DMM Data Logger Manual

DMM Data Logger Manual

Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 2
MEASUREMENT DISPLAY .............................................................................................................................................. 2 INERACTIVE CONTROL INTERFACE ............................................................................................................................... 2 REAL TIME MEASUREMENT MODE .............................................................................................................................. 2 LOGGING MODE ........................................................................................................................................................... 2 HISTORY MODE AND PRINTING.................................................................................................................................. 2 COMMUNICATION STATUS AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT .................................................................................................... 2

2. SOFTWARE SPECIFICATION.............................................................................................................................. 3
HAREDWARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 3 HARDWARE RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................... 3 SOFTWARE OPERATION ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................... 3 INSTALL CD SETUP ...................................................................................................................................................... 3

3. SOFTWARE MANUAL ........................................................................................................................................... 4

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION ............................................................................................................................................ 4 METER CONNECTION .................................................................................................................................................... 5 RUN THE SOFTWARE ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 DATA VIEW ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 METER VIEW .............................................................................................................................................................. 14 START AND STOP LOGGING ......................................................................................................................................... 15 OPEN THE CURRENT LOGGED DATA ......................................................................................................................... 16 SAVING DATA AND CHART IMAGE ............................................................................................................................. 17 CONFIGURATION SETUP ....................................................................................................................................... 20 USER REMARK .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 OTHER MISC. ............................................................................................................................................................. 23

DMM Data Logger Manual

1. Introduction
The DMM Data Logger software processes data received from the multimeter via RS232C communication on a PC and provides the following functions.

Measurement status display

Displays data being measured on the multimeter in real time. When the multimeter function changes or a key is pressed the software receives the change and displays the status on the screen.

Interactive control interface

The software interface displays the instrument on screen making it easy to make changes to DMM functions from the PC. When a DMM key is pressed using the PC it is the same as pressing the key on the multimeter. If data is for receive only, the key link function is not available. The meter view displays data currently being measured under any status.

REAL MEASUREMENT MODE

Data being measured can be displayed as a chart or table. When a meter is connected, logging mode can be started. Regardless of meter connection, saved data can be retrieved and history mode can be accessed.

LOGGING MODE
The software calculates sample reading, max. reading, min. reading, and average reading from the data measured. You can view the status of logged data as a chart or table.

History mode and printing

You can always search for logged data even when the meter is not connected. Title, date, measured function and user remark are displayed in logged data. Any of these parameters can be used to search for required data. You can print the searched data as an Excel or text file. The graph on the chart can be saved as a BMP or JPG file. The data displayed on the chart can be displayed by enlarging/downsizing the data in the area you want by using the PCs mouse.

Communication status auto correction

Manual serial port setup is not required. The software searches for a usable port and performs a connection test and makes a connection automatically. If the software determines the communication connection is disconnected or power is off, it retries communication to make a connection. Data validity tests are performed to prevent errors especially if the RS-232C connection becomes unstable at any point during communication

DMM Data Logger Manual

2. Software Specifications
Minimum hardware requirements:
CPU : Intel Pentium2 or above RAM : 32MB minimum HDD : 20MB of free space for standard installation. More hard disk space for data logging CD-ROM Drive for software installation Serial Port (RS232C COM port)

Recommended hardware requirements

The following hardware requirements are recommended to run the software properly. CPU : Intel Pentium-III or above RAM : 128MB HDD : enough hard disk space for logging data

Software operation requirements

OS : Windows 2000, Windows XP MS Excel : required to save the data as Excel file

Installation CD
DMMSetup.exe : installation program

DMM Data Logger Manual

3. Software manual
Install Software
Insert the DMM Data Logger CD into your CD-ROM drive. Software installation will begin automatically. If installation does not start automatically, open the CD using Windows Explorer and click DMMSetup.exe. Note : You must install DCOM98 package to install the software on Windows 98. DCOM98 package is in the Utils folder of the CD. The installation procedures are as follows.

[Software installation guide]

[Selects software installation patch]

[Release compression of the software file and copy ]

[Installation is finished]

DMM Data Logger Manual

Connecting your meter

Attach the serial port cable of the DMM to the serial port on your PC.

