1

Interface Manual
Sentinel Node Digital
SignalFire Model: Sentinel-DI-XXXX

The SignalFire Sentinel Node is an Intrinsically Safe device with the following features:
- Two counter/frequency inputs, up to 2kHz. Open drain or pulse input supported
- Reports state of dry contact inputs, open/closed
- Optional report on state change
- Two 32bit count totalizers
- Low power operation from an intrinsically safe high capacity lithium primary
battery pack
- Optional solar battery system for routing nodes, high power draw sensors, or
rapid data collection
- Sends data to a SignalFire Buffered Modbus Gateway
- Settable (DIP switch) Modbus ID
- AES128bit Encryption

Rev 1.8 SignalFire Telemetry

Specifications
Enclosure Size 3.5” tall × 5.0” wide × 5.0” deep 2
Power Source Internal IS Lithium battery pack
SignalFire Part Number: 3BIS

External Solar battery system

SignalFire Part Number: Sentinel-HCSolar

DC-DC Converter
SignalFire Part Number: DCDC-Sentinel

Other external power supply meeting the power entity parameters from the
control drawing.

Temperature Rating -40°C to +60°C

Radio Frequency 902-928MHz Ism Band, FHSS radio, internal antenna

Compliance Certified for use in Class I, Division 1 groups C and D. EXi [EXi] FCC/IC Certified.

WARNING: Use of this equipment in a manner not specified by the manufacturer may impair
the protection provided by the equipment.

WARNING: The use of any parts not supplied by the manufacturer violates the safety rating
of the equipment.

The associated apparatus provides intrinsically safe outputs.

L’appareil associé fournit des sorties à sécurité intrinsèque.

Refer to control drawing “Sentinel – Control Drawing – Digital and Turbine” under Technical Documents for
requirements when used in a Class I Division 1 area.

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Marlborough, MA USA
www.signal-fire.com S/N:SD000001
Model: SENTINEL-DI-XXXX
CLASS I, DIVISION 1 GROUPS C, D ENTITY PARAMETERS Exi
TEMP CODE: T3 [Exi]
AMBIENT TEMP: – ºC to +60ºC INPUT POWER: INPUT SIGNAL (J7):
CONFORMS TO UL STD 913 Vmax = 5.9 Vdc Vmax = 30 Vdc
CERTIFIED TO Imax = 3.1 A Imax = 100 mA
CAN/CSA STD C22.2 NO. 157 Pmax = 0.8 W Ci = 0.01 uF
FCC ID: W8V-SENTINEL Ci = 23.3 uF Li = 1.0 nH
4003827 IC: 8373A-SENTINEL Li = 4.08 uH
INTRINSICALLY SAFE AVERTISSEMENT: DANGER
SECURITE INTRINSEQUE WARNING: POTENTIAL POTENTIEL DE DECHARGES
INTRINSICALLY SAFE WHEN CONNECTED ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE ELECTROSTATIQUES: VOIR LES
PER SIGNALFIRE DRAWING 960-0028-01 HAZARD! SEE INSTRUCTIONS INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING: USE OF ANY BATTERY
OTHER THAN SIGNALFIRE 810-0008-02 AVERTISSEMENT: LA SUBSTITUTION
or SENTINEL-SOLAR DE COMPOSANTS PEUT COMPROMETTRE
LA SECURITE INTRINSEQUE
MAY IMPAIR INTRINSIC SAFETY

Rev 1.8 SignalFire Telemetry

Connections and Components

Radio LEDs
- The Radio TX LED (green) flashes each time a radio packet is sent. This LED will blink rapidly while
searching for the radio network.
- The Radio RX LED (red) blinks on each received radio packet.

Status LEDs
- The Active LED (green) will blink at boot up and will blink rapidly for 2 seconds before the counter values
are sent to the gateway.
- The ERROR LED (red) will blink to indicate an error condition.

Scan/Checkin Button
- If this button is pressed the Sentinel will send the current counter values to the gateway.

Rev 1.8 SignalFire Telemetry

Setup
The nodes need to be set up for correct operation before being fielded. The configurable items include:
- Network selection
- Check-in period selection
5
- Modbus Slave ID setting

All settings are made using the SignalFire Toolkit PC application and a serial programming cable. The Modbus
Slave ID can also be set using the DIP switch.

WARNING: Perform the steps in this section (Setup) in a safe location only.

Using the SignalFire Toolkit

The SignalFire Toolkit application can be downloaded at www.signal-fire.com/customer. After installation, launch
the software and the main toolkit window will open:

Select the COM port associated with the Sentinel Node and click “Auto-Detect Device on COM Port.” This will
open the device configuration window, where all device settings can be configured.

