Run hours is the total number of hours that an asset has been operating. On hard wired devices, this task is achieved by wiring the ignition line on the device to an ignition source. Once the ignition is turned on , the input detects this and the run hours is calculated based on the time the input remains ON.  This article details the use of the battery powered Oyster Edge to track run hours.

Using Oyster Edge to Track Run Hours

The Oyster Edge does not have a physical input line that can connect to an ignition source on an asset.  

When the Oyster Edge detects that it is in motion, it will start a trip and will set the ignition digital input (Digital Input 0). This is called emulated ignition.

Trips can be started based on Movement (Accelerometer) - if vibration is detected - i.e. engine/pump running (even in a fixed location) - start a trip and accumulate hours. We refer to this as "Movement (Accelerometer) based tracking".

Limitations

While it is possible for the Oyster Edge to track run hours, there are some limitations given the device is not wired in.

1. The device itself will not report Run Hour/Odometer values in its payload like the hard-wired devices (On-Device Odometer and Run Hours) - these readings are not accumulated on-board. Instead, they can be calculated server side.
   
   
2. If the odometer is calculated server side, it must be calculated by working out the distance between each individual data point. As such the accuracy is related to how often location fixes are obtained. If you are only getting infrequent positions, it is not likely to be highly accurate - if you are getting very regular positions, you may flatten batteries quickly + Location Engine Lookup costs can quickly add up.
   
   
3. Accelerometer movement is not fool proof in every circumstance. For example, we can monitor run hours on a generator on site based on Accelerometer movement. However, if Generator is transported between sites on a truck - this will add to the run hours tally.

Set Up/ Parameters

The specific set of parameters which should be applied is dependant on the application - but these are the ones which should be considered/configured.

Set Tracking Mode (Movement (Accelerometer) Based)

• Set the Oyster Edge to Movement (Accelerometer) based tracking from the "Basic Tracking" parameter tab.
• If we only require recording of run hours - and are not interested in the trip history/updates - the only data points required are:
  • Trip Start Timestamp
  • Trip End Timestamp
• So, we may wish to increase the in trip logging period and upload periods - to increase device battery life. See Battery Life Estimates [Oyster Edge]
  • We can max out the in trip logging period to 7620sec (~2hr)
  • We can disable in trip uploads.

NOTE: Disabling in trip uploads will result in the device not cheeking in for a long time if the trips are very long.

Accelerometer Setup: 

Some adjustment to the default accelerometer wakeup threshold may be required. These parameters determine what level of vibration is required to begin a trip. By default it is fairly sensitive. If you are seeing false trip starts, try increasing both the Wakeup Threshold and Wakeup Count by 1-2 and checking if there is an improvement.

Defaults:

More aggressive vibration required for a trip start: