few minutes, depending on the logging frequency.

An account level of Control or Admin Access is required to change the logging frequency or delete the log data. It will grayed out if the current access level is not high enough. To change this, do the following:

1. To change to Control access click on the Control tab. For Admin click on Configuration.
2. Enter the appropriate username/password for the appropriate account.
3. Click on the Logs tab and the Logging Frequency and Delete Log History checkbox should not longer be grayed out.

Use the Temperature drop-down box to change the unit of measurement for temperature. Then select Save Changes to finalize the change.

All the sensors are connected to a common serial bus, so if one sensor goes down they may all go down if the bad sensor "jams" the bus or refuses to release it so other devices can talk. Another thing which can make sensors appear to go offline is EM interference with the 1-wire signals; check to see if the sensor cables are routed close to something that creates a lot of EM interference such as a generator, a large motor, or a large backup-battery charger, or if the sensor wiring runs parallel to the main power cables for any equipment that draws a lot of current such as an arc-welder, air compressor, or an HVAC unit. If this is the case, try moving the sensor wiring away from these EM-interference sources, and this should fix your problem.

If this is not the case, check the environment the sensors are in to see if it is pushing them past their built-in limits. Temperatures below freezing can cause ice or condensation to form, creating shorts across the sensor terminals, which will make the sensor appear dead; also, if the temperature exceeds the range of the sensor (-4° F to 122° F) it may show up as unplugged.

If neither of these is the case, then one of the sensors could be dead. Try disconnecting all sensors from the unit,then reconnecting them one at a time until you find the one that causes the problem. Once you have isolated the faulty sensor, disconnect it, and the other sensors should work normally. Email support@itwatchdogs.com for service and support options on the faulty sensor.

The list of friendly names includes all devices that are attached to the unit as well as those that were. This way if a device is unplugged and reattached later, the settings for the device are restored. However, these unplugged sensors count toward the 16 external sensors limit. If you need to remove these to make room for other sensors, then check the "Remove all unplugged devices" checkbox and click Save Changes

From the Alarms tab you can setup the unit to notify you if a sensor's value goes outside of an acceptable range. For each sensor there is a Low Trip, High trip and Alarm State. Use the low and high trips to set the acceptable range for the sensor. If the current value of the sensor goes below the Low Trip or higher than the High Trip, or the device is unplugged the alarm is considered tripped. When the value goes back into the acceptable range or the device is reattached, the alarm is cleared. To control how you will be notified of alarm trips and clears use the Alarm State drop-down. The choices are Email, SNMP trap, Buzzer( if the unit has one), or a combination of these. One notification is sent when the alarm is tripped and another notification is sent when the alarm clears. Set the alarm state to Disabled if you do not want to set an alarm for a sensor. Make sure to click Save Changes after adjusting the alarm settings.

The goose will send 1 email when the value of the sensor exceeds the norm then 1 more email when/if the reading goes back into the norm. Example, you set the max. temperature trip to 80° F and the temperature rises to 81° F the goose will send an alarm, then if it falls to 79° F you will get an additional message saying it is happy again. If the alarm is set to 80° F and the temperature is oscillating between 79-81° F this can result in large numbers of emails being sent. To correct this set the alarm higher or lower but not where the temperature will normally fluctuation

The Test Alarms section is used to send test alarm trip and clear notifications. The following instructions describe how to use this feature.

1. Select a sensor to test from the Sensors drop-down.
2. Choose the method of notification from the Alarm State drop-down.
3. Use the Trap Type drop-down to pick between trip or clear.
4. Click the Test button to send the notification.

The Event log is a chronological list of events that have taken place on the unit. This is where errors, and warnings are listed as well as alarm notifications. The Event Log is also useful for debugging email and SNMP issues. The default logging level is Verbose. To change this use the drop-down box to select the logging level and then click Set Mode.

From this tab you are able to manipulate any control devices that might be attached to the system. For instance, a Power Egg 2 would have the status of receptacles and buttons to turn them on and off. An example of this is shown in figure 8.

