Measurement DaqView User Manual

DaqView

and

DaqViewXL

for DaqTemp Applications

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DaqView

DaqTemp Applications

Overview……2
Starting DaqView……2
A Tour of DaqView……2

Main Window Toolbar …… 3
Channel Setup Buttons …… 3
Channel Setup Window ….. 4
A DaqView Walk-Through …… 5

Acquisition Setup……7
Data Destination……9
Pull-Down Menus……10
Charts and Meters…… 12
Analog Output Window…… 14
Digital I/O Window …… 15
Counter/Timer Window …… 15
Waveform & Digital Pattern Output Window ….. 16
Acquire ….. 18

DaqTemp Applications

DaqView Main Window, Channel Setup Tab Selected

DaqView can only be used with one device at a time. If you desire to use DaqView for
multiple devices, you will need to run concurrent applications of the program, i.e., one for
each device you want to monitor.

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DaqView, pg. 1

Overview

DaqView is a 32-bit Windows-based data acquisition program that was designed for ease-of-use;
programming expertise is not required. DaqView allows you to:

• Set up system parameters.

• Save data to disk and transmit data to spreadsheets and databases.

• Automatically re-arm the trigger function and save data in new files as needed.

• Launch eZ-PostView, an independent post-acquisition data analysis program.

DaqViewXL is a Microsoft Excel-based “add-in.” The application is discussed in an independent document

module that is included as part of this manual.

Starting DaqView

Minimum computer requirements include:

• Intel

• 32 Mbytes of RAM

• Windows 98, Me, NT, 2000, or XP

• Data acquisition hardware

To run DaqView, double-click the DaqView icon or use your Windows desktop Start button to navigate to
the program file.

Note: If acquisition hardware is not available, or you just want to explore the software, you can select

Simulated Instrument; the main window will open (see following figure). When DaqView detects
hardware, or a simulated instrument has been selected, DaqView’s main window will open.

Note: In event of a Daq device communication problem, exit DaqView and perform a hardware test from

the Daq Configuration applet control panel.

TM

Pentium® P100, or equivalent

A Tour of DaqView

This section includes a look at DaqView’s main window, toolbar buttons, and the spreadsheet style Channel
Setup tab, which includes a Readings column.

Daq devices differ from one another in regard to functionality. Functions that are not
supported by a particular board [or device] will be grayed-out.

A Partial View of the Main Window

DaqView, pg. 2

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DaqTemp Applications

Main Window Toolbar

Each item in the main window toolbar has its own icon and is accessible from the pull-down menu. Placing
the cursor on the icon and clicking the mouse button enables the tool or opens the corresponding window.

When a function does not apply, the toolbar button will be grayed-out.

Item # Item Description

1 Charts Displays the DaqView Channel Display window.
2 Bar Graph

Meters
3 Analog Meters Displays an analog dial meter.
4 Digital Meters Displays a digital meter.
5 Start All

Indicators
6 Stop All

Indicators
7 View File Data Launches eZ-PostView, an independent post-data acquisition program.

8 Analog Output Displays the Analog Output window of the DAC channels, as applicable. DaqTemp7 and

9 Digital I/O Displays the Digital I/O window.
10 Counter/Timer Displays the Counter/Timer window.
11 Waveform &

Pattern Output
12 Acquire Activates an acquisition of data to a file.

Main Window Toolbar Items

Displays a bar graph meter.

Starts displaying data in the Reading column and any open Chart or Meters window.

Stops displaying data in the Reading column and any open Chart or Meters window.

The eZ-PostView application is covered by separate documentation.

DaqTemp14 have no DACs. DaqTemp7A has two DACs. DaqTemp14A has four DACs.

Displays the Arbitrary W aveform and Streamed Output windows.

Channel Setup Buttons

These five buttons are not a part of the main window toolbar. Instead, they reside just above the
spreadsheet on the Channel Setup tab. The reason is that they only affect the channel spreadsheet.

Show All Channels, Hide Inactive Channels

These toolbar buttons collapse or expand the Analog & Scanned Digital Inputs spreadsheet to show all
channels, whether active or not, or to hide those that are inactive. These commands are also available from
the Edit pull-down menu.

Turn All Visible Channels On, Turn All Visible Channels Off

These toolbar buttons can turn all the channels ON or OFF at a single stroke. This feature is convenient
during setup and troubleshooting or if only 1 or 2 channels must be set differently from the rest. Both these
commands are also available from the Edit pull-down menu as Make All Channels Active and Make All
Channels Inactive.

Channel Readings

This toolbar item enables/disables the Reading column of the Analog and Scanned Digital Input spreadsheet
to provide a numeric view of incoming data. This function toggles on and off when the button is repeatedly
selected. Some windows require the Reading column to be disabled while changing channels or other
parameters. This command is available from the Data pull-down menu as Enable Input Reading Column.

