NovaStar 5 Authenticated User Home Page

Clicking OK from the login dialog will begin a NovaStar 5 Administrator session and will display the Home page for the authenticated user.

Authenticated User Home Page (see also the full-size image)

The default map appears here, as it does in the guest user Home page. The default map is the first map defined in the system. Secondary maps are accessible using the Map Data menu to view the Map Data Request page. See User Manual - Map Data Request.

The basic options for accessing and viewing database information that are available to guest users are also available from the authenticated user Home page. These include:

• Log In
• Log out
• Tabular Data
• Report Data
• Plot Data
• Map Data
• About NovaStar 5
• Contact TriLynx Systems

These features function as described in the User Manual for guest users, and are the same when they are accessed from the authenticated user Home page.

Users logged in with guest privileges can view information stored in the NovaStar 5 database, whereas users logged in with operator and administrator privileges can configure aspects of the NovaStar 5 system using the expanded command menu. The expanded Administrator command menu has links to view and edit pages containing information for the following database components:

• Stations - data collection locations, with associated configurations for:
  • Station Types - shared station properties, for transmitters
• Points - data collection devices (sensors and synthetic data), with associated configurations for:
  • Point Types - shared point properties, for sensors
  • Point Classes - properties of sensor recording method
  • Calibrations - sensor calibration data
  • Rating Assigns - assignment of rating to a point
  • Rating Tables - rating table, for example to convert stage to discharge
  • Equations - calculate point value from an equation
  • AlertTalk3 - legacy notification dialer
  • Map Displays - map configurations to display point data
• Alarms - indicator of exceeding critical values, with associated configurations for:
  • Active Alarms - active alarms
  • Alarm Groups - groups for alarms, for common trigger criteria
  • Alarm Triggers - alarm triggers, to specify point data alarm criteria
  • Alarm Actions - actions to perform when alarm is triggered
  • Alarm Contacts - contacts to notify when an alarm is triggered
• Data - data reports and derived values for points
• Forecast - forecasted values
• System - system configuration properties
• Users - manage users

These pages are described in this Operator and Administrator Manual.

The Stations and Points menus are used to view and configure the NovaStar 5 database to accept and organize incoming data streams. NovaStar 5 has a hierarchical structure of stations and points. Defining stations specifies attributes of each remote station or location associated with data. Points are used to assign NovaStar 5's data calibration and data checking capabilities to data provided by station inputs and outputs.

To configure NovaStar 5 to receive data, the following must be defined in sequence:

1. first create stations
   1. define station type (useful if a system has multiple stations with similar broadcasting equipment)
   2. define a station
2. assign points to each station
   1. create point type (useful if you have multiple stations with similar sensing equipment, for example, rain gages of similar manufacture).
   2. create point

These steps are described sequentially in the next three sections of this manual.

Before configuring the system, make sure that data are being received at the server. For an ALERT/ALERT2 system this includes the installation of a receiving radio antenna, radio transceiver (tuned to the operational frequency), and ALERT decoder. Note the type of decoder and its baud rate for serial communications with the computer port. Decoders typically connect to a 9-pin serial port on the computer, but USB port connections are also available. Communications parameters for several well known decoders are shown.

Typical ALERT Decoder Configuration Parameters

Decoder Type	Baud Rate	Parity	Data Bits	Stop Bits
HydroLynx ALERT1	300	None	8	1
Kantronics ALERT1	9600	None	8	1
HydroLynx ALERT2	9600	None	8	1

Confirm that the System configuration parameters described in the System configuration section has been set as required for data collection.

Use the Alarms tools to configure NovaStar 5's alarm detection and notification capabilities. The Data Edit tools provide options to edit data reports for points, Maps to view data spatially, Plots to view data graphically, Reports to organize incoming data into desired report formats. The Forecast page updates forecast data in the database. The System and Users tools allow configuration of the NovaStar 5 system and managing its users.