DAVIS WeatherLink for Windows 4.0 User Manual
Software
®
User’s Guide
INK
L
EATHER
W
For Windows
Version 4.0
Product #7862
™
0
0
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved in writing by Davis Instruments may void
the user's authority to operate this equipment.
Product Number: 7862
Davis Instruments Part Number: 7395-121
Weatherlink®, Version 4.0 for Windows
Rev. C Manual (July 16, 1999)
© Davis Instruments Corp. 1998. All rights reserved.
This product complies with the essential protection requirements of the
EC EMC Directive 89/336/EC
Weather Monitor II, Weather W izar d III, Weather Wizard II-s, Per ception
II, and Weatherlink are registered trademarks of Davis Instruments
Corp. Hayes is a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer
Products, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Software
®
User’s Guide
INK
L
EATHER
W
For Windows 0
Version 4.0
0
0
T
ABLE OF CONTENTS
ABLE OF CONTENTS
T
I
NTRODUCTION
Contents of Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
ARDWARE INSTALLATION
H
Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Direct Connection Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Phone Modem Connection Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Direct Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Typical Direct Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Direct Connection Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Phone Modem Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Typical Phone Modem Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Phone Modem Installation Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A Few Notes About Phone Modem Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
OFTWARE INSTALLATION AND SETUP
S
Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Running the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Adding a Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Adding a Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
About the Walkthrough. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Finding the Correct Serial Port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
U
SING
Weather Station Models. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Multiple Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
S
THE
OFTWARE
New Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Open Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Delete Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
View Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Close. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Hang Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
i
T
C
ABLE
OF
ONTENTS
Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Walkthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Station Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Serial Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Select Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Set Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Set Archive Interval. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Set Barometer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Set Rain Cal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Set Temp Cal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Set Hum Cal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Set Total Rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Set Alarms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Auto Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Auto Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Auto Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Reports Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Printing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
NOAA Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
NOAA This Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
NOAA Summarize Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
NOAA This Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
NOAA Summarize Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Yearly Rainfall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Degree-Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Temp/Hum Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Soil Temp. Hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Chilling Requirement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Sunrise & Sunset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Windows Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Bulletin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Browse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Strip Charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Using the Browse Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Choose Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Make a Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Edit a Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Delete a Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Copy Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Export Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Delete Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
ii
T
Using the Plot Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Adding and Removing Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Choose Specific Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Scroll Through Dates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Choose Plot Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Enter Plot Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Choose Axis Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Choose Line/Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Set Axis Min/Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Lock Axis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Pause Plot Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
View Database Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
View Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Zoom In/Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Plotting Data From More than One Date (Overlay) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Plotting Data from the Previous Year (Last Year) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Clear Entire Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Saving and Opening Plots and Plot Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Plot Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Colors Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Using the Strip Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Open Strip Chart Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Add Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Remove Variable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Change Axis Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Change Plot Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
View Historical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Place the Strip Chart Into Auto Update Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
View Database Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
View Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Saving a Strip Chart Template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Opening a Previously Saved Strip Chart Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Strip Chart Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Colors Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Using the Yearly Rainfall Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Viewing the Yearly Rainfall Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Editing Yearly Rainfall Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Deleting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Start a New Rainfall Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Degree-Days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Adding a Degree-Day Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Opening a Degree-Days Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Deleting a Degree-Day Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
PC Degree-Day Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
ABLE
OF
C
ONTENTS
iii
T
ABLE
OF
C
ONTENTS
T
ECHNICAL
R
EFERENCE
Archive Memory vs. Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Archive Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Automatic Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Automatic Clear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Calibration Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Database Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Station Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Station Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Database Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Weather Data Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
High and Low Temperature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Barometric Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Wind Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
High Wind Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Wind Direction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Temperature/Humidity Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Wind Chill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Dew Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Rainfall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Degree-Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Chilling Requirement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Soil Temperature Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Temperature/Humidity Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Air Density. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Bad Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Modem String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Station Modem Initialization String. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Auto Fax Modem Initialization String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Importing WeatherLink Data into Other Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Leap Year Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Computer Keeps Track of Leap Years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Computer Does Not Keep Track of Leap Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Backing Up and Restoring Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Comprehensive Backup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Individual Month Backup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Restoring Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
iv
T
C
ABLE
OF
ONTENTS
T
ROUBLESHOOTING
G
UIDE
Communications Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Program Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
AutoFax Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Changing Windows Communications Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
v
T
ABLE
OF
C
ONTENTS
vi
1
NTRODUCTION
I
Welcome to Davis Instruments’ WeatherLink Software! The WeatherLink Data
Logger (referred to as the WeatherLink in this manual) and software allows you to
connect your personal computer to Davis weather stations to store, view, plot,
analyze, export, and print weather data collected by your Davis station.
