Background of a Septic System...................................................................................................................3Operation of the RMS Septic Monitoring System.......................................................................................3Item Description of Operation.....................................................................................................................4

I. RMS Software.................................................................................................................................5A. Input Interface..............................................................................................................................5B. Analysis Subsystem.....................................................................................................................5C. Graphics Subsystem.....................................................................................................................6

II. Meter Operation Characteristics......................................................................................................9A. Manufacturer................................................................................................................................9B. Operational Tolerance.................................................................................................................9

III. Operational Subsystems of the User Interface...........................................................................10A. Input...........................................................................................................................................10B. Output........................................................................................................................................11C. Storage.......................................................................................................................................12D. Analysis.....................................................................................................................................12E. Number of Meters......................................................................................................................13F. Power.........................................................................................................................................14

Description of Use.....................................................................................................................................14I. User Interface.................................................................................................................................15

A. Buttons.......................................................................................................................................15B. Liquid Crystal Display...............................................................................................................15

II. Installation.....................................................................................................................................15A. Septic Tank Capacity.................................................................................................................15B. Soil Percolation..........................................................................................................................16C. Rainfall......................................................................................................................................16

III. User Configurable Options........................................................................................................16A. Password....................................................................................................................................16B. Pump the Tank...........................................................................................................................16

IV. Visible and Audible Alarm Indicators.......................................................................................16A. Green..........................................................................................................................................16B. Yellow........................................................................................................................................16C. Red.............................................................................................................................................17

Development Methods...............................................................................................................................17I. Software.........................................................................................................................................17

A. Requirements.............................................................................................................................17B. Design........................................................................................................................................19C. Code...........................................................................................................................................20D. Evaluate/Test.............................................................................................................................26

II. Interface (Hardware)......................................................................................................................26A. Design........................................................................................................................................26B. Build..........................................................................................................................................27C. Test............................................................................................................................................27

III. Integration..................................................................................................................................27A. Plan............................................................................................................................................27B. Test Plan....................................................................................................................................28C. Identification of Problems.........................................................................................................28

D. Stress testing..............................................................................................................................28IV. Evaluation Plan..........................................................................................................................28

Proven Methods and/or Procedures...........................................................................................................29I. Software.........................................................................................................................................29

A. Sampling Rates..........................................................................................................................30B. Testing Methodology.................................................................................................................30

II. Hardware........................................................................................................................................31A. Electronic Meter Interface.........................................................................................................31B. Throughput (speed) of Water.....................................................................................................32

III. Integration Notes.......................................................................................................................33A. Graph Plotting............................................................................................................................33B. Meter Updates............................................................................................................................33C. Site Specific...............................................................................................................................34

Design Details............................................................................................................................................34I. Software.........................................................................................................................................34

A. Graph Plotting............................................................................................................................35B. Mathematical Analysis..............................................................................................................36C. User Interface Layout................................................................................................................37D. Input...........................................................................................................................................37

II. Liquid Crystal Display Interface Unit...........................................................................................39A. Unit Requirements and Size Limitations by Part......................................................................39B. Meter Requirements and Size Limitations................................................................................40C. Hardware Interfacing.................................................................................................................41

Parts List....................................................................................................................................................42

Background of a Septic SystemWastewater treatment for residential homes is provided by two major systems. The first is local

community disposal services and the second is on-site wastewater treatment. It is estimated that 25

percent of all homes in the United States rely on onsite wastewater treatment by http://septic-info.com.

RMS is concerned with the issue of water usage within the home and its negative affects on the on-site

wastewater treatment system. Commonly referred to as a septic system.

Septic systems provide treatment of on-site wastewater by facilitating a natural chemical

decomposition of hard waste within a containment unit made of metal or cement. Disposal of

wastewater known as effluent is made through perforated pipes known as drainfields. The hard waste,

known as sludge, collects in the base of the containment unit as a foam, known as the scum layer,

develops at the surface of the containment unit. All septic systems are designed to extract the effluent

mixture within the sludge and scum layer after a period of time has passed for processing. As the waste

decomposes, the effluent mixture will drain into the drainfields and eventually into the soil for further

filtering.

This is a process that takes time and cannot be accelerated by any significant degree.

Operation of the RMS Septic Monitoring SystemThe RMS team is concerned with providing an individual with an on-site sewage system

information about their septic system. We do this by measuring the amount of water entering the house

and using industry standard algorithms to help with the determination of the current status of their septic

system. This takes the guesswork out of determining if there is a problem with their septic system. We

accomplish this through the integration of hardware and software to the home.

The RMS Septic Monitoring System is comprised of three key components which are the

monitoring/interface unit, the software to provide graphics and analysis, and meter(s) that attach to the

main interface unit for processing and analysis. The RMS Basic Septic Monitoring System will include

the interface unit with two attached meters and supporting analytical software.

The interface unit will provide the user with input and output of the septic monitoring system.

The input will be via buttons for navigation through a user-friendly menu. There will be four buttons for

North, South, East, and West. There will be an additional four buttons for Enter, Cancel, Graph Type,

and Time. These will allow the user to customize the unit to display information in a way that is most

comfortable. Additional inputs will come from the meters themselves. These meters will provide the

core water usage data for processing by the monitoring unit. The functionality of the monitoring unit

will include an output sub-system for information display.

The output of the unit will be formatted information on a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). The

core display data will include a units/second, remaining capacity, and capacity used. The units/second

will be in either meters/second or gallons/second. The remaining and used capacity will provide an

output in either meters or gallons. The determination of this information will be based on the user. The

default value of meters or gallons will be determined by the meter itself. This brings us to the two

meters used in a basic installation.

The water-main meter will be attached to the water supply of the house and provide a pulse-code

signal that will give a direct indication of water entering the house. The second meter will be attached to

an external faucet to provide a signal that indicates this amount of water will not be going into the septic

tank.

The analytical sub-system software gives usage characteristics and provides the user with up-to-

date usage information. This is a major component of the RMS Septic Monitoring System. We want to

give the user a level of detail that leaves to questions as to the current state of their septic system.

Upon request from the user, the RMS Septic Monitoring System can be tailored for any

installation. The only change required is the amount of meters and the additional hardware required for

interfacing the meters to the display unit. The software will be developed with full functionality so

software re-work will be kept to a minimum.

Item Description of OperationThe following sections will detail the operational characteristics of the RMS Septic Monitoring

System to include the software, meters and user interface.

Objectives from an operational standpoint:

1. Describe the input interface.2. Describe the analysis sub-system.3. Detail the graphics sub-system.4. Give manufacturer recommendations for operation.5. Describe the tolerances with respect to both resolution and units.6. Software inputs to include the meter and buttons.7. Formatted output for the LCD and serial interface.8. Storage characteristics.9. Analysis factors.

