TankSentinel Online Userâ€™s Guide

User’s Guide Revision 1, March 2010

TankSentinel Online version 3.0

TankSentinel Online User’s Guide

Copyright

Copyright © 2010 TankSentinel Corporation. All rights reserved. Prophet, Prophet

UST, Prophet Foresight, and TankSentinel Online are trademarks or registered

trademarks of TankSentinel Corporation. Adobe Flash Player is the property of

Adobe Systems, Inc. Microsoft ® Office Excel and Internet Explorer are the property

of Microsoft Corporation. Other trademarks mentioned are the property of their

respective owners.

RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to

restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and

Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013.

Notwithstanding any other license agreement that may pertain to, or accompany the

delivery of, this computer software, the rights of the United States Government

regarding its use, reproduction, and disclosure are as set forth in the Commercial

Computer Software-Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO USERS

THIS SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, AND DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED BY

TELULAR CORPORATION AS IS AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,

INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF

MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE

DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL TANKSENTINEL, OR ITS AFFILIATES,

SUBSIDIARIES OR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,

INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES

(INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS

OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)

HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN

CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR

OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE,

EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Contents

Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3

Chapter 1: Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

About TankSentinel Online ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 Software Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 TankSentinel Business Process --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

Software Navigation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Selecting Your Organization ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Performing a Global Search ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Contacting Your System Administrator -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

Chapter 2: Organizational Structure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11

Setting Up an Organization --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

Adding a Location ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

Moving a Tank to a New Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

Adding a User --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

Defining User Access ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18

Chapter 3: Managing Your Tanks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

Setting Up a New Tank --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Entering Tank Setup Parameters ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Assigning a Client Unit to its Host --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Calibrating TankSentinel Online with the Sensor -------------------------------------------------------------------- 26

Adjusting Set Points ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 Recalculating Tank Readings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

Updating Host and Client Units ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28

Setting Up a Call Schedule ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

Setting Up Alarms --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 Defining Tank Alarm Parameters ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 Choosing Device Alarm Triggers------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 33 Selecting Tank Alarm Email Recipients --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34

Exchanging the Remote Telemetry Unit ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35

Chapter 4: Viewing Tank Data--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37

Viewing the Tank Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 Working with the Tank List Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 Adding Columns to the Tank List Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39

Viewing Tank Details ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 40

Viewing Tank History ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44

Recording a Manual Tank Reading------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 46

Appendix A: Application Data Sheet ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 47

Index--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49

Chapter 1: Introduction


In this chapter, you will learn how to:

Log on to TankSentinel Online

Identify parts of the main screen

Choose an organization

Perform a global search

Send an email to the system administrator

About TankSentinel Online

TankSentinel Online ™ is a solution that allows you to monitor your tanks remotely.

The application can accommodate a variety of needs to suit each user. For example,

one customer may use TankSentinel to monitor remote storage tank levels in order

to refill them in a timely and efficient manner. Another customer may be interested

in monitoring the usage of bulk inventory against sales. Such a report could assist

with audits of the supplier’s reported tank fill ups.

Distributors have varying needs. They can use the TankSentinel solution for fleet

management and efficiency, to maintain customer loyalty, and to avoid internal

misuse of deliverables. TankSentinel software is secure, so your distributors can view

their own tank inventory only.

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The TankSentinel software is used in conjunction with the cellular tank-monitoring

unit installed at the tank site. When your storage tank levels are low, the remote

telemetry unit sends a cellular signal to the TankSentinel Network Operations center,

updating the TankSentinel software. TankSentinel can then send you an email alarm

alert indicating which tanks need to be refilled. You can easily check your current

inventory status at the secure TankSentinel website and enter a replenishment order,

scheduled to arrive before your customer reaches safety margin inventory levels.

Software Requirements

TankSentinel Online supports Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 7.0 or higher.

Adobe Flash Player, version 10 is required for advance portal functionality, but the

portal can be used without Flash.

This manual supports TankSentinel Online, version 3.0.



TankSentinel Business Process

The TankSentinel solution involves two scenarios. In the first scenario, your company

may sell Remote Telemetry Units (RTUs) to a distributor, who re-sells the units to the

end user. Your company will follow the process outlined in the following diagram.

In the second scenario, your company may sell Remote Telemetry Units directly to

the end user, in which case you would complete the following process as well.

Move Tanks to New Stock Location

Create Stock Location for

New Organization

Create New Organization in

TankSentinel Online

Verify Software Tank Levels Against

Tranmission from RTU

System Administrator Sets Up Tank in

TankSentinel Online

Installer Calls TankSentinel Online

Administrator

Install RTU on Tank

Move Tanks to Tank Location



Software Navigation

To log into the TankSentinel Online software, perform the following steps:

1. In your Internet browser, enter the following URL:

www.tankdateonline.com/tankdata

2. Enter your User Name and Password.

The TankSentinel Home page will appear.

