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SC-IRDA Infra-red Communications Interface

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4.  Operating Instructions

Whichever computer system or software package is used (see
below) 

in all cases

 the IRDA port on the computer needs to be

aligned with the sensor on the SC-IRDA for at least 5 to 10
seconds before attempting to communicate with the datalogger.

This is to allow time for the two IRDA devices to recognize each
other and to negotiate a working IR link. If a link is not
established before you attempt communication, that specific
attempt may fail or may take a prolonged period of time.

4.1  Palm OS Handheld Software

To utilize the IRDA connection you need to select the IRDA option in the
screens where the station parameters are selected. The program will then
operate as normal from that point.

The only points to note that are specific to the IRDA interface are that you
must ensure the IRDA sensors on the Palm PC and SC-IRDA are properly
aligned.  Check your Palm PC carefully, as the sensors are not easily identified
on some models.

Once you have established a connection to the datalogger you will need to keep
the Palm PC in the correct orientation to maintain the connection. The
PConnect software will tolerate a short disturbance to the connection and the
various protocols will ensure no loss of data. However, if the connection is
broken for more than a few seconds the SC-IRDA may shut down. This may
then require PConnect to be terminated, restarted, and the connection re-
initialized before further data can be collected or displayed.

Some of the older, slower, Palm PCs are not able to keep up with
the speed of transfer of data when using the option to read a
datalogger program from the datalogger back to the Palm. For
long programs you may find sections of the program missing,
and so you should not rely on this mode. This should not
generally be an issue, as the master copy of the program is
normally generated and retained on the PC.

4.2  PC Software

The SC-IRDA will work reliably with many PC communications packages.
However, all IRDA interfaces have one characteristic that can upset automatic
programs that expect to communicate via a serial port; this is the time that the
interface takes to initialize. This can take several seconds as opposed to a few
milliseconds with a standard serial port.

Many of Campbell Scientific's own programs will generate a warning message
in a log file, or, in the worst case, not operate at all because of this unexpected
delay. The degree of the problem varies to a degree with the speed of the PC
being used, as faster PCs will have a shorter initialization time. Some guidance
on the use of Campbell Scientific programs with the SC-IRDA interface is
given below.

NOTE

NOTE

Summary of Contents for SC-IRDA

Page 1: ...INSTRUCTION MANUAL SC IRDA Infrared Communications Interface Revision 6 04 C o p y r i g h t c 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 C a m p b e l l S c i e n t i f i c I n c ...

Page 2: ... of all other warranties expressed or implied including warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose CAMPBELL SCIENTIFIC INC is not liable for special indirect incidental or consequential damages Products may not be returned without prior authorization The following contact information is for US and International customers residing in countries served by Campbell Scientific In...

Page 3: ...l 1 2 4 Datalogger Communication Modes 2 2 5 Supported Software Packages 2 3 Installation 2 3 1 Hardware 2 3 2 Using PC Software Drivers 4 4 Operating Instructions 5 4 1 Palm OS Handheld Software 5 4 2 PC Software 5 4 2 1 PC200W Version 1 2 and PC208W Version 3 or later 6 4 2 2 LoggerNet 6 4 2 3 PC9000 6 4 3 Optimizing the Datalogger Baud Rate 6 4 4 CSOS Datalogger Operating System Download Utilit...

Page 4: ...This is a blank page ...

Page 5: ...icating with some dataloggers the CR510 CR10X and CR23X with new standard operating systems that allows it to be connected at the same time as other modem devices for example a telephone modem thus avoiding the need for any extra port switching device 2 Specifications 2 1 Electrical Standby Current 0 17mA typical Active communicating 6 2mA typical current drawn from the 5V supply provided by the d...

Page 6: ...ggerNet Version 2 1a PConnect for Palm PCs version 2 1 or later PC200W version 1 2 but not version 2 0 PC208W Version 3 0 or later PC9000 at 9600 baud only Storage Module software Version 4 6 and later PC Operating Systems Support Windows 98 and ME directly Windows 2000 and XP require a third party virtual serial port driver supplied Please check with Campbell Scientific for availability of compat...

Page 7: ...st or rain on the sensor can normally be gently wiped off with a soft cloth before communication is started Exposure of the sensor to bright sunlight may reduce the maximum spacing between computer and the interface Exposure to strong artificial lights which have a high frequency electronic ballast may also reduce the working range In addition they may cause the SC IRDA to stay awake and thus draw...

Page 8: ...abled for any reason in the PC s BIOS Please refer to your system documentation and Microsoft s installation help system for further information To allow you to use the virtual serial port you need to know which COM port number has been assigned to the IRDA port This information is normally found using the Windows Control Panel either via General System Information an IRDA setup link or via a task...

Page 9: ...tocols will ensure no loss of data However if the connection is broken for more than a few seconds the SC IRDA may shut down This may then require PConnect to be terminated restarted and the connection re initialized before further data can be collected or displayed Some of the older slower Palm PCs are not able to keep up with the speed of transfer of data when using the option to read a datalogg...

Page 10: ... due to inconsistencies in the way valid COM ports are reported to applications Please contact Campbell Scientific for further advice on how to overcome this problem The version of SMS supplied with LoggerNet 2 1 will not allow communication to a storage module connected in parallel to a datalogger Version 4 6 of SMS which will be shipped with LoggerNet 2 2 is needed to allow for the extra start u...

Page 11: ...be used if another SDC device is used at the same time To send the string PC208W and LoggerNet require you to add a generic modem between the COM port and the datalogger in the network map A command is then entered in the dial string for the generic modem as shown below D5000T SETUP 2 D5000 instructs the program to wait 5000 milliseconds after opening the serial port before transmitting the string...

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Page 14: ... campbellsci com br suporte campbellsci com br Campbell Scientific Canada Corp CSC 11564 149th Street NW Edmonton Alberta T5M 1W7 CANADA www campbellsci ca dataloggers campbellsci ca Campbell Scientific Ltd CSL Campbell Park 80 Hathern Road Shepshed Loughborough LE12 9GX UNITED KINGDOM www campbellsci co uk sales campbellsci co uk Campbell Scientific Ltd France Miniparc du Verger Bat H 1 rue de Te...

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