Capital Symonds taps into telemetry for Environment Agency work

London -- Capita Symonds is employing low-powered telemetry technology to support its work in the analysis and assessment of hydrological, meteorological and hydraulic systems for the Environment Agency (EA).

The UK engineering consultancy is on a partnering framework with the EA to deliver flood zone mapping, catchment flood management plans, flood risk assessment and flood risk management, explains George Baker, a project engineer at Capita Symonds.

“We have been assisting the Environment Agency to expand and upgrade their hydrometric network of strategically located rainfall, water level and flow measurement instrumentation. These often complex and remotely situated installations require frequent data collection and diagnostic monitoring,” said Baker.

As part of the project, the company selected Jekyll Electronic Technology’s Telemodem2 telemetry system, for its low power consumption and compact size, which makes it is suitable for adding telemetry to existing equipment.

Jekyll’s line powered modem technology means that it is only necessary to connect the Telemodem2 to the equipment’s serial data port and a telephone line to provide remote access. For battery powered host equipment, the Telemodem2 Freedom places no additional load on the host’s batteries and avoids any power drain.

“Our equipment must often be solar powered,” said Baker. “The low power consumption of the Telemodem2 makes it ideal to sit alongside these instruments. Other systems we have evaluated have been too large and too power hungry.”