Gecko

SEISMOGRAPHS, ACCELEROGRAPHS, RECORDERS (all models)

141 Palmer Street, Richmond VIC 3121 Australia T:+61 3 8420 8940 [email protected]
 Gecko Firmware V7.4

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 makes high dynamic range, high
sample rate, low power, continuous recording accessible to experts and novices alike.

In the Gecko, we have simplified the modern digital seismograph. The low cost of flash
memory means you can save weeks, months, even years of continuous data on a single
memory card. The Gecko can record everything continuously while logging trigger times for
you to sort through back at the lab. Even if your trigger settings missed the event, you’ll
always be able to retrieve that chunk of time from 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/WiFi link. Data from all of your stations is then available in
a single archive for you to access whenever you need it. Simply install our free “Streams”
data reception software on your Windows, macOS or Ubuntu PC and watch your data live on
screen while it is archived away to your PC. Streams is ideal for collating data from multiple
network-connected structural monitoring instruments. Download it free today from the SRC
website: https://www.src.com.au/downloads/streams/

Our “Waves” waveform analysis application is available as a free download for Windows,
macOS and Ubuntu from http://www.src.com.au/downloads/waves/. Each Gecko purchased
is entitled to one Waves product key that will remove the advertisement that pops up for 10
seconds when you launch the program. You can email [email protected] with your recorder
serial number to obtain a product key. Each product key can only be used once and is not
transferable to another computer.

Happy recording!

From the Gecko development team.

Table of Contents
Getting Started ................................................................................. 5
Setting up your recorder .....................................................................................5
The User Interface ..............................................................................................6
Menu Map ............................................................................................................6
The Home Screen .............................................................................. 7
Status Screen Loop – Right Button ......................................................................7
Realtime Data Loop – Up Button..........................................................................8
Vector Sum ....................................................................................................... 8
Sensor Signal .................................................................................................... 8
Raw Signal ........................................................................................................ 8
The Main Menu .................................................................................. 9
Unmount SD card ................................................................................................9
Data Storage ................................................................................................... 10
Station Info ....................................................................................................... 10
Station Code ................................................................................................... 11
Network Code .................................................................................................. 11
Location ID ..................................................................................................... 11
SOH frequency ................................................................................................ 11
Sample Rate ...................................................................................................... 12
Channels to Store .............................................................................................. 13
Channels to Send .............................................................................................. 13
Sensor Setup ..................................................................................................... 14
3D Sensor ....................................................................................................... 14
1D Sensor ....................................................................................................... 17
Input Amplifier.................................................................................................. 17
Trigger & Alarm................................................................................................. 18
Trigger List...................................................................................................... 18
Level Triggering ............................................................................................... 19
STA/LTA Triggering .......................................................................................... 19
Alarm Outputs ................................................................................................. 20
System Alerts .................................................................................................. 20
On-screen Alerts .............................................................................................. 21
Telemetry .......................................................................................................... 21
Mode .............................................................................................................. 22
Device ............................................................................................................ 22
Settings File ...................................................................................................... 23
Sensor Control .................................................................................................. 23
Data Storage and Formats .............................................................. 25
The Root Directory ........................................................................................... 26
The Data Folder ............................................................................................... 26
The Histogram Folder ....................................................................................... 27
MiniSEED files ................................................................................................... 28
Upgrading the Gecko firmware .......................................................................... 28
Ports & Wiring ................................................................................ 29
Pre 2021 - LEMO ............................................................................................... 29
Pre 2021 - ALTW ............................................................................................... 29
Power port ...................................................................................................... 29
Alarm & Communications port............................................................................ 30
Post 2021 - ALTW.............................................................................................. 31
Power port ...................................................................................................... 31
Alarm & Communications port............................................................................ 32
1D Sensor port ................................................................................................ 32
3D Sensor Port (Compact/Rugged) ..................................................................... 32
Technical Specifications .................................................................. 33
Register for Updates ....................................................................... 36
Warranty ........................................................................................ 37
Extended warranty ............................................................................................ 37
Appendix A ..................................................................................... 38
Installing the Gecko Blast, Force, or SMA .......................................................... 38
Gains, range and clip levels ............................................................................... 39
Installing the Gecko Pro-bodied sensors ........................................................... 40
Calibrating a Gecko SMA-HR .............................................................................. 42
Checking Prism Operation ................................................................................. 43
Appendix B ..................................................................................... 44
Internal or External NiMH Battery ..................................................................... 44
Charge Regulator .............................................................................................. 45
LED Patterns (routine) ...................................................................................... 45
LED Patterns (exceptions) ................................................................................. 45
Appendix C ..................................................................................... 46
USR-W610 Ethernet & WiFi Adaptor .................................................................. 46
Quick Configure ............................................................................................... 46
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................... 48
Perle IOLAN DS1 Ethernet Adaptor ................................................................... 49
Change IP address of the Ethernet adaptor .......................................................... 49
Set the IP address of the remote data server ....................................................... 49
Appendix D ..................................................................................... 50
Robustel R1511 4G Modem Router .................................................................... 50
Netcomm NTC 221 4G Modem Router ................................................................ 51
Getting Started
All Gecko models have a 2-pin power port, 6-pin alarm/communications port, and a coaxial
GPS aerial connection. From 2021 all Gecko models have a 4-pin port for the 1D external
sensor channel, and all model use black plastic LTW plugs that are rated to IP67 whether
mated or not. If your Gecko’s power socket has an orange ring, the polarity matches the
wire colours of the pre-moulded power cables. The original power cables with cable gland
back-shells can be used with an orange-ringed socket, but wire polarity must be reversed.

Setting up your recorder

The two-pin connector is the power input to the Gecko. The default Gecko operating voltage
range is 11.8 to 24 Volts DC (useful for 12V DC battery over-discharge protection), but it
can be factory switched to extend the range to 7V to 30V DC at no cost.

If the power is removed then restored, the Gecko will restart using the saved settings.

The Gecko only takes a few seconds to initialise the operating system after power is applied.
If an SD card is installed at power-up, the card is checked during the boot process. When
the card is ready, the Gecko will start storing continuous data, usually within a few seconds.

The small gold coaxial socket 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 global position information. Simply screw the GPS
cable plug onto the threaded GPS socket until finger-tight.

The Gecko Compact and Rugged is supplied with a sensor plug which you can attach to your
sensor cable. You can find the wiring diagram at the end of this manual. Align the keyed
plug with the socket and push it on, locking it in place with the bayonet-style collar.

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

5
The User Interface
The Gecko does not require a computer to control it. All recorder settings are accessible
through the LCD and are modified using the four control buttons.

SEISMOGRAPH
MENU RIGHT
(LEFT)

UP DOWN

ACCELEROGRAPH
MENU RIGHT
(LEFT)

UP DOWN

Gecko Compact (left), digital velocity sensors (top right), digital acceleration sensors (bottom right)

Menu Map
After start-up, pressing the Menu button will toggle between the main menu and the home
screen. The LCD backlight will stay on for 2 minutes after the last button press.

On most screens you can scroll Up and Down through a list and enter a menu item or
toggle a setting by using the Right button. Pressing the Menu button will save the current
setting and take you back one menu level. From the Home Screen, pressing Up screen
shows signal level screens, and pressing the Right shows general information screens.

Home: Press ^ for Signals Live and Max Signals Channel Signals Raw Values
2022-10-03 03:32:35 3D 0.1234567 mm/s p Next screen 2022-10-03 03:32:39 p Next screen E: -2,726 0.6
GECKO Storing ENZO+ p max 11.1234567 mm/s uu Clear max values E: -0.0439408 mm/s uu Set Zero Offset N: 4,326 0.8 p
GPS:04 Sending ___O+ 1D 80.2123546 dB t Back to Home Screen N: 0.0360011 mm/s uq Clear Zero Offset Z: -698 0.7
32GB free:92.23495% max 101.1234567 dB Z: -0.0011021 mm/s t Back to Home Screen O: 12,356 1.2

Home: Press > for Info Info & Telemetry 3D/1D Sensor Info GPS location information Recent Triggers Triggers Settings
2022-10-03 03:32:35 Volt: 14.06 250sps 3D Sensor Name & S/N Lat: -37.8189800 TrigTime mm/s dB Trigger Setting Info
GECKO Storing ENZO+ u Temp: 35.5° x1 u Gecko Pro SMA-HR u Long: 145.0109620 u 0122:56s 690.1 105.0 u Level Lo 0.1035 OFF u
GPS:04 Send: Offline #2000374 v7.4.4822 E:0123 N:4567 Z:8910 Sats: 12 Alt: 22m 2359:59s 10.3 89.1 Level Hi 1.0347 OFF
32GB free:92.23495% -37.81898 145.01096 Type: Acceleration hAcc: 6m vAcc: 14m 1326:46s 20.9 95.2 STA 2.0 LTA 30.0 3.0
‚ Use to scroll through list

Station Information 3D Sensor

Main Menu Station Code Continuous Data Sensor Name
Unmount SD card > Network Code Channel E: On > Type: Velocity
> Station Info Location ID (3D) > Channel N: On Select a Sensor Sensitivity ch E
Sample Rate Location ID (1D) Channel Z: On 3D/1D Sensor Customise Sensor Sensitivity ch N
Channels to Store SOH every: minute Channel O: On > Raw Voltage Sensitivity ch Z
Channels to Send 3D Vector: Off > Select a Sensor ESS GEO-2F 2Hz Zero Correct: NONE
3D Sensor Sensor Serial No Cal Enable
1D Sensor Trigger & Alarm Level Triggering Cal Type
Input Amplifier Sensor Control Level - High Enable: Off Cal Duration
Trigger & Alarm Start Calibration > Level - Low STA/LTA Triggering > Sensor: 3D Cal Sine Freq
Telemetry > AUX#2 pin P: Low STA/LTA Enable: Off Set Trigger Level SIG+ Mode: Normal
Settings File AUX#2 Timer Start> Alarm Outputs > Threshold SIG- Mode: Normal
Sensor Control Activate N AUX#1 System Alerts STA window % of Full Scale DC Offset: Normal
Activate P AUX#2 LTA window 5.00
Activate R AUX#3 Filters: On 1.2933 mm/s
Activate U CalEn Channel: 3D

Depending on the model of Gecko and your current configuration, some menu items may be
hidden from view. For example, if you have a Gecko digital seismograph or accelerograph,
the 3D sensor menu will not be visible to protect the sensor settings.