DMM Data Logger Manual

Starting the software

DMM Data Logger will be installed on the desktop and program group. Click Shortcut to DMM Data Logger on the desktop or click [Start]->[Program]->[DMM Data Logger]->DMM Data Logger. Then the software logo will appear and the software will start. The software consists of [Data View] window and [Meter View] window. Data View controls operation status of the software, data and setup. Meter View indicates the status of the connected meter and operation. The software automatically checks the COM port of the system and detects the meter connected. You can see the status on the COM port connection status window. If connection is made successfully, the window will automatically disappear

Software logo

Data View

COM Port connection status window

Meter View

DMM Data Logger Manual

Data View
Data View is the basic screen of the software. Menu and toolbar for operation control and setup are located on the upper side. It displays data being received from the meter as a chart or table per operation mode. [Chart View]

[Table View]

DMM Data Logger Manual [Menu and Toolbar]

The menu and the toolbar is located in the left upper side of the Data View. [File] [Start logging]/[Stop logging] : available when the meter is connected. Starts or stops logging. When logging is started, the software is in logging mode. When logging is stopped and if logged data exists, the software will be in history search mode. If not, it will return to real measurement mode. [Open logging] : opens saved logged data. [Close logging] : closes opened logged data and returns to real time measurement mode.. [Save data] : saves currently displayed data in text or Excel format. [Save image] : saves the currently displayed image on the chart in BMP or JPG format. [Exit] : exits the software. [View] [Chart] : displays data in chart format. [Table] : displays data in table format. [Meter] : displays or hides the virtual multimeter. [Option] [Model] : Selects the multimeter model being connected. [Chart] : selects the parameter to display on the chart. Each parameter can be displayed or hidden. Sample reading, max. reading, min. reading and average reading. [Configuration] : opens the environment setup window. [Remark] : opens the window where user can edit remarks on the data in the logging mode or history search mode. [Help] [About] : displays the information on this software. : starts or stop logging. [File]->[Start logging]/[Stop logging] : opens saved logging data. [File]->[Open logging] : closes open logging data. [File]->[Close logging] : displays data as chart. [View]->[Chart] : displays data as table. : [View]->[Table] : saves data as text or excel format. [File]->[Save data] : saves the chart as image. [File]->[Save image] : displays or hides the Meter View. [View]->[Meter] : edits user remark for logging data. [Option]->[Remark]

DMM Data Logger Manual [Status Title Bar]

Current operation

Meter conection

Function being measured

Current operation mode, meter connection status, and the function being measured are displayed on the status title bar of the Data View. Operation Mode Realtime Reading : Realtime measurement mode Logging : Logging Mode History Data : History Mode Meter connection status It indicates if it is connected with the meter as On-line or Off-line. Function being measured When the meter is connected, it displays the selected function on the current meter. [Measured data summary]

In realtime measurement mode, the current measured data will be displayed on Reading. And Min. Max. Average data after measurement will be displayed in Minimum, Maximum, Average. In the logging mode, each last logged data will be displayed. In history mode, the reading of the point which the cursor points to on the chart. Each check box in front of each factor displays or hides the graph. The [Reset] button initializes the min./max./average reading in the realtime measurement mode. In logging mode or history search mode, the additional summary information will be displayed as follows. You can see the date of measurement start/stop, measurement interval, and the number of points measured. If [Scroll] is checked in logging mode, the chart will be scrolled and displayed. If not, all data will be displayed in the chart.

DMM Data Logger Manual [Chart View Details] The horizontal and vertical guidelines are displayed and selected using the mouse cursor in real time measurement or logging mode. These lines indicate the measurement time and value at each location. This value is displayed in detail on the status bar in the right side bottom of the screen.

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DMM Data Logger Manual The sample point which is the closest to the mouse cursor is emphasized as . And the min/max/average reading based on the time recorded by the related point is displayed in the measurement data summary .

On the history mode, you can enlarge/minimize or scroll the chart with a mouse. The scale of the chart can be adjusted so that all data is displayed.

