Measurement Computing USB-5201 Installation - Manual (Page 2)

Page 2
Ending a data logging session
To end a data logging session, press and hold the data logging
button until the LED turns off. To prevent data loss, do not
remove the memory card from the logging device while the
device is logging data.
Disconnecting the device from the
computer
Use the Unplug or Eject icon on the computer's taskbar to
safely stop the device before you disconnect it: right-click on
the icon, select the device and click
Stop . Windows notifies
you when it is safe to disconnect the device from your
computer. You don't need to shut down your computer to
disconnect the logging device.
Devices installed with firmware revision 2.12 and earlier
and all devices on Windows 2000
: the Unplug or Eject icon
does not appear in the taskbar when the device is connected
to the USB port.
Do not disconnect the device from the computer when the
device's LED is flashing (transferring data), or data may be
lost. When you disconnect the device, an Unsafe Removal of
Device warning may appear. However, no data is lost on the
device when you remove the device when the LED is steady
green. This information applies to all logging devices,
regardless of the firmware version installed.
How data is stored on the memory card
Data is stored on the memory card in binary files. After
logging measurements, you can transfer the files to your
computer by reconnecting the logging device to a USB port
on your computer or by removing the CompactFlash (CF)
card from the device and using a card reader connected to
your computer.

You can use InstaCal to download and convert log files
directly from the logging device to .csv or .txt format.
You can also set preferences to apply to converted data
 You can use TracerDAQ to download, convert, and plot
.csv data on a strip chart.
The logging device appears as a Mass Storage Device when
connected to a USB port on your computer, so you can copy
files using Windows Explorer.
Note : When operating a device installed with firmware
revision 2.12 and earlier, copy the files using a CF card
reader.
Downloading and converting data using
InstaCal
You can use InstaCal to copy and convert log files directly
from the data logging device.
This procedure can be extremely slow if you are running
Windows 2000 and your logger device has firmware version
2.12 or earlier. For best performance using older firmware
versions, use a CF card reader to read data from the memory
card.
To copy/convert data using InstaCal:
1. After logging data, reconnect the data logging device to a
USB port or hub on your computer.
2. Run InstaCal and double-click on the name of the data
logging device from the InstaCal main form. The
Board
Configuration dialog opens.
3. Click on the Data Logger tab.
The Logger Data tab displays by default. Use this tab to
select which binary file to copy or convert, and to set the
preferences to apply to converted data.
4. To copy a file, click on the name of a binary file and
click the
Copy button.
A Browse for Folder dialog opens for you to select the
destination where you want to store the copied file.
5. To convert a file, select the options that you want to
apply to the converted file (time format, time zone, and
temperature unit) and click on the
Convert button.
A Convert Log File dialog opens for you to select the
following options:

The destination name and path where you want to
store the converted file.
 The type of file to convert to (*.csv or *.txt). When
converting to a text file you can also select the
delimiter character used to separate fields in the
converted file. When converting to an Excel *.csv
file the delimiter character defaults to comma.
 The range of the file to convert — you can convert
the entire file, or specify a range of data to convert
using the date and time list boxes.
6. Click on the OK button to convert the file.
7. Click on the OK button to close the Board
Configuration dialog and return to InstaCal's main form.
A dialog opens for you to save your settings to the
configuration file.
For additional information about the data logging device,
refer to the device's hardware manual. You can download this
manual when you install the software from the Measurement
Computing Data Acquisition Software CD.