ONTENTS OF PACKAGE
C
Before proceeding, please check to make sure your WeatherLink package contains
the following:
▲
WeatherLink Data Logger
Includes 8’ (2.4 m) cable to connect the WeatherLink to your computer and a
3" (8 mm) cable to connect the WeatherLink to the weather station.
▲
PC COM Port Adapters (9-pin and 25-pin)
Use the 9-pin adapter to connect the WeatherLink to a 9-pin serial port. Use
the 25-pin adapter to connect the WeatherLink to a 25-pin serial port.
▲
Loopback connector
The loopback connector is a short piece of cable with a phone plug at one end
and a red plastic cap at the other . The loopback connector can be used to deter mine what serial ports are available for the WeatherLink and for troubleshooting communications problems.
▲
WeatherLink Software Diskette
O
PTIONAL ACCESSORIES
The following optional accessories, designed for use with the WeatherLink, are
available from your dealer or may be ordered directly from Davis.
▲
Telephone Modem Adapter
For transmission of data from the WeatherLink using a modem.
▲
Standard 4-Conductor Extension Cable
For more flexibility in the placement of your console. You may add one 40’
(12 m) extension cable to extend the cable run from WeatherLink to computer
up to 48’ (14.4 m).
▲
Link Isolator Kit
Provides upgraded protection against electrical disturbances. Installed
between the WeatherLink and your computer, optical coupling of signals prevent lockups of the weather station console and possible damage to the console, WeatherLink, and PC. Recommended when the station console and
computer are not grounded or are connected to two different grounds.
Includes 40’ (12 m) cable.
1
I
NTRODUCTION
Optional Accessories
2
2
H
Direct Connection Hardware Requirements
ARDWARE INSTALLATION
H
There are two basic types of installations: direct connection and phone modem
connection. Direct connection involves connecting the computer directly to the
WeatherLink. Phone modem connection refers specifically to any installation
where the WeatherLink is connected to a modem and you communicate with the
WeatherLink via a modem at your computer. Requirements and installation for
each type of connection differ, and are explained separately below.
ARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
The required hardware dif fers depending on whether you ar e attempting to make
a direct connection or a phone modem connection.
In addition to the provided hardware, the following are required for a direct connection.
▲
Computer running Windows™ 3.1, 95, or NT 4.0 with at least 5 MB of free disk
space
The amount of space necessary for the data files depends on the archive interval. Database files containing data stored at a 30 minute archive interval
require approximately 36K of disk space per month of data. The file size
changes in a linear fashion depending on the archive interval. For example,
data stored at a 1 minute interval requires approximately 1 MB/month while
the data stored at a 2 hour interval requires approximately 9K/month.
▲
4MB RAM
▲
Windows-Compatible Display
VGA (16 Colors) minimum. SVGA (256 Colors) recommended.
▲
One Free Serial Port
▲
Fax Modem
A fax modem is required to take advantage of the software’s AutoFax feature
(see ”Auto Fax” on page 32). If you do not plan to use the AutoFax feature, a
fax modem is not required for a direct connection.
Phone Modem Connection Hardware Requirements
In addition to the provided hardware, the following hardware is required for a
phone modem connection.