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DaqView, pg. 3

Channel Setup Window

Selecting the Channel Setup Tab displays the analog and scanned digital input channels and allows you to
configure them. Each row shows a single channel and its configuration. The number of rows may vary, but
each row has seven columns. Some columns allow blocks of cells to be altered at the same time (clicking a
column header can select the entire column). Other columns allow only a single cell to change. The table
summarizes the function of each column.

Column Description

CH

The channel number (cannot be changed from this window). This number includes the main channel
number and the expansion board number and channel (if used). Expansion channels are configured
using the Hardware Configuration window described later in this module.

Channel Setup Tab Selected

Channel Setup Window

Setting Thermocouple Types

for DaqTemp Channels

On

Type

Polarity

Label

Units

Reading

This column allows you to select whether data will be collected from that channel. When a cell or
block of cells in this column is selected, a selection box will appear that allows “Yes” to enable or
“No” to disable the channel. Double-clicking a cell in this column will toggle the channel status. The
Edit menu allows you to Make All Channels Active or Make All Channels Inactive.

This column allows you to set the gain or input type [such as thermocouple type] for each channel.
A block of cells in this column can be selected for multiple channels of the same type. Double­clicking a cell will select the next available gain or type.

This column shows the channel polarity (unipolar or bipolar) for each channel. The polarity can be
programmed here on a per channel basis. For selected cells that can be changed, a selection box
will display “Unipolar” or “Bipolar”. Double-clicking in a cell will toggle the polarity. If hardware
cannot accept the polarity change, no selection box will be displayed.

This column contains a descriptive name for the input channel. The default label is the channel
number, but it can be changed to any 8 characters and must be unique. This label is used when
selecting a channel in the analog trigger and chart selection lists.

This column allows you to change the engineering units of each channel and apply a linear equation
to the acquired data. When a cell [or block of cells] is selected, the analog input box displays entry
options in a pull-down box. Selecting "mx+b" allows you to define the scale “m”, the offset “b”, and
the engineering units label. The "mx+b" equation is applied to the reading before it is displayed or
written to disk. The "x" in the equation is the raw DaqTemp value for the selected channel.

By default, temperature readings are in degrees Celsius (°C). However, DaqView includes "built-in"
linear factors that provide automatic conversion to degrees Fahrenheit, Rankine, or Kelvin with no
need for the user to enter “m” or “b” values. If desired, m and b values can be used to convert the
Celsius reading to a different engineering unit, for example, to a customized non-standard unit.

This column displays the device’s analog or scanned digital input readings. This column cannot be
altered by the user and is enabled by selecting Enable Input Reading Column under the Data menu
or by selecting “Start/Stop All Indicators” under the window menu. This column will update the
readings as fast as the computer will allow. The spreadsheet cannot be altered while the input
reading column is enabled.

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A DaqView Walk-Through

The following walk-through is intended to familiarize you quickly with aspects of DaqView not yet
discussed.

(1) Open DaqView. If your DaqTemp is not connected you can select Simulated Instrument as your
device.

(2) From DaqView’s File menu, select
Authorization.

(3) If you ordered a DaqView upgrade, for
example, DaqViewXL, enter the Authorization
Code [found on a separate sheet] and click the
<Apply Code> button.

If you have no Authorization Code you can click
the <Start 30-Day Trial> button to enable a
temporary version of an upgrade.

Note that you can order upgrades “online.”

(4) To familiarize yourself with the three windows
available from DaqView’s main window, click the
tabs Channel Setup, Acquisition Setup,
and Data Destination.

Channel Setup displays a spreadsheet for viewing
and changing the configuration of analog and
scanned digital input channels. Each row is
dedicated to a single channel.

The columns and buttons pertaining to Channel
Setup were discussed in the preceding sections.

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Acquisition Setup displays a window that includes
parameters for triggering and configuring the scan.
These settings are used when an acquisition to disk
is started with the toolbar’s Acquire button. When
the trigger is satisfied, scans are collected at the
selected scan frequency and stored to disk in the
designated file. Note that these parameters cannot
be altered while an acquisition is in progress.

Data Destination provides a means of designating
the desired file formats and directories for acquired
data.

From DaqView’s Device menu, select
Configure Hardware Settings.

The window Configure System Hardware will appear. The right side of the screen is used to set up
digital connections.

Click OK to return to DaqView’s main window. If Channel Setup is not selected, select it at this time.

Select the Channel Readings button. If in the Simulated Instrument mode, the Reading
column of the Analog & Scanned Digital Inputs spreadsheet will display simulated data.
Selecting the Channel Readings button again will freeze the Reading column’s display.
If working hardware is connected, the readings will quantify actual signals.

To acquire data to a file, press the Acquire button. For simulated hardware, you will be
prompted to enable a manual trigger. Binary data is acquired to a file (with default name
of daqv.bin).

This button is used to launch eZ-PostView, an independent post-data acquisition
program. eZ-PostView is discussed in a separate document and is included [in PDF
format] on the install CD.

DaqView, pg. 6

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