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14 August 2023

Windmill Software
Data Acquisition Intelligence
Call now: +44 (0)161 834 6688

RS232 Software Captures Data from Measurement Instruments and sends to Excel etc

Most instruments with an RS232 serial port can be interfaced into a Windows measurement system with the Windmill RS232 software.

Windmill Software includes a universal driver for instruments that communicate over RS232, RS485, Modbus and TCP/IP. It automatically feeds data from the instruments to Windows application software. You could, for example, show readings from a GPS receiver and a fluorometer in mapping software, or data from an electronic balance in Excel.

Interface most Instruments with RS232 Ports | Mix and Match Equipment | No Programming | Users' Comments | Data Logging, Charting, Control and send to Excel | Ordering | More on RS232 | Specifications

Data collected by Windmill RS232 software and shown in Excel
Data captured by Windmill from RS232 instruments being analysed in Excel


Interface most Instruments with RS232 Ports

Windmill supports both those instruments that continuously output data values as though to a printer, and those that require a command message each time data values are needed.

With a flexible approach to building command strings, and parsing the received data strings to extract data values, the majority of analytical instruments are supported. These include altimeters, balances, conductivity meters, data loggers, dial gauges, digital indicators, digital thermometers, DMR, extensometers, flaw detectors, flow meters, fluorometers, force gauges, gas analysers, GPS, gyro compasses, hygrometers, I2C devices, ion gauges, load meters, motion sensors, multimeters, myographs, oxygen electrodes, particle analysers, pH meters, PIC microcontrollers, plcs, pressure transmitters, power analysers, RLC meters, RFID readers, thermoregulators, titrators, solar panel array controllers, sonar and water baths.


Mix and Match Equipment

You have the freedom to mix and match equipment from many different manufacturers in many combinations. Multiple channels of data can be accepted from each instrument. For example wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, sulphur dioxide concentration and carbon monoxide concentration may all be measured from one pollution monitoring station. Windmill can monitor data coming from up to ten COM ports at once. The free ComDebug software is limited to one port.

Windmill has been used successfully with RS232 instruments from Acculab, A&D, Advantec, Ashtec, Avery Berkel, B&B Electronics, Bruël & Kjær, Campbell Scientific, Dataq Instruments, Daily RFID, Dataq Instruments, Datel, Datataker, Denver, Desoutter, Ecom, Fisher, Fluke, Funaro, Garmin, Geolux, Honeywell, Horiba, Humminbird, ICP DAS, Keyence,LOVATO electric, Love Controls, Linkcom,, Magellan, Maxim, Mettler Toledo, MecMesin, Metrix, Microchip Technology, Mitutoyo, Motorola, Molytek, Newmar, NovAtel, Nu-Metrics, Ohaus, Omnistar, Omron, Orion, Panametrics, Parallax, Parker, Protek, Quantum Logic, Remontec, Rockwell, San Jose, Sartorius, SG Brown, Siemens, Sokkia, Sylvac, Telegan, Transcell, Tritech, TTi, TSS, Turner Designs, Varian SenTorr, Veris, Vitrek, Voltcraft, Weeder Technologies, Weilheimn, WTW, World Precision Instruments and YSI and many other manufacturers.


No Programming

Selections are made from dialogue boxes: there is no programming required.

Logging Data from RS232 Instruments
Choosing how often to log data, and how to start logging.


Some Comments from Windmill Users

star star star star star Rated 5/5 based on 13 reviews

"Windmill allows us to create a poor man's bathymetry system for under $800 USD."

"I needed a software program that can automatically send the appropriate commands to the OBDII device; interpret the response and make it available through Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). Searching around the internet I found Windmill...This program is perfect - it can request specific data through the OBDII interface and serve the data readings onto Excel."

"...resulting in a 90% improvement in efficiency in an inspection data logging operation"

"I found your site while searching the net looking for info on programming a serial data access/logging system for home use in my electrical studies. Wow! I'm impressed! I've been operating high-tech instruments for 30 years in the Oil Refining industry, and always have had a basic understanding of this kind of technology...but you folks have simplified control and monitoring to the point of enabling a layman to bring high-tech control usage into the Personal Computer realm. Your free Windmill software download is much appreciated."

"I was pleasantly surprised to find a product that did almost all of what I needed...I find that your products are often exactly what we need for data acquisition."

"The Windmill software was a great find for me. I had feared that I would have to write my own software as I could not find a flexible program that could accept custom-made drivers."
, Program Manager of a pilot scale chemical process facility supporting development of new products and processes for a speciality chemical manufacturer

"I just finished setting up our Turner SCUFA Fluorometer with Windmill. Great software. It was very easy, Thanks!"

"I am using the software to log an EZ compass (tilt, roll and heading). Works great and saved me a lot of programming."

"I am using a Froude Consine Texcel V4 control unit to control a dynamometer and have been using your free software to capture speed and torque data from the controller (the Froude software for this is over £1,000). Thus, your free software is fantastic and very easy to use. "

"Very simple and easy to use software. Ideal for simple applications that do not require high rate data acquisition. Also, Monitor is a very helpful newsletter for people that are not specialists in computer communications, but are interested in data acquisition."

"Thanks! It worked really well... very happy with the program."

"...it saves a huge amount of time in writing and data entry, as well as preventing the problems of interpretation and misplacing of data which sometimes occur with the old practice of recording the information on sheets of paper."

"I have succeeded in interfacing four different Mettler Balances to Excel using your free Windmill product and am very happy."


Data Logging, Charting, Control and send to Excel

The Windmill suite of software includes data logging, charting and control programs. You can also send data in real-time to Excel, Access or other Windows software.


Ordering

The new version of Windmill, which runs under Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 98 and 95, is currently reduced from £145 to £50. As you download the software there are no shipping costs. We offer free technical support for life and a money-back guarantee: if not satisfied just ask for a refund.

Buy now for £50...

Alternatively you can ring us and buy over the phone: call +44 (0)161 834 6688.


More Information on RS232 Connections

You might also find our RS232 connections page useful.

If you have any questions please e-mail us at sales@biodataltd.com or telephone +44 (0)161 834 6688 (9am-5pm GMT).


Specifications


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