If you are looking for a scale that offers precision weighing, selecting a digital weight indicator that comes with a USB port may be the solution for you. Traditional dial scales work with a pointer moving to a particular position that can often point between two numbers – forcing you to choose whether your package weighs 10 lbs. or 11 lbs. when the package in question actually weighs somewhere in between. When using a digital weight indicator, you are able to weigh units in the measurement of .1 lb or smaller, receiving an accurate measurement instead of just guessing.
Another huge feature that a business might want to consider when shopping for a good scale is having a digital weight indicator with a USB port. With a USB port, users have the ability to upload whatever they weigh into their computers. This is a great way for businesses to report their data on a continual basis as their scale can now be connected to their computer and printer, offering them a better way to track their internal processes.
At Arlyn Scales, we’ve seen a number of communications come and go. Our engineers are of the opinion, however, that it looks like USB will continue to be here with us over a long period of time.
If you’re considering what technology to equip your digital weight indicators with, then you’ll want to take a serious look at it.
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Advantages of USB
Having a digital weight indicator with a USB port allows your business to accurately weigh your units while collecting data. There are many other ways to connect a digital scale to a computer. Here are a few:
- Ethernet Connection – This option is a feature designed to be plugged into your network to remotely communicate from one device to another. Users would also be able to access the scale from any computer. There is also a wireless Ethernet option (WiFI) that users can choose. Since quite a few devices use these cords for networking, it’s become somewhat popular among those who plan on connecting their scales to a LAN.
- RS-232 – Considered to be the most traditional type of communication for digital scales, the RS-232 is designed to communicate with computers alike as well as receiving commands, allowing full remote capability. Due to its widespread use in classic personal computers, it’s sometimes simply referred to as a serial port. You may also see it called a COM or COM1 interface, which is a reference to the device name used by DOS-based weight indication software.
- USB (Universal Serial Bus) – This device is the most favored option. Its compatibility offers simple installation with plug and play ease. Unlike the RS-232, the USB device allows multiple scales to be connected to one computer. Best of all, the USB port is not swappable.
If you use RS-232 equipment, then you more than likely have to reboot the system before you’re able to change devices. Unplugging something becomes extremely difficult in this kind of environment. USB ports can be swapped out easily, which makes them an attractive option for pretty much anyone who manages a busy work setting.
The biggest feature offered to buyers when they purchase an Arlyn Scales Digital Weight Indicator with a USB port, is that they will receive free downloadable software. By simply inserting the scale’s USB into your computer, it will automatically detect the external device and be ready to operate.
Since USB ports are nearly universal, you’ll also have the advantage of not needing to worry much about compatibility issues. Chances are that you have quite a bit of USB equipment in your factory or facility already.
The Universality of USB Equipment
You may have heard plenty of talk these days about how the USB port is being phased out or how you might not see it on new equipment in just a few years. While there is some truth to this, it won’t influence the industrial scale sector one bit.
Technologists who are talking about phasing out USB jacks primarily work with consumer-grade mobile phones and not anything more powerful than this. You’re likely to still be able to get USB jacks on countless types of embedded devices and on laptops for years to come.
In actuality, digital weight indicators that feature this technology are already future-proofed. Converters and hubs that allow you to attach USB devices to USB-C jacks and other modern standards are quickly becoming widespread.
Imagine you’re working with a piece of equipment ten or twenty years from now. There’s a good chance that you’d be able to find a converter plug that gives you the freedom to work with whatever new standard of the time specified. Plug this into the other end of your system and you’ll be able to use your digital weight indicator as nothing had changed.
Cords often ship with more than one plug anyway. That means you can attach two different devices to one another easily regardless of what kind of plugs they have on either end. If one is designed for a Micro-USB plug, then you can get a standard one attached to the other end to get the two devices interfaced with a minimum of effort.
Data Collection
The data process is also advantageous for business use. With the use of the USB port, the scale can transport data into a Microsoft Access Database that is already installed in the USB Software directory. The database contains a table called DataCol containing the following fields:
- ID – Serves as the record counter
- ScaleID- Identifies the scale’s description (this is helpful if there is more than one scale connected to the computer)
- Reading – The field that displays the actual reading
- Time
- Date
Users will be able to import their data into any database that is compatible with Microsoft Access. Considering that Access has been one of the most popular database management systems since its introduction in the early 1990s, you shouldn’t have any difficulty finding computers for it to run on.
Exporting Data
Having the ability to extract data from a scale gives businesses the advantage of monitoring every single item that is weighed.
Although DataCol is a simple table application, the data collected can be implemented into other spreadsheets that can calculate a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual total in addition to other reports. For companies that mail out goods frequently, this feature would help keep track of their shipments.
For large manufacturers and suppliers, this device might work as a quality control feature ensures that each container weighs the same. The options for this feature are endless!
Weight Recording
With the help of the USB’s software, the digital weight indicator offers users an option of how they would like their data received. For instance, you can decide whether you want the item weighed recorded into the software automatically or manually. For manual input, the user simply presses the ‘Enter Weight’ button and the amount of that particular item weighed will appear on the screen within the software application.
If it is easier to get a reading just as the item is placed on the scale, then you can adjust your settings by selecting the ‘Auto Entry Mode’ checkbox. This feature automatically empowers the ‘Enabling Polling’ feature that automatically records the data into DataCol as each item is weighed.
Polling & Print Availability
Data automatically uploaded into your computer is a fantastic feature that is referred to as Automatic Polling. Taking it a step further, the collection of data can be printed from your computer on a timed basis. If it is preferred to save paper and print the reports as needed, users will be able to adjust the settings so that the software will only print on demand.
To prevent the automatic input of fluctuating weights, a Print-at-Stability function has been installed. With this feature, the software will take in readings from the scale only when the item weighed reaches a stable weight – something that can be done with a digital weight indicator ensuring the most accurate weight recordings!
Fluctuating weight figures have a tendency to be one of the most annoying types of errors around, so having the ability to solve this problem so easily is helpful for people in a wide variety of fields. It’s especially useful for those who have to work in agricultural settings where the object being weighed has a tendency to move around.
Getting it Done!
Arlyn Scales is located in Long Island, NY and has been assembling scale designs for over 30 years. We even help our customers save money by eliminating dealer mark-ups, shipping directly from our factory!
Order your USB scale with a digital weight indicator by searching our large selection of pre-made scales that might fit your business needs or get one custom made!
Contact us online today and speak with one of our knowledgeable associates. They’ll be able to help you find everything that you need so you can get back to what really matters – getting accurate measurements so you can run your business.
