Frequently Asked Questions

With SensGate from Dracal, it’s very simple, and there are no recurring costs. 1) Install a SensGate in your server room. 2) Connect your Dracal USB sensor(s) to it. 3) Install DracalView on your computer to establish the connection with the SensGate (initially via USB, then via Wi-Fi or Ethernet after changing the connection type). And that’s it, you now have access to your data in real time! You can view it with DracalView or integrate it into your own software using our free integration tools (CLI, REST API). Note: if you can connect your sensor directly to your computer via a USB extension, you don’t need to use a SensGate.

With DracalView, it only takes four clicks. Launch DracalView and: Click 1: Go to the Logging tab Click 2: Check “Select All” channels Click 3: Select your .csv file Click 4: Start. DracalView is free, installs in 3 minutes, and is supported by Windows, Linux, and Mac. Watchs the short logging tutorial here.

Vaisala’s solution is positioned as providing precision measurement instruments. In this context, reliability, robustness, and traceability are important. However, in the “measurement instrument” market, the price is also much higher, and data integration for OEM projects or automation is not considered important. Omega’s business strategy is to offer a very wide range of products covering many use cases. With this in mind, the company is not looking to optimize its current solution, but to diversify as much as possible. Software solutions are limited to Windows, their ecosystem of software and tools is a bit confusing to navigate, and the price is also high due to brand reputation. At Dracal Technologies, we are at the crossroads between precision measuring instruments (such as Vaisala) and sensors, in the sense that we focus heavily on small form factors and the ability to integrate data into other systems. The emphasis is on reliability, accuracy, keeping our existing product line at the top of its performance, and developing easy-to-use tools and documentation to facilitate data integration for OEM and automation projects. Our prices are competitive while remaining fair, and as a small business compared to the previous two, we respond quickly (<24 hours) to all questions and requests for assistance from our customers.

Dracal Technologies offers two types of CO2 sensors: the DXC120 for monitoring in office environments, and the DXC220 for monitoring in incubators (or other harsh environments). As for VOCs, the Dracal VOC100 allows qualitative measurement of VOCs, to be used as a general indicator of VOC variation in the environment.

Yes, the Dracal system has been designed to support an “unlimited” number of sensors, as the limit will be determined by the capabilities of your own system. Dracal’s Software, integration tools and SensGate do not impose any limitations on the number of sensors supported.

With Dracal’s SensGate, nothing could be simpler. Install your SensGate in your cleanroom, connect your Dracal USB sensor(s) to it, then use a computer to communicate with your SensGate (via USB, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet) to launch an embedded logging task on the product, while viewing your data in real time using DracalView. In the event of a power failure, SensGate will resume its logging task without the need for manual intervention as soon as power is restored.

Dracal’s PTH series of sensors allows you to read temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure all at once in less than 3 minutes using DracalView. Once installed, the software does not require any additional driver installation or updates, as it is based on the native drivers of the various platforms.

To determine the availability of a product, simply go to its ordering page. Availability for each option is displayed in the order table. Still, for quantities of 100 units or more, we recommend that you contact us to check stock availability.

The SensGate has been designed to meet exactly this need safely, thanks to its long-distance network communication capabilities (Ethernet, Wi-Fi). Another solution is to use USB extenders. As Dracal products operate at very low voltages, the options available on the market are not very restrictive, apart from quality, depending on the manufacturer chosen.

The devices with the 3-point calibration mechanism have a longer lifetime as it is possible to compensate for the natural drift of the measurements. The cost/lifetime ratio is thus considerably reduced and, just as importantly, this choice is environmental friendly. These devices can be easily calibrated and certified by external resources (including our ISO17025 certified partner laboratory) and allow you to synchronize your various devices between them.

1. Connection security. 6. Continuous power supply. 2. Instant access to data. 7. Low-power supply. 3. Data confidentiality. 8. Self-sufficiency. 4. Data reliability. 9. Technology persistence over time. 5. Fast response time. 10. Universal access.

Yes, you own your data. To integrate your data, you can either use our CLI (command line interface) for which we have plenty of code examples or for more advanced users, by choosing the VCP (Virtual COM Port) option when selecting your product.

Unlimited number of similar and different devices, provided your system supports the load.

Yes. Any user of Dracal products is entitled to our customer support service, as long as the questions focus on Dracal’s specific offering (specifications, calibration, data quality, etc.).

Yes, custom modifications are possible on a wide range of products. Please contact us with your requirements and quantities to find out the feasibility of the modification, the cost and the lead time.

