DeltaMet8 software manual
Introduction

DeltaMet8 software allows you to manage the tools of the HD2001... series from your PC both through single connection and into an RS485 network. It features separate window real time display in graphical form of the measurements acquired by all the instruments. The datalogging function is available for each instrument, which memorizes selected variables according to a predefined frequency. The data acquired can be saved on file, printed, and exported in Excel® format. The software has an automatic search function of the devices connected to the PC. Furthermore, it can communicate with the devices connected to a remote PC within a PC network.

 



DeltaMet8 start up and configuration

Follow the instrucions in the instrument' s handbook to connect the instruments to a free serial port of the PC.

If only one instrument is connected, use the RS232C communication protocol.

If more than one instrument are connected in a network, use the RS232C protocol for the instrument connected to the PC and the RS485 protocol for the others. The type of connection is selected by using dip-switch no. 1 set on the display card.

Assign a different identification code (ID) to each instrument of the network by selecting the menu item INST ADDR NUMB using the keyboard.

Set the baud rate to 9600 for the instrument by using the menu item BAUD RATE.

If the software is not yet installed, enter the DeltaMet8 CD-Rom and follow the instructions outlined on the screen to install the application on the PC.

Start the application by double clicking on the application icon on the desktop or select the DeltaMet8 item in the DeltaOhm folder found in the Start menu.

To proceed the type of configuration used for the instruments' network needs to be detected. Various modes are available:

1. Single instrument connected directly to the PC through RS232C

2. Network of more instruments connected directly to the PC through RS232C and RS485

3. Single instrument or network of instruments connected to a PC server within a PC (LAN) network

 


Connections 1 and 2: Single instrument or network of instruments connected directly to the PC

The configuration used is outlined in the figure below. Note that in the case of a single instrument, the ID1 and ID2 instruments are not present.



Press the Connection Setup button to set the connection parameters. The following window opens.

Select the first item DIRECT TO COM, enter the serial COM to which the first instrument is connected and its relevant baud rate (usually 9600). Confirm by pressing the OK button.

Press, only the first time the network is formed or only after substantial modification to the same, the TOOLS >> INSTRUMENT AUTODETECT button: this command scans the network from ID=0 to ID=255 and creates a table listing all the instruments connected to the PC.

At the end of the scan, the software connects to all the instruments detected.
For all subsequent connections it is sufficient to press the CONNECT button or select the menu item INSTRUMENT >> CONNECT and the software will connect to all the instruments memorized during the first scan.

To close the connection, disconnect using the command INSTRUMENT >> DISCONNECT.

 


Connection 3:
Single instrument or network of instruments connected to a PC server within a PC LAN network

The PC of the network to which the instruments are connected (PC1 in this example) performs the function of server while the other PCs are clients: the server shares the data acquired with all the clients connected while each client communicates with the server but not with the other clients: therefore, the status of the instrument can be controlled from the different clients, through the LAN.

To enable a PC as the server, it is necessary to select the item ENABLE SERVER MODE in the Connection Setup window. Upon connection, the following window is displayed in which the connection port with other PCs is specified:

The client PCs connect to the network specifying the address of the server, as in the following figure.

The item ADDR. is used by the PC server in order to function as part of the PC network and varies according to how this network has been configured. When a client connects to the server, the server displays the new connection as indicated in the following window:

In this example, a client identified by an ID equal to 0 is connected to the server.

The instruments ID0 and ID1 are connected through RS232 and RS485 to the PC server PC1; the instruments ID0 and ID1 can be controlled from the client PC2 since it is connected to PC1 through a LAN.


The DeltaMet8 software must be installed on the two PCs and configured as follows:

On the server PC1 start the connection setup (TOOLS >> CONNECTION SETUP) and select the item DIRECT TO COM. Select the serial COM to which the first instrument is connected (ID0 in the figure) and its relevant baud rate (usually 9600).


Select the item ENABLE SERVER MODE to share the resources of PC1.

Press, only the first time the network is formed or only after substantial modification to the same, the TOOLS>> INSTRUMENT AUTODETECT button: this command performs the scanning of the network from ID=0 to ID=255 and creates a table with all the instruments connected to the PC1.

At the end the PC1 connects to all the instruments detected.
For all subsequent connections it is sufficient to press the CONNECT button on PC1 and the software will connect to all the instruments memorized in the first scanning.

If the AUTODETECT function has already been used, start the connection on PC1 by pressing the CONNECT button or selecting the menu item INSTRUMENT >> CONNECT.

On each client PC (PC2, ...) start the command TOOLS >> CONNECTION SETUP and select the item NETWORK, enter the address of the PC server PC1 in ADDR and port 16 in PORT (only try another port in case of remote connection problems).

Start the connection on the client PC by pressing the CONNECT button or selecting the menu item INSTRUMENT >> CONNECT.

