Export Special Considerations

Export > Special Considerations

Sequential ASCII | Binary | ASYST | ASYSTANT | Spreadsheet Print

Deferred Hard Copy | DADiSP | CALC | Pasting Data in Compressed Format

Special Considerations

Note the Visible channels only check box at the top of the Save As dialog box. This option must remain unselected (no X appears in the check box) for the export function to work on all channels in the data file. If this option is selected (an X appears in the check box), only the visible channels in the data file will be exported. Refer to Extract Channels for complete details on the Visible channels only check box.

Note also the Output all values when compressed check box. This option must be selected if you would like to output all data values without changing Edit Compression to 1 (i.e., if this box in unselected Edit Compression will change to 1 for all values). See Waveform Compression for details on compressing waveforms.

This format is one of three (Binary without CODAS header, and Lotus 1-2-3 are the others) that may be used to create a data file readable from a user-generated applications program (e.g. BASIC, FORTRAN, C, etc.). Data is stored as ASCII strings with a “,” (comma) delimiter. Each data value field consists of eleven characters (excluding the comma). The data format is scientific notation, and is scaled into engineering units as follows:

The order of data storage is sequential with waveform channel one always being the first data value written. For example, if four waveform channels exist, the first data value written is channel one, the fourth is channel 4, the fifth is channel one, etc.

Use this data storage format to be able to review the created data file with the WinDaq Waveform Browser. This format is useful when you need to break up a larger CODAS data file into smaller, easily manageable units for review by some other waveform playback software. If calibrated data was available upon entry to WinDaq Waveform Browser, or a calibration was performed (including a simple units change), calibration values are inserted into the data file header. The header is the companion file information required by WinDaq Waveform Browser software to allow it to properly work with the waveform data. Refer to Data Storage Format for more information on header and waveform data formats. If the display of event marks is enabled at the time the export operation is executed, event marks will be copied to the created file.

This format, like Sequential ASCII, is used when you need to access the created data file through your own BASIC, C, etc., applications program. But, unlike Sequential ASCII, the Binary-without-CODAS-header format requires only two bytes of storage to represent one data value yielding much smaller data file lengths. Since the binary data storage format is a random access file, retrieving the data requires a little more programming know-how. The following describes the 16-bit architecture of each data value. Refer to Data Storage Format for more information on waveform data formats.

When this data storage format is selected, WinDaq Waveform Browser software stores channel data in a fashion that is directly compatible with the ASYST data storage convention. The storage format allows ASYST to input data as a two-dimensional array (channel number, channel data).

When the ASYST format is invoked, you are prompted to select the storage format as either (R)eal or (I)nteger. Select (I)nteger if you do not need to have waveform data scaled into engineering units. This format allows more data to be ported into ASYST(ANT) arrays. Select (R)eal if you need the waveform data ported to ASYST(ANT) to be scaled in engineering units. You can also enter up to two optional comment lines that you may use to describe your particular test. The aggregate sample rate is automatically entered as a comment. The sample rate, as well as any additional comments you provide, will be printed on your monitor (by using the ASYST "?FILE" command) when you retrieve the data file into ASYST.

A typical ASYST session that retrieves an ASYST-formatted data file (DATA.DAT, four channels, 447 data readings per channel ) and places the data in array CODAS is as follows:

Following execution of the last instruction, all data contained in WinDaq Waveform Browser-generated data file DATA.DAT is loaded into an ASYST two-dimensional array named CODAS.

Although the data storage format for ASYSTANT (including [R]eal and [I]nteger conversions) is identical to ASYST, data files are imported slightly differently. An ASYSTANT/ASYST-formatted file is imported to ASYSTANT by using the FILE I/O option and specifying a FILE/VAR TRANSFER. Enter the data file name and the ASYSTANT variable that will be assigned the data (for this example we will assume variable T was specified), and select the READ option at the bottom of ASYSTANT's FILE INPUT/OUTPUT menu. Quit the FILE I/O menu and return to the upper-most ASYSTANT menu. Notice that variable T indicates the size of the data array. You may now operate on the data contained in variable T using all of ASYSTANT's powerful routines.

When waveform data are pasted in the ASYST/ASYSTANT storage format using the (I)nteger conversion, waveform channel values are equivalent to A-D converter counts (integers). To translate A-D converter counts into a voltage, perform the following operation from the ASYST or ASYSTANT level:

Spreadsheet programs are being widely used as data analysis tools by scientists and engineers. As a result, the export function of WinDaq Waveform Browser software allows you to export CODAS-formatted data to files that may be read directly by Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, Quatro Pro, or any spreadsheet program that uses the comma-separated-value (CSV) data format. Even if your spreadsheet program uses something other than a comma to separate data values, it is still possible to use this format.