6
The Home Screen
The four lines on the home screen show:

• the Gecko clock’s date and time (in UTC – Universal Time Coordinated)
• the station code, and which channels are being stored to the SD card
• the number of GPS satellites visible; and what is being sent via Telemetry
• the SD card capacity and percentage of storage remaining

2022-09-30 19:05:59
G0341 Storing ENZO+
GPS:04 Sending ___O+
32GB free:92.23495%

“O” is the 4th channel on some Gecko models, and “+” is the vector sum of channels ENZ.

The “Storing” word animates using q down arrows to indicate packets of data are being
written to the SD card. The “Sending” word animates using p up arrows to indicate packets
of data are being streamed to a remote computer.

Status Screen Loop – Right Button

The Gecko has several status pages accessible from the Home screen. Press the Right
button to scroll through them, or press the Menu button to return to the Home screen.

• The first screen shows input power voltage and CPU temperature, the current sample
rate and input amplifier (gain) setting, followed by the Gecko serial number and
firmware version number. The bottom line shows the time remaining on the AUX#2
activation timer (if started) or the latitude and longitude
• The next screen shows the name and serial number of the 3D sensor connected to
channels ENZ. The sensor type is shown on the bottom line
• If you have a 4-channel recorder, the next screen shows the 1D sensor information
• Next is the GPS location information. The “hAcc” value is the horizontal accuracy in
metres as read from the GPS receiver, and “vAcc” is the vertical accuracy.
• The next screen shows the time of the last triggers, and peak amplitude in the 10
seconds after the trigger. An “s” after the time indicates it was an STA/LTA trigger, a
p indicates a Level-High trigger, and a q indicates a Level-Low trigger. Use the
Down button to scroll to older triggers, or Up to view the latest trigger.
• The final screen shows the current trigger settings, with OFF indicating it is disabled.

Home: Press > for Info Info & Telemetry 3D/1D Sensor Info GPS location information Recent Triggers Triggers Settings
2022-10-03 03:32:35 Volt: 14.06 250sps 3D Sensor Name & S/N Lat: -37.8189800 TrigTime mm/s dB Trigger Setting Info
GECKO Storing ENZO+ u Temp: 35.5° x1 u Gecko Pro SMA-HR u Long: 145.0109620 u 0122:56s 690.1 105.0 u Level Lo 0.1035 OFF u
GPS:04 Send: Offline #2000374 v7.4.4822 E:0123 N:4567 Z:8910 Sats: 12 Alt: 22m 2359:59s 10.3 89.1 Level Hi 1.0347 OFF
32GB free:92.23495% -37.81898 145.01096 Type: Acceleration hAcc: 6m vAcc: 14m 1326:46s 20.9 95.2 STA 2.0 LTA 30.0 3.0
‚ Use to scroll through list

7
Realtime Data Loop – Up Button
Press the Up button from the Home screen to view real time sensor data.

Vector Sum
The first screen shows real time peak sensor output in
3D 0.1234567 mm/s
max 11.1234567 mm/s sensor units, calculated based on the sensor and gain

1D 80.0360011 dB settings. Tap the sensor to see the numbers change.

max 101.0011021 dB
It shows the live peak vector Vector Sum Display
sum of the 3D sensor, and holds the peak value (max). For 3D 0.002464 g

4-channel models, the live data from channel O is shown and max 0.020267 g

its peak (max) value is also held. MMI: IV PEIS: 4

If you have a 3-channel recorder with an accelerometer connected (or have a Gecko SMA
variant) this screen will display an estimate of the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) and
Philippine Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS) value based on the maximum displayed
acceleration. Press the Right button twice to clear the retained peak (max) values.

Sensor Signal

2019-04-01 11:52:18 Press the Up button again to see the ground motion values
E: -0.0439408 mm/s for each sensor axis. Pressing the Right button on this
N: 0.0360011 mm/s screen will prompt you to either press the Right button
Z: -0.0011021 mm/s again to remove any signal offset (it averages the signal for
2 seconds), or press the Down button to clear the any existing offset correction. The Drift
Correction feature (see: 3D Sensor settings) will also correct signal offset over time.

Raw Signal
Pressing Up again will display the raw numbers from the analogue-to-digital converter
(ADC) in real time. The values shown are up to ±8.4 million recorder counts, which
represents a signed 24-bit range number.

2019-04-01 11:52:20
The zero level can be controlled in the same way as the

E: -2,726 0.6 Sensor Signal screen. If you have a 4-channel Gecko, the

N: 4,326 0.8 date and time line will not be shown, with channel O

Z: -356 1.2 appearing at the bottom.

If STA/TA triggering is enabled, the STA/LTA ratio is also displayed in real time at the end of
each line. It 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 the number. This ratio may assist you in
determining at what level to set your STA/LTA trigger threshold.

8
The Main Menu
Pressing the Menu button from the home screen will show you a list of actions and settings
for managing your recorder. The main menu includes some or all of the following items:

Main Menu
Unmount SD card
> Station Info
Sample Rate
Channels to Store
Channels to Send
3D sensor
1D sensor
Input Amplifier
Trigger & Alarm
Telemetry
Settings File
Sensor Control

If you change any settings, they are usually applied once you exit to the home screen. The
settings are automatically saved to the recorder’s configuration file.

Unmount SD card
Data is being sampled at all times, whether an SD card is present or not, because data may
be telemetered without an SD card. If there is no SD card, backfilling of unsent data will not
be possible.

Before you remove the SD card, you should unmount the SD card so that the system does
not try to write data to the card while it is being removed, an action that can corrupt the
current file, the FAT file system, or the SD card.

When you insert an SD card, it will automatically be mounted.

9
Data Storage
The Gecko is supplied with a 64GB SD card, formatted with the FAT file system. Larger
capacity SD cards can be used in the Gecko if they are pre-formatted as FAT (not exFAT).

To remove the card from a Gecko Compact 3ch (above, left) slide open the SD card cover
and press in the SD card to eject it. The SD card faces up, and it cannot be inserted upside-
down. For the Gecko Compact 4ch (above, centre), the SD card cover requires a quarter
turn anti-clockwise before removal. The SD card faces the rear of the recorder.

If you have a Rugged model with optional internal sensor, unscrew the card cover to access
the SD card slot (above, right). The SD card faces the rear of the recorder.

Insert the SD card into your computer (directly if you have an SD card slot, or via a USB
card reader) and you’ll be able to browse your continuous data files.

To re-insert the card, check you have the correct orientation and do not force the
card if it does not insert easily. Push the SD card down into the socket, ensuring you
feel the card spring back from push-lock. The SD card will automatically mount and
recording should resume. Check that the q arrows are animating over the word “Storing”
on the Home screen, which indicates data packets are being written “down” to the SD card.

Station Info
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.

Station Information
Station Code
> Network Code
Location ID (3D)
Location ID (1D)
SOH every: minute

10
Station Code
This station code can be up to 5 characters long and can only contain uppercase letters and
numbers. By default this is “G” followed by the last 4 numbers of the serial number. If you
wish to use less than 5 characters, end the code with blank space character. Note that any
characters after a blank space will be ignored (e.g. if you enter “ABC 1” the Gecko will
truncate the station code to “ABC”).

Enter Station Code

G0341

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
A seismic monitoring location 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.

Alternatively you could use the Location ID to group Geckos with different Station Codes to
a common location (e.g. several strong motion accelerographs on different floors in the
same building), allowing them to be grouped in the Streams intensity display web page.

The default value for channels ENZ is 00, and for 4-channel systems channel O has ID 01.

SOH frequency
The Gecko creates a CSV format histogram summarising some State-Of-Health (SOH)
parameters. By default this is logged once per minute. You can increase the logging
frequency to every 2 seconds or every 5 seconds with fewer parameters to save file size.

11
Sample Rate
Select Sample Rate The standard ADC sample rates are 250, 500, 1000, 2000
50 sps and 4000 sps use a 4 stage FIR filter. The Gecko use an
> 100 sps additional FIR filter and 5th-sample decimation to produce
200 sps the following sample rates: 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 sps.
250 sps
Scroll to the sample rate you wish to use, then press the
...<more>
Left/Menu button to exit and apply the new sample rate.

Channel Naming
The naming of channels has been automated in the Gecko based on the selected sample
rate and sensor type, with preset channel names.

