U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 963 APSAS An Automated Particle Size Analysis System APSAS-An Automated Particle Size Analysis System By L. J. Poppe, A. H. Eliason, and J. J. Fredericks U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 963 A computer-based system designed to rapidly and accurately perform sediment grain-size analyses and calculate statistics 1985 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL HODEL, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Poppe, Lawrence J. APSAS, an automated particle size analysis system. (Geological Survey circular ; 963) Bibliography: p. 8 Supt. of Docs. no.: I. 19.4/2:963 1. Particle size determination-Data processing. I. Eliason, A. H. II. Fredericks, J. J. III. Title. IV. Series. QE75.C5 no. 963 557.3s[620' .43'0287] 84--600396 [TA418.8] Any trade names used in this publication are used for descriptive purposes only and do not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geologica I Survey. Free on application to Distribution Branch, Text Products Section, U.S. Geological Survey, 604 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304 CONTENTS Page Abstract • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • . • • • . • . • • • • . • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • . • 1 Introduction . • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • . • • • • • • • • . • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • 1 Instrumentation.. • • • • • • • . • • . • • . • . • . • . • • . • • • • • • • • . • . • • . • . • • • 2 Software . • • • • • . • . • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • . • . • • • • . • • . • • • • • . • • • . • • • . • • • • • • 4 Discussion. • • • • . • • • • . • . • . • • • . • • . • • . • . • . • • • • • • • . • . • • . • . • • . 6 Acknowledgments • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • . • • • • . • • . • • • • • • . 8 References cited...... • . • • . • . • • . • . • . • • • • . • • • • . • . • • . 8 Appendix A. Program documentation . • • • • . • . • • • . • . • • . • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • . • • • 1 0 1. RSA T. • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • • • • . • . • . • • • • • • • . • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • 1 0 2. CL TR T • . • • • • . • • • . • • • • . • . • • • • • . • • • • . • . • • • • . • • • • . • • • . • . • • . • • . 1 1 3. SEDIT . • . • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • • 12 4. GSANV . • • . • . • . • . • • . • . • • • . • . • . • • • • . • • . 13 5. CL TRM . • . • . • . • • • • • • . • • 14 6. RSA M . • . • . • • • . • . • . • . • • . • . • • • . • . • . • • . • . • • . • . • . • . • 1 6 7. JSORT ....••.....••.••.•••••••.••••....•••.•••.•.••.•...........•• 17 8. GS TAT • • . • • • . • • . • • • • • . • • . • . • . • • . • • . • 1 8 Appendix B. Program software • . • . • • • . • . • . • • • . • . • • . • . 2 5 1. RSA T. • • • • . • • • • • . • • • . • . • • • • • • • . • . • • • . • . • • • . • • . • 2 5 2. CLTRT .••••.•.•••....•.•.........•...•..•••....••••••.•.••••••••. 30 3. SEDIT . • • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • 3.3 4. Symbol files • • • • • • . • • . • . • • . • • • • • . • • • • . • . • • . • . • . • • • . • . 3 9 5. Common files...................................................... 40 6. General libraries . • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • . • • • . • 4 1 7. GSANV •..•.•••••••••••.....•.•...•..•••......••••....••.•.••..... 65 8. CLTRM •.•.•••...•....•....••••.••••••••••..••....•.•..•....•..... 68 9. RSAM . • . • • . • • . • • • • . • • • . • • . • • . • • . • . • • . • • • . • • • . • • • . • • • 70 10. JSORT............................................................ 70 11. GSTAT ..•••••..•...••.......•.•••••••..•.•..•...•....•..•••••.••• 74 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Photograph of the Pro-Comp/8-8 microcomputer and associated computer hardware ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 3 2. Block diagram of the Automated Particle Size Analysis System •...••.••.••.•••••••••••••• o ••••••••••• o ••••••••••••• 4 3o Photograph of the Coulter Counter portion of APSAS •••••••••••••.••. 5 4. Photograph of the Rapid Sediment Analyzer ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 6 5. Flow diagram of the APSAS programs used on the Pro-Comp/8-8 and Hewlett Packard 2100 MX computers ••••••.