SignalExpress

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

How do I display and Log 14 channels simultaneously in separate Data View panels

I'm a newbie to Signal Express connected to a NI 6218 Logger.

I have:

10 Pressure Inputs (4-20mA across a 250 ohm load)

2 Temperature Inputs (Volts)

1 Torque Input (Volts)

1 RPM input (Volts)

 

I am able to display each separately in a *.seproj Project or group 2 or 4signals in a single Data View panel. This is not very satisfactory for my project.

Is there any way to display and log all 14 Channels simultaneously in separate Data View panels.

 

I really want to display a graph and log data for each Channel simultaneously in its own Data View panel. Can the panels be grouped, say, 4 horizontally and 4 vertically to create a block of 16 Graphs, each in its own panel.

 

Maybe I'm expecting too much from the Signal Express Ver 9.5.5 that was shipped with my NI 6218.

Do I need to upgade to a better version on Signal Express or possibly Labview?

 

Help please!

Regards

Martin

0 Kudos
Message 1 of 9
(5,241 Views)

SignalExpress does technically support this, but depending on your system you might not get very good performance.

LabVIEW would be much better at handling this task.

 

However, in SignalExpress, you can add additional graphs by clicking on "Add Display" for as many graphs as you need.

Then you would drag your signal from the project panel on the left into the respective graph that you would like it to display on.

 

You can even pop each graph out of the main signal express window and arrange them however you would like.

 

Please let me know if you have any trouble finding or navigating anything I have referred to here.

Casey B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
0 Kudos
Message 2 of 9
(5,223 Views)

Thank you CaseyB

 

With your help I have been able to create a working project (attached).

 

I would like to know how to change the 2 Temperature (Voltage) vs Time graphs on the right side of Dataview to Guages for easier monitoring.

 

Thanks in advance

Martin

 

0 Kudos
Message 3 of 9
(5,205 Views)

What I would suggest doing is deleting those two graphs and simply adding in two gauges.

You can do this by clicking the small triangle on the right side of the "Add Display" button and choosing Gauge.

You can then adjust the appearance and range/behavior of the gauge as you see fit.

 

I have attached a screenshot for convenience.

Casey B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
0 Kudos
Message 4 of 9
(5,196 Views)

Hi Casey

I'm sorry if I'm being a nuisance, but when I click  "Add Display --- Guage" the Guage appears- OK.

When I Right Click, I get "Signals -- Add Signal".

The "Select Signals" window comes up-OK.

When I try to Add "Dev1-ai19" and click  "OK" then the Guage disappears and a "Voltage vs Time" Graph appears in its place.

 

Please try this operation on my "14 Channel Test.seproj" and tell me what I'm doing wrong. 

 

The Datalogger is not connected while I'm doing the above, as it is on site while I'm doing the "*.seproj" at my office. Is this possibly the problem?

 

Thanks

Martin

0 Kudos
Message 5 of 9
(5,190 Views)

My apologies Martin,

 

It seems you are unable to simply drag the signal from the DAQ to the gauge, as a Gauge Display needs data of type Scalar, and the DAQ voltage acquirement is acquiring both voltage level and time data. When you drag a waveform signal into the gauge, it automatically converts to a time graph.

 

I can't seem to find anything on how to acquire only scalar voltage values from the DAQ card. This signal would be input directly into the gauge and act as you are expecting.

 

Do you have access to LabVIEW? All the advice I'm getting points to how easy this would be to set up in LabVIEW.

 

-CB

Casey B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
0 Kudos
Message 6 of 9
(5,183 Views)

Ya I've spent over 30 minutes playing around in SignalExpress. With gauges and time averaged signals and I can't figure it out.

I don't have a DAQ device so I'm simulating signals.

 

Essentially SignalExpress is just the DAQ Assistant sub VI in LabVIEW, only remade into a seperate application.

 

In LabVIEW, you can specify only acquiring the voltage value instead of the voltage vs time waveform that is being output by the DAQ in SignalExpress.

 

To solve your problem in SignalExpress, there will need to be more signal processing.

No quick fix.

Hope that helps a bit.

Casey B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
0 Kudos
Message 7 of 9
(5,182 Views)

Thanks for your going to all that trouble Casey.

I guess I'll stay with the Time Graph. My project is working well.

 

Regards

Martin

0 Kudos
Message 8 of 9
(5,165 Views)

Good to hear Martin.

I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help!

Casey B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
0 Kudos
Message 9 of 9
(5,146 Views)