DREAM 2
INSTALLATION GUIDE
TALGIL COMPUTING & CONTROL LTD.
NAAMAN CENTER, HAIFA - ACCO ROAD
ISRAEL
P.O. BOX 775 KIRYAT MOTZKIN 26119
TEL: 972-4-9506050 - 9506051
FAX: 972-4-8775949
February 2016
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Table of Contents
1. THE SYSTEM STRUCTURE ........................................ 4
1.1 Looking inside the DREAM 2 case ................................................................. 5
1.1.1 The Power Supply board.................................................................................... 7
1.1.2 The Mother Board .............................................................................................. 8
1.1.3 The CPU board .................................................................................................. 9
2. SWITCHING UP AND SHUTTING DOWN ................. 10
2.1 Switching Up .................................................................................................. 10
2.2 Shutting Down ................................................................................................ 11
3. THE INTERNET COMMUNICATION .......................... 12
3.1 Communication through Ethernet ................................................................ 13
3.2 Communication through Modem or Netstick .............................................. 15
4. THE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT SCREENS ................ 16
4.1 General ............................................................................................................ 16
4.2 Network ........................................................................................................... 17
4.3 Logging ........................................................................................................... 19
4.4 Service ............................................................................................................ 19
4.5 Update ............................................................................................................. 20
4.6 Modem ............................................................................................................. 22
4.7 System ............................................................................................................ 23
5. THE VARIOUS I/O OPTIONS ................................... 23
5.1 Interface for local I/O AC or DC .................................................................... 23
5.1.1 I/O expansion and Remote I/O ........................................................................ 24
5.2 Interface for single cable 2 wired RTUs ....................................................... 27
5.3 Interface for radio communicated RTUs...................................................... 28
5.4 Interfaces for local analog inputs ................................................................. 28
5.5 Interface pH/EC (Fertmaster) ........................................................................ 30
5.6 THD Interface .................................................................................................. 31
5.7 Weather station Interface .............................................................................. 32
6. LIGHTNING PROTECTION ....................................... 33
6.1 Lightning protection for the 2W single cable system ................................ 34
6.2 Lightning protection for RS485 communication line ................................. 34
6.3 Lightning protection for 16 AC outputs ....................................................... 34
6.4 The enclosures of the DREAM system ........................................................ 35
7. INSTALLATION STEPS ............................................. 35
7.1 Mounting the controller ................................................................................. 36
7.2 Defining the configuration ............................................................................ 37
7.2.1 The network definition..................................................................................... 40
7.2.2 The hardware definition ................................................................................... 44
7.2.3 CONNECTIONS DEFINITION ...................................................................... 45
7.3 Testing operation of inputs and outputs ..................................................... 48
7.3.1 Testing the outputs ........................................................................................... 48
7.3.2 Testing the inputs ............................................................................................. 48
7.3.3 What comes next? ............................................................................................ 49
8. THE DREAM SIMULATION SOFTWARE .................. 50
9. SUPPLEMENTARY DEVICES ................................... 51
9.1 Switching electric pumps .............................................................................. 51
9.2 The three functions of the REBRAN board ................................................. 55
9.2.1 RS485 Repeater with optic isolation ................................................................ 55
9.2.2 2 or 4 Analog inputs interface ......................................................................... 56
9.2.3 RS485 Bridge............................................................................................... 57
9.3 The pulses divider.......................................................................................... 57
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9.3.1 The Push Buttons ............................................................................................. 59
9.3.2 LED indicators ................................................................................................. 59
9.3.3 The Jumper ...................................................................................................... 59
10. APPENDIXES ............................................................ 60
10.1 Appendix “A” – Decimal to Binary conversion ........................................ 60
10.2 Appendix "B" – Rules about cables ............................................................ 61
10.2.1 CABLE RESISTANCE TESTING................................................................ 61
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1. THE SYSTEM STRUCTURE
The DREAM 2 irrigation control system is the second generation of the well-known DREAM
controllers. Additionally to the outstanding features of the previous generation, the DREAM 2 is
now equipped with a more powerful processor, with a much bigger memory capacity and above
all it now offers internet communication, supported by a powerful SERVER. Users and
technicians can now access the controllers from everywhere anytime. Upgrading from
DREAM 1 to DREAM 2 is involved with replacement of three boards only: the CPU, the
Mother board and the Power supply board.
