Siemens Application/Installation

Data-Linc Helps Ensure Clean, Safe Water for the People in Queretaro State, Mexico

CEA (The Statal Water Commission) needed to replace its old pumping station systems serving two remote areas in Queretaro State , Mexico. One system pumps water from a river source and the other collects water from mountain wells, but both are in remote, rural settings serving a city and small villages in the surrounding area. Difficult, mountainous terrain and large geographic areas presented concerns and a major challenge. To meet that challenge and provide an automated water pumping system, the commission focused on the only viable option— wireless. With cost always an issue, they also planned to incorporate legacy equipment in the upgrade and eliminate radio license fees.

C.G. Automatizacion de Sistemas S.A., a system integrator from CEA, worked closely with LASSO, one of Data-Linc’s major distributors in Mexico, to design the new SCADA networks. The new networks would monitor and control operations by license-free stand-alone serial radio modems interfacing with Siemens PLCs.

The first system, Sistema Santa Maria - Tancoyol involves both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations using two Master radios. The obstacles posed by the mountainous terrain were overcome by placing modems functioning as Repeaters with YAGI antennas on mountain peaks thus guaranteeing line-of-sight and eliminating the need to determine the RF path by complicated and expensive site surveys. Sistema Santa Maria— Tancoyol’s Central Control at Jalpan de Serra could send and receive monitoring and control data using two Data-Linc SRM serial radio modem Masters. Master 1 communicates via two SRM serial Remote/Repeaters with three pump stations and a storage tank and via a third SRM Remote/Repeater with two other pump stations and the Santa Maria Station at the river water source. Master 2 handles point-to-point communication between Jalpan de Serra Central Control and Presa de Jalpan, the reservoir.

The mountainous terrain challenge at the second site, Sistema Taxhido— Chavarrias, could be dealt with differently. Repeaters communicate around the obsturctions. And because Data-Linc radio modems have the ability to function as a Remote/Repeater, a smaller number of modems needed to be purchased and installed than if a competetor's product had been used. The Sistema Taxhido - Chavarrias site utilized a point-to-multipoint approach employing five Repeaters and two Remote/Repeaters to monitor and control mountain water collection/storage tank and pump station operation and to communicate with a single Master SRM serial radio modem back at Pantalla Principal Central Control.

Both of the projects met the challenges. Working together, CEA, LASSO and Data-Linc brought the old manually controlled systems up to current standards, eliminated recurring licensing fees, incorporated legacy equipment and made the pumps more efficient helping to avoid wasting water. The new systems also permit monitoring and control of remote sites from a central location despite the mountainous terrain. The network using Data-Linc modems interfaced with Siemens equipment has been functioning without any problems. The new system ensures the dependable, cost-effective delivery of clean, safe water to 200,000 people of Queretaro state. The projects were a great success!

Contacts:
Ing. Vicente Perez
Lasso
Salamanca 1110-20A
Col. Mitras Centro
Monterrey, N.L. Mexico
CP64460
5281-8348-3909

Ing. Jorge Contreras Liñán
C.G.AUTOMATIZACION DE SISTEMAS, S.A. DE C.V.
AV. CONSTITUYENTES 1198-403
FRACC. PANAMERICANO
76040 SANTIAGO DE QUERETARO, QRO.-MEXICO