Index Contact us
 
Products
 
News

More modem choices available.
Additional modems for office use and an RF unit to connect a data logger with a PC without using a GSM network provider.
More Details

New Opton software.
Opton is a Windows application designed for use with Stylitis-10 and Stylitis-Power data loggers.
More Details

Updated versions of Stylitis-41/101 installation guides.
Updated versions of Stylitis-41/101 installation guides.
More Details


  See more news!  
 

QUESTIONS

#40 measurements.

Low level AC anemometers (like the popular MAX#40) are using a rotating magnet passing near a fixed inductor to convert rotary movement to an AC voltage.
This construction is simple and efficient. However, there are some side effects:
When the anemometer is hit it acts somewhat like a microphone: it produces spurious output that can be mistaken as increased wind speed. This is the case with a hail storm.

Electromagnetic interference.

It is recommended to use shielded cables for connection of sensors to the data logger. Connect the lower end of the shield to the GROUND terminal of the data logger. Thus, you avoid possible electromagnetic interference.

Averaging interval.

The time stamp is recorded at the end of the averaging interval i.e. each line of the decompressed file has the time stamp that refers to it.

Communication problem between the Stylitis-40 and 100 dataloggers and the modem.

The "NO MODEM" message appears or the modem is not registered in the GSM network. The LED is continuously flashing. Possible reasons why this may be happening are the following:

1. The modem has no signal
2. It has no SIM card
3. It has a SIM card but it has not been placed correctly (if the drawer has been placed amiss, the card is not recognized)
4. Especially for the "Wavecom Fastrack Supreme" modem: It has a SIM card but the black switch on the edge of the card's reception is not closed.
5. The SIM card is locked, it has a PIN, and it must be unlocked (via a mobile phone or the data logger's UNLOCK PIN menu).

COMMUNICATION IS ONLY POSSIBLE when the modem LED indicates succesfull network registration: OFF for 2-3 seconds, ON for half second.

Acquisition of rain gauge data.

The rain gauge must be connected between Cx and +5V FIXED (wire polarity does not matter). The input type must be REED. Only the metal enclosure must be connected to GROUND.

Connection with the datalogger via AutoConnect, in case it has a password.

If the datalogger has a password, the user must set the same password in the corresponding site's properties.
In the case of Set-10 (Stylitis-10), this can be set via the "Communication|Communication Settings" menu, while in the case of Stylitis Explorer (Stylitis-40 or Styitis-100), this can be set via the "Site|Site Properties" menu, in the "Password" field.

Lightning protection.

The mast must always be grounded. Instrument cable shields must be connected to GND on data logger's screw terminals. For better instrument protection of stand-alone systems it is recommended not to connect the data logger's external ground screw to the grounded mast (that is leave the measuring system isolated).
CAUTION: The data logger must always be grounded if it connected to any external system (i.e. computer, mains power supply, etc.)

It is very important for the lightning rod to be placed high enough, so that the angle between its horizontal boom and the line which connects the lightning rod's top with the top anemometer is at least 60 degrees.

In case a sensor is destroyed by lightning, despite the measurements taken, and the corresponding input of the datalogger does not function, it is possible that only the input's GND is cut. Therefore, it must be checked via a multimeter if the GNDs of the datalogger are connected.

More than one connections a day via AutoConnect.

There is the opportunity for the actions selected in a connection's properties, via AutoConnect or Stylitis Explorer or Set-10, to be executed not only once a day, but every one specific interval from the time of the first connection (the time defined in the "AutoTime" cell). This can be done if the user sets "RetryTimes" =999 or greater, for the desired connection, while the connection will always be repeated after the number of minutes which the user has defined in the "RetryInterval" cell. The process is repeated to infinity, even if the day changes (with the difference that then, the actions of the next day are executed) until the user changes the value of the "RetryTimes" cell.

Installation of UCAB232

1. Visit the website: www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
2. Select the Driver Version (corresponding column) 2.04.xx. It is recommended that the "setup executable" version is selected (from the corresponding link in the "Comments" column)

Connection names in Stylitis Explorer.

When creating a new connection in a site folder, its default name contains the site's name and the consecutive number of the connection in the folder. However, if the user desires to change the connection's name, they must pay attention to what they select, because if the connection is automatic and it has the name of an existing one, AutoConnect will locate only the new connection. This is happening because the connections' names registered in the computer are unique, therefore a new connection with an existing name will replace this older connection in the computer's Registry.

Instructions for connection of DigiOne SP with the Stylitis dataloggers.

