Windmill Software Launch Serial Data Acquisition Software for Windows 7

Windmill 7 software lets users read and control up to ten instruments over RS232, RS422, RS485 and Modbus. Windmill logs data from laboratory and industrial instruments in text files, and can send data directly to Excel, Access or other Windows programs.

The new software is offered at an introductory price of £50 (60 Euros or $80) – a 65% discount on older versions of the software. Technical support for life is included in the price, and there is a money-back guarantee if the software doesn’t live up to expectations.

The Windmill software suite comprises ready-to-run applications to chart and log data, control analogue and digital outputs, and monitor the com port. No programming is required.

Windmill works with instruments communicating with ASCII or binary messages. With a flexible approach to extracting data values, it is suitable for collecting readings from the majority of serial instruments which can be plugged into the computer’s com port. These include laboratory scales, GPS receivers, sonar, fluorometers, data loggers, gyro compasses, motion sensors, gas analysers, pH transmitters, power meters, titrators, particle analysers and conductivity meters.

Users have the freedom to mix and match equipment from many different manufacturers in many combinations. For example, serial devices from A&D, Bruël & Kjær, Dataq Instruments, Datel, Datataker, Denver, Desoutter, Ecom, Edge Tech, Electro Industries, Fisher, Furuno, Garmin, Horiba, Mettler Toledo, Microchip Technology, Motorola, Molyteck, Newmar, Nu-Metrics, Omnistar, Omron, Orion, Parallax, Paroscientific, Patton, Phytron, Quantum Logic, Quest Scientific, Sartorius, Siemens, Telegan, Telemecanique, Texas Instruments, Transcell and TTi have all been handled by Windmill. Many channels of data can be accepted from each instrument.

Also included in the package is a program to monitor com port communications. This lets users see all bytes sent and received, even non-printing characters like carriage returns. This is crucial when dealing with binary data. Called ComDebug, the software also shows the state of the input and output lines to the computer’s com port.