WatchDog 3900, 3901, 3902, 3910, 3910S Product Manual
Retriever & Pup
Wireless Network
PRODUCT MANUAL
Items 3900, 3901, 3902, 3910, 3910S
3905, 3906, 3907, 3911, 3911S
1
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing a WatchDog Retriever & Pups
Wireless Sensor Network.
The WatchDog Retriever & Pups Wireless Sensor Network is a
technologically advanced solution that provides growers the
ability to capture real-time, site-specific data in various
microclimates.
The Wireless Network consists of one Retriever and many
Pups. There are three types of Pups: Sensor Pups, Station
Pups, and Repeater Pups.
Each Sensor Pup within the network is compatible with a
diverse number of sensors and offers flexibility by allowing the
grower to monitor the sensor inputs they care about in the
locations they care about.
Station Pups are compatible with existing WatchDog 2000
Series Weather & Mini Stations and offer the ability to plug in
and transmit the full data set to the end receiver along with data
from other Sensor Pups across the growing environment.
Repeater Pups do not have sensor inputs. They can be used to
provide additional paths to extend the network.
All data acquired by the Pups is transmitted back to the
Retriever—the central point that collects, logs, and transmits the
data.
The communication options are cellular modem, Wi-Fi, direct
connection to PC, and USB flash drive. Communication options
allow for automatic upload of the data to a computer or the web
for further analysis.
Growers can monitor their crops on their computer or
smartphone and make real-time decisions that improve yield
and quality, conserve resources, and increase profits.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Overview 4
External Ports 6
Getting Started
Setup 9
Configuration 10
Retriever/Pup Operation 18
Installation 20
Data Logging & Storage 24
Updating Firmware 25
Data Export 26
Accessories 30
Specifications 31
Power 32
My Network Library 33
Troubleshooting Guide 34
Regulatory Information 35
This manual will familiarize you with the features and operation
of your new WatchDog Retriever & Pups Wireless Network.
Please read this manual thoroughly before launching the units.
For customer support or to place an order, call Spectrum
Technologies, Inc. at 800-248-8873 or 815-436-4440,
FAX at 815-436-4460, or e-mail at info@specmeters.com.
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www.specmeters.com
Spectrum Technologies, Inc.
3600 Thayer Court
Aurora, IL 60504
3
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Wireless Mesh Network
The Retriever & Pups wireless sensor network uses a mesh style
of communication, which allows any Pup within the network to
wirelessly route data from another Pup back to the Retriever.
The size of a network can vary by growing conditions,
topography, and user preference. The mesh network is
constrained to a maximum number of 16 Pups per network at a
distance of 2500 ft (about ½ mile or ¾ kilometer), or less
between Pups, with no more than four hops back to the Retriever
for the most remote Pups.
Pups have the ability to send their sensor data to the Retriever
within minutes of measurement. The data can be sent directly to
the Retriever, which logs the sensor data, or hopping via other
Pups within the mesh network. All Retriever and Pup units are
time synchronized. Because of this, the entire wireless network
can ‘go to sleep’ for periods of time to conserve battery life.
When the network ‘wakes up’, the Pups all communicate to the
Retriever and share any sensor data they have recorded while
the network was sleeping.
4
Components
The mesh network is made up of one Retriever and a userdefined number of Pups. It may include Item #’s 3900, 3901,
3902, 3910, or 3910S using 900 MHz radios or 3905, 3906,
3907, 3911 or 3911S using 2.4 GHz radios.
Item Description
3910
Retriever
3910S
Retriever Solar
3900
Sensor Pup
3901
Station Pup
3902
Repeater
Pup
*Requires firmware: Weather Station ≥ v7.6 (2800 - v3.5), Mini Station ≥ v4.1
Receives all data from Pup network and
communicates the data via three options
-USB flash drive
-Direct to PC
-DataScout modem (sold separately)
Up to 4 sensor inputs, transmit data to Retriever
(direct or hopping via other Pups)
*Plug in a WatchDog 2000 Series Weather Station
or Mini Station and transmit all sensor data to Retriever (direct or hopping via other Pups)
No sensor inputs, serves as a hopping node to
help provide a path for the transmission signal
around obstacles
Your WatchDog Retriever & Pups package should contain the
following components:
Product Manual
Retriever and Pup units (labeled on enclosure & inside)
USB flash drive, preloaded with Retriever and Pup Launch
Utility software
USB to 3.5mm Stereo Plug Cable (item 3661U)
Each Retriever or Pup unit should also be accompanied by a
parts box containing the following:
Antenna & antenna stabilizer sleeve
6 AA batteries (OR rechargeable battery pack —
3910S/3911S only)
Mounting bracket
U-bolt, clamp, and nuts
Screws (2) for back of unit
Station connection cable (Station Pup only)
5
EXTERNAL PORTS
Retriever
The Retriever ports are identified in figure 1
1. DC port for power cord (item 3926 or 3927) or DC adapter
to connect solar panel*
2. USB port for external USB flash drive (external memory &
configuration file transfer)
3. 3.5mm stereo port for PC interface cable (item 3661U or
3927)*
4. AUX port for wireless communication connection
(DataScout Cellular or WiFi) or data power cord (item
3927C75)
3 4
*To connect a solar panel or PC
direct connection cable, the cable
must pass through the gland before
inserting the bare wires into the DC
adapter terminals. Tighten the two
terminal screws using a small
screwdriver to secure the wires.
