DataLog x2

Operating Manual

Document Ref: 04008373a

Date: 23 May 2018

This document was prepared by the staff of Valeport Limited, the Company, and is the property of the Company,
which also owns the copyright therein. All rights conferred by the law of the copyright and by virtue of
international copyright conventions are reserved to the Company. This document must not be copied, reprinted or
reproduced in any material form, either wholly or in part, and the contents of this document, and any method or
technique available therefrom, must not be disclosed to any other person whatsoever without the prior written
consent of the Company.

Valeport Limited
St Peters Quay Tel: +44 1803 869292
Totnes e mail: sales@valeport.co.uk | support@valport.co.uk
Devon, TQ9 5EW Web: www.valeport.co.uk
United Kingdom

As part of our policy of continuous development, we reserve the right to alter, without prior notice, all
specifications, designs, prices and conditions of supply for all our equipment.
Table of Contents

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
..................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Installation
..................................................................................................................................... 4
3. Terminal
.....................................................................................................................................
X2 7
3.1. Establish
....................................................................................................................................
a Connection 9
3.2. Configure
....................................................................................................................................
an Instrument 11
3.3. Download
....................................................................................................................................
a file 14
3.4. Record
....................................................................................................................................
a File 16
4. Datalog
.....................................................................................................................................
X2 18
4.1. Home
....................................................................................................................................
ToolBar 18
4.2. Instrument
....................................................................................................................................
ToolBar 21
4.3. Chart
....................................................................................................................................
ToolBar 32
4.4. Recording
....................................................................................................................................
Toolbar 32
5. Tutorials
..................................................................................................................................... 33
5.1. Configure
....................................................................................................................................
a Model 106 Current Meter 33
5.2. Calibrate
....................................................................................................................................
a 740 Tide Gauge 37
5.3. Calculated
....................................................................................................................................
Density and Salinity 39

© 2018 Valeport Ltd Page 2

 Introduction

1. Introduction
DataLog X2 and Terminal X2 are the latest generation of software from Valeport to interface, configure and download data from
Valeport Instrumentation. They are compatible with the following instruments and replace DataLog Express, DataLog and TideLog
software packages.

Terminal X2 will work with any Valeport Instrument that communicates via serial RS232. Functionality may be limited with some older
instruments.

At present DataLog X2 is not fully compatible with the following instruments and the listed packages should be used instead:

E quipme nt S oftw a r e to be Use d

TideMaster TideMaster Express

MIDAS DWR WaveLog Express

MIDAS WTR WaveLog Express

MIDAS Surveyor SurveyLog

MIDAS BathyPack BathyLog

MIDAS CTD+ DataLog Pro

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

2. Installation
System Requirements:
DataLog X2 and Terminal X2 have been tested on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1

Basic Requirements: 800MHz processor; 512MB of RAM; 1024 x 768 screen resolution; Free Disk-space 20Mb (excluding data of course!);
IE6+ installed.

Recommended Requirements: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor. 2 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 4 GB
RAM (64-bit); 1280 x 1024 screen resolution; Free Disk-space 20Mb (excluding data of course!); IE9+ installed.

Installation Process:
To Install: Run Setup.exe from the installation directory.

Note: You may need to accept a Windows security warning to proceed based upon your system configuration.

Confirm additional settings as required

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 Installation

Confirm the installation tasks and click "Install" to finalise the installation.

Installation can be terminated at any time by pressing the "Cancel" button.

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

Uninstall
To uninstall DataLog X2, navigate to the Windows "Control Panel" and select "Remove Program", DataLog X2 can be selected from the
program list and uninstalled.

Starting DataLog X2

To start DataLog X2 use the following methods:

Navigate to the "All Programs" link under the Windows "START" menu
Navigate to the folder "Valeport Software"
Click the icon "DataLog X2"

Alternatively if during setup you chose to create a desktop icon, locate the icon on the desktop and double-click to open DataLog X2.

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 Terminal X2

3. Terminal X2
Terminal x2 is a lightweight terminal program for serial communication, configuration and control of Valeport Instruments. It is intended
as a direct replacement for Hyper Terminal which is no longer available for Windows PC's.

It has a number of additional features over and above most terminal packages including data logging, wizard based instrument
configuration, file downloads, multiple port connections and TCP-IP serial connection for use over internet connections.

