Integrating meteorological instruments using java and computer networking

A mobile meteorological profiler system capable of producing a vertical profile of wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure from the surface to 20 km has been developed and built. The sensor suite consists of a surface sensor, wind radar, temperature and moisture sensing radiometric profiler, facilities for launching and tracking rawinsondes, and a satellite receiver. Several computers, interconnected by Ethernet, manage data assimilation, data fusion and communication via radio. Another connected computer runs a meso-scale meteorological model.

Because the various instruments and data systems comprising the system are managed by proprietary software running under several different operating systems, the task of managing the measurements and combining the data was not straightforward. The Java and Ethernet solution developed incorporates several features of relevance to any similar systems using multiple measurement systems running variegated software.