Gecko SMA-HR

HIGH RESOLUTION STRONG MOTION ACCELEROGRAPH

141 Palmer Street, Richmond VIC 3121 Australia T:+61 3 8420 8940 eqSupport@src.com.au
Welcome to the world of simplified seismic recording with your new Kelunji Gecko
seismograph. Within minutes you can be recording earthquakes, blasts and other ground
vibrations using our latest generation instrument that takes high dynamic range, high
sample rate, low power continuous recording into new territory.

With the Gecko, we have reinvented the modern digital seismograph. With the reduced cost
of flash memory, now you can save weeks, months, even years of continuous data on a
single memory card. The Gecko simply records everything continuously while just logging
trigger times for you to sort through back at the lab. Even if your trigger settings missed
the even, youll always be able to find that chunk of time in the continuous archive.

An even more efficient way of managing your data is not to have to collect it at all, so we
have included a simple telemetry protocol that streams data packets over the Internet via a
cellular data modem or Ethernet link. Data from all of your stations is then available in a
single archive for you to access whenever you need it. We can provide a cloud hosting
service for your data, or you can install our free Kelunji Hub data reception software on
your own computer ideal for collating data from multiple network-connected structural
monitoring instruments.

Included in your purchase is our eqWave waveform analysis application for Windows, Mac
and Linux. Email eqSupport@src.com.au with your recorder serial number to obtain the
download link and password.

Happy recording!

From the Gecko development team.

Table of Contents
Getting Started ................................................................................. 1
Installing the Gecko SMA-HR .............................................................................. 1
Powering your recorder ...................................................................................... 3
The User Interface .............................................................................................. 3
The Main Menu ................................................................................. 4
Stop/Start Sampling ........................................................................................... 4
Inspect ............................................................................................................... 5
Firmware Info ................................................................................................... 5
GPS data .......................................................................................................... 5
Temperature, Power ........................................................................................... 5
Sensor Values ................................................................................................... 6
Raw Signal ........................................................................................................ 6
Station Codes ...................................................................................................... 7
Station Code ..................................................................................................... 7
Network Code ................................................................................................... 7
Location ID ....................................................................................................... 7
Sample Rate ........................................................................................................ 8
Data Capacity .................................................................................................... 9
Sensor............................................................................................................... 10
Select a Sensor ............................................................................................... 10
Set Gain ......................................................................................................... 10
Calibration ...................................................................................................... 11
Sensor Serial No. ............................................................................................. 11
Trigger & Alarm ................................................................................................ 12
Level Triggering ............................................................................................... 12
STA/LTA Triggering .......................................................................................... 12
Alarm Outputs ................................................................................................. 14
System Alerts .................................................................................................. 14
On-screen Alerts .............................................................................................. 15
Telemetry ......................................................................................................... 16
Send (channels) .............................................................................................. 16
Device ............................................................................................................ 16
Socket Settings ............................................................................................... 16
Data Storage and Formats .............................................................. 17
The Root Directory ........................................................................................... 17
The Data Directory ........................................................................................... 17
MiniSEED files ................................................................................................... 18
Data in the Kelunji Hub archive .......................................................................... 18
Upgrading the Gecko firmware.......................................................................... 18
Temperature Performance.............................................................. 19
Internal Battery (optional) ............................................................. 20
NiMH charge regulator LED status indicator ...................................................... 21
LED Patterns (routine) ...................................................................................... 21
LED Patterns (exceptions) ................................................................................. 21
Ethernet Adaptor (optional) ........................................................... 22
Change IP address of the Ethernet adaptor ....................................................... 23
Define IP address of Kelunji Hub computer ....................................................... 24
Ports & Wiring ................................................................................ 25
Technical Specifications ................................................................. 26
Register your Gecko ....................................................................... 27
Warranty ........................................................................................ 27
Extended warranty............................................................................................ 27
Getting Started
Installing the Gecko SMA-HR
Youll need a hammer drill, safety goggles, a hammer, and the included accessory kit.

10

8
1

1. Using the supplied 10mm masonry bit and your hammer drill, make a vertical hole for
the drop-in anchor.
Tip: measure the depth of the anchor and place some tape on the drill bit so you know how deep to drill

2. Insert anchor thread-side up into hole. Gently tap with hammer until flush with surface

3. Remove the masonry bit from your drill, then insert the tapered end into the anchor.

4. By tapping down the embedded spreader, the anchor will bite into the hole. A few firm
taps of your hammer will be enough to punch the spreader to the bottom of the anchor.
Note: be sure to use safety goggles as the tip of the drill bit may chip when used as a punch

5. Screw the supplied 8mm threaded rod into the anchor. After tightening, ensure the rod
cannot be pulled out of the ground by hand.