The SEED standard states that each channel requires a 3-letter code, where the first letter
indicates the Band Code, the second letter indicates the Instrument Code, and the third
letter is the Orientation Code. Detailed information on this standard can be found here:

https://ds.iris.edu/ds/nodes/dmc/data/formats/seed-channel-naming/

The Gecko will set the first letter of the channel name based on the sample rate:

• B: 50 sps
• H: 100 & 200 sps
• C: 250, 400, 500, 800 sps
• F: 1000, 2000, 4000 sps

The Gecko will set the second letter of the channel name based on the sensor type:

• H: Velocity Seismometer
• N: Accelerometer
• D: Pressure Sensor (e.g. Microphone)
• J: Rotation Sensor
• Y: Displacement Sensor
• Q: Voltage

The Gecko will set the third letter of the channel name based on the channel number:

• E: channel 1, typically used for East, Transverse, or X

• N: channel 2, typically used for North, Radial, or Y
• Z: channel 3, typically used for Up, Vertical, or Z
• O: channel 4, typically used for Outdoor Microphone or an extra Vertical sensor

For example, the vertical channel of a 50sps broadband seismograph would be BHZ, where
a horizontal channel of a 100sps structural monitoring accelerograph might be HNE or HNN.

The data stored as the vector sum of the 3D sensor uses channel code SUM and will use the
same location ID as channels E, N, and Z to reinforce the association with those channels.

12
Channels to Store
You can turn off any unused channels to save storage space. Storing the vector sum is a
waste of space if you are already storing ENZ. Toggle the channels on or off as required.

Save Continuous Data

Channel E: On
> Channel N: On
Channel Z: On
Channel O: On
3D Vector: Off

The 3D Vector channel should not be enabled unless it is required for data if telemetry
bandwidth is limited. Note that if a channel is enabled for telemetry (see next setting
below), it will automatically be stored to the SD card to ensure the data is available for
backfill should the communication link drop out.

If all channels are accidentally turned off, the Z channel is automatically re-enabled to
ensure at least one channel is being recorded. Note that if a channel is turned off here, it
will also be turned off in the “Channels to Send” settings – see below.

Channels to Send
You can select which channels to send continuously to your remote server. For blast and
structural vibration monitoring applications you may choose to send the 3D Vector sum
channel continuously, storing the ENZO channels to be streamed only when a trigger
process detects an event.

Send Continuous Data

Channel E: Off
> Channel N: Off
Channel Z: On
Channel O: Off
3D Vector: Off

Toggle the channels that you want to send continuously on or off using the Right button.

Note that if a channel is enabled for telemetry, it will automatically be turned on in the
“Channels to Store” settings as the stored data is required for backfilling gaps in data
telemetry. Disabling a channel in telemetry will not disable that channel in the “Channels to
Store” settings.

13
Sensor Setup
3D Sensor

> Select a Sensor

Sensor Serial No.

3D Sensor
This menu has items that deal with 3D sensor information and control. This will only be
visible in the Gecko Compact, but the same method applies for setting up the 1D sensor, so
users of Gecko digital seismographs and accelerographs should also read this section.

Select a Sensor
The Gecko has a range of popular sensors settings preloaded into the menu to save users
the trouble of entering all of the parameters that allow the data to be displayed in
engineering units (e.g. mm/s, g, mm, dB, rad/s, etc.) rather than recorder counts.

Select a Sensor
Customise Sensor
> Raw Voltage
ESS GEO-2F 2Hz
Guralp Certis
Trillium Compact
<more>

Scroll down to the sensor you have connected and press the Menu/Left button to exit and
save. This will set the typical sensitivity for this 3D sensor to channel E, N and Z, which will
be stored in the .ss (seismograph settings) file in each data folder.

You can modify the settings for your particular sensor by re-entering the “Select a Sensor”
menu and press the Right button on Customise Sensor to edit the parameters.

Customise Sensor
If you are connecting a sensor that is not in the predefined list, start from a similar type of
sensor and customise the parameters to match your sensor so that the data is stored with
the basic corrections that can be applied automatically when viewed in Waves.

If a setting has a colon, press the Right button to toggle its value, otherwise Right will
enter a menu to select a setting from a list. In the latter case, edit the parameter using the
Up and Down buttons, and use the Menu/Left button to save and exit.

3D Sensor

14
 Sensor Name The Sensor Name is a text field to help you identify the
> Type: Velocity model of sensor. This can be up to 20 characters long.
Sensitivity E The Type of sensor you are using can be toggled between
Sensitivity N Velocity (where units are defined in metres per second),
Sensitivity Z Acceleration (g), Pressure (pascal), Rotation (radians per
Zero-Correct: SLOW
second), Displacement (metres), Volts, and Other.
Cal Enable
Sensitivity can be set per channel, which indicates how
Cal Type
many Volts-per-unit your sensor outputs, e.g. 750V/m/s for
Cal Duration
a Nanometrics Trillium Compact velocity sensor. Note that
Cal Sine Freq
SIG+ Mode: Normal Acceleration units will be saved as V/m/s2 in accordance with

SIG- Mode: Normal international standards, but entered as V/g for convenience

DC Offset: Normal as most sensors are specified in this manner.

The Gecko can automatically correct for any zero-offset in your sensor. If you do not wish to
adjust the zero level, toggle the value to NONE. If your sensor slowly drifts due to thermal
variations, setting Zero-Correct to SLOW will correct the signal offset at a rate of 1% of
full scale per week. If you are only interested in high frequency data (>1Hz) you can set it
to FAST to correct at a rate of about 1% in 3 hours.

Some sensors have a calibration circuit whereby the recorder can send a voltage to the
sensor, and the components will respond accordingly to show that they are working as
expected. Some sensors require a control signal to tell it to enter calibration mode – the
type of control signal is set under the Cal Enable menu.

The Cal Type defines the type and amplitude of the signal size that is sent to the sensor.
There are four sizes of step voltages and sine waves: small, medium, large and extra large,
which generate amplitudes of about 0.5V, 1V, 5V, 10V respectively.

The Cal Duration is the number of seconds that the sine or step signal is active, which is
normally set to the long period response time of your broad band seismometer, or just a
few seconds for a short period seismometer or accelerometer. A “Step” calibrate will run for
twice the entered value to capture the trailing edge of the step response.

The frequency of the sine wave can also be set in the Cal Sine Freq menu, with available
choices being 1Hz, 5Hz, 10Hz, 50Hz, 100Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz.

The SIG+ Mode setting tells the Gecko whether or not 25V power needs to be applied to
the sensor channel positive wires (pins C, E, and G on the 3D sensor connector). For most
sensors, this mode should be set to “Normal”, but if you are using an IEPE sensor, you can
select “25V” which will put a 25V of DC power at 4mA out to the sensor channel.

WARNING! Enabling SIG+ 25V output to non-IEPE sensors may damage your sensor

15
The SIG- Mode tells the Gecko whether the sensor channel negative wires (pins D, F, & H
on the 3D sensor connector) need to be connected to power ground or not. Most sensors
require you to measure the difference between the positive and negative wires, so the
“Normal” setting would be used in most cases. If your sensor requires the negative channel
wire to be connected to power ground (e.g. for IEPE sensors) then select “Ground”.

The DC Offset filter when enabled electrically removes signal offset by introducing a low
order high pass (~1.6Hz) frequency filter. For most sensors, it is best to leave this setting
as “Normal”. Do not enable this filter for long-period or broadband seismometers.

Some sensors (e.g. IEPE accelerometers) only output positive voltages, often over a 0-5V
range. At rest the signal will often sit at mid point of this range (known as “Bias voltage” but it
can be anywhere from about +2.5V to +12V DC. As the sensor moves, the voltage output
moves up or down from this DC offset by half of the sensor’s range. The Gecko can
mathematically remove the offset after digitisation, but half of the -20V to +20V input range
of the Gecko is wasted. By enabling the DC Offset Filter, the pre-digitised signal is brought
down to almost 0V, and the digitised signal then moves between negative and positive
voltages around the zero level. This allows you to use a higher Input Amplifier setting (for
example of x8 to stretch a ±2.5V range to the Gecko’s full ±20V) to utilise the full dynamic
range of the Gecko’s 24-bit resolution.

+20V
Gecko 24 bit range

0 0-5V sensor, gain x1

~2 million count resolution
0-5V sensor, gain x2
~4 million count resolution
0-5V sensor, gain x8
clipping at 8 million counts

0-5V sensor, gain x8 with

1.6Hz+ DC Offset Filter enabled
-20V ~16 million count resolution

Sensor Serial No.

A 20-character field is available to record your sensor’s 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.

16
1D Sensor

If you have a 4-channel Gecko Compact, Rugged, Blast or SMA, you can set up your 1D
sensor in a similar way to the 3D sensor. Select a sensor from the list and set the serial no.

1D Sensor Like the 3D sensor, you can customise the name, units and
Sensor Name sensitivity of the 1D sensor. The SIG+, SIG-, DC Offset, &
> Type: Pressure Zero-Correct are always the same as the 3D sensor, and
Sensitivity calibration settings are not available for the 1D sensor.

Input Amplifier
The Gecko is, fundamentally, a high speed, high resolution voltage logger. It measures the
voltage across each channel’s pair of wires, and it can measure from -20V to +20V DC at
24-bit resolution. This 40V peak-to-peak range is converted into a 24-bit number, producing
a value between 0 and 16,777,216 counts, which equates to 419,430 counts per volt.

