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1988
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In
July 1988 the Blast Monitor (BMX) replaced a truck load of electronics
with a box one person could carry easily. The interface to the
laptop was an innovation providing waveform data storage directly
to a disk, instead of reels of tape. This configuration served
us well for many years managing a broad range of sensors including
geophones, accelerometers low frequency (2Hz) microphones and
static pressure transducers. Laptops evolved rapidly, the hardware
interface keeping the design team on the hop until we introduced
a parallel port interface in 1994. |
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1989
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The
(now dated) DOS BMX Menu was backed up by graphic analysis
software and a plotting system that provided a configurable
waveform printout.
In
1989, the Quarry Monitor (QMX) took advantage of the laptop
interface to provide ‘instantaneous’ waveform
display. Our first ‘compliance’ monitor, the
QMX was also the first to provide an interface to a database,
and customisable Blast Reports. |
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1993
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The
Micro Monitor (µMX) became the flagship of our monitoring
fleet in 1993. The µMX repeated the functionality of
the suitcase sized QMX in a box that fitted on an A4 page.
The suitcase
now contained all the accessories including the user manual
and disks.
The µMX
has evolved over the years, providing a broad range of functionalities,
including Wirebreak and Trigger Synchronisation to support
blast design and analysis well beyond the simple compliance
model it started from. |
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1993
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The
original software featured a Green & Gold
menu delivered on 3.5 inch OS Menu on disks. |
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1995
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A
major emphasis for the µMX system was remote accessibility.
This was first available in the PI or permanent installation – a
metal box on a pole with microphone and antenna on top. The µMX
PI also measured wind speed and direction, providing additional
information to our compliance customers. |
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1999
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April
1999 saw delivery of the 1st Bridge Health Monitor (HMX), an
ambitious development, it was an extension of the µMX into
an 8-channel system including custom designed demountable strain
gauges (DSG), foil strain gauge (FSG) and displacement transducer
signal conditioners (DDT). The HMX inherited the remote capabilities
of the µMX as standard. |
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The
HMX has now been upgraded and repackaged into a smaller case
with a convenient colour coded cabling system and specially designed
trunk cables and junction boxes. |
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2000
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An
upgrade in software introduced the
now familiar EasyLink Windows system we all know and love delivered
to you on shiny CDs or from our Web Site. |
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2003
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The
Advanced Texcel Monitor (ATM) is a similarly designed version
of the µMX, combining all the features of the RPI, in a
user-friendly packaging. It’s capabilities are enhanced
to include simple access to a range of HMX sensors for monitoring
structural effects of blast and vibration, and a new weatherproof
alarm system ideally suited to construction site monitoring.
The ATM uses a colour-coded connector panel, large LCD panel
and buttons in a specially designed weatherproof case. |
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2004
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The Compact Texcel Monitor (CTM)
introduced a cost effective solution to the vibration and overpressure
monitoring
equation. Delivered in a lightweight backpack and capable of being
mounted on top of the tri-pod with the microphone attached, it
provided an innovative solution to bending down to read numbers
or press buttons, without compromising any of the weatherproofing
of the ATM. The CTM integrated seamlessly into the EasyLink Desktop
Software and was operated with the familiar 6-button Texcel menu
system – with only one significant change, ‘one button
run’. |
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2005
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The ATM PI presents the ATM’s
large LCD and user-friendly buttons in the permanent installation,
in a smaller
box. Significant improvements in battery maintenance (including
longer life) and system status recording simplify the management
of the remote monitor. Other new features include 4MB memory standard,
a new CDMA modem option and simple cable connections, which, with
a removable simply packaged base, make calibration and maintenance
a breeze. |
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2005
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The ATM Upgrade looks the same as the ATM, it works the same as the ATM, but it inherits the improvements made with the CTM and ATM PI, including improved battery life, 4MB memory and ‘one button duty’. For the advanced user, faster sample rates, extended trigger range and separately managed wire-break and trigger sync options improve the Advanced Texcel Monitor’s flexibility. For the construction industry an alarm timeout function makes the flashing alarm and the SMS alarm more functional on the unattended construction site. |
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2007
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The GTM takes advantage of a powerful 32-bit microcontroller to significantly improve the capabilities of this compact monitor. With four times the memory, it allows for hundreds of waveforms and thousands of events to be recorded. The GTM has longer battery life – up to 2 weeks – that can be increased even further using duty timetables edited in T-Link, a new feature for our small monitors. The significantly increased processing power allows Threshold Triggered events and waveforms at the same time as continuous monitoring mode, and all event data (including Ground Vibration, Peak Vector Sum, Vibration Dose Value, and Zero Crossing Frequency) to be processed within the monitor without interrupting sampling. This allows the Vector Sum value to be recorded in Continuous events and be used as a trigger condition for a triaxial sensor. An armed LED gives visual indication of the monitor state. |
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2007
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The T-Link Software Suite –
Developed with the experience of supporting EasyLink for many years, the T-Link suite of software provides unparalleled simplicity of operation. Without sacrificing any of the depth of EasyLink’s functionality, T-Link provides full control of Configure, Retrieve and Report functions each from a single easy to follow window. The Custom Configure process is backed up with simple pre-defined Texcel Settings for common monitoring tasks.
Remote Communications provide greater flexibility with greater simplicity – automating the setup of local and remote modems and communication links. T-Sched adds unattended scheduled retrieval operations to the T-Link suite.
T-Link is developed using a platform with an eye on the future. Watch out for new facilities now possible on these new platforms. Longer waveforms, faster remote communications and more. |
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2008
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The ETM is based on the same all-new platform as the GTM, but in the larger ATM-style case. It has even longer battery life, 16MB memory standard, plus all the extra features introduced with the GTM particularly Vibration Dose Value, and Zero Crossing Frequency, and a new capability to record A-Weighted percentile sound levels in Continuous monitoring mode. It includes the features of the ATM, such as Duty and Modem timetables, Wire-Break trigger and Trigger Sync, flashing alarm and SMS reporting. Remote communications now operate with NextG and GSM modems. |
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2008
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The ETM-PI is based on the ETM, but housed in a rugged stainless steel enclosure similar to the ATM-PI. Along with the A-Weight sound level capability, for even greater versatility in environmental monitoring, the ETM-PI features an optional weather station acquiring temperature, wind speed and direction, air pressure, rainfall and relative humidity. |
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