6. Using the central hole in the Gecko SMA-HR, slide the unit over the threaded rod.

1
7. Orienting your recorder depends on your application:

a. For earthquake monitoring, rotate the Gecko until the arrow is pointing North

b. For dam monitoring, point the North arrow along the dam wall with East direction
pointing downstream

c. For building monitoring, align the arrow of the Gecko to the axis of your building
that is closest to North

8. Loosen the upper locking nuts on the two adjustable feet and screw the feet in or out
until the bubble on top of the Gecko is centred indicating that the chassis is level.

9. Screw the locking nuts up to the base of the Gecko so that the feet can no longer be
adjusted.

10. Use the supplied flanged plastic nut to lock the Gecko down onto the threaded rod.
Hand tightening is sufficient to tie the Gecko down in case the ground acceleration
exceeds the force of gravity or horizontal friction.

7b

7c

2
Powering your recorder
The Gecko SMA-HR runs from 12V DC power. If you have ordered your SMA-HR with an
internal battery, simply depress the switch on the rear connector panel to power up the
Gecko. Be sure to connect the included power pack and charge regulator to your Gecko to
keep the battery charged. A fully charged battery will keep the Gecko SMA-HR running for
12+ hours if mains power is interrupted.

If you do not have an internal battery, you will have been provided with a power cable with
bare wire ends. These can be connected to a 12V DC battery or a regulated 12V DC power
supply. The Gecko SMA-HR will operate on voltages between 10 and 30 Volts DC. If the
power is removed then restored, the Gecko will restart using its previously saved settings.

The Gecko only takes a few seconds to initialise the operating system up after power is
applied. If an SD card is installed, the recorder will start storing continuous data to the SD
card within seconds while the sensor performs a self-test and the Gecko sets the zero level,
a process that takes about 40 seconds to complete.

At this point you now have a fully functioning recorder, but you will need to modify some
settings to suit your application. Setting unique station code is an essential starting point.

The User Interface MENU

(LEFT)
RIGHT

Unlike previous generations of Kelunji

recorder, the Gecko does not require a
computer to set it up. All settings are visible
through the LCD and changed using the control UP DOWN
buttons (see image at right).

After start-up, pressing the Menu button will toggle between the main menu and the home
screen. The home screen shows the current date and time, station code, sample rate, gain,
number of GPS satellites visible, a dynamic Running indicator that shows data being
written to the SD card, the capacity of the SD card, and how much of the SD card memory
is available for data storage.

2016-01-01 05:52:16
GECKO 100sps x1
GPS: 04 Running.....
16GB free:92.23495%

The bottom line of the home screen can show other information by pressing the Right
button, including sensor type and server connection status (when telemetry is enabled).

The LCD backlight will stay on for 30 seconds from the last button press.

3
The Main Menu
Pressing the Menu button from the home screen will show you a list of actions, settings and
information that you can access using the control buttons. Scroll Up and Down through the
list, and enter a menu item by using the Right button. Pressing the Menu button will take
you back one menu level. The LCD is a four line text display with a fixed heading. The main
menu items are:

Main Menu
Stop Sampling
> Inspect
Station Codes
Sample Rate
Sensor
Trigger & Alarm
Telemetry
Advanced

When changing most settings, it is a good idea to exit to the home page to ensure the
settings are saved. There are some exceptions where settings are not applied until other
actions are taken, which is discussed in each functional description below.

Stop/Start Sampling
Before you can remove the SD card, you need to stop sampling data so that the system
does not try to write data to the SD card while it is being removed, possibly corrupting the
file or file system. You also need to stop and start sampling if you change the sample rate
or gain of the recorder.

When the arrow is next to the Stop Sampling, press the Right button to stop data
sampling. The menu item will then change to Start Sampling. When you insert an SD
card, press the Right button again to start sampling.

4
Inspect
This menu has a number of sub-menus that relate to inspecting the status of the Gecko. In
general, pressing any button from a status screen will take you back to the previous menu.

Firmware Info
The current version number of the firmware and the compiler build number is displayed,
along with the serial number of your recorders main processor board.

Firmware: 1.00
Build No: 2491

Serial No: 100010d

GPS data
While the home screen shows the number of satellites visible, this screen shows your
location and the quality of the GPS signal - the DOP value, Latitude, Longitude and Altitude:

Sats: 04 DOP:16.574
Lat: -37.816509
Long: 145.012894
Alt: 86m

DOP means Dilution of Precision which is an indication of the accuracy of the GPS position
information. The lower the number the higher the accuracy of the 3D location. Pressing any
button will take you back to the previous menu.

Temperature, Power
The temperature reading on the display in this menu is taken from a sensor in the Geckos
main processor. This reading is not the ambient temperature outside the Gecko, but it can
act as a relative measure of the environmental temperature. The Voltage displayed is that
of the input power source. Pressing any button will take you back to the previous menu.