The main network settings for the unit can be set in configuration. To assign the unit a static IP address, fill in the Static IP address field, Static Net Mask, and Static Gateway fields. Make sure the DHCP checkbox is uncheck if using a static IP address. The next two drop-downs let you enable/disable Telnet and SNMP. The HTTP Services drop-down lets you choose if you want to allow HTTP, HTTPS, or both. The last two input fields let you set the HTTP and HTTPS ports. The default port for HTTP is 80, and 443 for HTTPS.

For the unit to know the date, it needs to be able to connect to an NTP server. The IP address for two servers can be entered. If these fields are left blank the unit will use the default addresses of 192.5.41.40 and 192.5.41.41. To adjust the time retrieved from the NTP server for time zone and/or Daylight Savings, use the "Time zone offset from GMT" field.

Under configuration go to email. Enter the IP address of the Email server in the SMTP Server IP Address field. This needs to be in the numeric form. A named version will not work. You can ping the name of the email server to get this number. The unit needs a From address to send email. The unit can send email to up to 5 addresses. Enter these in the To fields. Using commas or semicolons to concatenate email address is not supported, so make sure to only enter one address per line. Some email servers require a POP3 connection to be made before it will accept an email via SMTP. The last three fields are used for this purpose. You can leave these blank, if this is not required by your email server. Normally, the POP3 IP address will be the same as the SMTP Server IP address.

Under configuration go to SNMP. The community string for traps can be set using the SNMP Trap Community String field. This only sets the community string for traps. Currently the unit only supports the "public" community string for SNMP requests. The unit can send SNMP traps to up to 4 addresses. Enter these in the SNMP Trap IP address fields.

Use the Name and Password section to control access to the unit. There are three levels of access. The highest is admin, which allows full access to the unit. The second level of access is Control. This allows access to the Sensors, Logs and Control tab. Control access also lets the user change the logging frequency and delete the logs from the Logs tab. The lowest access level is Read-only. The user can view the Sensors and Logs tab. At the Read-only level, the user can not change the logging frequency nor delete log history on the Logs tab.

The Goose needs to be running firmware version 2.51 or higher for DLink 950/950G to work.

1. Make sure the Camera has an IP address that the Goose can reach.
2. Use a browser to connect to the Goose.
3. Click on the Configuration tab.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the Camera Configuration.
5. Enter the IP address of the camera in the Camera IP Address field.
6. Select the camera model using the drop-down list.
7. Click on Save Changes to save the camera configuration

Information from the fields in this section is displayed in the footer of each web page. Normally, this is information helps identify the Goose and the person responsible for its maintenance.

The first thing you should try is to update the firmware. The most recent firmware can be found at http://itwatchdogs.com/downloads.shtml. Note that all versions of the WeatherGoose -- standard, Mini, or Super -- use the same firmware update package; the firmware will automatically detect the type of device it is running on and configure itself accordingly. Installation instructions are in the file.

If this does not fix your problem, or you are already running the latest firmware version, please look through this FAQ page to see if your problem has already been covered elsewhere. If you don't find the answer here, you can send an email to support@itwatchdogs.com or call us at 1-512-257-1462 for further assistance.

1. If DHCP is enabled, the IP address for the unit may have changed. Check with the DHCP server to find out the current IP address for the unit.
2. If the IP address of the unit was changed by DHCP or by the Configuration tab, make sure to use the new IP address to connect to the unit. Even if the IP address was changed, the unit can still be reached at 192.168.123.123.
3. Check the connections to the unit and the network. The power and link indicators should both be on and stable. The activity light should blink periodically. If the power light is not on, check the connection on both ends. If the link light is out then check the network cable connections. A cross-over cable should be used for connecting directly to a computer and a straight-through should be used for connecting to a network.
4. Ensure the network card settings are appropriate for the IP address of the unit. The recommended network settings for a unit at the default IP address are:
   

   IP Address: 192.168.123.100
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
   Gateway: 192.168.123.1

5. Try to contact the unit using ping, telnet or ftp. For instance at the default IP address these commands would look like the following:
   

   ping 192.168.123.123
   telnet 192.168.123.123
   ftp 192.168.123.123

6. If the unit is not at the default IP then the correct IP address would need to be substituted for the 192.168.123.123.
7. If the unit is still unreachable, it may be on a different subnet, could be blocked by a firewall, or a proxy could be preventing access. These are networking issues beyond the scope of this document.

