Products

The Microlink 826 logs data from utility meters - sending the consumption readings to a central PC running Windows. It lets you monitor demand in real-time and identify patterns of use of electricity, gas, water, etc.

Features

• See consumption in real-time
• Records total usage and usage over your chosen set intervals, for example each minute's or hour's demand
• Chart data and show tables of recent readings
• Alarm indication on all readings - set thresholds above or below which alarms are triggered and logged
• Process mimic software available for you to create your own data displays - involving bar charts, analogue meters, colour coded alarms, control buttons, etc
• Each Microlink 826 Logger can monitor 8 utility meters
• Up to 29 Microlink 826s can be connected to 1 COM port, monitoring up to 240 utility meters
• Many COM ports can be monitored at once
• PC can be up to 1 km away from the utility meters
• Option for the Microlink 826 to communicate over a modem, so you can retrieve readings remotely
• Each Microlink 826 is housed in a dual-gang electricity socket box for easy installation
• Data is stored both locally by the battery-backed Microlink 826 Logger and remotely on the PC, ensuring no loss of information
• All data time-stamped
• Modular, buy only what you need now and expand later if necessary
• Works with any meter emitting contact closure pulses: electricity, gas, water, etc
• Conditioning can be added to monitor other signals such as logic and high voltage pulses
• Systems can be customised to your specifications
• Add temperature, pressure, voltage, current, flow, etc monitoring
• Software runs under Windows - it's easy to use and involves no programming
• Reports can be automatically generated in the Windows application of your choice, Word or Excel for example
• Free technical support for life
• Low cost, package starts at £345 including software, lead, adaptor and power supply

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Ordering and Prices

To order a Microlink 826 system, or to discuss your requirements, please contact us at Biodata Ltd, 10 Stocks Street, Manchester, M8 8QG, UK, Tel: +44 (0)161 834 6688, Fax: +44 (0)161 833 2190, E-mail: sales@microlink.co.uk

Systems start at £395. This includes one Microlink 826 logger, a power supply, an RS232-RS485 adaptor, an RS232 lead and the Windmill data acquisition and control software suite for real-time logging, charting and alarm indication. Additional Microlink loggers cost £195. Significant quantity discounts available. The process mimic software (Windmill Graphics) is optional and costs £195. We design and build all the Microlink hardware and are happy to customise systems to your specifications. Contact us at the Sales Office, sales@microlink.co.uk, for more details.

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Specifications

Software

• Uses Windmill software running under Windows 95 or later
• Minimum PC requirements: 486 processor, 8 MB RAM, VGA Graphics
• Logs both total usage and usage per epoch (unit of time)
• Reads data at any time
• Can pass data in real-time to third-party Windows software like Excel

Data can be sent to software like Excel in real-time, for analysis and report generation. Alternatively you can use the Windmill logging, charting and display software.

Hardware

8 Counters per unit monitor contact-closure pulses Maximum number of Microlinks per COM port = 29 Maximum count = 224 (16 777 216) External power supply supplied = 9-24 V DC (sufficient for 29 Microlinks) Microlinks connected to the PC over RS485 cables Optionally, instead of RS485 connection an RS232 connection lets the Microlinks communicate with a modem Utility meters connected to the Microlink using telephone cables Battery backed: can operate without power for over 10 days Memory size = 256 epochs from each input. For example, if you were logging usage per hour, the memory would hold data from the last 256 hours User decides on and off time before a count is logged, in 10 millisecond steps

The Microlink 826 board before it is housed in a dual-gang electricity socket box. For an enlargement click the picture.