Temperature: 27.5
Voltage: 13.0

5
Sensor Values
You can view real time ground motion values from the sensor from this menu. Simply tap or
shake the sensor and watch the numbers change. This gives you an idea of the noise level
of your site which can help when deciding trigger level settings.

2016-02-20 1:42:42
E: -0.0439408 g
N: 0.0360011 g
Z: -0.0011021 g

Raw Signal
You can see the raw numbers from the ADC in real time also. These values are converted to
ground motion units based on your select sensor units and sensitivity and displayed in real
time in the previous Sensor Values screen.

Another feature of this screen is the ability to view the STA/LTA ratio in real time (see
section below for an explanation on how STA/LTA triggering works). The value at the end of
each line is the ratio of the average signal in the short term divided by the average signal in
the long term. When nothing much is happening this value will sit around 1.0, but a short
burst of anomalous signal will increase this ratio. Use this as a guide to setting your
STA/LTA trigger threshold.

2016-02-20 1:42:42
E: -2726 0.6
N: 4326 0.8
Z: -356 1.2

Note: The STA/LTA value will only display if STA/LTA triggering was enabled when the
recorder was powered on, and it will only display the value for the channels that
are enabled in the STA/LTA settings. If you have changed your STA/LTA, please
restart your Gecko to apply the settings.

6
Station Codes
Every seismic monitoring point needs to have a unique identifier. As part of the MiniSEED
data format standard there are three tiers of identifier Network, Station, and Location.

Important! Please change your station code to a unique code, otherwise data
from all of your stations will be called GECKO and you wont know
which data files came from which station!

Station Code
The station code identifies the location of the station. If a location has multiple sensors (e.g.
monitoring a building, or setting up an array of sensors) you can use the same station code
but identify each recording point with a different Location ID (see below).

This station code (default is GECKO) can be up to 5 characters long and can only contain
uppercase letters and numbers. If you wish to use less than 5 characters, end the code with
blank space character. Note that any characters after a blank apce will be ignored (e.g. if
you enter ABC 1 the data will contain station code ABC).

Enter Station Code

GECKO

A flashing block indicates the cursor position. Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll
through letters and numbers, and use the Right button to move to the next character.
Press the Left/Menu button when on the first character to save and exit.

Network Code
The MiniSEED format allows you to include a two character network code, which can be your
FDSN code. For example, the Seismology Research Centre uses OZ, Geoscience Australia
uses AU, and the British Geological Survey uses GB. You can register for an FDSN code
at fdsn.org, or you can use this field for you own identification purposes.

Location ID
As mentioned above, a seismic monitoring station may have multiple monitoring points, so
rather than coming up with a station code for each, they can all use the same station code
with a unique Location ID. This field is any two character code. For example, if you are
monitoring the basement, middle and top of a building you could use Location IDs of B1,
M1, and T1; or simply 01, 02 and 03.

7
Sample Rate
Most sample rates in the Gecko use an FIR filter to remove frequencies above the Nyquist
frequency (i.e. half the sample rate, e.g. 50Hz at 100 samples per second)

Select Sample Rate

40 sps
> 100 sps
200 sps

250 sps
400 sps
800 sps
1000 sps
1600 sps
2000 sps
4000 sps

Scroll to the sample rate you wish to use, then press the Menu button and scroll to the top
of the menu and Stop Sampling then Start Sampling again to apply the new rate.

The Gecko SMA-HR has a standard high frequency response of 100Hz, so sampling at higher
than 250sps doesnt offer any benefit in this regard, but it does improve the resolution of
the timing if those fractions of a second are important in your application.

8
Data Capacity
The sample rate affects the size of the data files stored, so we will briefly discuss how much
data you can expect to record given a particular sample rate. The Gecko is recording three
channels of data to the SD card continuously in MiniSEED format using Steim-1
compression. They are stored on the SD card in one-minute long files in a Year > Month >
Day > Hour folder hierarchy to make browsing data on your computer as easy as possible.

Your Gecko will probably be recording low levels of signal from your sensor most of the
time, so the data files are usually quite small. The occasional earthquake or noise signal will
increase the size of the data files in the short term, but for estimation purposes we will look
at what volume of data is generated at a typical low-noise continuous recording station.

Recording 3-channels at 100sps in an urban environment generates about 2GB per month.
Increasing the sample rate to 250sps generates about 5GB per month, and running at
4000sps creates about 70GB per month, so the sample-rate to data-volume relationship is
reasonably linear. Low noise environments (such as underground vaults or remote stations)
will generate smaller amounts of data due to the MiniSEED format data optimisation.

At 100sps, the standard 16GB

SD card will typically store
about 1 year of continuous
triaxial data in the ring buffer at
a seismically quiet location.

