-------------------------Monitor------------------------ The Newsletter for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control Issue 67 www.windmill.co.uk February 2004 --------------------ISSN 1472-0221---------------------- Welcome to this month's Monitor. Thank you very much if you returned our survey last month. If not, there is still time to do so. Go to our web site and fill in the form at https://www.windmill.co.uk/monitor66.html It's your chance to let us know how we can improve. We hope you find the newsletter useful, but should you wish to cancel your subscription please do so at https://www.windmill.co.uk/newsletter.html CONTENTS ======== * Windmill News: Dynamic Data Exchange Tutorial * Excel Corner: Pop-Up Chart Labels * Data Acquisition and Control Exhibitions ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Windmill News: Tutorial on Exchanging Data with Other Applications ________________________________________________________ Windmill can exchange data in real-time with other Windows applications through DDE. You can now download a tutorial on DDE, with examples of: - Sharing data with Excel and Visual Basic - Using Excel to control analogue or digital outputs, such as switches or relays - Using DDE over a network - Sending commands to Windmill, for instance to start logging or charting - Using Windmill Graphics to control other applications, for instance to open an Excel worksheet To download the tutorial go to https://www.windmill.co.uk/wmdde.pdf ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Excel Corner: Pop-Up Chart Labels ________________________________________________________ In Issue 41 of Monitor, we discussed labelling points in an xy scatter chart. For example, imagine you have 20 sample points each with a latitude (x), longitude (y) and a temperature value. You would therefore have three columns of data: x, y and temperature. Issue 41 (www.windmill.co.uk/monitor41.html) described methods of labelling the x-y points with their temperature data. However, what about when you have so many data points the labels obscure the chart? In this case it would be preferable if the label were to only appear when you held the cursor over the data point. Software consultant Tushar Mehta offers a free Excel add-in to do this. 1. Go to the Hover Chart Label page at http://www.tushar-mehta.com/. 2. Download the zip file and extract ChartHover.xla. 3. Install it as an Excel Add-in and access it from the new TM menu. Further Reading: For more on using Windmill with Excel see https://www.windmill.co.uk/excel/ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Data Acquisition and Control Exhibitions ________________________________________________________ One of the things highlighted by last month's survey was the slump in popularity of the exhibitions. The last time we asked, a quarter of readers found this section either "very interesting" or "fairly interesting". This time only 16% did so. Unless we receive a sudden flood of requests in its favour, therefore, this will be the last exhibition listing! CHIFA 2004 3-6 March Guangzhou Canton China 8th international factory automation and instrument exhibition. http://www.merebo.com/ Automaticon 23-26 March Warsaw Poland International fair for measurement and control http://www.world-fima.com/ml Interkama 19-24 April Hannover Germany http://www.hannovermesse.de/de/ausstellung/leitmessen/industrial-automation/ Interkama 16-20 April Dusseldorf Germany Large trade fair for the process industries, includes measurement equipment and automation technology in manufacturing. http://www.hannovermesse.de/en/exhibition/trade-fair-line-up/industrial-automation/ Sensors Expo and Conference 7-10 June Detroit MI USA Features sensor-related sessions, exhibits and special events. http://www.sensorsexpo.com/ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ * 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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