TankSentinel Main screen

The TankSentinel home page is comprised of four main sections: the User Profile

links, Menu Bar, Search Bar, and Summary section.

The User Profile links allow you to log in to or out of the TankSentinel

software, modify your profile information, and provide administrative contact

information.

The Menu Bar gives you access common user functions, such as, managing

your tanks, organizations, users, and locations.

The Search Bar allows you to search for tanks by MIN number, serial number,

tank name, or location.

The Summary section gives you a snapshot picture of your tank status,

important alarm statistics, and quick access to your reports.

System Messages are displayed at the top of every screen in the software. Required

fields are designated with a red asterisk (*).



Selecting Your Organization

The first step, after logging on to the system, is to verify that the currently-selected

organization is the one you want to work with.

To change the current organization, perform the following steps:

1. Click on the Currently Selected Organization located on the upper right hand

side of the screen, just below the User Profile links.

Note: You must click on the organization selection icon.

The Select Organization screen will appear.

Select Organization screen

2. Select the desired organization and click the Select button.

Information displayed in the Summary section of the Home page will be

refreshed.

If you want to view information for your organization and all its child organizations,

check the Include Child Organizations check box, which is located below the

Summary section of the TankSentinel Home page.



Performing a Global Search

Use the global search feature to search for a specific tank or a group of tanks within

the organizations that you have access to. You can search for a tank by entering the

first few numbers or letters of the tank identifier or location name. For example, if

you want to search for all tanks beginning with the numbers “101,” enter “101” in the

search box.

To search for a tank, perform the following steps:

1. On the search bar, choose your search criteria: the MIN Number, Serial Number,

Tank Name, or Location.

2. Enter the full or beginning characters of the tank name or number in the search

text box.

3. Click the Global Search button.

Your results will appear in the Summary section of the screen.

4. Click on a Tank Name to go directly to the TankSentinel Details for that tank.

Contacting Your System Administrator

You can easily send an email to your TankSentinel system administrator by clicking

on the Administrative Contact link located directly beneath the User Profile links.

When you click the contact’s name, your default email application will open with the

contact’s email address in the recipient’s field. To designate an administrative

contact, see Adding a User, in chapter 2. The administrative contact can be different

for each software user.

Chapter 2: Organizational Structure



Add organizations to the system

Add tank locations

Move tanks from stock to other locations

Add TankSentinel users

Grant user permissions

Setting Up an Organization

Organizations in TankSentinel Online follow a hierarchical structure. The Parent

Organization (your company) will already be set up for you. If you have distributors,

your system administrator may set up a Sub-Organization for each distributor.

To add a new organization to TankSentinel, the system administrator will perform

the following steps:

1. From the menu bar, select Organizations to display the Organization List screen.

2. Click the Add New Organization button to display the Organization Details

screen.

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Organization Details

3. Enter your organization’s name, address, and other related information.

4. Click the Parent Organization icon to select the parent organization.

5. Click the Update Organizational Details button to save the screen.

You can now return to the Organization List screen to view the new organization.

The columns on this screen may be sorted by clicking on the column headings. To

change any information about the organization, click on the organization’s name on

the list.

Once you add an organization to the system, you cannot delete it. If an organization

is no longer used, clear the Active check box on the Organization Details screen.

Note: Remember to return to the Organization Details screen to assign a

Primary Contact after adding your system users.



Adding a Location

A tank location is a grouping of tanks at the same physical address.

To add a location, perform the following steps:

1. From the menu bar, select Locations to display the Location List screen.

2. Click the Add Location button to display the Location Details screen.

Location Details

3. Enter the new location name, address, and other related information.

Note: Location ID is generated by the system.

4. Click the Update Location button to save the location.



Moving a Tank to a New Location

All new RTUs that have not been assigned or sold to a customer will be in a Stock

location under your parent organization. The units will have a generic profile to

identify that these have not yet been assigned or set up for a particular tank. This

will allow you to easily identify new units in stock.

When your distributor purchases tanks, you should move the tanks from your

organization’s Stock location to your distributor’s Stock location. Your distributor, in

turn, will move the tank to the desired field location.

Note: If you do not have a distributor, you can move the tank directly from your

Stock location to the field location.

The procedure described in this section is used to perform any of the following

functions:

Move a tank from your Stock location to your distributor’s location.

Move a tank from Stock to a physical field location.

Move a tank from one physical location to another.

Move a tank from one organization to another.

To move a tank from one location to another, perform the following steps:

1. From the menu bar, select Locations to display the Location List screen.

2. Click on a location within your organization to display the Location Details

screen.

Move Tanks to this Location link



3. Click the Move Tanks To This Location link.

The Move Tanks screen appears.

Move Tanks

4. Select the tank(s) you wish to move. Expand the location node (+), if necessary,

to view the tanks.

Note: You can only see tanks within the current organization or below. If you

change the Currently Selected Organization, the destination location and

organization on this screen will change and you must select the location again

before you can move the tank.

