The six categories are setup, configuration, printed output, computer output, hardware interface, and software interface. Setup included the time needed to get the system physically placed, and extra equipment needed to get the system in place. Configuration included the information and time necessary to start the machine. Printed output rated the printouts of the machine, if printed output was an option, or the ease of manually collecting data from the system. Computer output rated the information provided by any software included with the machine.
Hardware interface rates the ease of operating the main unit.
Software interface rates the ease of operating any software provided with the system. Setup and Configuration were rated as easy, intermediate, or complex. The other categories were rated as poor, acceptable, good, or excellent. How each system compared In general, some aspects were similar for the in-field systems. Setup required a pole or shelter for mounting the equipment, and some smaller poles or stakes to mount the gauges and sensors.