Laboratory Scale Logging Computer

Software has been developed at WERC to interface two different laboratory scales to a Linux computer. So far the system has been made with work with the Ohaus Navigator and the Denver Instruments PK6, but other scales or other types of equipment could likely also be supported.

The software is currently installed on one computer, host name "nuptse", and configured to log data from both the Ohaus and Denver Instruments scales. The system is intended to be reliable and simple to operate. To begin logging data:

• turn on the computer
• connect the serial port to the scale
• power-on the scale

Data should automatically start being received from the scale and stored to the hard drive. To retrieve the logged data from the computer:

• connect a USB "key" to an available port on the computer
• the computer should beep once when the USB key is seen, and will automatically copy queued data to the key
• the computer will beep twice with the data copy is complete and the key can be removed

To turn off the computer, it should be sufficient to hit Ctl-Alt-Del.