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6
1

7
6
3

1 Serial Port Settings 2 Sentinel Information

3 Set Corporate ID / Encryption Key 4 Status of Last Operation
5 Reported Sensor and HART Values 6 Sentinel Settings
7 Battery Life Estimate

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Network Setting
The network is set using the SignalFire Toolkit. The network, network group, and corporate ID/encryption key
settings must match those of the gateway for them to communicate.

Encryption
To protect your over-the-air data and prevent tampering, SignalFire networks come with encryption. Legacy
products use a Corporate ID, but can be switched over to use an encryption key if the firmware and ToolKit are
up to date.

To set up a legacy Sentinel to use encryption, click the checkbox labeled Enable Encryption inside the Set
Corporate ID box. All newer Sentinels come with this option enabled with “signalfire” as the default encryption
key.

Corporate ID Encryption Enabled

The box will then change into a Set Encryption Key box, and it will prompt instead for the encryption key you
would like to use. Note that keys may not contain spaces or angle brackets. Enter it and then press Set. If you are
setting up a new network, you will need to set the encryption key on all of your devices. If you are adding a
Sentinel to a legacy network, you can simply set the Corporate ID without clicking the Enable Encryption box,
and it will remain compatible with the older system.

It is also possible to hide your encryption key so it cannot be read. This is the most secure option, but if you
forget your key, there is no way to recover it – you have to reset the key on every device on its network. To enable
this option, select Set Encryption Key Unrecoverable under the Settings menu.

Setting the encryption key to be unrecoverable

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Modbus Slave ID
The Modbus Slave ID can be set with the SignalFire Toolkit, or with the DIP switch located on the device on
older models. The DIP switch takes an 8-bit binary input which is converted into a slave ID from 1 to 240. In
the picture below switch 1 and 2 are on, which is 00000011 and results in a slave ID of 3. The least significant
bit (LSB) is on the right and is labeled 1 above the row of switches. The Sentinel
must be power cycled after setting the DIP switch. Note: The DIP switch must
be set to 0 (all switches off) in order to set the Slave ID with the SignalFire
Toolkit.

Rev 1.8 SignalFire Telemetry

Sensor Connections

Wiring Requirements 9
To ensure intrinsic safety is maintained it is required that the installer follow these guidelines when connecting
sensors to the SignalFire node. See pictures for proper wire routing examples.

- Sensor wires entering the enclosure must be run as pictured.

- The battery wire must be routed through the battery cable hold-down clamp.
- Strip the wires so that there is minimal exposed un-insulated wire when inserted into the screw terminal.
- All wiring should be neat and orderly.

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Sensor Connection
The Sentinel Node has two digital input channels; open or both may be used.

Each counter input may be open collector type (sinking ground), dry contact inputs, or voltage pulse type, note
that voltage pulses must pull the input high/low. The inputs can count up to 2000 Hz.

The digital outputs may be connected to the board as shown in the following diagrams:

Dry Contact Connection Open Collector Connection Voltage Pulse Connection

The counts accumulate, and the current counts are stored into non-volatile memory every 15 seconds. If the
system is reset the counts will revert to the last stored value from non-volatile
memory.

The system also reports the state of the contact closure input (open or closed) at the time of check-in.

Digital Input Debounce

In cases where it is desired to accurately totalize digital input counts it may be necessary to enable the digital
input debounce timer. The debounce timer is useful when dealing with dry contacts that may otherwise produce
extra counts when they close. To enable the digital debounce, open the configuration window for the node in
the SignalFire Toolkit and select Digital Input Debounce from the Settings menu. A typical value for a dry contact
would be 100mS. Any extra counts due to contact bounce within the debounce time setting will be ignored.

Digital Input State Latch

The state latch feature is useful in cases when the state of one or both of the digital inputs is “latched” to a value
for a configurable number of seconds. This is useful in a cases where a fast transition would be sensed by the
Sentinel by may happen too quickly to be read from the Gateway. The state latch feature is configured using the
ToolKit. For example, with if the state latch is set to latch closed for 3 seconds, then any close sensed on the
digital input will be reported as closed for 3 seconds even in the input opens in less than 3 seconds.

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Remote Modbus Register Mapping
The Sentinel Node sends data to a SignalFire Telemetry Modbus Gateway. The data that is sent to 11
the gateway is available at the gateway in registers where it can then be read by a Modbus RTU. Consequently,
the node needs to have a unique (to the network it is in) Modbus slave ID which the gateway will use to store its
unique data.

Modbus Registers
Every check-in period, the sensors are read and data is sent to the gateway. The gateway will save the data under
the set Modbus ID in 16-bit registers. The register map for this system is below.

