Overview
iTwin IoT integrates with the Instantel MicroMate via an API connection, allowing iTwin IoT users to bring all their Instantel vibration data into one location. This walkthrough will show all the steps of bringing an Instantel and iTwin IoT solution online.
This article will cover the following topics:
Installing Thor
The first step in setting up the Instantel and iTwin IoT solution is installing THOR software on a Windows computer.
1. Open a browser and navigate to https://www.instantel.com/resource/thor.
2. Under the Software tab, click on the download link for THOR:
3. When the file (thorwebinstaller.zip) finishes downloading, extract it.
4. Run the installer "THORWebInstaller" (photos of the process below):
Configuring Thor and the Micromate
Once THOR has been installed, it needs to be configured to properly work with the iTwin IoT application.
PROJECTS AND EVENTS TAB
1. When you open THOR, you'll be met with a screen like the example below.
2. To create a new project, navigate to the "Manage Projects" tab and right-click in the project list as shown below, then click "New Project":
3. This will bring you to the Project Creation menu. Enter a name for your project (this will become a part of the file path you will use later). Select any units you would like associated with this project:
4. Document/remember this path as it will be needed later.
5. Select the connected units you would like to associate with your project:
Note: You can also initially download all data from the unit, simply double click its listing under your project dropdown:
SETTING UP THE MICROMATE SCHEDULE
The video below details how to set up the MicroMate schedule.
MANAGE UNITS
1. Once the geophone is setup the connection status will be displayed in THOR under the Unit tab > Manage Units:
2. Files can either be pulled from the unit (steps 3 & 4) or sent to the unit (steps 5, 6, & 7):
3. Configure the minimum thresholds for engaging waveform sampling OR load a pre-existing configuration file. The values used should be established by the user familiar with the project.
MANAGE SCHEDULES
1. You will need to create a schedule for Instantel to follow:
2. You can create either a daily or weekly schedule for the MicroMate to follow:
3. Select a time-frame then right-click to Add Action. The shortest time-frame is a half-hour:
Note 1: iTwin IoT suggests the half-hour time-frame as that ensure data will come in as quickly as possible.
Note 2: A scheduled activity such as Start Monitoring or Stop Monitoring generates a Histogram event. The unit will begin an Auto Call Home session. In this case, you can use Start Monitoring or Stop Monitoring in your schedule, while already in a scheduled Histogram or Histogram Combo monitoring session, to trigger an Auto Call Home session. NOTE: If the Call Home After Event Recorded checkbox is disabled, a unit running a schedule will not call home after an event occurs. The unit will only call home if there is an Auto Call Home entry in the schedule.
Start Monitoring
Now that everything is configured, you are ready to start monitoring.
CHECK DATA
To confirm everything us set up, check the status shown on the Monitoring Mode icon:
Note: Below is a quick visual guide of the different statuses you may see:
CONFIGURE RAW DATA FILES
1. After completing the above steps you can navigate to the project folder and check its contents. First, go to the THORDATA directory.
2. The devices on each project will be listed as separate sub-folders:
Note: If the Histogram Combo monitoring option was selected, there will be 2 file types - Waveform (IDFW) and Histogram (IDFH). The histogram shows when events occurred over time. The waveform provides detailed insight into the behavior of each event. Currently, only the histogram file is collected by App.
Setting Up The Data Bridge
With the MicroMates sending data and THOR storing readings on the user-defined interval, it's now time to build the data bridge so data is properly transferred to iTwin IoT.
DATAIMPORT SERVICE INSTALL
1. Obtain the DataImport Service zip file from Bentley support and extract it onto the same Windows computer that has THOR running.
2. Open the scripts folder and run the install file as an administrator. If you do not run as administrator, the install will fail:
3. You will see a command prompt appear and run through the install:
4. When the install completes, a browser window will open at localhost:8880. If everything has worked properly, you should see the following window:
Note 1: If the browser says it is unable to connect, make sure you have pressed a key on the command prompt installer to let it close itself. This should allow you to refresh the page and connect.
Note 2: If the browser does not open after installation or if you close it, you can reopen by running the start script as administrator.
LINKING THE DATABRIDGE TO iTwin IoT
1. To connect the Instantel solution with your iTwin IoT account, a new account must be created by clicking "Add one now":
2. The DataImport Service will ask for an API key which you can find in iTwin IoT after you've logged into your appropriate account.
3. Navigate to the Asset that data will be pushed to in iTwin IoT. From any page, click on the "Configure" icon in the lower left side of the page. (Be logged into the account you want to link with Instantel):
4. The user will be directed to the "Asset Configuration" page. The API key will be available within a tile on this page. The API key can either be highlighted and copied, or the "Copy to Clipboard" button will save it for pasting in the next step.
5. Paste the API key in the DataImport Service Add account page. Optionally you can also input a short description:
6. If the key was successful, the window should look like this. It will pull information from App to generate the account name:
7. Next, you will need to create a project folder. To do so, click "Add one now":
8. This will present you with a field that requires a folder path to be entered. The folder you need to select is the one that is named after your THOR project.
Note 1: The file path should be the same one that was documented from Step 4 of the "Configuring THOR and MicroMate" section.
Note 2: You can enter a description for that project folder, but it is not required. If you want to import folder data, you can choose how many days worth of data you'd like to import.
9. Click the to save the settings. When it's finished saving the project folder, your DataImport Service window should look like this:
CONFIRMING THE DATA CONNECTION IS SUCCESSFUL
1. The final step is to confirm that your iTwin IoT asset now has access to the Instantel connection. Navigate to the Connectivity tab and look for the Instantel device in your Connections menu. If the MicroMate(s) are visible then the connection is successful and the Instantel/iTwin IoT solution setup is complete.