|
The NEWIS system is an efficient software based tool for collection, storage and presentation of data from a range of various meteorological and hydro graphical sensors and systems. The versatile and easy to use presentation, data management and distribution system allows meteorological services and other organizations to utilize information from a large amount of different systems. The data from various sensors is presented in an easy and comprehensible fashion. The system may optionally be setup with a web-service that allows users to view both real-time information and to perform retrievals of past weather and environmental conditions.
The currently largest delivered system contains 40 weather-, environmental- and hydro graphical sensor systems that serve the Finnish VTMS and Coastal Surveillance Systems.
The system typically consists of a sensor and its corresponding processing equipment, optionally a NEWIS Weather Sensor Processor, NEWIS server and NEWIS presentation software. All system components communicate through a LAN/WAN TCP/IP Network. The use of COTS components, such as PC type computers for processing and display of the environment and weather information, enable low deployment and maintenance costs while enabling the customer to take advantage of the rapid advances in display and processing technology. The system software can be run using either Unix or Windows, thus ensuring a maximum expected lifetime for the system.
The NEWIS system may be connected to almost any existing environment-, weather- or hydro graphical sensor. The sensor may be connected directly to the NEWIS server using either TCP/IP or asynchronous data communication. Optionally each sensor may be fitted with a WSP (Weather Sensor Processor) that acts as glue between the actual sensor, communication system and the NEWIS server. The WSP contains ports for direct connections to asynchronous sensors, analog ports for (a/d) analog to digital data conversion and a TCP/IP enabled Ethernet interface with an integrated web-server.
The following sensor types are currently directly supported, but others may be easily integrated:
- Gill Instruments
- Vaisala Milos
- Davis
- NMEA protocol compliant weather sensors
In addition, several customer specific implementations exist, which can be integrated with a wide variety of sensors. Information from sensors may e.g. be received as e-mail or ftp transmissions. The NEWIS server implements a software plug-in based sensor driver model, which simplifies insertion of new unsupported sensor systems.
Most delivered sensors have been connected to the network using LAN/WAN connections and TCP/IP based solutions but the system may be setup to support other means as well. The WSP has optional support for connection of sensors using radio modems from e.g. Satel (www.satel.fi) or other similar vendors. The system inter-communication may be optimized to use very low bandwidth connections by performing processing already at the WSP.
The purpose of the NEWIS server is to collect, store, process and distribute processed or stored sensor information to clients that wishes to use the information. The NEWIS server may be set up to form a weather environment monitoring network, where each NEWIS server is responsible for one geographic area of sensors. NEWIS servers may then share data with each other in real-time to allow neighboring servers to utilize information from its sensors. In addition, the NEWIS server is able to provide a very large number of users with real-time environment information. Several NEWIS servers may be set up to allow for redundancy and load-balancing of a multitude of users. Any COTS based server may be used for running the NEWIS software.
The NEWIS software is a software component and module based solution. The system provides web service interface that enables the system to provide web services for users.
- Interface to almost any environment of weather sensors
- Enables the system to operate using any communication system.
- Provides an easy to use Java WebStart based GUI (graphical user interface) for clients that wish to view real-time or stored sensor data in a so called weather desktop.
- The look and feel of the weather desktop may be configured to suite any individual needs and shortcuts to various sensor information may be setup.
- The weather desktop client software may be used over very low-bandwidth connections such as GSM, GPRS or similar.
- Provides web based services for information retrieval and view of real-time sensor data.
- Provides web based built-in monitoring and supervision of sensors and connected clients and other systems.
- Optional JMAP based GIS client for viewing environment data in a geographical fashion.
- Optional E-Mail, SMS or FTP delivery of timely weather reports.
- Optional system management & maintenance software is available for easy monitoring and maintenance.
Please contact our sales representatives for more information.
|
NEWIS, Navielektro Environment and Weather Information System