When the SD card fills up it starts to delete the oldest data to make room for new data. The
Gecko supports SD card capacities of up to 32GB.

You can view your data by inserting your SD card into your computer and starting up
eqWave on your Windows, Mac or Linux PC. Simply drag a single file, an hour folder, or a
day folder (eqWave can display up to 24 hours data in a single window) onto the empty
eqWave viewer window to view you data. eqWave will read the .ss file from your data file
directory to auto-fill the station information. Keep your files in their respective folders or
risk losing this meta-data link, or save the file in a meta-rich format like PC-SUDS.

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Sensor
The Sensor Setup menu has several sections that deal with the sensor information and
control. Much of this has been pre-configured for your Gecko SMA-HR.

Sensor
Select a Sensor
> Set Gain
Calibration

Sensor Serial No

Select a Sensor
The Gecko recorder is used with a range of popular sensors, but as your SMA-HR has an
integrated sensor we have preselected the configuration settings for this sensor for you.

Select a Sensor
Gecko SMA 5g
> Gecko SMA-HR 2g
Gecko SMA-HR 4g

Do not change the selected sensor.

Set Gain
Sensors have different full scale output ranges, and the Gecko input can be set to match the
sensor range using the gain setting. To utilise the full range of the Gecko SMA-HRs
integrated sensor, leave the gain set to x1. If you wish to reduce the range to increase the
sensitivity at lower amplitudes you can increase the gain.

Input Range
x1 (40Vpp)
> x2 (20Vpp)
x4 (10Vpp)
x8 (5Vpp)
x16 (2.5Vpp)

For example, if your SMA-HR has a full scale range of 2g, setting it to a gain of x2 will
decrease the full scale range to 1g but you may get an improvement in the sensitivity at
the bottom end of the recording range at sites with low background noise levels.

10
Calibration
The Gecko SMA-HR has an in-built calibration procedure whereby the processor sends a 5Hz
sine wave of a fixed amplitude to excite the sensor components. By comparing the sensor
response over time you can check that your sensor is still within specification.

Calibrate Sensor

> Start Calibration

After pressing the Right button, a countdown timer will start, showing that the sensor is in
calibration mode and the sine wave is being sent to the sensor. View the files in your
continuous data archive to see how the sensor responded. It should look like this:

Sensor Serial No.

A 10-character field is available to record your sensors serial number. This information is
stored in the station status text file for future reference. Upper and lower case letters,
numbers, and some special characters are available. This information has already been
entered for the sensor that has been integrated into your Gecko SMA-HR.

11
Trigger & Alarm
The primary function of the Gecko is as a continuous data recorder, but we realise that
triggering is still required to more easily find events of interest and to control alarm outputs.
The Gecko has a Level trigger process and an STA/LTA trigger process that can be enabled.
It also has several system monitoring parameters that can generate an alarm.

Trigger & Alarm

Level
> STA/LTA
Alarm Outputs
System Alerts

The Gecko logs the trigger times to a text file that can be used to quickly find the data in
the continuous archive. The file is located in the top level folder of the SD card.

Level Triggering
Level Triggering % of Full Scale
5.00 %
> Enable: On 0.10000 g
Set Trigger Level

By default the Level trigger process is OFF, but simply toggle this using the Right button.

The trigger value is set as a percentage of the full scale input range of the Gecko, to two
decimal places. Typically an SMA-HR will have a full scale range of 2g, but 4g versions
are available. If your gain setting is higher than x1 your full scale range will be reduced.

Use the Up/Down buttons to change the percentage value by from 0.01% to 99.99% of
the sensors full scale range. The line below will update with the ground motion value based
on the sensor and gain setup of your SMA-HR.

STA/LTA Triggering
By default the STA/LTA trigger process is OFF. Toggle this ON/OFF using the Right button.

STA/LTA Triggering
Enable: Off
> Threshold
STA window size
LTA window size
Filter 2-20Hz
Channels E+N+Z

12
The Short Term Average signal level divided by the Long Term Average signal level
produces a ratio indicating how much above-average signal is occurring. If you want to
trigger when the short term average signal level is three times higher than the long term
average signal level, you set the Threshold to 3. The length of the short term and long term
time windows is also user selectable. The LTA value must be higher than the STA value.

Short Term Average

2.0 second
averaging window

Signal averages can be calculated using the raw data or a filtered stream. Use the Right
button to toggle between 2-20Hz and Off.

The STA/LTA algorithm can run on any, some, or all three input channels, which you can
cycle through using the Right button on the last menu item.

You can visualise the effect of various STA/LTA settings using eqWave:

The STA/LTA ratio is the yellow line. When little is happening, the short term and long term
averages are similar and the ratio sits at around 1. When the short term signal increases by
a factor of the threshold setting (the centre line), a trigger is declared.

