Thousands of individual .txt files being created while using "next available file name" option in Save to ASCII step

[Jason_D]

OKors,

• I would like to be able to output a data file to a user-defined save directory.

I understand that we want all the files in 1 directory thus we cannot use the Record button as it automatically creates a new folder each time.

• When I hit Start/Stop Record, a data file is stored to this directory as a file name that I've defined (ex. 'run_1').

As above we just want to use Run not Record.  With the Save to ASCII step we can increment the file name

• When I hit Start/Stop Record a second time SigEx will see that a 'run_1' file already exists and create a 'run_2' file.

When you hit Run Signal Express Automatically assumes you want to keep reapeating as you want only 1 file you should use "Run Once"

• I repeat this for however many samples are defined in the project "work request" (could be up to 100 runs for one test over the duration of a couple weeks). 

You would still have to hit Run Once Each time but this way it will actually stop for you.

• Within each of these files needs to contain all the sample points that were read during the recorded event.

As I mentioned above the best way to do this is to set the Samples to Read to be the number of data points you want in your text file.  You can leave the rate at whatever you like this just determines how long it will take.

• Once all my data files are taken I can pass these files off to the engineers (as .txt or .cvs), they usually open/view the files in Excel, manipulate it, create a graphs and whatever else they do while analyzing data.

It will be one file for each run in an ASCII format so you can open them in whatever you like. 

[OKors]

Jason_D,

Thanks for your reply. I feel that we're getting close, however, with your instructions from the last post I'm still only getting 1 sample point per text file while using the RunOnce mode.

Here are my new settings...

DAQmx Acquire StepSetup: Timing Settings= N Samples, Samples to read= 10, Rate= 100

Save to ASCII StepSetup: File Settings= If File Already Exists... Next Available File Name

On the Timing Settings, it doesn't seem to matter if N Samples or Continuous Samples is selected, it still outputs a text file with only one sample point on it. I've also tried Configure Run mode with "For 'x' Seconds" selected (x= 30sec). Still only one text file, one sample point using Run Once.

Could you please suggest some timing settings that may allow me to capture more than the one data point?

These are all just practice files at this point, so the rate/samples to read can be anything as long as I can prove the system will output all my data points to one file.

Thanks

[Jason_D]

OKors,

Do you still have this amplitude and level step in there?  If so get rid of it or put it after the Write.

Could you possibly post your project? 

You current setup should produce 10 text files.  As I have mentioned before samples to read is the number of samples you should see in each file.  Lets please stick with continous acquisition. 

[OKors]

Thank you Jason,

By putting the Amplitudes and Levels step in at the end it seems to be saving as expected, however, it's saving only the raw voltage signal. I need it to save the scaled signal (Load and Displacement).

Project attached

[pflores]

Hello OKors,

As long as you have the Custom Scale set up in the DAQmx step, then the data that you write to file should be scaled. I have tried it on my end and get the expected values. I do not know what kind of scales you are using, but if you use one that uses a giant negative offset, with no scale (y = 1x - 5000) then you should see a bunch of values around -5000 in your file.

Give that a try!