▲
Computer running Windows™ 3.1, 95, or NT 4.0 with at least 5 MB of free disk
space
See “Direct Connection Hardware Requirements” above for hard disk space
requirements.
▲
4MB RAM
3
▲
▲
▲
▲
H
ARDWARE INSTALLATION
Direct Connection
Windows-Compatible Display
VGA (16 Colors) minimum. SVGA (256 Colors) recommended.
One Free Serial Port
One external modem to connect to the WeatherLink
The modem must be Hayes
®
compatible and run at either 1200 or 2400 baud.
One internal fax modem or external fax modem connected to your computer
The modem must be Hayes compatible and run at either 1200 or 2400 baud. A
fax modem is required to take advantage of the software’s AutoFax feature
(see ”Auto Fax” on page 32). If you do not plan to use the AutoFax feature, a
non-fax modem is acceptable.
▲
Telephone Modem Adapter
The Telephone Modem Adapter (#7870) provides the connection between the
WeatherLink and the modem.
IRECT
D
ONNECTION
C
The instructions below explain how to make a typical direct connection. Also
included is an illustration showing how to make a direct connection using the
Short-Range Modem Pair (consult the Short-Range Modem Pair manual for
installation instructions). If using the Link Isolator Kit, consult the Link Isolator
Kit manual for installation instructions.
Typical Direct Connection
The instructions below explain how to make a typical direct connection. Note that
you may only use a single 40' (12 m) extension cable. If you extend the cable run
beyond 48' (14.4 m), the software may have difficulty communicating with the
station.
T
D
IRECT
C
ONNECTION
YPICAL
4
H
ARDWARE
Direct Connection Installation
1. Make a note of your station’s current barometric pressure, total rainfall, and (if applicable) calibration numbers.
You must remove power from the station console to install the WeatherLink,
which will cause these values to be erased. Use the WeatherLink software to
reenter these values after restoring power to the station.
2. Remove the mounting base from the console and remove all power by removing the
AC-power adapter and battery backup.
Failure to remove power to the console before installing the WeatherLink may
cause damage to the WeatherLink or console.
3. Insert the cable plug at the end of the short cable coming from the WeatherLink into
the jack marked
CAUTION:
WEATHERLINK
on the bottom of the console.
Make sure that whenever you connect or disconnect the WeatherLink from the con-
sole that the console is NOT powered up. Plugging or unplugging the WeatherLink
while power is applied can damage or lock up the WeatherLink.
4. Restore power to the weather station by reattaching the power adapter and battery.
The weather station should beep three times. The third beep, which should
occur within 30 seconds, indicates that the WeatherLink is operating correctly.
5. Place the WeatherLink inside the mounting base and reattach the mounting base.
As you do so, guide the cables through the slots in the mounting base.
I
NSTALLATION
Direct Connection
P
W
L
I
B
LACE
EATHER
INK
NSIDE
ASE
.
6. Locate a free serial port on the back of your computer and connect the appropriate
adapter (DB9 or DB25) to that serial port.
7. Insert the cable plug at the end of the long cable coming from the WeatherLink into
either the DB9 or DB25 adapter.
The cable which connects the WeatherLink to the computer is 8 feet (2.4 m)
long. If you need to mount the station console more than 8 feet from the computer, use a 40’ (12 m) standard 4-conductor extension cable. Do not attempt
to use more than 40’ of extension cable, or the WeatherLink may have difficulty “communicating” with the computer. If you need to mount the station
console farther away, you will need to use the Short-Range Modem Pair.
5
H
ARDWARE
Phone Modem Connection
P
HONE
I
NSTALLATION
M
ODEM
C
ONNECTION
The instructions below explain how to make a typical phone modem connection.
Typical Phone Modem Installation
The illustration below shows a typical phone modem connection. This involves
connecting the WeatherLink to the weather station and to a modem at the station
console site and connecting your computer’s modem to a phone line, which will
allow you to “dial” the weather station.
