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K145 Temperature
Monitor Standard
(freeware)
Note (Dec/09): this is the original
K145TMLite software, renamed to "Standard" (K145TMStd).
This application is designed to monitor and display temperature information from the
DIY/Kitsrus K145 Temperature Data Logger kit
(www.kitsrus.com). This is a 4 – channel unit, using DS18S20 one-wire temperature sensors. Connection to the pc is through the serial port.
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Software features:
- 4 channels of temperature display and recording
- Thermometer display
- Plot screen
- Logging
- Displays Min/Max values for each channel
- User definable colors for each channel for Thermometers and Plotter
- Option to define "friendly" names for each channel
- Option to configure calibration offsets for sensor readings recent
- Select Deg C or Deg F, in software
(** the K145 must be jumpered for Deg C, and left on that setting)
- Adjustable temperature display scales for thermometers and plotter
(Conversion calculator included, to assist with setting
temperature scale)
- Logging function, with configurable log interval
- Log is saved to file either manually, or automatically on
a 24 hour cycle
- Log file is saved in tab-delimited format, for easy loading
into a spreadsheet program
- The program uses local settings (aka “Regional Options”) for
formatting temperature values, and dates and times in the Log.
- Capture a screenshot of the Plot screen
- Selectable COM port
- Option to auto-connect at program start
- Configuration settings are saved to file |
Purchase
the
K145 kit
at Carl's
Download
K145TMStd
software
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See the change log (below) for
info on recent updates.
Display
Temperature values are displayed in numeric format, in "Thermometers", as
plot lines, and in the Log. Each of the 4 available
channels has it's own display area. Color settings for each
thermometer can be independently configured. You can define
a "friendly name" for each channel, rather than
the "Ch. x" defaults. Color of the friendly name
matches that of the corresponding thermometer.
Temperature
Deg C or Deg F. How this
works: set the K145 to Deg C (and leave it there permanently). When
you select Deg F on the Config page, an internal calculation is
done by the program,
translating the incoming Deg C value to Deg F.
The thermometer scales are
adjustable. They can be set to accommodate anywhere from a
wide range to a narrow range of temperature changes. The F
and C scales are set independently. An F<>C conversion
calculator is included for user
convenience.
Plotting
Temperatures can be graphed over a period of time. The
temperature scale on the graph matches that on the
Thermometers. Sampling intervals are selectable from 15 seconds to
10 minutes. This allows display of elapsed time periods
from 3 hours to 120 hours.
Logging
There is a logging function
available, recording date, time, channel, and temperature.
The program collects the temperature data, and records all 4
channels in parallel -- ie: all 4 channels on 1 line, each channel
in its own column. You can select how often data is recorded
into the Log: the Logging Interval can be set from 15 seconds
to 1 hour.
The Log is automatically saved to file once
approximately every 24 hours. You also have the option to manually save the log to
file. The records in the log file are in tab-delimited
format, which can easily be loaded and viewed in a spreadsheet
program.
Communications
The K145 uses a serial connection to a computer, but does not
implement the full RS232 protocol. This means that some pc serial
ports may not read the data accurately. The same applies to
USB-to-Serial adapters. Keep the serial cable as short as
possible, but be aware that even this might not be enough to get a
useable data signal. The program incorporates some error handling options
which may help to improve stability if running on older hardware.
Configuration
Configuration settings are saved to an .ini (text) file in the ..\MyDocuments\K145 folder. A copy
of the config file is embedded in the program (.exe). At
startup, the program checks the MyDocuments
folder for the presence of the config file. If
not found, then a copy of the file is dropped there. Note: the Config file is
version specific. When downloading and running an updated version of the
program, the old config file must be removed.
System
Requirements:
- Windows 98SE to Vista32 (not tested on Win95, WinME, XP64, Vista64, or Win7)
(a user has reported being able to run
the program in Linux/Wine)
- 2.5 MB of hard drive space
- an available serial port
You can download the files here.
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Change Log
Dec 20/09
v. 1.0.1 (02)
- Program has been renamed to "Standard" (K145TMStd) from "Lite"
(based on v. 1.7.0 (79) of the old K145TMLite program)
- Help file updated to reflect program name change
Notes:
a. This version of the K145 Temperature
Monitor is freeware.
b. Read about the DS18S20 1-wire Temperature Sensor here.
c. The original developer of the K145 firmware (Quozl) has a project
page:
http://james.tooraweenah.com/moin/ts
d. If you're unsure about the usability of your serial port,
you might want to try connecting
with the K145
Tester, or HyperTerminal. If you
can connect, and the data is not corrupted
in the display, then your port should be OK.
If you're not familiar with HyperTerminal,
there's a tutorial here.
See also MinTerm Lite
e. There is an RS232 tutorial here.
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