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Author Topic: Deciphering STRMON output  (Read 3631 times)
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DeKay
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« Reply #50 on: May 12, 2012, 02:22:12 PM »

To some extent I think that even calling it an Alarm logger is misleading and undersells the product. It's a programmable external control module, with four pairs of contacts which will switch up to  1A @ 50v (obviously more with an intermediate relay) and each pair fully programmable to respond to thresholds, high or low, in any of the weather parameters that the weather station can measure (and still function as a standard logger). I can't believe that more users haven't been attracted to use it in all sorts of interesting applications - there are plenty of people that buy the IP logger at the same price as the 6544 Alarm logger, for example. It probably just needs to be marketed better.

Sorry - this has drifted seriously OT.

I think this oversells the product.  I've taken a quick look at this and from what I can tell, the console is doing all the heavy lifting in figuring out all the alarms and just clocks the appropriate alarm outputs into the module.  It looks like the alarm output module could probably be put together with just a handful of discrete logic chips and some opto-coupled FETs.  Take a look at Figure 1 of this app note.  I suspect that some of the unused pins on the expansion interface are what drives this thing.

If anybody has some nice pictures of the circuit board inside an alarm module, please post them in a new thread.  Now back to STRMON.

EDIT: Link Fixed.  And I'm jealous of those who have already gotten a Raspberry Pi
« Last Edit: May 12, 2012, 04:02:49 PM by DeKay » Logged

johnd
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« Reply #51 on: May 12, 2012, 02:52:14 PM »

I've taken a quick look at this and from what I can tell, the console is doing all the heavy lifting in figuring out all the alarms and just clocks the appropriate alarm outputs into the module.  It looks like the alarm output module could probably be put together with just a handful of discrete logic chips and some opto-coupled FETs.

I'm sure you're right that it's no big deal technically. And I guess the link (which doesn't work for me BTW) is just the standard 6544 App Note.

But the associated point I was trying to make was that certainly here in the UK where I know the market pretty well - I can't tell for sure in the US, but no particular reason to think it's too different - probably only 1 in 3 Davis stations get sold to hobbyists on a very limited budget (but who will be well represented in a forum like this). The others - ie the substantial majority - get sold to users, for whom budget is not the prime consideration but who just want a turnkey solution that performs as specified and have no real electronic skill or interest in building their own add-on parts. I know the 1 in 3 is who the STRMON info will be potentially useful to, but that's the background for my comment about the Alarm logger. (Now back to seeing if I can get PyWeather to run on my Raspberry Pi  Smile )
« Last Edit: May 12, 2012, 02:54:26 PM by johnd » Logged
Weather Display
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« Reply #52 on: May 12, 2012, 03:14:46 PM »

just a FYI,with weather display and a  labjack, or even 12 v 1 wire switches, it can be set to turn off and on relay switches for set parameter thresholds (e.g wind, temperature, rain)
not exactly turn key though
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belfryboy
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« Reply #53 on: May 12, 2012, 03:52:38 PM »

John, you got your raspberry Pi before me!? You are now officially off my Christmas card list! Very Happy
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Buy your own clone logger
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