If you are using a sensor with a 40Vpp output (for ±10V

Input Range
differential output sensors, such as Nanometrics or Guralp
x1
seismometers) set the gain to x1.
> x2
x4 If you are using sensors with lower full scale voltage, use the
x8 input amplifier to utilise the full dynamic range of the Gecko.
x16
For example, if you have a ±4V MEMS accelerometers (as
x32
used in the Gecko SMA) you should use a gain of x4 to
x64
shrink the input range to ±5V to record the signal at higher
<more, most models>
resolution. Note that DC offsets will also be amplified.

If you are using a passive sensor (e.g. geophone) you can use very higher gains to see
smaller signals at higher resolution. For example, the Gecko Tremor’s geophones (nominal
sensitivity of 78.74 V/m/s) normally have a clip level of 254mm/s, but by using a gain of
x16 you can see smaller signals and get a similar effective sensitivity (1260 V/m/s) and clip
level (16mm/s) as a typical short period active seismometer.

The maximum gain for a 40Vpp sensor is x512, giving a measurement range of ±0.04 volts.
Most seismic sensors would be continually clipping at this range, the exception being low
sensitivity passive geophones.

The Gecko Pro SMA-HR and Prism sensors have a 60Vpp range, so these recorders have a
sensitivity of 279620 counts per volt, with a maximum gain of x64.

17
Trigger & Alarm
The primary function of the Gecko is to record data continuously, but triggering is still
required to help detect events of interest and to control alarms. The Gecko has two Level
trigger processes and an STA/LTA trigger process that can be enabled and disabled. The
Gecko also monitors some system parameters that can generate an alarm.

Trigger & Alarm

Level – High
> Level – Low

STA/LTA
Alarm Outputs
System Alerts

The Gecko logs the trigger time to a text file that can be used to help you find the data in
the continuous archive. This “trig.txt” file is located in the top level folder of the SD card.

We have developed a Windows application that can be copied to the Gecko SD card and run
from a PC that will scan the trig.txt folder and then automatically extract the continuous
data from the archive. The program will create a discreet file for each trigger time, stored in
a folder called “reports” on the SD card. Each waveform file contains one minute of data
before and after the trigger time. At the same time a PDF report is generated for the
triggered event, with files named based on the local time in your PC. This app simplifies
vibration monitoring reporting for non-technical users.

Trigger List
The latest 20 trigger times stored in the “trig.txt” file are also visible via the LCD by
pressing the Right button from the home screen until you see the trigger list.

Time mm/s dB
0123:45s 697.1 155.1
2359:59s 25.6 88.8
2230:00s 11.1 70.0

The latest event is at the top of the list (time in UTC) and you can scroll down to view older
trigger times. The peak 3D and 1D signal levels that occurred within the first 10 seconds
after the event was detected are shown in the units of the 3D and 1D sensor.

An “s” after the trigger time indicates the Trigger was generated by the STA/LTA process.
Similarly “p” indicates a Level-High trigger, and “q” indicates a Level-Low trigger.

18
Level Triggering
By default each Level trigger process is OFF, but simply toggle this using the Right button.

The Gecko can trigger on the vector sum of the 3D sensor

Level Triggering
channels, or from the 1D sensor channel. The percentage
Enable: On
level of the trigger threshold will affect the ground motion
> Sensor: 3D
units displayed on the Set Trigger Level screen. For
Set Trigger Level
accelerometers, the estimated MMI and PEIS intensity that
relates to this trigger threshold will also be displayed.
% of Full Scale
Use the Up/Down buttons to change the number values
5.00 %
from 0.01% to 99.99% of the recorder’s full scale range. The
0.10316 g
line below will update with the ground motion value based on
MMI: VI PEIS: 6
the calibrated sensor sensitivity and gain of your Gecko.

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

STA/LTA Triggering The Short Term Average (STA) signal level divided by the
Enable: Off Long Term Average (LTA)
Short Term Average
> Threshold signal level produces a ratio 2.0 seconds
STA window indicating how much above- averaging window
LTA window average signal is occurring.
Filters: 2-20Hz
If you want to declare and event when the short term
Channel: 3D
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 and long term
time windows is also user selectable. The LTA value must be larger than the STA value.

Signal averages can be calculated using the raw data or filtered to suit to local earthquake
detection. On the Filters line, use the Right button to toggle the 2-20Hz filter on or off.

The STA/LTA algorithm can run on one of the triaxial channels (Z, N or E), on the 1D
channel, or on all of the 3D input channels. Toggle the Channel using the Right button.

A more detailed explanation

of the STA/LTA trigger
algorithm is provided in our
Waves data analysis
application’s user manual.
You can visualise the effect
of changing the various
STA/LTA settings using
Waves.

19
Alarm Outputs
Gecko recorders built from mid 2016 include an alarm output function. There are two alarm
outputs available. The signal on pin 6 of the comms/alarm connector is connected to pin 4
when Alarm #1 is activated, and to pin 5 for Alarm #2, for the alarm duration.

By default the Gecko’s positive power is hard-wired to pin 6, but on request we can modify
the hardware to make pin 6 a user input line that switches to the Alarm outputs. If this
modification is done, the switching circuit is rated to 0.13A at 50VAC or 50VDC, but we can
optionally supply an external box with dual relays rated to 10A @ 250VAC or 30VDC.

Alarm Outputs
#1: Level - High
> #2: Level - Low
Normally: Open
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 button
to cycle through the options for each alarm.

The alarm output has always been set to Normally Open (i.e. the relay closes for the
duration when an alarm is active), but you can now toggle this to be Normally Closed.

The final menu determines how long the alarm stays active after being triggered. If this
value is set to zero, the alarm will continue until it is manually reset from the home screen.

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

High Temperature

The values are user-editable, but by default the alert will be raised when the voltage drops
below 11.9V, or the CPU temperature exceeds 55°C, and when storage is below 4%.

A Gecko can optionally operate down to almost 6V, but a voltage this low may damage
some batteries. We suggest using a charge regulator that has a low voltage load disconnect.

The internal temperature of the Gecko CPU can get close to 80°C if the external ambient
temperature gets as high as 70°C, but at typical stations the reading would not exceed
50°C, hence the default alert value of 55.

20
On-screen Alerts
When an enabled alarm is triggered, a message will appear on the home screen to indicate
which of the two Alarm Outputs has activated, and which parameter triggered the alarm.

2019-04-01 11:52:16 The on-screen alert will be cleared after the Alarm Duration
Alarm1: Level - High time has elapsed if the alarm condition is no longer true (e.g.
Alarm2: Low Voltage when the ground motion subsides after an earthquake).
Press > to dismiss
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.

The Gecko uses a data ring buffer, which means it will overwrite old data with new data
when the memory card has only 1% storage remaining. A Low Memory alert will be raised
when less than 4% of storage remains to indicate an issue with the memory card.

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 “KelunjiHub”, a process that is
built into our Streams application and eqServer cloud service. It is also available as
background process application to run on your data reception system computer.

KelunjiHub receives Gecko data and outputs the MiniSEED files to an archive and/or
SeedLink ring buffer. Streams and eqServer can then display the data on screen, and allows
you to remotely change the Gecko settings or remotely upgrade Gecko firmware.

Communications

> Mode: Continuous

Device: Serial
TCP Socket Port
Destination IP/DNS
Carrier APN
Carrier APN cont

The Gecko can stream data to KelunjiHub with or without an SD card present. If Telemetry
is enabled on start-up and no SD card is present, it will connect and stream data. If an SD
card is removed or fails during operation, telemetry will continue regardless.

21
Mode
Use the Right button to toggle between three modes: Off, Continuous, and Triggered.
When Continuous mode is selected, the enabled “Channels to Send” (see main menu) will
be streamed continuously to the remote server. A good network connection should be able
to support a sample rate of 500sps for continuous telemetry.

If Triggered mode is selected, a connection to the remote computer is maintained, and

heartbeat signals are sent to the server every few seconds. If a Level or STA/LTA trigger
process is enabled and detects an event, a trigger packet will be immediately sent to the
remote server. The Gecko will immediately streaming all channel defined in “Channels to
Store” and also dump data from these channels from its buffer. The amount of data in the
pre-trigger buffer that is streamed immediately will depend on the sample rate, from
around 80 seconds at 50sps to around 4 seconds at 1000sps. The length of time continuous
streaming will continue after a trigger also varies by sample rate: 300 seconds at 50sps,
150 seconds at 100-250sps, and 30 seconds for 400-1000sps.

The data reception software (Streams or eqServer) can request additional pre-trigger data
in 1-minute blocks.

When telemetry mode is set to Off the Gecko will not attempt to start a serial connection.

Device
This setting defines the type of communication device connected to the Gecko’s
communication port. Use the Right button to cycle through “Ethernet” or “3G modem” or
“Serial” (for direct USB cable) if you have one of these devices connected (available for
separate purchase). See Appendices for information on Ethernet adaptor configuration.

We no longer offer the 3G modem option, but the Gecko will still control Telit HE-910
modem that customers have previously purchased.

Cellular modems require localised telecommunication authority approval, so we recommend

that you source a modern cellular modem from a local provider. It should have a DB9 serial
port for the Gecko connection, and have TCP client or PAD support that allows the serial
port to be mapped to a port on a remote computer that is being monitored by Streams or
eqServer applications.