The following schematic diagram describes the principal structure of the DREAM 2 system
which apart from the internet communication resembles very much the structure of DREAM 1.
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The heart of the system is the CPU board, which is in charge of all the decision making of the
Location of the
backup battery
AC power
supply board
Transformer
Motherboard
Local I/O
interface
Local I/O
board 16/8
RF interface
controller. The decision making procedure is based on the logic included in the firmware, the
configuration defined by the installer, the programs defined by the user and the current status
of the devices connected to the controller, inputs and outputs.
The input devices consist of sensors that supply information to the CPU and the output devices
are those that are activated by the commands generated by the CPU. However the CPU does
not interact directly with the input/output devices comprising the irrigation network, for that
purpose various kinds of I/O (Inputs/Outputs) Interfaces are used. The I/O Interfaces will
usually use the services of various I/O boards or RTUs that really execute the output
commands and read the input sensors.
The CPU communicates with all the I/O Interfaces second by second, sending them the
desired status of outputs and receiving back the status of the inputs. The schematic drawing
above shows the various kinds of Interfaces recognized by the DREAM 2 system. A control
system will include an arbitrary combination of these Interfaces; some controllers may include
several Interfaces of the same type. The communication channel between the CPU and the
Interfaces uses the RS485 protocol which enables communication up to a distance of several
kilometers on a two wired line; this enables placing interfaces distantly from the CPU when
needed.
Another function of the CPU is the communication with the external world. This is done through
the internet, utilizing the SERVER which is located somewhere in the cloud. The way to set up
the communication channel will be described below.
1.1 Looking inside the DREAM 2 case
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The picture above shows the inner part of a DREAM 2 controller. It must be pointed out that
DC power
supply board
Local I/O
interface
Local I/O
board 16/8
Local I/O
board 16/8
Remote I/O
plug
due to the flexible structure of the DREAM 2 system, the construction of a controller may vary
from one case to another, depending on the specific needs.
In our example it can be seen that the controller is of the type powered from the mains through
the transformer. We can see the Power supply board that is in charge of generating the
various types of voltages used in the system. We can see the Mother board which combines
the various parts of the system together. Plugged into the bottom of the Mother board, there
are two interfaces, one is the Local I/O Interface and the other is the RF Interface. The
Local I/O Interface is in charge of the Local I/O boards, in this example there is one Local
I/O board 16/8 (16 outputs and 8 inputs). The RF Interface is coordinating between the
CPU and the Master receiver transmitter which is in charge of the communication with the
radio RTUs in the field.
To demonstrate the flexibility of the DREAM 2 system we shall bring another example of a
controller which is designed for powering by solar energy (it does not contain a transformer) its
power supply board is of the DC type and in this case the local I/O interface controls two Local
I/O boards 16/8 that makes 32 local outputs and 16 local inputs.
When the system contains more interfaces than can be plugged into the mother board, they will
be installed externally and they will be connected by two wires to the Remote I/O plug
(RS485) on the mother board for communication and by another two wires to an energy source
of 12v DC.
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1.1.1 The Power Supply board
Main power fuse
Charging fuse
12v DC fuse
Power switch
Start button
24 v AC
Charging
12 v DC
USB
Charge voltage
adjust
Charge limit
resistor
Outputs current
sampling resistor
DC
AC
USB
12 v DC
Charging
The drawing above shows the two options of power supply boards. The one on the left is the
DC type, it is used for powering from solar energy and the one on the right is the AC type to be
used for powering from the mains.
From the moment of connection to the energy source, the yellow LED which indicates the
existence of the charging voltage (13.9v DC) for the backup battery should be lighting
constantly, even before the Power Switch is turned on. If it does not light, check the charging
source and check the Charging Fuse.
The red LED of 24v AC (in AC models) will start lighting when the Power Switch is turned
on. If this does not happen, the Main Power Fuse has to be checked.