5. Choose the new organization as the Destination Organization.

6. Choose the new location as the Destination Location.

7. Click the Move Tanks button.

A message will appear at the top of the screen indicating that your tanks were

moved successfully.



Adding a User

The final step in setting up an organization is deciding who will have access to the

TankSentinel Online software and what type of access they will have.

Note: The user will be added to the organization displayed as the Currently

Selected Organization, located at the top right of the screen. If you want to add

a user to a different organization, make sure to first change organizations. Refer

to Software Navigation in Chapter 1.

When you add a user, you will have an option to choose “Speed Over Function.” This

option eliminates the need to download and install Adobe Flash components in

order to use TankSentinel Online. In addition, it improves response time on the Tank

Details screen.

Another option when adding a user is the tank units override. Each tank can be

independently configured to use a different unit of measure. However, some

employees within an organization, because of their job function, may want to see all

tanks represented in the same unit of measure. The Override All Tank Units check

box enables the feature, and the Tank Units Override allows you to select the

preferred unit of measure for this user only.

To add a user, perform the following steps:

1. From the menu bar, select Users to display the Users and Groups screen.

2. Click the Add New User button to display the User Detail screen.

User Detail



3. Enter the user’s name and personal information.

Note: The address will default from the current organization’s address.

4. Choose a unique User Name / Logon ID to identify the user. The user name

must be unique to the system, not to the organization.

5. Select the Expired Password check box if you want the user to reset his

password upon first logon.

6. Select the measurement type, either English or Metric.

7. Select Timezone the user is in and indicate whether Daylight Savings is

observed in this time zone. All times in TankSentinel Online will be displayed in

the user’s own time zone.

8. Select the Override All Tank Units check box to view information for all tanks

using the same unit of measurement regardless of tank setup.

Note: This selection applies only to this user, and not to all users in the

organization.

9. Select the preferred unit of measurement for all tanks from the Tank Units

Override drop-down list (e.g. volume in gallons).

Note: This field will only be available if you selected Override All Tank Units.

10. Select the Choose Speed over Function check box to disable the use of Adobe

Flash.

Before saving the new user information, you must either create a password or

request a system-generated password. See steps 11 and 12.

User Detail – Set Password

11. In the Set Password pane of the User Detail screen, create a Password for the

user and confirm the password.

Note: The password must contain at least five characters.



12. Click the Notify User button, in the Permissions pane, if you want the system to

generate a password for you and send the user an email with the password.

Note: You must select the Has Web Access check box for the Notify User

button to appear on the screen.

Note: The Notify User button will force the password to expire upon first logon.

13. Click the Update User Detail and Password button to save your new user

information.

Important: You cannot delete a user from TankSentinel Online. If a user is no

longer needed, clear the Active check box on the User Detail screen.

Defining User Access

You can add different types of users to TankSentinel Online. Some users will only

receive email alerts when certain tank alarm conditions are met, but will never

actually use the software. Some users will be able to log on to TankSentinel only to

view tank information. And some will be able to edit information in the system.

If a user can edit information, you need to define what type of information he can

edit. In the Permissions pane, you can choose one or more of the following options:

Manage Tanks

Manage Users

Manage Organizations

Manage Alarms

Manage Call Schedule

Each option will add a corresponding menu to the TankSentinel Online Menu Bar.

The Manage Organizations option also gives the user access to manage Locations.

Enable Global Organization Permissions allows a user to access all Organizations,

Locations, and Tanks below the currently-selected organization. You cannot give

yourself Global Organization rights; you can only select this option for other users

that you have access to if you were given this option when your user profile was

created. If you choose to enable global organizations for a user, there is no need to

establish user-level rights.

In the Grant Additional Permissions pane, you can grant individual rights at the

Organization, Location, or Tank level. If you select an organization, the user will be

able to view all locations and tanks for the organization you select. If you choose a

location, the user will be able to access information for all tanks at that specific



location only and no other locations. If you choose a tank, the user can only access

information for that particular tank.

Note: Group Permissions are for administrative purposes only.

To grant software permissions to a user, perform the following steps:

1. Scroll down to the Permissions pane of the User Detail screen.

User Detail – Permissions

2. Select the type of access desired for this user. Has Web Access allows the user

to logon to the system to either view or manage data. If you want to give a user

view-only rights, select this option only and none of the Manage options.

3. Specify if you want the user to be able to Manage Alarms, Manage Tanks,

Manage Call Schedule, Manage Users and/or Manage Organizations by

selecting the corresponding check box.

4. Select Enable Global Organization Permissions to give the user access to all

the tanks in their own organization, including sub-organizations. The user will be

able to view or edit the information depending on the permissions granted in

steps 2 – 3.

5. Click the Update User Details button to save the user permissions.

If you selected the Enable Global Organization Permissions option in step 4, stop

here. Otherwise, proceed to the following step.



6. Scroll down to the User Permissions Panel and expand the pane if necessary by

clicking on the (+) node.

