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-------------------------Monitor------------------------
The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control
Issue 113          www.windmill.co.uk      December 2007
--------------------ISSN 1472-0221----------------------

Greetings of the Season to you. I hope you enjoy the 
newsletter but should you wish to cancel your 
subscription you can do so at 
http://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html

CONTENTS
========  
* Windmill Notes: Backing up your Windmill System
* DAQ News Roundup
* Data acquisition and control exhibitions
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________________________________________________________

Windmill Notes: Backing up your Windmill System
________________________________________________________

Windmill stores all its configuration files in text 
files. You can easily back these up and if necessary 
completely restore your Windmill system.

The files you need to back up depend upon which version 
of Windmill you are using and which Windmill programs 
you have.

In all cases you will need to make a copy of:
iml.ini - this holds the configuration data you set 
          using the ConfIML program.
*.ims - this holds the settings you specified in SetupIML 
        (channel names, engineering units, etc.)

If you have saved your Windmill Logger, Chart, 
DDE Panel and Control Panel settings then you will need:
*.wlg (Logger)
*.wch (Chart)
*.wdp (DDE Panel)
*.wao (AnalogOut)
*.wdo (DigitalOut)

Windmill 4.3 only files
*.aid (LabIML serial driver)
windmill.ini 

If you have any of these optional Windmill programs, 
back up:
*.imd (COMIML serial driver, Windmill 5 or 6)
*.wgr (Graphics)
*.wts (Test-Seq)
*.wst (Streamer)
*.wci (CountIt)
*.cot (Cut-Out Tester)
almset.mdb (Alarm Logger)
imldde.ini (Harvester)

For version 4.3 of Windmill, the iml.ini and 
windmill.ini files will be in the Windows folder.  
All other files are in the Windmill folder. 

For Windmill versions 5 and 6, files will be in the 
windmill/setups/ folder, or to wherever you set the 
"working directory".

For more information on the Windmill software, see
http://www.windmill.co.uk/programs.html
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

DAQ News Roundup
________________________________________________________

Welcome to our roundup of the data acquisition and 
control news.  If you would like to receive more 
timely DAQ news updates then grab our RSS newsfeed 
at http://www.windmillsoft.com/monitor.xml.  Read 
http://www.windmill.co.uk/newsfeed.html for notes
on how to display the news on your own web site, 
read it via e-mail, mobile phone or a newsfeed viewer.

Organic transistor improves with age
   A plastic transistor doubles its performance if 
   simply left to sit at room temperature for a week. 
   Cheap to mould, pentacene transistors are a promising 
   candidate for organic electronics. A team in Zurich 
   has found that if a newly made pentacene transistor is 
   left to sit in a vacuum, the defects disappear naturally.
   Source: New Scientist
   http://technology.newscientist.com/

Water sensor locates leaks
   A new, inexpensive sensor locates water leaks from 
   utility company pipes. The new probes function on 
   the same principle as mass air flow sensors, which 
   have been used for some time to measure the air 
   intake in car engines. At the heart of the sensor 
   are two heating wires. An electric current flowing 
   through the wires heats them to a constant 
   temperature. When cold water flows past them, the 
   front wire gives off more heat into the water than 
   the rear one, which is in its slipstream.  Accordingly, 
   a higher current has to flow through the front wire in 
   order to keep the temperature constant. It is thus 
   possible to determine the speed and volume of the 
   water traveling through the pipes.
   http://www.theengineer.co.uk/

Intelligent software helps build perfect robotic hand
   Scientists in Portsmouth and Shanghai are working on 
   intelligent software that will take them a step 
   closer to building the perfect robotic hand. The 
   technology has the potential to revolutionise the 
   manufacturing industry.  They used a cyberglove 
   covered in tiny sensors to capture data about how 
   the human hand moves. 
   Source: University of Portsmouth
   http://www.port.ac.uk/aboutus/newsandevents/

China surges ahead on clean energy spending
   CHINA is leaving the US in the dust in its spending 
   on clean energy - but it still has plenty to do if 
   it is to shake off its sooty reputation. According to 
   a new study China will invest more than $10 billion 
   on renewable energy this year - double the amount 
   invested by the US in 2006. 
   Source: New Scientist
   http://environment.newscientist.com/
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Data Acquisition Exhibitions and Conferences
________________________________________________________

Every four months we list the forthcoming exhibitions 
around the world related to data acquisition and control.

INTERNEPCON Japan
   Tokyo Japan
   16-18 January 2008
   Electronics manufacturing event for the design, 
   fabrication, assembly, packaging and testing of printed 
   circuits and electronic assemblies. Part of the global 
   Nepcon series of events.
   http://www.nepcon.jp/english/

ELE TRADE 
   Tokyo Japan
   16-18 January 2008
   International electronic components trade show featuring 
   a comprehensive display of surface-mount electronic 
   devices and components.
   http://www.eletrade.jp/english/

IEEE Sensors Applications Symposium 
   San Diego California USA 
   12-14 February 2008
   Forum for sensor users and developers to meet and 
   exchange information about novel and emergent 
   applications in smart sensors, biology, system health 
   management, and related areas. 
   http://www.sensorapps.org/ 

Mtec
   Birmingham UK
   13-14 February 2008
   Sensors, measurement and insrumentation exhibition. 
   Includes data acquisition, Ethernet, control software 
   and signal conditioning.
   http://www.mtecexhibition.co.uk/ 

Nepcon Korea
   Seoul
   20-22 February 2008
   Exhibition for the electronics components and 
   manufacturing industries. 
   http://www.smtpcb.org/

PV EXPO 2008 
   27-28 February 2008
   Tokyo Japan
   International photovoltaic power generation exhibition, 
   specialising in all kinds of devices, manufacturing 
   equipment and solar cells.
   http://www.pvexpo.jp/

Automaticon
   1-4 April 2008
   Warsaw Poland
   Trade fair for automation, control, measurement and 
   robotics.
   http://www.automaticon.pl/english/

Instrumentation North
   9-10 April 2008
   Leeds UK
   Exhibition of sensors & transducers, controls & PLCs, 
   electronics test and measurement, quality assurance 
   and data acquisition.
   http://www.instrumentation.co.uk/

Nepcon
   29 April - 1 May 2008
   Birmingham UK
   The UK's complete production line event for the 
   electronics industry. It encompasses all aspects of 
   the electronics manufacturing process, from design to 
   production and test.
   http://www.nepcon.co.uk

Aimex 
   Seoul Korea 
   3-8 May 2008
   Industrial automation, instrumentation and 
   measurement exhibition. 
   http://www.aimex.co.kr/2008/eng/main.asp
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* Copyright Windmill Software Ltd
* Reprinting permitted with this notice included
* For more articles see http://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 
http://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html

Windmill Software Ltd, PO Box 58, North District Office,
Manchester, M8 8QR, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)161 833 2782
Facsimile: +44 (0)161 833 2190
E-mail: monitor@windmill.co.uk
http://www.windmill.co.uk/
http://www.windmillsoft.com/

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