Windmill Software Ltd
Windows Engineering Software

Windmill ELS:
Enterprise
Logging
Software

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Distributed data logging that's flexible and reliable, can make best use of equipment and software already in place, yet is easy-to-use and simple to implement. These were the criteria behind the new Windmill Enterprise Logging software.

As the name suggests, the software's designed for enterprise-wide applications including:

• Environmental monitoring
• Energy consumption logging
• Production cell logging
• Test rig monitoring

Windmill ELS runs under Windows NT and Windows 95 over an Ethernet backbone. It logs data at the point-of-collection, broadcasts it to the displays in real-time and regularly replicates information in a central archive. It's thus truly distributed: no central database is needed to process information.

The rest of this page covers: Local Logging | Display Options | Security and Configuration | Hardware | Applications | Cost | Technical Support

Robust and Powerful: Intelligent Local Logging

Running on a PC, or in the monitoring instrument itself, the data acquisition module provides intelligent local logging. Each acquisition node can condition the input signals, scale the raw data to engineering units, monitor alarms and perform loop control.

The acquired data is encrypted and transmitted to the displays around the network in real-time. At regular intervals, every 15 minutes say, a central archiver obtains a copy of the logged data. If the archiver should be disconnected from the network, data will still be logged locally and replicated when the archiver returns. If a data acquisition node should fail, its data will be preserved intact in the archive. Furthermore, Windows NT can automatically back-up the archive to tape or WORM (write once read many) drive. This makes for an extremely reliable and secure system.

Local logging means the nodes perform their tasks in parallel: total throughput can run into hundreds of channels per second.

As with all distributed systems, wiring costs (and errors resulting from long wires) are reduced by locating the data acquisition nodes close to the signal source.

Versatile Display Options

There can be any number of displays (or man-machine interfaces) around the network: on the shop-floor, on managers' desks, in head office, wherever they are needed.

Windmill ELS provides a flexible, easy-to-use, process mimic generator. You could also display data in World Wide Web pages, spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel, analysis programs like FAMOS or your own programs written in, for example, LabVIEW or Visual Basic. A technical programmer's manual is available should you want to build on the Windmill ELS infrastructure at a lower level.

Easy-To-Use Process Mimic Generator

To use Windmill ELS's process mimic generator you just:

1. Create a background in any painting package supporting bitmaps, Windows Paintbrush for example.
2. Open the bitmap in the mimic generator and double-click the mouse where you want live text or graphics to appear.
3. Choose the type of live item and set its options.
4. Switch to protected run mode and see the window come to life, continuously updating.

Eight types of live item are available:

• Analogue meters
• Moving bars
• Changing icons (eg open and closed valves)
• Input values with colour-coded alarms
• Time and date labels
• Analogue control buttons
• Digital control buttons
• Program control buttons

Secure Supervision

The system is set up by the supervisor node. The supervisor controls password allocation, configures the hardware and displays a history of actions and events.

The supervisor's hardware configuration tasks are made easy. Just complete simple dialogue boxes: no programming is required. Libraries of configuration files can be saved for different applications. On-line configuration lets the supervisor add instruments and sensors, or change parameters, without shutting down any operations: Windmill ELS detects configuration changes on-the-fly.

Typical Applications

• Distributed test and measurement
• Energy management
• Environmental monitoring
• Health and safety logging
• Hospital ward monitoring
• Networking laboratory instruments
• Shop floor data collection

Contact Windmill Software Ltd if you wish to discuss your application.

Vast Hardware Support

Designed from scratch to support as much hardware as possible, Windmill ELS can handle equipment over Ethernet, Fieldbus, ISA bus, LonWorks, Modbus, RS232, RS485 and TCP/IP (Internet), and can transfer data over telephone and ISDN lines. It has drivers for hundreds of instruments from many manufacturers including Allen-Bradley, Apex Engineers, Arcom, BDH, Biodata, Blue Chip Technology, Bruël & Kjær, Control Techniques, Crouzet, Data Translation, Datel, Eurotherm, Mettler, Sartorius, Siemens and West Instruments.

All this for just £895 (UK Pounds)

Windmill ELS costs just £895 for a basic system. This comprises an Acquisition module, an Archiver module, a Display module, a Supervisor module and a Hardware driver. Extra Display modules, or Acquisition modules with Hardware drivers, cost £195. You don't hit a costly upgrade barrier: just add more modules, or indeed equipment, as the need arises. Educational discounts are available. Note that Windmill ELS is designed for distributed systems, for a stand-alone system Windmill will be more cost-effective.

Free Technical Support for Life

We are so confident of the reliability and expandability of our new software that we are offering free technical support for life.