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    Archive Plotter User Guide: BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector

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    sagarnitishpirthee

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    Archive Plotter User Guide: BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector

    Uploaded by

    sagarnitishpirthee
    58 views6 pages

    Original Title

    BTD Archive Plotter DOC101397.00A

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    58 views6 pages

    Archive Plotter User Guide: BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector

    Uploaded by

    sagarnitishpirthee

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 6

    BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector

    Archive Plotter User Guide


    BTD-300 Archive Plotter User Guide

    Produced by:
    Bristol Industrial and Research Associated Limited (BIRAL),
    P. O. Box 2, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 7JB, UK.
    Tel: +44 (0) 1275 847787
    Fax: +44 (0) 1275 847303

    Email: [email protected]
    Webpage: http://www.biral.com

    This manual describes the installation and operation of the Biral BTD-300 Archive
    Plotter and should be read fully before the software is used.

    If there are any questions about the software supplied or the instructions contained
    within this manual please consult Biral at the above address.

    To assist Biral in the event of questions could you please indicate the equipment type
    (and serial number if applicable), nature of your question, approximate number of
    hours in use and your return contact details.

    Copyright Declaration

    The information contained within this manual (including all illustrations, drawings,
    schematics and parts list) is proprietary to Biral. It is provided for the sole purpose of
    aiding the buyer or user in the operation of the software. This information is not to be
    used for the manufacture or sales support of similar items without the express written
    permission of Biral, nor is it to be communicated to any third party without the express
    written permission of Biral. In the event that written permission is provided by Biral to
    disseminate any of the information contained within this document (in whatever
    form), this page (including this copyright declaration) must be attached.

    © Bristol Industrial and Research Associates Limited (Biral) 2014

    This manual does not create nor include any legally binding obligation for Biral or its
    customers and end users. This documentation (and any attached appendices) is for
    customer information only.

    All information contained in this manual is correct (to the best knowledge of Biral) at
    the time of publication. Biral reserves the right to revise this manual without
    notification.

    Manual Number: 101397


    Revision: .00A

    Page 2 of 6
    BTD-300 Archive Plotter User Guide
    1. Software purpose
    The BTD-300 Archive Plotter program provides a simple method of plotting all the data
    logged from a BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector. The raw output data is logged by the sensor
    every 2 seconds and stored in a comma separated (CSV) text file. A new file is produced at
    regular time intervals (default hourly). The Archive Plotter provides a method of displaying
    warning times and types, as well as the times and distances of any flashes displayed as a
    graph with a given start and end time, even if the required timespan covers multiple CSV
    files. There is a choice of graph format, so the graph can be placed directly into any report or
    presentation, and the option to output a list of all the flash times, distances and directions in
    the time period.

    2. Installation

    Requirements:

    - PC running Windows 7 or later


    - Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (freely available from Microsoft and
    usually already installed on modern computers)

    Setup:

    All the files needed to run this program are included in a zipped folder available as part of
    the software included in the purchase of your BTD-300. The software therefore does not
    require “installation”, but instead simply needs to be unzipped and placed in the desired
    location on the computer.

    Locate the zip file named “BTD warning and flash archive plotter.zip” and save to your
    computer. Unzip the folder and locate the file named “BTD300 archive plotter.exe” near the
    top of the list of unzipped files (see screen capture below). Double clicking on this file will
    start the program. It is recommended that you create a shortcut to this file on your desktop
    for ease of access.

    Create shortcut to this file

    Page 3 of 6
    BTD-300 Archive Plotter User Guide

    Once the program is started you will be presented with a user interface, which you can use
    to enter your data requests:

    Firstly, enter the required folder locations (directly or via the “browse” button) where the
    BTD-300 CSV log files are stored, and the location for the generated graph, ensuring that you
    have permission to write files to that location.

    Next enter the start and end dates and times for the graph. There are 5 boxes for the date
    and time, which need to be entered as a number. For example, a time interval between
    04:30 and 08:00 on 19 July 2014 is entered in the example pictured above.

    The format of the output graph is then chosen (default of .PNG due to relative clarity and
    small file size for storing on the computer). If the graphs are to be printed, it is
    recommended that the .PDF format is used, since this is will provide the sharpest image.

    If only warning times and types are to be plotted, then the yellow “Plot warnings” button
    can now be pressed, producing a file in the chosen output folder entitled
    “BTD300_warning_flags_dd-mm-yyyy” where dd, mm and yyyy are your chosen start day,
    month and year respectively. The graph shows the time of “caution” (lowest level - 1),
    “warning” and “alert” (highest level - 3) on the top plot, with the warning flag identification
    shown in the lower plot. Details of the warning flags (the event which triggered the warning)
    can be found in the manual and summarised in the table on the next page. Note it is
    possible to add warning flag numbers if both are triggered in the same 2s interval. For
    example, a warning flag of 6 would infer strongly charged rain and electric field (flag 4) with
    the charged rainfall component being sufficiently strong to warrant an alert of its own right
    (flag 2), or strong electric field (flag 1) and distant lightning (flag 8) will produce a flag of 9.

    Page 4 of 6
    BTD-300 Archive Plotter User Guide

    Warning Flag Description Warning level


    1 Strong electric field 2 (overhead threat)
    2 Charged precipitation 1 (overhead threat)
    4 Strong electric field and charged precipitation 2 (overhead threat)
    8 Distant lightning 1
    16 Overhead lightning 3
    32 Vicinity lightning 2

    For plotting the time and distance of flashes, you have three additional options:

    - “Write flash details to CSV?”


    If “Yes” is selected, a CSV file listing the distance and direction of each flash detected by the
    BTD-300 and the time corresponding to the beginning of the two second sample interval
    containing the flash(es). The distance and direction of up to four flashes which occurred in
    the same two second update interval are written in successive columns of the same time
    row. The output CSV files is named “BTD300 CSV extracted flashes dd-mm-yyyy”, where dd,
    mm and yyyy are your chosen start day, month and year respectively.

    - “Max range to plot (km)”


    If no limit is selected, the graph will be plotted to include all the flash distances. However, if
    a shorter maximum distance is required for display purposes then the “Fixed at:” button
    should be selected and the required maximum range entered (in kilometres) into the
    adjacent box.

    - “Plot standard distance thresholds?”


    This option is selected by default and will plot horizontal lines on the graph corresponding to
    the distance of standard (US FAA) thunderstorm reporting zones, which are also the default
    warning thresholds for the BTD-300. These are Alert (5 nmi = 9.26 km), Vicinity (10 nmi =
    18.52 km) and Distant (30 nmi = 55.56 km), with additional lines marking the middle of
    Distant zone (20 nmi = 37.04 km) and the maximum warning range of the BTD-300 (45 nmi =
    83.34 km). Should you not want these lines plotted, then select the “No” option.

    Press the “Plot flashes” button to generate the graph, which will be named
    “BTD300_csv_flashes_with_time_dd-mm-yyyy”, where dd, mm and yyyy are your chosen
    start day, month and year respectively.

    The next page shows example graphs produced by the plotter.

    Page 5 of 6
    BTD-300 Archive Plotter User Guide
    “Plot warnings” output:

    “Plot flashes” output:

    Page 6 of 6

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