10. Number of Meters11. Power

I. RMS SoftwareThe methodology of developing the RMS software is to provide the user with detailed

information in a format that is easily understood. This allows the user to quickly react to an

adverse situation. In order to achieve this goal, we must make the software versatile while

retaining accuracy.

A. Input InterfaceThe RMS Septic Monitor show in Figure 1

will provide eight buttons in total for user

interaction. Four buttons will be used for menu

navigation. The four buttons will be labeled

north, east, south, and west and will help the

user navigate the on-screen menus that are

available. The next four buttons will be for

controlling the sub-system features. These

buttons will be label enter, cancel, time

interval, and graph type and provide

functionality accordingly. The enter

button will be used to accept the currently selected item on the display. The cancel will be used

to take the user to the previously viewed menu or back out of an operation. The time interval

will be used to set the graph display to either hours, days, weeks, or months. The graph type will

be used to toggle between total water used, capacity left in septic tank, and total capacity of

septic tank.

B. Analysis SubsystemThe analysis subsystem will be the driving functionality of the RMS Septic Monitor.

This is the software component that is most critical to the success of the RMS system. In the

basic system, there will be a water-main input and one input for water not affecting the capacity

of the septic tank such as an external faucet from the home.

Figure 1

The water-main input will be used to determine the status of the septic tank by tracking

the amount of water entering the house. We can assume that drinking water and water used to

fill water bottles for drinking purposes is negligible. We track the amount of water flow by

what is referred to as a pulse code input from the water meter input devices. This is simply an

electrical connection similar to a switch. The connection is made and released in a time that is

proportional to the amount of water flowing through the meter. Please see attachment 1(a) for a

basic signal reference. The shorter the pulse, the faster the flow rate and thereby, the longer the

pulse the slower the water flow rate.

We have to set the software is such a way as not to loose accuracy while maintaining a

sentry for input. All reads will be tracked for a period of no less than one hour. If no read is

taken within the one hour time frame, we can set the flow rate to zero. If a read is taken within

that one hour time frame, we will use mathematical integration to determine the amount of water

in the tank based on the previous three inputs of water flow rate and differentiate to accurately

plot the slope characteristics on the graph of the user display.

Amount of water and rate characteristics will be provided in real-time. The graph history

for one hour previous to current time is subject to change to support the current water meter

input state. The graph for history greater that one hour can be used to accurately depict usage

characteristics and make determinations on usage and how best to accommodate a healthy septic

system.

C. Graphics Subsystem The graphics are to facilitate quick recognition of the current status and problems that

might occur. Faster recognition is achieved by having a consistent output format. The screen is

divided in three main areas which are the graphics area, menu area, and status bar area.

The graphics area is located to the left portion of the screen and resides in 85% of the

viewing picture. The background color is white and graph lines are drawn in black, red, green,

or blue to make the picture more readable. The major components to the graphics system are the

x and y axis.

The x axis represents a time increment in hours, days, weeks, or months. The time

increment can be toggled by the Time Interval function button located on the front of the

interface unit or selecting the time interval via the main menu. The time intervals are minutes,

hours, days, weeks, or months.

The hours display will begin with the previous 12 or 24 hours with the axis showing 12

or 24 hours in history to the left and current time displayed on the right. The graph will give an

indication of water usage over this defined time. Refer to attachment 2(a) for a depiction.

Days, weeks, and months will be displayed in a similar fashion with the only difference

being the length into history. The days function will display the previous 7 days of water usage.

The weeks function will show four weeks and months will be for the last three months. Please

refer to attachment 2(b) thru 2(d) respectively.

The y-axis will display amounts of water in either gallons or liters depending on the users

default settings. This axis will adjust for time intervals so that all information is displayed. The

graphics subsystem is responsible for this functionality. Refer to attachments 2(b) thru 2(d).

The main menu is the second of three items on the graphics display. The menu is in the

upper 10% of the graphics display section and is a fully functioning pull-down menu. The north,

south, east, and west buttons of the direction pad will assist in navigation of the main menu. The

enter and cancel function buttons are used to either select an option or back out of a menu item.

The next few menu items will be displayed in attachment 2(e) for reference. The main

menu will have Graph Type, Time, Mode, Alarm, and Help.

Graph Type will have a pull-down menu to let the user select between rate, amount in

tank, and capacity remaining. The Time menu item will have selections for 12, 24, Days,

Weeks, and Months for selection of these time intervals. The time intervals will propagate to all

Graph Types. The next main menu item is Mode. The pull-down menu selections are User,

Config…, and Pump.

User mode will allow the system to operate in normal operating situations. This includes

all analysis and graphing capabilities of the system. The Config… option will bring up a display

box with items such as rainfall amount, password, tank size, drain rate, and meters.

The rainfall amount will allow the user to adjust the rainfall amount for the current

season. This will allow more accurate estimations of septic tank capacity. The next item,

password, will bring up a dialog to change and confirm a new super user password while

validating the current. Tank size will allow the user to modify the tank size if the tank is ever

replaced. The drain rate will be based on a percolation test performed by a septic tank inspector.

There will be an initial value based on installation results, but at any time in the future, the home

owner can elect to do another test and input the results of the new test. The last selection will

allow the user to add meters and identify the type of meter with characteristics such as gallons or

liters.

The final menu item under Mode is Pump. This function is to be used only after a septic

system has been pumped by a licensed professional. This item is password protected to secure

against accidental tampering.

The next main menu item is the Alarm menu. This will have the ability to acknowledge

an alert indication. This will turn off the audible alarm. The alarm acknowledge function is

password protected so as to prevent tampering.

The final main menu item is the Help button. This button will bring up a dialog with

contact information for their local area and an RMS customer service number. This concludes

the description of the menu contained within the graphics display.

The last section of the graphics display is the status tool bar. The tool bar uses the last

15% of the display to the right of the graphics section. The information in this section provides a

brief snapshot of the septic system status by providing an alert indication and current water usage

information.

The alert indication on the status bar is done via color changes. Green is a good

indication that lets the user know everything is okay and well within the septic systems abilities.

The next level is Yellow. Yellow informs the user to back off of water usage until the level in

the septic tank returns to a Green indication. The last level is Red. This informs the user to stop

all water usage until a safer condition exists. The color changes will affect the entire status bar

while displaying current usage information.

The current usage information residing on the status bar will include units/time, capacity

used, and capacity left. This information will remain consistent and update at regular intervals

through all menu selections.

Units/time will be determined by the graphics subsystem. If the current graph display is

in days, then the display will be the amount used over the displayed days. The units will be the

same as the y-axis of the graph to maintain continuity.

The capacity used and capacity left are displayed just below the unit/time value. The

units for both of these will be the same as the y-axis of the graph.

