-------------------------Monitor------------------------ The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control Issue 136 www.windmill.co.uk November 2009 --------------------ISSN 1472-0221---------------------- Welcome to Monitor, the data acquisition and control newsletter. I hope you find it useful, but should you wish to remove yourself from our mailing list please go to https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html CONTENTS ======== * Windmill Notes: How to use Windmill to Control Analogue Outputs * Excel Corner: How to Place Event Markers in Charts * DAQ News Roundup ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Windmill Notes: How to use Windmill to Control Analogue Outputs ________________________________________________________ Analogue output signals fall broadly into one of two categories: control and waveform generation. When they are used as control signals, they are generally slowing changing. The computer might be monitoring one or more input signals and using these to calculate a control signal. Alternatively, it may generate an output voltage as a stimulus prior to measuring the response. It is analogue output control that we are looking at today. Windmill has several programs which you can use to control your analogue outputs, including AnalogOut, Graphics and Test-Seq. Additionally, the Windmill IML Tools make it easy for you control outputs from your own macros and programs. Windmill AnalogOut for Simple Output Control ============================================ AnalogOut is included in the standard Windmill suite of data acquisition software (https://www.windmillsoft.com/daqshop/software.html). You can drive AnalogOut from the mouse, keyboard or from another application like Excel. It is extremely simple to use and tells one or more analogue output channels which value they should be generating. Windmill Graphics for Customised Windows ======================================== Graphics lets you design your own user interface. Amongst other things you can insert buttons to control analogue outputs. You can use a standard button or draw your own. When someone clicks your button they will be asked for a value to send to the analogue output. You can also set Graphics to automatically send a pre-entered value when it starts running. For more details see https://www.windmill.co.uk/graphics.html Windmill Test-Seq for Sequence Control of Equipment =================================================== Test-Seq interprets a file of commands and controls equipment and software accordingly. It can send commands and data to other Windows programs, or directly to the hardware inputs and outputs. Use Test-Seq to control analogue outputs according to timing or environmental conditions. For more details see https://www.windmillsoft.com/daqshop/test-control.html Windmill IML Tools ================== You can use the IML Tools to control analogue outputs directly from Windows applications like Excel, from JavaScript code running on a web page, from Visual Basic programs or from any developer tool that can integrate Active X controls. Windmill takes care of the communication with the hardware leaving you free to concentrate on your application. For more details see https://www.windmill.co.uk/tools.html The Windmill programs mentioned can be used with equipment connected to the PC over, for example, Ethernet, USB, RS232, RS422, RS485 or Modbus. Contact Windmill Software at sales@biodataltd.com for more information, or fill in the form at https://www.windmill.co.uk/contact.html _______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Excel Corner: How to Place Event Markers in Charts ________________________________________________________ It's easy enough to plot a chart of automatically logged data, but how do you add events that are not automatically logged? For instance, if you were recording how many people entered a store each day you might want to mark when you started a sale or an advertising campaign. Here is how to do it. We also have an example spreadsheet you can download at https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/eventmarker.xls 1. At its simplest your spreadsheet will have dates in column A and counts in column B. 2. In an empty column, insert a data value against the date your event occurred. Make this a little higher than any of your logged data. 3. Create an xy scatter chart with time on the x axis and your data and event columns on the y axis. 4. Right click the event data point on the chart and choose "Format Data Series". 5. Choose the "Y Error Bar" tab and add a minus error bar with the event value. 6. Choose the Data Labels tab and add the series name label. Click this on the chart and edit it to describe your event. 7. On the chart, right click the error bar and use the patterns tab to format it as the same colour as the event data point. 8. You now have a marker showing when your event occured and what it was. 9. You could add other markers, for example to show when an advertising campaign ended. To join up the event markers, from the Excel Tools menu choose Options, Chart, Interpolated. Any questions? Take a look at the example spreadsheet at https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/eventmarker.xls Further Reading =============== Excel charting tips Excel data acquisition tips ________________________________________________________ DAQ News Roundup ________________________________________________________ Welcome to our roundup of the data acquisition and control news. If you would like to receive more timely DAQ news updates then grab our RSS newsfeed at https://www.windmillsoft.com/monitor.xml. Read https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsfeed.php for notes on how to display the live news on your own web site. Piezoelectronics gets green makeover A new generation of lead-free piezoelectric materials could lead to greener actuators, sensors and even ultra-dense data storage. The new materials, which generate an electric field when squeezed, copy the crystal structure of conventional piezoelectric materials but use bismuth instead of lead. Source: New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/ First open specification for battery-less wireless sensors The EnOcean Alliance is publishing the first open specification for energy harvesting wireless sensors which ensures interoperability between products of different manufacturers. The specification contains 50 equipment profiles supporting the development of building automation, such as switches, remote controls, sensors, sensor combinations and data of every kind. Source: EnOcean Alliance http://www.enocean-alliance.org/en/alliance_milestone_standard/ Variable Speed Drives in Home Appliances to Double by 2013 The use of inverter-based variable speed drives (VSD) in home appliances is forecast to double over the next five years according to IMS Research. Currently, appliances with VSD account for just one in eight new appliances - mainly air conditioners and washing machines. Variable speed motor controls allow greater efficiency, more reliable performance and quieter operation. Source: IMS Research http://bit.ly/imsresearch Ocean Robots to Monitor Oil Spills Swarms of miniature robotic ocean explorers could one day help predict where ocean currents will carry oil spills. Source: SCUBA News http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk Efficiency gains for wind turbines A new type of hydraulic technology could be used to build more reliable and less expensive transmission systems for wind turbines, its developers have claimed. Source: The Engineer https://www.theengineer.co.uk/ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ * Copyright Windmill Software Ltd * Reprinting permitted with this notice included * For more articles see https://www.windmill.co.uk We are happy for you to copy and distribute this newsletter, and use extracts from it on your own web site or publication, providing the above notice is included and a link back to our website is in place. An archive of previous issues is at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html and an index of articles at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html Windmill Software Ltd, PO Box 58, North District Office, Manchester, M8 8QR, UK Telephone: +44 (0)161 834 6688 Facsimile: +44 (0)161 833 2190 E-mail: monitor@windmillsoft.com https://www.windmill.co.uk/ https://www.windmillsoft.com/
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