Now the instruments connected to PC1 can be handled from the PC2.

Upon connection, a window called STATUS SERVER will appear on the server, with the port used for connection being indicated: SERVER ON PORT 16. When a client connects to the network, the identification of the newly connected PC appears on the server: NEW CLIENT ACCEPTED with relevant identification code (ID:...).

 

To close the connection, first disconnect using the command INSTRUMENT >> DISCONNECT from the client PC (PC2 in the figures), and then from the server.

 

NOTE:

If the connection was successful, down to the right, on the PC acting as the server (PC1), the following symbol will appear:

and on client PCs (PC2, ...) the symbol:

A failed connection will be indicated by the following symbols:

If the program were not able to connect, consult the section Trouble shooting.

Note: until the connection with the PC is enabled, do not use the instruments´ keyboard so as to avoid possible functioning conflicts.



Definition of the functional areas

After connecting, DeltaMet8 will appear as in the following window:

The following functional areas can be seen:

1. Main application menu.
2. Main application command bar with the frequent use commands.
3. Plant of the instruments with the position of the instruments that form the network indicated.
4. Instrument Panel with the graphic display of the data. Each instrument connected opens a window like this.
5. Status bar with connection with the serial port indicated
.

 



Main application menu

The upper part of the page contains the main menu from which all functions offered by the DeltaMet8 application can be accessed.

All that is necessary to activate a function is the opening of the drop-down menu where the function is located and its selection with the mouse.

The various commands are outlined below.


A) File Menu


Open
Opens a saved file. The files managed by the application have "idn" and "ldn" extension. the first ones contain the data obtained with the function STORE ON FILE, the second ones (ldn) are the result of a datalogging operation (INSTRUMENT >> DATALOGGER).

The data are displayed in a special window called INSTRUMENT FILE VIEWER.


Exit
Closes the application.



B) Instrument Menu


Connect

Connects the DeltaMet8 application to the instrument using the connection parameters previously set using the function TOOLS >> CONNECTION SETUP.
The software is provided with an automatic search function (TOOLS >> INSTRUMENT AUTODETECT) that searches all the instruments connected to the serial port of the PC by performing a scan of the identification codes from 000 to 255.


Disconnect

Disconnects the DeltaMet8 application from the instrument enabling the use of the serial port for other applications.


Add Instrument

By pressing the INSTRUMENT CONNECT button, the software updates the list of the instruments to which it successfully connected and uses the same for the next connection. So at each new connection, it is not necessary to repeat the search of the instruments in the network. If a new instrument is added to the network it needs to be communicated to the application in order to update this list. This can be done in two ways: after connecting the new instrument and having assigned a new identification code ID to it, launch the TOOLS >> INSTRUMENT AUTODETECT command or, more simply, use the command Add Instrument.

The Net Address drop down menu lists all the available IDs from 000 to 255 with those already in use indicated by IN USE. Select the code for the new instrument, ensuring it is not already used, and press ADD. DeltaMet8 verifies the connection and adds it to the instrument list.


Remove Instrument

Removes an instrument from the list of instruments to which the application is connected when using the INSTRUMENT CONNECT button. It must be used after removal of an instrument from the network or when the identification code ID has been changed.

Select the instrument and press REMOVE.


Datalogger

Opens the configuration window of the datalogger function. This function memorizes the data sent by the connected instruments into a file on the PC.

The setup is divided into three areas Log Time, Log File and Instrument.

LOG TIME

START and STOP are the recording start and stop times. It is necessary to enter the date and time in the format hh:mm:ss (the seconds are always equal to zero).

FREQUENCY represents the time interval between two subsequent data collections; the minimum interval allowed is one minute.

LOG FILE

In this window the complete name and path of the file where the data acquired will be progressively saved needs to be entered. Use the BROWSE... function to select a folder on the hard disk and enter the name of the file.

INSTRUMENT

The Instrument window reports all the instruments connected to the PC, and on the right, reports the measurement variables. Select an instrument by clicking on its name and select the measurements that you wish to memorize. Repeat the same steps for all the instruments of the network for which data recording is required.

Confirm with the OK button. The window "Instrument Datalogging" opens and displays all the data acquired:

In the first column the data and time of each sample is reported and, in the following columns, the values of the measurement enabled during the setup phase and acquired by the instruments connected to the network.

The keys on the right perform the following functions:

START starts a new recording session
STOP ends the session in progress
CLEAR erases the data acquired
SETTINGS displays, during logging, the parameters of the current session.



C) View Menu

Instrument bar It enables or disables the Instrument bar

Status bar It enables or disables the Status bar

 



D) Tools


Connection Setup
Opens the configuration window of the connection of the instruments to the PC.
See paragraph DeltaMet8 start up and configuration.