II. Meter Operation Characteristics

A. ManufacturerThe meters used in the RMS Septic Monitoring System are currently purchased from DLJ

Meters. All installed meters must be mounted in a horizontal or vertical position to assure

accuracy between reads. The part number for the meters used in production will be the

DLJSJ50C and the DLJSJ75C. Both meters provide a pulse-code output which is described in

section I.A.ii) second paragraph. See attachment 3 for the manufacturers details of these

meters.

B. Operational ToleranceDLJ is not the only manufacturer available to the RMS team. We have an established

relationship that proven to be helpful. We can use another manufacturer but the operational

characteristics must meet certain requirements. Those requirements will be the resolution and

the units.

i) ResolutionResolution is an important characteristic for the RMS Septic Monitoring System.

Resolution is the frequency of the pulse-code signal. One pulse per gallon is the optimal

pulse rate. Meters of this type are common and for this reason was the determining factor in

using meters of this resolution. This gives RMS freedom from single sourcing and gives the

user the ability to replace meters when a malfunction is detected.

ii) UnitsThe second critical component of the water meter used is the units of measurement.

RMS has picked the most common to be US Gallons, Liters, and Cubic Meters. The

software has the ability to perform calculations with these three measurements as long as the

system is informed of the units upon install or a change of configuration. If the system is

not informed properly, the RMS systems calculations will be wrong and the RMS team will

not be held liable. If there is a question, please refer to the help section for contact

information.

The manufacturer of the DLJSJ50C provides their meters at a cost of $80.00 per meter.

They have been very helpful for the prototype phase and should prove to be just as helpful in a

continuing partnership.

III. Operational Subsystems of the User Interface

A. InputInput to the RMS Septic Monitoring System will be done via two main input subsystems.

The two subsystems that provide input are the meters and the buttons.

i) MeterThe DLJ meters provide a pulse-code input( I.A.ii) ) that can be broken down into on and

off times. The pulse width can be defined as the on time and the (pulse period – pulse

width) can be defined as the off time of the meter. This is the time in which the wires are

not making an electronic connection. We count the time between the transitions of these

events and can gain a level of accuracy far greater than that of just counting pulses.

In addition to the counting structure, we interface the signal to the embedded computer

via a PS/2 connection. The values of these signals are well defined in the EISA 232

specification and should be studied for familiarity. The signal does have a distance

limitation of 250 feet and should be considered a factor to a new installation.

ii) ButtonsThe buttons of the interface unit will not change from installation to user mode, but it

should be noted that the installation menu is far different from that of the user mode. The

reason for the difference is that information needs to be put into the system that will not

change such as contact numbers. The next section details how to perform the installation

button functions.

(a) InstallationTo perform a new installation setup on a system perform the following button

presses.

Enter, Enter, Cancel, Enter, Graph Type

This will signal the system to inquire the user if this is a new install. Press the

Enter key for a new install or cancel to exit out of this function. Pressing the Enter key

will put the system into new installation mode. The installation contractor will be

prompted for the size of the tank, the average rainfall amount, the percolation rate, the

number of bathrooms, the number of bedrooms, if a garbage disposal exists, and contact

info.

Numbers will be displayed from 0 to 9 and the installation contractor will

navigate the numbers via the direction pad. To accept a number press the enter button. If

a number is entered in error, the cancel button can be used to clear that number. The

required numbers are the local servicing company and the toll free 1(800) number to

RMS customer service.

(b) UserThe user mode function buttons of the RMS Septic Monitoring System will be the

same as that detailed in section I.A.iii). User input is protected via a password system.

This is to validate that the person pressing the buttons is a knowledgeable user of the

RMS system. If a password is entered incorrectly, the system will lock for a period of 3

minutes. This will let the system know to stop processing user input and give a

frustration buffer.

B. OutputOutput of the RMS Septic Monitoring system is provided by an LCD screen and an optional

serial interface for additional features that can be added in the future.

i) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)The LCD is driven by the graphics subsystem within the software. The graphics

subsystem will interface directly with the hardware layer via the MPC201 LCD controller

module provided by Micro/sys (See Manufacturers Data Sheet 1). This is an expansion card

to the 486MHz PC/104 embedded computer, part number SBC1490 (See Manufacturers

Data Sheet 2). The MPC201 will drive the 8-bit input to the LCD itself. The LCD display

used will be the F-51161NCU-FW-AA provided by Optrex Corporation (See Manufacturers

Data Sheet 3).

ii) SerialThis option is still under consideration, but a serial interface will allow RMS to

package additional software that allows the user to download data from the RMS Monitor.

This can be used as a historical record or to help identify trends in the home water usage.

The serial port can also be used a way to provide software updates to the core RMS system.

The serial interface is available on the embedded computer F-51161NCU-FW-AA.

C. StorageThe two types of storage within the RMS Monitor are volatile and non-volatile. There

are 32Mbytes of volatile storage and 144Mbytes of non-volatile storage in the form of flash

memory. Both of these types of memory are contained within the SBC1490 embedded

computer. This will provides enough operating and storage space for an embedded version of

Linux and the RMS software.

D. AnalysisThe analysis subsystem of the RMS Septic Monitor is the most computationally

expensive portion of the system. RMS wants to evaluate the status of a septic system with an

accuracy of +/- 3%. This accuracy can only be attained with proven volumetric mathematical

models that require floating point arithmetic. Therefore, we will be using the Advanced

486Mhz PC/104 Embedded PC by Micro/sys (see Manufacturers Data Sheet 2) for the analysis

subsystem.

i) Time intervalsThe time intervals of the pulse-code output of the meter are determined by the

transitions of the pulses themselves. Referring to Attachment 1a), the first transition

happens at time 0 from 0 volts to 5 volts. The second transition occurs at time 2 from 5

volts to 0 volts. We connect the meters pulse-code output to the button of a mouse. The

software will track when a button is pressed and when it is released. At time 0, this would

make the software think that the button is pressed. At time 2, the software would think that

the button is released. Upon either of these situations, the software counts until the next

transition event. By a simple computation of t2 – t0 we can track the time period between

these two events. We can do this in a continuous loop and track the time from one event to

the next. This helps us to set up our time intervals for the software. By knowing how long

and how much, we can get rate = amount/time. For a more detailed explanation, please see

the Design Detail section IV.B..

ii) Differentiation and IntegrationTo assist our need to be accurate, we must deploy numerical methods that are proven,

stable, and efficient. One of the numerical methods used to assist in the graphics subsystem

will be the Natural Cubic Spline. This method works by taking the last three points on the

graph and estimate a cubic polynomial that intersects all three points. This method is fast

and very efficient at curve fitting.

The second numerical method RMS will implement is the Composite Simpson’s Method

for numerical integration. This will take the polynomial generated in the Cubic Spline and

approximate the area under the curve. This will give a volume of water over time. For a

further explanation, please refer to the Design Detail section IV.B..

iii) StatisticsThe statistics analysis portion of the RMS system will be used to assist in graphics, and

meter malfunction. For the graphics section, we can use point estimation to determine within

an expected error the next value that will be plotted by the system. If the actual value is

greater than the expected error, we might have a problem with the input subsystem. We can

use this indication to help the RMS system troubleshoot itself.