All Dracal sensors use the following USB identifiers: Mode Vendor ID (VID) Product ID (PID) format  (PID) range USB (native) 289B 05** 0500 – 0509 Virtual COM Port (VCP) 289B 06** 0600 – 0609 These values apply to all current and future Dracal products. They can be used to filter or auto-detect Dracal devices in a USB device tree, write udev rules (Linux), or build device enumeration logic in your integration code.

Yes, you can do it without the VCP option (Virtual COM Port) for every Dracal USB sensor. You can either: 1) Use our command-line tool dracal-usb-get  that is packaged with the DracalView download. See the Python (and 10+ other language) code example with the CLI here. 2) Use our REST JSON API. Here is the documentation, and the Python code example section is here. A comparison of all integration options is available in the article Which integration tool do I need?

First, note that only Dracal sensors equipped with the calibratability option (-CAL option) support user adjustment. For example, a USB-PTH200-CAL is calibratable, while a USB-PTH200 is not. Although calibratable Dracal sensors can be easily adjusted via the DracalView graphical interface, it is possible to calibrate Dracal sensors in USB mode by programming using the dracal-usb-cal command line tool. To learn how to use this tool, read this guide.

We would dare to say that Dracal’s solution is hard to beat in terms of reliability and simplicity. Connect a Dracal sensor to your computer, download DracalView (free, multi-platform), select the data you want to view, and navigate to the Graph View tab. That’s it! And if necessary, SensGate can allow you to cover multiple laboratories from a single computer. Simple, isn’t it?

When installing DracalView, Windows is informed that Dracal USB products require the built-in Windows driver to communicate via USB. This is for identification purposes. However, without this, Windows will not grant access to the port. Once switched in VCP mode, nothing need to be installed. For Python, a package (like many others) must be installed, for example ‘pyserial’, but this is not a driver/system.

DracalView is multi-platform (and therefore supported by Windows in addition to Linux and Mac) and natively supports an unlimited number of Dracal sensors (the only limitation being your computer’s capabilities). Simply use USB hubs to connect all your sensors to your computer, launch DracalView, and they will all be accessible simultaneously. For large coverage areas, you may want to consider using USB extenders or SensGates, which allow communication with your main computer via Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

With DracalView, it only takes four clicks. Launch DracalView and: Click 1: Go to the Logging tab Click 2: Check “Select All” channels Click 3: Select your .csv file Click 4: Start. DracalView is free, installs in 3 minutes, and is supported by Windows, Linux, and Mac. Watchs the short logging tutorial here.

We have created the easiest possible quote request system for you. 1. Create an account and log in. 2. Then do whatever you would do while shopping, then click on the shopping cart in the top right. 3. In your cart, click on “Switch to quote”, then at the bottom of the page “Proceed to quote”. You will not be asked for any payment information. You will then receive a quote by email, which you can accept and pay within 30 days.

Yes you can. In order to do so, you need to send the fully completed Dracal NET30 Application Form to our sales team at sales@dracal.com. If your request is accepted, you will be authorized to send an official order to this same address, and the order will be placed on the account you will have previously created with your shipping and billing contact information.

The 3-point calibration mechanism is a process used to adjust real channels other than gas channels. This mechanism is reversible in that, once calibration is complete, it is possible to disable it or delete the entered points in order to restore the product to its initial state. This mechanism applies to real channels such as temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, etc. For CO₂ channels, the calibration performed (which is supported by default by all CO₂ sensors without the purchase of an additional option) is a one-point instant calibration that is irreversible, in the sense that the only way to delete a calibration is to perform a new one to overwrite the previously entered point.

Dracal Technologies sensors have accuracy comparable to Sensirion’s SHT3x series. The accuracy of the TRH320 and PTH200 models is similar to that of the SHT31, while that of the TRH4xx/PTH4xx models is similar to that of the SHT35. The advertised accuracy of Dracal Technologies sensors is based on product specifications under actual conditions of use, and each product is individually tested at the factory before shipment to ensure reliability.

A 3-point calibration of Dracal Technologies USB sensors can be performed using our application DracalView. The first step is to ensure a stable reading at any calibration point chosen. Using Graph View is an efficient method to visually ascertain that. To calibrate the sensor, click on the Calibrate button next to the channel, then enter the data measured by both instruments at all three different temperatures  MATH channels can be used to access the non-calibrated data. The formula is [chid_nc], where chid is the unique channel ID, as written in the measuring instrument inset, and the suffix “_nc” holds for “not calibrated”. It is possible to visualize these data in the Graph View tab or log them in the Logging tab. When the calibration is completed, it is warranted to hide the Calibrate buttons. Dracal sensors are factory calibrated and we can offer an extra certification upon request. User-calibration may be useful after many years of usage or for specific conditions. For more details, watch this short video tutorial. For a real calibration use-case, read this case study.