7. In the Grant Additional Permissions pane, select which Organization, Location,

or Tanks this user will be allowed to view or manage.

8. Click the Grant Permission button next to the field you selected.

The selected permissions will appear above in the User Permissions pane.

User Detail – User Permissions

9. To remove a user-level permission, click the Remove link next to the permission.

Chapter 3: Managing Your Tanks



Set up a tank

Adjust tank settings

Assign client units with their host

Update host/client configurations

Define tank call schedules

Set up tank alarms

Exchange an RTU on a tank

Setting Up a New Tank

This section describes setting up a new tank in the TankSentinel Online application.

The procedures outlined in this section will be performed when the RTU is installed.

If the RTU is switched out at any time, the system must be recalibrated, and these

procedures can be repeated.

When field personnel install an RTU on a tank, they will call the TankSentinel Online

system administrator from the tank site to provide important tank details. The

installer may have the Application Data Sheet, located in Appendix A, on hand when

calling in the RTU installation.

The steps outlined in this manual may vary slightly depending on the RTU model

being set up. Please refer to the Installation Manual and User’s Guide for your

specific unit and model number.

Important: The installer should call his TankSentinel system administrator before

pressing the Start button on the RTU.

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Entering Tank Setup Parameters

To set up a tank for the first time, perform the following steps:

1. Display the Tank Details screen by completing one of the following actions:

Use the tank Serial Number (SN) or Mobile Identification Number

(MIN#) provided by the installer to perform a Global Search for the

tank to be set up in the application.

Alternately, select Tanks from the menu bar.

2. Click on the desired tank name in the Tank List Summary.

The Tank Details screen appears.

Tank Details

3. Click the Setup tab.

The Tank Setup screen appears.



Tank Setup

4. In the Telemetry Data pane, select a Tank Type, either Standard Horizontal

Cylinder or Standard Vertical Cylinder.

Note: For a tank with a shape that is not standard, such as a silo, contact your

system administrator for additional setup requirements.

5. Select the Inventory Units, such as volume in gallons.

6. Enter the Tank Height and Capacity.



7. Select the product in this tank from the Product List box. If the product does

not appear in the drop-down list box, enter a descriptive Product Text, such as

“Water,” and the corresponding Product SGU, for example “0.495.” SGU refers to

the specific gravity of the product in the tank.

8. Enter 10% of the tank volume in the Fill/Drain Detect Volume field.

9. Enter 5% of the tank volume in the Short Fill/Drain Detect Volume field.

Note: Fill and Short Fill/Drain Detect volumes are used to send out email alerts if

alarms have been set up for this tank and may be used to cause call outs from

devices when a certain level is reached in the tank if this feature is enabled for

the device being installed.

10. Enter a High Set Point High Set Point refers to the tank level equivalent when

the sensor is at its maximum output. Low Set Point refers to the tank level

equivalent when the sensor is at its minimum output.

Note: For integrated DP sensor models, these fields are not used and can remain

at zero.

11. In the General pane, enter a Tank Name.

12. Select a Transport Status from the dropdown list, if necessary. You may select

“Call site before filling tank” or “Do not fill tank.”

Note: The Transport Status field is a note for the user, and is informational only.

For example, the “Call site before filling tank” status alerts the product supplier

to call the site before filling the tank. This status appears on the Tank History

Inventory grid and on the Tank List Summary.

13. Enter any of the following optional fields: User Defined, Region, Route,

Transport Status, or Key Note. Region Name and Route Name will default

based on the Region and Route selected.

Note: These fields appear on the Tank Details screen, in the Tank Status pane

14. Enter any Tank Notes, if necessary. Tank notes are viewable by everyone who

has rights to view the tank.

15. Click the Save All button.

If this is a client unit, proceed to the following section, Assigning a Client Unit to its

Host.

Important: The installation technician can now press the Start button on the

RTU.



Assigning a Client Unit to its Host

The Prophet Foresight and Prophet Host (Version 4.5 or later) units support up to 10

Prophet clients that communicate with the Foresight unit via a proprietary WLAN

(wireless LAN). The host unit and the Prophet clients must be configured to use the

same frequency, and the clients must be assigned to the unit with their tank

numbers configured on the website.

Host and client telemetry units are assigned the same MIN number in the software

by your TankSentinel administrator. When you set up a host or client tank, you can

use a tank-naming convention that easily identifies the host and client devices, for

example, “Columbus – Host,” “Columbus – Client 1,” and “Columbus – Client 2.”

Note: This section applies only to Prophet UST and Prophet Foresight devices.

To set up a client RTU with its host, perform the following steps:

1. Remain on the Tank Setup screen.

2. In the Remote Telemetry Unit (Device) Setup pane, enter a Tank Number that is

unique to this host-client group.

Note: The User Tank ID default is “2” for all new tank setups.