Some models that have been successfully configured and tested with the Gecko include:

• Netcomm NTC 220 series 4G LTE Industrial IoT Router (221-01 AU/NZ spec tested)
• Netcomm NTC 6000 and 6200 series 3G M2M Router (AU/NZ spec tested)
• Robustel R1511 single RS232 port (R1511-4L-A03AU-A Oceania model tested)
• Robustel R1500-4L dual RS232 – allows two Geckos to share one data service
• Sierra Wireless AirLink RV50X (NA/EMEA/AP spec tested) 4G LTE

22
Settings File
You can save the configuration of your Gecko to a text file. Simply enter the “Settings File”
menu located at the bottom of the main menu.

Configuration File

> Load Settings

Save Settings

Use the Right button to select the action. When saved, a file called “user-settings.dat” is
written to the top level folder of the SD card. Similarly, using the Load command will read in
this file and apply the settings contained therein. If a user-settings.dat file does not exist,
no settings will be changed.

Sensor Control
In previous versions of Gecko firmware, the Start Calibration feature was at the bottom of
the main menu, and the mass controls were in the 3D Sensor menu. These have been
moved to this Sensor Control menu and made more descriptive of their function instead of
tying them to specific actions such as mass control.

Start Calibration
Some sensors include circuitry to test the response of the sensor components to a known
input signal. The Gecko can generate a signal (voltage step or sine wave) or simply initiate
the sensor’s own calibration routine. If your 3D sensor has a calibration duration this
feature, you can initiate a calibration sequence by pressing the Right button.

E: -2,726
N: 4,326
Z: -356
<Abort ON DELAY 45
<Abort CALSIG ON 30
<Abort OFF DELAY 45

Once started, the raw ENZ channel values are shown in real time. The bottom line shows
that you can press Left to abort the calibration process, and also shows a countdown timer
describing the current stage of the process.

There are three stages to the process – the on-delay, the signal, and the off-delay. For step
calibrations, each stage runs for the “calibration duration” in the sensor setting. For sine
wave calibrations the delay periods are only a few seconds.

23
The start delay allows velocity sensors to settle after the Calibrate Enable circuitry is
switched on (which can cause a small step response) before the calibration signal is applied,
and the end delay allows the sensor to respond to the signal being removed.

The sensor should not be disturbed during the test process. View the files from the
continuous data archive to see how the sensor responded compared to past tests.

Sensor Control Lines

Some seismometers have additional control lines to perform certain functions such as
enabling a calibration mode, sensor mass re-centring, locking and unlocking.

Sensor Control
Start Calibration
> AUX#2 pin P: Low
AUX#2 Timer Start>
Activate N AUX#1
Activate P AUX#2
Activate R AUX#3
Activate U CalEn

The Gecko includes one line dedicated to Calibrate Enable on pin U of the 19-pin sensor
connector. The line can be driven high (+5V) or to (GND) and this function is defined in the
Customise Sensor menu.

As of firmware v7.4, pin P of the 19-pin sensor connector can also be driven high or low
based on user preference. Pin P is now defined as AUX#2. Pins N and R are now identified
as AUX#1 and AUX#3 and can only be driven low.

Manually activating AUX#1, AUX#2, AUX#3 or CalEnable will drive the corresponding
sensor connector pin high or low for 5 seconds, then the line will return to a floating state.

If AUX#2 (pin P) is being used to re-centre the mass position of a sensor, the Gecko now
includes a 24-hour timer that the field operator can start after installing the sensor. Some
sensors need to thermally adjust to their installed environment before they are centred for
optimal range and performance. This time allows this function to be scheduled to avoid a
return visit. The countdown timer replaces the lat/long display on the first information
screen, accessed by pressing the Right button once from the Home Screen.

Volt: 12.74. 250sps

Temp: 32.2°C. x1
#2000341 v7.4.4822
AUX#2 in 23h 01m 59s

The maximum load allowed for pins P and U when set to be driven high is 10mA. This line is
not intended to provide power to external devices.

24
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 you’re 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 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 data to
the SD card continuously in MiniSEED format using Steim-1 compression. Data is 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 typical background signal levels.

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.

Recording at 250sps, the included 64GB

SD card will typically store over 1 year of
continuous 4-channel data.

We recommend replacing the SD card

every year for archiving and reliability.

You can view your data by inserting your SD card into your computer and starting up
Waves. Simply drag a single file, an hour folder, or a day folder (Waves can display up to
24 hours data in a single window) onto the empty Waves viewer window to view your data.
Waves will read the “.ss” file from your data folder 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, or as a MiniSEED zip file (where the waveform file and .ss
files are zipped together into a folder that can be read directly by Waves without
decompression).

Download Waves for free from http://www.src.com.au/downloads/waves/

25
The Root Directory
The root directory contains a folder called “data” that contains all of the seismic waveform
files, and a folder called “histogram” which contains daily files that record data values each
minute. The top level folder also contains a number of other files:

• log.txt (and older log_0.txt … log_9.txt): a simple text files that record several
parameters for instrument performance analysis, such as history of restarts and any
system exceptions. Up to 10 past text files are stored, with a new file started on
power-up if the current log file is too big

• settings.ss: also a text file, containing all of the current configuration settings of
the Gecko. It is updated each time the user changes a setting.

• user-settings.dat: the current configuration of the Gecko as written by the

Load/Save Settings function described earlier

• trig.txt: a list of times and information when a trigger process was activated

The Data Folder

The top level folder named “data” contains subdirectories named by date to allow you to
quickly find the files you’re 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 one or more files ending in “.ss”
which contains information about the recorder parameters which include the correction
factors that are needed for analysis of the data.

26
The Histogram Folder
The top level folder named “histogram” contains daily CSV files where an entry is written to
file every minute. As of firmware v7.4, you can optionally store data every 2 or 5 seconds.
The files are simply named by date (e.g. 2022-10-03.csv) and can be opened using Excel or
a text viewer. Opening the file using Waves will plot 3D and 1D peaks, voltage and
temperature.

The file contains a header with some variables based on the Gecko and sensor settings:

• An estimate of the peak motion the 3D and 1D sensor in the last minute
• † The raw ADC value at the time of sampling for each channel: E N Z O
• † The absolute peak unit values for each channel in the last minute
• Input Voltage and CPU Temperature at the time of the data entry
• Latitude, Longitude, Altitude, and number of visible GPS satellites
• The percentage of storage memory available

† These values are only stored in one-minute mode, not when logging at 2- and 5-second intervals

The file header contains information about the station, including parameters for converting
raw values into sensor units. Divide the raw ADC value by the sens_X value to estimate
the value in units_XD for this 1/12/30 samples per minute data,

e.g. 23009 ÷ 324303584 = 0.000071 m/s (0.071 mm/s).

Waves displaying the 3D vector peak, Voltage and Temperature as logged every 2 seconds.
Note that each “day” file can be several MB in size.

27
MiniSEED files
Continuous data files in the Gecko are in MiniSEED format, 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 Waves application to open a data file, it will look for an .ss file in the file’s
folder and automatically read and apply the appropriate corrections to the data so that
ground motion units are displayed. Similarly if you drag an entire Hour or Day folder into
Waves, it will read the first .ss file and apply these station settings to the merged data file
displayed in the Waves 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 Waves to
save the file in “PC-SUDS” format (a less common international standard seismic data
format) which embeds all of the relevant station data within the data file. Alternatively,
select the option to save the file as a “MiniSEED zip” file which will bundle the .ms data with
the .ss info file (and a station.xml file) into a zip file that can be read directly by Waves.

Upgrading the Gecko firmware

The process of upgrading the firmware in the Gecko is very simple. The firmware upgrade
file is called Rasbora.bin and simply needs to be copied to the root level of your Gecko’s
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.

A Gecko will only upgrade its firmware if the Rasbora.bin file has a later firmware number,
otherwise the file will be ignored. After the upgrade the Rasbora.bin file remains in the root
folder of the SD card so that the card can be used to upgrade other Gecko recorders, but it
can be deleted from the folder at any time with no adverse effect on the Gecko.

Always check your settings after an upgrade to be sure something has not unexpectedly
changed, which can happen when upgrading from much older versions of firmware.

28
Ports & Wiring
Over the years we have improved the design of our various models, and as a consequence
there are three major configurations of connection ports.

Pre 2021 - LEMO

The original Gecko Compact through to the late-2020 rugged models used a push-pull
connector system from manufacturer LEMO. These connections are rated IP67 when mated,
but required a cap to maintain this dust/water ingression protection rating, otherwise they
are rated IP56. On the 2-pin power input connector, pin 1 is positive, 2 is negative. See the
next section for the 6-pin alarm/communication connector wiring.

From mid 2019 Gecko SMA and Blast were fitted with an input for the 1D sensor input,
typically used with a microphone for blast monitoring. Wiring for the connector follows:
Pin 1: O+ signal, Pin 2: O- return, Pin 3: Ground, Pin 4: DC Power output

LEMO power, communication, and 1D sockets fitted to various models prior to 2021

Pre 2021 - ALTW

Power port
Gecko Compacts built since 2018 (and some Gecko SMA from 2020) were fitted with ALTW
connectors, which have the benefit of being rated to IP67 whether mated or not. The power
connector was originally wired with pin 1 as positive and pin 2 as negative, and were wired
by ESS by soldering cables through a gland on the plug’s back-shell, terminating in bare
wire ends (red or white=positive; black=negative) for connection to a battery.