Customize Plant (Modify Plant)
In the main window of the application the plant is shown with the relevant position of the instruments which form the network. This plant must be fitted according to your requirements and to the characteristics of the place where the instruments are installed and only has a mnemonic function.

The modification of the plant can be carried out by starting the graphic editor linked to the "bmp" extension directly from the application with the command MODIFY CURRENT PLANT or loading a previously modified plant by using the command LOAD PLANT FROM FILE.

The graphic file must have the following characteristics:

Note: the MODIFY CURRENT PLANT command starts the application linked to the "BMP" extension files; if this application does not allow the bitmap to be modified but only to display it, you must exit DeltaMet8, modify the plant with a graphic application (for example, Paint) and import it with the LOAD PLANT FROM FILE command.


Chat Windows
This command allows messages to be transmitted between PCs connected to a LAN. The PCs must have the DeltaMet8 application installed and share their resources through the network.

For the details on the connection of the PCs, see the proper chapter.

When the TOOLS >> Chat Windows command is used on the PC server the following window appears:

In this case the server has received the "message alfa" from client 0, and has reciprocally answered client 0 with the "message beta". The upper window reports all the sent and received messages, the central window specifies the client port to which you wish to send the message (client 0 in the example) and below is the area in which to write the message. With the SEND button the written message is actually sent to the specified client.

Upon the message's arrival at the destination PC an acoustic alert signal is triggered and the window with the message opens. The message can be answered from this window by following the same procedure.

On the client PC select the TOOLS >> Chat Windows command. The window that opens is divided into two areas: In the upper part the sent and received messages are reported while the line below is reserved for writing messages to be sent to the server: the field with the address is not present because, from each client, it is only possible to send messages to the server.

 

Server Windows (Server properties) The command opens the window that reports the connection properties of the device when it functions as the server in a LAN network. See the items Chat Windows and connection modes to a PC network.

 


Instrument Autodetect (Automatic search)
The command automatically searches for all the instruments connected as RS232C and RS485 to the PC. This function carries out the search through the COM serial port set by using the CONNECTION SETUP command with the relevant baud rate: if the "NO INSTRUMENT DETECTED" message appears, check that the serial port is the correct one and the baud rate set on the first instrument is equal to the one set in the application in CONNECTION SETUP.
For detailed information see the chapter dedicated to the connection of the instruments to the PC.

 



E) Menu ? (Help)

DeltaMet8 Info Information on the software version.

DeltaMet8 Licence Software license with the final user.

DeltaMet8 Handbook DeltaMet8 software manual.



Main application toolbar

To speed up the use of the system, some operations accessible trough the menus are also located on the command bar immediately beneath the main menu in the form of buttons.

File >> Open Opens a file of previously saved data.

Instrument >> Connect Starts the instrument's connection to the PC.

Instrument >> Disconnect Disconnects the instrument at the end of the work session. This command enables other applications to use the serial port.

Instrument >> Add Instrument Adds a new instrument to the list of instruments to which it should connect when the CONNECT button is pressed.

Instrument >> Remove Instrument Removes the instrument from the list of instruments to which it should connect when pressing the CONNECT button.

IInstrument >> Datalogger (Recording) Opens the configuration window for programmed continuous recording.

Tools >> Connection Setup Opens the configuration window of the serial connection.

Tools >> Instrument Autodetect (Automatic Search) Starts the automatic search of all instruments connected to the RS485 network.

? >> DeltaMet8 Handbook DeltaMet8 software manual.

 



Instrument Panel

Each instrument connected to the DeltaMet8 application is represented through a panel such as the one reported below.

The panel reports the data measured by the instrument at fixed intervals of one second. The symbols CH1,..., CH4 (CH5 in the HD2001.2 model) represent the following variables (in the same order):

Repeatedly pressing the CH2 symbol the absolute humidity, mixing ratio, and once again relative humidity, are displayed. On pressing the CH5 symbol, the unit of measurement changes from m/s to ft/min and back; the symbols of the other channels are fixed.

The panel is provided with three buttons that control the instrument setup (SETUP button), the recording of the data measured (STORE ON FILE) and the alerts (ALERT).


SETUP

The SETUP button controls the instrument' s settings; upon pressing it, the application reads the data from the instrument and presents its findings in the following table.

l

Serial Number and Calibration Date are items that cannot be directly changed by the user, and their function is to report the instrument serial number and the last calibration date of the relative humidity sensor.

In the User Code box, the user can enter a name to help him identify the instrument.

Net Address is the identification code ID of the instrument.

Instrument Date-Time and PC Date-Time respectively report the date and time of instrument and PC. The instrument date and time can be modified manually by entering the data in the Instrument Date-Time fields.
Selecting the item Synchronize Instrument Date-Time to PC Date-Time, the currrent date and time is automatically synchronized to the PC' s date and time.

Temperature UM specifies the unit of measurement for the temperature: °C or °F are available.