1. Check the Event Log for email errors. This may help diagnose the problem.
2. Make sure a numeric IP address is used for the SMTP Server IP address (and POP3 IP address if used).
3. The unit needs a From address to send an email.
4. There should only be one email address in each To field.
5. Some email servers require the POP3 fields to be filled in. If POP3 isn't required these fields should be left blank.
6. If an Exchange server is being used, then it needs to be configured to allow 3rd party emails. There is a checkbox for this purpose in the Exchange server configuration.

A SNMP manager must be configured to receive traps from the unit. Most SNMP programs have a database of traps, they are monitoring for. The possible traps that can be sent by the unit must be added to this database. Some programs can take the unit MIB and extract the trap information. With other programs the trap data has to be entered manually. A CSV file is included in the firmware zipfile of version 2.53 and higher. The CSV includes the OID's for the unit as well as the information for each trap. Below is a list of issues that might stop you from getting traps from the unit.

1. See if there are errors in the Event Log.
2. Not all SNMP software is able to receive traps. Check if the software can receive version 1 traps.
3. Make sure the IP address configured on the unit, matches the IP address of the SNMP manager.
4. Ensure that the Trap Community String on the unit, corresponds to the community string expected by the manager.
5. On some SNMP software, you have to enable trap monitoring and SNMP requests.

The WxDux is a matchbox-sized device that plugs into the serial port of a server or other PC which contains a variety of environmental sensors. The WxDux is powered from the serial port, eliminating the need for an external power supply.

The sensors were picked based on accuracy and a history of use in industrial sensing applications.  The temperature sensor, for example, is accurate to within 0.5 degrees celsius.  See the specifications sheet for all the sensor accuracies.

An internal microcontroller handles all communications with the external sensors, relieving the PC of any complex data-conversion processes. When the PC wants to know temperature, for example, it merely sends a "T" to the COM serial port and an ASCII text string containing the temperature reading is returned. Loading of the PC is minimized.

The supplied software creates Java server pages which are normally accessed through Port 8080. Each time you access the web page, the JSP program queries the WxDux for the latest data and builds the HTML code you see in a web browser.

The supplied software uses 30 megabytes of memory and runs as an NT service. We test on a 700MHz PC and when a web page request comes in, CPU usage shows about 2%. Every 60 seconds the software writes to an Excel file and that briefly shows approx. 2% CPU usage as well.

There is a memory-leak bug in the Java code which runs the duck, which requires it to be restarted once every 24 hours to avoid this problem. The software should have installed a helper task that would take care of this, but you can set it up to be a automated task in windows. This is, unfortunately, a bug in the Java runtime environment itself, and beyond our control.

It uses two of the serial data lines (DTR and CTS) from the PC as power. The software supplied turns these lines on. Each line can supply 5 VDC @ 5 mA; together, they supply enough power to run the WxDux.

16 feet is the USB spec. You can go further using a USB hub.

No.

If you forgot your duck password you will need to uninstall and reinstall the duck software.

Each door switch goes to an individual I/O port. When a door position is changed, you can tell which door has been opened by viewing the alarm source, IO1, IO2, or IO3. Either Normally Open (NO) or Normally Closed Magnetic Switches can be used, since you are looking for a state change and either type will deliver that; we do, however, recommend that you use only one type of switch so you can more easily keep track of which is closed or open. Note that there are three ports and only two Common (C) ports; you can use either "C" port as a Common to the I/O ports, and polarity is disregarded in passive devices, so you can connect two door sensors to the same (C) port. Wires up to 200' can be run. We recommend 22 gauge solid conductor, two wire cable.

