Skytap+ Weather Software

SKYTAP+™ Weather Software

SKYTAP+™ Weather Software automatically accesses Marta Systems' database of real-time graphic and alphanumeric weather products via the Internet at the customer's desired interval. Internet access occurs automatically to Marta Systems' SKYTAP Weather Service and disconnects after product reception has completed.

The software runs in 256-color mode under Windows-NT, Windows-2000 or XP operating systems, and is available separately for use on customer supplied PC systems.

Graphic product support includes satellite imagery, AFOS, DIFAX, and Nexrad radar, including Nexrad Regional and National Mosaics.

All alphanumeric products available through the NWS Noaa-port system are supported, including Weather Wire and International, Domestic and Public text data.

Contour analysis and surface station plotting is supported.

Graphic Features

(a) The software is capable of displaying Satellite, DIFAX, and Nexrad graphics.

(b) Satellite and DIFAX graphics are in PCX format.

(d) Multiple Windows On-Screen Simultaneously (satellite, DIFAX and Nexrad). The display software allows multiple, simultaneous, independently controllable loops to run.

(e) Loops can be colorized, zoomed and panned while running.

(f) Loops are updated automatically when new products are received.

(g) The software remembers loop speed and pause for each image type, and allows those parameters to be changed while the loop is running.

(h) The number of frames per loop is limited to 99, or as many as system memory allows, whichever is smaller.

(i) Ten user-programmable Hot Buttons for each data type (Satellite, AFOS, Nexrad and DIFAX) are available. Each button may be individually programmed to display a loop, a collection of images, or the latest single image.

(j) A separate set of ten Hot Buttons is programmable for imported image types, which may include any PCX, BMP, JPEG, TIFF, Group 3, or other files generated by other software.

Image Manipulation Functions

(a) Zoom up to x16 and down to 1/16 (static or while looping)

(b) Pan (static or while looping)

(d) DIFAX Image Rotate - 90, 180 and 270 degrees

(e) Color Palettes - Each image type can have its’ own color palette which the system "remembers" when that particular product is displayed or looped. The user can modify existing palettes and make and "save" as many additional color palettes as desired. The color palette tool also has provisions for contrast stretching.

(f) Histogram

Advanced Image Annotation Functions

(a) Temperature (flat IR, satellite images only)

(b) Latitude and Longitude Readouts

(d) Plain Lines - User definable size, style and color. Splined snap-lines are utilized for precise curve adjustment.

(e) Standard Weather Front Lines - NWS default style and color. User adjustable "snap-lines" for precise adjustment.

(f) 50 User Definable Weather Symbols - User selectable fonts, size, color and rotate.

(g) 100 Standard NWS Weather Symbols - Defaults to standard NWS colors. User selectable fonts, size, color and rotate.

(h) Text - User selectable fonts, size, and color

(i) Mapping for Nexrad and Satellite imagery include: Country/State, lakes/rivers/streams, county, highways, railroads, and administrative boundries. Maps can be turned on/off in any combination desired.

(j) Overlays - Create overlays using any of the above tools, and automatically display on any graphics (control per product).

Alphanumeric Software Features

(a) Data can be recalled by any of the following means:

Station and Products
City-Pair Route and Products
Geographical Area and Products
Wild-card word or phrase search from any combination of stations and products, or the entire database.
By age, or by most recently available.

(b) Data is flagged if older than 2, 4, 12 or 24 hours to alert the operator.

(c) Ten user-programmable Hot Buttons for each recall method (Station, Route, and Area) are available. Each button may be individually programmed to display products by type and age.

(d) Multiple, simultaneous display windows may be open at one time.

(e) Each display window may be update enabled, so that if new products of that type are received, the display is updated with the new data.

(f) Each display window is a full text editor, allowing the addition or deletion of comments, or items as necessary. The modified text can be saved to any disk or network path, or printed as required.

Plotting Capabilities

This powerful analysis feature can display user-selectable contour maps and station information against a variety of user selected views and background maps, and overlay these contour maps and station information onto Marta Systems' digital satellite and/or NEXRAD imagery.

Automatically generated products, such as time-series, skew-t, and various plots are handled by the product generator functions of the included ROUTER program (below).

