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 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.
Choosing how often to log data, and how to start logging.
Some Comments from Windmill Users
Rated 5/5
based on 13 reviews
"Windmill allows us to create a poor man's bathymetry system for under $800 USD."
JM, Geological Research Assistant
"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."
RK, Mechanical Engineer, US NAVY Department
"...resulting in a 90% improvement in efficiency in an inspection
data logging operation"
RB, Manufacturing & Development Engineer, Fiber Optic Transceiver Manufacturing
"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."
RM, Oil Refining industry
"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."
MD, Eng. Group Leader, Automation Department
"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."
JC, 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!"
GL, University of the Pacific
"I am using the software to log an EZ compass (tilt, roll and heading). Works great and saved me a lot of programming."
KV, Physics Professor
"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. "
EW, PhD student, Loughborough University
"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."
KK, Researcher in Department of Pharmaceutical Technology
"Thanks! It worked really well... very happy with the program."
ER, Sartorius balance user, University of Waterloo (Canada)
"...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."
MS, Dept. of Zoology, University of Queensland
"I have succeeded in interfacing four different Mettler Balances to Excel using your free Windmill product and am very happy."
DA, Mettler balance user
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.
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
- Connect up to 10 devices,
- Log data: weight, latitude, longitude, depth, RFID, temperature, strain, turbity, fluorescence, pressure, humidity, rainfall, concentration, etc
- Each reading time-stamped
- Chart data in real-time
- Switch digital outputs
- Control analogue outputs
- Alarm indication on all inputs
- Data saved in text files - eg in csv format.
- Route data into Excel, or other Windows software, in real-time
- Add optional extras as the need arises: process mimics, alarm alerts by telephone, sequence control, etc
- Easy-to-use: no programming required
- Free technical support for life by e-mail, fax or telephone
- Choose the logging rate: anything between once every 24 hours to 5 samples per second per channel.
- Can log 200 samples per second from 40 or more channels
- For instruments sending messages in ASCII, binary or hexadecimal
- Troubleshoot serial communications: see all bytes sent and received, even non-printing characters like carriage returns
- See the state of the com port input and output lines
- Money-back guarantee if not satisfied
- For Windows 10, 8, 7 64-bit and 32-biit, Vista, XP and 98
Learn More
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