The USB box is the interface and power supply for LDS sensors for particle counting. The analogue particle impulses of the LDS sensors are converted into a digital protocol for transmitting particle sizes and particle numbers to a PC (USB interface). An analogue output or signal output is available for operating at SPS panels or installations. In a simple operating mode 1 - 16 size classes can be transmitted with the box – this is especially suitable for operating several measuring systems at one evaluation system or for lab equipment of all 4096 size classes. An LED display or a signal output signalizes a system error. As an option, the box can be extended with a display and an internal data memory. In this case the system can also be used as mobile device or online measuring unit after parameter configuration (available from December 2012).

In addition, the box has a voltage output (0-10V, optional: current output 4-20mA) and a switching output. The outputs can be configured with the PC (USB interface). With the parameterization program measuring times, interval times, particle sizes and the end value of the particle number can be set. A particle size within the calibration curve is individually selectable.  

Following program is available for displaying and storing measuring results: Protrend 1.08: Individual measurements and cyclical measurements of particle number and particle size of up to 2 sensors (see description).

For OEM customers there is a DLL file available for transmitting the measuring data. All functions of the box are made available here. The MKLIB library allows access to the USB sensors without having to directly implement the serial protocol with the corresponding HID unit. With the help of functions, which are encoded in the MKLIB.DLL, the sensor is set and queried. Following data is required:

• mklib.DILL  library with implemented functionality
• mklib.lib  import library for C/C++ applications
• mklib.h  C/C++ header file, definitions of values and declarations of structures and functions

For other programming languages like Delphi or Visual Basic it makes sense to translate all definitions from the file mklib.h into the corresponding target language (mklib.pas or mklib.vb). See supplement: programming handbook MKLIB-DLL