Other Electronic Instrumentation Design Services Available
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Analog & digital electronic circuit design, |
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Very low power, battery operated equipment design, |
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Embedded systems design and programming, |
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Database development, software programming, modeling and analyses services. |
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Limnoterra set out to develop systems that would allow scientists to reduce the labor of data capture, the frequency of errors, and the amount of time needed to process the data. With the logistics of data capture reduced, error checking and preliminary analysis could be accomplished in the field. This led to improvements in the field techniques themselves such as the method of obtaining specimens, determination of sample size and adequacy based on real-time analysis of variance. |
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The following is a brief description of the Limnoterra's electronic design projects: |
Digital computer caliper system
: Developed, designed, tested, manufactured, and marketed by Limnoterra Limited. Applications where large numbers of measurements are made and transferred to a computer.Hardware: The Limnoterra Digital Caliper (LDC) is a portable, battery-operated caliper capable of prompting an operator for measurements and then logging the responses, all under rough field conditions.
The LDC's data-logging capability is programmable. This allows the LDC to be re-configured, by definitions loaded from a computer, for specific sampling requirements. LDC applications include: laboratory and field use in several scientific disciplines, quality assurance in processing plants, and quality control in machine shops.
By describing the sample protocols for LDC on a computer using a Limnoterra definition language, and then transferring the definition to the LDC, the LDC is quickly and easily modified to suit each particular data collection program.
With over one hundred functions built into the LDC, many variations in prompting sequences, table lookups, mathematical computations, error checking, data editing, and data recording are available. Statistical functions are therefore easily set up for on-the-floor decision making.
Software: To provide high flexibility and yet retain the ability to define the various prompting and computational tasks in a simple manner, a unique programming language was developed so that the end user is able to configure a sampling protocol. Most of the control overhead is managed by the LDC. The user can then concentrate on defining the prompts, the allowed responses, and the guides for moving from one set of prompts to the next.
Submersible environmental data logger
: Developed, tested, manufactured, and successfully brought to market a data logger known as the 'ecobug.' The ecobug has proven valuable in water level monitoring, storm sewer, hydrogeology and hydrology studies. Eight channel customized versions have measured meteorological parameters on glaciers in the Upper Indus basin, Pakistani Himalayas for 3 summers
Computer Controlled Hog Barn Feeding Systems
Two Computer controlled hog barn feeding systems were designed to more efficiently utilize nutrients and thereby reduce nutrient loading to the rivers as well as to greatly increase profitability of the farm operations. The total system developed with two farmers in the Kitchener, Ontario area included energy efficient feeder barns capable of growing out 800 pigs, semi-automatic manure handling, biogas generation, heat generation, electrical power generation and the recycling of nutrients via the bacterial component of the biogas generation system sludge.
Custom designed electronics
: Limnoterra has in-house capability to undertake the design and manufacture of microprocessor based systems for environmental research and monitoring.