The green LED of 12v DC will start lighting when the Power Switch is turned on. The 12v
DC is used for feeding all the electronic boards of the system; it may be generated either from
the charging source or from the backup battery, when the charging source is off. The system is
protected from excess current consumption by the 12v DC Fuse.
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12 v DC
sockets
12 v DC
LED
USB
socket
USB
LED
Ethernet
internal
Ethernet
external
Remote I/O RS485
addresses 1 to 16
Remote I/O RS485
addresses 17 to 32
Notice that:
The charging current passes through both the Charging Fuse and the 12v DC Fuse,
so if for some reason the 12v DC fuse is blown, there will be no battery charging,
although the charging voltage exists (yellow LED ON).
The backup battery should never left to be deeply discharged, it may harm the battery,
therefore if the charging source is expected to be disconnected for a long period, the
backup battery has to be disconnected as well, otherwise when the charging is
restarted, the deeply discharged battery may draw a high charging current that may
cause over heating of the Charge limit resistor or even blow the Charging Fuse
(F3).
The red LED of the USB will start lighting only after the Start Button is pushed, indicating
that the system is now up and running. Together with the USB LED of the power supply board,
the red LED on the Mother Board and the three red power LEDs on the CPU Board █ █ █
will start lighting as well.
The procedure of switching up and shutting down the DREAM 2 controller are explained in
details at paragraph 1.2 below.
1.1.2 The Mother Board
The following drawing shows the main components of the Mother board:
At the right side there are two green sockets from which 12v DC can be obtained. This voltage
is available after the Start Button has been pushed and as long as the DREAM 2 application
has not been shut down by the Shut Down command.
The Remote I/O RS485 sockets (blue and orange) are the connection points of the two wired
peripheral communication lines to all the interfaces which are installed externally to the DREAM
2 case. Here the polarity is important The P and N wires should not be mixed.
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The USB socket can be used for connecting USB memory sticks for uploading/downloading the
Ethernet card
Reset button
LCD contrast
adjustment
Power ON
indication LEDs
Remote I/O
communication LEDs
Buzzer
CPU board
Cellular modem
The CPU chip
Lithium battery
image files into the controller or for updating the software version. Another use of the USB
socket will be for connection of a Netsctick for cellular communication (see below).
In case the communication is meant to be through the Ethernet or LAN (Local Area Network),
the two Ethernet sockets will be used. The internal socket is for connection between the
Mother board and the Ethernet card (attached on top of the CPU board), the external
socket is for the cable that goes to the Ethernet source on site.
1.1.3 The CPU board
The CPU board can be found underneath the front panel, at the back of the LCD display.
Let’s get familiar with some of the components on the CPU board:
The Cellular modem and the Ethernet card are two of the three options for connection to
the internet. The third is a USB Netstick that can be plugged into the Mother board.
The Lithium battery keeps the internal clock running while the CPU board is disconnected
from energy source.
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The buzzer will sound at the startup of the system, it will sound whenever any key of the
keyboard it touched and if requested it will sound while being at the main menu and there exist
alarm events in the system.
The Reset button when pushed will restart the activity of the CPU board, an action that
could be harmful when done by unauthorized people, therefore should be avoided.
When the visibility of the LCD display needs to be improved, the LCD contrast can be adjusted
by using a small screwdriver and turning the screw of the potentiometer (blue component) a
few turns to the right or to the left until the optimal visibility is achieved.
The three Power ON █ █ █ LEDs on the CPU board will turn on while it is energized. The
three Remote I/O communication █ █ █ LEDs will start blinking when the CPU starts
communicating with the peripheral I/O Interfaces.
Notice that:
Each CPU board has its unique ID number of 10 digits by which it is recognized by the
Server. All the data related with the controller is stored under this ID number, therefore if a
CPU board need to be replaced, The Server must by notified (through the
ADMINISTRATION software) about the new CPU that replaces the old one.
