[Q-Prof]

Anyone that could help, greatly appreciated:

Background:
Back around 2001-03, through our school I picked up a Airtech 40ic wind tunnel from Pitsco supplier for use with our grade 9 tech course. It was used mostly for testing F1/co2 dragsters. It interfaced with a computer, I think running Windows 95 at the time, and with a electronic test bed sensor inside the wind tunnel and hooked up to a game port on the computer would test for drag and wheel weight at both ends with about 40-50 mph wind speed.

History:
The program changed and I ended up with other course responsibilities, now 10 plus years later, resulting in the manual and software going missing, leaving a perfectly great working wind tunnel minus the manual and application interface software. Refreshing the tech course/program I am not getting any support from the supplier/manufacture of this unit at all, have not been successful in obtaining the operation manual, nor the software (was on a 3.5" floppy disk at the time) and am hoping that someone reading this has this unit with the manual and software, so that they may be able to pass on.

Require:
Getting the manual and software will enable students to be able to test their projects in the wind tunnel, learn from their prototyping, and all about aerodynamics in a practical hands-on view.

Pictures
Picture of Pitsco Airtech 40ic wind tunnel

Larger image of Pitsco Airtech 40ic wind tunnel:
http://mfranzen.ca/images/pics/class...d-tunnel-l.jpg
A closer look on the larger image you can see in the centre of wind tunnel(inside), the white testing bed sensor and just below that sitting on a scanner is the hardware control interface that runs a game port cable to the computer.

Picture of a printed project test report from the interface software

Larger image of a printed project test report from the interface software:
http://mfranzen.ca/images/pics/class...raph-rpt-l.jpg

More detail on sensor base and sensors:
The wind tunnel itself has a sealed plastic white base where three sensors are located (if you look closely in the picture you can see it through the test window chamber in the centre) that has the two wheel weight sensors and a small arm to hook your eyelet under the car to get the drag pull force, and it also has a small propeller module in the upper, top, back corner of the wind testing chamber that plugs into the white base.

All of that is connected to a 15 pin game port connector which connects to their hardware controller. Their hardware controller has it's own power supply (not sure what voltage it needs at the moment), calibration adjuster for small drag arm sensor, and another output for a game port cable to plug into a computer.

See picture below:

Larger image:
http://mfranzen.ca/images/pics/class...nterface-l.jpg

Everything is there, ready to go, just need to power up hardware controller with correct DC feed. If I get the software, then it would just be working out the compatibility with OS (or just use an older computer with old OS and game port) using the multi game port configuration adapter or further to the extreme:

• get a new controller like a cRio/CompacDAQ or Arduino - see if it can read signals (mini op amp maybe?) and write the code, or:
• Get new sensors altogether that are more compatible with new controller and then code

Obviously the easiest to resolve this would be the acquiring the software. Ugh!

If only one other person that has this model, sees this request and willing to share, it would be a great help!


Help!
If anyone reading this has or knows someone with the Pitsco Airtech 40ic wind tunnel, I could sure use your help here in obtaining the operation manual and application interface software. Or maybe you have another suggestion on where I can look, or who can help me here.
Once I have the manual/software, I can try to get this working, so students can use with their racing project design and hands-on testing.

[Mr T.]

I know this is An Old thread, but did you get any help?

I am somewhat in the same boat, (teacher bringing back hardware) but maybe we can help each other out.

I have the software on a windows xp machine (it still runs off of DOS)

we are just trying to figure out the set up. the controller has 2 outputs. does the computer need 2 inputs?

I can send you the software somehow.

we have a binder that may be considered the manual.

[Q-Prof]

Hi Mr. T.
I have not had time, although a lot of time has passed to follow up with getting the wind tunnel going. I have since been teaching in another room and another program altogether. Between marking and prep, parents, special Ed, extra help time, it has not left a lot of extra time to work on it.

To clarify, I do have the digital version (picture above)with the white plastic base that sits inside with three sensors attached, one for clipping on to the object to measure the pull or drag, and two adjustable slide weight scales to measure the down force as the fan pushes about 48 mph wind through (so not the one with the mechanical scales - that seemed more popular at the time, as it was a cheaper unit).

I am not at school today, but can double check the connections when I go back in (not sure, not well at the moment), but what I remember is I hooked up through a game port from the controller unit to the computer, then in the program selected a com port I think, or it just used the com port to communicate - so one connection to the computer using a game controller cable - I still have that original cable.

On the positive pretense that I was going to find the software (even the manufacture (original engineer at Pitsco) said they did not have the software anymore, I purchased a USB to multi game port adaptor and was going to try and run it in a dos or operating system environment on a new computer to see if I could get it going.

If you have the software and can share it with me... I would be very appreciative. I have sent you a PM with my email, after which I can try and get it working with the set-up I have, otherwise my next idea was to just get an old computer and try it that way. I used the first 4 years (about 10 years ago) with a lot great use with the Co2 dragster project primarily, then I was moved to other programs and not till just recently, last two years, I was brought back into the program to refresh it - finding that the computer, the software, manual was all gone, leaving me with just a working wind tunnel and controller minus the computer/software, ugh.