Note: The STA/LTA process only operates if STA/LTA triggering was enabled when the
recorder was powered on, and only for the channels that were enabled at start-up.
To commit your STA/LTA settings, please exit the menu and restart your Gecko.

13
Alarm Outputs
Gecko recorders built from mid 2016 include an alarm output function. There are two alarm
outputs available. By default, Alarm #1 and #2 (on the 6-pin connector) will have the
Geckos positive power switched on for the alarm duration, but on request we modify the
hardware to switch a user input line (also on the 6-pin connector) to the Alarm outputs.

Alarm Outputs
#1: Level
> #2: System
Alarm Duration

Each Alarm can be controlled by one of three processes Level triggers, STA/LTA triggers,
and System Alerts; or the alarm feature can be turned Off. Simply press the Right arrow to
cycle through the options for each alarm.

The final menu item is self-explanatory this setting determines how long the alarm stays
active after being triggered.

System Alerts
System Alerts enable an alarm to be raised when certain monitored parameters get to a
particular level that may indicate an impending problem with the system.

System Alerts
Low Voltage
> Low Memory
High Temperature

The values are user-editable, but by default the alert will be raised when:

The voltage drops below 11.9V

There is less than 100MB of storage available

The processor temperature exceeds 55C

A standard Gecko will operate down to almost 6V, but a voltage this low may damage some
batteries, including the optional internal battery. The SMA-HR sensor operates down to 10V.

The Gecko by default has a data ring buffer, which means it will overwrite old data with new
data when the memory card is full. The alert will be raised when less than 100MB is left.

The internal temperature of the processor can get close to 80C if the external ambient
temperature gets as high as 70C, but in normal situations it would not exceed 50C.

14
On-screen Alerts
When an enabled alarm is triggered, a message will appear on the LCD to indicate which of
the two Alarm Outputs has activated, and which parameter triggered the alarm.

2016-01-01 05:52:16
Alarm1: Level Trig
Alarm2: Low Voltage
Press > to dismiss
Alarm2: STA/LTA Trig
Alarm2: Low Memory
Alarm2: High Temp

The on-screen alert will be cleared after the Alarm Duration time has elapsed if the alarm
condition is no longer true (e.g. when the ground motion subsides after an earthquake).

If the alarm condition persists (e.g. low voltage) the alert will be displayed on the LCD until
the user presses the Right button to dismiss the alert. The on-screen alert for this alarm
will not be displayed again until the condition changes to false (e.g. voltage returns to
normal) and then becomes true again.

15
Telemetry
The Gecko has a serial port to allow streaming of continuous data to a remote computer.
Data is sent using a custom protocol that communicates with our Kelunji Hub application
for data acquisition and recorder interrogation. The Gecko supports a 3G cellular modem or
an Ethernet adaptor for data telemetry, which are available for purchase separately.

Communications
Send: Z+N+E
> Device: Ethernet
Socket Port
Socket IP/DNS
Socket APN

Send (channels)
Use the right button to toggle which Gecko channels will be sent over the network link.

Device
This setting defines the type of communication device connected to the Geckos
communication port. By default this is set to Off, but use the Right button to cycle
through Ethernet or 3G modem.

Socket Settings
These settings currently relate to the use of the 3G modem. When using our Ethernet
adaptor the socket configuration is done in the device (see later section in this manual).

To start data telemetry, the Gecko needs to establish a socket connection to a computer
using TCP/IP, so a port on the computer needs to be assigned for this communication link.
The default port is set to 58772, but this can be changed if required (it will need to be
changed in the Kelunji Hub application as well).

The Kelunji Hub application will be running on a remote computer, so for the Gecko to be
able to find it we need to define its IP address or domain name. The normal text entry
method is used to define this after you enter the Socket IP/DNS menu.

The 3G modem also requires the cellular carriers APN (Access Point Name) to be able to
connect to the Internet. This is normally internet or carrier.internet (e.g. telstra.internet
for Australias largest carrier) and can be modified within the Gecko.

16
Data Storage and Formats
The Gecko stores continuous data to the SD card in a logical file hierarchy to make it easy
to find the data youre looking for, but it also stores some additional files that you may find
useful. The SD card is formatted in standard FAT32 file system and can be read by most
computers with an SD card slot or using a USB SD card reader.

The Root Directory

The top level directory contains a folder called data that contains all of the seismic
waveform files. The top level directory also contains a number of other files:

log.txt (and older log_0.txt log_9.txt), which are simple text files that record
several parameters for instrument performance analysis, such as historical
temperature, supply voltage, number of GPS satellites used, etc. Up to 10 text files
are stored, a new file started when the file size becomes unwieldy

trig.txt, which is a list of times that a trigger process was activated. It includes the
trigger date and time, the name of the trigger process, and the channel(s) that
triggered

sens_settings.ss, which is also a text file, contains all of the current configuration
settings of the Gecko. It is updated each time the user changes a setting.