Dracal Technologies offers two types of CO2 sensors: the DXC120 for monitoring in office environments, and the DXC220 for monitoring in incubators (or other harsh environments). As for VOCs, the Dracal VOC100 allows qualitative measurement of VOCs, to be used as a general indicator of VOC variation in the environment.

You can find them on each instrument page under the Datasheets tab if available.

No, they are not. They are powered via the USB plug; therefore, they must be plugged in to transmit data.

At the Dracal production factory, a pass/fail type of testing is conducted during the production of the measuring instrument. Additionally, the component manufacturer carries out individual calibration at their factory before being shipped to us. These calibrations are not ISO17025 certified, but if your industry does not require this standard, you can confidently use Dracal’s USB adapters upon receiving them.

No, they are not. The specifications in the datasheet apply to the transmitter only, with no probe connected. So, for your system (transmitter + probe), you need to “add up” the characteristics not only of the transmitter but also of the probe you choose to connect to it, either the one offered by Dracal or another of your choice.

If you’ve wired your sensor yourself, you’ve most likely connected the wires to the wrong terminals. Consult the datasheet and check carefully that you’ve followed the connection diagram. If you disconnected the probe by pulling on the probe wire rather than the connector itself, you may have lost contact between one of the wires and its terminal block. Open the connector and check that all wires are connected.

This unit has an automatic calibration process that sets the lowest value recorded in a week at 450 ppm, which is supposed to be achieved in the presence of fresh air. If, during a given week, the sensor has never been in contact with fresh air (including the absence of living creatures for 12 hours in a closed room), the calibration process cannot take place correctly. Also note that for this automatic calibration process to work properly, the sensor must be plugged in for 7 days straight. To have your unit recalibrated correctly, please do the following 1. Use an extension cable instead of plugging the unit directly into your computer. 2. Plug your unit into a location where it will have power for a full week. The self-calibration process takes place every 7 days without interruption of power. When you shut down your laptop, the unit will stop receiving power and the recording and calibration process will start again each time. 3. During the 7 days of power, make sure your sensor has access to fresh air: this will be its baseline for calibration. Fresh air is outdoor air, or it can simply be placed in a room where no living beings are present for 12 hours. In other words, it should not be placed in a place where there are people 100% of the time. REMARK: The DXC100 was designed for offices (which are usually empty on weekends) and homes (when, before the days of COVID, they were empty during the weekdays).

Humidity and temperature measurements are internal measurements, i.e. they are taken inside the case. Therefore, the temperature is higher inside the case than outside, and conversely, the humidity is lower inside the case than outside. These measurements must be accurate and inside the case, as they are used in the automated calibration process in the product. In order to apply an offset to these measurements, one option is to use the mathematical channels available in DracalView to implement a new channel on which you have applied your 1-point compensation (i.e. an offset) to your measurements.

Orders of 50 units or less are normally prepared and shipped within 3 business days, unless noted otherwise. Orders including traceability certificates take an additional 10 business days. The transit time varies according to the country of destination. Business days are Monday to Friday, with the exception of holidays (Canadian or in the destination country). We ship from Canada. Orders shipped outside Canada may, depending on the destination country, incur additional import duties, taxes and charges. Those are not included and are the buyer’s responsibility. Be aware that for some countries, the additional fees can be very significant (eg: Over half the product price). It is your responsability to research prior to placing an order.

We send an email when we first receive your order and a second message once it has been shipped. Please make sure to check your spambox if the emails appear not to be getting through.

It varies according to the destination: To Canada: 2-3 business daysUnited States: 2-5 business daysInternational: 4-5 business days to most destinations. Note: To quote Canadapost: “These service standards are not guaranteed. Service standards are estimates of how long it will take for the mail to be delivered.”

No, we no longer do. We did in the past, but we stopped because most of our customers have a tight calibration schedule and can’t afford to have a certification date that’s already a few weeks old.

The -CAL suffix option makes it possible to adjust the instruments with our polynomial 3-point-user-calibration mechanism. It does not mean that the product comes with a certificate, which needs to be purchased separately on the ordering tab of each product. * The reason why we do not automatically provide the instruments with ISO17025 certification is that they are quite expensive and many users do not want/need to pay for it.

You add the product and required certificate(s) to the cart and checkout. We receive your order and contact you by email to establish the required certification points (temperature, pressure, etc). Calibration: If your device is equipped with the 3-point user calibration mechanism, we will ask you if you wish your device to be calibrated by the laboratory when the certificate is issued. You confirm your requirements. From this point, the certificates are not refundable and non-modifiable. The products are sent to the lab. After up to 10 business days, certificates are issued. The certificates and the products are packed together and shipped.