USB LUX METER, how do I acquire its ouput?

[aconn]

Hi,

I'm relatively new to LabView and I've had great succes with it so far....up until this point.

I'm designing a test rig that involves measuring the Lux within a test chamber. I intend to use LabView to control the chamber's power supplies and to gather data from a USB Lux Meter that I already own.

The problem is that I am unsure of how to get LabView to recognise and get data from this USB Lux Meter.

I have tried searching the website for drivers for my device but it seems that none exist. My Lux Meter is an LX-1309 and made by ATP Instrumentation Ltd.

Does anyone have experience using USB Lux Meters with LabView? Or dfoes anyone have any general tips on working USB devices with LabView (i.e. should I use the I/O Instrument Asst? Or a DAQ Asst? Or does the solution not involve either of these?)

Any advice at all would be most welcome,

Many thanks.

[GerdW]

Hi aconn,

do you know type or manufacturer of that "USB lux meter"?

Do you have a manual of the meter? Does it state information on data communication?

Do you have any device-specific information?

[aconn]

Hi GerdW,

Thanks for your response. Here's what I know about it: the meter's sampling rate is 1.5 times per second, it model number is Lx-1039 and it's made by ATP Instrumentation Ltd base in the UK. Unfortuantely it has no analog ouput. Here is a link to the product on their own website:

http://www.atp-instrumentation.co.uk/usb-logging-400-000-lux-light-meter-1.html

Do you know if there is a 'standard' approach I can take to get LabView to recognise the meter and attempt to acquire data from it?

Many thanks,

Aconn

[GerdW]

Hi Aconn,

usually "cheap" DMMs (and like) use their USB connection to emulate a serial port. (Ask the vendor to check this!)

So the "standard" approach is to use HyperTerm to check the connection and then adapt the "Basic Serial Read and Write" example that comes with LabView...

[aconn]

Hi GerdW,

I contacted the vendor and they stated "Our device is not compativle with LabView or any other software except our own". Not sure if they're just trying to get me to use their own (inadequate) software. Nevertheless I have one last question for a seasoned 'LabViewer':

If I were to instead use my older Lux-Meter that does have analog voltage output (but no USB or serial), I could buy a Basic USB DAQ box and with DAQ-Assistant get it all to work ?

Thanks so much for your help so far,

Aconn

[GerdW]

Hi Aconn,

sure.

Measuring voltages is quite easy - and you don't expect either high voltage (for security concerns) or verly low voltage (for measurement resolution concerns)... Also (measurement) speed of USB boxes is good enough for your LUX meter supplying 1.5S/s!

Edit: No need for DAQ-Assistent. Use plain DAQmx-functions...