What is PACE and how does it work?
An overview of the PACE data acquisition and processing software, what it does, and how it processes sensor data into displayable parameters.
Overview
PACE (Processing And Collection Engine) is the proprietary real-time data acquisition and processing software originally developed by Muir Matheson and now fully supported by WISE Group. It is used across helideck monitoring systems (HMS) and meteorological monitoring installations on offshore platforms and vessels.
PACE acquires data continuously from connected meteorological and motion sensors, processes that data through a structured pipeline, and outputs aviation-ready parameters for display on local and remote screens. It also logs all data automatically and supports forwarding to external platforms such as Orbalux Cloud.
Although PACE is considered a legacy product and is not actively enhanced with new features, WISE Group provides full support for all existing PACE installations — including software troubleshooting, configuration assistance, and connectivity support.
What PACE does
At its core, PACE performs four functions:
- Acquires raw data from connected sensors in real time (wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure, wave height, humidity, and more)
- Processes that data using techniques such as time-averaging, gust detection, and sensor elevation correction to produce meaningful aviation parameters (e.g. QFE — barometric pressure referenced to helideck level — QNH — barometric pressure referenced to sea level — and 10-minute mean wind speed)
- Displays processed parameters on the local Weather Monitoring System (WMS) computer and any connected remote display clients on the local network
- Logs all parameters automatically to CSV files at a rate of once per minute
How data flows through PACE
PACE processes data through four sequential configuration stages. Each stage builds on the previous one:
| Stage | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Driver | Defines the serial communication settings for each connected sensor (COM port, baud rate, stop bits, parity). This is the point at which PACE "listens" to the sensor. |
| Sensor | Translates the raw electrical output from the sensor into engineering units. Scaling factors, min/max limits, and invalid data handling are configured here. |
| Channel | Applies the first stage of signal processing — including sample length, sample rate, data type (linear or angular), data life, and any linear corrections. For example, a 10-minute mean wind speed requires 10 minutes of sampled data to be collected at the Channel stage. |
| Parameter | Applies the final stage of processing immediately before display. This includes correction formulae (such as the exponential equation used to calculate QNH from raw pressure), averaging methods, and alarm threshold configuration. Every value shown on any PACE display screen is a Parameter. |
Data logging
PACE logs all parameters automatically. Logged files are stored in CSV format on the local hard drive of the WMS computer, organised by date:
C:\ProgramData\Muir Matheson\Data\CSV\YYYY\MM\DD\Each CSV file contains one logged value per minute per parameter (1,440 values per full 24-hour period). CSV files can be opened directly in Microsoft Excel or any text editor, and can be copied to USB drives or external storage as needed.
The WMS computer clock should be set to GMT/UTC with daylight saving time disabled to ensure consistent timestamps across all logged data.
Alarms and alerts
PACE includes a three-level alarm system. Any displayed parameter can be configured with threshold values that trigger on-screen colour changes to alert the operator:
| Level | On-screen indicator | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Warning | Yellow background | First threshold — advisory notice |
| Alert | Amber background | Second threshold — operational caution |
| Alarm | Red background | Third threshold — action required |
Both high and low thresholds can be configured for each parameter. A hysteresis value prevents repeated triggering when a parameter fluctuates near a threshold. Alarm thresholds are set centrally on the PACE WMS computer and apply to all connected displays. Pop-up warning messages can be enabled or disabled locally on each display.
Configuration and access
All PACE configuration is performed on the WMS computer. Remote display clients do not have access to configuration. The configuration menus are password protected.
The PACE configuration menu is accessed by minimising the display window and clicking the PACE button in the taskbar, then selecting Configure from the menu bar. Changes to configuration can significantly affect system behaviour — WISE Group strongly recommends backing up all configuration files before making any changes.
Configuration changes are typically only required in the event of a sensor replacement or a fundamental change in system requirements.
Data forwarding
PACE can forward processed data to external platforms. WISE Group supports two destinations:
- MM Weather — the established web-based data distribution service used by many existing customers to share environmental and helideck data with stakeholders
- Orbalux Cloud — WISE Group's next-generation cloud platform, providing dashboards, long-term data storage, API access, and advanced analytics
If you need assistance configuring data forwarding, contact WISE Group support or refer to the relevant Knowledge Base articles.
Getting support
WISE Group provides full support for existing PACE installations. If you need help with PACE, you can:
- Submit a support ticket via the Submit Support Ticket form
- Search the Knowledge Base for guides and troubleshooting articles
- Contact the support team directly for configuration or connectivity assistance