Print Type selects the type of data to be displayed: Max, Min and Avg are the maximum, minimum or average values. Normal returns to the display of immediate values. When the Max, Min or Avg values are selected, the corresponding indication is added to the title bar of the panel as a reminder that the CH1,...,CH5 fields and the graphs refer to maximum, minimum or average values, and not to the immediate values.

Use the RESET button of the setup, located near the PRINT TYPE selector, in order to delete the data acquired in previous measurement sessions from the memory (this command has the same function of the CLR button on the instrument keyboard).


Print Interval
is the time interval between two subsequent recordings performed through the function STORE ON FILE. In contrast, the graph display is updated in a fixed time of 1 second.

The second part of the setup is dedicated to setting up the alerts.

The upper and lower limits of the measurement variables are reported, and also the barometric pressure drop in the last six hours.

The item Alert Relay enables the output command with the relevant intervention delay: if this item is not selected, the alerts are only displayed, no change being produced in the instrument output.

Press APPLY to enable the changes entered in the setup.


STORE ON FILE

The STORE ON FILE button of the panel starts and ends the recording in a file of the values measured by the instrument: pressing the button once starts the recording with the interval set in the setup (Print Interval). Pressing the button a second time stops the recording, and then requires the input of the file name where the data is to be saved: the file has an IDN extension.


ALERTS

This button opens the window which lists the alert limits that have been exceeded.

The RESET ALERTS button deletes the list; CLIPBOARD copies the table in the Windows clipboard.

When one of the alerts is exceeded, the red led near the ALERT button starts blinking: use the RESET ALERTS button to reset it.



Display data

The DeltaMet8 application manages two types of files identified by the following extensions:

Both types of files can be displayed with two special internal viewers that open when the respective data files are opened.
INSTRUMENT FILE VIEWER opens with IDN-type files, LOG FILE VIEWER with LDN-type files.

 

The structure of the two viewers is similar and in both files three main areas can be seen:

1. Command bar.
2. Display of the data in tabular form.
3. Display of the data in graphic form.

 


Command bar

The command bar is formed by the following elements:

File >> Save as… Saves the data with a new name.

Copy Table to Clipboard Copies the data of the table to the Windows Clipboard

Copy Graph to Clipboard Copies the graph picture to the Windows Clipboard

Tool/Zoom + Enlarges an area of the graph

Tool/Zoom - Reduces an area of the graph

Graph settings Opens the selection window of the variables to be displayed:

Select the variables you wish to display.

Export to Excel Opens the Excel application and sends it the current data. The Microsoft Excel application must be installed on the PC in order for this feature to be enabled.

Print Prints the current data, a choice can be made between the table (Print Table) or the graph (Print Graph).
The title of the printing can be customized by the user.


As the LDN-type file viewer must present the data concerning several instruments contemporaneously, it has a selector for the current instrument:

The variables concerning the selected instrument are emphasized with a coloured dot.

 


Display of the data in graphic form

The lower part of the window shows the graphs of the current instrument variables. In case of displaying LDN data (Logging), the set of variables of the selected instrument is presented.

A right click on the graph opens a menu from which the following operations can be performed:

POINT MARKS uses a small box to emphasize the recording moments

AXIS displays the axis on the graph


ZOOM TOOL
enlages an area of the graph. To enlarge a part of the graph, select the command. A selection box will appear in the upper left-hand corner. Press the left button of the mouse over the box and drag it in the graph area to be enlarged. Then use the eight handles on the edges to resize the selected area:

Now press the Zoom+ button

To return to the default view press the Zoom- button

 



Serial port connection status

Symbol indicating the connection status and parameters between DeltaMet8 and the serial port.

Depending on the connection status the symbol can display the following values:

DeltaMet8 disconnected from the serial port

DeltaMet8 disconnected from the serial port because an error occurred during the attempted connection

DeltaMet8 correctly connected with relevant parameters

 



Trouble shooting

If the application does not connect, check the following:

Check that the selected COM port is correct and the baud rate set on the instrument is equal to that used by the application.

Check that the serial cable between the PC and the first instrument is connected correctly (do not use other cables as extensions, as they could modify the connectors' pin disposition) and that the other instruments use the RS485 connection correctly.

Check that there are no active applications using the serial ports (e.g. Hyperterminal) on your computer. In such case close these applications and retry.

If you encounter problems during printing, try to update the printer driver by downloading it from the manufacturer's website.
If you did not handle the problem, use the Copy to clipboard feature to copy and paste the active window into another application: for example, to print a graph copy and paste it into Windows Paint and try printing it from this application.



Uninstall DeltaMet8 software

During installation, the Uninstall DeltaMet8 command is created in the DeltaOhm folder found in the Start menu. Click on it to uninstall the application and its components.

 

20-01-2004