General VOC08 Software Manual

DATA LOGGING

VOC METER

SOFTWARE MANUAL

VOC08

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Installing the Driver and Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 – 3

Configuring the VOC08 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 – 5

Deploying the Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Downloading, Viewing and Analyzing the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 – 7

DATA LOGGING MODE

If you are new to data logging, be aware that—regardless of the parameter to be
recorded—several steps must precede and follow actual data collection. They include:

1. Installing a Windows7/8/VISTA/XP-compatible driver for the VOC08 data logging
program on the supplied mini-disc, followed by installation of the program

2. Selecting a sampling time and logging mode appropriate for the application.
This is called “configuring” the instrument.

3. Deploying the instrument where the levels of the parameter over time are of particular
interest. If logging is to last more than a few hours, the meter should be switched from
battery power to AC power to avoid having the batteries discharge before logging is
complete.

4. Starting logging, allowing the unattended instrument to collect hundreds or thousands
of data points, and then stopping logging

5. Downloading the logs to a PC and saving them there

6. Displaying, printing or manipulating the logs in tabular or graphic form, to facilitate
trending, analysis and detection of unexpected excursions

Installing the Driver and Software

1. Place the mini-disc that came with the VOC08 in the tray of the host computer’s optical
drive.

2. Extract folders from the zip file.

3. Double-click the <Volume> folder to open it.

4. Double-click the <user’s manuals> folder to open it. Copy the VOC08 Hardware
Manual and VOC08 Software Manual to your PC's hard drive.

5. Click on <PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v110.exe>. When the setup screen appears,
click NEXT to continue.

6. Wait for the driver to install, and then click Finished.

7. Double-click <setup.exe>.

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8. On the security screen that appears next, click Run.

9. On the Destination Directory selection screen that follows, click Next to store the data
logging program in <C:\Program Files (x86)\Data Logger\>, or Browse to choose
another destination directory.

10. On the following screen, click Next to begin the installation.

11. On the Installation Complete screen that follows, click Finish.

12. On the Data Logger screen that appears next, click Restart after saving and closing

any open documents.

13. Following restart, note that the shortcut VOC08 Data Logger has been added to your

desktop. To facilitate access to the program, right-click on the icon and pin it to both
your Start button and the Quick Start area at the left of your taskbar. You can now
eject the installation mini-disc and store it with your other important software.

14. Connect the VOC08 to your computer via the included USB cable. To do so, insert the

MicroUSB plug at one end of the cable into the jack on the right side of the
instrument and the full-size USB plug at the other end of the cable into a USB port of
your PC.

Configuring the VOC08

To begin, double-click the VOC08 Data Logger icon on your desktop to open the program.
The following screen will appear:

Configuring the VOC08 for data logging means choosing several actions and parameters
by interacting with the program. Refer to the screen shot above and the screen shots on
the following pages while following the text:

• Input the number of the COM port to which the meter
is connected. To do so, left-click the Setting pulldown
on the top line of the program and select Comm.Port.
On the top section of the screen that appears next, use
the up and down arrows to enter the COM port

Current date/time

Logger status

VOC (ppm)

Download button

Exit

Logger status

Tem p, RH %

Stored date/time

Parameter

Alert bar

V

alue and line color

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number. If you do not know the number, open your PC’s Control Panel, locate the Device
Manager icon, and left-click it. Among the rows listing your connected peripherals is one
named Ports (COM &
LPT). Expanding this row

should reveal that one of
the ports is the “Prolific
USB-to-Serial Comm Port
(COMX)” (see screen shot
at right). This listing
represents the USB cable
you have plugged in. Enter
the number that appears
instead of the X following
the term COM using the
Comm.Port Setting
pulldown.

• Name your logger by
entering up to 20
characters in the ID box (top section of left image on page 5). Use capital letters and/or
numbers, with no spaces between terms. Then click OK.

• Click the OK box in the bottom (Current Date/Time) section (left image on next page).

• Adjust the high VOC concentration audible alarm (which has a factory default setting of

35.00 ppm), and program the meter either to track 1) VOC readings alone, or

2) VOC readings as well as ambient temperature and RH values (middle image on next
page). As mentioned earlier, the 32,000 point memory of the VOC08 can be devoted
entirely to VOC readings, or devoted one-third each to VOC, ambient temperature and
RH readings.

• Choose a sampling time (top line of right image on next page), data logging start mode
(middle section of right image on next page) and temperature unit (bottom line of right
image on next page).

With regard to sampling time, using the shortest setting of 1 second may result in
too much essentially identical data being stored in memory, potentially limiting its
capacity to capture important events such as an unexpected excursion of a parameter.
Conversely, using a sampling time measured in minutes may cause important events to
go undetected.

If you are an experienced data logger, you already know how to choose the optimum
sampling time for your application. If you are a novice, pick a sampling time closer to the
minimum than the maximum sampling time (5 or 10 seconds is a typical setting), on the
assumption that the VOC08 probably has enough memory (32,000 locations) to store all
the data you ask the meter to log—unless you want to log data for months

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or weeks, rather than a few days. Even using a relatively fast sampling time of
5 seconds to log VOC, temperature and RH, it would take more than 14 hours to fill up
the meter’s memory

• Select a logging start mode. The options (middle section of right image below) are:

 Immediate: Logging begins when the OK button is pressed. Logging will stop

when the memory is full or the DOWNLOAD button is pressed.