T
P
M
YPICAL
HONE
ODEM
I
NSTALLATION
Phone Modem Installation Instructions
1. Install and set up an internal or external modem (according to the instructions supplied
by the manufacturer) for use with your computer.
Make a note of the COM port and IRQ used by the modem. You will need this
information when entering serial port settings for the station (see “Serial Port”
on page 20).
2. At the station console site, position the external modem in a location where it can connect to both the WeatherLink and a phone jack and plug it into the phone jack. DO NO T
TURN THE MODEM ON AT THIS TIME.
The cable which connects the W eatherLink to the modem is 8 feet (2.4 m) long.
If you need to mount the station console more than 8 feet from the modem,
use a 40’ (12 m) standard 4-conductor extension cable. Do not attempt to use
more than 40’ of extension cable, or the WeatherLink may have difficulty
“communicating” with the modem. If you need to mount the station console
farther away, you will need to use the Short-Range Modem Pair.
3. Plug the external modem into the phone jack.
6
H
ARDWARE
I
NSTALLATION
Phone Modem Connection
4. Make a note of your station’s current barometric pressure, total rainfall, and (if appli-
cable) calibration numbers.
You must remove power from the station console to install the WeatherLink,
which will cause these values to be erased. Use the WeatherLink software to
reenter these values after restoring power to the station.
5. Remove the mounting base from the console and remove all power by removing the
AC-power adapter and battery backup.
Failure to remove power to the console before installing the WeatherLink may
cause damage to the WeatherLink or console.
6. Insert the cable plug at the end of the short cable coming from the WeatherLink into
the jack marked
WEATHERLINK
on the bottom of the console.
7. Connect the Telephone Modem Adapter to the external modem.
Do not attempt to use the DB25 adapter and a gender changer to attach the
WeatherLink to a modem because it will not work.
8. Insert the cable plug at the end of the long cable coming from the WeatherLink into the
Telephone Modem Adapter.
9. Turn the modem on.
The modem must be on before you restore power to the station console.
10. Restore power to the weather station by reattaching the power adapter and battery.
The weather station should beep three times. The third beep, which should
occur within 30 seconds, indicates that the WeatherLink is operating correctly.
11. Place the WeatherLink inside the mounting base and reattach the mounting base.
As you do so, guide the cables through the slots in the mounting base.
P
LACE
W
EATHER
L
BASE
.
INK
INSIDE
7
H
ARDWARE
Phone Modem Connection
I
NSTALLATION
A Few Notes About Phone Modem Connections
If you indicate a phone modem connection when setting up your station (see
“Serial Port” on page 20), the software automatically dials the station whenever
you attempt to initiate a program action which requires the software to “talk” to
the WeatherLink.
While connected to a phone modem station, an “On-Line” icon appears in the
toolbar. This icon indicates that you are on-line and may be used to hang up a
remote connection. To hang up, choose the On-Line icon from the toolbar or
choose Hang Up from the File menu.
T
O
-L
OOLBAR
WITH
I
N
INE
CON
Once connected, the software will remain on-line until you choose to hang up.
The software remains on line whether or not you are doing something which
requires it to be connected.
Note:
If you are on-line at the time of a schedule automatic download, the automatic download is
cancelled.
8
3
I
R
A
OFTWARE INSTALLATION AND SETUP
S
This chapter covers software installation and setup.
NSTALLING THE SOFTWARE
1. Place the Install Disk in your disk drive.
2. Choose Run from the File menu, type A:SETUP (or B:SETUP), and choose OK to begin the
installation.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
UNNING THE SOFTWARE
To run the software, double-click on the WeatherLink 4 icon. If you have no stations in the program directory when you run the software, the software will
prompt you to add a station (see “Adding a Station” below for details). If you
have more than one station in the program directory when you run the software,
the software will prompt you to indicate which station you’d like to open.
