Program that can log from many multimeters.

[Gulftown]

Thank you.

I fixed the factor for the temperature and checked the DC loop current measurement (mA%)
The temperature in °F is displayed on the second display row, so are the A, Hz and VA in Watt Mode.
Is there a possibility to read two values with the DMM2 driver?

[HKJ]

Is there a possibility to read two values with the DMM2 driver?

Sorry, at the current time it only supports one value.

[Oleksii]

Help please.

If for a SCPI command I get this reply (ASCII and as hex in next line):

Code: [Select]

V : -9.757mV->.
56 20 3A 20 2D 39 2E 37 35 37 6D 56 2D 3E 0A
how I can extract the number using #askValuesReadFormat ?
I've tried multiple ways and I'm getting 0.0 or NaN.

[jorgemef]

Hello,

How to clean up configuration?

Tried to add Arduino serial log but I could not make it so to not loose more time I deleted from devices and removed from interfaces. Now not even my brymer with serial interface works. The ghost of Arduino is there somewhere.
Tried installing old version but is the same issue. I have now an unusable system.

Arduino was on COM5 in this log:

Starting
;; jSerialComm version: 2.9.1
;; Start thread for: COM14 - Brymen BM869s (Serial)
;; Start thread for: COM11
;; Start thread for: COM12
;; Start thread for: COM5
;; Stopping thread for: COM12
;; Stopping thread for: COM11
;; COM12: Close
;; COM11: Close
;; Stopping thread for: COM14 - Brymen BM869s (Serial)
;; COM14: Close
;; COM5: Set params: 9600
;; COM5: Tx: <*IDN?.> 2A 49 44 4E 3F 0A
;; COM5: Rx: <temp_setpoint:0.00,PID_Output:0.00,Temperature:46.96> 74 65 6D 70 5F 73 65 74 70 6F 69 6E 74 3A 30 2E 30 30 2C 50 49 44 5F 4F 75 74 70 75 74 3A 30 2E 30 30 2C 54 65 6D 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 3A 34 36 2E 39 36
;; USB2.0-Ser! (COM5) Did not find any match for: temp_setpoint:0.00,PID_Output:0.00,Temperature:46.96
;; COM5: Close
;; Stopping thread for: COM5
;; COM5: Close
;; jSerialComm version: 2.9.1
;; Start thread for: COM14 - Brymen BM869s (Serial)
;; Start thread for: COM12
;; Start thread for: COM11
;; Start thread for: COM5
;; Stopping thread for: COM12
;; COM12: Close
;; Stopping thread for: COM14 - Brymen BM869s (Serial)
;; Stopping thread for: COM11
;; COM14: Close
;; COM11: Close
;; COM5: Set params: 9600
;; COM5: Tx: <*IDN?.> 2A 49 44 4E 3F 0A
;; COM5: Rx: <temp_setpoint:0.00,PID_Output:0.00,Temperature:46.37> 74 65 6D 70 5F 73 65 74 70 6F 69 6E 74 3A 30 2E 30 30 2C 50 49 44 5F 4F 75 74 70 75 74 3A 30 2E 30 30 2C 54 65 6D 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 3A 34 36 2E 33 37
;; USB2.0-Ser! (COM5) Did not find any match for: temp_setpoint:0.00,PID_Output:0.00,Temperature:46.37
;; COM5: Close
;; Stopping thread for: COM5
;; COM5: Close


Cheers,
Jorge

[HKJ]

Help please.

If for a SCPI command I get this reply (ASCII and as hex in next line):

Code: [Select]

V : -9.757mV->.
56 20 3A 20 2D 39 2E 37 35 37 6D 56 2D 3E 0A
how I can extract the number using #askValuesReadFormat ?
I've tried multiple ways and I'm getting 0.0 or NaN.

You need to strip the other characters away, this is done in a #askModeMathFormat statement. Something like:
#askModeMathFormat substring(value,4,11)
might do in if the answer always is the same length https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerFunctions%20UK.html#substring else a getMatch(value,"[-1234567890.m]+") can be used.
Then you use
#askValuesReadFormat s
This will handle the m.

[HKJ]

How to clean up configuration?

