Functional Overview

The data to export is specified by selecting tables from each of the stations in the datalogger network. When a data table is selected for export, every record that the server collects from the datalogger for that table is sent out by Data Export. If a table is selected but for some reason there is no data being collected by the server, no data will be sent.

Once the data tables to be exported are specified, the user selects an output socket port and the export utility will begin “listening” for a request from a remote application to send data. When the connection to the application is established, data export is initiated.

The options that determine the operation of Data Export are set from the dialog box opened from Data Export’s Edit > Options menu item. There are five options as described below:

  • Listening Port Number – The Listening Port Number is the port number that Data Export will monitor for a request for data. The default port number is 1200; this can be changed to any valid four-digit port number.

  • Starting Options – There are two options for choosing what should be the first record exported when data export is first started. If the Get All Data option is chosen, Data Export will attempt to export all available data from the data cache for the specified datalogger tables. When Start with Newest Record is chosen, export will begin with the most recent record. In this instance, no historical data will be exported from the data cache. Note that this setting applies only to the first time data export is initiated for a table. Subsequent data export sessions will begin exporting after the last known exported record.

  • Collection Options –Holes are discontinuities in data that is being collected via data advise. There are two options for Data Export behavior when a hole is encountered. If Wait for Any Holes is selected Data Export will wait until data holes are filled or become uncollectible before exporting the next record. Thus, the utility attempts to export data in record order. If Collected Order is selected, Data Export will export records as they are collected by the LoggerNet server. With this option, it is possible that data records are exported out of order.

  • Data Format – This is the format in which the data should be exported. If the RTMS Format option is selected, the data is formatted to be received by an RTMS compatible computer. RTMS (real-time monitoring software) is a format developed by CSI for communication between OS/2 operating systems and table-based dataloggers. If Standard Format is selected, the data is formatted as an ASCII comma separated record format that includes header information. The protocols for both formats are described in later in this section.

  • Resending Options – If a message is exported and there is no response or an incorrect response is received from the remote application, Data Export will resend the data. The Resending options are used to set the time interval on which the data will be resent (Time to Wait before Resending the Data) and the number of times Data Export will attempt to send the data and receive a valid response (Number of times to Resend the Data).

You can run multiple instances of the Data Export application by specifying a different initialization directory for each instance. This is done by adding the directory information to the command line of the shortcut that starts the application. An example of this command line would be:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Campbellsci\LoggerNet\SocketDataExport.exe directory pathname

where “directory” is a keyword indicating that the next parameter pathname is a valid directory path on the computer file system. Each instance of Data Export started in this manner will save it’s setting in a separate *.ini file. This initialization file is saved to the directory specified by the pathname command line argument.

For example a shortcut with the following as the command line in the “Target” window would start Data Export using the initialization file stored in the directory “c:\Campbellsci\LoggerNet\SD1”.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Campbellsci\LoggerNet\SocketDataExport.exe directory c:\Campbellsci\LoggerNet\SD1