PARS Version 3.01b
What is PARS?
The PARS software is designed for use with the Pacific Scientific/Hiac Royco 8000A Particle Counter. Three US Oil Labs have been instrumental in assisting with the design and maturity of the software: Kiewit Oil Lab, Omaha Nebraska, Butler Machinery Co., Bismarck North Dakota and Ziegler Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota. The staff of Pacific Scientific Hiac/Royco Division also deserve much credit for many design improvements.
PARS is easy to use, has flexible data collection, reporting and extract features and requires minimal training to successfully operate. Version 3.01 provides more interaction with the counter and now includes a database management feature for maintaining multiple data collection files. This version also uses more graphics for even easier navigation.
Traditionally, PARS Users have reported an increase in productivity and accuracy by teaming the PARS software with a good Particle Count Method.
How does it work?
The PARS software is first installed on a PC disk drive. Then, the PC is connected via serial cable to the 8000A. The PARS documentation guides you through the installation and setup procedures. After initial setup of the software, you select the Operate screen which gives you control of the basic features of the 8000A counter. From this screen, you issue commands with the PC keyboard or mouse that instruct the counter when to start or stop the sampling process. When you start and finish a sample, PARS displays the runs (up to 99) and average results from the counter. It displays this information on the PC monitor for you to see and evaluate. PARS displays the difference in the characteristics of the runs for each channel based on parameters that you set. If the difference for any channel exceeds your guidelines, PARS will highlight the channels in question. Additionally, if you have the Alarm option set, PARS will sound an audible beep to catch your attention. After reviewing the data, you save the results and PARS sends the results to one or more locations (PARS database, ASCII file, host computer or a printer) based on the options you specify on the setup screen. From the Operate screen you can also rerun the sample, enter notes, view previous samples, view the current database characteristics, view the counter settings and edit and delete samples.
What else can it do?
PARS has these other important features:
Online Help - Version 3.01 now includes online help. You press F1 from any screen to get help (Ctrl+F1 from the Operate screen.)
Maintain Database - This feature allows you to; create, maintain and alter new databases and customize column headings; View the characteristics of the databases; and browse the data within the database files.
Operate Particle Counter - You perform the data collection and initial validity checks from this screen.
Import Sample Data - This feature allows you to import existing sample data from ASCII files or the serial comm port of another hardware device.
Reports - The reports in PARS can be viewed online and then sent to a printer. The online report screen also allows you to export data to a variety of other applications such as spreadsheets and word processors.
Browse Data - When browsing the sample data in PARS you can use the query feature to display and sort the data in various ways and you can also produce a variety of graphs for the data you select. The graphs can be easily printed or copied into a graphical word processor for inclusion in a presentation paper for example. From the Browse screen you can also print only the data you select.
System settings - The System Settings screen provides you with the ability to set tolerance levels which tells PARS to alert you to significant differences in the counter run data. There are also PARS system level options you can customize in a variety of ways.
Counter settings - This screen provides the interaction between PARS and the Counter for modifying counter settings. PARS will read the counter settings, display them and store them into the PARS database. You can make changes to certain counter settings on this screen and then send them to the 8000A.
Export Layout- The export feature of PARS was designed to allow you a great deal of flexibility when transmitting your data from PARS to another source. You can send the data over the serial port or extract to a disk file (local drive, network drive or diskette drive.) The Export Layout screen allows you to format the data for acceptance by the receiving application. This can eliminate or decrease the need for additional programming. Using this feature may eliminate the need to re-key the sample data into another application.
Data display - This screen will let you customize some of the display options of PARS when you only want to see certain fields of information stored in the database.
What are the benefits?
One of the benefits of using the PARS software is that it will increase your productivity by allowing you to perform more tasks. PARS is a windows based program. Therefore you can actually work in other programs while you are waiting for the runs to finish. When PARS has finished running the samples, the PARS screen will be redisplayed when the runs are complete. Using PARS reduces operator fatigue by introducing the use of the PC keyboard for the counter operation and entry of user data. Use of the 8000A keypad becomes minimal.
PARS provides you with the ability to store and retrieve your data for analysis and historical purposes. The graphs, query options and reporting features provide a means to keep you and your customers better informed. Best of all, you can do this without creating your own spreadsheets and custom programs. Or if you prefer, you can still send the sample data to your favorite application using the export features. PARS provides you with the ability to customize and manage the database files for different customers for example. PARS also gives you several user defined fields to use in any way you determine.
What about support?
The staff at Pacific Scientific Hiac/Royco Division and After Hours Software can help you with questions and problems related to the 8000A counter and the PARS software. In order to provide you with the best support, you will be assisted by someone who is most knowledgeable for your problem or question. The PARS documentation lists telephone numbers and addresses for voice, fax, e-mail and online support. PARS maintenance updates are available for download through the online services or via bulletin board if you do not belong to an online service. The updates can also be mailed to you.
What does all of this cost?
The cost to license the PARS software is $999 per copy. The PARS license allows you to use the software on one computer for each license you purchase. The cost includes one year of free maintenance updates and technical support. (Please contact After Hours Software for separate pricing if you have any custom programming needs related or unrelated to PARS.) Future PARS upgrades will be priced separately and the cost announced sometime before the upgrade is made available.
System Requirements
- To operate Particle Analysis Reporting System 3.01b you need: MS-DOS operating system 5.0 or later
- Microsoft Windows 3.x,
- Windows 95* or Windows NT
- Personal Computer using a 486/33 or higher CPU
- 8MB Memory
- Hard disk - 15MB minimum
- One 3.5" high-density disk drive
- VGA or higher resolution monitor
- Mouse pointing device
- Laser printer or ink jet printer (color printer needed to print color graphs).
After Hours Software, Inc., 5072 South 135th Street, Omaha, NE 68137. Tel: 402-861-9868; Fax: 402-861-0234.