Multimeter Data Logging Software Software for Windows, Linux and Mac for Digitech QM1538, Digitech QM1537, Digitek DT-9062, Digitek INO2513, Digitech QM1462, PeakTech 3330, Tenma 72-7745, Uni-Trend UT30A, Uni-Trend UT30E, Uni-Trend UT60E, Voltcraft VC 820, Voltcraft VC 840

by Matthew Ford 24^th Dec 2011
© Forward Computing and Control Pty. Ltd. NSW Australia
All rights reserved.

Introduction

The Digitech QM1538 multimeter is an inexpensive multimeter with an RS232 output that measures, volts, Amps, Ohms, Hz, Capacitance and Temperature. This simple data logging program written in Java runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Solaris and allows you to log the multimeter's readings to a file. This software should also work for the following multimeters that use a similar data format:- Digitech QM1538, Digitech QM1537, Digitek DT-9062, Digitek INO2513, Digitech QM1462, PeakTech 3330, Tenma 72-7745, Uni-Trend UT30A, Uni-Trend UT30E, Uni-Trend UT60E, Voltcraft VC 820, Voltcraft VC 840

This page also covers other data logging software for the QM1538 and similar multimeters.

QM1538 Data Logging Software in Java.

The QM1538Logger is written in Java and uses the RXTXSerial libraries to connect to the serial port.

To run this software, first make sure you have Java installed and you need to use the appropriate RXTXSerial library for your operating system..

Windows Installation

I have packages up two zip files for Windows systems, one for 64bit Java versions QM1538Logger_x64.zip and one for 32bit Java versions, QM1538Logger_x86.zip. These use the Windows RXTX binary builds provided by provided as a courtesy of Cloudhopper, Inc. See http://rxtx.cloudhopper.com/ for more information.

To determine which one to use, open a DOS cmd window and type

java -version

If you have a Window 64bit Java version you will see a result like
java version "1.6.0_22"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_22-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 17.1-b03, mixed mode)

If you have a Windows 32bit version of Java you will see a result like
java version "1.6.0_30"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_30-b12)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 20.5-b03, mixed mode, sharing

Then download either the 64bit QM1538Logger_x64.zip or 32bit (x86) QM1538Logger_x86.zip file and unzip it to a directory of your choice.

To run the logging software, connect your multimeter to your computer (I used a USB to Serial converter), turn the meter on.

Open a DOS cmd prompt, change directory to the where you unzipped the software and run the QM1538.bat file from there e.g.
QM1538 COM3
This command connects to COM3 and writes the meter.csv output file in the current directory once a second.

Optionally you can specify the time interval for logging, in seconds. i.e.
QM1538 COM3 10
logs values every 10 secs.

If meter.csv already exists it is appended to. The location of the meter.csv file is displayed and then once a minute the current reading is displayed.
The output file has the following format
"DateTime","Elapsed HH:MM:SS","Reading","Units"
2011/12/20 19:44:25,00:00:00,0.349,"A DC "

I use OpenOffice with the following csv import settings to import the data :-
separated by comma, text delimiter "
Other Options - detect special numbers.

Here is sample plot of the temperature rise of my torch batteries while they were being changed using a delta T termination.

Linux Installation (not tested)

Unzip QM1538Logger_x64.zip to a directory and then go to http://rxtx.cloudhopper.com/ and download the Linux package that you need, either Linux-x86_64 or Linux-i386. The you can either unzip it and run the run-install.sh script to install the libraries, or you can just unzip the librxtxSerial.so to directory you unzipped the QM1538Logger to.

To run the QM1538 use the command
java -jar QM1538_Logger.jar <COM_Port> <LoggingInterval>

MacOS X and Solaris (not tested)

Unzip QM1538Logger_x64.zip to a directory and then go to http://rxtx.qbang.org/wiki/index.php/Download and download the rxtx-2.1-7-bins-r2.zip
Unzip the appropriate native library to the directory you unzipped the QM1538Logger to.
See the notes in the INSTALL file for more information. QM1538Logger expects both RXTXcomm.jar and the native library to be in the same directory at the QM1538_RS232.jar file and that this directory is the current directory.
For Solaris and MacOS X, to run the QM1538 use the command
java -jar QM1538_Logger.jar <COM_Port> <LoggingInterval>

For Solaris make sure the user is in group lock or uucp so lockfiles work.

Other Windows Data Logging Software for QM1538

Jaycar provides a zip file of Windows data logging software for the QM1538.
As provided it does not run on Window 7 but will run if you set the 'compatibility' mode.

Windows 7 Compatibility Installation

Unzip the Window 2000 installation files and run the setup.exe. During the installation you should keep you existing newer DLL's. That is do not overwrite any of you existing DLL's with older versions contained in the setup.
Then go the directory where the DATA_LOGGER.EXE was installed (.e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Data Logger). Right click on the DATA_LOGGER.EXE and choose properties. Then select the Compatibility tab.

Tick the compatibility mode box and choose Windows 2000. The software will then run correctly on a Windows 7 computer.

Other Linux and Mac OS X Data Logging Software for QM1538

QtDMM is a DMM readout software including a configurable recorder. As well as logging data from the QM1583 it also will log data from a variety of other multimeters. See the web site for a complete list.

Support for Other Multimeters

By adding additional data parsers, this Java based logger could be extended to handle other multimeters. The source code provided by QtDMM ,written in cpp, contains parser routines for a number of other multimeters and would provide a good basis for writing the Java routines.

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