-------------------------Monitor------------------------ The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control Issue 119 www.windmill.co.uk June 2008 --------------------ISSN 1472-0221---------------------- Welcome to Monitor. I hope you enjoy the newsletter but if you want to remove yourself from our mailing list please do so at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html CONTENTS ======== * Windmill Notes: Messages from RS232 Instruments, Part 2 * Excel Corner: Attaching a File to Alarm Alert E-mails * DAQ News Roundup ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Windmill Notes: Messages from RS232 Instruments, Part 2 ________________________________________________________ Here is the second part of our brief guide to measurement messages over RS232. Our thanks to everyone who has sent us details of their instrument and helped us compile this list. Notes: ====== The "typical message string" gives an example of the sequence of characters sent by the instrument when it transmits data. Where the instrument requires a command to transmit data, this is shown below as the "prompt string".represents a carriage return. represents a line feed. The "Windmill parse string" gives an example of how you might set up Windmill to extract data from the instrument. We haven't included this for instruments sending many items of data in one message. For more details of extracting data see https://www.windmill.co.uk/parse.html * Furuno Sonar Typical message string = $SDDBT,22.3,f,6.8,M,3.7,F Windmill parse string = \S"SDDBT"\S"f,"\E"," More details at https://www.windmill.co.uk/seafloormapping.html * MSI 3360 Scales Typical message string = 2001 LB GROSS Windmill parse string = \E4 * OBD - on board diagnostics Typical message string = 41 0D 37 Windmill parse string = \I06\E02 More details at https://www.windmill.co.uk/obd.html * Orbital Science OBIU with Motorola GPS Typical message string = Gps:@ 1/13/1999 22:04:02 Gps:Sec Latitude Longitude Sp Hed V T U Dop St Gps:02 +455248866 -1226843925 0 64 7 5 3 25 14 Gps:03 +455248875 -1226843911 0 63 7 5 3 25 14 Gps:04 +455248875 -1226843911 0 69 7 5 3 25 14 Gps:05 +455248888 -1226843994 0 59 7 5 3 25 14 Gps: Diff Corr Msg Sent To Gps Gps:06 +455248894 -1226843880 0 66 7 5 3 25 14 Gps:07 +455248902 -1226843875 0 55 7 5 3 25 14 Gps:Dgps Ack Rxed Gps:08 +455248913 -1226843863 1 57 7 5 4 22 10 Gps:09 +455248908 -1226843891 1 58 7 5 4 22 10 More details at https://www.windmill.co.uk/serial_driver.html#gps * Parallax BASIC Stamp Message string depends on your Stamp program. More details at https://www.windmill.co.uk/stamp.html * Sartorius balance Prompt string = \C027P Typical message string = + 32.157 g Windmill parse string = \S"+"\E"g" More details at https://www.windmill.co.uk/sartorius.html * Telegan Tempest 100 flue gas analyser Typical message string = TEMPEST 100 V3.3 DATE 18-06-08 TIME 10:02:31 NETT C -1 O2 % .... 20.6 XAIR O2 > 20% CO ppm ..... 0 More details at https://www.windmill.co.uk/serial_driver.html * Transcell digital indicator Typical message string: xxxxx.xxKG Windmill parse string = \S"\C002"\I01\E09 More details at https://www.windmill.co.uk/transcell.html Further Reading =============== Parsing Messages from RS232 Instruments https://www.windmill.co.uk/parse.html Instrument setup files https://www.windmill.co.uk/serial_driver.html ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Excel Corner: Attaching a File to Alarm Alert E-mails ________________________________________________________ In Issues 17 and 18 we discussed how to use Excel to monitor measurements, detect whether any of the readings crossed alarm levels and if so send an e-mail. Details are at https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor117.html and https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor118.html The previous examples showed how to attach the measurement spreadsheet, how to include data in the body of the message and how to set the e-mail to be from any address you pleased. This month: how to attach any file to the e-mail. You can download an example spreadsheet with the necessary macros from https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/sendfile.xls Our thanks again to Brian Yeager of SCE & G for suggesting this addition. Function InsertFile(ByVal sfile As String) As String 'This function supports attaching a file to an ‘outgoing CDO e-mail. Dim fso As Object Dim ts As Object Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") Set ts = fso.GetFile(sfile).OpenAsTextStream(1, -2) InsertFile = ts.readall ts.Close End Function Sub SendEmail() Dim iMsg As Object Dim MsgTextBody As String MsgTextBody = "The temperature reading in cell A2 is in alarm: " Application.ScreenUpdating = False Set iMsg = CreateObject("CDO.Message") With iMsg 'Change the values below to your e-mail addresses .To = "myemail@mycompany.com" .CC = "" .BCC = "" .From = "alarmalert@mycompany.com" .Subject = "Alarm alert" .TextBody = MsgTextBody 'Change c:\MyReport.txt to the path and name of the 'file which you want to attach to the e-mail .AddAttachment "c:\MyReport.txt" .Send End With Set iMsg = Nothing Set iConf = Nothing Application.ScreenUpdating = True End Sub * Further Reading =============== For more tips on using Excel for data acquisition and analysis see https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/ and https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/excel-charting.html For more on sending e-mail from Excel https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor117.html https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor118.html https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb268022.aspx ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 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 https://www.windmillsoft.com/monitor.xml. Read https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsfeed.php for notes on how to display the news on your own web site, read it via e-mail, mobile phone or a newsfeed viewer. Robot fish may track whales or pollution 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. Source: SCUBA News http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/ Bug-Inspired Engineering for Better Sensors Security, health and safety sensors in coal mines or underground public areas, where air or water does not readily flow may one day be improved by research on young mayflies. Engineers have identified a biological mechanism in the mayflies that could enable sensors in stagnant environments to make air or water flow past them so they can detect harmful substances. Source: University of Maryland http://www.eng.umd.edu/ Bluetooth system tracks travel time Engineers have created a system that uses Bluetooth signals from cell phones and other wireless devices to determine how long it takes vehicles and pedestrians to travel from one point to another. Because each Bluetooth device has its own distinct digital signature, its travel time can be tracked by detectors installed at intersections or along highways and other locations. Source: Purdue University http://www.purdue.edu/ Kew provides climate for agricultural change A device to help some of the most impoverished farmers in Africa maximise their crop yields is being tested at London's Kew Gardens. Developed by engineers at the University of Leeds, the sensor device gathers data on air temperature, humidity, air pressure, light, and soil moisture and temperature – information crucial to making key agricultural decisions about planting, fertilisation, irrigation, pest and disease control and harvesting. Source: University of Leeds http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ Robot knocks to enter Spanish researchers have developed an autonomous, intelligent robot that can find its way around a new building, identify doors and ask permission to enter. The robot can navigate indoors where GPS navigation does not work, using sonar infrared lasers. Source: The Engineer Online https://www.theengineer.co.uk/ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ * Copyright Windmill Software Ltd * Reprinting permitted with this notice included * For more articles see https://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 https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html and an index of articles at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html Windmill Software Ltd, PO Box 58, North District Office, Manchester, M8 8QR, UK Telephone: +44 (0)161 834 6688 Facsimile: +44 (0)161 833 2190 E-mail: monitor@windmillsoft.com https://www.windmill.co.uk/ https://www.windmillsoft.com/
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