Selecting the Spreadsheet option from the format option list creates a data file that, when read by Lotus 1-2-3 using their IMPORT command (do not use Retrieve), will present the data in spreadsheet fashion where each waveform channel fills one column (i.e., column A contains waveform channel one's data, column B waveform channel two's, etc.). When the Spreadsheet format is invoked, you are prompted to enter up to two optional comment lines that you may use to describe your particular test. Other options include Sample Rate, Comments, Channel Annotation, Engineering Units, Relative Time, or Event Marks which will be printed on your spreadsheet when you import the data file to your spreadsheet program.

When choosing to export Event Marks (by specifying a channel in the Channel X Event Marks box), 3 columns of data are added to your spreadsheet. The Ch # Marks column shows peaks and valleys -- a 0 or 1 indicates the data sample is neither a peak or a valley; a 2 indicates the sample is the peak; a 3 indicates the sample is a valley. The Event column shows what event marker you are at (in numerical order - 1 indicates the sample is at event marker 1, etc.). The Start column shows whether the Event Marker is a Start event (i.e., has an asterisk when invoking View Event Markers) or not - 1 indicates that it is; 0 indicates it is not.

Use this data storage format to create a print file (or several print files) that can be invoked and printed (even batch processed) at a later time from DOS with the AT-CODAS hard copy utility (HCU.EXE). The target printer and port are those specified during CODAS configuration.

WinDaq Waveform Browser users can also use the hard copy utility (HCU) provided they have a Laserjet, Thinkjet, or IBM-compatible, dot-matrix graphics printer that CODAS supports. In this case, the hard copy utility (HCU.EXE) will be automatically installed at the time of WinDaq Waveform Browser installation.

Selecting the DADiSP file format will create a data file that may be directly imported into the DADiSP waveform analysis program. The file format is that defined by DSP Systems where a data file header describing the format of the data is first created, and the data format is floating point binary.

When the CALC option in the format selection menu is selected, the following events automatically take place:

1. A new data file is created on disk carrying the file name you supplied when the waveforms were exported.

2. The specified range of waveform information is exported (copied) from the currently active waveform data file, then pasted into the newly created file using the CODAS (with data file header) format along with any calibration information.

3. CALC is run and initialized with the default file name of that containing the pasted waveforms. At this point, the CALC first-level menu will be displayed and you may execute your required CALC function(s) on the data file containing the pasted waveforms, or even change the default file name to operate on another file. When CALC is exited, control returns to WinDaq Waveform Browser software in the state that existed just before export was started. The waveform data file from which waveforms were exported remains as the active file.

4. DO NOT PASTE DATA IN A COMPRESSED FORMAT WHEN USING THE ADVANCED CODAS CALC OPTION.

NOTE that Advanced CODAS is a separately-purchased software utility for waveform analysis.

Since the waveforms displayed by WinDaq Waveform Browser software may be compressed (see Waveform Compression) at the time the export utility is invoked, it is possible to paste compressed data. If waveform compression was enabled at the time export is used, and the SPREADSHEET or ASYST(ANT) storage format is selected, the sample rate figure automatically added to the comment lines will be divided by the compression ratio that was active at the time the paste function was selected. If the DADiSP storage format is selected, the time axis of DADiSP windows will be automatically adjusted.

The state of the cursor mode control may be adjusted to define how compressed waveforms are reported. Each segment of a compressed waveform may be reported in the pasted file as the segment's minimum, maximum, mid point, or min/max value. Refer to Waveform Compression for detailed operation of the cursor mode when working with compressed waveforms.

When this data storage format is selected, data is stored in a fashion that is directly compatible with the “light” versions of ASYST software (called EASYEST LX or EASYEST AG). These two styles of EASYEST are smaller, simpler, less complex versions of ASYST software.

When this data storage format is selected, data is stored in a fashion that is directly compatible with the “nSoft” DAC package from nCode International Inc. This format stores one file per channel, and the last two digits of the filename indicate the channel number (i.e., 01 is channel one, 02 is channel two, 10 is channel ten, etc.). Statistical information is also included in the data file when this storage format is selected.

Data Bits	Description
D0- D3	Refer Data Storage Format.
D4 - D15	2's complement data value.