29
Alarm & Communications port
The six-pin connector for alarm output and communication were wired by ESS for both
LEMO and gland-back-shell ALTW connectors using the colours detailed in the table below:

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

• Pin 2 (green wire) RS232 Receive (for Ethernet adaptor or 3G modem)
• Pin 3 (black wire) Ground (for RS232 and Power)
• Pin 4 (red wire) Alarm #1 output (connects pin 6 when active)
• Pin 5 (blue wire) Alarm #2 output (connects pin 6 when active)
• Pin 6 (orange wire) Power +VDC (optionally factory-set to be alarm line in)

30
Post 2021 - ALTW
Power port
From 2021, pre-made cables with moulded back-shells were supplied for all ALTW sockets.
Unfortunately the 2-wire cable has a red wire attached to pin 2 and a black wire attached to
pin 1, opposite to the way the original Gecko was configured.

This means that

you can’t use an
old cable-gland
type power cable
with a new
orange-ringed
Gecko power port
without swapping
the wire polarity
at the battery.

If your Gecko has an orange ring around its black plastic ALTW power connector, pin 1 is
the negative for the input voltage and pin 2 is positive. The supplied moulded cable have a
red(+) and black(-) wire that matches this wiring.

31
Alarm & Communications port
The moulded six-pin connector for the alarm output and communication port also has
different wire colours that correspond to each pin. The wire colours for the moulded cables
are shown in the table below:

• Pin 1 (blue wire) RS232 Transmit

• Pin 2 (green wire) RS232 Receive
• Pin 3 (yellow wire) Ground (for RS232 and Power)
• Pin 4 (orange wire) Alarm #1 output (connects pin 6 when active)
• Pin 5 (red wire) Alarm #2 output (connects pin 6 when active)
• Pin 6 (white wire) Power +VDC (optionally factory-set to be alarm line in)

1D Sensor port
A four-pin connector became standard as the 1D sensor input. Wiring colours as follows:

• Pin 1 (white wire) Channel O+ signal

• Pin 2 (green wire) Channel O- return
• Pin 3 (red wire) Ground
• Pin 4 (yellow wire) DC Power Out (nominally input voltage, +5V optional)

3D Sensor Port (Compact/Rugged)

The wiring for the 19-pin milspec-style sensor socket is shown below. Early model Gecko
models were 3-channel only and may not have a 4th input on pins S & T.

A +5V DC power
B DC GROUND (power source negative)
C E+ (East-West channel)
B A M D E-
E N+ (North-South channel)
F N-
C P N L G Z+ (Vertical channel)
H Z-
J Calibrate Signal
K Calibrate Ground
D R V U K L 2.5V DC reference voltage (no load)
M DC POWER (power source positive)
N AUX#1 output (active LOW)
E S T J P AUX#2 output (user set HIGH or LOW)
R AUX#3 output (active LOW)
S O+ not connected on models with 1D socket
F G H T O- not connected on models with 1D socket
U Calibrate Enable (user set HIGH or LOW)
V Sensor cable overall shield

If your Gecko has a 4-pin 1D sensor socket, pins S & T on this port will not be connected.

32
Technical Specifications
Analogue to Digital Converter: 32-bit ADC on each channel

Input (most models) 40V peak to peak (at gain x1)

Pre-gain sensitivity (gain x1 to x4): 457,000* counts per volt (to serial #2000224)

Pre-gain sensitivity (gain x1 to x4): 406,000* counts per volt (from serial #2000225)

Pre-gain sensitivity (gain x8 to x512): 419,430* counts per volt (all serial numbers)

Input (Pro SMA-HR, Prism-xP) 60V peak to peak (at gain x1)

Pre-gain sensitivity (gain x1 to x64): 280,000* counts per volt (all serial numbers)

Data Format: MiniSEED with STEIM-1 compression

Stored as 24-bit number (±8,388,608 counts)

Frequency Response: Flat from DC to ~40% of sampling frequency

*Nominal ‡See our website to download the Gecko Data Sheet for full technical specifications for each model

Sampling and Linear Phase Filter Stages & Coefficients – v6.0

Previous Gecko firmware used more complicated up-sampling, decimation and a longer
string of FIR filter coefficients. Gecko v6 has the same simpler floating point FIR filter as
used the Kelunji EchoPro, and only uses factor 5 decimation for non-native sample rates.

32-bit ADC Rate Apply Gecko Band

FIR Filtered FIR filter Decimation 24-bit Output Rate Code
250 YES /5 50 B
500 YES /5 100 H
1000 YES /5 200 H
250 250 C
2000 YES /5 400 C
500 500 C
4000 YES /5 800 C
1000 1000 F
2000 2000 F
4000 4000 F

32-bit ADC Rate FIR Filter Coefficients Gecko FIR Filter

SESSION 1 SESSION 2 SESSION 3 SESSION 4
1/512 1/8388608 134,217,728 134,217,728
1 3 -10,944 0 -132 -0.00000000603039587567231 1
2 0 0 0 -432 0.00000003927395595069500 2
3 -25 103,807 -73 -75 0.00000015049773405261000 3
4 0 0 -874 2,481 0.00000031773952781082800 4
5 150 -507,903 -4,648 6,692 0.00000047798502203373000 5
6 256 0 -16,147 7,419 0.00000051095157690769800 6
7 150 2,512,192 -41,280 -266 0.00000026641905055507000 7
8 0 4,194,304 -80,934 -10,663 -0.00000037216765923750700 8
9 -25 2,512,192 -120,064 -8,280 -0.00000139966508074817000 9
10 0 0 -118,690 10,620 -0.00000260778978135591000 10
11 3 -507,903 -18,203 22,008 -0.00000355477433765434000 11
12 0 224,751 348 -0.00000362926632635530000 12
13 103,807 580,196 -34,123 -0.00000222929759367356000 13
14 0 893,263 -25,549 0.00000096520518738636800 14
15 -10,944 891,396 33,460 0.00000569997133939469000 15
33
16 293,598 61,387 0.00001095059115991730000 16
17 -987,253 -7,546 0.00001495153056602200000 17
18 -2,635,779 -94,192 0.00001554058162443490000 18
19 -3,860,322 -50,629 0.00001081891042865500000 19
20 -3,572,512 101,135 -0.00000000000000000004001 20
21 -822,573 134,826 -0.00001580512492376050000 21
22 4,669,054 -56,626 -0.00003319363390704570000 22
23 12,153,698 -220,104 -0.00004677045374321930000 23
24 19,911,100 -56,082 -0.00005029559253232650000 24
25 25,779,390 263,758 -0.00003857339773325600000 25
26 27,966,862 231,231 -0.00000966761663961678000 26
27 25,779,390 -215,231 0.00003323611331701340000 27
28 19,911,100 -430,178 0.00008110107793338530000 28
29 12,153,698 34,715 0.00012007920150710400000 29
30 4,669,054 580,424 0.00013453840469626600000 30
31 -822,573 283,878 0.00011167402359075300000 31
32 -3,572,512 -588,382 0.00004663147317910780000 32
33 -3,860,322 -693,209 -0.00005342875975357430000 33
34 -2,635,779 366,118 -0.00016799500652713700000 34
35 -987,253 1,084,786 -0.00026583257063451900000 35
36 293,598 132,893 -0.00031183964688073600000 36
37 891,396 -1,300,087 -0.00027707186254078800000 37
38 893,263 -878,642 -0.00014955429739973300000 38
39 580,196 1,162,189 0.00005738202152853210000 39
40 224,751 1,741,565 0.00030254273101421400000 40
41 -18,203 -522,533 0.00052237495922087500000 41
42 -118,690 -2,490,395 0.00064481275065991600000 42
43 -120,064 -688,945 0.00060916832093930300000 43
44 -80,934 2,811,738 0.00038732782091443100000 44
45 -41,280 2,425,494 -0.00000000000000000087598 45
46 -16,147 -2,338,095 -0.00047812027023328900000 46
47 -4,648 -4,511,116 -0.00092835541324501400000 47
48 -874 641,555 -0.00121352693627700000000 48
49 -73 6,661,730 -0.00121455776870753000000 49
50 0 2,950,811 -0.00086953168107923900000 50
51 0 -8,538,057 -0.00020400602396294400000 51
52 0 -10,537,298 0.00065827031013248200000 52
53 9,818,477 0.00151137302632191000000 53
54 41,426,374 0.00211051306639489000000 54
55 56,835,776 0.00223519986734492000000 55
56 41,426,374 0.00175753185743610000000 56
57 9,818,477 0.00069663339368216300000 57
58 -10,537,298 -0.00075916235371055000000 58
59 -8,538,057 -0.00227469187443910000000 59
60 2,950,811 -0.00343644693109576000000 60
61 6,661,730 -0.00385564762844822000000 61
62 641,555 -0.00328244270657441000000 62
63 -4,511,116 -0.00170061294032551000000 63
64 -2,338,095 0.00062739415705946600000 64
65 2,425,494 0.00318612503340147000000 65
66 2,811,738 0.00530792617468266000000 66
67 -688,945 0.00633291420905351000000 67
68 -2,490,395 0.00579304223607103000000 68
69 -522,533 0.00357302079620528000000 69
70 1,741,565 -0.00000000000000000392660 70
71 1,162,189 -0.00417375750785366000000 71
72 -878,642 -0.00790704215276681000000 72
73 -1,300,087 -0.01010594406452520000000 73
74 132,893 -0.00991162888189740000000 74
75 1,084,786 -0.00697025275254779000000 75
76 366,118 -0.00161049007289213000000 76
77 -693,209 0.00513194758959135000000 77
78 -588,382 0.01167182558329120000000 78
79 283,878 0.01619984535448420000000 79
80 580,424 0.01711720642235600000000 80
81 34,715 0.01348536640128350000000 81
82 -430,178 0.00538169599360649000000 82
83 -215,231 -0.00593811284091275000000 83
84 231,231 -0.01813436383850230000000 84
85 263,758 -0.02814320041177570000000 85

