ProjectJ2X

VoorTech Consulting
P.O. Box 126
Holderness, NH 03245
projectj2x@voortech.com
www.voortech.com/projectj2x

MeasureJ2X Information and Requirements
MeasureJ2X is a full featured software program for measuring tree rings with an easy to use, menu driven graphical user interface. The program enables capture of measurements from a variety of measuring stage/encoder/digital readout units and has full features for creating measurements of new series or editing existing series. The program reads and writes series in the "decadal" format, allowing its output to be used with analysis programs available from the Dendrochronology Program Library (DPL). The functionality includes:
  • creating new measurement series
  • reading existing files of measurements (decadal format)
  • appending new series to existing file of measurements
  • appending measurements to a series
  • inserting measurements to a series
  • deleting measurements from a series
  • shifting a series forward or backwards in time
  • saving measurements to a file (decadal format)

The program is configured for communication with the measuring stage/encoder/digital readout unit through a simple and flexible interface, allowing the program to work without modification with any available serial port or USB port and any of following digital readout units.

  • Metronics Quick-Chek (QC) and Quadra-Chek
  • Boeckler
  • Acu-Rite
  • Measucron
  • Sony

The program also supports plug-in modules to support other brands of digital readout units that communicate via a serial or USB port.

The name, MeasureJ2X, reflects some of the underlying features of the software. The ‘J’ represents the fact that the program is written in the Java programming language. Because it is written in Java, it is able to run on both the PC and the Mac platforms - the '2X' part of the name.

Hardware Requirements

The program runs on either a PC or a Mac computer that meets the requirements listed below and requires a measuring system as described below.

PC Requirements

The program requires a Pentium PC running any of the Windows versions beginning with Win95, including Win98, WinME, WinNT, Win2000 or WinXP. It requires enough disk space and memory to be able to run the application and the supporting Java components.

A minimum of 32 Mb of memory is required under Win95, and 48Mb or more recommended. For Win98 and WinME a minimum of 48Mb is required and 64Mb or more is recommended. To run under WinNT, Win2000 or WinXP the minimum memory configuration will depend on the configuration of the machine, but 64Mb is a suggested minimum, with 128Mb or more recommended. If you plan to run on anything less than 48Mb, please contact us at projectj2x@voortech.com

Approximately 25Mb of disk space is needed for the installation.

Mac Requirements

The program requires a Macintosh with a PowerPC processor running System 7.6.1 or later. To run on OS X, the Classic environment must be installed.

The recommended configuration is System 8 or 9 (any version) with 64 Mb of memory. If you plan to run on System 7 or with less than 48 Mb, please contact us at projectj2x@voortech.com. Please also refer to the Mac MRJ Readme document (local version) or (web site version) for more information.

Approximately 25 Mb of disk space is needed for the installation. Approximately 10 Mb of this disk space is temporarily needed during installation only.

Measuring system requirements

  • communications port of one of the following types:
    • PC: RS-232 serial port (usually COM1 or COM2)
    • Mac: RS-422 serial port (usually Modem Port or Printer Port )
    • PC or Mac: USB port with a RS-232 serial converter
  • a digital readout unit of one of the following types with proper cabling between the digital readout and the communications port
    • Metronics (Quick-Chek 1000 or 1100, Quadra Chek 10 or 10-V)
    • Boeckler
    • Acu-Rite
    • Measucron
    • Sony
    • other digital readout units are supported by plug in modules (see the MeasureJ2X Information document (local version) or (web site version) for more details)

    The digital readout must be connected to a measuring stage with a linear encoder for capturing measurements. There are various suppliers of this portion of the system, but a system such as those supplied by Velmex, Inc. will meet the program requirements. The Velmex, Inc. system consists of a measuring stage with an Acurite linear encoder with a Metronics Quadra-Chek 10 digital readout unit.

Availability

The program is available by subscribing to ProjectJ2X for a cost of $180. A subscription to ProjectJ2X entitles the subscriber to a copy of the MeasureJ2X program, technical support and upgrades. More Information on ProjectJ2X and subscribing can be found at the ProjectJ2X web site: http://www.voortech.com/projectj2x

MeasureJ2X has been developed by VoorTech Consulting through support from the dendroecological community.