The Data Directory

The top level folder named data contains subdirectories named by date to allow you to
quickly find the files youre looking for. The first level down is the Year folder, which
contains Month folders, which in turn contain Day folders, and the Hour folders are the next
and final folder level. Each hour folder will contain MiniSEED format data files, each file
being one minute long. Each hour folder also contains a file ending in .ss which contains
information about the digitiser, sensor, gain, and other parameters that are needed for
analysis of the data.

17
MiniSEED files
Continuous data files in the Gecko are in a format known as MiniSEED, which is a widely
adopted international standard format for seismic data. You can find out more about this
data format at the IRIS website:

http://ds.iris.edu/ds/nodes/dmc/data/formats/miniseed/

Being a data only format, the lack of embedded station information makes it impossible to
simply open a file and read a ground motion value (and therefore calculate magnitude). The
way we have handled this is to embed a seismograph settings (.ss) file in every Hour folder.
If you use our included eqWave application to open a data file, it will look for an .ss file in
the files folder and automatically read and apply the appropriate corrections to the data so
that real ground motion units are displayed. Similarly if you drag an entire Hour or Day
folder into eqWave, it will read the first .ss file and apply these station settings to the
merged data file displayed in the eqWave window.

The problem then becomes needing to keep the .ss files and MiniSEED data files together to
retain this association. The simplest solution is to use the Save As function in eqWave to
save the file in PC-SUDS format (a less popular international standard seismic data format)
which embeds all of the relevant station data within the data file. If you need to share this
file with someone who requires that it be in MiniSEED format at a later time, simply use
eqWaves Save As function again to save in MiniSEED format.

Data in the Kelunji Hub archive

When data files are received by the Kelunji Hub software application, files are written to the
computers storage as a zip file containing both the MiniSEED file and the .ss file so that
when a file is opened by eqWave it will automatically apply the settings so that eqWave can
display real ground motion values instead of raw MiniSEED data values.

Upgrading the Gecko firmware

The process of upgrading the firmware in the Gecko could not be easier. The firmware
upgrade file is called Rasbora.bin and simply needs to be copied to the root level of an SD
card. With the Gecko turned off, insert the SD card, then apply power. After a few seconds
you will see a message indicating that it is Upgrading Firmware, which only takes a few
seconds. The Gecko will then restart and the new firmware features will be available.

18
Temperature Performance
We have tested the Gecko SMA-HR in our calibrated temperature test chamber to confirm
that it will keep recording seismic data in extremes of temperature and humidity. A sample
temperature cycle test is shown below.

The red line is the temperature of the main processor chip. The blue line is the chamber
temperature, and the green line is the internal battery voltage (with 24V cut-off disabled).

The test started at an ambient temperature of around 25C. The chamber temperature
increased to +60C (at 100% relative humidity) over 2 hours and remained at this
temperature for an hour. The temperature was reduced to -10C over two hours and held
for an hour. The temperature was then raised to +70C over 2 hours and held for an hour,
then down to -20C in two hours and held for an hour. The cycle was then restarted.

As you can see, there is roughly a +10C offset from the ambient temperature in the
chamber to the temperature of the processor. The Gecko SMA-HR was still operating at
almost 80C, confirming an operating range of -20C to +70C with 100% R/H.

Note that the internally battery voltage increases with temperature. The standard power
circuitry with an internal battery fitted will suspend the Gecko above +24V, so if you expect
to have your instrument operating at over 60C it would be wise to use an external battery.

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Internal Battery (optional)
When we fit the optional Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) internal battery, we modify the
Geckos power supply circuitry. Normally a Gecko will run until the supply voltage drops to
almost 6V DC, and the Gecko will also switch off if the voltage exceeds 30V DC. When an
internal NiMH battery is fitted, the low voltage cut-off is set to 11.5V and the over-voltage
cut-off is set to 24V to protect the battery. If we allowed the voltage to get much lower, the
NiMH regulator would not be able to start charging the cells.

Although 11.5V seems like a close cut-off point for a 12V battery pack, when fully charged
the NiMH pack voltage is over 14V. The voltage starts to drop off rapidly as the battery
approaches 12V.

A fully charged battery pack is expected to run a Gecko SMA-HR for over 12 hours. When
power is reconnected after the battery is discharged, the battery should be fully charged
within 4-5 hours while the unit is operating, after which time the regulator will keep the
battery topped up at around 14V while mains power is connected.

(time line modified to remove several hours where Gecko was switched off, hence temperature drop)

The internal battery pack is supplied with a 12V power supply plug pack that is compatible
with 110-250V AC power sources, along with a NiMH charge regulator which is programmed
to charge to battery pack in such a way as to maximise the life of the battery and to ensure
the battery is kept at maximum charge. The internal battery pack can still be charged even
if the Gecko SMA-HR itself is switched off.

