TIDE STATION USERS’ MANUAL Chapter 4 17
4 general software setup
4.1 available setup files
Sutron’s XPert data loggers are “field PCs”. Each XPert has a disk drive implemented in non-volatile flash memory. Setups are stored as files on the flash disk XPert setup files end with the extension .SSF. The setup file can be developed and stored directly through the RTU’s graphical user interface, or it can be developed on a different RTU and copied to the current RTU.
It is not the intent of this manual to explain if full detail the process of setting up an XPert. Refer to the XPert users’ manual for that purpose. Tide stations, almost without exception, will be set up by using an existing setup or by copying an existing setup and making small modifications. The chapter covers the loading of setups and processes for making modifications.
The companion CD for this manual contains setups for complete stations as well as setups for individual sensors. Sections 4.2 and following explain how to load a standard setup and modify it by deleting or appending the individual sensor setups. Sections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 provide tables that list the setup files available on the CD.
Note that the term “setup”, as used here, refers strictly to the settings that govern data collection, processing, and logging. These features of the XPert are governed by the contents of the .SSF files. NOS Tide stations require GOES satellite as the primary form of telemetry. The NOS GOES data transmission format is controlled by a secondary setup file called “NOSGOESFormat.txt”. There is a matching NOSGOESFormat.txt file for each complete station setup file. Similarly, there is a .txt file containing the proper contents for a line in the NOSGOESFormat.txt file that matches each individual sensor setup. The .SSF file and the NOS GOESFormat.txt file MUST MATCH in order for the GOES telemetry to work properly. Refer to Appendix A and the chapters on individual sensors for further information on GOES setup.
4.1.1 Complete Tide Station Setups
The following complete tide station setups are available on the CD.
Description / Contains Sensors / Setup (.SSF) file name / NOSGOESFormat.txt filePrimary NWLN Aquatrak
Primary NWLN Dual Paroscientific
Great Lakes BEI SAE
Basic Hydro
Basic Met Sensors Only
Redundant SDI SAE
Redundant Pressure Transducer (Analog)
Redundant Pressure Transducer (SDI)
4.1.2 Setups for Individual Sensors
The following individual sensor setups are available on the CD. (These setups will be referred to as “sensor line” setups in later sections of this manual.
Sensor / Sensor Setup File (.SSF) / GOESFormat.txt line fileDatum, Sensor Offset, and Battery / DATSNSBat..ssf
Aquatrak SDI / Aquatrak Sensor.ssf / Aquatrak SDI.txt
BEI shaft angle encoder / BEI Sensor.ssf / BEI Encoder.txt
SDI shaft angle encoder / SDI SAE.ssf
Single Paroscientific pressure transducer / Paroscientific.ssf
Miros radar air gap sensor / Air Gap ‘Sensor.ssf
RM Young wind speed/direction sensor / RM Young Wind Speed and Direction.ssf / RM Young WS WD.txt
Sutron Accubar barometric pressure sensor / Sutron barometer.ssf
Air temperature sensor / YSI Air Temperature.ssf / YSI Air Temperature.txt
Water temperature sensor / YSI Water Temperature.ssf / YSI Water Temperature.txt
Vaisala aire temperature-relative humidity / Vaisala ATRH.ssf
Tipping bucket rain gage / Tipping bucket.ssf
Analog sensor / Analog sensor.ssf
4.2 Loading a complete setup file
In most instances you will be communicating with an XPert by means of a laptop computer or PC. You will run Sutron’s XTerm communications program and connect to the RTU. The laptop computer or PC must be connected to the RTU by means of a serial cable connected to COM 1 on the RTU and any available COM port on the laptop or PC.
In order to copy a setup file to the RTU you will select the File Transfer button on the XTerm main window, as illustrated here:
Figure 2. 1 XTerm Main Window
You will then see the file transfer window, as illustrated here:
Figure 2. 2 File Transfer Window
The left panel lists the contents of a folder or disk drive on your PC or laptop. The right panel lists the contents of the Flash Disk drive on the XPert. Use your mouse and the [..] button at the top of the left panel to move to the directory containing the setup or text file you want to load. (Note that the [..] button will not change disk drives. If you need a differend disk drive then use the mouse to edit the drive letter in the PC Files window at the top left.) Select the setup file and press the è button at the bottom of the window to copy the desired setup file to the Flash Disk. Be sure you are copying a file with the extension .SSF.
When the copy operation completes you will see the file listed under the contents of the Flash Disk in the right panel.
Repeat the process to copy over a matching NOSGOESFormat.txt file.
In order to use the setup file you have several options. These options are governed by the rules of XPert setup files. The XPert, when it is powered up, will look first for a setup file that has the same name as itself. That is, if the current XPert is named NOSTides, it will look for NOSTides.SSF. (Names are NOT case sensitive.) If a matching file is not found, the XPert will then look for a file called DEFAULT.SSF. If now default file is found then XPert will create an empty default file.
Your first option is to rename or copy the setup file you import while it is still on the PC or laptop. By doing so, the RTU will automatically load it for you when you reboot the XPert. The second option is to “open” the file from inside the XPert interface. Log on to the RTU with setup privileges and select the SETUP tab. You will then see the setup window.
Figure 2. 3 Setup Tab
Expand the setup tree by clicking on the + sign next to Setup File ( xxxx.ssf).
Figure 2. 4 Expanded Setup File options
Select OPEN and click EDIT. You will see a listing of the setup files on the Flash Disk. Select the setup file you want to use and click OK. When the operation is complete you can use the setup file or edit it. (NOTE: You should see the file you just selected in the caption of the Setup File line – that is Setup File (Standard Setup.ssf) – or whatever the name was.) Use the Save As option to save your edited file as either Default.ssf or xxxxx.ssf, where xxxxx is the RTU name, if you want the file to be used automatically.