Terminal Toolbar

This allows the port to be configured, serial com ports or TCP/IP ports can be selected. Baud rates can be changed whilst still connected.
Default port settings are 8 bit, No stop bit, No 1 Parity Bit. These settings can be changed but as standard will work with all Valeport
instruments.

Other options available from this toolbar include echo on/off, wrapping, hexadecimal split screen, hide/show special characters and time
stamping.

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Connection Status

Shows the current port, baud rate and protocol and connection status.

Connection Window

The connection window shows any communications between the PC and the connected instrument. In the example above the time
stamping is enabled. Once the window is full, it will scroll with any received data. Data can be highlighted, selected, copied and pasted.

Commands can be typed directly into the connection window or entered into the command line window below

Command Line and Dropdown

The command line can be used to send commands to a connected instrument. A history of sent commands can be accessed with the
drop-down functionality

Connection information

Shows volume of data received during currently connected session, number of lines of data received and rate at which data is being
received.

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 Terminal X2

3.1. Establish a Connection

There are two methods of establishing a connection. When the instrument type is known and when a generic serial connection is
required.

Clicking on the connect icon will bring up the

connection wizard. The instrument type can
be selected from the drop down list.

The connection settings will default to the

factory settings for that instrument. If these
have been changed by the user it may be
necessary to change these.

Alternatively, set the connection up using the

settings toolbar. Once the appropriate port
and baud rate settings are selected, press the
connect icon to establish a connection

To establish TCP-IP serial connection, select

TCP-IP in the Port drop down,

Enter the IP address and port in the Host

settings

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Once the connection is established, the status bar will show the connection details and any communications will be shown in the
window.
Commands can be issued via typing directly into the command window or via the command toolbar.
The command toolbar stores a history of issued commands.
The status toolbar shows the amount of data received, sent and the received rate of data.

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 Terminal X2

3.2. Configure an Instrument

The configuration wizard is instrument specific and the options given will depend on the instrument connected, the example given here is
for a MiniSVP.

Clicking on the configure tool will bring up the configuration wizard.

Select the instrument type and the connection settings will be set to
the factory default for this instrument. They can be altered if
required.

Select the comm port the instrument is connected to and click next.

At the next window, set the timeout setting for interrupting the
instrument.

If attempting to connect to an instrument operating in Burst Mode,

the timeout should be set to greater than the burst interval.

When Next is clicked the configuration wizard will attempt to

interrupt the instrument and read out the current configuration.

If the wizard fails to interrupt the instrument, then check the

connection settings and retry.

If the instrument is successfully interrupted, commands and

responses should be visible in the command window behind the
configuration wizard.

The first wizard window shows information about the instrument.

Boxes are greyed out as information cannot be changed by the
user.

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The next screen allows the pressure sensor to be configured.

Output units can be set and the Tare setting can be configured.

To set a manual Tare, enter the required figure in the box.

To take a measured Tare, press the Set Tare Button.

The following dialog will pop-up.

The Latitude value is used to convert pressure to depth. An

approximate value can be used for the operational area.

If the instrument being configured has a Real Time Clock, the option
to sync it to PC time is available.

Header is a free text field that will be inserted into the header of
every recorded file.

Sampling modes will depend on the instrument connected.

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 Terminal X2

The final screen will show a summary of the commands that will be
sent to the instrument.

If settings have not been changed, then no commands will be

shown here.

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3.3. Download a file

Clicking on the download icon invokes the Download

Wizard. As with all wizards the first stage is to identify the
connected insturment and comms settings.

Ensure the instrument is switched on and connected.

Extend the interrupt timeout if the unit is operating in
burst mode (or cycle the power to the instrument)

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 Terminal X2

Location to download files to can be defined here. Sub

folders by instrument and date will automatically
created.

For instruments that support individual file downloads

(mini and 400 series), a file list with check boxes will be
displayed.

For older instruments such as the model 106/108/308

and the model 740, the entire memory has to be
downloaded in one

A status window will show the progress of the download

and estimated completion time.

Files can be deleted by clicking on the bin icon.

There is no recycle bin. If the file is deleted from the

instrument it is gone forever

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3.4. Record a File

Real time data can be logged to file with

the Recording wizard. As with the other
wizards, set up the instrument type and
communications settings.

