8
!
7. CONNECTING TO A COMPUTER AND INSTALLING USB DRIVERS
Connecting the recorder to the computer's USB port is necessary in order to configure device parameters and to
download files with registered data. Access to the USB socket of the recorder is protected by a protective cap, which must
be unscrewed before connecting and screwed back again after disconnecting the USB cable.
The supplied ARSOFT series support software for Windows is described in the further part of the manual.
After the first connection, Windows (7/8/10) will detect the recorder under the name
Composite device USB
or
AR23x
(
AR23
6
or
AR23
2)
and will request the installation of virtual COM serial port drivers (MODBUS-RTU protocol, used by the
ARSOFT software). In the device manager or the add new hardware creator, you must manually indicate the location
containing the drivers (CD-ROM,
DRIVERS
catalogue or downloaded from the website
www.apar.pl
).
In Windows 8/10 systems, you can use the automatic driver software download from the Windows Update site. In
Windows 7, from the
Device Manager
level, the manual installation is as follows:
1. right-click on the AR23x position
and
select
Update Driver Software
, and then
Browse My Computer for Driver
Software
2. use the
Browse
button to indicate on the disk the location (
DRIVERS
folder) containing the drivers and click
Next
3. installation of the virtual COM port
USB serial device
, press the
Close
button
4. additionally, in the
Disc drives
branch, the system detects and installs
APAR AR23x USB Device
After the installation is completed, the recorder appears in the system as a removable disk with a capacity of
approximately 4MB with the AR23x label and a virtual COMx serial port (x-port number: 1, 2..). The serial port uses the
MODBUS-RTU protocol.
In the internal memory (removable disk) a text configuration file is visible:
AR23x.B.cfg
or
AR23x.BT.cfg
(for the version with
Bluetooth), an additional description in Chapter 9.
NOTE
:
- do not disconnect the device from the computer before the installation of the drivers is completed
- connection of the recorder to the USB port of the computer stops the recording until the cable is disconnected and
blocks a preview of the memory status available from the device's buttons level (with the message
Stor buSY
)
8. SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Provided CD-ROM contains in the
SOFTWARE
folder an installation set of free software for operating the recorder (via the
USB port). This set includes the following applications (for Windows 7/8/10):
Name
Description of the program
ARSOFT-CFG
(parameters
configuration)
- displaying current measurement data as well as date and time,
- configuration of the real time clock (RTC) and other parameters such as options for registration,
display, alarms, function keys, access, etc. (chapter 9),
- creating configuration files on the disk containing the current parameters' settings for re-use
(backup or duplication of configuration)
ARSOFT-LOG
(reading
archives)
archiving on a computer disk and graphic or text presentation of recorded results with the possibility
of printing, input data are downloaded from a text file with the extension
csv
created in the recorder
in the internal memory (chapter 10)
The latest
versions of the above programs are also available on the website (
www.apar.pl
Download
Software
section).
Detailed descriptions of the above mentioned applications can be found in the installation folders. To ensure trouble-free
recorder operation, you should not use many ARSOFT applications at the same time.
9. SETTING CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
All configuration parameters of the recorder are contained in the non-volatile internal memory (FLASH type) in the text
file
AR23x.B.cfg
(where x is
6
or
2
) or
AR23x.BT.cfg
(for the version with Bluetooth).
Programming takes place via the USB port and the ARSOFT-CFG computer program:
- connect the recorder to the computer port and run the ARSOFT-CFG application
- when the connection is established, in the program window, the current measured values, battery voltage are displayed
as well as internal time and date of the recorder,
presence of the transmission is indicated by the [TX / RX] icon of the
display