3. Click the Save All button.

4. Click the Service tab to display the Tank Service screen.

Tank Service – Assign RTU Host Device

5. In the Assign RTU Host Device pane, enter the MIN # / RTU ID of the host unit.

Note: The Assign RTU Host Device pane is similar to the Swap RTU Device pane,

but serves a different purpose. Ensure that you are located on the correct pane.

6. Select a device name from the Host RTU drop down list.



7. Click Assign to assign this client telemetry unit to its host.

Calibrating TankSentinel Online with the Sensor

When the onsite installer presses the Start button on the RTU, all tank data will be

sent to the TankSentinel application. TankSentinel calculates tank inventory levels

based on data received from the RTU as well as data provided by the system

administrator in the Tank Setup screen during the previous procedure.

The onsite installer must provide the system administrator with a current level

reading. Occasionally, the onsite reading might not match the application’s

calculated inventory level. If this is the case, the system administrator will need to

make adjustments to the High and Low Set Points For integrated DP sensor models,

use the sensor offset to add a positive or negative offset to all future readings.

Important: If you change the High and Low Set points, you should change both

fields by the same amount. For example, to increase the level by 10 in. add 10 in.

to both the High Set Point and to the Low Set Point.

A tank volume discrepancy greater than 10 inches indicates a problem that cannot

be fixed by calibrating the software. The problem should be researched, and your

system administrator should be contacted.

Adjusting Set Points

To adjust tank set points, perform the following steps:

1. Select Tanks from the menu bar.

1. Click on a tank name in the Tank List Summary.


2. Click on the setup tab

3. Add or subtract to both the High Set Point and Low Set Point by the amount

you wish to raise or lower the software inch reading to match the reading

reported by the installer.

Note: For integrated DP sensor models, use the Sensor Offset field.

4. Click Save All.

Complete the following procedure, “Recalculating Tank Readings.”



Recalculating Tank Readings

If your tank setup information was incorrect at the time the RTU called in, you can

adjust the most recent software readings so that you do not lose the unit reading.

Since the TankSentinel software calculated all tank data based on erroneous settings,

TankSentinel will need to recalculate tank data. To do so, simply return to the Tank

Setup screen, and enter the correct settings in the Telemetry pane. The most recent

call can be recalculated based on the new values without the need for a second

transmission from the unit.

To adjust software tank data for incorrect setup information, perform the following

steps:

1. Return to the Tank Setup screen.

2. Enter the correct information in the Telemetry pane.

3. Click Save All.

Tank Setup – Current Readings

4. In the Current Readings pane, above the Telemetry Data pane, select the Update

Current Inventory on Submit check box.

5. Click Save All again.

The most recent call is recalculated based on the new values.



Updating Host and Client Units

If you own a Prophet UST or Prophet Foresight RTU, the modems are always on and

listening, in contrast to the battery-operated Prophet units. These units have a Call

on Demand feature that allows two-way communication between the TankSentinel

and the telemetry unit. TankSentinel can communicate with the RTU device remotely

at any time to take a current reading or change any settings on the RTU.

This section describes how to obtain a current tank reading for every client

associated with a host unit and how to update a unit with new configuration data.

These tasks can be performed by users with system administrator rights in the

software.

This section applies only to Prophet UST and Prophet Foresight devices.

To update host and client units, perform the following steps:

1. Select Tanks from the menu bar.

2. Select a host tank in the Tank List Summary.


3. Click the Setup tab to display the Tank Setup screen.

4. In the Current Readings pane, click the Update Now! button to obtain a current

tank reading for every client associated with the host unit.



Tank Setup – Update Now

5. Enter any configuration changes as necessary.

6. Click the Update Now! button again to send your changes to the client and host

units.

All client units associated with this host will be updated.

Note: The Tank Setup screen for a client unit displays a Host Tank Setup link

instead of an Update Now! button. Click the Host Tank Setup link to display the

Tank Setup screen for the host tank associated with this client.

Tank Setup – Host Tank Setup link



Setting Up a Call Schedule

Use a call schedule to define how often and when the RTU installed on a tank will

transmit a tank-level reading to the TankSentinel Online application. The unit will call

at regular intervals during pre-set times. Client units are updated based on their

hosts call schedule

Note: For a Prophet unit, limiting the number of times the RTU calls the

application will extend battery life.

To set up a call schedule, perform the following steps:

1. Select Tanks from the menu bar to display the Tank Details screen.

2. Select a host tank in the Tank List Summary.


3. Click the Setup tab to display the Tank Setup screen

4. Scroll down to the Call Schedule pane of the Tank Setup screen.

Tank Setup – Call Schedule

5. Select a Start Time to indicate the hour the RTU will make the first call of the

day.

6. In the Calls Per Day field, select how many times per day the unit will call the

TankSentinel software to submit tank readings.

7. Select a Call Interval to specify how often the unit should call the TankSentinel

software.

8. Select the days of week for the calls to occur—Sunday through Saturday.

9. Click Preview Schedule to review your schedule.



10. Click Save All to accept this call schedule.

Your selected call schedule will appear in the blank text box.