When you need more than three door sensors or you need to put all of your door sensors on one port they may be wired in series. The disadvantage of this is that you will know a door opened, but not which one. In this drawing, three magnetic switches are wired in series. You must use Normally Closed (NC) magnetic switches for this configuration. Note that an alarm will only indicate which group of door sensors has been opened, but you will not be able to determine which individual door within the group was opened.

The water sensor measures conductivity.  No current flows when the sensor is dry, which gives a reading of "99". When water is present, some current flows (the exact amount will depend on the water's mineral content), which will cause the reading on the I/O port to fall as the resistance across the water-sensor contacts decreases.

If you need more than three liquid sensors, you can wire them in parallel in the same manner as door-position switches.  

Note that again, an alarm will only indicate which group of water sensors has become wet, but it will not indicate which individual sensor within the group is wet.

The smoke detector's operation was inadvertently described in reverse in some early versions of the instruction sheet. A smoke detector should read high when there is no smoke, and low when the smoke alarm is tripped.

The IO graph on a CPM will slowly fall should there be a loss in power, it may take a few seconds to drop below the normal operating range.

When the airflow is reading higher than 20 or so in still air you may need to recalibrating it. This can by done by:

1. Airflow is best detected when the AF sensor's open end is pointed towards the object of interest. Keeping this in mind, place the AF sensor in a "still air" environment. The AF sensor should be plugged into the powered-on Super goose unit. Let the AF sensor sit in the "still air" environment for at least 10 minutes while it collects data. "Still air" is an environment where airflow should be low to nonexistent. This level will then correspond roughly to a reading of 20 on the AF sensor.
2. Telnet into the Wxgoose device. Check the firmware on your Wxgoose. The firmware is located on the top right corner of the web page. If the firmware is version 2.30 or earlier, use:

   login: admin
   password: mallard

   to login to telnet. If your firmware is later than version 2.30 then you must create an administrator account and use that to login to telnet. You can create an administrator account through the 'config' tab located on the top menu on the web page.

3. Once you are logged in telnet type in the command 'afcal' and hit enter. A few messages should come up regarding 'devices found.' At this point the AF sensor is calibrated, and you may exit the telnet session. The unit now needs to be rebooted for the new calibration to take affect.

It is accurate to 0.5° C of the temperature.

This kind of complaint will occur from time to time. While it is impossible to rule out a bad sensor or device, it is more likely that the temperature is what they are seeing but not what they are expecting, or that they have not been careful to position the sensor in a way that minimizes errors.

Temperature sensors have a finite thermal mass, and must be connected to a measurement circuit in a way that permits some thermal conduction between the circuit and the sensor. In addition, most sensor have self-heating which is the heating of the sensor due to the electrical power that the sensor itself dissipates. The temperature rise seen on the MiniGoose is not due to self-heating, it is due to the thermal conduction from the measurement system (in particular from the Digicube).

The effect of thermal mass is to delay the response of the sensor to a change in temperature and to filter out any rapid changes in temperature. This is often specified as a thermal time constant which is a measure of the time it takes the sensor to respond fully to a step change in the temperature. The DS18B20 does not specify a thermal time constant but I expect it to be on the order of a minute or more. Attaching the sensor to a circuit board or cable will increase the thermal time constant. The thermal time constant is also a function of the humidity and air speed.

To get meaningful temperature measurements, the temp-sensor/measurement system must be accurate, the temp sensor must be located where the temperature needs to be measured, and the temp sensor must be mounted or attached in such a way as to minimize stray thermal conduction.

For remote temperature probes, we rely on the manufacturer of the DS18B20 for the accuracy of the sensor (+/-0.5° C over -10-85° C). Because it has a digital output no accuracy is lost in the measurement system (the Goose). By its design, the customer can locate the sensor where they want to measure the temperature. However, there are a few problems that can arise when locating the sensor. First, the cable must be routed to the location of the sensor and because the cable is thermally coupled to the sensor it can act as a heat sink or source for the sensor. This means that if the cable is routed through a hot or cold area, or against hot or cold surfaces, it can affect the temperature readings.