E. Number of MetersRMS wants to make sure that the RMS Septic Monitoring System is both versatile and

upgradeable. We do this by allowing more than 2 meters to be installed. The max for a basic

system is three. This can however be easily upgraded to allow at most nine simultaneously

connected meters. RMS can do this by providing the physical connection layer and the

software to drive these meters. Please see attachment 5 for a depiction of the rear of the RMS

unit that details the connection points for the meters.

i) Physical ConnectionPhysical connections to the water meters are provided on the back of the RMS Interface

Unit. These connections are a pair of 1/8” screws per meter.

ii) AdaptabilityAlong with the ability to connect multiple meters. The software will be able to configure

itself based on connection position. The software needs to know the type of units such as

gallons, liters, or cubic meters, the position of connection, and if the meter is an input to the

septic system or an output to the house that will not affect the septic tank.

F. PowerThe RMS Interface Unit requires power in order to function. The connection point of power

to the interface unit is detailed in attachment 5. We will define the power source requirements

and how this power is routed to the RMS Unit.

i) SourceThe power source for the RMS unit is 115VAC single phase. The power will supply the

RMS Unit and provide the levels required for meter reading. The internal power adapter of

the RMS Unit will use a transformer to divide and convert signals to a DC level acceptable

by the electronic components contained within the unit.

ii) Connection to StructureThe connection to the structure should be made by a licensed electrician. The RMS unit

will connect to the nearest circuit breaker within the structure. The circuit breaker will be

labeled accordingly by the electrician. If a circuit breaker is not available, the customer will

have to work with the electrician on the options available. If no solution can be found, the

RMS unit will be returned at no cost to the customer. Considering that the RMS unit will be

installed in new home construction, this situation should no arise.

Description of UseThis section will help in identifying critical pieces to the RMS puzzle. The set of objectives are:

Description of Use Objectives:1. Identify and Explain User Interface Function Buttons2. Explain the Purpose of the Liquid Crystal Display3. Identify and Explain Critical Installation Variables4. Explain the Purpose of a Secure System5. Explain the Pump Feature6. Identify and Explain the Alert System

I. User Interface

A. ButtonsPower Indicator Light: When the red light is on, the wall unit is connected to its power source.

Enter Button: Used to select from the menu

Cancel Button: Used to cancel a selection

Graph Type Button: Used cycle through the graphs displayed in the Graph Panel (used in

conjunction with the Time Button)

Time Button: Changes the Time Interval displayed in the Graph Panel

Arrow Buttons: UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT are used to browse different areas in the display

screen and to move through the user menu.

B. Liquid Crystal DisplayThe Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen located on the display device is the only display

source for the user to view the output of the RMS software. The LCD is the interface for the RMS

Septic Monitoring System user to interact with the software. Interaction with the software

requires that the user views and operates the LCD. The menu with options, graph panels with

graphical information and important identified data values are all viewed by looking at the LCD.

In conjunction when the user makes a request using the buttons, the software responds by

displaying that request to the LCD. The user could use the directional pad to move the viewing

area of the display by moving the pad in the desired direction.

II. InstallationUpon installation of any RMS Septic Monitoring System, the system must be configured with

certain parameters critical to the proper operation. The options most critical are the septic tank

capacity, soil percolation rate, and rainfall averages.

A. Septic Tank CapacityThe septic tank capacity is at the core of the RMS software design. The capacity must be

known or any output from the RMS system will be incorrect.

B. Soil PercolationSoil percolation rate must be determined prior to system initialization. This is a critical

factor in determining the drainfields drain rate. The drain rate determines the actual amount of

time it take for effluent to leave the septic system.

C. RainfallRainfall helps to minimize errors within the RMS Septic Monitoring System. The rainfall

helps to determine the drain rate along with the soil percolation rate. These two factors help to

reduce the estimation error of the RMS Septic Monitoring System.

III. User Configurable Options

A. PasswordThe password is a security option that allows the owner and/or user of the RMS Septic

Monitoring System to block unauthorized use of the display device without the valid password.

This protects the user from having the system settings changed without his authority. The

user does not have to worry about children in the house if any, playing with the device and

accidentally change something.

B. Pump the TankThe pump the tank option is used to allow the user to reset the software to recognize that the

septic tank was pumped. This configuration should be done immediate after the tank was pumped

and before rerunning the software. The RMS system will become inaccurate if the pump the tank

option is not used to configure the software to know that the septic tank was pumped.

IV. Visible and Audible Alarm Indicators

A. GreenDuring the OK Alert Level, the Information Panel will have a green background. This

condition tells you that you are currently at a safe level of water use.

B. YellowThe CAUTION Alert Level is designed to tell you that your septic tank capacity is close to

being exceeded and you should stop using water for the time being. The background of the

Information Panel turns yellow in this condition.

C. RedDuring the DANGER Alert Level, the background of the information Panel will turn red

and the Central RMS Unit will start beeping. At this point, you should stop using water

immediately because the septic tank is now past its capacity. It is likely that some damage has

been done to the drain field at this point, but continuing to use water will only cause more damage

and may cause a back up into the house.

Once the alarm is activated, it will continue sounding until the Alert Level goes down to

CAUTION or until the alert is acknowledged. To acknowledge the alert simply navigate to the

alarm option in the menu and press the enter button.

Development MethodsThis section will detail the limits and responsibilities of the RMS software system. The listed

requirements provide a framework that has proven itself in prototyping. There is room for improvement

as with any software system.

Development Method Objectives:

1. Define the software requirements1. Provide a Design Methodology2. Provide Example Code from Prototype3. Define Evaluation Method4. Describe the Hardware Environment5. Provide a Roadmap to Building the RMS System6. Identify Critical Testing Points7. Provide a Plan for Integration of Hardware and Software8. Testing Factors9. How to Identify a Problem in the System10. Define the Evaluation Plan

I. Software

A. Requirements Receives and Records Data from the Water Flow Meter(s)

Records Meter Data at a Set Time Interval

Displays a Blank Screen When Not in Use

Has Two Modes Of Operation:

o Program Mode

o User Mode

Program Mode has the Following Characteristics

o Password Protected

o Able to Change the Time Interval of Recordings

o Able to Change the Septic Tank Capacity Value

o Able to Change the Password for Program Mode

o Able to Change the Amount of Time Before the Screen Saver Starts

User Mode has the Following Characteristics

o Able to Display Using Different Time Intervals as Follows

Monthly

Weekly

Daily (Last 24 hours)

Half-Daily (Last 12 hours)

o Cycles Through the Following Graphical Displays

Current Consumption Rate Per Time Period (defined above)

Estimated Remaining Tank Capacity

Percentage of Total Consumption for Individual Areas

o Displays a Color Coded Alert Based on the Following

GREEN: All is Well

YELLOW: Capacity at Current Water Consumption Rate Will be

Exceeded

RED: Capacity Has Been Exceeded

o An Audible BEEP is Sounded When a Change in Alert Status Occurs

o An Alarm is Sounded When Alert Status is in RED Level

Alarm Stops When Acknowledged or When Level Drops Below to

YELLOW

Software Inputs

o Water Usage Data

Software Polls the Flow Meter at Set Intervals

o Time

Software Keeps Track of the Intervals

o Historical Data

Software Must Read Stored Data in for the Graphs

Software Outputs

o Current Rate of Water Usage per Hour

o Remaining Capacity of Septic Tank in Gallons

o Alert Level (RED, YELLOW, GREEN)

B. DesignThe software implementation requires Java programming language in a Unix environment.The software application will be compose of sub modules, which are called in the main driver.

