Windmill Software Ltd
Windows Engineering Software

Monitor
23 August 2003

-------------------------Monitor------------------------
The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control
Issue 61          www.windmill.co.uk         August 2003
--------------------ISSN 1472-0221----------------------

Hello, and thank you for subscribing to Monitor.  This 
month we're pleased to announce that Windmill has been 
chosen for the new Video Turnstile people counting
system.

We only send Monitor to people who have subscribed - 
should you wish to cancel your subscription please do 
so at 
https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html

CONTENTS
========
* Windmill News: 
  - Windmill chosen for new people counting system
  - Transient capture unit now available from Windmill 
    on-line catalogue
* Excel Corner: Using Excel's text functions
* Data Acquisition and Control Exhibitions
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

WINDMILL NEWS
________________________________________________________

WINDMILL CHOSEN FOR NEW PEOPLE COUNTING SYSTEM

Many businesses find it useful to count people entering 
and leaving premises: shops, galleries, banks and clubs 
to name a few.  Amongst other reasons, it lets them 
evaluate their advertising campaigns, plan their 
staffing levels and see how many people are on the 
premises at any moment.  The newest people counting 
system is called Video Turnstile, and we're pleased to 
say that it is using Windmill software.

At its simplest, the system comprises an overhead CCTV 
camera connected to a Video Turnstile unit which 
detects, counts and logs people.  Windmill runs on a PC 
in a back office and lets staff view the count as it 
progresses.  Alternatively, Video Turnstile can be 
connected to a modem and data collected remotely by 
Windmill running in the Head Office.

Each Video Turnstile system can monitor up to 120 
entrances.  It is extremely accurate.  You can view the 
video  and easily validate the count: marker lines flash 
when the system detects someone crossing the 
threshold.  Each Video Turnstile unit has two counts, 
one for people going in and one for people going out.

Not all the detection and counting units need to log 
data.  An elegant design means one logging unit can be 
connected to three other non-logging units, and collect 
the count from them.  This reduces the cost of the 
system.  Occupancy and Visitor Count Meters, which can 
be mounted over doors, are available for instant views 
of the number of people currently on the premises, or 
the numbers visiting today.

The video counting systems start at
535 GB pounds.  For details see the
Video Turnstile People Counting website

                           *

TRANSIENT CAPTURE UNIT NOW AVAILABLE FROM 
WINDMILL'S ON-LINE CATALOGUE

You can now buy the Microlink 770 transient capture unit 
over the internet from
https://www.windmillsoft.com/daqshop/data-acquisition.html

The new Microlink 770 plugs into the USB port of a PC 
and monitors up to 16 voltage, temperature, strain, 
pressure or current signals, at speeds up to 100 kHz.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

EXCEL CORNER: USING EXCEL'S TEXT FUNCTIONS TO CONVERT 
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE TO DECIMAL DEGREES
________________________________________________________

When Windmill saves data readings it does so in text 
format.  This means that you can use Excel's text 
functions on the data.  For instance, suppose you were 
using Windmill to save latitude, longitude and depth 
data with a view to creating a contour map of a lake.  
Your GPS receiver saves data as degrees, minutes and 
seconds.  However, some mapping software requires the 
information in decimal degrees.  This is quickly done 
with Excel's LEFT and MID functions.

For example, a longitude of 5330.25 North is 53 degrees, 
30.25 minutes (or 53 degrees, 30 minutes and 15 seconds). 
This converts into decimal degrees as 
Degrees + Minutes/60. In our example this would be 
53 + 30.25/60 = 53.50416667. 

To do this in Excel for a longitude contained in cell E3 
you would use
=LEFT(E3,2)+MID(E3,3,5)/60

The LEFT statement first specifies the cell reference, 
and then the number of characters to extract.
The MID statement first specifies the cell reference, 
followed by the position of the first character you want 
to extract, and then the number of characters to 
extract.

A screenshot of Excel doing this is at 
https://www.windmill.co.uk/seafloormapping.html

For more on using Excel with Windmill see...
https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/
https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/excel-charting.html
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

DATA ACQUISITION AND CONTROL EXHIBITIONS
________________________________________________________

Automaatio 2003
9-11 September
Helsinki Finland
Finland's automation event.
http://www.finnexpo.fi/exhibition.asp

IEEE AutotestCon 2003
22-25 September 
Disneyland Anaheim California USA 
Conference focusing on automated test and related 
technology for military, government and aerospace 
applications.
http://www.autotestcon.com/2003/2003.htm

Viet
30 September - 3 October
Messezentrum Wien Vienna Austria
Austria's largest trade fair devoted to electrical 
engineering, industrial electronics and automation.
http://www.messe.at/db.cgi/0DBYZE46AO/messen/2003/

ICEM2003
13-17 October
Hungary
Conference on Environmental Measurement.
http://www.icem2003.mtesz.hu/

ISA Expo
21-23 October
Reliant Center Houston Texas USA
Includes training courses, seminars and the newest 
products, technologies and trends in automation and 
control.
http://www.appcluster05.com/App/homepage.cfm

North West Manufacturing Exhibition
5-6 November
Bolton UK
The professional engineering solutions exhibition 
dedicated to manufacturing.
http://www.industry.co.uk/event.asp?CONTSUPREF=SOUTH2004

Scanautomatic
18-21 November
The Swedish Exhibition Centre, Goteborg, Sweden
Sweden's industrial sector apparently has lots of money 
to spend, and this is Sweden's only automation 
exhibition.
http://www.swefair.se/scanautomatic/index.asp?Lang=EN
________________________________________________________

* 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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