-------------------------Monitor------------------------
The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control
Issue 165         www.windmill.co.uk          April 2012
--------------------ISSN 1472-0221----------------------

Thanks for subscribing to Monitor.  This month we are 
delighted to announce a new Ethernet-based data acquisition 
and control unit: the Microlink 851. The 851 uses the 
the TCP/IP protocol so you can also communicate with it 
over the Internet

In addition we have articles on how to show spatially-
referenced data from Excel as a moving track 
on Google Earth; and about the benefits of Ethernet 
systems.

I hope enjoy the newsletter, but should you wish to 
remove yourself from our mailing please go to 
Monitor Newsletter

CONTENTS
========
* Windmill News: Windmill Announce Microlink 851
  Ethernet Unit
* Benefits of using Ethernet for Data Acquisition
* Excel Corner: Tracking Paths on Google Earth
* DAQ News Round-up
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________________________________________________________

Windmill News: Windmill Announce Microlink 851 Ethernet Unit
________________________________________________________

We are extremely pleased to announce the new Microlink 
multi-function, data acquisition and control unit. 
Ethernet data acquisition and control

The Microlink 851 connects to an Ethernet network and lets you:

- Measure voltage, temperature, strain, pressure, pH and 
  current through 16 differential (or 32 single-ended) 
  analogue input channels

- Switch up to 32 digital outputs

- Monitor up to 32 digital inputs

- Count events or frequency with up to 8 counters

- Comes complete with Windmill 7 software and 
  free technical support for life

Charting data

- Choose one of four analogue input ranges, selected 
  with Windmill software individually for each channel

- Use Windmill software to select the resolution of the 
  data, from 12- to 18-bits: choose high throughput 
  or high resolution

- Connect one, ten or hundreds of 851s to one network

- Transfer data to Excel and other Windows software

- From just £695 (other 
  modules may be needed to monitor temperature, strain, etc)

Go to https://www.windmillsoft.com/daqshop/acquisition-control.html 
for more information or e-mail sales@biodataltd.com
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Benefits of using Ethernet for Data Acquisition
________________________________________________________

Ethernet offers a good, low-cost, option for distributed 
measurement and control. 

You may add data acquisition devices to existing 
Ethernet systems: saving installation costs and time. 

Speed-wise it is faster than serial communications. 

As with all distributed systems, you can place 
data acquisition hardware close to sensors, reducing 
cabling costs and errors produced by noise. 

Ethernet uses the TCP/IP protocol so you can access 
data over the Internet.

More Ethernet Systems...
________________________________________________________
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Excel Corner: Tracking Paths on Google Earth
________________________________________________________

Today's Excel Corner explains how to show spatially 
referenced data from Excel, as a moving track of readings 
over time on Google Earth.  You can do this when you 
save data readings along with their latitude and longitude 
co-ordinates, and the times that the readings were taken. 

For example, you might be measuring conditions on a moving 
train: any wheel slip in poor weather for example.  With a 
Windmill system you could record co-ordinates from a 
GPS receiver, data from the wheel-slip detection mechanism, 
wheel speeds and other details. 

Subscribers to the Monitor newsletter can download a 
trial of Windmill.

Once the data is collected you need to transfer it to Excel 
and make sure it is organised properly for Google Earth. 
We covered how to do this for static data in last month's 
Monitor, archived at 
https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor164.html. 

To show moving tracks on Google Earth you also need a 
column in Excel headed "TimeWhen". Windmill saves 
two columns of time data: one containing the date and 
one containing the time

Excel spreadsheet with Latitude, Longitude and Depth data.

You need to combine these into one in the format: 
2012-03-22T07:30:15Z
Where
T separates the date from the time.
Z indicates that the time is UTC (Greenwich Mean Time)

If your time zone is different, instead of Z put - for 
example - +03:00. More details are at 
https://developers.google.com/kml/documentation/kmlreference#timestamp

In Excel...

1. Combine the contents of the date and time columns 
   into 1 new column, eg column F.
   - In an empty column in Excel enter this formula
     =TEXT(A2,"yyyy-mm-dd")&"T"&TEXT(B2,"hh:mm:ss")
    This combines the date and time, adds a "T" between 
    them and formats the result as text.

2. Copy the formula down for each row.

3. Select all the new date/time entries and copy 
   them to the clipboard.

4. Click cell A2, from the Edit menu select 
   Paste Special. 

5. Paste as values.

6. You can now delete the Time column and column F.

7. Change the title of Column A from "Date" to "TimeWhen"

8. Finally, add a new column with the title 
   "LineStringColor".  Fill the rows in this column with 
   the name of a colour, for example Yellow.
Excel spreadsheet with Latitude, Longitude and Depth data.

Getting the Data into Google Earth
==================================

Now your spreadsheet is ready, you need to convert it to 
kml format. The easiest way to do this is to use the 
online tool provided by EarthPoint at 
http://www.earthpoint.us/ExcelToKml.aspx.

Save the file and then open it in Google Earth. Adjust 
the settings of the Google Earth slider to show a 
moving path of your data.

Further Reading:
================
Collecting Data from a GPS Receiver
Getting Data into Excel
Excel into Google Earth
KML Tutorial

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DAQ News Round-up
________________________________________________________

Welcome to our round-up of the data acquisition and 
control news.  If you would like to receive more 
timely DAQ news updates then either grab our RSS 
newsfeed at 
https://www.windmillsoft.com/monitor.xml 
or 
follow us on Twitter at 
http://twitter.com/#!/DataAcquisition

Real-time GPS sensor could give earlier quake warning
   Super-precise sensor networks promise to deliver almost 
   instant warnings when strong earthquakes hit, and assess 
   their magnitude more accurately
   Source: New Scientist
   http://www.newscientist.com/

Double Digit Growth for Building Automation Institutional User Markets
   IMS Research forecasts the market for building automation 
   equipment in institutional users, such as education and 
   hospitals, will see double digit growth over the coming 
   three years.
   Source: IMS Research
   http://imsresearch.com/

Industry Group Established for Wireless Smart Meters
   An industry group - Wi-SUN Alliance -  has been formed 
   to establish a system to certify a logo for ensuring 
   the interconnection and promoting the use of 
   smart meters in the global market.
   Source: Tech-On
   http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/
	 
Innovative blanket could monitor your health 
    A network of tilt sensors embroidered into green 
   taffeta fabric, allows a blanket to wirelessly 
   create a 3D model of itself on a computer in real  
   time. And by adding sensors for temperature, 
   pressure, humidity and heart rate, it could become 
   the ultimate comforter. 
   Source: The Star
   http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/
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* Copyright Windmill Software Ltd
* Reprinting permitted with this notice included
* For more articles see https://www.windmill.co.uk

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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/monitorindex.html

Windmill Software Ltd, PO Box 58, North District Office,
Manchester, M8 8QR, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)161 834 6688
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E-mail: monitor@windmillsoft.com

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