Program Description

NovaStar 5 is a data collection and management software system designed to receive real-time hydro-meteorological data from:

  • legacy ALERT and ALERT2 radio transmissions
  • two-way radio systems
  • cellular networks
  • satellite network
  • external sources such as data file import
  • and other sources

Transmission of data may be initiated by the remote station, either on a set schedule or when a defined event occurs; for example at each tip of a rain gage. NovaStar 5 can also poll an external source for data on a configured schedule, such as a remote station equipped with a HydroLynx model 50386 data collection unit or USGS National Water Information Server (NWIS) web service. NovaStar 5 can ingest USGS stream gage data and process data formats including text files in the Standard Hydrologic Exchange Format (SHEF files), commercial satellite, and GOES satellite data. Additional data feeds can be implemented by TriLynx Systems as necessary.

A NovaStar 5 base station server includes database and software that allows data access via web applications, web services, and export processes. The NovaStar 5 server runs on a Linux operating system and receives data broadcast on specified radio frequencies through serial, USB, or internet ports on the dedicated server computer. A web browser allows access to the server via Administrator software from any computer with internet capabilities. Typical users are not given access to the features that would allow them to alter the data structures defined by the administrator user. The Operator software and data web services provide read-only alternatives to access NovaStar 5 data and visual products.

To make data useful for analysis and decision-making, the NovaStar 5 system administrator configures NovaStar 5 to perform error checking on the incoming data, and to convert sensor output into appropriate engineering units that are correctly associated with their geographic location and the time of the measurement. The system administrator can also configure NovaStar 5 to provide automatic warning to any number of users via screen alarms, audible alarms, emails, pager alarms, text, Twitter tweets, and phone/voice auto-dialed alarms if specific conditions are met. All users including the administrator are able to respond to alarms, customize map displays, view, analyze, and plot data and generate data reports.

NovaStar 5 stores data in an PostgreSQL database that can be accessed for analysis and display of time series point data by the administrator and users, either with NovaStar 5's internal mapping and reporting tools, or with compatible applications supporting SQL queries, including ArcGIS, Microsoft Excel, Python, etc. The database is editable and includes post-event and historical data processing functions including statistical and time interval data analyses, time-based rating tables, and daily and monthly rainfall and streamflow reporting. Rainfall, water level, streamflow, and other data can be summarized for various time steps (daily, monthly, yearly).