-------------------------Monitor------------------------ The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control Issue 141 www.windmill.co.uk April 2010 --------------------ISSN 1472-0221---------------------- Welcome to Monitor, the data acquisition and control newsletter. I hope you find it useful, but should you wish to remove yourself from our mailing list please go to https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html CONTENTS ======== * Windmill Notes: Windmill and Windows 10, 8, 7 * DAQ News Roundup * Data Acquisition and Control Exhibitions ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Windmill Notes: Windmill and Windows 10, 8, 7 ________________________________________________________ Last month we claimed the free version of Windmill would work with Windows 10, 8, 7. Unfortunately we were rather premature with that claim: it will work with the 32-bit version of Windows 10, 8, 7 but currently not with the 64-bit version. To use Windmill 4.3 with the 32-bit Windows 10, 8, 7: 1. Run ConfIML and add the LabIML device driver. 2. Right-click the SetupIML program and select "Run as Administrator". 3. Start Setup IML You should see "Device 1 - type LabIML" listed in SetupIML's Device menu. You can now make your selections, save the file and go onto using the Windmill logging, charting and display programs. No need to worry about SetupIML again. If you don't see LabIML listed you have two choices: manually create and edit the IMS file or temporarily turn off the Windows 10, 8, 7 "User Account Control". Manually Create and Edit the IMS File ===================================== The IMS file is a simple text file which looks something like this: F 01 IMSLIB 4.09 Release 5 D I 00000 N= E=1 M=A T=G O=0 R=07 S=1 U=volts I 00001 N= E=1 M=A T=G O=0 R=07 S=1 U=volts I 00002 N= E=1 M=A T=G O=0 R=07 S=1 U=volts I 00003 N= E=1 M=A T=G O=0 R=07 S=1 U=volts I 00004 N= E=1 M=A T=G O=0 R=07 S=1 U=volts I 00005 N= E=1 M=A T=G O=0 R=07 S=1 U=volts V 00006 N= E=1 M=A T=G O=0 R=07 S=1 U=volts I 10000 N=Lat E=1 M=A O=0 S=1 U=Degrees I 10001 N=Lon E=1 M=A O=0 S=1 U=Degrees I 10002 N=Depth E=1 M=A O=0 S=1 U=metres It may be that there is an example IMS file for your instrument in our library at https://www.windmill.co.uk/serial_driver.html. You can download and edit this as you wish. Store the file in your Windmill folder. The first 7 channel entries in our example IMS file - channels 00000 to 00006 - are from the "Signal Generator". This simulates a device with seven channels and is provided in the download. The next entries are the LabIML entries, with channels 10000 upwards. Full details of what the different settings in this file mean are given in issue 87 of Monitor, archived at: https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor87.html#IMS. If, in ConfIML, you specified that your device would have 3 channels, then SetupIML's IMS file would have 3 LabIML lines with channels 10000, 10001 and 10002. If you need any help modifying or creating an IMS file please get in touch. * Temporarily turn off the Windows 10, 8, 7 "User Account Control" ========================================================== The second option is to temporarily turn off the Windows 10, 8, 7 "User Account Control". This is what causes the pop-up windows asking if you want this program to be able to write to the disk, every time you install new software. To turn this off: 1. From the Start menu select Control Panel. 2. Choose "User Accounts and Family Safety" 3. Choose "User Accounts". 4. Choose "Change User Account Control settings". 5. Move the slider down to "Never Notify". 6. Click OK and restart the computer. You can now run SetupIML and make your selections. Once SetupIML has created its IMS file you don't need to run it again and can return the User Account Control to your chosen level. * Our thanks to the two readers who contacted us with the problems they had and the solutions they found. ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ DAQ News Roundup ________________________________________________________ Welcome to our roundup of the data acquisition and control news. If you would like to receive more timely DAQ news updates then grab our RSS newsfeed at https://www.windmillsoft.com/monitor.xml. Read https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsfeed.php for notes on how to display the live news on your own web site. Smart buoys warn oil rigs of freak waves An early-warning system for destructive underwater waves has passed its first test in the Indian Ocean. The system is designed to look for solitons, powerful pulses that can be triggered at the boundary between layers of dense and less-dense water, often when a step change in the sea's depth disrupts a tidal flow. Source: New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/article/ Control Engineering Magazine Folds after Fifty Years After over half a century, the instrumentation magazine closes tomorrow. The UK-based IML Group which owns Control Engineering Europe says that that publication will not be affected. Source: Control Engineering http://www.controleng.com/ Smart Meters Market to Grow A recent study published by IMS Research, The World Market for Smart Meters – 2010, forecasts a surging RF-Mesh market in the US while PLC shipments are expected to dramatically increase in Europe and Asia. Source: IMS Research https://technology.ihs.com/ Light-based localisation for robotic systems Getting robotic systems to accurately detect both moving and static objects remains an obstacle to building more autonomous robots and advanced surveillance systems. Innovative technology that uses light beams for localisation and mapping may offer a solution. Source: ICT Results http://tinyurl.com/25zm32c Underwear sensors monitor health The future wellbeing of soldiers may be improved thanks to biomedical health sensors in their pants, according to scientists. To create the sensors, scientists screen-printed carbon electrode arrays directly onto the elastic bands of men's underwear. The tight contact and direct exposure to the skin allowed hydrogen peroxide and NADH, which are both associated with numerous biomedical processes, to be monitored. Source: The Engineer http://bit.ly/b6EC69 ________________________________________________________ Data Acquisition Exhibitions and Conferences ________________________________________________________ Our quarterly update of data acquisition and control exhibitions around the world. Process Control and Instrumentation 11-14 May Sydney Australia Part of Australia's National Manufacturing Week. Product categories include Data Acquisition Equipment, Drives, Fieldbus, PLC's, Plant Monitoring Systems, Process & Control Systems, Sensors & Instrumentation, Transmitters & Transducers, Test and Measurement. Nepcon Malaysia 15-17 June Penang Malaysia The single largest sourcing ground for PCB/SMT, components, testing & measurement and support services sectors in Malaysia. http://www.nepcon.com.my/ Automotive Testing Expo Europe 22-24 June Stuttgart Germany Event dedicated to the quality, safety, reliability and durability of vehicles throughout Europe. Product areas include data acquisition and signal analysis, engine/emissions testing, laboratory testing, vibration and shock testing, environmental testing, reliability/life-cycle testing, automated test equipment (ATE), sensors and transducers and laboratory instrumentation. http://www.testing-expo.com/europe/ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ * Copyright Windmill Software Ltd * Reprinting permitted with this notice included * For more articles see https://www.windmill.co.uk We are happy for you to copy and distribute this newsletter, and use extracts from it on your own web site or publication, providing the above notice is included and a link back to our website is in place. An archive of previous issues is at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html and an index of articles at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html Windmill Software Ltd, PO Box 58, North District Office, Manchester, M8 8QR, UK Telephone: +44 (0)161 834 6688 Facsimile: +44 (0)161 833 2190 E-mail: monitor@windmillsoft.com https://www.windmill.co.uk/ https://www.windmillsoft.com/
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