Remote data collection

Problem(s):

• You want to measure a local quantity (temperature, pressure, radiation level, magnetic field, sunshine intensity, etc.):
  
• At a remote location
  
• At many different locations in a building
  
• At many different locations across the world, all simultaneously in real time 
• You want to provide students access to lab equipment that was
  
• Remote
• Dangerous
• Expensive (one of a kind) 
• You want to have students control/monitor an experiment that takes longer that 2.5 hrs.

Solution(s):

• A) Write a research grant for big money; spend accordingly, OR
• B)  Locate computers on the internet at the sites, attach appropriate probes to the computers and access the probes remotely (basically for free).

Solution A: Good luck!

Solution B:

Hardware:

• Computers on the internet.
  
• ANY serial device (but you have to know how to program it). Examples:
  
• Basic Stamp
• AdcDongle
• ULI
• MPLI
• CBL
  
• LabPro

Software:

• TCP2Serial source software (free). Versions of TCP2Serial include:
• C++ for Linux
• Visual Basic for Windows
• Java for Windows
• Mac TCP2Serial software is available for older Mac OS (pre- 8.1).
• Tcp2Sound. Java program to allow TCP connections to the sound card; Excel macro included.
• ANY software that has TCP/IP control. Examples:
• C++
• JAVA
• MatLab
• Excel

Example Using Excel and the LabPro.

For the past few years introductory calculus based physics class here at IUS have done a Fast Fourier Transform lab on sound using a microphone, the LabPro and our software. Students first sampled local sound sources (from instruments which they brought to class) and then (through the Internet) sampled an "unknown" source hidden in my office. Here are the student instructions for the FFT lab and here is how the Excel spreadsheet appears:

Example Using Excel and the sound card.
Talk to be given at the AAPT meeting in Sacramento, August 2004 on using the sound card and Excel