1. Connect DIGI to your network and to the datalogger via a 1-to-1 cable.
2. Install DIGI's software and use Device Discovery to find its IP address.
3. Open the Web Interface and type
Username:root and Password:dbps.
4. In the 'Configuration|Serial Port' menu select profile: 'TCP Sockets'.
5. In the 'Serial Port Configuration' window, set Raw TCP Port: 2101 (default).
6. In the 'Basic Serial Settings' paragraph, set Baud rate:9600, data bits:8, Parity:none, Stop Bits:1 and Flow Control: None.
7. Press 'Apply' and close the Web Interface by pressing 'Logout'.
8. Adjust the Ethernet connection's properties in Stylitis Explorer with the IP address and the Raw TCP Port that were mentioned above.
9. Start the connection in Stylitis Explorer by pressing 'Connect' and then 'WakeUp'.

Communication (character transmission) problem in different versions of Windows.

Select 'Regional and Language Options' from the Control Panel and check if the same language (e.g. English (United States)) has been selected in the fields that are located:
a. In the 'Standards and formats' section, in the 'Regional Options' tab and
b. In the 'Language for non-Unicode Programs' section, in the 'Advanced' tab.

Connections' sorting in AutoConnect.

In the "Show Connections" window, in the "Connections" tab, the available automatic connections appear, sorted in priority order. On the upper part of the list, the connections with the highest priority are located. By double-clicking on the top of a column in this tab, the connections are sorted in alphabetical order, according to this column, but this sorting is temporary and it is done for optical reasons. However, if the icon (A->Z), in the lower left part of the tab, is pressed, the connections are sorted according to their name, and the sorting is permanent, that is the priority order of the connections changes.

Export of data files from Set-10 to Excel and data plotting.

A) In case you are using Microsoft Office 1997-2003:

1. Open the .DXT file with Excel. Excel will automatically recognize the file format (columns separated with spaces) and will present a file import wizard for assistance.
2. In the first wizard step enter 25 in the 'Start import from line' box and click next.
3. In the second step create vertical lines, by clicking between the columns, to separate all columns except Date and Time which should be grouped together in a single column.
4. In the third step click finish. Excel will import the data file.
5. Widen the first column (date/time) and select the top left cell.
6. On the Toolbar click on the Chart wizard. Select the 'XY(Scatter)' plot type and click 'Finish' (or click next to customize plot appearance).

Â) In case you are using Microsoft Office 2007:

1. Open Microsoft Excel. In the 'Data' tab, select `Get External Data` and `Text File`from the pull-down menu. Then, a browser will appear for the user to search the datalogger's site folder.
2. Open the folder and select 'File types : All files', because the .dxt files are not recognized as text files. Select the desired data file.
3. In the appearing wizard, in the first step, in the 'Start import from line' box, insert 25 and press 'Next'.
4. In the second step, create vertical lines, by clicking between the columns, to separate all columns except Date and Time which should be grouped together in a single column.
5. In the third step click finish. Excel will import the data file.
6. In the appearing window, select the top left cell (default) and click OK.
7. In the 'Import' tab, select 'Scatter' as plot type and, via the pull-down menu, select the graph format.

Export of data files from Stylitis Explorer to Excel and data plotting.

A) In case you are using Microsoft Office 1997-2003:

1. Open the stXXXXXX file with Excel. Excel will automatically recognize the file format (columns separated with spaces) and will present a file import wizard for assistance.
2. In the first wizard step enter 15 for Stylitis-41 or 33 for Stylitis-101 in the 'Start import from line' box and click 'Íext'.
3. In the second step create vertical lines, by clicking between the columns, to separate all columns except Date and Time which should be grouped together in a single column.
4. In the third step click finish. Excel will import the data file.
5. Widen the first column (date/time) and select the top left cell.
6. On the Toolbar click on the Chart wizard. Select the 'Lines' plot type and click 'Finish' (or click next to customize plot appearance).

Â) In case you are using Microsoft Office 2007:

1. Open Microsoft Excel. In the 'Data' tab, select `Get External Data` and `Text File`from the pull-down menu. Then, a browser will appear for the user to search the datalogger's site folder.
2. Open the folder and select 'File types : All files', because the stXXXXXX files are not recognized as text files. Select the desired data file.
3. In the appearing wizard, in the first step, in the 'Start import from line' box, enter 15 for Stylitis-41 or 33 for Stylitis-101 and press 'Next'.
4. In the second step, create vertical lines, by clicking between the columns, to separate all columns except Date and Time which should be grouped together in a single column.
5. In the third step click finish. Excel will import the data file.
6. In the appearing window, select the top left cell (default) and click OK.
7. In the 'Import' tab, select 'Lines' as plot type and, via the pull-down menu, select the graph format.

Connection problems in AutoConnect

In case of any problem, for your better service, select 'Options' from the pop-up menu and open the 'Reports' tab. Click the 'Monitor.txt' file, which can be seen in the window's lower part. In this file, the activity of all connections checked and attempted by AutoConnect every 30 seconds is recorded. You can send it to us via email, so that we can locate any problem which may occur, more effectively.

NOTE: This file records the activity mentioned for every opening of AutoConnect. That is, with a Restart of the program, the file is lost and it is recorded from the beginning.