QuakeWatch-Pro

QuakeWatch-Pro is the computer companion for ES series seismometers. It is written in Python and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It reads seismometer data over USB Type-C, stores it in a local database, and plots the last 60 seconds of the three-axis waveform, spectrum, acceleration, and instrumental seismic intensity in real time.

QuakeWatch-Pro is two programs. Keep both of them running:

Program	Purpose
data_collector.py	Reads seismometer data from the serial port, stores it in earthquake_data.db, and provides it to main.py
main.py	Opens the chart window and shows the waveform and seismic intensity

Firmware compatibility

Starting with firmware 26w41a, the seismometer’s USB output uses a new binary format. QuakeWatch-Pro must be a version that supports the new format, or it cannot decode the data. If the statistics stay at 0 after you connect, download the latest QuakeWatch-Pro first.

Prepare

• Python 3.10 – 3.12. You can download it from the Python website.
• A USB Type-C cable that can carry data.
• The computer recognizes the seismometer’s serial port. If it does not, see The computer cannot find the seismometer serial port.

Download

QuakeWatch-Progithub.com/ExpTechTW/QuakeWatch-ProCompanion software for ES series seismometers. Connects over USB and displays seismic waveform data.

On the GitHub page, download the source with git clone or Download ZIP, and extract it anywhere.

Install

Run the commands below in the QuakeWatch-Pro folder.

1. Open a terminal and change to the QuakeWatch-Pro folder

   cd your/path/QuakeWatch-Pro

2. Create and activate a virtual environment

   A virtual environment keeps this install from conflicting with other Python packages on the computer.

   Windows

   python -m venv venv
   .\venv\Scripts\activate

   macOS / Linux

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install the dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Use

1. Connect the seismometer

   Connect the seismometer to the computer with a USB Type-C cable. First close other programs that use the serial port, such as the recovery tool.

2. Start the data collector

   In a terminal with the virtual environment activated, run:

   python data_collector.py

   The program lists the available serial ports. If there is only one, it selects it. If there are several, enter the seismometer’s number and press Enter:

   可用串列埠:
   [0] COM4 - Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM4)
   [1] COM1 - 通訊連接埠 (COM1)
   
   請選擇 [0-1] 或 q 退出: 0

   After you see 「開始收集數據」, the program periodically prints a line that starts with [統計. If the sample count in that line keeps increasing, data is coming in.

   Windows

   The serial port name is COM plus a number, for example COM4.

   macOS / Linux

   On macOS, serial ports start with /dev/cu.. On Linux they are usually /dev/ttyUSB0. If Linux reports a permission error, add your account to the dialout group, then log in again:

   sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER

3. Open the chart window

   Open another terminal, change to the same folder, activate the virtual environment, and then run:

   python main.py

   The window shows charts of the three-axis acceleration, the 0–25 Hz spectrum, PGA, and instrumental seismic intensity for the last 60 seconds.

Both programs have to be running

main.py gets its data from data_collector.py. Start data_collector.py first, and do not close it while you are looking at the charts. Press Ctrl+C to stop collection.

Data storage

Data that comes in is stored in earthquake_data.db (SQLite) in the QuakeWatch-Pro folder. You can query it with any SQLite tool:

Table	Contents
sensor_data	Three-axis acceleration, 50 samples per second. Columns: timestamp_ms, x, y, z, received_time
intensity_data	Instrumental seismic intensity and acceleration value a, about one row every 0.5 seconds. Columns: timestamp_ms, intensity, a, received_time

sqlite3 earthquake_data.db "SELECT * FROM intensity_data ORDER BY received_time DESC LIMIT 10;"

The database does not delete old data on its own. If the file gets too large, close both programs, then delete earthquake_data.db. The next launch creates it again.

Troubleshooting

• The statistics stay at 0: Confirm that you selected the seismometer’s serial port, and that QuakeWatch-Pro supports the firmware version on the seismometer (see Firmware compatibility above).
• The statistics were increasing, then stopped: The seismometer stopped sending data. Check the USB cable, or unplug it and plug it back in.
• The serial port is not found: See The computer cannot find the seismometer serial port.