Terms of Use
Document History
This documentation receives frequent updates, which are described here.
Introduction
Song Meter® with Analysis and Remote Transfer, or SMART™, is a multi-channel, ultrasonic audio recording and analysis platform from Wildlife Acoustics®.
Getting Started
The first time you use a SMART System, we recommend setting it up in an accessible location, such as an office. This will make it easier to configure the SMART and perform any necessary troubleshooting.
Microphone Settings and Schedules
Each microphone connected to a SMART Controller can have its own Setting Profile and Schedule Profile. These profiles determine when the microphone is active; the settings it uses to detect, record, and analyze bat echolocations; and set the scheduling of microphone sensitivity testing and moisture clearing.
SMART Controller Configuration
Before you deploy the SMART System, you should configure basic system and network settings. These include login credentials, date, location, and network configuration settings.
Data Management
The SMART System stores recordings and logs on its internal drive initially, and it can periodically transfer new data to a USB or networked storage drive.
Installing SMART
Installing the SMART System on a wind turbine, meteorological tower, or similar structure requires careful planning. Proper connectivity, grounding, and microphone placement will help ensure a successful deployment.
Bat Activity Alarms and Control System Integration
The SMART System can integrate with a windfarm SCADA network or similar control system to perform acoustically triggered curtailment (ATC). You can define custom alarms that detect bat activity based on custom-defined parameters. When these alarms trigger, you can send control signals to other devices on a control system to trigger turbine shutdowns.
- Alarms
  As the SMART System is recording and analyzing, it can trigger alarms when the characteristics of the bat call meet certain parameters. Raised alarms can be sent to a control system in order to shut down or slow a turbine.
  - Alarm Logic Overview
    Each pair of alarms consists of Pass Settings, Pulse Settings, and Alarm Criteria. Together, these settings define the conditions required to raise a given alarm.
  - Alarm Strategy
    The general goal when designing alarms is to count bat pulses or passes near a turbine without counting non-bat noises, such as the mechanical noise of the turbine itself.
  - Design, Test, and Implement Alarms
    Kaleidoscope Pro Sound Analysis Software allows you to test SMART Alarms on batches of recordings to see how the alarms would have processed the recordings in real time. This functionality is vital for tailoring your alarms to a particular turbine before implementing acoustically triggered curtailment (ATC).
  - Alarm Criteria Syntax
    Alarm Criteria can include many different arithmetic and logical operations on pulse- and pass-level criteria as well as on the prefix assigned to each microphone.
- Control System Integration
  The SMART System provides several means through which other devices can retrieve information about detected bat activity in real time. This information can be used to inform automatic wind turbine curtailment or similar control decisions.
Troubleshooting
Specifications
SMART Enclosure
The SMART Enclosure is a preconfigured, weatherproof enclosure that can be purchased with the SMART System.
SMART API and Command Reference
The SMART System software includes utilities, command-line scripts, and APIs that can be used for additional customized programming of the SMART System.
Glossary
Warranty
Except as specifically provided herein, Wildlife Acoustics makes no warranty of any kind, express or implied, with respect to this product.
Declaration of Conformity
Prohibition Against Eavesdropping
Patents
Copyright Notices
Contact Information

Alarm Strategy

The general goal when designing alarms is to count bat pulses or passes near a turbine without counting non-bat noises, such as the mechanical noise of the turbine itself.

Each individual turbine can produce noise with different characteristics, and the prominence of the noise can vary depending on where each microphone is positioned. Often this noise can bear superficial resemblance to bat echolocation calls. This means that, typically, you must tailor alarms to each individual turbine to capture nearby bat activity while excluding the noise of the turbine.

Crafting effective alarms for a specific turbine should start with installing the SMART System on the turbine and recording both nearby bat activity and the various kinds of noises the turbine creates in different weather conditions. Once you have collected sample data, you can use Kaleidoscope® Pro Sound Analysis Software to design alarms and simulate how they would have reacted to your data in real time.

Once you have tested your alarms using sample data, you can implement them on the SMART System itself. Program other devices on your control system to read the status of your alarms and use that information to prompt turbine shutdowns.