Delete some file in the ..\Documents\TestController\Settings folder. You can delete all files if you want, they will automatic be recreated. TestController will return to a "just installed" state if you do that. You can also check the individual settings.... files and only delete some of them. Other files in that directory will be downloaded from my server when needed (Except autorun.txt if it exist).

All the settings.... files are ascii files, i.e. you can edit them with a editor. This is perfectly legal, but if you damage the format too much you might have to delete the file to get TestController working again.

[jorgemef]

Delete some file in the ..\Documents\TestController\Settings folder. You can delete all files if you want, they will automatic be recreated. TestController will return to a "just installed" state if you do that. You can also check the individual settings.... files and only delete some of them. Other files in that directory will be downloaded from my server when needed (Except autorun.txt if it exist).

All the settings.... files are ascii files, i.e. you can edit them with a editor. This is perfectly legal, but if you damage the format too much you might have to delete the file to get TestController working again.

Now it works after deleting old stuff.
It got somehow messed up as I was not following this rules bellow which I got after some new reading.
/*
The #idString must match "BRAND,NAME" from the Arduino program or the device will not be loaded.
The #name is usually a more readable form of "BRAND NAME" and must be unique, TestController will only accept one definition for any #name
The #handle is a short form of the name that can be used as a variable. This do not have to be unique, but because it is used to match column formats when loading .csv files, it is best if it is.
*/
After fixing this and deleting the old settings it started working.
Now I can focus on setting the PID constants.

Cheers,
Jorge

[Oleksii]

You need to strip the other characters away, this is done in a #askModeMathFormat statement. Something like:
#askModeMathFormat substring(value,4,11)
might do in if the answer always is the same length https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerFunctions%20UK.html#substring else a getMatch(value,"[-1234567890.m]+") can be used.
Then you use
#askValuesReadFormat s
This will handle the m.

It would be perfect if you gave me correct definition name - #askValuesMathFormat, instead of looking very similar, but wrong #askModeMathFormat 
I've spent extra 1 hour before spot it during troubleshooting.

But still thank you !

[Oleksii]

Question about EOL.
My OWON XDS2102A oscilloscope during TS start is detected correctly. Also it works for SCPI command if I ask a single value (response correctly terminated by \n).
But for a manual command "MEASUrement:ALL?\n" does respond in a specific way.
It returns single TCP packet with 1450 bytes payload, which consists of binary data header and then JSON data in ASCII
Here is beginning and end of the packet. HEX bytes and then ASCII shifted for readability.

Code: [Select]

a6 05 00 00 7b 22 43 48 31 22 3a 7b 22 4d 41 58
            {  "  C  H  1  "  :  {  "  M  A  X
<trim here>
"     ?  ,  O  F  F  "  }  }
22 09 3f 2c 4f 46 46 22 7d 7d

Full JSON, without 4 bytes of binary header, is here:

Code: [Select]