34
 86 -56,082 -0.03274886500402540000000 86
87 -220,104 -0.02926059068925200000000 87
88 -56,626 -0.01615265169801810000000 88
89 134,826 0.00647707854304404000000 89
90 101,135 0.03674466224589480000000 90
91 -50,629 0.07117017594324820000000 91
92 -94,192 0.10520264160947700000000 92
93 -7,546 0.13398842403341400000000 93
94 61,387 0.15323542846129300000000 94
95 33,460 0.16000000000000000000000 95
96 -25,549 0.15323542846129300000000 96
97 -34,123 0.13398842403341400000000 97
98 348 0.10520264160947700000000 98
99 22,008 0.07117017594324820000000 99
100 10,620 0.03674466224589480000000 100
101 -8,280 0.00647707854304404000000 101
102 -10,663 -0.01615265169801810000000 102
103 -266 -0.02926059068925200000000 103
104 7,419 -0.03274886500402540000000 104
105 6,692 -0.02814320041177570000000 105
106 2,481 -0.01813436383850230000000 106
107 -75 -0.00593811284091275000000 107
108 -432 0.00538169599360649000000 108
109 -132 0.01348536640128350000000 109
110 0 0.01711720642235600000000 110
111 0.01619984535448420000000 111
112 0.01167182558329120000000 112
113 0.00513194758959135000000 113
114 -0.00161049007289213000000 114
115 -0.00697025275254779000000 115
116 -0.00991162888189740000000 116
117 -0.01010594406452520000000 117
118 -0.00790704215276681000000 118
119 -0.00417375750785366000000 119
120 -0.00000000000000000392660 120
121 0.00357302079620528000000 121
122 0.00579304223607103000000 122
123 0.00633291420905351000000 123
124 0.00530792617468266000000 124
125 0.00318612503340147000000 125
126 0.00062739415705946600000 126
127 -0.00170061294032551000000 127
128 -0.00328244270657441000000 128
129 -0.00385564762844822000000 129
130 -0.00343644693109576000000 130
131 -0.00227469187443910000000 131
132 -0.00075916235371055000000 132
133 0.00069663339368216300000 133
134 0.00175753185743610000000 134
135 0.00223519986734492000000 135
136 0.00211051306639489000000 136
137 0.00151137302632191000000 137
138 0.00065827031013248200000 138
139 -0.00020400602396294400000 139
140 -0.00086953168107923900000 140
141 -0.00121455776870753000000 141
142 -0.00121352693627700000000 142
143 -0.00092835541324501400000 143
144 -0.00047812027023328900000 144
145 -0.00000000000000000087598 145
146 0.00038732782091443100000 146
147 0.00060916832093930300000 147
148 0.00064481275065991600000 148
149 0.00052237495922087500000 149
150 0.00030254273101421400000 150
151 0.00005738202152853210000 151
152 -0.00014955429739973300000 152
153 -0.00027707186254078800000 153
154 -0.00031183964688073600000 154
155 -0.00026583257063451900000 155

35
 156 -0.00016799500652713700000 156
157 -0.00005342875975357430000 157
158 0.00004663147317910780000 158
159 0.00011167402359075300000 159
160 0.00013453840469626600000 160
161 0.00012007920150710400000 161
162 0.00008110107793338530000 162
163 0.00003323611331701340000 163
164 -0.00000966761663961678000 164
165 -0.00003857339773325600000 165
166 -0.00005029559253232650000 166
167 -0.00004677045374321930000 167
168 -0.00003319363390704570000 168
169 -0.00001580512492376050000 169
170 -0.00000000000000000004001 170
171 0.00001081891042865500000 171
172 0.00001554058162443490000 172
173 0.00001495153056602200000 173
174 0.00001095059115991730000 174
175 0.00000569997133939469000 175
176 0.00000096520518738636800 176
177 -0.00000222929759367356000 177
178 -0.00000362926632635530000 178
179 -0.00000355477433765434000 179
180 -0.00000260778978135591000 180
181 -0.00000139966508074817000 181
182 -0.00000037216765923750700 182
183 0.00000026641905055507000 183
184 0.00000051095157690769800 184
185 0.00000047798502203373000 185
186 0.00000031773952781082800 186
187 0.00000015049773405261000 187
188 0.00000003927395595069500 188
189 -0.00000000603039587567231 189

Register for Updates

We highly recommend registering your Gecko with us so that we can add you to our product
update notification list. Simply email [email protected] with your Gecko serial number and
we will notify you when Gecko firmware updates and Waves or Streams software updates
are available – usually just a few times per year.

You can also register for email updates on the Waves, Streams or Gecko product pages at
http://src.com.au or directly through the MailChimp service at http://eepurl.com/hgD3HD

You can opt out of emails at any time using the automated Unsubscribe link in the emails.

36
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

37
Appendix A
Installing the Gecko Blast, Force, or SMA
Gecko Blast, Force, and SMA are designed to measure large vibrations. You can sit them on
a surface to measure ground motion, but we recommend you bolt the sensors down.

To install in soft soil, screw the three included spikes into the holes in the base, which may
require you to unscrew the standard adjustable feet. Push the sensor and spikes into the
soil by hand as far as you can, using the bubble on the lid to level the sensor as close to flat
as is practical (being perfectly level is not critical).

To attach to a hard surface (e.g. rock or concrete) we recommend you use the included
threaded rod, nut and anchor system through the centre of the sensor, along with the
standard feet for level adjustment. You’ll need a hammer drill, a hammer, and the included
installation kit.

10

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

38
2. Insert anchor thread-side up into hole. Gently tap with hammer until flush with surface

3. Insert the tapered end of the anchor setting tool 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.

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, slide the unit over the threaded rod.

7. Orienting your recorder depends on your application. We recommend:

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

b. For structural monitoring, point the North arrow along an axis of your structure

8. Loosen the upper locking nuts on the 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 for better coupling and to avoid
accidental movement.

If you need to move your sensor, you can reuse the threaded rod and locking nut.
Additional M8 Ramset DynaSet Drop-in Anchors can be purchased at hardware stores, or
contact us if you require any spare parts.

Gains, range and clip levels

Gain Blast Clip Force Clip The unpowered geophones in the Gecko Blast
Level Level and Force generate a voltage as the mass
x1 ±695 mm/s ±909 mm/s moves. The standard Gecko recorder has
x2 ±347 mm/s ±455 mm/s
maximum sensing voltage range of ±20V at a
x4 ±174 mm/s ±227 mm/s
x8 ±89 mm/s ±114 mm/s gain of x1. Increasing the sensitivity reduces the
x16 ±43 mm/s ±57 mm/s maximum motion recordable. The Gecko’s
x32 ±22 mm/s ±28 mm/s
resolution is about 50 times lower than a typical
x64 ±11 mm/s ±14 mm/s
x128 ±5.4 mm/s ±7.1 mm/s monitoring site, but if uou change the gain for
x256 ±2.7 mm/s ±3.6 mm/s higher sensitivity, the clip level will be affected
x512 ±1.4 mm/s ±1.8 mm/s
as estimated in the table (left).

The Gecko SMA uses ±4V output range sensors, so to maximise the resolution of the data
the Gecko SMA will be shipped with a gain of x4, which will use 80% of the Gecko’s
dynamic range. Increasing the gain further will reduce the clip level of your SMA.

39
Installing the Gecko Pro-bodied sensors
To securely install a Gecko SMA-HR, SMA-XR, Tremor or Prism variant you’ll need a
hammer drill, a hammer, and the included installation kit.

10

3
6

1
8

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. Insert the tapered end of the anchor setting tool 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.

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 Pro, slide the unit over the threaded rod.

40
7. Orienting your recorder depends on your application. We recommend:

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

41
Calibrating a Gecko SMA-HR
The Gecko SMA-HR has an in-built calibration procedure whereby the processor sends a 5Hz
sine wave of 1V amplitude to excite the sensor components. By comparing the sensor
response over time you can check that your sensor is still within specification.

After running the calibration routine using the feature discussed earlier in this user manual,
open the files from your SD card’s continuous data archive that correspond to the time you
performed the calibration to see how the sensor responded.

The original Gecko SMA-HR calibration response should look like this:

The 2020 Gecko SMA-HR Pro calibration response will have inverted signal on the horizontal
components due to the inverted orientation of the sensors in the casing – this is normal.

Remember that you can always rotate your signals in Waves during data analysis to correct
for stations that were installed at an orientation where the arrow was not pointing North.

