Product News - Software Aids Setup And Monitoring Of Ultrasonic Sensors

Software Aids Setup And Monitoring Of Ultrasonic Sensors

Senix Corp., manufacturer of non-contact ultrasonic sensors, has introduced WinSpan software for its Ultra-S and Ultra-U families of sensors. It replaces SoftSpan, a DOS program.

WinSpan uses the menu operation of Windows 95/98, along with visual feedback of distance for easy setup and viewing of sensor measurements. Users can optionally do any of the following:

* Adjust the switching distances, polarities and response characteristics of each switch/relay independently. The set point can be 'drag and dropped' with a mouse or numerical values can be entered directly into data fields. The response of each switch can be specified at echo loss, and hysteresis and window range can be adjusted.

* Adjust and view the slope of analog outputs and set the voltage or current minimum and maximum values, as well as the distances those values represent. WinSpan then draws the curve. Like set points, curves can be 'drag and dropped' or entered on the keypad. With a sensor connected, an on-screen meter displays the analog value at the current distance.

* View the distance measured by the sensor. A moving icon displays the target measurement relative to the horizontal scale of the display, which represents the configured material range (also adjustable).

* View the history of the measurement in strip chart format in the lower part of the screen. Data can then be logged to a disk for importing into a spreadsheet.

All sensor adjustments can be stored and recalled. A user-defined setup description can be stored with each file to make it easy to remember. This allows users to create an exact copy of any stored configuration without having to readjust potentiometers or remember complex calibration procedures.

WinSpan software is priced at $99 and includes instructions, disks, sensor/computer cable and a modular power supply.

Senix Corp.
Bristol, VT