Monitor - ISSN 1472-0221
The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control
Issue 206
Welcome to Monitor, the data acquisition and control newsletter. In this issue two stories of taking measurements with your computer.
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You can download Monitor as a pdf file from https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor/monitor206.pdf.
Contents
* Nickel Recycling Researchers use Windmill Software
* Windmill Questions: Getting data from Digital Gauges
* Excel Corner
* DAQ News Round-up
Nickel Recycling Researchers use Windmill Software
Researcher Parisa Sadat Abbasi Jahromi is investigating efficient recovery of pure metallic nickel from nickel waste byproducts.
As part of her experiments she is using two balances (Sartorius Talent TE4101 scales). These she connects to a computer running Windmill software. The software records the weight on the scales every 15 seconds for the duration of each test.
Jahromi used the Windmill ComDebug software to enter the balances' settings and then the Windmill Logger software to regularly collect data.
The default com port settings for a Sartorius Talent balance are
Baud Rate: 1200
Data Bits: 7
Parity: Odd
Stop Bits: 1
Flow Control: Hardware
More about interfacing a Sartorius balance is at
https://www.windmill.co.uk/sartorius.html
You can read about the research at
Application of an Ion Exchange Loading Correlation for Nickel
Recovery from a Ferrous Containing Solution
by
Parisa Sadat Abbasi Jahromi
Getting data from Digital Gauges
Question
Hello I am looking to get data from a digital gauge through serial to usb and into open office PC running windows 7 64-bit. Can you help?
Answer
Yes. Download the Windmill software trial and free ComDebug package from https://www.windmill.co.uk/serial.html. Use ComDebug to collect data from the digital gauge and then open the data file in Open Office.
You need to ensure that the settings in ComDebug and the Serial-USB converter match those being used by your digital gauge.
- Run the ComDebug program.
- Select Create a new Windmill Instrument File.
- Choose Serial and fill in your gauge's communication settings - baud rate, com port, etc.
Further reading:
Getting started with ComDebug
Tips on Using USB-to-Serial Converters for Data Acquisition
Connecting a Sylvac Digital Gauge
Any questions on using Windmill you'd like to see answered here, just ask: monitor@windmillsoft.com.
Excel Corner - Deleting Links
Have you ever been frustrated by Excel cluttering up your worksheet with active hyperlinks, when all you wanted was a text reference? You can easily get rid of them with a simple macro.
Sub RemoveHyperlinks() ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Delete End Sub
Further Reading
For more Excel tips see https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/excel-tips.html. If you have a question on using Excel please contact monitor@windmillsoft.com
DAQ News Round-up
Welcome to our round-up of the data acquisition and control news. If you would like to receive more timely DAQ news updates then follow us on Twitter - @DataAcquisition - or grab our rss feed.
Robots help map deep marine conservation zone
Scientists have used a unique combination of marine robotics and ship-based measurements to produce the first true three-dimensional picture of submarine canyon habitats. The information captured in this new set of maps ranges in scale from the 200 km canyon down to the size of an individual cold-water coral polyp.
Source: SCUBA News
http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/
Global Soil Moisture Sensor Market to grow by 16%
Soil moisture sensors are very helpful in protecting water resources and understanding the ever-changing climate. With the demand for reduction in critical water resource, the soil moisture sensors market is expected to have a wide scope of applications in areas such as agriculture, sports turf, weather forecasting, forestry, research studies and construction. The growth of the soil moisture sensor market is driven by gradual shift in the climatic conditions, environmental regulations and improved productivity, according to a report published by Research and Markets.
Source: Research and Markets
http://news.sys-con.com/
Tantalizing discovery may boost memory technology
Scientists have created a solid-state memory technology that allows for high-density storage with a minimum incidence of computer errors.
Source: Rice University
http://news.rice.edu/
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