Installing Amper's analog aggregator with Wi-Fi

Before you begin...

Set your teams up for success
  1. Have your IT team configure your Wi-Fi network. Your guide will include the technical specs they need.
  2. Schedule time to turn off machines (if required). We recommend you plan in advance so that you can safely open up the machines' power panels.
  3. Plan installation time with maintenance staff. You’ll need a team member who is familiar with the machines' operations and electrical panels.
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Installation on 2 machines should take 30–60 minutes.

Make sure to discuss availability with any relevant staff for successful installation.

What you'll need

Gateway
(“GW” on device)
Aggregator
(“AG” on device with 8 sensor ports)
Sensor
Power supply cable
CAT5 cable
Recommended tools
  • Tools to open the appropriate machine panel
  • A machine schematic or wiring diagram

CONNECT THE GATEWAY

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Make sure your network is ready for Amper devices!
If this information looks daunting, don’t worry. These are standard configurations that your IT team will be familiar with.

Make sure your network is ready for Amper devices

Verify network and gateway compatibility
  1. Supported networks:
    - 2.4GHz only
    - WPA2 (most common)
    - WPA
    - WEP
    - Unsecured/open
  2. Unsupported networks:
    - 5GHz
    - WPA-2 Enterprise networks
    - WPA3
    - Hidden SSID networks
    - Networks that require a captive portal login (e.g. guest network with login or terms agreement popup)
    - Static IP assignment (Note: If you wish to assign a device to a specific IP address, you must allocate one in your network's DHCP settings based on the device's MAC addresses, which Amper can provide if needed.)
Configure your network for devices

All device connections are outbound, but devices both send and receive data on each connection. Make sure that the following domains and ports are whitelisted in your firewall.
(You must whitelist using the domain, not the resolved IP address.)

  1. Required service: Particle (device management)
    - Protocol: UDP
    - Port: 5684
    - Destination: *.udp.particle.io
    - Notes: Dynamic IP pool; firewall must use domain and not resolved IP addresses.
  2. Required service: AWS (data transfer)
    - Protocol: TCP
    - Port: 8883
    - Destination: a1z2vcintpz3vi-ats.iot.us-west-2.amazonaws.com
    - Notes: Dynamic IP pool; firewall must use domain and not resolved IP addresses.
  3. Legacy required service: Particle (legacy gateways without button)
    - Protocol: TCP
    - Port: 5683
    - Destination: device.tcp.particle.io
    - Notes: Dynamic IP pool; firewall must use domain and not resolved IP addresses.
  4. Domains open (outbound connections)
    DNS domain filtering must use DNS group filtering, not single-host DNS filtering.
    - device.spark.io
    - device.nodes.spark.io
    - device.udp.particle.io
    - device.tcp.particle.io
    - a1z2vcintpz3vi-ats.iot.us-west-2.amazonaws.com
  5. Device MAC addresses whitelisted
    If your network restricts access to unknown devices by MAC address, go to the Hardware page in the Amper app to download your device MAC addresses for your network administrator.

Configure gateway

Once you receive your gateways and make the necessary network updates, you will have to configure them to connect to your local network. This process uses Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) for setup.

Plug power supply into AC outlet and gateway
  • This requires a 110V outlet.
    An outlet that is always powered on is preferred, but a built-in outlet on the machine will work.
    If no outlet is available, you'll need to run an additional outlet to the machine.
  • The gateway’s top LED light will turn blue when powered on.
Follow gateway configuration steps
  • Open http://setup.amper.xyz on your device’s web browser.
    For iOS devices, you must download and install the Bluefy browser.
    All other devices (Android, Mac, Windows) can use the Chrome browser as long as the device supports BLE.
  • Follow the instructions.
  • Once the gateway has connected to the Wi-Fi network:
    - The top LED will remain blue to indicate power.
    - The bottom LED will turn green, yellow, or red to indicate connection strength.
  • If the lower LED doesn't turn on after a few minutes, please double check your network selection and password and try configuring the device again.

    Need more help? Reference the device troubleshooting flowchart.
Mount gateway
  • The gateway should be placed as high as possible on a wall or machine exterior.
    Do not place the gateway in the machine's e-panel.
  • It should also be able to reach the machine’s power panel with the 25’ CAT5 cable as well as its power outlet.
  • Place the gateway where the LED shows up green or yellow, indicating sufficient signal strength.

INSTALL THE AGGREGATOR

Mount aggregator

Place the aggregator inside the machine’s power panel.
Mounting it closer to where you will connect the sensors will make the process easier.

Connect aggregator and gateway

Identify or create a port in the machine's power panel for the CAT5 cable to pass through.

Plug the CAT5 cable into the gateway, run it through the port, and connect it to the aggregator you mounted there in the previous step.

    Clip sensor

    Clip the sensor over a wire carrying AC power to the motor performing the primary process of the machine (e.g. spindle motor power supply output).

    If there are multiple wires for the 3 AC phases providing power to the same motor, pick any wire. The wire must only contain a single phase of power and not have a ground inside.

      Plug sensor into aggregator

      Plug the sensor cable into the aggregator’s first available port.

      If you have multiple sensors, start at port 1 and plug the rest into the subsequent ports until they’re all connected.

        Verify connections
        • The gateway should show a blue power light and green or yellow signal light.
        • The aggregator should show a blue power light (bottom left) and a blue connection light under each connected analog port used (top).

        COMPLETE CONFIGURATION

        Set up your machine in the Amper app
        • Go to https://app.amper.xyz (or click button below).
        • Go to Settings > Hardware Screen if you're not automatically directed to the instructions.
        • Click "new machine" to begin configuration. The app will guide you through entering your machine information.
        • Click the “notify us” button at the top right of the page to tell us your machines are ready for calibration.
          Only see a “reconfigure” button? Click it and it will change to “notify us.” Click it again and you’re ready to go.
        Sit back

        Once you submit your machine configuration info, our team will begin tuning your machines and setting up your dashboard. This typically takes 1 week for pilots and 14-21 days for larger full deployments.