Note: The calls per day multiplied by the interval hours added to the start time

cannot exceed 12:00 AM, or the system will not accept the entry.

Setting Up Alarms

Tank Alarms can notify you when certain tank conditions are met. The RTU device

will monitor tank levels periodically, as defined by the user, to determine if a

predetermined alarm condition has been met. If the condition has been met,

TankSentinel can send out an alarm to the designated email recipient.

Note: Alarms are specific to each tank.

There are three important parameters to define with alarms:

When to send an alarm

Which type of alarm to send

To whom to send an alarm

Alarms can be used for different purposes. Low level alarms will notify you when a

tank needs to be refilled. High level alarms can be used for waste tanks that you

need to know when to empty. You can also report on changes in inventory, which

could be several times a day. Keep in mind, however, that fewer unit calls will extend

battery life on battery-operated units. Temperature alarms monitor when the tank

product gets too hot or too cold. Temperature alarms are supported by the

application, but may require additional hardware.

When setting low-level alarms, think about how many days it takes your supplier to

deliver more product to the tank. If it takes six days, for instance, set the Low Alarm

Level so that you have at least twelve days of product left, which is six days of

product before the critical low level is reached. The Critical Low Alarm Level, in turn,

should be set with at least six days of product left in the tank, allowing for a missed

alarm to be acted on with enough time for a delivery before running out of product.

The Fill and Short Fill alarm notifications provide a metric to help you evaluate if

your product is being replenished efficiently. The Fill/Drain Detect field indicates the

level of product that must be added for the system to acknowledge a fill has

occurred and generate a fill alarm, indicating an efficient fill. The Short Fill/Drain

Detect field refers to the minimum amount of product that must be added to the

tank for the system to generate a short fill alarm. The Short Fill value should be less

than the Fill value. The short fill alarm is utilized to provide a metric of inefficient

tank replenishments where water is being delivered more frequently than is



necessary. These fields are cumulative and will reset when the current tank reading is

lower than the previous one.

Call Out on % Change is an important feature of TankSentinel Online. It detects if

the percentage of product volume in a tank has changed more than a given

percentage since the last time the unit monitored the tank level.

Defining Tank Alarm Parameters

To set up a tank alarm, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Alarms tab to display the Tank Alarms screen.

Tank Alarms – Alarm Setup

2. In the Alarm Setup pane, enter your desired Low Alarm Level and High Alarm

Level for the selected tank. Enter the number as a percentage of volume.

Note: The default low alarm level is 32%.

3. Enter the Critical Low Alarm Level and Critical High Alarm Level for the

selected tank. Enter the number as a percentage of volume.

Note: The default critical low alarm level is 10%.

4. Enter the Fill/Drain Detect Volume and Short Fill/Drain Detect Volume for

the selected tank.

5. Click the Save Alarm Levels button.



Choosing Device Alarm Triggers

In the Device Alarm Setup pane of the Tank Alarms screen, you can select when you

want the RTU to send out an additional inventories beyond the call schedule, such as

on low product levels, high product levels, or other conditions.

Selecting any of the check boxes in the Device Alarm Setup pane tells the RTU, if

applicable, to detect when the product volume has exceeded thresholds set in the

Alarm Setup Pane and send a transmission to the application indicating the specific

alarm.

Tank Alarms - Device Alarm Setup

To specify which alarms will be used with this tank, perform the following steps:

1. Select one or more of the following check boxes:

Call on Low Alarm

Call on High Alarm

Call on Critical Low

Call on Critical High

Note: These check boxes may or may not be available depending on your

software configuration, user rights, and RTU model.

2. Select Call Out on % Change if you want the unit to transmit a reading if the

level in the tank has changed by the percentage of the sensor’s range specified

within a certain amount of time.

Note: This field works in conjunction with the Call Out Alarm Interval. By

selecting this check box, additional calls will be generated.



3. Enter a Call Out Alarm Interval to specify how often the RTU will check the tank

levels to see if an alarm condition has been met.

Note: Limiting the number of times the RTU checks for alarm conditions will

extend battery life on battery-operated units.

Note: An SMS message is sent to the TankSentinel Data Center only when an

alarm condition is met, and not every time the RTU monitors the tank.

4. Click the Save Device Trigger button to save your tank alarms.

Selecting Tank Alarm Email Recipients

Scroll down to the Edit / Create Email Alert Definitions pane of the Tank Alarms

screen to define who will receive email alerts. Depending on the type of alarm, you

may want to notify different departments. For instance, if the battery is low, the main

office may need to be notified to order new batteries. If the tank level is low, the

distribution company may need to be notified.

Tank Alarms – Email Alert Definitions

1. Either choose a user from the Add New User / Group User drop-down list or

Enter an Email Address of the person to receive the alarm notification.

