-------------------------Monitor------------------------ The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control Issue 58 www.windmill.co.uk May 2003 --------------------ISSN 1472-0221---------------------- Welcome to May's issue of Monitor. This month we describe how a geological survey team are using data collected by Windmill to map submarine springs, model the shape of sinkhole vents and validate aerial thermography methods. We hope you find Monitor useful, but if you wish to cancel your subscription please do so at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html CONTENTS ======== * Windmill News: - LabIML Help updated - Set-up files for a Garmin GPS now available * Investigating Pollution from Submarine Springs * Excel Corner: Automatically Starting Windmill ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ WINDMILL NEWS ________________________________________________________ New Version of Labiml Help ========================== Windmill's LabIML driver lets you use Windows software like Excel, or Windmill Logger, to save readings from almost any instrument with an RS232 serial port. This month we've updated the on-line Help supplied with LabIML. To download your copy of the Help files go to https://www.windmill.co.uk/help.html Select labiml.zip and save to disk. Labiml.zip contains two files: labiml.hlp (the main Help file) and labiml.cnt (the contents for the Help). Unzip these files into your Windmill folder. The new Help will now be available whenever you use the Windmill ConfIML program to configure the LabIML driver. LabIML is free to Monitor subscribers, for a free subscription go to https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html * Garmin GPS Setup Files Now Available ==================================== First time users of Windmill with a Garmin GPSmap 168s can now download its setup file from our Library. You can then send the file directly to your instrument: saving time otherwise spent filling in dialogue boxes. Go to https://www.windmill.co.uk/serial_driver.html Select gps168s.zip and save to disk. Unzip the gps168s.aid and readme.txt files to your Windmill folder. Follow the instructions in the readme.txt file. Our thanks to James McClean for supplying the Garmin setup files. If you would like to share your files, and speed up the configuration of Windmill for other people, please contact the Editor at monitor@windmillsoft.com ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ INVESTIGATING POLLUTION FROM SUBMARINE SPRINGS ________________________________________________________ The springs and aquifers of Florida are threatened by the run-off of fertilisers, herbicides and oil-residues. This polluted groundwater can then make its way into the sea via submarine springs. Researchers from the Florida Geological Survey are therefore investigating the volume of groundwater discharged into surface water, and monitoring the transfer of contaminants. The system they designed had to be economical and innovative, and so they were very pleased to discover Windmill software. The researchers started by using aerial thermography to identify the submarine springs and sinkholes. This works because the groundwater is warmer than background water in winter, and cooler in summer. Once located the depth and position of the springs and sinkholes were logged, which is where Windmill came in. The team used a Garmin GPSmap 168s to monitor the position of their boat and the depth of water underneath it. Windmill regularly took readings from the Garmin, recording the time, latitude, longitude, depth, temperature and speed at which the boat was travelling. After collection, the scientists converted the data to dbf format before creating bathymetry maps showing the contours of the seabed. Using these maps they could calculate the volume of mingled groundwater and surface water. The detailed depth point data, which Windmill collected at sinkholes, let the team accurately model the shape of the vents. Windmill also enabled the scientists to determine the maximum depth at which they could use aerial thermography to detect springs. Whilst Windmill was collecting bathymetry information, water quality was also being assessed. These readings were matched by the time-stamp to the position data acquired by Windmill. However, Windmill has the capabilities to automatically record data from the water quality meter and save all the information in one file. In another part of the study, the geologists collected boat-towed resistivity readings. When this data is input into the software model, it is important to know the depths at which the readings were taken. The Geological Survey team again used Windmill for easy and accurate measurements. The Windmill software used in this study is free to Monitor subscribers. For more on using Windmill with GPS receivers visit https://www.windmill.co.uk/gps.html For other Windmill applications see https://www.windmill.co.uk/software.html#applications ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ EXCEL CORNER: AUTOMATICALLY STARTING WINDMILL ________________________________________________________ When using Excel to save instrument readings in real- time, you might find it useful to have the spreadsheet automatically start the Windmill data collection programs. To run the Windmill DDE Panel, for example, just include this line in your macro. Shell "start c:\windmill\wmdde.exe mysetup.wdp" Replace "mysetup.wdp" with the name of your DDE Panel setup file. For more information on the setup file see DDE Panel's on-line Help. You might need to give the Windmill programs time to load before executing the rest of your macro. To wait for 2 seconds, for example, add this line Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:02") This could give you... Sub StartWindmill Shell "start c:\windmill\wmdde.exe mysetup.wdp" Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:02") End Sub For more on using Excel with Windmill, including macros to collect data in real-time, see https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/ ________________________________________________________ * 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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