Contour Analysis Includes the following products at these levels:
Surface, 925mb, 850mb, 700mb, 500mb, 400mb, 300mb, 250mb, 200mb & 150mb
Height
Temp C° or F°
Dew Point
Relative Humidity
Wind Vectors
Mixing Ratio
Vorticity
Divergence at 850mb, 500mb and 300mb
Freezing Level
Lifted Index
Total Precipitable Water
Surface to 500mb Precipitable Water
Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE)
Wet-Bulb Zero Height
Thickness 1000-500 mb
Sea Level Pressure
Contour Line Properties include user-selected Color, Style, and Thickness
Wind Barbs and ISOTACHS

Station Plots Include:
Altimeter Setting
Dew Point
Temperature
Wind Barb
Visibility
Ceiling
Sky Cover
VFR-MVFR-IFR Flight conditions

Time Series Graphs - Meteograph
10 "Hot Buttons" for Immediate Recall of Most Utilized Stations
Enclosed Display
Temperature
Dew Point
Ceiling Height & Cloud Cover Symbols
Wind Direction
Color Coded VFR/MVFR/IFR
Speed
Pressure
Present Weather Symbols

Upper Air Soundings - Skew-T & Log-P
10 "Hot Buttons" for Immediate Recall of Most Utilized Stations
Standard Sounding Plot
Hodograph
Parcel Ascent Curves
Plot Above 100mb

Automatic Data Handling Capabilities

The software can automatically performs multiple functions in the background, without user intervention. The user is given complete control of each product in the system, and can tag each individually for any or all of the functions listed below.

Purging of old data - The user specifies how many of each type of product to maintain. The software will remove the oldest version of each product when the number of products of that type exceed the specified count.

Alarms - The user may control which products, if any, cause alarms to be generated when those products are received. In addition, software alarms are generated if the system has difficulty performing background operations. The alarms can use any Windows-NT supported sound cards with wave files (special effects, voice, or any other sound can be used), or the internal speaker of the PC, or be silent alarms which are logged, but do not annunciate.

Disk Mirroring - A designated disk drive or network server can be specified as the target device for the built-in disk mirror. This function allows the user to specify on a per-product basis which products should be mirrored to the specified device. This function maintains an exact copy of the specified products on the target device, adding new ones and removing old ones as appropriate.

File Conversion and Export - User selected Nexrad, Satellite and DIFAX images may be automatically converted to JPEG, TIFF, PCX or BMP formats and stored on a designated disk drive or network server. Separate destination paths can be specified for NEXRAD, DIFAX and satellite, and alphanumeric products.

AutoPrint - Four separate printers are supported simultaneously, one each for Text, Satellite, DIFAX and Nexrad. Each printer has a separate seven-day, 24-hour availability schedule, allowing the user to enable/disable autoprinting automatically throughout the week. Text autoprinting can be specified to occur by station and product as data is received, or by city-pair route and product, or geographical area and product, or station and product on a timed basis.

Archive - The software can archive selected products to separately specified destinations for Nexrad, Text, Satellite/DIFAX and AFOS.

Transmitter - The software can resend text products through a specified serial port in either ASCII or BAUDOT codes at speeds up to 19200 bps. The serial port RTS signal becomes active 10 seconds prior to transmission to accommodate a radio link.

Pricing and Limited Warranty

Skytap+™ Weather Software: $900.00

Price is F.O.B. Santa Paula, California

Software is provided on CD-ROM with user manual on CD.

One Year Limited Warranty includes software updates as they are released, and technical phone support. Optional annual software maintenance support (software updates and technical support) after the initial one-year warranty period is available for $175.00 annually

System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements
Windows-NT - 400Mhz Processor, 128Mb RAM, 10Gb Hard Drive
Windows-2000 - 400Mhz Processor, 128Mb RAM, 10Gb Hard Drive
Windows-XP – 1Ghz Processor, 512Mb RAM, 20Gb Hard Drive

Recommended System Requirements
Windows-2000 – 800Mhz Processor, 256Mb RAM, 20Gb Hard Drive
Windows-XP – 1.0Ghz Processor, 512Mb RAM, 40Gb Hard Drive

Skytap+™ is a trade mark of Marta Systems, Inc.
Skytap is a service mark of Marta Systems, Inc.