Program that can log from many multimeters.

[MikeLud]

V0.55 is up

The updated Siglent SDG is included, I added 1000X, 2000X & 6000X series. I change the impedance setting to a combobox, because I want a possibility to return to HiZ (This is not the ideal solution).

I have added help to the Math page. There is now a list of support functions and description of Math types. I anybody has ideas to useful function or types, please post.

Large values is handle better now. It will switch to scientific notation when value is too high for the format. Very close to zero values will be shown as 0.

HKJ,

You added SiglentSDM30xxx.txt to V0.55 but did not remove the old device files. Thanks again for all the great work you have done.

[HKJ]

You added SiglentSDM30xxx.txt to V0.55 but did not remove the old device files. Thanks again for all the great work you have done.

Oops, I have updated the zip file.

[klausES]

...I change the impedance setting to a combobox, because I want a possibility to return to HiZ...

With the other version, I had asked myself whether the maximum possible 100k there would correspond
to the actual HiZ from the point of view of the SDG and its calculated voltage ?
(If certainly not far off).

It's good to be able to return to HiZ. The values from the list will suffice in practice.
Maybe after the free entry of the digits (version of Hexley) the return to HiZ could only have been put on an extra button ?

[HKJ]

With the other version, I had asked myself whether the maximum possible 100k there would correspond
to the actual HiZ from the point of view of the SDG and its calculated voltage ?
(If certainly not far off).

It's good to be able to return to HiZ. The values from the list will suffice in practice.
Maybe after the free entry of the digits (version of Hexley) the return to HiZ could only have been put on an extra button ?

I may design a new control for number + one other condition. I am thinking about it, but have not done anything yet.
The return to HiZ could have been an extra button, but you would still have an error condition in the numeric field.

[Hexley]

I did a quick experiment to test the behavior of 100K vs HZ.

With the SDG1062X set to HZ and set to 1.000 Vrms output, the reading on a DMM with 10 Meg input impedance was 1.0008 VAC.
With the SDG1062X set to 100K and set to 1.000 Vrms output, the reading on a DMM with 10 Meg input impedance was 1.0012 VAC.

So yes, there is some error introduced by using 100k rather than HZ when the load is >100K, but as a practical matter it may be acceptable.

[HKJ]

So yes, there is some error introduced by using 100k rather than HZ when the load is >100K, but as a practical matter it may be acceptable.

Yes, the generator has 50ohm output impedance (Nearly all generators have that).
You can call my change a bit of OCD, but I do not want a red field in the setup menu when everything is ok and I if I can select a mode, I also want a function to deselect it.

[klausES]

Maybe there is a solution for both ?

Do not know if this works... if e.g. the second lowest position of the now existing values in the drop down list,
(after 100k and before the point HiZ) an entry field for numerical entry possible ?

[MikeLud]

HKJ,

I can not get the Updater control to work, am I using correctly? I want to update  the 3 Status  every 1 second.

Code: [Select]

#cmdSetup indicatornum Status Main
:read: Mode?
CV 0 blue
CC 1 red

#cmdSetup indicatornum Status Main
:read: ERROR?
OK 0 blue
OVP 1 red
OCP 2 red

#cmdSetup indicatornum Status Main
:read: BattM?
Batt_Mode_Off 0 blue
Batt_Mode_On 1 red

#cmdSetup Updater update
:update: Status
1

[HKJ]

Maybe there is a solution for both ?

Do not know if this works... if e.g. the second lowest position of the now existing values in the drop down list,
(after 100k and before the point HiZ) an entry field for numerical entry possible ?

No, that sounds rather messy. At the moment I have two solutions in mind:
1) And a "Reset" button (Name must be customable).
2) Use a empty text field as a special value .

The second solution is my favorite, but I need a way to show that an empty text field is a valid value. I could add "Empty" to the value range field, but I am not sure it is the best solution. Maybe showing - as a empty value would work (Input would accept both a empty field and -).
A couple of opinions would help me here.

I can not get the Updater control to work, am I using correctly? I want to update  the 3 Status  every 1 second.

You code looks correct, I will take a closer look tomorrow.

[klausES]

...
2) Use a empty text field as a special value .
...

Should mean;
another extra entry field in the window for free entry ?
and still your dropdown list remains with your given values and you can still return to HiZ in the list ?

If so, I would agree 

[HKJ]

Should mean;
another extra entry field in the window for free entry ?
and still your dropdown list remains with your given values and you can still return to HiZ in the list ?

If so, I would agree 

No, the setting is not important enough to get two lines in the configuration (it is already rather long), it is either a combobox or a text field where empty means HiZ.
I like the combobox box because it is easy to use, but a text field gives way more possibilities.

[Hexley]

A (possibly useful) observation: the SDG1062X will set itself in HZ mode if the numeric entry is >= 1 000 000.

So, for example, if the free-form entry field is used to specify, say,  10 000 000 ohms (after changing the limits test boundary), the unit will display "Load: HZ". But the received message will still generate an error, of course, due to the non-numeric content.

Just passing this along as food for thought in case it simplifies at least the transmit side of things.

[HKJ]

Just passing this along as food for thought in case it simplifies at least the transmit side of things.

It would be possible to increase the maximum value, but I do not like that type of solutions (It would be possible to handle it on the rx side with a more advanced :readmath: (a ?: expression).

[klausES]

...I like the combobox box because it is easy to use...

Me too. it is nice to use.
I add 600 ohms to the dropdown list as an interim solution, just because I need this value more often.