If you click the left button and drag the mouse from left to right the area seen can be enlarged. The selected area will display as shown in the picture below. If you release the mouse button, the selected area will be enlarged.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

If you click the left button of the mouse and drag the mouse from the right bottom to the left top, the chart will display all data. If you click the left button, the scale will be enlarged by 50 % and if you click the right button, the scale will be decreased by 50% If you click the right mouse button and drag the chart, the whole chart will scroll in the direction of the drag. Mouse operation is as follows. Left button click : the scale is enlarged by 50% Right button click : the scale is decreased by 50% Drag the left button from the left top to the right bottom: selected area is enlarged Drag the left button from the right bottom to the left top: initializes the scale Drag with the right button: scrolls the chart

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DMM Data Logger Manual If there is a reading with a value more than 1500 or below 0.001 in the vertical (Y) axis it will be displayed as an exponent. The exponent below 0.001 is displayed as Value-e.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Meter View
Meter view provides a virtual display of the meter. The model and interface is the same as the actual meter being used providing an interactive interface that is simple to use. Measured data is displayed on screen in the same way it would be on the meter. The meter selector position is displayed on screen too. Active and non-active buttons, depending on selector position, along with other graphic symbols are displayed as well. If you click a meter button on the meter view, it affects the meter the same as pressing the button on the meter. The correct lead connection position for the function selected is displayed at the input terminals.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Starting/Stopping logging
If you select [File]->[Start logging] when the meter is on-line or click the logging start button on the tool bar, the following window will appear. You can check and change information on logging in this screen.

Default value for title is [model_measurement type_task no.]. Users can change the title as required. Interval sets the save interval of the measurement data Remark : attaches user remarks for this logging. Remarks can be changed later as needed. If you click [Start], the data view runs in the logging mode and starts saving data. If the software thinks the function changes or connection is incorrect during logging, it shows the following message for the amount of time as set in the environment setting and waits until changes are made to the correct the problem. If the problem is not corrected in time logging is stopped.

If there is no saved data when logging stopped, the software removes the record automatically and changes to real time measurement mode. If there is data, it will change to the history mode for the related data and you can view the saved data in detail.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Opening logging data

Select [File]->[Open logging] on the menu or click the open button on the toolbar. Then the following window will appear and you can open saved data.

You can limit the date of data or function that you want to search through [Filter]. If you change the conditions, the result will be displayed on the center of the list. On the list, brief information of the logging data will be displayed. Remark the user entered will be displayed as well. After selecting the data you want, click the [Open] button. Related data will be displayed on the data view. If you click the [Delete] button, it will remove data permanently.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Saving data and chart image

Selects [File]->[Save data] or saving data button on the tool bar. Then the following dialogue box asking save location and save type will appear.

Save type is plain text format or Microsoft Excel format. Saved data has the following form.

Text is more simple than excel. But there is no limit on columns to be printed

You cannot save more than 65000 data points as excel. The software will ignore excess data automatically..

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Select [File]->[Save image] or click the save image button on the tool bar. Then the following dialogue box asking for save location and save type will appear.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

BMP has good picture quality but the file size is larger than JPG..

JPG has a little distortion in color but file size is small. (about 1/10)

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Configuration setup
Select [Option]->[Configuration] on the menu, then the following window will appear and you can setup configuration.

Data archive path : Click the [Browse] and set the data archive path.

Serial port : sets the serial port to connect the multi meter. If Auto is selected, the software automatically searches for all usable ports in the system and connects. If not, it uses the selected port only. Port opening timeout : time to wait to open the serial port and check meter connection. If the time is exceeded the software decides the meter is not connected to the port or power is not on and tries connection to the next port.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Logging interval : sets the interval to collect data during logging Chart series color : selects color of each graph on the chart view. When you click the name of each graph, the following color selection window will appear. Select the color you want and click [OK]. Click the [Define Custom Colors >>] button, then you can select more color.

[Ok] : saves changed settings. In some cases, a message which asks to restart the software may appear. [Cancel] : cancels setting changes. [Load Default] : loads the default setting.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

User Remark
In logging or history search mode, click [Option]->[Remark] on the menu or click the remark button on the toolbar. Then the following user remark editor window will appear.

Users can edit remarks in the text box freely. If you click [Add Timestamp], the current date and time tag will be attached to the last line. So you can know when you wrote the remark. After editing, click [Apply]. Then the changes will be saved and you can check the remark as followings when you open the logging data.

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DMM Data Logger Manual

Other
When you run the software an icon on the taskbar appears on the right bottom of the screen. If you double click this icon, the software will return to the previous screen.

If the software is already running another session cannot be opened. If this happens the following message will appear.

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