2. SWITCHING UP AND SHUTTING DOWN
2.1 Switching Up
Switching up the DREAM 2 from a switched off state is done in 2 steps:
1. Turning ON the Power Switch.
2. Pushing the Start button.
When the DREAM 2 application starts running, a few activities start in parallel:
The LCD display connected to the CPU board will start showing some introductory
screens then the System manager screen (described below) will appear for a few
seconds and eventually the Main menu of the DREAM application will be displayed. The
user should wait patiently until this stage is reached.
The CPU will start scanning all the Interfaces second by second, sending them the
required status of the outputs receiving back the status of the inputs. This activity is
indicated by blinking of the REMOTE I/O communication █ █ █ LEDs on the CPU
Board and the communication LED on each of the Interfaces.
Right after starting up the DREAM 2 application, the controller starts looking for its host
server on the Internet, in order to login to the service.
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2.2 Shutting Down
Function Bar
F2
F3
F1
F4
Reboot
button
Shutdown
button
Function keys
PgUp
PgDn
The internal structure of the DREAM 2 is very much like the structure of a desktop personal
computer that has an operating system which handles multiple applications simultaneously. This
kind of activity is naturally involved with opening of multiple files as required by the active
applications. As in PCs, cutting the power before closing the open files may be a harmful action
and therefore should be avoided. For this reason we are not supposed to turn off the power
switch of the controller before the software was commanded to shut down.
The software Shutdown button is located at the Function Bar of the System Manager
screens, which can be reached from any of the DREAM 2 application screens, by pushing
simultaneously the PgDn (˅) and PgUp (˄) buttons. Exiting the System Manager screens is
done in the same manner.
Pushing the F3=Shutdown button is the only safe way for shutting down the DREAM 2
controller. Shutting down takes time, it is necessary to wait until the lights on the CPU board
turn off. Only after the lights on the CPU went off, it is safe to switch off the Power Switch.
The Shutdown software key turns the DREAM 2 system OFF.
The Reboot software key turns the DREAM 2 system OFF and then ON again.
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The Reboot and Shutdown functions are activated by pushing the red function keys located
underneath the Function Bar of the screen. Both functions preserve all the data included in
the controller except the statuses and left quantities of programs.
3. THE INTERNET COMMUNICATION
The DREAM 2 has 3 options for accessing the internet:
Using a Cellular Modem supplied by Talgil and plugged into the CPU board.
Using an Ethernet card for connecting to a Local Area Network.
Using a USB Netstick plugged into the motherboard.
The controllers after power up will use their internet link to login to the service and stay online.
On the other end there are the users that want to access the controllers, they got two options:
one option is the software package called CONSOLE and the other is an internet site called
SPOT.
Both options enable the users to login to the SERVICE whose task is to coordinate between
users and their controllers. Additionally the SERVICE contains a large DATA BASE that stores
all the information about all the controllers and the ADMINISTRATION software that decides
about who is permitted to access which controller.
When a controller tries to login, the SERVER will ask its ID number and its full Image
contents. If the Image structure is correct, the controller will be permitted to login, otherwise it
will be rejected. If this is the first time for this controller to login, the SERVER will include its ID
in the list of recognized controllers and will allocate for it space in the DATA BASE. Once
logged in, the SERVER will keep asking the controller repeatedly “What is new?” in order to
keep the DATA BASE up to date, so that users interested in some information about the
controller, would be able to find it
in the DATA BASE.
The drawing to the right
demonstrates the physical layout of
the communication between users
and targets (controllers) in the
DREAM 2 system.
The procedure of setting up the
internet communication is explained
below.
Selecting the mode of
communication and setting the
needed parameters is done at the
System Manager screens.
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IP address of the
controller
Gate Way
address
3.1 Communication through Ethernet
Step 1- Enter the System Manager screens by pressing the PgDn (˅) and PgUp (˄)
keys simultaneously.
Step 2- While the cursor is placed on the General subject use the right arrow to
move the cursor to the right side of the screen and then use the down arrow to move
the cursor to the Connection row. Hit the Enter key to open the options selection
window, select Network and hit the Enter key for confirmation.
Step 3- Use the left arrow to bring back the cursor to the left side of the screen and
use the down arrow to place the cursor on the Network subject. This subject deals
with defining the IP address and the Gate Way address at which the server can locate
the controller.