DDING A STATION
In order to interact with your station, you must add a station, which entails naming
the station, configuring the software to work with that station and with your computer hardware, and setting station values such as time, barometric pressure, total
rainfall, and calibration numbers. For performance reasons, the software reads
these values from the station configuration file (see ”Station Configuration File” on
page 94 for more information) rather than from the station itself.
must set station values from the software.
tion’s console, the readings you see in the bulletin, database, strip charts, reports,
and plots may not agree with your station’s readings.
If you set station values from the sta-
Therefore, you
Adding a Station
1. Choose New Station from the File menu.
The software opens the Add New Station dialog box.
N
S
EW
TATION
9
▲
S
OFTWARE
Adding a Station
I
NSTALLATION
AND
S
ETUP
2. Type the station name into the text box.
The station name may be up to 40 characters/spaces long. Note that the software uses the first eight characters of the station name (not counting spaces or
punctuation marks) as the name of the directory into which it saves this station’s database and configuration files. The first eight characters of each station name must, therefore, be unique. The software also uses the first three
characters as the file extension for that station’s database files (the first three
characters need not be unique).
3. Choose OK.
The software saves the station, creates a directory and subdirectories for that
station, and prompts you to indicate whether you want to enter the walkthrough procedure.
S
TART
W
ALKTHROUGH
C
ONFIRMATION
About the Walkthrough
The software includes a station setup walkthrough which steps you through the
station configuration procedure. After adding a new station, the software automatically prompts you to indicate whether or not you want to be walked through
the configuration procedure. You may , of course, choose No and set up the station
by choosing all of the necessary commands from the menus. A Walkthrough command is included in the Setup menu which allows you to go through the walkthrough procedure at any time.
Note:
Where necessary, the software will automatically dial a phone modem station. See “A Few
Notes About Phone Modem Connections” on page 8 for instructions on dialing and hanging
up.
If you choose Yes to begin the walkthrough, the software takes you through the
following dialog boxes:
10
Station Configuration (see ”Station Config” on page 19)
Set station name, model, accessories, download options, and data file extension.
▲
Choose Units (see ”Select Units” on page 22)
Select units of measure in which station information is displayed.
▲
Serial Port Settings (see ”Serial Port” on page 20)
Set COM port to which W eatherLink is connected. Specify modem connection
settings such as baud rate, phone number, and modem initialization string.
▲
Set Barometer (see ”Set Barometer” on page 24)
Set barometric pressure on station and software. You must enter this information from the software if you want your station and software readings to
agree.
▲
▲
▲
▲
S
OFTWARE
I
NSTALLATION
AND
Adding a Station
Set Rain Cal (see ”Set Rain Cal” on page 25)
Set station’s rainfall calibration number.
Enter Total Rainfall (see ”Set Total Rain” on page 27)
Set total rainfall amount on station and software. You must enter this information from the software if you want you station and software readings to agree.
Set Time and Date (see ”Set Time” on page 23)
Set the time and date on the station, software, and computer to make sure all
three are synchronized.
Note:
When you set the time and date, you will be prompted to clear your archive memory (see
”Archive Memory” on page 91 for information on the archive memory). If you do not clear
archive memory, you may end up with data stored at an incorrect time or duplicate
records. We r ecommend that you do wnload before setting the time (unless you are creating a brand new station) so you may safely clear the archive memory.
Set Archive Interval (see ”Set Archive Interval” on page 24)
Select the interval at which you want data stored to the WeatherLink’s archive
memory (see ”Archive Memory” on page 91).
▲
Set Station Alarms (see ”Set Alarms” on page 28)
Set alarm thresholds on the station.
▲
Set Auto Clear (see ”Auto Clear” on page 30)
Specify the high/low registers and rainfall registers you want cleared at the
same time each day and the time at which you want them cleared.
