Abstract: A system and method for measuring resistance of a polarizing material are disclosed. The system includes a voltage divider circuit having a first resistive element of known resistance and the polarizing material of unknown resistance and a processing unit. The processing unit is electrically-coupled to the voltage divider circuit and adapted to apply a voltage across the voltage divider circuit. A first input/output (I/O) pin is electrically-coupled between the processing unit and the first resistive element. A second pin is electrically-coupled between the processing unit and a junction between the polarizing material and the first resistive element. A controller is adapted to cause the second pin to short the polarizing material after a measurement is completed, to bleed off any residual polarization from the capacitive element of the polarizing material.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring resistance of a polarizing material are disclosed. The system includes a voltage divider circuit having a first resistive element of known resistance and the polarizing material of unknown resistance and a processing unit. The processing unit is electrically-coupled to the voltage divider circuit and adapted to apply a voltage across the voltage divider circuit. A first input/output (I/O) pin is electrically-coupled between the processing unit and the first resistive element. A second pin is electrically-coupled between the processing unit and a junction between the polarizing material and the first resistive element. A controller is adapted to cause the second pin to short the polarizing material after a measurement is completed, to bleed off any residual polarization from the capacitive element of the polarizing material.

Abstract: A resistive soil moisture sensor which is implanted in the soil includes a temperature sensitive component, located at the same soil depth as the sensor. The thermistor is part of a thermistor network which includes other components which are located above ground. The resultant sensor automatically compensates for temperature variations, and is well suited for use with data loggers and automatic control systems.

Abstract: A data gathering computer and host data display computer interface system, methodology and protocol are described that utilize a shared control program. The data gathering computer uses this program to determine what measurements are to be made and when and how the data is to be compressed into its data storage. The host display and analysis computer receives and utilizes the control program and the stored data from the data gathering computer, and expands the stored data responsive to the control program, and reconstructs the value and engineering units of the values measured as well as the time that the measurements were made. By passing the control program gathered by the data gathering computer, a single display computer program is all that is needed to display any number of completely different data streams from any number of data gathering computers.