---------------------------------------------------------Main Driver //////calls the program constructor--------------------------------------------------------- | | V----------------------------------------------------------Constructor() ///calls following modules---------------------------------------------------------- | | V-----------------------------------------------------------Menu() /////////Creates and manipulate the menu----------------------------------------------------------- | | V-----------------------------------------------------------Event_Processor() //////handles the menu button events and other program functional events (alerts, alarms, meter read and etc.----------------------------------------------------------- | | V-----------------------------------------------------------MeterRead() /////////gets a meter read value from the water meter----------------------------------------------------------- | | V-----------------------------------------------------------

Analysis() ////////performs the necessary Mathematical analysis----------------------------------------------------------- | | V-----------------------------------------------------------Output_display() /////provides the user output (data and graphs)-----------------------------------------------

C. Code//Example outline of software based on prototype version

//Include librariesimport java.awt.*;import java.awt.event.*;import java.awt.geom.*;import javax.swing.*;import javax.swing.border.Border;import javax.swing.border.TitledBorder;import java.io.*;import java.net.*;import java.util.LinkedList;import java.lang.Double;

public class rms{

public static void main(String [] args){

// Create and set up window

}}

// ******************* class rms_frame *******************************************

class rms_frame extends JFrame implements MouseListener, MouseMotionListener{

public rms_frame(){

//^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^//VARIABLES TO CUSTOMIZE

//Graph variables//purpose is to format correct point to graph panel//pixel correction variable, this value adusts the position of the graph on

the screen.//a lower value will result in a graph that is higher on the screen

//current value for y, basically here we are starting off currentY at zero

/ /Initialize variables value:

//current tank level//equilibrium 'low' level//equilibrium 'high level

//is the tank draining yet, after it reaches the 'high' equilibrium point, drain yet variable will be set to 1

//once it then reaches the low equilibrium point it will be set to 0 again

//these values can be changed to change the display//time per read in seconds//in milliseconds, how often are we going through block of code

//maximum possible range of the y value, the range will be from 0 to this number

//the rate at which water our 'leechfield' process effluent//essentially this is the rate that water is leaving our septic system

//when multiplied by 100 this is a percent value of our tanks capcity when this value is reached the caution warning is displayed to the screen

//when multiplied by 100 this is a percent value of our tanks capcity when this value is reached the danger warning is displayed to the screen

//functions to implement: //^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

//set up icon and title

//Create and set up Content Pane in order to add panels to the frame

// create the graphPanel

// create the information panel

// Set Initial Water Level in Tank

// create the button panel

// create exit event listener

// set the mouse listeners

// add buttons to panels and set event listeners

// tank pump button

// add the panels to the rms_panel

// start timer

}

private ActionListener taskPerformer = new ActionListener(){

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt){

// TESTING BY CHANGING meter_value//meter_value assigned by calling readMeter();

//set currentY value, ...has there been a meter read?

//yreal stores the ml value of the current point//as opposed to the value that is graphed//this is neccesary because of the coordinate system that is used

in swing

//tell the information panel what the value of the current rate of flow is

//IF THE CURRENT POINT IS MORE THAN THE MIN VAL ALLOWED//then make the current value 0//or in this mixed up coordinate system make it the max...

//correct currentY for the coordinate system in swing

//IF THE CURRENT POINT IS LESS THAN THE MAX VAL ALLOWED//then make the current value the max value//or in this messed up coordinate system max it 0...

//if you are over the equlibrium high point

//else if you are draining but need to stop draining

//else if you are draining and have yet to reach the equlibrium low point

//else if you are not draining yet or at a point where you need to drain//then add to the value that is in the tank

//if you are within cautionlevel% of capacity//then set the caution flag

//if you are within dangerlevel% of capacity//then set the warning flag

}};

// Mouse Detection Functions

public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e){

}

public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e){

//setMeter();}

public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e){

//setMeter();

}

}}

public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent e){}

public void mouseExited(MouseEvent e){}

public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent e){}

public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent e){}

public void setMeter(){}

//variables used aboveprivate graphPanel gp;private infoPanel ip;private JPanel buttonPanel;private int valmax, decrease_rate, delay, graph_offset;private int drainyet, time;private double total_in_tank, equlibriumhigh, equlibriumlow, currentY, yreal,

cautionlevel, dangerlevel;private double oldYvalue, meter_value;

private Double tempusage;//this variable is simply used as a value holder for variables of type Double

// Mouse Listening Variablesprivate int b2mask;private boolean buttonDown ;private long firstClick;private long secondClick;private long totalTime;private JLabel statusBar;

}

// ***************** class ExitAction *************************************

class ExitAction implements ActionListener{

public void actionPerformed( ActionEvent e ){

// exits application

}}

// ***************** class graphPanel ***************************************

class graphPanel extends JPanel{

public graphPanel(){ //initialize the three linked lists used in the class

//each linked list represents an x or a y coordinate to a particluar line}

public void paintComponent(Graphics g){

//if the basic mode is chosen

//draw the axis

//draw the axis labels

//print out the graph//if this is not the first point draw a line between the last and this point

//set currentYpoint value

//set oldYpoint value}

}}

//if graph button is on

//if time button is on

//if graph and time button are on}

}

public void setPoint( double pointy){

//add information sent to gp into the arrays//note that not all values are neccesary...maybe later i will take them out

//remove old values if they are no longer needed

call repaint();}

//what type of display will we see//this function will only be called for values between 2-4

public void set_text(int valuesent){

whichdispval=valuesent;

repaint();}

public int get_display(){

}

///variables private double currentYpoint, oldYpoint;

private Double tempholder;private int counter, max_points, offsetYaxis, increment_val;private int whichdispval;private LinkedList ylist;

}

// ******************* class infoPanel *******************************************

class infoPanel extends JPanel{ //set up info panel

public infoPanel(){

// set up Alert Panel

// set up flow rate information

// set up capacity level information

// set up total water

}

public void setFlow( double m ){

}

public void setCapacityLvl( double c ){

} //set up alert levels

public void setAlert( int alert ){

Alert Level: [ OK ]\n"); [ CAUTION ]\n"); [ DANGER ]\n");

}

public void setWaterLevel( double waterLevel )

{

}

private JPanel flowPanel;private JTextArea mL_Text;private JLabel alertLvl, capacity_Text;private double mL, mL_aboveEquillibriumLow, mL_aboveEquillibriumHigh, totalWater,

mL_aboveEquillibrium;private int DEFAULT_HEIGHT, DEFAULT_WIDTH;

}

D. Evaluate/TestCode inspections will be used to evaluate the software code before official testing.

Testing will be performed as in a simulation environment.