S
ETUP
▲
Set Auto Download Time(s) (see ”Auto Download” on page 31)
Specify the stations and the times at which you want data automatically
downloaded each day.
At each step in the walkthrough procedure, the software will provide confirmation boxes prompting you to indicate whether or not you wish to continue.
W
ALKTHROUGH
C
ONFIRMATION
To continue, choose OK. To skip this step and move to the next step, choose Skip.
To cancel the entire walkthrough procedure, choose Cancel.
11
S
OFTWARE
Finding the Correct Serial Port
F
INDING
I
NSTALLATION
C
THE
S
AND
ETUP
ORRECT
S
ERIAL
P
ORT
The software contains a procedure for locating the serial port to which your station is connected or determining whether that serial port is working. Using the
Loopback command (as opposed to Test) will help you determine whether a communication problem is being caused by the serial port or by the WeatherLink.
Note:
This procedure will only work for direct connections. If you are making a phone modem connection, you may want to simply chec k the communications softw are you normally use for the
correct serial port setting. Otherwise , you must consult the documentation supplied with your
modem.
In order to use this procedure, you will need the loopback connector (the short
cable with a phone jack on one end and a red plastic tip on the other) supplied
with your Weatherlink software package.
1. If necessary, disconnect the 40-foot WeatherLink cable from the DB9 or DB25 adapter
which is connected to the COM port.
2. Insert the loopback connector into the DB9 or DB25 adapter.
3. Choose Serial Port from the Setup menu.
The software opens the Serial Port dialog box.
4. Choose Loopback.
The software will search all standard serial ports and inform you of the COM
port at which the loopback connector is located.
The software automatically selects the correct COM port for you in the Serial Port
dialog box. If it cannot find the loopback connector at any COM port, your serial
port is not working. Consult your computer documentation for help.
12
L
OOPBACK
S
ERIAL
C
ONNECTOR
P
ORT
F
OUND
4
W
M
SING THE SOFTWARE
U
Everything you need to know about running the software (once it is correctly
installed and set up) is explained in this chapter.
EATHER STATION MODELS
Depending on which station model (Weather Monitor II®, Weather Wizard III®,
etc.) you are using and which optional sensors (Rain Collector or External Temperature/Humidity Sensor) you have connected to your station, certain information and options explained in this manual may not be available. The software may
only display and plot data for which your weather station has a sensor. For example, if you have a Weather Wizard III, you may not plot, view, or print barometric
pressure information.
ULTIPLE STATIONS
The software can support the use of any number of weather stations with a single
version of the program. Each station must connect to its own WeatherLink, however. If you have set up more than one station, whenever you load the software
you will be prompted to open a station.
O
PEN STATION DIALOG BOX
All program actions affect the open station. To open a different station, choose
Open Station from the File menu (see “Open Station” on page 15).
13
U
SING THE SOFTWARE
The Toolbar
T
HE
T
OOLBAR
The toolbar contains icons which activate program commands. The illustration
below shows what commands are activated by the individual toolbar icons. Note
that the Print icon only appears when you have a window which you may print
open. The On-Line icon only appears when you are connected to a remote station.
Open
Station
Download
Bulletin
Window
Strip Chart
Plot
Window
Window
ILE
F
The file menu contains commands relating to station files and
stations. Each command is explained separately below. Note
that the contents of the File menu may change, depending on
what window is currently active. For example, when the Plot
window is the active window, several commands which
enable you to save and open plots and plot templates are
added to the File menu. These added commands are
explained in the appropriate section below.
Rainfall
Database
Window
ENU
M
Yearly
T
OOLBAR
This Month’s
NOAA Summary
On-Line
(Hang Up)
Print
Window
View
Help
Exit
Program
14
U
SING
THE
New Station
Each station connected to the computer must have its own “station” within the
software. This tells the software into which database new data should be saved,
provides the necessary communication settings (serial port, IRQ, etc.), and other
station-specific information.
