Q330

Grounding of remotely-powered stations (not AC-powered), for stations where static charge is a problem.

This note concerns only those stations utilizing a remote autonomous power system and solar panels. Systems that will be using AC power should contact the PIC staff for more information on safely using these types of power sources.

Grounding of DAS units should only be attempted in extreme cases where static charge is a problem (for example, failing equipment such as external GPSes). Attempts to ground DAS units can lead to ground loops if not properly done, or even if done to best practices!  It should only be attempted when the sensor itself has been isolated from ground by a non-conducting plate such as a tile or phenolic pad.  Pads which are not part of the original vault design can also cause stability/noise problems, and must be well coupled to the base of the vault or concrete.

Willard is Quanterra's program to program and control Q330's. It is a standalone Windows program which allows you to set parameters, monitor data acquisition, storage, gps power cycling, sensor control, and much more. It is a very powerful and complex program which does not lend itself to a brief 'walkthrough' via a webpage.

Due to its complexity and ability to control every aspect of a Q330, it is very easy to make a severe mistake which would make the Q330 not function as intended. We highly recommend that only experienced users of Willard program Q330 parameters. You should contact a PASSCAL staff member if you have any questions regarding using Willard to program a Q330.

During training at PASSCAL, users receive a walkthrough of Willard.

 

To program a Q330 with a Clié you need to use either the "Q330 B147" or "Q330 1.491t" program. These programs can be found on the main menu of any Clié received from PASSCAL. These programs are used to send or retrieve parameters/configurations, change station names, change IP addresses, and to send commands to a Q330.

Important note: To program a Q330S (which is different from a normal Q330) you MUST use the program "Q330 1.491t"

Upgrading Q330 firmware is done with the program Willard.

 

Setup: Download the required firmware from http://q330.com/ Place the firmware into a folder with the name of the firmware (in this example the folder name would be "1.80"). Note: This is important because all Q330 firmware files are named identically. To keep them separated, they must be stored in separate folders.

 

Willard:

Power up the Q330 and connect it to computer via console cable.

Start Willard and select console registration.

 

Select "No" if asked to create a dataless station.

 

 

 

 

Open the Windows control panel by pushing start button and then Settings and Control Panel.

 

 

 

Look under Ports (COM & LPT) to find the available com port numbers. In this picture we know that it is the “Keyspan” on COM 4 because we were using a Keyspan adapter.

 

If the Dataless Station panel appears select No. Otherwise proceed to the next step.

Quanterra Q330

Q330's are typically used for broadband standalone and telemetered real-time data recording. They have an external storage device (either hard drive or USB flash drive) and lend themselves for a variety of telemetered modes.

 

Reftek RT130

The Q330 is a 3 or 6 channel high resolution datalogger. It is low power and highly configurable for a wide range of applications and sensors. The Q330 is housed in a sealed aluminum enclosure which makes it highly resistant to the environment. Telemetry is a main focus of the Q330, but it also has a robust on-site data storage system which uses external Balers. This makes it easy to swap out the data storage on-site for when servicing doesn't allow an extended visit. The Q330 can write data to four different receiving systems simultaneously. It also has built-in sensor controls, an automatic mass recentering feature, and calibration functions. The Q330 is programmed with a Windows program called Willard, it can also be controlled by a PalmOS program for when working in the field.

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