Environmental Data Management Solutions

Common Facts About The E-DAS Software

MINIMUM HARDWARE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Each PC is different and larger monitoring networks may need more resources for optimum performance. The following minimum PC hardware and operating system requirements are recommended for successful installation and operation of the E-DAS software:

300 MHz Pentium processor
128 MB RAM
2 GB hard disk
SVGA color monitor and graphics adapter
One serial port (A second port is necessary for remote call-in to the PC)
One Parallel port
LaserJet or DeskJet type printer (Dot Matrix is not recommended because daily summary reports and monthly reports and monthly reports require landscape printing. Graphs will be easier to read if they are printed in color.)
One internal CD-ROM drive
Bus mouse (An additional serial port is required if a serial mouse is used)
Microsoft Windows 98, NT, 2000, and ( XP for version 5.40 and above only )

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is recommended to ensure power to the polling computer in the event of a power outage. A zip drive is good to have in case of backing up data to some place other than the network.

INSTALLATION

• You cannot install a service pack from version 5.34 into version 5.33.

• The Web Toolkit has to be installed on a server PC because it retrieves data from the Access Database, which has to be installed on the polling PC.    

• When upgrading from Ambient 5.3x to 5.40 and above, if you are currently using the Access Database Module, you will need to delete or move the existing Escdata.mdb file from the data directory to allow the new software to create a new database file.  The Access Database in 5.41 and above are the same format, so the file does not have to be deleted or moved.
   

• When upgrading from Ambient 5.3x and 5.40 to 5.41 and above, if you are currently using the OMS or AIRNow Module, you will need to configure the settings for the new FTP/AIRNow setup.  The AIRNow Module setup is the same in 5.41 and above.

CONFIGURATION

• Interval types must be divisible by sixty. 

          Data average intervals can be set to any of the following:

          Second data can be 5,10,12,15,20, or 30
          Minute data can be 1,2,3, or 4 minutes
          Auxiliary data can be 5,6,10,12,15,20, or 30
          Hourly data can be 1,2,3,4,6,8,or 12

          You cannot set up more than one choice of the same interval type.

• Only 99 sites can be entered into the software Version 5.3x, and only 99 parameters per site can be entered as well.

• We recommend that the data directory be kept separate from the program directory.

• When deleting a site, all of its settings have to be deleted first.  Starting with the EPA codes first, then any digital events, calibrations, and parameters. Delete the site last.

• The Auxiliary Average Interval for an 8800 and 8000B logger is located in the Site screen.  This is a global setting for all of the parameters for each 8800 logger.

• In Ambient 5.3x if you have more than one polling task set up to create the OMSAUTO report, each polling task will follow the format of the first polling task.  The same applies in 5.40 except the automatic report is now called AIRNOW.

• In Ambient 5.40 and below, when automatically transferring the OMS or AIRNow file to more than one address, the transfer program will send the file to all of the addresses that are enabled.  You cannot automatically transfer a different file to each different address.  Any file that gets transferred will be sent to all enabled address. Version 5.41 does have the ability to transfer different files to different addresses.

• In Ambient 5.41 and above the AIRNow menu has changed to FTP/AIRNow.  Mnemonic names now has two menu selection:  Setup Mnemonic site names and Setup Mnemonic parameters names.  Setup FTP/AIRNow files and Edit FTP/AIRNow transfer programs has been modified to allow different files to be sent to different locations.

• In Ambient 5.41 and above the FTP/AIRNow has the ability to create the transfer files in different formats in addition to the AIRNow.  The formats are Import, Matrix, & Latest Average, which include Access and Excel. Version 5.50 can also transfer AIRS (XML).

• In Ambient 5.41 and above the report parameters are no longer in the polling task.  They are now located under the setup of the FTP Program.

• In Ambient 5.41 the FTP Program name has to be entered in capital letters.      

• In Ambient 5.42 the scheduler now allows the user to configure more than twenty-five scheduled tasks.

• In Ambient 5.42 the mapping module has been enhanced: the mapping display can now be saved as a bitmap automatically.      

• Version 5.50 has a digital instrument setup wizard to assist with configuring data links to various analyzers.      

COMMUNICATION

• The software does not have the ability to recognize all internal modems.  We recommend using external modems when polling or linking to the logger.

• You cannot link to the logger or build the strings when the poll is running.  If the poll is running, you need to let the poll program and the update to the database finish before you stop the Scheduler.  After stopping the Scheduler, link to the logger or build strings.  If the Scheduler is running, but the poll is not, the Scheduler still needs to be turned off so the poll program does not try to ask the logger for data while you are linked to the logger.

• Ambient 5.40 and above has the ability to use Ethernet.

• The 8832 is the only logger with an Ethernet connection.

DATA EDITING

• Non-continuous data can only be edited in the Add or edit offline data editor in Ambient 5.3x

• Ambient 5.40 and above has a Monthly non-continuous data editor.

• The Matrix editor is now able to edit daily data in Ambient 5.40 and above.

• Flags are not attached to the data when exporting data using the ASCII export utility

• When enabled the Access Database file will update with hourly and auxiliary data.

• In Ambient 5.40 and above the Access file is created by an automatic poll. 

• In Ambient 5.42 the Access Database Module has been enhanced.  Polled averages are now rounded or truncated before being inserted into the database.

• In Ambient 5.42 the Matrix editor can now batch edit AIRS null codes. 

REPORTS

• The Daily Summary report shows only the highest priority flag.

• The Monthly report does not show flags or invalid data.  A range of data can now be selected in the Monthly report in Version 5.40 and above.

• The Hourly Summary report includes all enabled sites and parameters.

• The Daily Summary report includes all enabled parameters for the selected sites.

• A data report with all flags will show invalid data. The regular data report will not show invalid data.

• You have to have data for the last three years in order to run the Ozone Standard in the Violation of standards report.

• New reports have been added to the software: the Multi hourly monthly report was implemented in Version 5.34 SP1 and above, the Minute summary report was implemented in Version 5.40 and above, and the Monthly non-continuous summary reports was implemented in Ambient 5.40 and above.  The Monthly non-continuous parameter reports was implemented in Ambient 5.41 and above.  The Annual parameter summary report was been implemented in Ambient 5.42.

• Ambient 5.40 and above has the option to generate an AIRS output using the EPA codes from the file or from the data.

• Ambient 5.50 has the ability to generate AIRS output in XML format.

• Ambient 5.50 AIRNow module will allow a decimal positioner to be configured for all parameters except ozone.

PAGING CAPABILITIES 

• Advanced pager & email information was implemented in Ambient 5.41 and above.

•  Report email information was implemented in Ambient 5.42.  Some automatic reports can now be emailed as well as being printed.

CLAIRE UPGRADE

• When upgrading the CLAIRE software, make sure that the CLAIRE software is closed, the dialogic card, Vservice, and the phone lines are not running.  If the yellow phone icon is in the Systray, right click and select close.

• It is important to make a backup of the recordinginfo.mdb file when changes have been made to the configuration. Always check changes that have been made by calling the system to make sure the changes are correct before making the backup of the file. You can always keep a couple of backups, the backup that was created before the most recent, as well as the most recent. Keeping a backup will allow you to restore the system in the case the configuration is messed up or lost.

• The maximum amount of phone lines that the CLAIRE system can use is four.