Secondly, the method of attaching the sensor can be critical. If it is attached to a surface or object, the temperature measurements may be more related to the temperature of the surface or object than the surrounding air. In addition, hot-spots (and occasionally cold-spots) can develop, especially inside cabinets. It is best to mount the sensor by clamping the cable some distance from the sensor and using the stiffness of the wire cable to hold the sensor in place. Hanging the sensor has the same effect. Unless the customer specifically wants to measure for hot-spots the sensor should be placed in moving air, preferably air that is being forced to move with a fan.

The internal temp sensor on the Goose and other products suffers from all of the effects mentioned above, but still can be useful for detecting temperature related problems if accuracy and location are not critical aspects of the measurement. Ensuring good air flow across the front of the unit will improve the quality of the internal temperature measurement.

No.

Your sensor may be defective please email support@itwatchdogs.com for RMA's.

There's no easy way to know how much current a power strip is consuming. The Power Egg plugs in between the power source (wall) and the existing power strip.

Peak volts, low volts, amps, watts, power factor and kilowatt-hours consumed. Volts can range from 100 to 280 VAC (volts AC). Amperage can go as high as 30 amps but the cables available are only rated for 20 amps.

No, the device will operate from 100 to 280 VAC.

5-15 is standard. L5-15, L5-20, and 5-20 connectors are optional.

Yes, a built-in LCD display with backlighting constantly cycles through the data.

Attach the Power Egg to any IT Watchdogs climate monitoring hardware with RJ-12 port and you can view graphs or download data as an Excel spreadsheet.

The CT is an alternating current measurement device. The unit has swing-open jaws that clamp around one wire. The unit is switch selectable for 30,60,120 amps. The output is a DC signal from 0-5V proportional to the current. This device is connected to the analog I/O ports of IT Watchdogs climate monitors. The climate monitor will display a value from 0-99 proportional to both the input voltage and the current measured.

2%

No, just current.

No, typical voltages are 120 to 480 VAC.

Three phase load balancing. Three current transformers and a WxGoos or a WxDux provide a low-cost method of balancing the phases. You can also snap current transformers around the wires in a breaker box and measure the current flowing through each breaker. This allows an IT manager to know if any breaker is close to its limit.

Three without additional hardware. However, with a product called the CCAT, more can be added as serial devices, i.e. through the RJ-12 ports.

We recommend 22 or 24 AWG solid conductor wire, but any wire close to that should work. Hundreds of feet on a wire run is typical.

You can special-order any range up to 300 amps, AC.

1. Connect the DLink to a local system with the supplied Ethernet cable.
2. Power the camera with the power supply that came with the camera.
3. Make sure both the Power and Link lights are on.

1. Run the CD that came with the camera.
2. Select Install Software.
3. Click on Installation Wizard.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

During this process a program called ffdshow is installed. Included in the ffdshow files is the video codec required to view the video emails sent by the camera. This codec needs to be installed on all systems where the videos may be viewed, which can be done by installing ffdshow on those systems.

1. Run the DCS-950 Series SetupWizard. It may take a minute to load.
2. Click on Wizard to start configuring the camera.
3. Enter the username and password. The default is admin for both fields.
4. Select Next to bring up the Set IP Address screen.
5. Enter the IP address for the camera in the fields.
6. Click Next when finished.
7. Select Restart to save changes and wait for the camera to reboot.
8. In a few minutes the first screen of the setup should show up. Make sure the camera appears in the window on the right and has the correct IP address.
9. If it doesn't show up select Search.
10. If the IP address shown is incorrect then start over at step 2 and try setting the IP again.

Internet Explorer 6.x or higher with ActiveX enabled is required to login to the camera. Refer to Enabling ActiveX, the last section of this document, for more information.

1. Type the IP address of the camera into Internet Explorer.
2. On the login screen, see if there is a warning at the top, about refusing to download an ActiveX program. Click on this and download it.
3. Enter the username and password. The default is admin for both.
4. Click Apply to login.

