The latest news, tutorials and articles on data acquisition, measurement and control using personal computers. http://www.windmill.co.uk/ http://www.windmillsoft.com/wmicon.gif http://www.windmill.co.uk/ 64 64 Text messages sent from hyaenas could help wildlife experts better understand their behaviour and movements. A study being carried out by a team at Nottingham Trent University is aiming to fit brown hyaenas with devices that transmit their location using mobile phone network text messages, whilst radio transmitters will help them to pin point their exact location and record their movements and behaviour. http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/news/85693-15/Hyaenas_text_messages_could_help_protect_the_species.aspx http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/news/85693-15/Hyaenas_text_messages_could_help_protect_the_species.aspx Issue 131 of Monitor, the newsletter on PC-based data acquisition and control, is now freely available on-line. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor131.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor131.html Instrumentation exhibition is on tomorrow at Qingdao, China. http://www.zd-yiqi.com/en/index.asp http://www.zd-yiqi.com/en/index.asp To mark its centenary, the Science Museum in London had its curators select the ten objects in its collection that made the biggest mark on history. Cast your vote in the public poll to decide the most significant of all. http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17273-ten-most-historic-science-objects http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17273-ten-most-historic-science-objects An indoor positioning system for cellphones, similar to GPS, is being tested in Finland - the system could let firemen find each other in smoky buildings. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227126.400-indoor-gps-means-your-phone-can-always-find-you.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227126.400-indoor-gps-means-your-phone-can-always-find-you.html The research contributions in this new book span many aspects of sensor systems, including energy efficient mechanisms, tracking and surveillance, activity recognition, simulation, query optimisation, network coding, application development, data and code dissemination. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/3642020844/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/3642020844/1286 The first evidence of coloured paints covering the temple's sculptures has been found, thanks to a way of bouncing light off the stone. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17309-new-test-reveals-parthenons-hidden-colour.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17309-new-test-reveals-parthenons-hidden-colour.html When monitoring analogue signals, the data acquisition equipment digitises the signal before transferring the reading to the computer. It does this by "sampling" the signal at regular intervals. How do you choose the sampling rate to get an accurate picture of an analogue waveform? http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor130.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor130.html#sample US association NEMA's Primary Industrial Controls Index experienced its largest quarter-to-quarter decline on record, contracting more than 23 percent in the first quarter of 2009 versus the fourth quarter of 2008. http://www.nema.org/media/pr/20090512b.cfm http://www.nema.org/media/pr/20090512b.cfm Engineers from from Bradford University are developing an acoustic monitoring system that will allow engineers to rapidly identify blockages and damage in sewer pipes. The key elements of the acoustic system are a small multi-sensor array and an advanced, real-time signal processing algorithm which overcomes the effects of ambient noise and reverberation in the sewer environment. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/ http://www.theengineer.co.uk/ Wireless sensor network (WSN) is a new family of networks that collects information by the help of the collaborative work of several sensor nodes. military application requirements are very special. Design considerations are energy consumption, delay and fault tolerance. Time synchronization, data indicator slot and time scheduling mechanisms are essential parts of the new system described in this book. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/3639148916/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/3639148916/1286 The latest issue of Monitor, the newsletter for PC-based data acquisition and control, is now freely available on-line. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor130.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor130.html Powercast and CAP-XX Limited are introducing a wireless power module reference design combining Powercast's RF energy-harvesting technology with a CAP-XX supercapacitor to create a perpetual, battery-free power source for wireless sensors commonly used in environmental monitoring, building automation, industrial controls and other condition-monitoring systems. http://www.powercastco.com/powercast-cap-xx-battery-free-wireless-sensor-power-supply/ http://www.powercastco.com/powercast-cap-xx-battery-free-wireless-sensor-power-supply/ The latest issue of Monitor, the newsletter on data acquisition and control, is now on-line. In this issue: 7 Ways to Reduce the Size of the Powerpoint File, DAQ news highlights and data acquisition exhibitions and conferences. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor129.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor129.html Whether occurring accidentally or through acts of terrorism, catastrophic chemical releases must be identified early in order to mitigate their consequences. Continuous sensor monitoring can detect catastrophic chemical releases early enough to curb extreme amounts of damage. In several notable instances, such monitors have not been used appropriately, or have fallen short of what they should have been capable of delivering. This new book provides the technical background and guidance needed to get the most from this emerging technique. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/047014890X/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/047014890X/1286 Scientists are celebrating the first successful deployment and retrieval in Australia of a remotely controlled, deep ocean-going robotic submarine destined to play a central role in measuring changes in two of Australia's most influential ocean currents. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/04/ocean-going-robotic-submarine-returns.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/04/ocean-going-robotic-submarine-returns.html Human Machine Interaction (HMI), or more commonly Human Computer Interaction (HCI), is the study of interaction between people and computers. This new book documents the results of a research program on HMI covering 8 projects. This state-of-the-art survey begins with three survey chapters on Human Machine Interaction and presents results from the eight projects grouped in parts on multimodal user interfaces, interactive visualization, and mixed reality. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3642004369/mussoutdoorpursu http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3642004369/mussoutdoorpursu New article on fusing agriscience with sensors and informatics to create a step change in farm productivity and crop usage. http://www.windmill.co.uk/agriculture.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/agriculture.html The modern vehicle has an entire battery of sensors that monitor, and control, everything from engine performance to passenger safety and comfort. Published this month, Automotive Sensors offers a complete review of all sensors and their associated controls systems typically found in the modern automobile. http://www.Amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1606500090/mussoutdoorpursu http://www.Amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1606500090/mussoutdoorpursu In Microsoft Excel, performance is affected by the way data and formulae are arranged on the worksheet. These 8 tips will speed up your engineering spreadsheet. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor127.html#Excel http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor127.html#Excel New book from Cambridge University Press on the design of data acquisition systems. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521102553/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521102553/1286 A faulty sensor has caused a slowly growing underestimation of Arctic sea ice extent by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The underestimation reached approximately 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles) by mid-February. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/02/faulty-sensor-causes-arctic-sea-ice.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/02/faulty-sensor-causes-arctic-sea-ice.html How to measure torque using a computer running free Windows data acquisition software. Save the data in text files or import into Excel or Access in real-time. http://www.windmill.co.uk/torquemeter.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/torquemeter.html Today many of the foodstuffs we eat in the UK are grown in warmer climates of the world and can have travelled thousands of miles before their journey ends on a plate. But exposure to extreme heat or humidity during the journey can mean vast amounts of produce are no longer fit to eat by the time they reach the UK. Now scientists at Sygenta Sensors UIC are developing low-cost radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors that could provide real-time information about the produce. Data from these new sensors could be analysed at various stages of the journey using fixed data readers at warehouses, distribution centres or airports. And that information could be used to determine changes to the condition of the product and to assess any impact that could have on its shelf-life - leading to the setting of more scientific 'best before' dates. Where necessary, the readings could prompt remedial action to preserve the produce en route. And where data suggested the produce would be inedible on arrival in the UK, it could be sold off locally - which would rule out unnecessary transport costs. http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=4351 http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=4351 This new book is a comprehensive textbook and reference that provides a solid background in active sensing technology. Beginning with a historical overview and an introductory section on signal generation, filtering and modulation, it follows with a section on radiometry (infrared and microwave) as a background to the active sensing process. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/189112174X/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/189112174X/1286 A new step-by-step guide to dealing with noisy data acquisition systems, with particular reference to pH measurements. http://www.microlink.co.uk/debug.html http://www.microlink.co.uk/debug.html Most engineers rely on a small core of books that are specifically targeted to their job responsibilities. These dog-eared volumes are used daily and considered essential. But budgets and space commonly limit just how many books can be added to your core library. The Newnes Embedded Sensors E-book Collection solves this problem. It contains five of our best-selling titles, providing the "next level" of reference you will need for a fraction of the price of the hard-copy books purchased separately. The CD contains the complete PDF versions of the following Newnes titles: Microcontroller-Based Temperature Monitoring and Control (Ibrahim), Intelligent Sensor Design (Huddleston), Sensor Technology Handbook (Wilson), Hall Effect Sensors (Ramsden), Sensors and Transducers (Sinclair). http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856175960/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856175960/1286 This new publication reviews recent developments in the field of smart sensor systems. It takes a multidisciplinary approach to the understanding, design and use of smart sensor systems, their building blocks and methods of signal processing. The book also contains a review of measurement techniques and basic principles, and typical problems of sensor elements, smart analogue interfaces and A-D converters. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0470866918/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0470866918/1286 An acoustic signal is sent horizontally through ocean waters from one point to another. Along the way the sound is bouncing off a "ceiling" of choppy, wind-whipped seas and seafloor that could be craggy rock or smooth sand. If researchers can better understand how physical conditions like these distort sound as it travels through the ocean, they could send data underwater faster and with less power and could make it much easier for networks of sensors to talk to each other simultaneously. They could improve wireless communications from commonly used ocean instruments such as Doppler current profilers and potentially eliminate the need for vehicles and gliders to surface just to transmit modest amounts of data. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/09/secrets-of-effective-communication.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/09/secrets-of-effective-communication.html Sensors developed by the University of St Andrews have been employed by Antarctic researchers to collect otherwise inaccessible information about the climate. The small data logging transmitters have been attached to the heads of elephant seals. Scientists usually collect data to characterise the ocean using satellite sensing, buoyant floats, and ship expeditions, but winter sea ice renders the Southern Ocean virtually impermeable to all three. Southern elephant seals are wide-ranging predators that roam all over the Southern Ocean, even under the sea ice in the wintertime - a time when conventional ocean observation methods are unable to gather data. The instruments measure temperature, pressure, and salinity and transmit data as well as seal positions to satellites when the seals surface. From this, researchers are able to amass data for a vast range of hitherto inaccessible ocean, including areas deep within the sea-ice in winter while also learning about the animals themselves. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/08/seals-help-unlock-ocean-secrets.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/08/seals-help-unlock-ocean-secrets.html The first scientific mission with Sentry, a newly developed robot capable of diving as deep as 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) into the ocean, has been successfully completed by scientists and engineers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of Washington (UW). The autonomous underwater vehicle, or AUV, is pre-programmed with guidance for deep-water surveying, but it can also make its own decisions about navigation on the terrain of the seafloor. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/08/robot-vehicle-surveys-deep-sea-off.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/08/robot-vehicle-surveys-deep-sea-off.html When you communicate with an instrument over RS232, you often have to send it a string of characters. It is not always obvious how to enter some of these but this table should help. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor120.html#ASCII http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor120.html#ASCII In the world of underwater robots, new Robofish are a team of pioneers. While most ocean robots require periodic communication with scientist or satellite intermediaries to share information, these can work cooperatively communicating only with each other, wirelessly, underwater. Messages were sent between the robots using low-frequency sonar pulses, or pressure waves. The new results showed that only about half the information was received successfully, yet because of the way the Robofish were programmed they were still able to accomplish their tasks. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/06/robot-fish-may-track-whales-or.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/06/robot-fish-may-track-whales-or.html How to set Excel to send you an e-mail whenever one of its live data values goes into an alarm state. Plus how to get the live data into Excel from your sensors and instruments. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor117.html#Excel http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor117.html#Excel You can connect digital dial gauges (or digital indicators as they are also known) to a PC and automatically record all measurements. Read the new step-by-step guide on using the free Windmill data acquisition software to collect data from a Sylvac dial gauge. http://www.windmill.co.uk/sylvac.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/sylvac.html How to log data from a Garmin GPS, and other instruments, on your PC. http://www.windmill.co.uk/garmin.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/garmin.html Find out how to count the number of negative readings in a set of data, or the the number of readings which are between 20 and 30 oC. How can you use the COUNTIF function in your macros or count over scattered cells? http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor115.html#Excel http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor115.html#Excel A new report details a SCUBA diver-operated motorised device with microsensors, for underwater work to a depth of 25 m. The new device can accommodate pH, oxygen and hydrogen sulphide microsensors. The system can be pre-programmed to autonomous operation or interactively operated by divers. Internal batteries supply power for up to 24 hours of measurements, storing up to 64 million data samples. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/02/divers-make-precision-measurements.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/02/divers-make-precision-measurements.html Free Windmill software helps research into radioactivity at the Yucca mountain. http://www.windmill.co.uk/rock.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/rock.html Robert Kwiatkowski wanted to see his fuel consumption in real-time. Unfortunately his truck did not give him this information, so he designed his own fuel consumption monitoring system using the free Windmill data acquisition software. He connected his laptop to the On Board Diagnostics system of his Ford Expedition, used Windmill to collect data from the truck and Excel to calculate and display his current fuel consumption. http://www.windmill.co.uk/fuel.