{"CH1":{"MAX":"35.00mV,OFF","MIN":"-50.00mV,OFF","PKPK":"85.00mV,OFF","VTOP":" ?,OFF","VBASe":" ?,OFF","VAMP":" ?,OFF","AVERage":"-6.740mV,ON","SQUAresum":"18.04mV,OFF","CYCRms":" ?,OFF","CURSorrms":"18.03mV,OFF","OVERShoot":" ?,OFF","PREShoot":" ?,OFF","PERiod":"  ?,OFF","FREQuency":" ?,OFF","RTime":" ?,OFF","FTime":" ?,OFF","PWIDth":" ?,OFF","NWIDth":" ?,OFF","PDUTy":" ?,OFF","NDUTy":" ?,OFF","SCREenduty":" ?,OFF","FRR":" ?,OFF","FRF":" ?,OFF","FFR":" ?,OFF","FFF":" ?,OFF","LRR":" ?,OFF","LRF":" ?,OFF","LFR":" ?,OFF","LFF":" ?,OFF","RDELay":" ?,OFF","FDELay":" ?,OFF","RPHAse":" ?,OFF","PPULsenum":" ?,OFF","NPULsenum":" ?,OFF","RISEedgenum":" ?,OFF","FALLedgenum":" ?,OFF","AREA":" ?,OFF","CYCLearea":" ?,OFF"},"CH2":{"MAX":"25.00mA,OFF","MIN":"-60.00mA,OFF","PKPK":"85.00mA,OFF","VTOP":"   ?,OFF","VBASe":"   ?,OFF","VAMP":"   ?,OFF","AVERage":"-15.94mA,ON","SQUAresum":"23.18mA,OFF","CYCRms":"   ?,OFF","CURSorrms":"22.91mA,OFF","OVERShoot":" ?,OFF","PREShoot":" ?,OFF","PERiod":" ?,OFF","FREQuency":" ?,OFF","RTime":" ?,OFF","FTime":" ?,OFF","PWIDth":" ?,OFF","NWIDth":" ?,OFF","PDUTy":" ?,OFF","NDUTy":" ?,OFF","SCREenduty":" ?,OFF","FRR":" ?,OFF","FRF":" ?,OFF","FFR":" ?,OFF","FFF":" ?,OFF","LRR":" ?,OFF","LRF":" ?,OFF","LFR":" ?,OFF","LFF":" ?,OFF","RDELay":" ?,OFF","FDELay":" ?,OFF","RPHAse":" ?,OFF","PPULsenum":" ?,OFF","NPULsenum":" ?,OFF","RISEedgenum":" ?,OFF","FALLedgenum":" ?,OFF","AREA":" ?,OFF","CYCLearea":" ?,OFF"}}
The issue is that TC could not read it because there no EOL character. Very last byte there is "}" character.
So TC threads it as a "Rx Timeout" error.

I've tried to play with #rxEol and #eol parameters, providing values "\_", "eoi", "}}", "\}\}". I found these examples in files for other devices an in documentation here https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerConfigDevice2%20UK.html

Question - how to resolve this issue to detect end of input in my case?

p.s. the TCP session capture in Wireshark is attached in archive.
 MEASUrement:ALL-fromTC.zip (1.2 kB - downloaded 35 times.)

[HKJ]

But for a manual command "MEASUrement:ALL?\n" does respond in a specific way.
It returns single TCP packet with 1450 bytes payload, which consists of binary data header and then JSON data in ASCII
Here is beginning and end of the packet. HEX bytes and then ASCII shifted for readability.

Interesting, it looks like the binaryheader is a byte count. To handle that I will have to add a special read command and probably also a command to parse JSON. I may do that.
Can you send the data to me in a ascii hex format, then I can dump it in a Arduino to test with.
With ascii hex format I mean something like this: "a6 05 00 00 7b 22 43 48 31 22 3a 7b 22 4d 41 58" but including all the 1450 bytes. Using multiple lines is fine.
I do not have wireshark installed at the current time and do not wish to.

[HKJ]

It would be perfect if you gave me correct definition name - #askValuesMathFormat, instead of looking very similar, but wrong #askModeMathFormat 
I've spent extra 1 hour before spot it during troubleshooting.

Sorry about that, a bad excuse is that I was short on time when I did it.

[Oleksii]

Can you send the data to me in a ascii hex format, then I can dump it in a Arduino to test with.
With ascii hex format I mean something like this: "a6 05 00 00 7b 22 43 48 31 22 3a 7b 22 4d 41 58" but including all the 1450 bytes. Using multiple lines is fine.

That's ok to not wish to install Wireshark.

Here is HEX stream on 1450 bytes payload (binary header + JSON):

Code: [Select]