To find out what version the camera is running, do the following:

1. Login to the camera.
2. Click the setup button.
3. Select the Status Tab.
4. Under Server Status is the firmware version number.

If the firmware version is 1.02 or lower, then the firmware will need to be updated. The following steps will guide you through the update process.

1. Download the newest firmware at http://support.dlink.com
2. Login to the camera.
3. Select setup.
4. Click on the Tools tab.
5. Pick firmware from the buttons on the left side of the screen.
6. Use the browse button to open a Choose File window.
7. Select the new firmware file, downloaded in step.
8. Click the Apply button to start the update. This will take several minutes.
9. Click the Apply button to start the update. This will take several minutes.
10. The screen will change and give you a Restart option. Select it.
11. Click the Login button, once the Restart countdown finishes.
12. Check the firmware version to make sure it updated correctly.

The first step is to configure the motion detection settings. The following steps cover the basic setup. Consult the camera manual for additional information.

1. Login to the camera.
2. Click on the Setup button.
3. Select the Tools Tab.
4. Pick Motion Detection on the left of the screen.
5. Check the Motion checkbox.
6. Click on the Zone1-3 buttons to view the motion detection region boxes.
7. Use the sliders to set the sensitivity and percentage for each region.
8. Select OpenMSD to preview the motion detected in each region.
9. Save the settings when done.
10. Click on Tools to go back to the previous menu.

Now that the motion detection is configured, the email settings can be entered. Below are the steps needed to setup email.

 

1. Select Trigger on the left side of the screen.
2. Check the By Email checkbox.
3. If a username and password is needed, fill in these fields and check the checkbox next to them.
4. Fill in the remaining input fields.
5. You can select Test to test the configuration, but it still may work even if the test fails.
6. Click on Apply to save the changes.

If the camera detects enough motion to trigger an alarm it will send an email to the set email address. Then the camera waits for a certain period of time before it can detect and send another email. This wait period is controlled by the Motion Detection Skip Set Time input field.
To test the configuration, wave something in front of the camera to set off the motion detection. Wait a few moments and check the appropriate email address for an alert email from the camera

An ActiveX application is required to access the camera and will only work with Internet Explorer 6.x and higher. Make sure the IE is not blocking this program from being installed. Allow the camera to install the DLink program if asked by the browser.

Make sure the network card setting are correct for the camera IP address you are trying to reach.

Check the Camera IP address and camera model in the Goose Configuration. If the configuration looks correct, then make sure the camera is running a firmware version 1.03 or higher. If necessary, download the newest firmware from http://support.dlink.com and update the firmware on the camera.

To setup the DLink camera, ActiveX must be enabled. Depending on the Internet Security settings, ActiveX is normally enabled. However, some consider ActiveX to be too much of a security risk and disable it. A way around this is create a list of trusted sites and enable ActiveX for those sites only. Below are instructions for both enabling ActiveX for all sites and just for the Trusted sites. Consider the security risks before changing the security settings.

Enabling ActiveX for Trusted sites:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click on Tools in the menu bar.
3. Select Internet Options.
4. Select the Security Tab.
5. Make sure that the Internet icon is selected.
6. If the security is set to Medium, then ActiveX is enabled and the camera should work. If the setting is something else, then click Default and you should see the level change to Medium. Refer to figure 1.
7. Click the OK button at the bottom of the screen to save the changes.

Enabling ActiveX for all sites:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Choose Tools from the menu.
3. Select Internet Options.
4. Select the Security Tab.
5. Click on the Trusted Sites icon.
6. Move the security slider to the left to Medium. If there is no slider then click on Default Level to get one. This can be seen in Figure 2.
7. In the middle of this window and to the right is the button Sites. Select it.
8. Uncheck "Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone".
9. Enter the IP address of the DLink in the first input field.
10. Click Add to put the camera IP in the list of Trusted sites. Refer to Figure 3.
11. Select OK to close this window.
12. Click OK at t he bottom of the Security page to save the settings.