Products: Software

Biodata are pleased to announce a new version of the Windmill data acquisition software suite. This versatile software lets you interface the Microlink 700 USB units, the Microlink 800 data loggers and the Microlink 3000 devices. You can purchase on-line from Windmill Software's data acquisition catalogue.

New Data Logging Options

With the new Windmill, you now have four choices of how to trigger data logging.

• Start logging when your equipment sends new data
• Start logging when readings cross one of your alarm thresholds
• Start logging when you press the space bar on the keyboard
• Start logging when you press the software Start button

The first option lets your equipment determine when Windmill takes readings. It is useful, for example, if you are using a balance and don't want to record the weight of the same item twice. Windmill monitors the balance, and only saves new readings. Even if two items weigh the same, Windmill knows that a change has occurred and logs the second reading.

With Windmill you can set warning and critical alarms on each channel of data. Should you only be interested in saving data when alarm levels are crossed, you can tell Windmill to start logging only on alarm. You can also set the duration of logging. Say a temperature reading rose above a set point for 5 minutes. Windmill would log data throughout this time. When the temperature returned to normal, Windmill would continue logging for your chosen duration. It would then stop until another alarm occurred.

Here Logger is showing warning alarms on a blue background
and critical alarms on a red background

At regular intervals Windmill can automatically close the data file and open a new one. Rather than having all data saved in one file, this results in a new file for each hour's, each day's or each week's data. To save disk space you can opt to overwrite older files. You can choose to keep one day's, one month's or one year's data, or to keep all files indefinitely.

Is Windmill Suitable for You?

1. Runs under Microsoft Windows
2. Modular so easily expanded should requirements grow.
3. Supports analogue and digital input and output including:
   • counters,
   • timers,
   • thermocouples,
   • RTDs (resistance temperature devices),
   • strain gauges,
   • pressure transducers,
   • encoders,
   • gas concentration probes,
   • pH probes.
4. Speeds up to a maximum of 200 samples per second.
5. Alarm indication on all inputs.
6. Supports network DDE so data can be immediately analysed by other programs (like Excel or Access), on other computers, anywhere on a network.
7. A range of optional programs available for alarm logging, process mimics, sequence control, etc.
8. No programming required; all programs are ready to run.
9. Easy to use.
10. Free, lifetime, technical support.
11. Costs, for a limited time, just £50 from Windmill Software's data acquisition catalogue.