Specifications

Chapter 3
Device Specification
Having reviewed the operation of the existing solution and identified its
shortcomings, this chapter aims to produce a design specification for the
replacement system. The following are desirable features for the replacement:
Reliable The system should consistently detect and record the passing of
animals.
Autonomous User intervention should not be required on a day-to-day
basis.
Low maintenance The devices will operate remotely and it is costly and
time consuming to have to return to the s ite to maintain the device.
Accurate time keeping In order for the collected data to be meaningful, it
is important that the records are stamped from a reliable time source.
This is especially important if more than one logger device will be
used at a time and the data is cross-checked. For example, consider a
penguin passing one checkpoint at 13h10 (which is correctly stamped),
and then passing another checkpoint which is incorrectly stamped as
13h08. Clearly, when proces sing the data, it will appear as if the animal
walked in the wrong direction.
Cost-effective operation The device will operate for extended periods and
collecting data over this time should not be excessively costly.
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