Register Map
Register
Register
Address Description
Number
(Offset)
43011- 3010-3011 32-bit Hardware counter, 3010=high word (two registers)
43012
43013 3012 Digital Input state (1=closed, 0=open)
43014 3013 Average frequency over the last check-in period times 10
43015 3014 Frequency over 2 seconds at check-in time times 10
43016 3015 Avg. counts per minute over the check-in period times 10
43017- 3016-3017 32-bit Hardware counter, 3016=high word (two registers)
43018
43019 3018 Digital Input state (1=closed, 0=open)
43020 3019 Average frequency over the last check-in period times 10
43021 3020 Frequency over 2 seconds at check-in time times 10
43022 3021 Avg. counts per minute over the check-in period times 10
49987 9986 or 65523 Low Battery Alarm (0 = battery above 3.0V, 1 = battery below 3.0V)
49988 9987 or 65524 Major revision number for the mainboard
49989 9988 or 65525 Minor revision number for the mainboard
49990 9989 or 65526 Major revision number for the radio
49991 9990 or 65527 Minor revision number for the radio
49992 9991 or 65528 High 16 bits of SFTS node address
49993 9992 or 65529 Low 16 bits of SFTS node address (the radio ID)
49994 9993 or 65530 Slave ID readback
49995 9994 or 65531 Received signal strength of last packet from the slave
49996 9995 or 65532 Battery voltage of the Modbus client, in millivolts
49997 9996 or 65533 Minutes until this slave will time out, unless new data is received
49998 9997 or 65534 Number of registers cached for this slave device
49999 9998 or 65535 Remote device type. 44 for Sentinel Digital

Note: The status registers are only available from the 49987-499999 (9986-9998) address
range if the gateway is running firmware 7.52 or higher.

Rev 1.8 SignalFire Telemetry

Mounting and Care
The unit comes with a watertight ½” NPT conduit fitting on the bottom mounting plate. The
Sentinel is then directly mounted to the sensor with a short section of conduit.
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Direct Mount to Sensor with Short Conduit
This mounting method uses a short conduit run from the sensor and the unit is held in place by the conduit.

WARNING: The Sentinel must be mounted in a location free of high vibrations. Over time
vibrations can damage the Sentinel or battery pack, which could impair its safety ratings. Do
not mount directly to continuous vibrating equipment such as pumps or compressors.

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Internal Lithium Battery Replacement
Battery Packs can be changed with the node in place.

1 Open the cover from the enclosure.

2 Unplug the battery from the PCB, by depressing the locking clip on the connector.
3 Loosen the screw holding the battery door and slide the old battery out.
4 Slide in the new battery pack and tighten the battery door screw.
5 Connect the battery to the main PCB battery connector.
6 Install the enclosure cover.

WARNING: Use of any battery other than the SignalFire part number 810-0008-02 will impair
the protection provided by the equipment.

WARNING: If the internal battery is installed the external solar battery system or other power
source may not be connected!

Cleaning Instructions
The outside of the enclosure may be cleaned with water, mild soap, and a damp cloth as needed. High pressure
washing is not recommended.

WARNING: Electrostatic Discharge Hazard! Care must be taken to avoid the potential of
creating a change on the enclosure or antenna. Do not wipe with a dry cloth. Do not brush
against the enclosure with clothing or gloves.

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Configuration / Debug

WARNING: Only connect to the debug port in a safe area!

Debug and configuration information is available if a connection is made via the debug port on the main board.
A USB converter cable (available from SignalFire) must be used for this interface.

Debug and advanced configuration may be done using the SignalFire Toolkit PC application.

Technical Support and Contact Information

SignalFire Telemetry
140 Locke Dr, Suite B
Marlborough, MA 01752
(978) 212-2868
[email protected]

Revision Date Changes/Updates

1.1 10/09/12 Initial release
1.2 11/7/14 Updated entity parameters
1.3 1/22/15 Added digital input debounce setting
1.4 6/5/15 Updated Design
1.6 8/1/16 Added section on encryption
1.7 9/13/17 Updated warnings
1.8 2/5/19 Updated pictures
Minor formatting updates

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APPENDIX - FCC and IC Statements

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by SignalFire Telemetry, Inc could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one
of the following measures:

-- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

-- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
-- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
-- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Only the supplied coil antenna (Part number 810-0012-01) which is permanently soldered to the PCB may be used. This antenna has a maximum gain
of 3dB.

WARNING!
FCC and IC Radiation Exposure Statement:
This equipment complies with FCC’s and IC’s RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment under the following conditions:

1. This equipment should be installed and operated such that a minimum separation distance of 20cm is maintained between the radiator
(antenna) & user’s/nearby person’s body at all times.
2. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

Under Industry Canada regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an antenna of a maximum (or lesser) gain approved for this transmitter
by Industry Canada. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the equivalent
isotropically radiated power (e.r.i.p.) is not more than that necessary for successful communication.

Rev 1.8 SignalFire Telemetry