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NiMH charge regulator LED status indicator
Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries require a particular power delivery cycle
for optimum charging and battery life. An unregulated power supply can provide a NiMH
battery pack with charge, but without proper regulation the battery can become damaged
from over-charging or over-heating. Please use the supplied charge regulator and 12V
power pack to maintain battery condition.

Depending on the options ordered, the charge regulator and

power pack may be supplied as loose items or packaged in a wall-
mountable box. In either case, a single LED on the charge
regulator provides the status of the charging cycle and displays
any errors. Use the table below to decode the status of the
charge regulator and the battery condition.

LED Patterns (routine)

Traffic light (Red-Orange-Green) System reset. Occurs at power-on
and when battery is connected

Slow Orange blink System waiting. Battery disconnected

Solid Orange Constant current phase

Orange with Green blink Constant voltage phase

Solid Green Charge Complete. Float Charge continues

LED Patterns (exceptions)

Three Red Flashes Charge suspended. Battery voltage too low

Two Red Flashes Charge suspended. Battery voltage too high

Slow Red blink (Once every 5 sec) Charge suspended. Battery or PCB too hot

Fast Red blink Thermistor error. Needs power reset

Orange blink (Once every 0.5 sec) Timeout

Solid Red Fault. Needs power reset

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Ethernet Adaptor (optional)
If you need to be able to stream your seismic data over a Local Area Network (LAN) or over
the Internet in real time to a remote computer, our Ethernet adaptor is available for
connection to the recorders communication port. Our free Kelunji Hub software is available
for installation on the remote computer, or you can subscribe to our cloud data hosting
service. Email eqSupport@src.com.au for more pricing and conditions on our cloud hosting
service.

The IOLAN Ethernet adaptor, manufactured by Perle, is a serial to Ethernet adaptor which
can be configured using a web browser connected to the Ethernet side of the device. We
have set the default IP address of the device to 172.16.2.222 with a gateway setting of
255.255.0.0. It is unlikely that this IP address will be allowed on your LAN, so you will need
to modify the device settings. The device is also configured to stream data to our cloud data
service, so if you have installed Kelunji Hub on a computer on your network you will need to
modify the IP address to that of the destination computer.

If you need to change these settings, you will need to communicate with the device using a
web browser. To do this, set your computers IP address to 192.168.20.50, then set
your computers gateway address to 255.255.255.0, then open a web browser and
type http://192.168.20.100/ into the address bar. You will be asked for a username and
password to log in to the device, which are admin and superuser respectively.

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Change IP address of the Ethernet adaptor
When you log into the Ethernet adaptor, youll see the screen below.

You will most likely need to

change the IP address of the
device to one that is
compatible with your LAN.
Click on the Network button
on the main screen or the
Network folder in the left
side bar to view the network
settings.

Click on the IP Settings

button or icon in the side bar
folder to edit the IP address,
subnet mask, and gateway
address. You can set the
device to have a fixed IP
address or you can set it to
use DHCP to request an
automatic address from your
network. DHCP is the most
common way computers
connect to a LAN.

Additional network settings

are available. If you are
unfamiliar with these
settings, please consult your
IT Administrator for advice.

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Define IP address of Kelunji Hub computer
As supplied the Ethernet adaptor will try to connect to our Cloud-based Kelunji Hub data
reception system. If you have subscribed to our online hosting service you will be able to
extract data from this servers archive using eqWave.

If you have chosen to run Kelunji Hub on a computer on your local network, youll need to
modify the Host destination IP address that your Ethernet adaptor is trying to connect to. In
the left side bar menu, click on Advanced under the Network settings, as shown below.

Click on KelunjiHub in the

Host Table to highlight it,
then click the Edit button.
A small window will pop up
allowing you to edit the Host
name and address.

Warning: DO NOT change

the name of the Host
from KelunjiHub

Enter the IP address of the

computer that is running
your local copy of Kelunji
Hub, then click OK. To
commit these all of your
setting changes, reboot the
IOLAN device using the link
at the bottom right of the
screen.

If you have enabled Telemetry via Ethernet in your Gecko, the Gecko will now connect to
the Kelunji Hub application on the Host server, then automatically start streaming data. You
can check on the connection status on the Gecko Home screen by pressing the Right button
until the Connection status message is displayed.

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Ports & Wiring
The Gecko SMA-HR has three sockets and a power switch on its rear connector panel.

The switch connects and disconnects power to the Gecko from the internal battery (if fitted)
or from the two-pin power socket (located directly below the switch).