 Real-time: In this mode, logging also can be started by pressing the OK button—as

long as the meter remains connected to a PC. By keeping the meter connected,
measurements of VOC concentration, ambient temperature and RH can be viewed on
both devices. The downside of this mode is that the PC must accompany the VOC08
into the field. Logging can be stopped by pressing the STOP button. Data can be
saved as an ASCII (.csv) or .txt file by clicking the disc icon at the upper left of the
program.

 Key Start: The advantage of this mode (and Rollover mode, described below) is that

logging can be started and stopped simply by pressing and holding the BKLT button
on the VOC08 after pressing the OK button—with no need for a PC to be present.
Before starting the next recording session, you must first download the data from the
previous session by pressing the DOWNLOAD button. Logging will stop when the
memory is full or the DOWNLOAD button is pressed.

 Rollover: There is only one difference between this mode and Key Start mode. In

Rollover mode, if logging is ongoing when 32,000 points have been captured (filling
up the meter’s memory), logging will continue, but with new data overwriting old. In
Key Start mode, when the memory fills up, logging stops. Before starting the next
recording session, you must first download the data from the previous session by
pressing the DOWNLOAD button. Logging can be stopped by pressing the
DOWNLOAD button.

 Schedule: In this mode, you determine the date and time when recording begins and

ends by changing the content of the four fields below the Start Mode pulldown. Note
that the initial content of the fields reflects the current time and date because
installing the data logging program automatically syncs it to your PC’s clock. Logging
can always be stopped by pressing the DOWNLOAD button.

• Choose °F or °C as the unit of
ambient temperature (bottom
line of right image). The
selected unit will become
the default until the meter’s
batteries are changed.

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Deploying the Unit

For long-term data logging, General advises using the included AC adaptor to avoid having
the batteries that normally power the meter fully discharge before logging is complete.

To avoid having the meter's Auto Power Off (APO) function activate before a data logging
session is completed, you must manually disable the function. To do so, with the meter
powered off, power it on in a special way by pressing the holding the PWR and HOLD
buttons at the same time. When the meter powers on, a small n will briefly appear on the
LCD.

If the meter powers off for any reason while logging, captured data is not lost because it is
stored in nonvolatile memory.

During logging, the 10-segment vertical bar graph at the bottom left of the meter’s LCD
(see below) both confirms that logging is taking place (if the top bar is flashing) as well as
how much memory remains available to store more data. After logging has stopped (see
next section), the presence of bars on the bar graph can serve as a reminder to download
stored data logs to your PC and save them there, freeing up the meter’s memory for the
next logging session.

If you have used Key Start or Rollover data logging
mode, once you have downloaded and saved data logs
to your PC you need not reconfigure the VOC08 to start
another logging session; all you need do is press and
hold the BKLT button. Remember to download the
data from the previous logging session before starting
a new session.

If you have chosen Real-time start mode, the bottom section of the data logging program
will appear different than in other start modes. While the meter is recording, a green fan
icon at the left edge will flash, and the DOWNLOAD button that normally appears at the
right edge will be re-labeled STOP.

Downloading, Viewing and Analyzing the Data

To stop data logging in Real-time start mode, press the virtual STOP button on the data
logging program. In Schedule mode, logging will stop at the programmed date/time. In Key
Start mode, you stop data logging by pressing and holding the BKLT button on the meter
for at least two seconds. In Rollover Mode, the BKLT button cannot be used to stop
recording, but it can be used to start a new logging session. To stop recording in Immediate
or Rollover mode, press the virtual DOWNLOAD button on the data logging software.

Recording More bars,

more data

Memory
full

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Once logging has begun and immediately after it stops, you can view metadata about the
logging session (how many points of which parameter(s) were captured at a particular
sampling rate) on the LOGGER Status bar near the top of the program.

As noted above, in all modes except Real-time you must take a separate step to download
logs saved in the meter to your PC. Pressing the virtual Download button stops recording
in all modes. If you exit the program before saved logs have been downloaded , the logs
will be erased from the meter’s memory. In Key Start and Rollover modes, saved data must
be downloaded before another logging session can be initiated.

The progress of the downloading process is shown on the blue Alert bar at the bottom of
the program. It’s important to mention that downloading data to a PC is not the same as
saving it there. A message on the Alert bar such as “Reminder: Data is not stored!” should
prompt you to manually save downloaded data by left-clicking the File pulldown at the
upper left of the program, navigating down to the Save File line, and left-clicking again.
This will save the data logs as an ASCII file in .csv format in any directory (folder) of your
computer that you choose. The message “Save file completed” on the Alert bar will confirm
the transfer.

Once a file has been saved, you can use various tools of the data logging program to view,
manipulate, modify or print its content. Among the most useful of these tools are the Data
Table line under the View pulldown and three graph manipulation tools. Clicking on View
Data Table converts a data log
graph to a table that may allow
easier viewing of individual
date/time-stamped readings.

The three graph manipulation tools
allow you to use your computer
keyboard to zoom in and out on a
section of a data log plot, move the
plot left or right to focus on a
particular time period, and present
a set of readings taken at a particular time
on the three colored windows (for Temp,
Humidity and VOC) above the Alert bar.
In the explanatory schematic shown at right,
the dark quarter-circles within the ovals
labeled Mouse represent the mouse’s left
and right buttons.

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VOC08 Software Manual

Specifications subject to change without notice

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NOTICE - WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS.

Software MAN# VOC08

4/15/15