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Geotechnical Sensor Information dialog

This dialog appears if you do the following:

  1. Add the Data Logger module. The Data Logger Properties dialog appears with the General Settings tab.
  2. Set the focus onto the Geotechnical sensors value field and click the browse button.

Use the Geotechnical Sensor Information dialog to view and edit the list of geotechnical sensors and to configure this instance of the Data Logger module for the geotechnical sensors which are connected to the data logger and are providing the data contained within the data file.

List field

The list contains information on the sensor name, the manufacturer, and the serial number. If the focus is set onto the row, the information relating to it appears in the properties section. Additionally, you must add the information for those geotechnical sensors which produce data contained within the data file. If you add a new sensor, it appears with an empty name field, as long as you have not edited the Name setting. As geotechnical sensors are inserted, this list view reflects each additional sensor added to the Data Logger module. The sensors appear with their sensor name in alphabetical order.

Multiple selections let you assign an identical value to all or several items. Use the Ctrl or Shift keyboard keys to select the items in the list field, edit the value that is to be applied to all selected points and click OK.

Note - Since sensor and data logger information are critical for the performance of the module, you cannot edit the data if the module is enabled for collecting data. For editing the sensor properties, disable it first: From the module's shortcut menu, make sure the Disable File Import command is selected.

Configuring the module for geotechnical sensors

For each sensor that provides data to the data logger, the module must know its individual properties. For providing this information, one adds an item to the list that represents the sensor, and then edits the sensor properties. Besides hardware information, one must provide information on the type(s) of data the sensor delivers and on the header(s) of the data file column that represent this data.

Add button

Adds an individual sensor to the list and presents its properties. To specify its properties use the settings on the right side of the dialog. For each sensor, its name, manufacturer (optional), model, and serial number are displayed in the list. If you attempt to save a configuration without completing these fields, the system issues a warning.

Remove button

Deletes the currently selected sensor(s) from the list.

Sensor properties

Sensor Type category

Model: Automatically filled with Custom Geotechnical Sensor. Not available for editing.

Sensor Name category

Name: This is the name by which the sensor is known in the network and is assigned during network design and installation. Must be unique.

Sensor Information category

The settings of this category relate to the sensor hardware.

Manufacturer: The manufacturer of the geotechnical sensors. Use the drop-down menu to select the manufacturer of geotechnical sensors.

Serial number: Specifies the serial number of the geotechnical sensor. Must be unique. Typically you need the serial number for identifying the sensor hardware and its connection with the Campbell Scientific Data Logger. As the location of the cable connection of a sensor is stored together with its serial numbers it is essential to enter the correct serial number.

Data Types category

Data types: This setting specifies the type(s) of data that the sensor provides. To select or change the selection of data types, set the focus into the value field and click the browse button. The Select Data Types dialog appears. After you have selected the data types, more properties may become available, depending on the selected type(s).

Column Headers category

The contents and heading of this group of properties is generated dynamically, dependent upon the data types that have been selected.

These values are in the data logger software during the integration process of the data logger with the geotechnical sensors. The headers presented in the drop down menus are dynamically extracted from the data file selected in the Data Logger Data file property.

The settings of this category belong to the most critical settings of the Data Logger module. They are used to specify the source of the input data. The data logger hardware is connected at arbitrary terminals to the sensors. It does not know which sensor is connected to each terminal. It knows, however, the type of the sensors (for example, whether it is a tiltmeter or a piezometer). The data logger hardware passes the raw data on to the data logger software, which in turn writes it into CSV data files. The column headers of the data files indicate the sensor type and the terminal. When the Data Logger module reads in the data file, it detects the names of the columns.

For each of the properties, use your data sheets to select the column header matching the individual sensor.

See Also

Data Logger Properties - General Settings

Data Logger Status view

Data Logger: Input of geotechnical sensor data

Enabling the Data Logger module