RED - positive (+)
BLACK - negative (-)
Figure 1. Retriever External Ports
1
2
6
Sensor Pups
With the Sensor Pup, any WatchDog environmental sensor can
be connected to any port.
Station Pups
The Station Pup is shipped
with a cable with 2 modular
connectors. One end plugs
into the weather station’s
“AUX” port. The other end
plugs into the Station Pups
“Aux2” port. The Aux1 port
is not used.
Aux1
Aux2
7
GETTING STARTED
Get your wireless network running in the following nine steps.
Use the My Network Library planning tool inside (p. 33) to
plan the configuration and layout of your Pups
(recommended)
Find a tutorial video online at www.specmeters.com/videos/
Power-up
Retriever
Retriever
should be in
Setup mode
(flashing
amber)
Connect its
antenna
pg. 9
Put batteries in
Pups
They will join the
Retriever’s network
(3 green flashes)
pg. 9
Deploy
Retriever
Place in a position to
achieve line-of-sight
communication to
nearest Pups
pg. 21 pg. 22
Connect to PC
or DataScout
Use USB cable
and PC port on
Retriever
Configure
units
Use RPLU or
SpecConnect
Deploy
Pups
Check signal
strength (2second press)
at their desired
locations.
Adjust as
necessary
pg. 21-22
pg. 10
Open launch
software or
power up
DataScout
RPLU program
loaded on USB flash
drive or on Spectrum
website
pg. 10
Save to
Retriever
Save settings from
RPLU or SpecConnect
pg. 10-17 pg. 10-17
Change to
Active mode
Return to Retriever
and switch mode (2second press)
8
Setup
Installing the Retriever & Pup Launch Utility software (RPLU)
The installation program is available on the USB flash
drive that shipped with the Retriever and on the
Spectrum website. Run the RPLU setup.exe file to
install the launch utility. The RPLU desktop icon (right)
can then be used to open the program.
Powering Up and Syncing the Retriever and Pups
Follow these steps to set up the Retriever and Pups wireless
network.
1. Verify that all the Retriever and Pup units
are on the same channel by checking the
Network Channel Selection switch. If not,
use a screwdriver to change the channel
selection. If using multiple wireless
networks, each network should use a
unique channel.
2. Attach the antenna only to the Retriever.
3. Install batteries in the Retriever. The LED will flash green
while powering up. Following power-up, the Retriever should
be in Setup mode (flashing amber). If it isn’t, hold Retriever’s
button for 2 seconds.
4. Put the Pups within proximity of the Retriever and power
them up by installing the batteries. The LED will flash green
several times. They will automatically broadcast a request to
join the Retriever’s network following power-up. This is
indicated by several amber flashes (request to join) followed
by 3 quick, green flashes (successful reply). If the Pups don’t
automatically join within one minute, hold the Pup’s button for
8 seconds to manually join. The Retriever’s amber flash
sequence will accelerate. The Pup’s connection status can
also be seen in the RPLU software (p. 10)
5. See Configuration (pg. 10 - 17) for details on configuring
Retrievers, Sensor Pups, and Station Pups. Configuration
can be done with RPLU software. Retrievers connected to a
DataScout modem can also be configured with the
SpecConnect web utility.
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CONFIGURATION
A Pup can be configured by connecting directly to a PC, a USB
flash drive, or the SpecConnect web portal. The flash drive is
used when adding a Pup to a previously configured system that
is already in the field.
Configuration via Direct Connection to Retriever
If the Retriever is not in Setup mode (amber light flashing
continuously), hold the button for 2 seconds (see Retriever/Pup
Operation, pg. 18). Connect the Retriever to a Windows
computer using the USB to 3.5mm stereo plug cable (item
3661U, included). Open the RPLU program using the desktop
icon.
Figure 2. Retriever Settings Screen
1. Upon start-up, the RPLU will automatically recognize any
COM ports on your computer. If the Retriever doesn’t
automatically connect, select the COM port of the USB serial
cable and click the “Connect” button to establish communication
to the Retriever. If the list includes more than one COM port, you
can check in your computer’s Device Manager or simply go
through them one by one.
2. From the Retriever Settings screen (fig. 2), set the Retriever
parameters. The Retriever’s name is entered in the text box.
The logging interval is selected from the dropdown menu.
Entering latitude and longitude is optional. These can be entered
in decimal or Degree/Minute/Second format.
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3. A list of Pups will be visible on the Retriever settings screen.
Verify that the Pups are communicating with the Retriever. When
a Pup becomes active, the battery and signal icons will change
from gray to colored.
4. Clicking a Configure button will bring up Settings screen for
that specific Pup (fig. 3). The Pups settings screens can also be
brought up by clicking on the Pups tab.
Figure 3. Pup Settings Screen
5. Set the Pup’s parameters in the Pup Settings screen. The Pup’s
name is entered in the text box. The type is automatically
determined from the Pup’s serial number. Entering latitude and
longitude is optional. These can be entered in decimal or Degree/
Minute/Second format. Select the sensor type from the drop down
menu for each port. Select up to 4 channels per port using the
toggle buttons (see Data Logging & Storage, p. 24). Note that
most Pup stations have most sensors pre-defined.
6. To configure additional Pups, select each serial number in turn
from the “Pup Serial Number “dropdown menu on the Pup setting
screen. Alternately, you can select a Pup from the list on the
Retriever settings screen (see step 3).
7. Once the Retriever and all Pup units are set, click the “Save To
Retriever” button. The Retriever will wirelessly send the settings to
the Pups.
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