Step 4- Use the right arrow again to move the cursor to the right side of the screen,
the cursor will rest on IP address. Usually selecting the Auto mode will do the job.
However in special cases when the Auto mode does not work, the Manual mode can
be selected and then the IP address and the Gate Way address can be manually
inserted. Usually in such cases the person in charge of the local network should be
consulted.
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IP address of the
Server (DNS)
The port for
entering.
The Dealer’s
user name
Step 5- Use the left arrow to bring back the cursor to the left side of the screen and
use the down arrow to place the cursor on the Service subject. This subject deals
with defining the IP address and the port of the Server through which the controller
can login to the system.
Step 6- The IP address (DNS) of the Server is srv.talgil.com and the port to be used
is 55300. If the IP address is incorrect and has to be changed, bring the cursor to the
existing address and press the Enter key, as a result the screen will change into an
editor screen like the one below, in which the characters need to be selected one by
one. When the correct string is complete use F3=Apply to exit the editor screen.
Step 7- When the Dealer’s users name is not defined, the controller will be registered
as belonging to Talgil, therefore in order to make it register as belonging to the
Dealer’s organization, the Dealer should insert his user name before letting the
controller login for the first time.
Step 8- At this stage the procedure is complete and the controller is ready for logging
into the Service, use F2=Reboot to let the controller restart.
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The success or failure of connection can be checked at the following screen which can
Successful
connection
be reached from the Main menu by hitting F2=About. To get back to the Main
menu push the PgDn (˅) and PgUp (˄) keys simultaneously.
The connection process may take some time, however if it fails we can always try to use
F4=Serv to force another connection trial, otherwise the controller will try to reconnect every
few minutes.
3.2 Communication through Modem or Netstick
Step 1- Enter the System Manager screens by pressing the PgDn (˅) and PgUp (˄)
keys simultaneously.
Step 2- While the cursor is placed on the General subject use the right arrow to
move the cursor to the right side of the screen and then use the down arrow to move
the cursor to the Connection row. Hit the Enter key to open the options selection
window, select Modem and hit the Enter key for confirmation.
Step 3- Use the left arrow to bring back the cursor to the left side of the screen and
use the down arrow to place the cursor on the Modem subject. This subject deals
with defining the Model of the modem in use and the APN of the sim card provider to
be used.
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Step 4- Use the right arrow again to move the cursor to the right side of the screen,
Menu of
subjects
The cursor is
placed on the
subject -
“General”
ID number
if the model of the modem you are going to use is different from the selected one, hit
the Enter key and select the correct one from the selection table that contains the list
of modems recognized by the system, other modems are not supported.
Step 5- Use the down arrow to get to the APN row. The APN is the Access Point
Name required by the cellular provider whose SIM card is placed in the modem.
Without the correct APN the cellular carrier will not permit GSM, GPRS, 3G or 4G data
transfer.
Step 6- The User name and Password fields will usually remain blank unless the
cellular provider requires using them. The Dial field should remain untouched. The
Status row indicates the status of the modem and the Signal field shows the signal
strength at the moment of connection. The range for normal signal level will be 10 to
30.
Notice that:
The function key F3=Connect can be used in order to force the modem to restart. We shall
use this option whenever we are sure that all the parameters are properly defined and still the
modem fails to connect.
Step 7- Continue with setting the Service parameters as explained starting from Step 5
of the previous paragraph 3.1
4. THE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT SCREENS
The System Management screens were already mentioned above however due to their
importance we shall devote a special chapter to describe their contents in details.
The System Management screens are usually hidden, but can be reached from any of the
DREAM 2 application screens by pushing simultaneously the PgDn (˅) and PgUp (˄)
buttons. Same two buttons will be used later on for getting back into the DREAM 2 application
screens.
While being at the System Management screens, the left side of the display contains a menu
of subjects, and the right side shows the details of the selected subject. Selecting subjects is
done by moving the cursor up/down to the desired subject and then hitting the right arrow
key. The cursor moves right to the first editable parameter of the selected subject.