[HKJ]

A new jar file with the "Updater" issue fixed.
I have modified the Number & NumberInt controls to support a value that is used when the input field is empty. This means the SDG definition is back to a number field for impedance (From next full update) and leaving that field empty will select HiZ.
The tags used for this is:
:emptyvalue: 0
:emptywrite: C2:OUTP LOAD,HZ

Due to the input parsing the HiZ state returns 0, but to set it I must write HZ (As long as read/write value is the same numeric value, only the :emptyvalue: tag is needed).

Without this tag everything works as before and a empty field is an error.

http://lygte-info.dk/pic/Projects/TestController/TestController.jar

[Messtechniker]

In the chart window i find it a bit annoying never to know how the first sample and the last sample relate to a specific point of time.
Would it not be better to rename "First sample to display" to something like "Display time range start" and "Display time range end" ?

Also: Sill have been caught out several times by "X" shutting down immediately without further warning thus loosing data when not setting Direct to disk.

Also: For very long term logging (incubator over 21 days or so or weather data over a month) it is not necessary to log every 3 seconds thus creating huge files. In this case logging every minute or every 10 minutes is absolutely sufficient.

Also: Does logging resume after a PC shutdown? Might be important for long term logging. Might not be so important, as for long term logging I use a laptop anyway.

Just a few ideas.

[HKJ]

In the chart window i find it a bit annoying never to know how the first sample and the last sample relate to a specific point of time.
Would it not be better to rename "First sample to display" to something like "Display time range start" and "Display time range end" ?

The first/last sample can be either time or sample number. If you prefix with # it will be sample number, it will also be sample number if you load a csv file without a time column. You can do a couple of trick with these fields, like write "-60" in the first field, then you will get a curve for the last minute of data that updates while logging is running.

Also: Sill have been caught out several times by "X" shutting down immediately without further warning thus loosing data when not setting Direct to disk.

I will think about it.

Also: For very long term logging (incubator over 21 days or so or weather data over a month) it is not necessary to log every 3 seconds thus creating huge files. In this case logging every minute or every 10 minutes is absolutely sufficient.

The 3 seconds was a bug, it is supposed to be 10 seconds.
You can use logging intervals up to 1 hour, either using the command line ("#log sampleTime") or using the direct to disk option.
Anyway I have nothing against huge log files, for some of my battery test I have done 1 second logging for a couple of weeks.

Also: Does logging resume after a PC shutdown? Might be important for long term logging. Might not be so important, as for long term logging I use a laptop anyway.

It do not, the software do not have code to handle any types of shutdown.

[Messtechniker]

Thanks for the hints. .

Probably time to start thinking about writing a
complete user manual in which everything is described
(something I did for a living for about 10 years,
40 years ago , so I know how boring this can be.
But once you have taken the time to do the basic
framework properly, it will be an easy downhill battle ) 

[HKJ]

Probably time to start thinking about writing a
complete user manual in which everything is described

It will be a couple of webpages, like the ones about configuring devices.
I have mostly done the one about the "Commands" page.

[MikeLud]

A new jar file with the "Updater" issue fixed.

HKJ,

Tested the fix and all good.

[BILLPOD]

Hello HKJ,
     I am new poster here on EEVblog, so I am not familiar with all the formalities here, so excuse me if I don't have a grasp of all the proper posting procedures.
     I find your TestController program very interesting and am trying it out.  It recognizes and works with my Brymen BM869S meter, but it won't work with my Fluke 189.
     When I click on 'Commands' in the 'Type' column it says: "Serial Fixed Baudrate",
whereas with the Brymen iit says: "USBHID", also the address column is shaded in pink.
      What am I doing wrong?  Thank you for your time. 

[HKJ]

Hello HKJ,
     I am new poster here on EEVblog, so I am not familiar with all the formalities here, so excuse me if I don't have a grasp of all the proper posting procedures.
     I find your TestController program very interesting and am trying it out.  It recognizes and works with my Brymen BM869S meter, but it won't work with my Fluke 189.
     When I click on 'Commands' in the 'Type' column it says: "Serial Fixed Baudrate",
whereas with the Brymen iit says: "USBHID", also the address column is shaded in pink.
      What am I doing wrong?  Thank you for your time.

They are connect to Windows in different ways. The Fluke uses a serial port and you must specify it in the red field.
Click on the red field, press F2 and then right click with your mouse. This will give you a list of serial ports available on your computer.
You can also use the device manager to find the serial port and directly type the name in the field (It will be com and a number on windows).

[BILLPOD]

     Thank you very much HKJ.  Too late today, but I will do as you say tomorrow afternoon.
One more thing though;  I know you have made many revisions, and the amount of work you and others have done is very much appreciated, but is the download version at your site the latest
edition, (0.52?)?

[HKJ]

     Thank you very much HKJ.  Too late today, but I will do as you say tomorrow afternoon.
One more thing though;  I know you have made many revisions, and the amount of work you and others have done is very much appreciated, but is the download version at your site the latest
edition, (0.52?)?

The download version at my site gets update frequently, I believe it is V0.55 now. Sometimes I also publish a jar only file, this is mostly to help people that find a bug or are trying to integrate more devices. The changes will show up in the next regular release.

It is not necessary to use the latest release, but keep an eye on this thread to see if there are updates that is important for your. Lately there have been new releases every few days, but there will soon be longer between them.

[MikeLud]

HKJ,

I think there is a bug with #cmdSetup comboboxhot. The first time you open up the setup window #cmdSetup comboboxhot will put that control into a nonstop read loop, even if you close the setup window it stays in the read loop.