•• o. 7 III APSAS - An Automated Particle Size Analysis System By l. J. Poppe, A. H. Eliason, and J. J. Fredericks Abstract them to disk. It integrates the coarse and fine­ fraction data into a complete size distribution, performs method of moments and inclusive The Automated Particle Size Analysis graphics statistics, and texturally and statis­ System integrates a settling tube and an tically classifies the sediment with verbal electroresistance multichannel particle-size equivalents. In addition, the cumulative fre­ analyzer (Coulter Counter) with a Pro-Comp/8- quency distribution, method of moments statis­ 8 microcomputer and a Hewlett Packard tics, and sample identifiers are stored in a data­ 2100 MX(HP 2100 MX) minicomputer. This retrieval system that can be accessed by a large system and its associated software digitize the number and variety of users. raw sediment grain-size data, combine the For many years, the sand and gravel frac­ coarse- and fine-fraction data into complete tions were determined by sieve analyses, and grain-size distributions, perform method of the silt and clay fractions were determined by moments and inclusive graphics statistics, pipette or hydrometer analyses. Later, the verbally classify the sediment, generate histo­ Woods Hole Rapid Sediment Analyzer (Ziegler gram and cumulative frequency plots, and and others, 1960; and Schlee, 1966) and electro­ transfer the results into a data-retrieval sys­ resistance multichannel particle-size analyzers tem. This system saves time and labor and such as the Coulter Counter have removed affords greater reliability, resolution, and much of the tedium from grain-size analyses. reproducibility than conventional methods do. About this same time Formula Translation (FORTRAN) programs for the calculation of INTRODUCTION statistical parameters on geologic data also were developed (Kane and Hubert, 1962; Schlee The grain-size distribution of a r.letrital and Webster, 1967). Other particle-size anal­ sediment is of considerable importance to y~is p~ograms have since been written in Algo­ sedimentologists and engineers because distri­ nthmlc La_nguage (ALGOL)( Jones and Simpkin, bution is related to the dynamic conditions of 1970), Begmners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruc­ transportation and deposition. The size distrib­ tion Code (BASIC) (Sawyer, 1977), and even for ution can also reveal valuable information about use with hand-held calculators (Benson, 1981). the permeability, stability, or diagenetic history Early attempts to integrate computers with of the sediments. Inasmuch as many geological particle-size analysis equipment began with the observations consist of measurements made on settling tube (Ziegler and others, 1964; Rigler a large number of specimens, the techniques and others, 1981), and hardware and software and equipment used for particle-size analysis packages are now available for EMPSA units must be fast and yield highly reproducible ( Muerdter and others, 1981 ). However, each of results. these previously existing systems analyzes only The Automated Particle Size Analysis portions of a typical grain-size distribution. System ( APSAS), which we describe in this The recent development and commercial avail­ paper, digitizes the Rapid Sediment Analyzer ability of inexpensive microcomputers now ( RSA) and Electroresistance Multichannel allow sedimentologists to construct complete, Particle-Size Analyzer ( EMPSA) data and stores computerized particle-size analysis systems. 1 INSTRUMENTATION second serial port on the RSA slave is assigned to a Small System Design Inc. model ADM 12S The cornerstone around which our system 12-bit analog-to-digital converter. This dedi­ was developed is the Pro-Comp/8-8 ( Pro-Comp cation is necessary because the intrasample Systems Inc., 1982) IEE-696 S-1 00 bus-based timing is critical and must be controlled direc­ microcomputer (fig. 1). This system (Jennings tly by the slave. The RSA sample identifiers and others, 1984) incorporates a 4 Mhz Z-80A and processed output from the RSA T program master processor with 64k bytes of random are sent to the common pool printer, which is access memory (RAM), a NEC uPD765A chip interfaced to the masterprocessor serial Direct Memory Access floppy disk controller port B. This is possible because timing is not that supports up to 1.2 megabytes of disk stor­ critical during this portion of the program age (for fast memory-to-disk storage without execution and the printers contain data buffers central processing unit (CPU) intervention), two that allow simultaneous printer and compu­ RS-232 serial ports, and two parallel ports tational operation. The graphics capability of (fig. 2). This system also contains two slave the printer also permits the production of processor cards, each of which has two addi­ cumulative frequency plots showing the change tional serial ports and 64k bytes of RAM. The in pressure with time. These plots allow the Pro-Comp/8-8 microcomputer also supports technician to monitor system noise, transducer TurboDos version 1.22 ( Soft\•; are 2000 Inc., operation, and sample reproducibility. The disk 1982): a multiuser, multiprocessing operating port on the master card controls dual system. Under this operating system, each Shugart 800/801 disk drives that operate with 8-