The latest news, tutorials and articles on data acquisition and control using personal computers. http://www.windmill.co.uk/ http://www.windmillsoft.com/wmicon.gif http://www.windmill.co.uk/ 64 64 The latest issue of Monitor is now freely available on-line. Discover how to get Excel to send you an e-mail whenever a live data reading goes into an alarm state, and how to use free software to interface a Transcell digital indicator to your PC. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor117.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor117.html The biggest draws at Festo's Hannover Fair exhibits have been biologically inspired robotic creatures that show off cutting-edge automation technologies. Turning once again to nature for inspiration, the company's engineers this year came up with robotic jellyfish that either swim or fly. AquaJelly robots also manage their own battery-charging behavior. They communicate with an in-tank charging dock wirelessly via ZigBee, for example, to make sure the dock isn't occupied when they need to charge. http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6553745.html http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6553745.html Exhibition and conference on factory automation, electrical and power transmission and material handling starts tomorrow in Hanoi, Vietnam. http://www.automationvietnam.com/ http://www.automationvietnam.com/ 31% of British engineering managers work the equivalent of 40 days a year in unpaid overtime, according to the Chartered Management Institute. The report indicates that efforts to reduce working hours in recent years have failed to have a positive impact. http://www.managers.org.uk/ http://www.managers.org.uk/ Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have combined two tiny but powerful NIST inventions on a single microchip, a cryogenic sensor and a microrefrigerator. The combination offers the possibility of cheaper, simpler and faster precision analysis of materials such as semiconductors and stardust. http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2008_0415.htm#microfridge http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2008_0415.htm#microfridge The goal of replacing electronics with optics for processing data in computers is coming closer through cutting edge European research into the mysterious properties of "fast and slow" light. The long term aim is to boost processing speeds and data storage densities by several orders of magnitude and take the information technology industry into a new era, combining greatly improved performance with dramatically lower energy consumption. http://www.esf.org/research-areas/physical-and-engineering-sciences/news/ext-news-singleview/article/european-light-research-opens-door-for-optical-storage-and-computing-429.html http://www.esf.org/research-areas/physical-and-engineering-sciences/news/ext-news-singleview/article/european-light-research-opens-door-for-optical-storage-and-computing-429.html Researchers have used the world's thinnest material to create the world's smallest transistor, one atom thick and ten atoms wide. http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=3529 http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=3529 Wireless sensor devices package together a circuit board with networking and application software. Interfaces to sensors can detect changes in temperature, pressure, moisture, light, sound or magnetism. A wireless radio can report on these findings, usually powered by batteries. Sensor networks can include 10 to 100,000 nodes, and scalability can be a problem. Node position may not be predetermined. The lifetime of a sensor network depends on the battery lifetime, and relocating and recharging a large number of sensing nodes is difficult. A new report from Research and Markets defines and forecasts five Wireless Sensor System markets by Application, Power Levels, Microbatteries, Energy Harvesting and Regulators. http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c88012 http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c88012 Seismometers that monitor earthquakes also record smaller vibrations caused by ocean storm waves, even when located 1000 miles from the sea. New scrutiny of that data, previously discarded as "noise", suggests that extreme storms are on the rise. http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn13736-earthquake-sensors-track-rise-in-ocean-storms.html http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn13736-earthquake-sensors-track-rise-in-ocean-storms.html 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 Over the past decade, the world has witnessed an explosion in the development and deployment of new wireless network technologies. From cellular mobile telephony to the ubiquitous WiFi networks in coffee-shops and airports, to the emerging WiMAX wireless broadband access networks, the menu of wireless access systems has become so comprehensive that wireline access to user devices may soon become a relic of the past. "Wireless Networking" serves as a one-stop view of cellular, WiFi, and WiMAX networks, as well as the emerging wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. Rather than provide descriptive accounts of these technologies and standards, the book emphasizes conceptual perspectives on the modeling, analysis, design and optimization of such networks.Furthermore, the authors present wireless networking within the unifying framework of resource allocation, using simple abstractions of the underlying physical wireless communication. In short, "Wireless Networking" is an in-depth, exhaustive, and invaluable asset to anyone working in this rapidly evolving field. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0123742544/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0123742544/1286 IMS Research forecasts that the worldwide market for I/O modules will grow steadily to be worth nearly $8 billion by 2011, growing at around 5.6% per year. In general, increased competition between 'third-party' and traditional suppliers has not only driven the introduction of new features and functionality into I/O products, but has also resulted in lower I/O module prices. Through their different strategies, both types of suppliers are predicted to operate in this market for the foreseeable future. http://www.imsresearch.com/members/pr.asp?X=469 http://www.imsresearch.com/members/pr.asp?X=469 Morgan Electro Ceramic, has developed technology which can power car tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) using wheel movement instead of batteries. The device, a piezoelectric bimorph, enables TPMS manufacturers to design self-powered remote sensors that accurately measure tyre pressure, with none of the lifetime and disposal issues associated with batteries. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/305330/Self-powered+tyre+sensors.htm http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/305330/Self-powered+tyre+sensors.htm The latest issue of Monitor, the newsletter for data acquisition and control, is now freely available on-line. Discover how to log data from a Sylvac dial gauge to a PC using free Windmill DAQ software. Plus how to use Excel's array formulas to return several results at once or to perform calculations only on values matching your conditions. http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor116.html http://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor116.html Most schoolchildren struggle to learn geometry, but they are still able to catch a ball without first calculating its parabola. Why should robots be any different? A team of European researchers have developed an artificial cognitive system that learns from experience and observation rather than relying on predefined rules and models. http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm/section/news/tpl/article/BrowsingType/Features/ID/89632 http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm/section/news/tpl/article/BrowsingType/Features/ID/89632 New laser-based measurement technique performs wind field measurements in a more flexible and economical way. LIDAR systems detect wind speed and direction based on the time delay of the laser beam reflected by airborne aerosols. http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/32687 http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/32687 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 WiMAX, a long-range version of Wi-Fi, has been billed as one of the best ways to bring broadband internet connections to rural areas. But the system may have a critical flaw. According to tests by a trade body representing the satellite industry, the radio frequencies WiMAX uses will interfere with satellite communications in some of the very locations where it could bring the most benefit. http://technology.newscientist.com/article/mg19726476.200-longrange-wifi-threat-to-satellite-communications.html http://technology.newscientist.com/article/mg19726476.200-longrange-wifi-threat-to-satellite-communications.html US industrial control shipments surged 8.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, but a darkening economic outlook may weigh on future demand - according to electrical equipment organisation NEMA. http://www.nema.org/media/pr/20080213a.cfm http://www.nema.org/media/pr/20080213a.cfm Wave energy converters could be made more efficient with a device that measures the size of each wave approaching the converter. Scientists at Edinburgh University are investigating ribbon-shaped sensors to provide real-time, 3D mapping of the wave field. The technology consists of a box that sends light down the ribbon and receives light back at the same time. Wave height is indicated by measuring the light lost, and the greater the amount lost, the higher the curvature of the wave. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/304933/Getting+the+measure+of+waves.htm http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/304933/Getting+the+measure+of+waves.htm This new book claims to be the first comprehensive practical guide to wireless sensor networks. It covers real world applications and contains practical advice. Explains the essential problems and issues in real wireless sensor networks, and analyses the most promising solutions. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0470057866/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0470057866/1286 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 Bruel and Kjaer has launched a new version of its Accelerometer and Conditioning Product catalogue which includes its DC Response Accelerometers. For a copy of the new Accelerometer and Conditioning catalogue, please contact heather.wilkins@bksv.com http://www.bksv.com/ http://www.bksv.com/ Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Webb Research Corporation (Falmouth, Mass.) have successfully flown the first environmentally powered robotic vehicle through the ocean. The new robotic "glider" harvests heat energy from the ocean to propel itself across thousands of kilometers of water. The gliders can carry a variety of sensors to collect measurements such as temperature, salinity, and biological productivity. Gliders also operate quietly, which makes them ideal for acoustic studies. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/02/robotic-sea-glider-flies-through-water.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2008/02/robotic-sea-glider-flies-through-water.html Data communication systems now run at unprecedented speeds, presenting new challenges in testing and measurement. This new book is the first comprehensive reference to today's most valuable test and measurement solutions. It presents contributions from researchers at top test and measurement companies, component manufacturers, and universities. It claims to bring together information that has never been broadly accessible before - information that was previously buried in application notes, seminar and conference presentations, short courses and unpublished works. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0132209101/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0132209101/1286 Serving a dual purpose, this new book is written for novices who want to learn the basics of discrete simulation and professionals who wish to use discrete event simulation to model systems. The authors assume that the reader has a fundamental familiarity with modeling concepts and Excel; however, they do not assume prior programming experience. Organized into three parts, the book presents the concepts of discrete simulation, covers the Design Environment for Event Driven Simulation (DEEDS), and discusses a variety of applications using DEEDS. The DEEDS research features are demonstrated and genetic algorithm techniques are integrated into the DEEDS environment to produce a powerful tool. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1420067443/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1420067443/1286 Applied Sensor Research and Development Corp. is working on a way to monitor bridges, dams and roadways using wireless sensors. The company will test sensors that measure temperature, a key factor in concrete's stability throughout its lifespan. Many current structural heath inspection processes, particularly in the U.S., are completely manual and labour intensive. The sensors will provide a continuous wireless monitoring capability. The sensors, which last at least 30 to 40 years, monitor temperature changes throughout the lifespan of a structure due to environmental factors or incidents such as vehicle fires or explosions. They can be embedded before the concrete is poured or retrofitted using drill holes to place them in the structure. http://www.asrdcorp.com/ http://www.asrdcorp.com/ 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 Energy efficiency in buildings requires, among other things, that ventilation be appropriately dimensioned: too much ventilation wastes energy, and insufficient ventilation leads to poor indoor air quality and low comfort. Studies have shown that ventilation systems seldom function according to their commissioned design. They have also shown that airflow measurement results are essential in improving a ventilation system. This handbook explains why ventilation in buildings should be measured and describes how to measure it, giving applied examples for each measurement method. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/184407451X/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/184407451X/1286 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 Figliola and Beasley's Fourth Edition provides a timely and in-depth reference to the theory of engineering measurements, measurement system performance and instrumentation. The authors show you how to develop, operate and analyse measurement systems and report results. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471754927/1286 http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471754927/1286 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 New book addresses the basic theory, architectures, and technologies that are necessary to implement quality of service (QoS) control in wired and wireless networks. This book provides understanding of technical concepts related to computer network and wireless Internet control protocols as well as those specific to wired, cellular, wireless ad hoc, and sensor networks. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0824726758/mussoutdoorpursu 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