Re: Reccomended Computer Interface Systems

[Steve Luzader <sluzader@fre.fsu.umd.edu>]

Dan Finkenthal wrote:
> I need advice on choosing a computer-based laboratory interface system.
> I've narrowed the field to PASCO science workshop or VERNIER ULI systems.
> Both seem quite capable, which makes actually committing to one or the
> other difficult. (I've got a one-time opportunity to purchase six systems)
>
> Does anybody have any experiences that would lead them to choose one over
> the other?
>
> Thanks in advance
   We've been using the Vernier ULI-II here at Frostburg State for the
past three years.  We're very pleased with the quality, ease of use, 
variety of sensors available, and service.  We're also VERY happy with 
the fact that Vernier's software is reasonably priced and has a
sensible  
license policy (you buy one copy at an affordable price and then make as 
many copies as you need for your computers).  The MS-DOS versions of the 
ULI software are a little klutzy at times because they're old Macintosh 
programs that have just been translated to MS-DOS.  However, they can be 
used with Windows to transfer data to a word processor or spreadsheet.  
If you have the resources, though, the new program called "Logger Pro"
is 
very nice.  (We can't use it on our older machines, though, which only 
have 4 - 8 MB of memory.  Logger Pro requires 16 MB.)
   We have recently started mixing in some Pasco equipment to use with
the 
Vernier hardware and software.  I bought several of the Gas Law
experiment 
kits from Pasco, and they seem to work all right with the Vernier
pressure 
sensor after we got around problems associated with the plumbing
connectors.
So it is possible to do some mixing and matching.

Steve Luzader

-- 
Stephen Luzader
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, MD
http://antoine.fsu.umd.edu/phys/luzader