Email alerts from IoT monitored HVAC systems

Keeping an eye on critical HVAC systems

Facility personnel responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of HVAC equipment need to know about any current disturbances, or predictable future disturbances to their systems as quickly as possible.

By receiving critical system information instantaneously, system downtime can be greatly reduced or even totally prevented. In doing so, the HVAC end user ensures that they do not lose customers, productivity, or even the product itself.

Minimizing response time with email alarms

Email has become one of the fastest and most reliable communication technologies available. People can access it on their phones, tablets, PCs, watches, TVs, or almost any other smart device, making it reachable from pretty much anywhere at any time.

The easyE4 nano programmable logic controller (PLC) has built-in capability to allow it to collaborate with an email server to deliver messages at set parameters.

For instance, in a mechanical failure, like when a motor overload trips, an email can be sent to an electrician that a repair needs to be made to get the unit back up and running. By wiring an output, or aux contact, from the overload protector directly into a digital input on the easy E4 nano PLC, an alarm function block can be used to send a customized email to the electrician.

This implementation with the easyE4 nano PLC can been seen in the figure below.

Figure 1: Tripped overload diagram

Figure 2: Illustration of how to creates and configure an alarm function block using the easyE4 nano programmable logic controller (PLC)

When I01 goes high, an email is sent to recipient group 1. The subject of the email in this example would be, “Mechanical Failure!” and the contents of the message would describe the failure, the device that has failed, and the location of the device.

Correctly configuring the device ensures that the email functions work accurately. Building on our current example, we are going to have the easyE4 nano PLC send the error message, using a Gmail server, to the electrician, who is a recipient on an Eaton.com domain.

Additionally, the email will be sent using STARTTLS security and the SMTP protocol.

Figure 3: Setting up a connection between an email server and the easyE4 nano programmable logic controller (PLC)

The first important location that email configuration data must be entered is the “E-mail” tab in the project view.

Here you will need to enter the email address of the recipient, the mail server domain, email service port, and DNS name, and connection security.

Desriptions for why each of these were chosen can be found in the easyE4 user manual.

Also, the email address and password of the account you want to send the email to the recipient through must be entered here as well.

Figure 4: Configuring the email settings of the easyE4 nano programmable logic controller (PLC)

Additionally, the Ethernet tab of the project view must also be configured correctly. The IP address of the device, the subnet mask, and the gateway address must be configured correctly.

The gateway address in this case is the Router that is used to pass data from your local intranet out to the internet. Furthermore, in this example, the domain name server is also the router because it establishes the connection to the DNS server that is on the public network.

Figure 5: Configuring the ethernet settings of the easyE4 nano programmable logic controller (PLC)

Explore the IoT capabilities of the easyE4 Nano PLC

Download the easyE4 manual

Visit the easyE4 website

IoT email solutions for HVAC control applications

Control solutions that use IoT email solutions.

IoT options

Still have questions? Contact us.

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