If the instrument is not listed, then a

'Generic Instrument' can be selected from
the dropdown and suitable comms settings
entered.

The next screen sets the interuppt settings,

but also adds the ability to filter the
incoming string.

For example, if an instrument such as the

TideMaster is outputting multiple NMEA
strings such as $PVTM1 for met, and
$PVTMA for Tide, the start filter can be set
to $PVTMA to only log the tide data.

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 Terminal X2

For data recorded on instruments without a

Real Time Clock, there is the option to
append a timestamp to each record.

Files will be saved to the selected location.

Files can be automatically named,
incremented and numbered.

Data will continue to be recorded until the

record button is clicked again, or Terminal
is closed.

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

4. Datalog X2
Datalog X2 is a package for communication, configuration and control of Valeport Instruments. It also contains basic graphing and data
display functions for internally recorded and real time data from Valeport Instruments.

It has all the features of Valeport Terminal including data logging, wizard based instrument configuration, file downloads, multiple port
connections and TCP-IP serial connection for use over internet connections.

4.1. Home ToolBar

The Home toolbar gives access to graphing and file management tools. Data from recorded files and downloaded files can be loaded
and viewed as tables and graphs.

4.1.1. File Manager

In DataLog X2 a file is either a recorded data file from real-time connection, or a downloaded file from an instrument. Downloaded files
and recorded files are automatically loaded into the file manager window.

Previously downloaded or recorded files can be added by clicking on the button

Files will be sorted in the order that they are added. The select button activates or deactivates the file.
4.1.1.1. Workspaces
A workspace is a saved configuration of files, graphs and tables. When the workspace is loaded, it will automatically load the files and
create the graphs and tables saved in the workspace.

4.1.2. Time Series Chart

A time series chart can be for single parameter or multiple parameters. Time is always on the X axis. If multiple parameters are selected
then multiple Y axes will be displayed.

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 Datalog X2

4.1.3. Profile Chart

A profile chart can show a single or multiple parameters plotted against
depth/pressure. Depth/Pressure is always on a reversed Y axis.

4.1.4. Scatter Chart

A scatter chart allows one parameter to be plotted against another. A good example of this is T-S plot traditionally used in oceanography
to identify water masses.

Temperature is show here on the Y axis with Salinity plotted on the X axis.

4.1.5. Polar Chart

Polar Charts can be used to display vector type data with a magnitude + direction. eg. water current direction and speed or wind speed
and direction.

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

4.1.6. Terminal Window

The terminal window shows any comms between the insturment and Datalog X2. It can be used to manually interact with the instrument.
It gives access to all the functionality of Terminal X2 7

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 Datalog X2

4.1.7. Table View

The Table view shows the data contained in the file currently highlighted in the File Manager 18 .

Greyed out data is data that has been filtered using the Filtering Tools available in the Chart Toolbar 32

4.2. Instrument ToolBar

The instrument toolbar gives access to a range of functionality for connecting, configuring and downloading data from a Valeport
Instrument

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

4.2.1. Establish a connection

The connection wizard is shard with Datalog X2

There are two methods of establishing a connection. When the instrument type is known and when a generic serial connection is
required.

Clicking on the connect icon will bring up the

connection wizard. The instrument type can
be selected from the drop down list.

The connection settings will default to the

factory settings for that instrument. If these
have been changed by the user it may be
necessary to change these.

Alternatively, set the connection up using the

settings toolbar. Once the appropriate port
and baud rate settings are selected, press the
connect icon to establish a connection

To establish TCP-IP serial connection, select

TCP-IP in the Port drop down,

Enter the IP address and port in the Host

settings

© 2018 Valeport Ltd Page 22

 Datalog X2

Once the connection is established, the status bar will show the connection details and any communications will be shown in the
window.
Commands can be issued via typing directly into the command window or via the command toolbar.
The command toolbar stores a history of issued commands.
The status toolbar shows the amount of data received, sent and the received rate of data.

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

4.2.2. Configure an Instrument

The configuration wizard is shared with Datalog X2.

The configuration wizard is instrument specific and the options given will depend on the instrument connected, the example given here is
for a MiniSVP.

Clicking on the configure tool will bring up the configuration wizard.

Select the instrument type and the connection settings will be set to
the factory default for this instrument. They can be altered if
required.

