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Pipeline monitoring used to be reactive. Today's cathodic protection managers want to get ahead of corrosion instead, which is hard to do with sparse data because corrosion risk doesn't show up in one or two readings. Here's how to get more out of pipeline monitoring without buying another RMU.
Why Sparse Data Makes Corrosion Hard to Predict
A remote monitoring unit sits at a rectifier and it reports readings back to a system like Bullhorn Web. Most RMUs track the basics, DC volts and DC milliamps, which is enough to confirm a rectifier is running.
It's not enough to predict where corrosion will show up next. That takes more inputs like temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. It also takes readings from more than one point in a corridor. A four-channel RMU runs out of room fast once you start asking those questions. Fewer channels mean fewer data points. Fewer data points mean guessing, not predicting.
Why Sites Outgrow a Four-Channel Setup
A cathodic protection remote monitoring system built on one four-channel RMU fills up fast. Real sites are rarely simple. A single location might have a junction box and multiple negatives or it might have more than one rectifier feeding the same structure.
Historically, the fix was to add another RMU, which requires new hardware and a new install. It also meant another device on cellular or satellite service. All that, just to capture a few more readings. The cost adds up fast across a large fleet. It also discourages the long-term data collection predictive CP programs need.
Get More Channels From the RMU You Already Have
This is where the Bullhorn RM510 16-Channel Rectifier RMU Expansion Module comes in. It's a multi-channel CP RMU upgrade, not a new device. It expands an existing RM510 from four channels to 16, improving pipeline monitoring using the unit you already have in the field.
To use it, the RM510 needs current firmware. Once updated, a new "IO16 Enabled" toggle appears in Bullhorn FieldPro's channel settings. Turning it on connects the IO4 and IO16 boards. They then report as one expanded set of channels.
One trade-off is worth knowing up front. Enabling IO16 gives up the RM510's digital channels. Those connections are used to link the IO4 and IO16 boards together. They're no longer available as measurement points. Plan around that before converting a site.
Three Ways More Channels Improves Pipeline Monitoring
More channels make condition-aware and research-grade pipeline monitoring realistic on the RMUs you already own.
1—Monitor Multiple Assets from One Unit
A single RM510 with the 16-Channel Rectifier RMU Expansion Module can cover more than one rectifier. It can cover a full junction box, without a second monitoring device. That's especially useful at dense sites, where several assets sit close together.
2—Run Long-Term Correlation Studies
Spare channels leave room for sensors that don't measure protection directly, like air temperature, humidity, soil temperature, and soil moisture.
Collect that data for a year or more and compare it against field investigations and ACPG/DCPG readings. Patterns start to show which conditions tend to precede a problem. No single sensor answers the question on its own. The value shows up over time, across a fleet.
3—Pilot New Sensors Without New Hardware
Testing a new sensor type used to mean deploying it on its own hardware or waiting for a spare channel to open up. With 16 channels available, your team can pilot a sensor on existing RM510s at a much lower cost.
How to Enable Improved Pipeline Monitoring in the Field
Setting up the 16-Channel Rectifier RMU Expansion Module is a quick process:
- Confirm the RM510 is running current firmware. Bullhorn FieldPro prompts an update if your firmware isn't up to date.
- Install the IO16 hardware, following the quick-reference guide.
- In Bullhorn FieldPro's channel settings, enable "IO16."
- Check the wiring. The unit flags an IO status warning if a digital connection isn't right. Problems get caught on site, instead of showing up as bad data later.
- Once enabled, Bullhorn Web syncs automatically and shows up to 16 configurable channels for that unit.
In the Virtual Brew session, Erick Flores gives a demonstration of setting this up using Bullhorn FieldPro at 14:30.
Pipeline Monitoring FAQ
A remote monitoring unit is a device installed at a rectifier or test point. It reports readings, like DC volts and DC milliamps, back to a monitoring platform, replacing a manual site visit for every reading.
A standard RM510 reads four analog channels. Add the 16-Channel Rectifier RMU Expansion Module, and the same unit reads up to sixteen. The base hardware doesn't change.
No. The RM510 needs current firmware. The 16-Channel Rectifier RMU Expansion Module hardware needs to be installed and wired in. The base unit stays the same.
They connect the IO4 and IO16 boards together. Once IO16 is enabled, they're no longer available as measurement points.
Yes. Bullhorn FieldPro is the direct replacement, and it's what you'll use to enable the IO16 Expansion Module in the field. Bullhorn Tools still works, but it won't get new features or updates going forward. Learn more about Bullhorn FieldPro.
See It In Action
American Innovations walked through this setup live. That includes enabling the IO16 Expansion Module in Bullhorn FieldPro and viewing the extra channels in Bullhorn Web. Watch the Virtual Brew recording.
Evaluating the IO16 Expansion Module for your own fleet? Explore the Bullhorn RM510 16-Channel Rectifier RMU Expansion Module or contact our experts below.