Note: By entering an email address, a user will be created as a part of this

organization and can be selected from the drop-down list for any subsequent

alarm setups. The user details can be edited later to include website-viewing

permissions.



2. Click the Add Alarm button.

The email recipient will appear in the Email Alert Definitions pane above.

3. Repeat steps 1 – 2 to add as many email recipients as needed.

4. In the Email Alert Definitions pane, enter an Alarm Description for reference,

such as “Refill Tank Alarm.”

5. Select the check boxes corresponding to each type of alarm that you want this

user to receive.

6. Select the email size, either Normal or Short. Short messages contain only a

subject line and are recommended for mobile phone email.

Note: An Alarm entity cannot be deleted. If you no longer need to send an alarm

to a user, inactivate the email notification by clearing the Active check box.

Exchanging the Remote Telemetry Unit

In this section, you will learn what to do if you exchange the entire RTU on a tank, in

order to retain the tank’s historical data of the previous unit.

Important: Do not remove the original SIM card from the RTU.

To change an RTU identification number:

1. Click the Service tab of the device being replaced to display the Tank Service

screen.

Tank Service – Swap RTU Device



2. In the Swap RTU Device pane, enter the MIN or serial number of the replacement

device in the

MIN# / RTU ID text box.

3. Select the All Organizations check box.

4. Click the Search button.

5. In the Replacement RTU dropdown list, select the unit you wish to replace the

current unit with.

The screen displays the location of the selected unit. Any differences between

the unit types will be highlighted in red to insure the correct unit type is being

swapped in or out.

Important: If there are multiple choices to select from, be sure to choose the

correct tank number.

6. Click the Swap button.

The new RTU will now be associated with the current tank.

Note: The tank name of the unit that was replaced will be renamed with the

prefix “was[space].” For example, “tank puebla” becomes “was tank puebla.”

Chapter 4: Viewing Tank Data



View the tank summary

Add columns to the tank summary grid

Filter and sort your data

View tank details

View tank history

Record manual tank readings

Export TankSentinel data to Excel

Viewing the Tank Summary

The Tank List Summary displays alarm status, communication status, sensor status,

and other important tank details. You can view a subset of tanks in the grid by

adding filters. If the RTU detects a Communication Status error or a Sensor Status

error, such as “low battery,” the tank will be designated as Maintenance. You can

filter the tank summary by maintenance tanks to quickly see which tanks need

service.

You can change the data displayed on the Tank List Summary by adding or

removing columns from the grid. These changes will affect only the current user’s

view of the grid.

A convenient feature of TankSentinel Online is exporting the Tank List Summary to

Microsoft Excel.

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Working with the Tank List Summary

The following procedure describes how to filter the tanks that appear in the tank list

summary, sort the grid columns, export your data to Excel, add or remove columns

from the grid, and specify a permanent sort order.

1. From the menu bar, select Tanks.

The Tank List Summary appears.

Tank List Summary

Note: Click on any Location Name on the grid to filter the tanks by that location.

2. In the Filter Options pane, you can select one of the following filters:

Location

Location State

Location City

Product

Region

Route

Cellular ID (MIN#)

Device Type

Alarm

3. Select Maintenance or Inactive to view only maintenance or inactive tanks in

the Tank List Summary.

Note: Maintenance tanks are those with a Comm Status or Sensor Status error.

4. Click the Refresh Tank List button.



5. Click Remove All Filters to view all tanks from the Currently Selected

Organization that are available to you.

6. To sort the Tank List Summary, double-click any column heading.

Note: The next time you log on, the summary will revert to the sort order

selected in the Tank List Options screen (step 9, below).

7. To export the Tank List Summary, click the Export link, located above the Filter

Options pane.

Adding Columns to the Tank List Summary

8. Click the Add/Remove Column link, located above the Filter Options pane, to

display the Tank List Options screen.

Tank List Options

9. Select a Primary and Secondary Sort column and sort order, either Ascending

or Descending.

10. Click Save Sort.

11. Select the columns you want to add to the Tank List Summary from the Available

box and click Add.

Note: You can select multiple columns at once by using the [Ctrl] or [Shift] keys.



12. Select the columns you want to remove from the Tank List Summary from the

Active box and click Remove.

13. To change the order of the columns in the Tank List Summary, select a column in

the Active box and click Move Up and Move Down.

14. To restore the grid to its original configuration, click Restore.

15. Click the Return to Tank List link, located at the top of the screen, to view your

changes.

Note: You may need to scroll horizontally to view your columns. The horizontal

scroll bar is located at the bottom of the Tank List grid.

Viewing Tank Details

The Tank Details screen provides critical information on a specific tank, such as

inventory levels and alarms. This screen also allows you to add tank and RTU notes.

Use the Tank Details screen to view information on:

Tank Status

Inventory

Device Information

Alarm Information

Tank Notes

Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU) Notes

The Tank Status pane displays information on tank level, signal strength, battery

levels, and tank specifications. User-defined fields are for display only and can be

used for any data you wish to track, such as an internal account number. Click the

user name link if you want to send an email to the primary location contact.