The Gecko Prism contains a very robust but very sensitive velocity sensor. Once the
seismograph is powered on, be careful not to move the sensor. It should be bolted down to
avoid accidental movement. If you accidentally knock the sensor and the signal levels start
clipping, simply turn the unit off for a second and then on again to quickly settle the sensor.

42
Checking Prism Operation
After powering up your Prism, from the Home Screen it is recommended that you press the
Up button twice to view the signal values to check that the sensor starts up correctly.

About 20 seconds after power is applied, the Prism sensor will start up, one channel at a
time: East, North, then Up. Depending on the tilt, the signal values will shoot to a full scale
(positive or negative 8 million counts) and it will then begin to settle to the zero level. The
values may stay at the clip level for a few seconds as the sensor output has a greater range
than that of the recorder, but you’ll soon start to see the numbers heading towards a zero
signal level. It takes about an hour for the integrators to settle and get close to the zero
level, and a few hours to settle completely - see 6+ hour recording below.

If one of the channel signals appears to be jumping around randomly, or if the sensor is
making a regular clicking or buzzing sound, turn the Prism off and on again after a few
seconds to restart the sensor initialisation routine. This state may occur if you knock or
move the sensor excessively during the initialisation period.

43
Appendix B
Internal or External NiMH Battery
When the optional internal Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery is powering your Gecko
recording system, to protect the battery from over-discharge a Low Voltage Disconnect
(LVD) circuit is enabled to cut power to the Gecko if the voltage drops too low.

The battery pack is expected to run Gecko sensor models for several hours, with backup
time depending on Gecko model and the state of battery charge when AC power is
disconnected. When power is reconnected after the battery is discharged, the battery should
be fully charged in under 5 hours while the Gecko is operating, after which time the
regulator will keep a small float current flowing to the battery to offset the power that the
system draws while running.

AC power
disconnected Constant
Voltage
Charging

Float
Charging
20Wh NiMH Battery Float
Charging
Discharge and Charge Cycle
(using 1.2W Gecko SMA-2G)
Constant
Current
Charging

AC power
connected

Fully charged new battery Recharged

provides most Gecko models Gecko switches off
in ~4.5 hrs
>12 hours backup run time to protect battery
(Gecko on)

The 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. The internal
battery pack can still be charged even if the Gecko itself is switched off.

The AC plug pack outputs a DC voltage, but the charge regulator accepts power from any
type of DC power source, from 10V to 70V DC. We recommend that the power rating of
your DC supply should be at least 24W (2A @ 12V DC).

44
Charge Regulator
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 AC plug
pack to maintain battery condition.

Depending on the options ordered, the charge regulator may be supplied in a small
weatherproof casing or packaged in a wall-mountable box containing other optional
components. In either case, a single LED on the charge regulator provides the status of the
charging cycle and displays any errors. Use the information 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 input power reset

Orange blink (Once every 0.5 sec) Timeout

Solid Red Fault. Needs input power reset

45
Appendix C
USR-W610 Ethernet & WiFi Adaptor
You can stream seismic data over a Local Area Network (LAN) or over the Internet in real
time to our Streams application or to our cloud-based eqServer data management system.
To do this you will need serial-to-Ethernet/WiFi adaptor. This adaptor is simple to configure
and is included in the optional Gecko accessory that provide Power, Alarm &
Communications in wall mountable box.

The “W610” adaptor is manufactured by USR IOT and uses web pages for configuration. The
device allows an RS232 serial port to be routed to a virtual port on a remote computer,
which our data reception software is monitoring for real time connections.

To communicate with the W610 using an Ethernet cable, connect your computer’s Ethernet
port into the LAN socket, ensuring your computer is set to be automatically assigned an IP
address (DHCP, not manual IP). Your computer will likely be assigned the IP address
10.10.100.100. Then open a web browser and type http://10.10.100.254/ into your web
browser. When prompted, log in with username and password admin and admin.

To communicate with the W610 via WiFi, use your phone, tablet or computer to connect to
a WiFi network called USR-W610_XXXX (where XXXX is a variable ID). No password is
required. Once connected, open a web browser and type http://10.10.100.254/ into
your address bar. When prompted, log in with username and password admin and admin.

Quick Configure
You will be presented
with the web page
shown here after
logging in. The main
configuration change
required is under
Quick Configure item
4F, where you
specify the address
and port number of
the computer to
which you are
sending data.

If you need to assign the W610 a fixed Ethernet IP address, advanced users are able to
work through the additional network settings in the left sidebar menu. If you are unfamiliar
with these settings, please consult your IT Administrator for advice.
46
WiFi Settings
The first Quick Configure menu (1F) relates to configuring the WiFi feature of the W610,
both when acting as an Access Point (AP) and as a Station (STA).

The first configuration that appears is for AP Mode, where you can modify the SSID name
and enable security if required. By selecting STA Mode from the drop-down menu, the STA
setup appears:

To connect the W610 to a local WiFi network, click on the Search button to scan for
available WiFi Access Points, or type in a known Access Point’s SSID. Enter the security
settings as required. Once connected to an Access Point, the Gecko will be able to stream
data over WiFi.

Ethernet Port and UART Settings (do not change)

Do not change Ethernet port function (2F) as you should have it enabled and acting as a
LAN port connection.

Do not change the serial port setup (3F) as the device is preconfigured to match the Gecko
serial port settings. If you reset the W610 to factory defaults, you will need to change the
baud rate to 115200 to match the Gecko’s port speed.

47
Network Settings
Quick Configure 4F is the main item that will require configuration as it will define where
you want to send the data stream.

Mode should be set to Client, protocol to TCP, and the default port for Gecko telemetry is
58772. The address of the data reception computer is entered into Server Address. If you
are running Streams on the same computer that you are using to configure the W610, the
IP address of computer will probably be 10.10.100.100, but you can also type in a domain
name (e.g. the SRC Gecko test server at hub.kelunji.net).

Once complete, use the Apply button to save your changes, then use the Restart button
under item 5F to restart the W610 to start up the device in this new configuration.

Troubleshooting
The most common issue related to data telemetry is caused by firewalls blocking the port
used by the Gecko for data telemetry. This can be resolved by setting a rule that allows port
58772 through your firewall, or by turning off your firewall. Please consult your IT
Administrator for assistance with firewall configuration if needed.

If data does not start appearing on Streams, check that your Gecko Telemetry setting is set
to Continuous over Serial (or Ethernet – they are functionally identical).

48
Perle IOLAN DS1 Ethernet Adaptor
If you are using an older Perle “IOLAN DS1” Ethernet serial-to-Ethernet adaptor,
configuration is also performed via web browser. To communicate with the DS1, set your
computer Ethernet settings to IP address 192.168.20.50 and
subnet mask 255.255.255.0, then open a web browser and
type http://192.168.20.100/ into the address bar. When
prompted, log in with username and password admin and
superuser respectively.

Change IP address of the Ethernet adaptor

To set the IP address of the device to one that is compatible with your LAN, drop down 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.

If you have set the device to use DHCP

but are unsure what IP address it has been assigned, download the Device Manager
software from perle.com and install it on a Windows PC to see the devices on your network.

Set the IP address of the remote data server

If you have chosen to run Streams on a
computer on your local network, you’ll
need to set that computer’s IP address
as the destination “Host”. In the left side
bar menu, click on “Advanced” under the
Network settings, then click on
KelunjiHub in the Host Table to
highlight it, then click the “Edit” button.
A window will pop up allowing you to edit
the Host address. Enter the IP address of
the computer that is running Live Stream, then click “OK”.

To apply the new settings, reboot the DS1 using the link at the bottom right of the screen.

49
Appendix D
Robustel R1511 4G Modem Router
Like the USR-W610, 4G modem routers take the serial output from the Gecko and directs it
to a TCP socket on a remote computer, which is configured via web browser.

Connect your computer’s Ethernet port (set to DHCP) to the modem ETH0 port, then web
browse to 192.168.0.1 and log in with username admin and password admin.

You define the location of your data reception

computer under the Interface > Serial Port. Edit the
COM1 port, Set Enable on ON, then scroll down to the
“Server Setting” section and in the Server Address
field enter the address of your data reception
computer that is running Streams or eqServer (you
can use hub.kelunji.net to test), and enter the
Server Port connection number (default for Gecko,
Streams and eqServer is 58772) Transmit from Gecko (moulded ALTW cable blue wire) connects to
Receive (RXD) on R1511, Receive (green) to TXD, GND (yellow)

Submit, then Save & Apply and Reboot to apply the new settings.

50
Netcomm NTC 221 4G Modem Router
The Netcomm NTC
221 is a 4G modem
router. Like the USR-
W610, it takes the
serial output from the
Gecko and directs it to
a TCP socket on a
remote computer.

Connect your
computer’s Ethernet
port (set to DHCP) to
the NTC 221’s LAN
port, then web browse
to 192.168.1.1 and
log in with username
root and password
admin.

You define the location

of your data reception
computer under the
Services menu using
the PADD setup in the
left toolbar. Activate
it, then under “TCP/IP
Client - Remote Host
1” menu item enter
the address of your
data reception
computer that is
running Streams or eqServer, followed by a colon and the default Gecko port connection
number, e.g. hub.kelunji.net:58772

If you wish to change the IP address of the NTC or use the additional networking and
security features, the menu names should be recognisable to those familiar with network
settings. If you are unsure, please consult your local IT support staff.

Save your changes and restart the device to apply the new settings.

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