1. Choose New Station from the File menu.
The New Station dialog box appears.
N
EW
S
TATION
2. To add a station, type the desired station name (up to 40 characters/spaces) into the
Station Name text box and choose OK.
The software saves the station, creates a directory for that station using the
first eight characters in the station name (not including punctuation and
spaces), and prompts you to indicate whether you want to enter the walkthrough procedure (see “About the Walkthrough” on page 10).
S
OFTWARE
File Menu
Open Station
Only one station may be open at a time. That way the software knows into which
database downloaded data should be saved, which communications settings to
use, which database to use when plotting, etc.
1. There are three ways to open a new station. Choose Open Station from the File menu,
choose the Open Station icon from the toolbar, or right click on the main window.
The Open Station dialog box appears.
PEN
TATION
O
S
2. Select a station from the list box on the left and choose OK to open that station.
15
U
THE
S
OFTWARE
SING
File Menu
Delete Station
You may delete a station from the software quickly and easily. Deleting a station
removes the station directory and subdirectories from your hard disk.
1. Choose Delete Station from the File menu.
The Delete Station dialog box appears.
D
ELETE
S
TATION
2. Select a station from the list box on the left and choose OK.
You will be prompted to confirm that you want to delete the station.
3. Choose OK to confirm the deletion.
The software deletes the station and all related files.
Download
Downloading allows you to transfer weather data from the W eatherLink’s ar chive
memory to the database stored on your computer’s hard disk. For information on
the difference between the data in your archive memory and the data in your
database, see “Archive Memory vs. Database” on page 91.
1. Choose Download from the File menu or choose the Download icon from the toolbar.
The software will show you how much information is currently saved in the
archive memory (as a number of records and as a percentage of the archive
memory’s capacity), and prompt you to confirm that you wish to download.
D
OWNLOAD
C
ONFIRMATION
16
U
THE
S
SING
2. To begin the download, choose OK.
The software will begin to download data. The software shows you the
progress of the download in the form of a status bar and a text display of the
number of records transferred so far and the total number of records to be
transferred.
OFTWARE
File Menu
D
OWNLOAD
S
TATUS
After all records have been transferred, the software saves the information
into the open station’s database. If you have set up your station to clear the
archive memory after download (see “Clear archive memory after download”
on page 20), the software clears the archive memory.
View Log
Information about the automatic download and automatic clear of your station(s)
is automatically written to a file called “download.log.“ The log will show you
whether or not the download/clear was successful for each station and give you
the time and date at which it started and completed.
1. Choose View Log from the File menu.
The automatic download log appears.
A
UTOMATIC
D
OWNLOAD
L
OG
2. To close the log window, double-click on the control-box or choose Close from the File
menu.
17
U
THE
S
OFTWARE
SING
Setup Menu
To print the active program window, choose Print from the File menu or click on
the Print icon in the toolbar. Specify printing options (for best results make sure
Landscape mode is selected) in Windows’ print dialog box and choose OK.
Close
To close the active program window, choose Close from the File menu or press
Ctrl-F4 (or Ctrl-Z).
Hang Up
To hang up a modem connection, choose Hang Up from the File menu or choose
the On-Line icon from the toolbar.
Note:
The On-Line icon only appears in the toolbar when you are connected to a remote station.
Exit
To exit the software, choose Exit from the File menu.
S
ETUP
M
ENU
The commands in the Setup menu relate to station and
software setup. Each of the commands is explained separately below.
Walkthrough
The station setup walkthrough automatically steps you
through the entire station configuration procedure. It is
explained in some detail in “About the Walkthrough”
starting on page 10.
18
▲
U
SING
Station Config
You may enter information which will help to identify a particular station and
select a number of station-specific settings.