Select the comm port the instrument is connected to and click next.

At the next window, set the timeout setting for interrupting the
instrument.

If attempting to connect to an instrument operating in Burst Mode,

the timeout should be set to greater than the burst interval.

When Next is clicked the configuration wizard will attempt to

interrupt the instrument and read out the current configuration.

If the wizard fails to interrupt the instrument, then check the

connection settings and retry.

If the instrument is successfully interrupted, commands and

responses should be visible in the command window behind the
configuration wizard.

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 Datalog X2

The first wizard window shows information about the instrument.

Boxes are greyed out as information cannot be changed by the
user.

The next screen allows the pressure sensor to be configured.

Output units can be set and the Tare setting can be configured.

To set a manual Tare, enter the required figure in the box.

To take a measured Tare, press the Set Tare Button.

The following dialog will pop-up.

The Latitude value is used to convert pressure to depth. An

approximate value can be used for the operational area.

If the instrument being configured has a Real Time Clock, the option
to sync it to PC time is available.

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

Header is a free text field that will be inserted into the header of
every recorded file.

Sampling modes will depend on the instrument connected.

The final screen will show a summary of the commands that will be
sent to the instrument.

If settings have not been changed, then no commands will be

shown here.

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 Datalog X2

4.2.3. Download a File

The download wizard is shared with Datalog X2, it operates in the same way as in Terminal with the addition that any downloaded files
are automatically loaded into the File Manager 18 .

Clicking on the download icon invokes the Download

Wizard. As with all wizards the first stage is to identify the
connected insturment and comms settings.

Ensure the instrument is switched on and connected.

Extend the interrupt timeout if the unit is operating in
burst mode (or cycle the power to the instrument)

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

Location to download files to can be defined here. Sub

folders by instrument and date will automatically
created.

For instruments that support individual file downloads

(mini and 400 series), a file list with check boxes will be
displayed.

For older instruments such as the model 106/108/308

and the model 740, the entire memory has to be
downloaded in one

A status window will show the progress of the download

and estimated completion time.

Files can be deleted by clicking on the bin icon.

There is no recycle bin. If the file is deleted from the

instrument it is gone forever

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 Datalog X2

4.2.4. Record a File

The recording wizard in Datalog X2 differs from the recording wizard in Terminal X2. Rather than just recording any data incoming on
the serial port, Datalog X2 will interpret and parse the data into the current workspace to allow real-time data to be displayed and potted
using the charting tools available on the Home Toolbar 18

Real time data can be logged to file with

the Recording wizard. As with the other
wizards, set up the instrument type and
communications settings.

If the instrument is not listed, then a

'Generic Instrument' can be selected from
the dropdown and suitable comms settings
entered.

The next screen sets the interrupt settings,

selects the incoming Data format and adds
the ability to filter the incoming string.

If the data format is not known, select

generic instrument, the next screen will
allow the format to be defined.

Filtering is also available. For example, if an

instrument such as the TideMaster is
outputting multiple NMEA strings such as
$PVTM1 for met, and $PVTMA for Tide, the
start filter can be set to $PVTMA to only log
the tide data.

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04008373a - DataLogx2 & Terminal x2 User Guid

If the data format outputted by the

instrument is recognised, the columns of
data should automatically populate.

If Generic format has been selected in the

previous screen, the delimters, columns
names and units can be defined.

For data recorded on instruments without a

Real Time Clock, there is the option to
append a timestamp to each record.

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 Datalog X2

Files will be saved to the selected location.

Files can be automatically named,
incremented and numbered.

Data will continue to be recorded until the

record button is clicked again.

4.2.5. Instrument Tools

The instrument tools can be used a shortcut to carry out
task on a connected instrument such as interupting a
running intrument, set a pressure Tare, clearing the
memory and setting the instrument into Run mode.

For certain instruments such as the model 740 that

require site calibrations, the calibrate button will be
available.

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4.3. Chart ToolBar

The Chart Toolbar allows for some basic filtering to be applied to the datasets in the workspace.

Date and Depth filters can be applied using the toolbar buttons, One additional filter can be added using the Add button. This brings up
the filter dialogue where the parameter to filter with can be selected and upper/lower limits set.

To clear the filter, click the clear button.