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/fuel.html This new book is loaded with examples ranging from very basic to highly sophisticated solutions. More than 100 end of chapter problems help you test and put your knowledge to practice solving real world problems. The CD-ROM that accompanies this text provides several useful features: all the spreadsheets, charts and VBA code needed to perform the examples from the text; solutions to most of the end of chapter problems; and an add in workbook with more than twenty custom functions. No programming knowledge is required. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471387347/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471387347/1286 Here are eight tips on successfully using a USB-Serial convertor for data acquisition on a Windows computer. http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/win/win108.html http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/win/win108.html Guide to using free software to continually collect readings from an NMEA instrument. Many instruments use NMEA messages to communicate with a computer, including GPS receivers, echo sounders and anemometers. You plug your device into the PC's COM port then run the free Windmill data acquisition software. Data can be transferred to Excel in real time. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor109.html#NMEA http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor109.html#NMEA Biodata are pleased to announce a new, low-cost, people counting system. Called Video Tally, the new system uses CCTV cameras and intelligent units to count people. The counts are collected on the PC every 5 seconds using Windows Software. With Video Tally you can see live, updating counts on your PC and at the same time view an historical record of logged data. Video Tally measures just 140 x 65 x 27 mm and weighs 150 g. http://www.videoturnstile.com/videotally.html http://www.videoturnstile.com/videotally.html Tips on using Excel for data acquisition: data logging with Excel, creating virtual instruments, showing live data in Excel forms, recovering data from corrupted worksheets... http://www.windmill.co.uk/excel.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/excel.html The first buoy to monitor ocean acidification has been launched in the Gulf of Alaska. Attached to the 3-metre-diameter buoy are sensors to measure climate indicators. These transmit their readings via satellite. The instruments will measure the air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen gas in addition to the pH. This is the first system specifically designed to monitor ocean acidification. The buoy is anchored in water nearly 5,000 meters deep. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2007/06/first-buoy-to-monitor-ocean.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2007/06/first-buoy-to-monitor-ocean.html The new 751 SBox lets a PC monitor four strain gauges. It connects to the computer over a USB cable and comes with the Windmill data acquisition and control software suite. Windmill designed the SBox to be really easy to set-up and use. Putting everything in just one box means that it is ideal for mobile applications, or for moving from place to place. http://www.sensorsportal.com/HTML/DIGEST/april_07/Strain_gauges.htm Softpile.com, a leading provider of software downloads, awards comDebug its "Most Popular" award. This is based on the overall number of downloads from the Softpile site. comDebug lets you communicate with almost any RS232, RS422, RS485 or Modbus serial device. No programming is required, and its easy to diagnose any problems with your COM port connection. Softpile currently boasts over 8,200 freeware and shareware downloads. http://www.softpile.com/Education/Science/Review_07893_index.html COMIML lets Windows software read and control serial devices connected to the PC's COM port. These include such diverse equipment as electronic balances used in a laboratory, GPS receivers used in the field and data loggers used in process plant. The COMIML device driver can communicate over RS232, RS422, RS485 or Modbus. New checklist quickly gets you started logging and charting data from your serial instruments. http://www.windmill.co.uk/comiml_ts.html Receive the data acquisition and control news via your mobile phone. http://www.mobispine.com/MyMobispine/MyServices/SignUp.do?serviceId=11075 Windmill Software announces their 751 SBox which lets a PC monitor four strain gauges. It connects to the PC over a USB cable and comes with the Windmill data acquisition and control software suite. The SBox has been designed to be really easy to set up and use. http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/wnd/wnd100.html Let your PC monitor four strain gauges through the USB port. The new 751 SBox has been designed to be really easy to set up and use. Putting everything in just one box means that it is ideal for mobile applications or for moving from place to place. The Windmill data acquisition software comes free with the package. When the software takes a reading from a strain gauge bridge, it automatically monitors excitation voltage and calculates the measurement in microstrain. This eliminates errors due to changes in excitation voltage. You can also set a zero reference level and monitor changes relative to that level. An integrating analogue-to-digital converter reduces noise and the system automatically recalibrates itself. http://www.windmill.co.uk/751sbox.html Most analogue sensors produce a voltage, including thermocouples, strain gauge bridges and gas concentation probes. This is converted to a form the computer can understand by an analogue-to-digital (A-D) coverter. The input range (or gain range) of an A-D coverter refers to the maximum and minimum voltage that it can accept. You should always choose the smallest range that encompasses your signal, as this optimises the resolution. Although the resolution increases when you narrow the range, there is no point in trying to resolve signals below the noise level of the system: all you will get is unstable readings... http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor95.html#range If you have an instrument or device which you can plug into the PC's COM port, and it communicates using ASCII messages, chances are you can use the free Windmill software to collect its data. This is because Windmill's free LabIML driver was designed to be as flexible as possible and accommodate