Data Logging in VBAI

[YUPPER10]

I am using CVS-1456 and am trying to log data for each inspection.

The current data being saved will not directly import into MS-Excel without many modifications, is there a methodology to create this data in a CSV format or another format that can be worked with in MS-Excel?

[Jeffrey_P]

Yupper,

Thank you for contacting National Instruments!

What software are you running on your CVS?  Are you running a LabVIEW Application or a VBAI Script?  If neither, then what software are you using?  The solution will vary accordingly.  If you are running a LabVIEW application, then it most likely a formatting issue.  If you are running a VBAI script targeted to the CVS and using the "Send to MS Excel" Button, then that is a separate issue.

Can you provide a little more information on your problem!?

Jeffrey P
National Instruments Applications Engineer

[YUPPER10]

Hi Jeffrey,

Thanks for the reply, I am very new to programming NI Equipment so have patience, I am running a very simple VBAI program taking some measurements from a datum point.

The program is running fine but the data I want is in a text format not condusive to MS Excel. I go to "Tools", "Configure Inputs/Outputs", "Inspection Output", "Data Logging", "Setup".

I select the data I want and it does not give me an option to change formats. I can remember seeing something about sending to MS-Excel but cannot find it again.

This would be what I want just a simple command to send data to MS-Excel.

Thanks,

Wayne

[Jeffrey_P]

Wayne,

Unfortunately, VBAI does not offer any alternative formatting options.  The Send Data to MS Excel button is an option only available through function calls made to the Vision Assistant.  That being said, VBAI 2.6 offers developers the ability to build there own LabVIEW-VI and call it in VBAI. With the AddOn VBAI Developer Kit they can create VBAI-Steps developed with LabVIEW.  Your LabVIEW VI would then allow you to format the data in a custom way, or specifically to MS Excel.  You can configure inputs and outputs from your VBAI script to and form your LabVIEW VI. 

Would this be an option that you could pursue?

[YUPPER10]

Thanks Jeffrey,

The Labview scripts you are talking about are beyond me at the moment, we have been trying to get me to some classes for Labview Basics but you know industry, there is never any time.

I'm going to try playing with Labview a little and if I get anywhere close I'll attempt to contact you for some specifics.

Thanks again.

Wayne

[Jeffrey_P]

If you are going to play around in LabVIEW, I really encourage you to look towards the shipping examples.  If you go to Help >> Find Exampels, this is the NI Example Finder.  You can search on keywords or through a directory structure to locate examples.  There are tons of shipping examples, especially with FILE I/O to help you get started.

-Jeff P.

[YUPPER10]

Thanks again,

Where do I go to rate your response to problems?

[Jeffrey_P]

Wayne,

The only feedback that we recieve on discussion forum posts is the "Rate This Message" that appears in the bottom right of the screen on other users' posts.  You can rate it from 1 () all the way to 5 ().

Thanks again and good luck!

-Jeff

[Brad]

I'm not sure what version of VBAI you're using, but VBAI 2.6 creates tab delimited files, which you can open in Excel and Excel can automatically format it for you.  When you tell Excel to open the .txt file, it will ask if you want to use the Tab to separate the data.  This will make it much easier so you don't have to write any LabVIEW programs to format it.

Hope this helps,

Brad

[YUPPER10]

Hi Brad,

I don't know if you have been following the threads but I am not a proficient at Lab View and have been self taught in VBAI.

I do have VBAI  2.6, can you describe how I can generate this file.

Thanks

Wayne