a60500007b22434831223a7b224d4158223a2233352e30306d562c4f4646222c224d494e223a222d35302e30306d562c4f4646222c22504b504b223a2238352e30306d562c4f4646222c2256544f50223a22093f2c4f4646222c225642415365223a22093f2c4f4646222c2256414d50223a22093f2c4f4646222c2241564552616765223a222d362e3734306d562c4f4e222c2253515541726573756d223a2231382e30346d562c4f4646222c22435943526d73223a22093f2c4f4646222c22435552536f72726d73223a2231382e30336d562c4f4646222c224f56455253686f6f74223a22093f2c4f4646222c2250524553686f6f74223a22093f2c4f4646222c22504552696f64223a2220203f2c4f4646222c224652455175656e6379223a22093f2c4f4646222c225254696d65223a22093f2c4f4646222c224654696d65223a22093f2c4f4646222c22505749447468223a22093f2c4f4646222c224e5749447468223a22093f2c4f4646222c225044555479223a22093f2c4f4646222c224e44555479223a22093f2c4f4646222c2253435245656e64757479223a22093f2c4f4646222c22465252223a22093f2c4f4646222c22465246223a22093f2c4f4646222c22464652223a22093f2c4f4646222c22464646223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c5252223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c5246223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c4652223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c4646223a22093f2c4f4646222c225244454c6179223a22093f2c4f4646222c224644454c6179223a22093f2c4f4646222c22525048417365223a22093f2c4f4646222c225050554c73656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c224e50554c73656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c2252495345656467656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c2246414c4c656467656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c2241524541223a22093f2c4f4646222c224359434c6561726561223a22093f2c4f4646227d2c22434832223a7b224d4158223a2232352e30306d412c4f4646222c224d494e223a222d36302e30306d412c4f4646222c22504b504b223a2238352e30306d412c4f4646222c2256544f50223a222020203f2c4f4646222c225642415365223a222020203f2c4f4646222c2256414d50223a222020203f2c4f4646222c2241564552616765223a222d31352e39346d412c4f4e222c2253515541726573756d223a2232332e31386d412c4f4646222c22435943526d73223a222020203f2c4f4646222c22435552536f72726d73223a2232322e39316d412c4f4646222c224f56455253686f6f74223a22093f2c4f4646222c2250524553686f6f74223a22093f2c4f4646222c22504552696f64223a22093f2c4f4646222c224652455175656e6379223a22093f2c4f4646222c225254696d65223a22093f2c4f4646222c224654696d65223a22093f2c4f4646222c22505749447468223a22093f2c4f4646222c224e5749447468223a22093f2c4f4646222c225044555479223a22093f2c4f4646222c224e44555479223a22093f2c4f4646222c2253435245656e64757479223a22093f2c4f4646222c22465252223a22093f2c4f4646222c22465246223a22093f2c4f4646222c22464652223a22093f2c4f4646222c22464646223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c5252223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c5246223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c4652223a22093f2c4f4646222c224c4646223a22093f2c4f4646222c225244454c6179223a22093f2c4f4646222c224644454c6179223a22093f2c4f4646222c22525048417365223a22093f2c4f4646222c225050554c73656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c224e50554c73656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c2252495345656467656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c2246414c4c656467656e756d223a22093f2c4f4646222c2241524541223a22093f2c4f4646222c224359434c6561726561223a22093f2c4f4646227d7d

I've also tried to understand what the binary header means. In current case x05A6 = 1446 in DEC, which indeed could be 1450 - 4 (bytes binary header itself).
I tried now to capture more examples to prove that it consistent. Looks like binary part and payload size in response size is always the same, while having different measured values in JSON data.
This is good to know that implementation should give predicable result in all cases.

Interesting note - when the requests is received from original OWON software on Windows - the oscilloscope answers with 2 TCP PUSH packets: 1260+190 payload size, in total the same 1450 bytes. So, the binary header in 1st packet is really may be used to wait whole payload size.
Maybe that's an influence of virtualization stack (VirtualBox) which causes packets split for guest OS.

I'd say that position, size and byte order of the binary header should be adjustable, preferably.
For JSON parsing I'd suggest to use JSONPath technic, which is widely used in such cases.

[Swake]

Is there a way to add some text to the readout popup? In front or behind the shown value.

Example use cases:
- Several voltmeters at ones and would like to see the value on the screen but never remember what value comes from what meter.
- Current consumption on several power supplies, would allow to name the channels.

If this is not yet possible I would like to suggest it as an improvement.

I know the grid popup allows to identify the device on screen, but it is not as esthetic as the readout.

[Gediminas]

Is there a way to add some text to the readout popup? In front or behind the shown value.

Example use cases:
- Several voltmeters at ones and would like to see the value on the screen but never remember what value comes from what meter.