almost any instrument with an RS232 port. However, this flexibility has meant that the initial set up can be a case of trial and error. These notes should reduce the error and help you decide the best way to interpret, or parse, the messages from your instrument. http://www.windmill.co.uk/parse.html New article gives tips on measuring pH with a PC. pH electrodes have a very high output impedance and you cannot just connect them to a normal voltage input on your data acquisition unit. You will need instead to choose a DAQ unit that will amplify the signal to the appropriate level. http://www.microlink.co.uk/pH.html Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and temperature are increasing. Periods of low water availability are expected to increase in Mediterranean and other ecosystems. Researchers in Spain have simulated predicted increases in CO2 and temperature, and investigated the effects on crops. To monitor and control environmental conditions they used a Microlink 751 data acquisition unit which they connected to their PC's USB port. http://www.microlink.co.uk/climate.html Biodata new Video Turnstile people counting system designed for large-scale installations, monitoring hundreds of doorways. http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/bod/bod101.html Researcher Edward Winward at Loughborough University is investigating diesel engine fuels and lubricants, using the Windmill Logger application to continuously collect data for later processing. http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/win/win105.html The BASIC Stamp is already noted for the ease it has brought to resolving control technology problems. Its use of the BASIC language with inbuilt control instructions can dramatically shorten industrial development time. The free Windmill software can read ASCII data and be configured to pass information directly to an application like Excel. http://www.windmill.co.uk/stamp.html Free software lets you automatically collect data from a Mettler Toledo balance. For PCs running Windows software like Excel. http://www.windmill.co.uk/mettler.html You can use the free OpenOffice suite of software to collect data from almost any measurement device with an RS232 port. http://www.windmill.co.uk/openoffice.html New tips on connecting measurement instruments and devices to the computer's COM port. Discover where to find free troubleshooting software, how to check the COM port is working correctly, what to do about cabling errors and which handshaking settings to use. http://www.windmill.co.uk/wiring.html#Serial Building managers can now connect automatic people counting systems to the PC over a WiFi wireless network. Previously, the people counters from Biodata were connected to the PC over RS232, RS485 or Ethernet cables, or via a modem. The new WiFi option speeds up installation and reduces cabling costs. http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/bod/bod100.html You can use instruments with RS232 ports over WiFi networks. To do this you need a serial device server. This will make your balance, GPS receiver, multimeter, fluorometer, force gauge, torque meter, etc. appear as if it were connected to the COM port. You can therefore use any data acquisition software which reads RS232 instruments to log data from your instrument, such as the Windmill COMIML software. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor82.html#RS232 Free Windmill software now lets you interface Transcell TI-500 digital indicators, and other instruments with an RS232 serial port, to a PC running Windows. A free data logging program can continuously collect readings, or data can be sent straight to other programs like Excel. http://www.windmill.co.uk/trancell.html E-Print ArXiv is a fully automated electronic archive and distribution server for research papers. It covers areas such as physics and related disciplines, mathematics, non-linear sciences and computer science. The e-prints on E-Print ArXiv are freely accessible for everyone. The E-Print ArXiv data in Scirus are retrieved through the Open Archives Initiative. http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/aboutus/#sources New product: you can now determine how long people spend in one place, and how many people visited that place. For example, stores can determine the effectiveness of a product displays or analyse waiting times at checkouts. The new dwell meter from Biodata Ltd counts the number of people entering and leaving a zone and records the duration of their stay. http://www.videoturnstile.com/dwell.html Every People Counting system bought from Biodata now includes free analysis and reporting software. Called VisitorTrends Lite, this is easy-to-use with a range of interactive charting and information options. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb205619.php You can now use either php or Javascript to display this news on your own web pages. http://www.windmill.co.uk/newsfeed.html Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Sources include academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities and other Web resources. http://scholar.google.com/ New: How to use Excel to log data up to 1000 times a second. http://www.windmill.co.uk/excel.html When underground water is contaminated by oil, environmental agencies need to find the source and extent of the pollution. Traditionally this has been difficult to establish but researchers at the University of Waterloo (Canada) are working on an answer. http://www.windmill.co.uk/oil.html Find out when you need RS232 handshaking, what it does and how to do it. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor74.html#handshaking See new tips on charting with Excel. For instance, find out how to scroll a chart and how to label individual data points on x-y charts. http://www.windmill.co.uk/xlchart.html The tutorial on using a computer to measure strain has been updated. Discover the 8 points you need to look for when monitoring strain and learn how strain gauges work. http://www.windmill.co.uk/strain.html Notes on interfacing Modbus devices and free software to trouble-shoot Modbus connections. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor72.html#Modbus New article on controlling digital equipment is now available. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor71.html#control