Import Data from Weather Station

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gordon Padwick
  • Start date Start date
G

Gordon Padwick

I have a La Crosse Technology Weather Station (WS-8610U) that receives
temperature and humidity data from remote sensors each five minutes. The
Weather Station can store data for several days. La Crosse provides Data
Recorder software that copies data stored in the Weather Station to a
computer file in a custom format. The software can also convert that data
into a semicolon delimited text file so that it can be imported into an
Access table or Excel Spreadsheet.

With the Data Recorder window displayed there's a menu bar that contain the
names of four menus: File, Data, Extras, and ? It's necessary to open the
Data menu and click Import to copy data from the Weather Station, and to
open the Data menu and click Export to convert the data into a text file.
Neither the menu names nor the menu items contain underlined characters (hot
keys).

I'd like to be able automate the process of copying data from the Weather
Station to an Access table so that I can be away from home for an extended
period and return to find the data available for the entire period I've been
away.

My original concept was to create a routine in Access that would run
periodically. This routine would employ the Shell function to start the Data
Recorder, then use SendKeys to get the Data Recorder to copy data from the
Weather Station and then convert the data to a text file.

Using the Shell command didn't work because, as I discovered, Access doesn't
wait for the shelled application to finish before executing the next
command. Google led me to suggestions that involved employing the API
function GetExitCodeProcess that claimed to provide means to wait for a
shelled application to finish. I tried two of these suggestions, but neither
opened the Data Recorder properly. I tried using the Windows Scheduler: that
opened the Data Recorder properly at the appointed time, but didn't provide
any means to put the Data Recorder to work.

So, here's the question: Is there some way I can open the Data Recorder
application periodically and get it to perform its Inport and Export
capabilities so that the data provided by the Weather Station for an
extended period is available in an Access table?

I don't expect a reply that directly relates to the La Crosse Data Recorder.
Perhaps someone has suggestions based on experience with another
application.

Please don't suggest I contact La Crosse Technology for help. I've tried
that. No relevant help offered!

Gordon
 
You can use {Windows Scheduler} to open your access database anytime you
want, set access startup form to {frmStartup}, use the On Open() event and
place your vba code..ie.

On Open()
"your code to run a query or bring data into access table"
End Sub

Application.Close

{Windows Scheduler} will open access or any other file or program yuo want
to run at any time you tell it to. The problem with using {OnTime()}
function, is taht it only fires once and it requires access to be running, if
someone turn access off, then it won't work, but if you use {Windows
Scheduler} , it will always work as long as computer is running....
 
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