The Inventory pane displays usage information about the tank, such as estimated

days remaining until the tank is empty. The graph displays tank levels of the last 50

calls or the previous 35 days, whichever is less. To view a specific inventory reading,

position your mouse over the points on the graph.



The alarms in the Tank History page are displayed in the following order:

Maintenance Alarms, Volume Alarms, and Tank Alarms. Maintenance Alarms are

usually associated with the tank’s last inventory reading. They consist of

Communication Status and Sensor Status alarms. The Communication Status Alarms

are as follows:

Expected Call Alarm

Client Not Responding

Internal Communications Failure

Unassigned Client

AC Power Failure

Low RSSI Alarm

Low Battery Alarm

The Sensor Status Alarms are:

Data Is Invalid

No Sensor Input

Sensor Over Range

Sensor Under Range

At Low Offset

A Volume Alarm is any alarm associated with the tank’s current net volume, and

include:

Critical High

High

Low

Critical Low

A Tank Alarm refers to any other alarm associated with the tank, such as:

Do Not Fill

Fill Detect

Short Fill Detect

High Temp

Low Temp

AC Power Failure



The following procedure explains how to view tank details:


2. Select a tank name from the Tank List Summary to display the Tank Details

screen.

Note: Normal tank levels will appear green on the tank level image. Red levels

indicate that an alarm condition has been met.

Tank Details – Tank Status

Tank Details – Tank Inventory



3. To select another tank, click the Return to Tank List, Previous Tank, or Next

Tank link at the top of the screen.

4. Click the Usage tab to view tank usage information. The default date range is the

past 30 days.

Tank Details – Tank Usage

5. Select a new Date Range and click the Filter button to display tank usage

information for a date range other than the pre-set default.



Viewing Tank History

The Tank History screen allows you to view tank inventory details over time as well

as at a specific point in time. This section describes how to export tank call records

to Microsoft Excel, remove invalid tank readings from calculations, and enter manual

tank readings.

To view tank history, perform the following steps:


2. Select a tank from the Tank List Summary.

3. Click the History tab to display the Tank History screen. The pre-set default date

range is 30 days.

Tank History

4. Enter a Date Range and click the Submit Date Range button for a date range

other than the pre-set default.

5. Scroll down to view individual tank records.



Tank History – Inventory Grid

6. Click on any column heading to sort tank records in ascending order by the

column.

Note: The default sort order for Tank History is by call time in descending order.

7. Click the Export to Excel button, above the Inventory Grid, to export your tank

history to Microsoft Excel.

The following statuses are used in the Inventory Grid:

Status Alarm Description Status Alarm Description

CH Critical High SOR Sensor Over Range

H High SUR Sensor Under Range

CL Critical Low AL Level At Low Offset

L Low LB Low Battery

CF Internal Comms Fail LR Low RSSI

F Fill CNA Client Not Assigned

SF Short Fill AWOL No Recent Update

LT Low Temp NP No AC Mains Power

HT High Temp LS Level Scope Active

IC Inventory Change NRU No Recent Update

CNR Client Not Responding DNFL Do Not Fill

ID Invalid Data CBFL Call Before Fill

NSI No Sensor Input OK No problems



Recording a Manual Tank Reading

TankSentinel will allow you to add your own tank reading with your own time stamp

to the system, and the reading will be included in tank calculations. Adding

inventory records is used for month-end reconciliation based on stick readings.

Important: Manual measurements will not trigger alarm notifications.

To enter a manual tank reading, perform the following steps:

1. On the Tank History screen, expand the Add Inventory Record node (+).

Tank History – Add Inventory Record

2. Enter the manual reading in the Stick Measurement Level field.

3. Select the Date and Time the manual reading took place.

4. Click the Add Inventory Record button.

The Inventory Grid will be refreshed with the new record.

Appendix A

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Appendix A

Index

Index

Adding a Location, 13

Adding a User, 10, 16

Adding Columns to the Tank List Summary, 39

Adjusting Set Points, 26

Alarms

Email Recipients, 34

setting up, 31, 32, 33

Application Data Sheet, 21, 47

Calibrating TankSentinel Online with the Sensor, 26

Call Schedules, 30

Exchanging the Remote Telemetry Unit, 35

Global Search, 10

Managing Your Tanks, 21

Manual Readings, 46

Moving a Tank to a New Location, 14

Organizations

adding, 11

selecting, 9

structure, 11

Recalculating Tank Readings, 27

Setting Up a Client Unit with its Host, 25

Software Requirements, 6

Software, main screen, 8, 16

TankSentinel Business Process, 7

TankSentinel Online, about, 5

Tanks

Details, 40

History, 44

inventory records, 37

setting up, 21, 22

summary, 37

Updating Host and Client Units, 28

User Access, defining, 18

Working with the Tank List Summary, 38

TankSentinel Online Userâ€™s Guide

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