The small gold coaxial socket next to the switch is the connection for the GPS aerial. The
GPS is crucial in maintaining accurate absolute time to synchronise recordings from various
instruments and monitoring locations, but it also provides position information. Simply
screw the GPS cable plug onto the threaded GPS socket until finger-tight.

As mentioned, the two-pin connector is the power input to the Gecko, with the top pin (1)
as the supply voltage or battery positive, and the bottom pin (2) as the ground or battery
negative. A power cable with a matching plug and bare wire ends (black=negative,
white=positive) is supplied for connection to an external battery. If you have specified an
internal battery this cable plug will be connected to the NiMH charge regulator.

The cable plugs simply push in when correctly aligned (look for the red mark) and are
locked in place. Pulling on the plugs body will slide it back to unlock and remove the plug.

Note: the Gecko SMA-HR is only rated to IP67 when these connectors are mated

The remaining six-pin connector is for alarm output and communication adaptors. An IP67-
rated blanking plug is included when a communication adaptor is not ordered, and a cable
plug can be ordered or sourced locally (LEMO part number FGG.1K.306.CLAC50Z). The
wiring of this cable connector is shown below.

Pin 1 (white wire) RS232 Transmit (for Ethernet adaptor or 3G modem)

1 6 Pin 2 (green wire) RS232 Receive (for Ethernet adaptor or 3G modem)

Pin 3 (black wire) Ground (for RS232 and Power)

2 5 Pin 4 (red wire) Alarm #1 output (connects pin 6 when active)

3 4 Pin 5 (blue wire) Alarm #2 output (connects pin 6 when active)

Pin 6 (orange wire) Power +VDC (can be factory-set to be alarm line in)

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Technical Specifications
Accelerometer
Triaxial Force Feedback type
2g full scale range (4g available)
DC to 100Hz bandwidth (DC to 200Hz available)
Self noise <1g over full bandwidth

Recorder
3-channel with simultaneous sampling
32-bit ADC per channel
Dynamic range of 137dB @100sps, 130dB @500sps
Gain options of x1, x2, x4, x8 and x16
User-selectable sample rates of 40, 100, 200, 250, 400, 500, 800, 1000, 1600,
2000 and 4000 samples per second
16GB SD card included (supports SDHC cards up to 32GB)
Internal GPS receiver for 100 micro-second timing accuracy

Power
Operating voltage: 10 to 30V DC (11.5 to 24V DC with internal battery fitted)
Power consumption: 2W typical (recorder 0.9W, accelerometer 1.1W)

Inputs
4-button keypad user interface
Coaxial GPS aerial connection
2-pin 12V input socket
6-pin alarm and communications socket

Outputs
4-line LCD panel with backlight
Continuous MiniSEED format data to 16GB SD card
Two programmable alarm lines (triggered by STA/LTA, Level, or System events)
Data streaming over Ethernet or 3G modem to Kelunji Hub software

Physical
Diameter: 135mm
Height: 210mm (including legs and levelling bubble)
Weight: 2.5kg (2.9kg if fitted with internal battery)
Protection: IP67 (dustproof, water resistant to 1 metre for 30 minutes)

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Register your Gecko
We highly recommend registering your Gecko with us so that we can add you to our
firmware and software update mailing list. Simply email eqSupport@src.com.au with your
Gecko serial number (Main Menu > Inspect > Firmware Info) and we will send you links to
download Gecko firmware updates and eqWave software updates from time to time.

Warranty
Seismic equipment manufactured by ESS Earth Sciences is warranted to the original
purchaser only, to be free of defects in material and workmanship at the time of shipment
and for a period of one year from the delivery date. This warranty applies to equipment
purchased from ESS Earth Sciences that has been properly installed and operated, but not
to equipment which has been subject to neglect, accident, improper installation, misuse,
misapplication, abuse or alteration. It does not apply to damage caused by factors beyond
our control including fire, flood, lightning or vandalism.

ESS Earth Sciences will, at its own option, repair at its laboratory or replace equipment
covered under this warranty. All costs of freight and insurance plus any applicable customs
and clearance fees will be paid by the purchaser. All goods must be sent in original
packaging with appropriate protection against damage including electrostatic charge.

It is the responsibility of the purchaser: to give prompt notice of any claim; to request a
return authorisation before returning any equipment to ESS Earth Sciences; and to return
the goods within the warranty period.

Extended warranty
Extensions to the standard 12 month warranty are available. These are available at the time
of purchase, or at any time before the expiry of the original warranty. Extended warranties
have the same conditions as the original warranty. Please contact ESS Earth Sciences for
further information.

Products that are out of warranty can be returned to the factory for refurbishment and will
then qualify for extended warranty. Contact ESS Earth Sciences for further information.

Seismology Research Centre

a division of ESS Earth Sciences
141 Palmer Street, Richmond
VIC 3121 Australia
+61 3 8420 8940
www.src.com.au

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