The BaseStation 3200 and the BaseStation 1000 irrigation controllers track all actions such as programming changes, water times, moisture levels, and other internal actions that occur on the controller. These actions are recorded in an event file on the controller.

You can export the event file from the controller to a USB drive, and then open the file on a computer to review the contents. Refer to the controller’s User Manual for the instructions to export the event file to a USB drive.

Opening the Event File on a Computer

After the file is saved on the USB drive, plug the drive into the USB port on a computer. When you view the file structure on the USB drive, you will find a folder labeled with the controller’s serial number. Open the subfolders until you find the event file named Evnt_{ date }.csv

The event file is formatted as a CSV (comma-separated value) file. This file type separates each data component from the next component by a comma. You can open a CSV file in several different computer programs, but the file will be easiest to read when it is opened in Microsoft Excel, and the data is configured to flow into separate rows and columns. See an example of an event file displayed in Microsoft Excel on page 3 of this document.

Perform the following steps to open the CSV file in Microsoft Excel:

1.  Start Microsoft Excel.

2.  Click the Data tab.

3.  In the Get External Data group, click From Text.

4.  Navigate to the location of the event file.

5.  Select the event file in the list, and then click Import. Microsoft Excel displays the Text Import Wizard.

6.  In the Original data type group box, select the Delimited radio button, and then click Next.

7.  In the Delimiters group box, select Comma, and then click Next.

8.  On the next wizard screen, preview the data in the table at the bottom, and use the options to format the data as needed.

9.  Click Finish.

10.  In the Import Data dialog box, leave the default Existing Worksheet option selected, and then click OK. The event file data displays in the worksheet rows and columns.

Event File Example

An example of an event file export is shown below with an explanation of the first two rows. See page 4 for additional help interpreting the data.

The first data row records the following event:

On May 28, 2014 at 6:55 am, a user made a configuration change to zone 1 in program 1. The cycle time was set to 300 seconds (5 minutes). The device with the serial number TSQ0071 was configured as a primary zone. The run time was set to 900 seconds (15 minutes). The run time limit was set to 120 seconds. The soak time was set to 300 seconds. The tracking ratio was set to 100%. The zone was configured as “timed.”

The second data row records the following event:

On May 28, 2014 at 6:55 am, an event switch with serial number TPD0001 paused program 99. The contacts were open and the status of the program was “off.”

Interpreting the Data

Even after the event file data is properly displayed in the worksheet rows and columns, you probably won’t be able to read the content. The following information will help you interpret the data.

Data Columns

The event file columns contain the following data (from left to right):

• First column (column A) – date/time when the action occurred – the time uses the 24-hour clock convention
  
  
• Second column (column B) – the subject of the entry. For example, alarms, moisture sensor
  
  
• Third column (column C) – the action that occurred. For example, the configuration was changed
  
  
• Fourth column (column D) – what triggered the action. For example, a program started because a Day/Time (DT) start occurred
  
  
• Remaining columns – the result of an action (where applicable)

Abbreviations

Because the event file contains a large amount of data, abbreviations are used to convey the information. Some abbreviations may show up in multiple columns and have different meanings (depending on the column that they display in). An abbreviation might have multiple meanings within a column, but you should be able to use contextual clues to determine the meaning of the abbreviation.

See the Explanation of Abbreviations at the end of this document.

Values

• An amount of time (such as run time, cycle time, or soak time) in the event file is given in seconds.
  
  
• Temperature values are given in Fahrenheit.
  
  
• Flow is given in US gallons.