1. Choose Station Config from the Setup menu or press Ctrl-C.
The Station Configuration dialog box appears.
THE
S
OFTWARE
Setup Menu
S
C
TATION
ONFIGURATION
2. Enter the following information:
Name
Enter the desired station name in this text box. Note that when you first
create a station, the software uses the first eight characters of the station
name as the name of the directory into which it saves this station’s database and configuration files and the first three characters as the file extension for that station’s database files. If you change the station name, the
software will prompt you to change the name of the station directory and
database file extension.
▲
Model
Select the weather station model from the drop-down list box.
▲
Rain Collector
Select the increment in which the rain collector you use with the station
measures rainfall. If you do not have a rain collector, choose None.
▲
Outside Humidity
If you have the optional External Temperature/Humidity Sensor, select
this check box.
19
U
THE
S
OFTWARE
SING
Setup Menu
After download automatically export last 2 days to “download.txt”
The software is capable of automatically creating a text file which contains
all downloaded records for the last 2 days (the day on which you downloaded and the previous day) after each download. To enable this feature,
select the check box. The file (named “download.txt”) is saved into the station’s directory.
▲
Clear archive memory after download
You may have the software automatically clear the archive memory whenever it downloads data. Clearing after each download will decrease the
time it takes to download because there will be less “accumulated” data in
the archive memory. Not clearing after each download allows you to
download data into multiple databases (if more than one person uses a
single weather station, for example). To clear data in the archive memory
after each download, select the check box.
▲
Data File Ext
The file extension used on database files for this station is displayed at the
bottom of the dialog box. To change the file extension, enter a valid DOS
file extension (3 characters) into the text box.
3. When finished, choose OK.
The software save the station configuration settings.
Serial Port
In order to communicate with the WeatherLink and station, you need to specify
communications settings for the station.
1. Choose Serial Port from the Setup menu or press Ctrl-I.
The Serial Port Settings dialog box appears.
▲
▲
2. Enter the following information:
Serial Port
Select the serial port to which the WeatherLink (or modem) is connected.
20
S
ERIAL
P
ORT
U
THE
S
▲
SING
Baud Rate
Unless you are using a modem which only operates at 1200 baud, leave
the baud rate setting at 2400.
Note:
If you have a 1200 baud modem, you need to both flip this setting for the PC AND flip
the dip switch setting on the data logger. By default, both are set to 2400 baud. For
successful operation, both must remain in sync.
▲
Phone Modem Connection
Select this check box to connect to the station by modem (remote connection).
▲
Rotary Dial
Select this check box if you are using a phone modem connection and your
phone is rotary dial.
▲
Phone
Enter the phone number for the modem connected to the station in the text
box. Make sure to enter the area code and any necessary prefixes (for
example, 1, 011, etc.). You may enter the following special characters.
▲
Enter a comma (,) to force the modem to pause before dialing the next
digit. You may enter more than one comma to increase the length of
time for which the modem pauses.
▲
Enter a “w” to force the modem to wait for a dial tone before dialing
the next digit.
▲
Modem String
Enter the desired modem initialization string in the text box. The default
modem initialization string should work in almost all cases. Before changing the modem string, see “Modem String” on page 99 for an explanation
of what each part of the string means.
▲
After Connect Wait
Controls the number of seconds the software waits (after connecting to a
remote station) to send the first command. If you are having difficulty connecting to a remote station, try increasing the number of seconds until you
can connect successfully.
3. When finished selecting options, choose Test.
The software will check the connection to the station (or modem) using the
current settings and indicate whether or not it successfully connected to your
weather station model. If you cannot connect to the station, you may use
Loopback (see “Finding the Correct Serial Port” on page 12) to determine the
correct serial port or make sure the serial port itself is actually working.
4. Once the serial port settings are correct, choose OK.
The software saves the serial port settings.
OFTWARE
Setup Menu
21
Loading...