4.1 General
The subject “General”, deals with the information below:
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The current time and date – the system shows the current time and date as existing
inside the controller any moment and this is the place where the time and date setting
should be done for controllers having no access to the internet. Controllers that do have
access to the service will get the time and date updated automatically each time they login
to the server, taking into consideration the GMT+ the time zone defined for the particular
unit. The time counting by the CPU continues even when the unit is disconnected from
external power, depending only on the existence of the Lithium battery on the CPU board
(see above).
At the system management screens the clock is presented as a 24 hours clock, inside the
DREAM 2 application it depends on the selected language, if it is English US, the clock will
be in AM/PM.
The LCD turn off time – defines the delay for switching off the LCD display after detecting
no activity of the keyboard.
The Device name and ID number – shows the name given to the unit by the user and
its ID number. The Device name can be changed through the CONSOLE or the
ADMINISTRATION software. The ID number is unique to each CPU board and cannot
be changed. It is important to point out that all the information related with the controller
and stored in the Data Base, is associated with its ID number, so if for some reason the
CPU has to be replaced, the Service must be notified about the replacement by activating
the REPLACE command.
The Discharge level – depends on the type of backup battery used by the system. If it is
a deep discharge battery the setting should be “Deep” otherwise it should be “Normal”. At
“Normal” discharge the system will report low battery when the battery voltage drops
below 12v, at “Deep” discharge it will happen below 10.5v. When the system reaches the
low battery level, all activities will be halted, and a low battery alarm will be generated. If
the battery will keep losing another volt, the system will shut itself down.
Connection – this is the place where the type of connection to the internet is defined.
The options are:
Network- using Local Area Network (Ethernet) connection.
Modem- using cellular modem or Netstick connection.
None-no connection to the internet is needed.
If “Network” was selected, the subject “Modem” will become not accessible and vice
versa.
4.2 Network
By selecting Network connection we declare that the communication is meant to be via a
Local Area Network (LAN) or Ethernet supplied by a Router.
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The connection between the DREAM 2 controller and the Router will be by the
Manual or Auto
selection of the
address
The IP address of
the controller
The cursor
is placed
on the
subject -
“Network”
The CPU
board
Internal
Ethernet cable
External
CAT5 cable
The
Motherboard
Ethernet
interface card
External CAT5 cable demonstrated below. There is an Internal Ethernet cable that
goes from the Mother board to the Ethernet Interface card, this cable is supplied
with the system, the other one is not. When both cables are connected properly, the 3
LEDs on the Ethernet interface card D1, D2, D3 are supposed to light with D2 blinking.
At the System manager/Network screen we are meant to define some addresses as
detailed below. There are two ways for doing that, the Auto mode will automatically detect
the IP, GW and DNS addresses and usually this will be the easiest way to go and there will
be no need for any manual setting. In rare cases Manual setting will be required and then
the person in charge of the local network should supply the following information:
The IP address – This is the address given for the DREAM 2 within the router, or in other
words, this is the address at which the controller can be found on the Internet.
The GW (GateWay address) – is the IP address of the router.
The DNS – it is the address of the DNS (Domain Name System) server to be used for
resolving DNS names into IP addresses.
The Netmask – should be left unchanged.
The parameters will get into effect after rebooting the controller.
At the Router following outgoing ports must be enabled:
ports 55299-55300 (TCP) – for controllers login
port 21 (TCP) – for service update
port 11094 (UDP) – for open vpn
ports 2001-2004 (TCP) – for maintenance and service
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The Dealer’s user
name
4.3 Logging
This subject deals with parameters related with the internal logging of the activities of the
operating system and the DREAM 2 application. It is meant for technical use only.
4.4 Service
In this subject we deal with the parameters required for accessing the SERVER.
The Service IP – this is the IP address of the server - “srv.talgil.com”.
The Service port – this is the port to be used by the controllers for accessing the
server - “55300”.
The Dealers username – when the controller is trying to login, the server checks the
contents of this field and if it contains a username of a legal Dealer it will register the
controller as belonging to this Dealer and he will be able to use it for one of his
projects. If this field is left undefined, the controller will be registered as belonging to
Talgil and in order for a Dealer to be able to use it, he shall have to contact Talgil and
ask for the controller to be moved to his account.
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