4.4. Recording Toolbar

The Recording toolbar becomes active when the Record button on the Home Toolbar 18 is clicked. Clicking the record button will
activate the Recording Wizard 29 .

The recording toolbar can be used to manage incoming data. The toolbar informs on the location that files are being saved to, the file
increment and the port settings of the attached instrument.

When Datalog X2 is actively recording data, a new file can be started by pressing the next file button.

This is will also have the effect of resetting any graphs or charts currently active.

© 2018 Valeport Ltd Page 32

 Tutorials

5. Tutorials
5.1. Configure a Model 106 Current Meter
Configuration of a Model 106 current meter is via the configuration wizard, this can be accessed via the Instrument ToolBar 21 .

Clicking on the Configure button will invoke the configuration wizard.

Select Model 106 Current Meter from the

dropdown menu.

This will populate the connection settings

with the default setting for a Model 106.

Select the COM port that the instrument is

connected to.

Click Next.

This will set the interrupt timeouts for the

instrument. As default DataLog X2 will
attempt to interrupt an instrument for 60s.

If the instrument is not currently connected

to the PC, or the seawater switch is not
connected if using an older model, do so
now and click next.

If the interrupt is successful, then

commands should be displayed bottom left
being sent to the instrument.

If no connection is established, check

connections and the correct com
port /baud rate is being used and try
again.

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Datalog X2 will read the current setting of

the instrument and display on screen.

Settings that are greyed out, are factory set

and cannot be changed by the user

The instruments internal clock can be

manually set, or synced to the PC time. This
will be in the time zone that the PC is
currently set to.

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 Tutorials

Sample Period and Averaging Period can

be set.

The combination of these two will

determine how often the Model 106 will log
and output data.

Sample Period is how long the 106 counts

impeller revolutions for. This is set to a
minimum of 3 seconds.

Average Period is how many Sample

Periods are averaged before a data point is
recorded or output.

I.E
Sample Period = 3s
Average Period = 1

Data recorded once every 3s

Sample Period = 3s
Average Period = 20

Data recorded once every 60s.

The final screen shows the commands to

be sent to the instrument. If no changes
have been made to the instrument setup,
then no commands will be shown here.

Manual commands can be added here, for

example if you want to put the instrument
straight into run mode, then add #028 to
the list.

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The final screen shows the commands to

be sent to the instrument. If no changes
have been made to the instrument setup,
then no commands will be shown here.

Manual commands can be added here, for

example if you want to put the instrument
straight into run mode, then add #028 to
the list.

Alternatively, click finish to apply setup

commands, and then start the model 106
running by using the Instrument Tools 31
run button

© 2018 Valeport Ltd Page 36

 Tutorials

5.2. Calibrate a 740 Tide Gauge

There are two routes to calibrate a 740 tide gauge in Datalog X2, it will appear as part of the configuration wizard 24 while configuring
a model 740, or can be directly accessed via the Instrument Tools 31 Toolbar. To access via the Instrument Tools section, a connection
will first have to be established 22 with the Model 740.

There are three options for the calibration of

a Model 740.

1: No calibration

2: Site Calibration - A site specific calibration

is calculated by measured the pressure at
known high and low tide heights. See Model
740 manual or TideMaster manual for more
detail on the operation procedure used to
carry this out. Height can be output in metres
or feet.

3: User Calibration - a datum offset and gain

factor is manually applied.

Selecting the Site Calibration method

activates the window shown.

Select the required units, enter the known

tide heights and click the << button to
measure the pressure at that height. 60s of
pressure data will be averaged.

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If a User Calibration is selected, the option to

choose output units and enter and offset and
gain factor are given.

Offset is the height of the pressure

transducer above or below a known datum
point IE Chart Datum or Lowest Astronomical
Tide.

Gain is the factor applied to compensate for

the density of the water in the pressure
conversion to depth.

Once the calibration method has been completed, click on next to commit settings to the model 740.

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 Tutorials

5.3. Calculated Density and Salinity

By uploading a data set that contains Sound Velocity, Pressure and Temperature DataLog x2 will automatically calculate the Practical
Salinity and from that Density at each point in the profile using Valeport's proprietary computational techniques.

Salinity is calculated to an accuracy of ±0.05 PSU and Density to an accuracy of ±0.05kg/m3

Page 39 © 2018 Valeport Ltd