11
LP-80
2.5 DOWNLOADING DATA
METER recommends using the LP-80 Utility to download data. This function transfers all
saved measurement data on the LP-80 to a computer.
1. Connect the 5-pin connector to the LP-80.
2. Connect the RS-232 end of the cable to an available serial port on a computer or to a
USB-to-serial adapter.
3. Turn on the LP-80 by pressing the
POWER button.
4. Open LP-80 Utility.
5. Choose the appropriate communication port from the
Use computer communication port
dropdown on the main window.
6. Click
Download
in the lower left of the screen or click
File
>
Download Data
.
The Save LP-80 Data dialog box will appear.
7. Name the data file.
8. Choose the location and the format for the file (
)
The file can be saved as one of the following:
Microsoft
®
Excel
®
Workbook (*.xls)
Text (tab delimited) (*.txt)
CSV (comma delimited) (*.csv)
9. Click
Save
to download.
A progress bar shows the status of the download process.
10. Press
Cancel
to cancel the download at any time. The software will not save any
downloaded data.
11. When the download is finished, a prompt will ask to erase the data on the LP-80.
12. Select the desired response.
13. Navigate to the saved file location and open the file to view the data.
Data are organized in the same way regardless of format. The measurement record will be
divided into several columns.
• Record Type: The data record type (SUM, ABV, or BLW).
• Date and Time Measurement: Date and time of the reading.
• Annotation: The annotation is a string that a user may use to identify the reading.
• Average Above PAR: The average of all the above-canopy PAR readings for the raw records
associated with the summary record.
• Average Below PAR: The average of all the below-canopy PAR readings for the raw records
associated with the summary record.
• τ
: Ratio of below-canopy PAR measurements (MeanBlw) to the above-canopy PAR
measurements (MeanAbv).