Each test case should contain just one test objective for that area of testing.

Testing objectives:

Check input value validation by using a random generated numbers to mimic meter

values.

Check timing of meter reads

Check to see if all mathematics functions and equations give correct output

Check correctness of all variable values and if property used

Check to see if alert levels correspond correctly based on measurements

Test user menu functionality

II. Interface (Hardware)

A. DesignThe RMS system consists of the following hardware:

1. Two water meters equipped with pulse-code output to allow measurements per gallon.

2. PS2 port connection (modified mouse connection)

3. Display device

4. Power source

5. Installation accessories (wiring, embedded systems kits, tools and etc.)

The RMS system was designed so that there will be a water meter that connects to the

house main water supply line to measure the water intake for the home/building. The other meter

will be connected to the external water line where water does not leave the home and enter the

septic system. Each water meter will use a mouse PS2 port connection to interface it with the

display device. (***Refer to the functional diagram)

B. Build The system will be built in three individual sub phases. The three sub phases are required

to integrate the hardware interface. First phase is to develop the PS2 port connections for each

meter. The circuit board in mouse will need to be removed and modified. A kit for embedded

systems will be used to burn the EPROM’s. Once the PS2 connections are developed then the

meter installation phase begin. Connect and mount to the meter to the intake pipeline. Then

connect the water meter for the intake line to a 120-volt power source. Next, mount and connect

the second meter to the external pipeline. Connect this meter to the power source. Once this is

finished the display device installation phase begins. First run the PS2 connections from the

installed water meters to connect to the port on the display device motherboard. Next, run the

necessary power supply and connect to the display device before mounting the display device to

the wall near the thermostat in the home/building.

C. TestTest to check if PS2 connection is connected and works properlyTest to check if the meters are properly connected and poweredTest to check if the display device is powered(To test the power connections use a voltage tester)

III. Integration

A. PlanOnce the software has been tested by simulation and the hardware is all installed and

tested there is an integration process that will be performed. After the entire hardware interface

has been integrated and tested the software must be integrated with the hardware interface. The

hardware integration requires that the water meter integrate with the PS2 port of the device

display. The software will be installed on the display device so that it integrates with the water

meter through the PS2 port.

B. Test PlanTo test the system after full integration requires several months of testing in the

home/building environment. The main integration test plan concept is to test to see whether the

water meter is communicating correctly with the software. The test will focus first on whether or

not the water meter pulse signal is transmitted to the PS2 port. The next focus is whether the

software correctly reads that port on the motherboard. After those test objectives are confirmed

to be working correctly, then testing will be performed to check whether the meter is giving valid

meter read input values and that the software is reading those valid inputs correctly.

C. Identification of ProblemsIn the lab prototype development we have identified a propagation of error in accuracy

due the meter limitation of reads per liter. The prototype system was scaled down from the real

system, so it uses measurement on a milliliter scale. This is where the error in accuracy occurs.

In the real system the measurements are in gallons. The water meters have the capability of

producing a meter read every gallon, which will make the system accurate since no conversion is

required in the software.

D. Stress testingTest the quality and tolerance of the hardware components.Test temperature tolerance Test fragile toleranceTest the tolerance of intake water pressure Test power source and power failure affects

IV. Evaluation Plan

System Concept Reviews

• This is a review and approval of the recommended system concept configured to satisfy the

system requirements document.

The SCR is the decision point to proceed with the development of the system specification.

Technical Reviews

• Evaluates the direction taken in design, development, and testing of the project

• Includes System Design Review (SDR) and Critical Design Reviews (CDR)

Quality Reviews

• Evaluate the processes used by team members to perform tasks

• Evaluate deliverables for compliance with contractual requirements

• Recommend corrective and preventive actions if necessary

• Includes the Test Readiness Reviews(TRR) and Release Readiness Reviews(RRR)

Periodical Reporting

• Used to track progress of the project

Proven Methods and/or ProceduresDue to the prototype that the current RMS team has developed there is now a wealth of

knowledge that will be beneficial to future RMS designers. The analysis of the situations that came

about during the development of the prototype is therefore important to future development of the

production model of RMS as it will help future developers of the product avoid the same mistakes that

we made in the development.

In the evaluation of what we accomplished there are three key areas that will need to be

reviewed. The first of these areas is the software required for the RMS system. The second of these

areas is the physical hardware that was used on the prototype. A final critically important analysis of the

integration of both of these components will also be conducted.

Proven Method Objectives:

1. Provide Insight to the Sampling Rates2. Define How Best to Test the System3. Explain How we get a Signal4. Explain How Water Rates can Affect the System5. How Best to Graph6. How we get Meter Updates in the Prototype7. Explain Issues with Equilibrium and Drain Rates

I. SoftwareThe initial software development for the RMS system seemed trivial so it is easy to understand

that anyone looking at this project may believe that the remaining software development is of a trivial

nature. This assumption however would be out of line as there is still a large amount of coding left to

do for the final project. In order to better show this an analysis of the existing software will help

those who are new to the RMS project gain an understanding of the inherent software’s complexity.

This study will look at in detail different parts of the software. Each of these critical elements to

the final design had unexpected problems occur with it.

A. Sampling RatesThe first part of the software to be analyzed is the rate at which it samples from the

hardware. The original design of the software called for the hardware to send a pulse every

second to the software. This pulse would then be converted into a milliliter per second value.

The problem with this however is that there is no hardware available on the market today

that will deliver such an output. The problem with the lack of proper hardware will be examined

in greater depth later. At this point only the software will be analyzed in depth. This change in

hardware in the system did change the requirements for the software drastically and decreased

accuracy because of how the software worked.

We were eventually able to overcome this difficulty by redesigning the software. The

software will now receive a pulse from the meter ever 15-60 seconds depending on how fast the

water is flowing through our system. In our prototype this causes for huge percent errors. The

good thing is that when this error will be transferred to the final RMS product the error will not

increase in size and will therefore decrease remarkably in the size of the percent error because of

the increased size of a real septic tank.

