Stevens Launches Bluetooth® Wireless Transceiver For Environmental And Industrial Monitoring And Control
Shark RS232/RS485 Serial Adapter Sends/Receives Data for Outdoor Monitoring, Process Control, and Security Applications
Portland, OR -- Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc., an innovative developer and manufacturer of environmental monitoring solutions, today introduced a rugged, low-power radio transceiver based on Bluetooth® wireless technology. The unit, called the Shark, is designed for transmission of environmental, industrial and security-related information. Stevens is an adopter member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).
The Shark is an RS232/RS485 Serial Port Adapter that easily converts any instrument with a serial port to a Bluetooth-enabled device that can receive from and transmit data to other Bluetooth-enabled instruments, modems, laptops or PDAs. The Shark eliminates the need for any serial cable and provides a communication range of at least 100 meters.
The Shark can streamline data collection tasks. For outdoor environmental applications, Shark users can drive by rather than physically interact with less accessible sites to interrogate and/or download data. For the factory floor, deployment of the Shark permits equipment-monitoring instruments to send data regularly to any Bluetooth-enabled desktop or hand-held computer. In law enforcement, an officer with a Bluetooth-enabled tablet PC could transmit data to the Shark-equipped patrol car computer, which sends the information to a central police station server.
The Shark has been qualified by the Bluetooth SIG as a Class 1 communication product and is currently in use at multiple environmental sites, including government water monitoring installations, commercial maritime and shipboard installations, and dredging operations.
The development of the Shark is part of Stevens' strategy to provide customers with a range of cost-effective and easy-to-use wireless communications options for monitoring data from outdoor and industrial environments. The company already offers satellite-based data transmission and a variety of medium-range radio communications solutions.
"Stevens found a strong need for short-range wireless data collection within its worldwide customer base, which is involved in monitoring of outdoor water resources, precision agriculture soil and sports turf conditions," said Scott South, president and CEO, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc. "There were no Bluetooth transceivers meeting the harsh demands for the environmental monitoring and industrial market, so we developed our own, incorporating the security, flexibility and low power required to address our customers' varied data collection tasks."
Unlike many Bluetooth devices, the Shark was designed with security in mind. The unit offers password protection as well as a unique ability to hide visibility from other Bluetooth®-enabled devices, which typically display all Bluetooth units in a given radius. The Shark is highly suited for in-vehicle, airport, law enforcement, hydropower plant, reservoir and other applications that require transmission of security-related monitoring data.
Its compact but rugged body is engineered for outdoor conditions. The housing is made of polycarbonate and has a performance rating at temperature extremes of -40 degrees to +70 degrees Celsius. The detachable antenna permits the user to provide for alternate antenna configurations to optimize the communication range.
The Shark's low power feature is ideal for applications that are powered by battery and solar panel. Unlike other RS232 adapters, the Shark emulates the behavior of a serial cable connection by controlling and turning on the serial port only when a Bluetooth wireless connection is established. It also runs on low operating current, includes an idle mode and incorporates a switch that turns off the power indicator LED to conserve standby current. The Shark also includes an internal battery to facilitate set-up and for continuous operations in the event of an external power failure. The Shark is easy to configure using Windows®-based software.
About Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.
Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, based in Beaverton, Oregon, designs and manufactures easy-to-use equipment for reliable monitoring, collection and analysis of water conditions. The Company's technology enables measurement of water level, water quality, groundwater, soil conditions and weather conditions. Stevens also provides proven products for certified wireless transmission of environmental data, from short-range Bluetooth technology to long-range GEO and LEO satellite communications solutions. More information can be found at www.stevenswater.com .
Source: Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.