Workaround: write voltmeter names or current channel numbers on the desktop wallpaper, then place transparent readout popups on top or near to them. Works perfectly!

[Swake]

This idea is good if there is nothing else on the screen already. The 'always on top' feature is so handy. I also move these things to different places sometimes, that would impose changing the wallpaper too.

[onsokumaru]

Great work! Thanks for your effort   

I want to test this software, but also I have a raspberry pi 3 wondering around and I'm thinking on running the software there, and leave the Raspberry for that task exclusively. Do you think it will work or maybe the RPI desktop environment is too slow?

Again, thanks for sharing this with us

[Gediminas]

This idea is good if there is nothing else on the screen already. The 'always on top' feature is so handy. I also move these things to different places sometimes, that would impose changing the wallpaper too.

Yes, i know that this solution will be useful only in some cases.

[Swake]

Don't have any experience running this on a Linux system but I think a raspi3 is certainly capable of running this jar.

Try it and tell us 

[Gediminas]

I just started to use Test Controller yesterday with Tenma 72-13210 DC Load for testing batteries and it works flawlessly!
But I want to ask for the help with adding to Test Controller support for Tenma 72-7715 dual channel thermometer.
First I want to know if it is even possible to add support for this thermometer.
I can use soldering iron with both hands and even legs, but have no idea about how communication protocols and similar stuff works.
So if anyone can help with this I would be very grateful.

[HKJ]

Is there a way to add some text to the readout popup? In front or behind the shown value.

If this is not yet possible I would like to suggest it as an improvement.

I will think about it.
You can use color to distinguish between the different meters, you can configure color of digits and background.

I know the grid popup allows to identify the device on screen, but it is not as esthetic as the readout.

You am aware that you can size the grid to like 4x1 or 1x4 to align the readouts in a line.

[HKJ]

I want to test this software, but also I have a raspberry pi 3 wondering around and I'm thinking on running the software there, and leave the Raspberry for that task exclusively. Do you think it will work or maybe the RPI desktop environment is too slow?

I did test a early version on a pi 3 and it worked. 
But the pi is a low end computer, i.e. TC may run into performance issues and memory issues in some cases.

Please report back with any experience.

[HKJ]

But I want to ask for the help with adding to Test Controller support for Tenma 72-7715 dual channel thermometer.
First I want to know if it is even possible to add support for this thermometer.
I can use soldering iron with both hands and even legs, but have no idea about how communication protocols and similar stuff works.
So if anyone can help with this I would be very grateful.

TestController can work with serial and network connections. If the Tenma uses a virtual serial port it is possible to include it (But many newer devices use USB HID and TC do not support that).

Somebody has been working on a temperature measuring devices before, you can try searching this thread for it.
TC has Mastech MS6514

[Gediminas]

But I want to ask for the help with adding to Test Controller support for Tenma 72-7715 dual channel thermometer.
First I want to know if it is even possible to add support for this thermometer.
I can use soldering iron with both hands and even legs, but have no idea about how communication protocols and similar stuff works.
So if anyone can help with this I would be very grateful.

TestController can work with serial and network connections. If the Tenma uses a virtual serial port it is possible to include it (But many newer devices use USB HID and TC do not support that).

Somebody has been working on a temperature measuring devices before, you can try searching this thread for it.
TC has Mastech MS6514

I ordered USB A to USB mini B (4 pin) non standard cable, it will probably arrive tomorrow, then I can connect thermometer to the PC an see if the driver will create virtual com port.
Device itself is very nice, but the software and instructions for it is translated by google translator from Chinese language, so it is impossible to tell right now if it is USB HID or virtual serial.
Here is the example of software installation manual

[Oleksii]

Somebody has been working on a temperature measuring devices before, you can try searching this thread for it.

That was me. It was for Tasi device, different one. Likely it's not compatible with this Tenma.

[Gediminas]

Somebody has been working on a temperature measuring devices before, you can try searching this thread for it.

That was me. It was for Tasi device, different one. Likely it's not compatible with this Tenma.

Ok. Some hope, that it could be similar to supported by TC Mastech MS6514.
I will get this rare USB mini B 4 pin cable and will post what I will be able to find out.