B. Testing MethodologyDuring the testing of the software the RMS team became aware of multiple intricacies in

the necessary design of RMS that we had not yet been anticipated. One of these additional

complexities was the complexity of a sewer system. Other testing issues came up because of the

inherent lack of accuracy in our system as described earlier.

We had not anticipated in our original software design a critical element to the design of

a septic system. Instead of there being a single point where the water starts and stops draining

there are indeed two separate points. This little complexity was easy enough to add into the

code. It is however another example of unexpected characteristics that the RMS system would

have to deal with in order to become an effective system.

The issues with the inaccuracy of the RMS software were not solved in the software even

after testing. With existing hardware however it is impossible to achieve any greater accuracy

than we already have done. However as explained before because the size of the septic system

will increase but the size of the error will not the inaccuracy that is inherent in the prototype will

not be problematic for the production version of RMS. This is simply because the percent error

will be miniscule.

II. HardwareThe hardware for the RMS system gave us innumerable problems. All of the major problems

dealt with the meter that we used. The meter that we were able to find did not meet our initial criteria

for a meter. We were therefore forced to compensate through having less accuracy in the prototype.

A. Electronic Meter InterfaceThe problem that was the most difficult in terms of hardware was in getting the meter to

properly interface with the computer used in the prototype. Please see attachment 4 for an initial

design. This problem existed almost exclusively on the hardware side of the development of the

RMS prototype. This is not to say however that we did not have problems getting the software

to display useful results with the data, but that is a different issue.

Our original design, shown in Figure

2, for an interface with the computer

involved a highly technical understanding

of electrical engineering. The plan was to

basically create the hardware from scratch

to use as a listening and transmitting

device between the meter and the

computer. The development of this

interface however proved to be too

complex to be able to be nailed down

perfectly. Given enough time the interface might have actually worked.

Luckily for us however after

a few weeks of developing the

interface an idea came to our

hardware designer (Figure 3).

This idea would greatly simplify

the interface and it would lose

none of the data that was being

Figure 3

Figure 2

transmitted by the meter. This idea was rig a mouse, shown in Figure 4, so that each pulse of the

meter was recorded by electrical signals sent to the mouse and from the mouse to the computer.

This ingenious solution is something that we highly recommend any future developers of

RMS to use. That is we

recommend

that they use existing

hardware

wherever

possible.

B. Throughput (speed) of Water

Another

problem that we had

during the prototype of

RMS was the speed with which the water flowed through the system. Since the meter that we

use only records a pulse twice for every liter of water that enters the system a fast flow of water

is needed in order to accurately show everything that RMS is capable of doing.

The RMS prototype however dealt with small amounts of water. On average it takes

about a minute seconds for a full liter of water to go through our system. That means we are

only getting data from the meter at an average rate of twice per minute. This in the production

version of RMS would obviously be unacceptable.

This error will not show up in the production version as prevalently however because of

once again the error of scale. By this I mean that while the size of the septic system will be

about 100 times larger than our prototype our data transmission rate, data sent per liter, will

remain the same.

This means that on average we can expect to get many more reads per minute because the

septic system user will rarely use small amounts of water that RMS will not instantly be able to

track. Even more importantly when they do only use a tiny amount of water we are not 100%

concerned with it because we are still recording the data it is just that the user will not receive

Figure 4

notice that it has been placed into the septic tank until a few seconds later. The RMS system is

not going to track the septic system within a few milliliters so such error is ok.

III. Integration NotesIn integrating the software and hardware of the RMS system there was a good deal of problems.

The most serious of these problems dealt solely with the lacking qualities of the meter. Another

problem that we encountered when interfacing was getting an appropriate graph to show up.

A. Graph PlottingThere were problems in displaying the information correctly in the graph when we began

integration testing. This was largely because the results given by the meter were not

approximated accurately before integration testing occurred.

Most of the troubles of displaying the correct information however was little things that

when taken together proved to be a huge deal. It took many hours of experimentation and data

collection, much more than we would have predicted. The results of all of this integration testing

have provided a robust prototype model of RMS.

B. Meter UpdatesThe meter specific

integration issues that plagued us

in the software and hardware side

of the prototype were the same

issues that we encountered in

integration of the two components.

Figure 5

C. Site Specific

i) Equilibrium VariablesIn the prototype, we had to simulate a 24 period by setting up two equilibrium states.

One high and one low to help the software simulate a real environment as shown in Figure 5.

The suction was provided by closing off a path for air to get through the top of the tee

connector. This has proven to be quite effective and helped to establish the drain rate for this

system.

ii) Drain RateThe drain rate for the prototype was found to vary depending on the level of water in

the tank. The higher the level of water, an increased drain rate was noted. The software system

would adjust for this situation.

Design DetailsThis section is to help answer detail oriented questions about the software and/or hardware.

Objectives in Design1. Discuss the graphics plotting2. Discuss the analysis engine3. Set bounds on the user interface4. Refine the Input modes and types5. Discuss the Interface unit size and limitations6. Embedded System Board7. Discuss the display8. What the meter requires for normal operation9. Interfacing issues

I. SoftwareThe final RMS Septic Monitoring System’s software will have increased functionality and bounds

checking from that of the prototype. Snippets of code from the prototype software may be used for

illustration purposes. This is to give a reference and an outline only. The implementation details are left

to the software development team.

A. Graph PlottingThe plotting of the graphics will directly represent that of the meter indication based on

the currently selected Graph Type. Points plotted on the graphics unit are subject to change

based on the math engine. This is to ensure an accurate representation of historical data based on

new inputs.

The prototype code at this point does not provide this functionality. Implementation of

this code will be done via a new function call within the software of the graphics layer. The call

should be similar to CubicSpline(). This function will pull the last two history values along with

the current value and determine the best fit polynomial. Figure 6 is a Mathcad version of the

algorithm that is provided. This should directly translate to C++/Java.

For further explanation please refer to the text Numerical Analysis by Burden and Faires

on page 146.

