Software setting and usage

We present hereafter the -full instance of the software, which can be run only on the server . The other options -server and -client allow just single runs of the server and client . The snapshots that follow illustrate the setting and the feature of the program.

In particular, Fig.3 to Fig.11 show the setting and start of the server , including the choice of Load Cell and GPSNmea sensors.

The server and client instances have their own preferences:

• general, to set for example the TCP/IP port number and the verbosity
• I/O, to select the data directory and base names
• sensors, to create and connect sensors.

Each particular sensor have their own preferences:

• general, to provide general setting, such as the data acquisition rate
• device, to control the port communication parameters
• other, to deal with specific sensor controls and settings, such as zeroing or calibrating the Load Cell.

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Figure 3: Server setting, general preferences. The IP number can be left untouched.

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Figure 4: Server setting, I/O preferences. The user can select the directory and basename of the acquired files. The name of the files is then constructed by adding the sensor name and an hourly timestamp.

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Figure 5: Server setting, sensors. LoadCell and GPSNMEA sensors are added to the system.

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Figure 6: Server setting, Load Cell, general preferences.

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Figure 7: Server setting, Load Cell, Other preferences. Note the Unit of Measure, zero and calibrate buttons.

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Figure 8: Server setting, GPSNmea, general preferences.

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Figure 9: Server setting, GPSNmea, Device preferences.

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Figure 10: Server setting, GPSNmea, Other preferences. Note the time (UTC) synchronization button.

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Figure 11: Server instance, start.

When all is done the user should press the <go> button (the well-known triangle icon above right in the window). To stop, the square button is pressed. The data are then acquired in the selected directory with an hourly timestamp for each individual file (this to prevent accidental file closure or destruction). The data have the UTC and unix timestamp as well, to make sorting and merging easier. See in Appendix C some example of the data acquired.

Once the server was launched and started to collect and store data, the client (Fig.12) can be used to visualize the incoming data (Fig.13).

The client instance is run from either the SERVER machine than remote ones. It shares the same behaviour of the server , with some limitations. Once the general preferences and i/o preferences are set, the <go> button is pressed to establish the connection with the server . This latter sends the proper information about the sensors it is connected to, and the client sets the main window accordingly (see Fig.14, that shows the graph of the Load Cell vs. time).

The client instance does not allow to select/create sensors, yet relaying on the server information.

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Figure 12: Client setting, general preferences. The user must set the IP address or domain name of the SERVER, and the port number of the server.

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Figure 13: The client visualizing data.

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Figure 14: Client instance, Load Cell with graph.The red value turns to green when lower than the warning value set.