Figure 2. 5 Setup File Selection Window
4.3 modifying a setup file
As indicated earlier, it is highly unlikely that you will ever create a complete tide station setup from scratch. You will, instead, load a starting setup, and then delete some parts and append others. This section of the manual describes the general principles involved.
4.3.1 Viewing the Contents
XPert setups are graphical in nature. Icons are used to depict sensors and the flow of data from the sensor to the log files to telemetry. You can view the contents of your setup file in two ways:
· Overall view
· Individual sensor rows
If you want to see the entire setup, select the Graphical Setup line and press EDIT. The graphical setup will expand to show you the individual sensor rows in the setup.
Figure 2. 6 Setup Tab with Graphical Setup selected
Pressing Edit at this point will show you then entire setup.
Figure 2. 7 Expanded Graphical Setup Showing Icons
If instead you click the [ + ] sign in front of Graphical Setup, you will see the following:
Figure 2. 8 Graphical Setup with Sensor Rows expanded
Select an individual sensor by clicking on a row (SDIAqua in this example).
Figure 2. 9 Expanded Graphical Setup with Sensor Row Selected
Press Edit to see the setup for the selected sensor only.
Figure 2. 10 Individual Sensor Setup
Use the Exit button at the top to return to the main Setup tab. Use this view to make adjustments to individual components of the setup. (See section 4.2.4)
4.3.2 Deleting a Sensor Row
Deleting a sensor row will be one of the most common ways to reduce a complex setup to one that you want. Load a setup that has “one of everything” and then remove the parts that don’t apply.
In order to delete a sensor row you must first expand the Graphical Setup row to see all of the individual sensor rows. (Click on the [ + ] sign in front of Graphical Setup if the setup is not already expanded. You want to be able to see the following type of display.
Figure 2. 11 Expanded Graphical Setup
Note that no sensor row has not been selected.
Let’s assume that you will not have a barometric pressure (Barom) sensor at your particular site. That will require us to delete sensor row 5. Begin by selecting sensor row 5.
Figure 2. 12 Graphical Setup with Row 5 Selected
Press Edit to see the barometer setup icons.
Figure 2. 13 Expanded Barometer Setup
In order to delete this sensor row, click on the Barom [BP] icon. You will see the following dialog box appear:
Figure 2. 14 Edit Dialog for BP Icon
Click on Delete Right. You will be asked if you really mean to delete this sensor. Click on YES. That will remove the barometric pressure sensor from the setup. Repeat the above steps to remove any other sensors that will not be used at the current station.
If you are deleting sensors from one of the standard station setups then you must make matching deletions in the NOSGOESFormat.txt file. Those deletions must be done on your laptop or PC, followed by reloading the .txt file.
Appending a Sensor Row
Sensors can be added in one of two ways. These ways are:
· “Hand edit” a new sensor using standard XPert setup techniques (not covered in this manual)
· Add one or more sensors by appending other setup files that contain the appropriate sensor row or rows.
Appending a sensor row is quite easy. Let’s assume that you want to add the logging of the XPert’s internal battery voltage to your setup. Another user has provided you with a setup file called Battery.ssf that contains the appropriate sensor row. You can add this row to your current setup as follows.
First, copy the provided setup file (Battery.ssf) to your PC or laptop. Use the XTerm File Transfer menu to copy the Battery.ssf file to the Flash Disk on your XPert.
Next, make sure that your XPert has the appropriate starting setup loaded. They, go to the Setup tab and expand (click on the [ + ] sign) the Setup File row. Your display will look like this.
Figure 2. 15 Setup Tab with Setup File Row Expanded
Select Append and click on Edit. You will see the following dialog:
Figure 2. 16 File Append Dialog with file selected
Select Battery.ssf, as illustrated in the figure (click on Battery.ssf). Click on OK. Battery.ssf’s contents will be added to the end of your current setup. You can verify this by expanding the Graphical Setup row. (Click on the [+] sign in front of Graphical Setup and scroll down to the bottom.)
Figure 2. 17 Row 14 of setup appended from Battery.ssf
You can verify the contents of the new row by clicking on the row to select it and then clicking on Edit. You will then see how the battery voltage is collected and processed.
Figure 2. 18 Appended Battery.ssf file sensor row
Multiple sensors can be appended at one time. What is appended is strictly a function of the contents of the appended .SSF file.
Note that when you append sensor to the setup you must also add rows to the NOSGOESFormat.txt file. If you do not, the new sensors will NOT be included in GOES transmissions. Edit the NOSGOESFormat.txt file on your PC or laptop and then reload it to the XPert.
4.3.3 Editing Specific Properties of a Sensor Row
Each of the icons in a sensor row has a set of properties. These properties govern how the XPert will handle data collection, processing, logging, and telemetry for the sensor. In most cases the sensor row that you have loaded will already have the correct properties. These properties will have been set in the original setup file you loaded, or in the sensor rows you have appended. Each of the sensor-specific chapters provides guidance on appropriate properties. If for some reason you need to change the properties, proceed as follows.
Begin by expanding the Graphical Setup line. (Click on the [ + ] sign in front of the line if the line is not already expanded.) Select the row containing the sensor whose properties you want to change. Click on Edit.
Let’s assume, for example, that you wish to change the averaging properties for the barometric pressure sensor. After selecting the appropriate row and clicking on Edit you will see the following:
Figure 2. 19 Expanded Barometric Pressure Sensor Row
Click on the Average icon to select it. That will bring up the following dialog:
Figure 2. 20 Edit Dialog for the Average Block (Icon)