Figure 6

B. Mathematical AnalysisThe mathematical analysis will be primarily responsible for the determination of volume within

the septic tank based on input from the main water line and usage characteristics of the users

within the house. One way to determine tank levels will be to use Simpson’s Rule in determining

total water usage. Figure 7 represents the basic formula.

b = t0

a = t0-1

n = 2

Figure 7

C. User Interface LayoutThe user interface layout has been well defined in section I.A.iii) with both user and initial

installation. See attachment 2 for all screens covered for the main menu. For the general layout,

use the skeleton code from the RMS prototype. // create the graphPanel

gp = new graphPanel();

Border border;

TitledBorder titled;

titled = BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("RMS Graphical Display");

gp.setBorder( titled );

contentPane.add( gp, BorderLayout.CENTER );

// create the information panel

ip = new infoPanel();

titled = BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("RMS InfoPanel");

ip.setBorder( titled );

contentPane.add( ip, BorderLayout.EAST );

//enter menu layout and attributes here within rms_frame

D. InputMost issues concerning input have been covered. We want to provide some final notes

about aesthetics and being user friendly with respect to installation mode, user mode, and the

meter interface menu.

i) InstallationThe installation menu should be a one time, first install menu. There is an option to go

to this menu through the Config… option under Mode in the main menu. The installation

option should be password protected. Choosing this option will reset the system based on

option input from the user.

ii) UserUser mode of the system is the continuous mode of the RMS Monitor. This will

provide full analysis functionality and provide the user with various display options of the

indicated data. Leaving the user mode will not guarantee protection of historical data. This is a

software implementation issue that should be considered by the development team. If the user

goes to an installation mode, the user mode data should be destroyed. For options such as

adding a meter, the historical data should be preserved.

iii) MeterMeter input to the system is facilitated by the MouseListener of the Java programming

language. This is done by tracking the PushButton and ReleaseButton of the mouse. Using a

three button mouse, we can attach three meter simultaneously. We do this by determining what

button was doing the action in the MouseListener. The following code is of PushButton and

ReleaseButton within the MouseListener event.public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e){

if((e.getModifiers() & b2mask) == b2mask){firstClick = e.getWhen(); //time value at meterbuttonDown = true;//setMeter();if(firstClick != 0 && secondClick !=0){

if(firstClick - secondClick <= 0)meter_value = 600.00;

elsemeter_value = (double)((600.00) / ((firstClick -

secondClick)/1000.00));}

}}

public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e){if((e.getModifiers() & b2mask) == b2mask){

secondClick = e.getWhen(); //time value at metertotalTime = secondClick - firstClick;buttonDown = false;//setMeter();if(totalTime > 0){

if(secondClick - firstClick <= 0)meter_value = 400.00;

elsemeter_value = (double)((400.00)/((secondClick - firstClick)/1000.00));

}}

}

II. Liquid Crystal Display Interface UnitFor the RMS prototype, the interface unit of the system had been researched but not

implemented. It will be the responsibility of the RMS development team lead by the electrical

engineer to develop a working model based on the guidelines set forth in this document. Price must

be kept to that defined in the Budget Whitepaper for the interface unit.

A. Unit Requirements and Size Limitations by PartThis section will detail information learned and give limitations to the items used for the

motherboard, central processing unit, RAM, display, and power.

i) MotherboardThis will be the heart of the embedded computer. The defined unit of choice by the

RMS team is the Advanced 486Mhz PC/104 Embedded PC part number SBC1490. The data

sheet for this item is located in the Manufacturers Data Sheet #2. The embedded pc provides

the IO and upgrade ability required.

(a) I.O. SubsystemThe most important part of the IO subsystem is the serial/PS/2 mouse interface. This

is how the RMS monitor gets the values of the meters. This board provides one PS/2 port

and two serial ports. This will give RMS the ability to provide up to nine meters on one

system. The basic system will be two, but there is room for upgrade ability.

(b) Upgrade AbilityUpgrade ability give RMS an edge in today’s market. We provide a basic system

and offer upgrades to the system. The type of upgrades can be in both hardware and

software. The hardware upgrades could be as simple as adding a new meter. The software

upgrades could be in a new interface or an updated mathematics engine. By designing the

system with upgrades in mind, we can extend the lifecycle of the RMS Septic Monitoring

System.

ii) Central Processing Unit (CPU)The central processing unit for the RMS monitor will be at lease a 386Mhz with a math

co-processor. This is the minimum requirement for proper operation of the system. There is no

upper-bound on processing speed. The upper-limit will be a function of funds.

iii) Random Access Memory (RAM)Random Access Memory for the RMS Monitor will have a minimum of 16Mbytes for

storage of an embedded version of Linux and the RMS Operating program. The upper-bound

of RAM is the same as the CPU.

iv) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)The chosen LCD display by the RMS team is the F-51161NCU-FW-AA provided by

Optrex Corp.. See manufacturer data sheet 3 for details of this display device. The general

requirements of the display device is to provide the proper level of resolution for the graphic

subsystem. The display must be in color and have dimensions around 250x150. If the RMS

Interface goes into cost overruns, the display can be adjusted to a monochrome, backlit device.

This option should be the last of considerations.

The display must also go into a blank condition after a five minute period of inactivity.

This will add to the life of the LCD and not attract attention all the time. During a Red Alert

status, the LCD should stay active until a lesser alert status arrives.

v) PowerThe power to the RMS Monitor is 115VAC. A power adapter will have to provide +/- 5

volts DC and +/- 12 volts DC. This can either be a custom power supply using a step-down

transformer or COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) equipment.

B. Meter Requirements and Size Limitations

i) ManufacturerThe manufacturer of the RMS meters will be DLJ meters. These have been proven to

provide the functionality that the RMS system requires.

ii) Pulse CodeAll meters implemented in the final product will be tested for pulse-code duration and

maximum water handling rate. If differences are noted, the software will have to compensate

for different meters.

iii) UnitsUnits for meters will be of three possibilities. The different meter types the RMS

system will handle are US Gallons, Liters, and Cubic Meters. The code for the software will be

developed so that the implementation of this feature will be simple for the user to change.

iv) LocationThe location of the main water meter will be after the main shutoff valve to the house

and before division of water lines occur to the house. The second water meter will be place

inline with the pipe feeding an outside water spout. This meter will be before the valve on the

outside of the structure.

v) MountingMounting of the DLJ water meters will be in either a horizontal or vertical position and

stabilized with mounting brackets at the water pipe connections. This will assure accuracy in

water measurements.

C. Hardware Interfacing

i) Cable Length LimitationsThe length of cable to each meter should be no longer than 250 feet. This is to reduce

the possibility of signal loss to the RMS Monitor. If given an improper indication, the

mathematics engine will throw a flag to the system that something is wrong. This will be

displayed as text on the status bar. If given this indication after installation. The RMS

interface unit will have to be repositioned within the structure.

ii) Mouse CardThe mouse used in the prototype was a GE mouse with a cost of $5 dollars. If a

supplier of the mouse circuit board cannot be found, we recommend taking the circuit board out

of purchased GE mice and install into the RMS Monitor. This is a low cost solution that will

allow three mouse circuit boards to be connected to the embedded computer at one time.

This concludes the Design Details section of the RMS Specifications document. The

information contained within this document should provide a roadmap to the full scale production of the

RMS Septic Monitoring System. The following is a parts list of required installation items.

Parts ListQuantity Item1 Case1 Meter and Case Mounting Hardware1 486Mhz Embedded Computer (SBC1490)1 LCD/Keyboard Interface (MPC201)1 LCD display (F-51161NCU-FW-AA)1 Mouse Circuit Board2 DLJ Water Meters (DLJSJ50C)200’ Meter Cable

Attachment 1

Attachment 2

Attachment 3

Attachment 4

Attachment 5

Manufacturers Data Sheets