Program that can log/control many multimeters and other devices.

[flash2b]

Did you use the stock firmware for this ADC_16_F103R ?

Look like a very nice module !

[HKJ]

Found this Animal: ADC_16_F103R. A 16 Channel 12 bit ADC
similar to its 10 channel brother.
Here some pics with 4.7k:4.7k voltage divider
attched to CH0 for 2,5 V. All other channels left open.

And the matching device definition ADC_16_F103R for the next TC update.

I have included it, thanks.

I believe it is nice to have support for these cheap modules, they are nice if you are on a budget or in this case needs to measure a lot of signals and with TC they can be used together with all other kind of equipment.

[Messtechniker]

Did you use the stock firmware for this ADC_16_F103R ?

Look like a very nice module !

Used it for the TC defintion file straight out of the box.

[RikV]

Has anyone been able to get TestController working with Xyphro GPIBUSB? (https://github.com/xyphro/UsbGpib). It implements standars USBTMC And works with Visa.

[KungFuJosh]

Has anyone been able to get TestController working with Xyphro GPIBUSB? (https://github.com/xyphro/UsbGpib). It implements standars USBTMC And works with Visa.

USBTMC is not currently supported by TestController.

[RikV]

Thanks for the update. I will have to find another free solution in order to play with my instruments. Any suggestions maybe?

[KungFuJosh]

Thanks for the update. I will have to find another free solution in order to play with my instruments. Any suggestions maybe?

If you need a GPIB interface that works with TestController, check out the AR488 project.

[TizianoHV]

Hi,
I would like to report an issue: I'm running TC 2.91 on linux mint (I haven't tried on windows yet):
All my devices are connected via serial (USB and bluetooth). If I loose connection (cable disconnected or bad bluetooth signal) while running a log, or after stopping it, the program start using 100% of one core of my CPU.
To stop the CPU usage I have to reconnect the instrument or disable it and click reconnect.
Is it normal?

*I'm using two custom config files, but one of the two is a slightly modified keithley 2000 device script so that it works with K2700/2790 so it shouldn't be an issue.



______________________________________________________
On an other note I have some "suggestion"/questions for the UI. (But maybe I'm using it wrong).

-While log is running the reconnect button is disabled, but I can modify the list of devices (enable, change ports...). Often I forget that a scan is running and start messing with the connections and then see that the reconnect button is disabled.
Shouldn't the table be disabled too?
The reconnect button is a bit hidden down there and far from the tabs (requiring lots of mouse travel), putting it on top maybe would make it more visible and easier to click.



-An other cool addiction for the load page would be showing the device ID in the table. I have many serial devices that won't remember the serial port numbering (the serial chip has no id so the pc assigns random port...) or often I forget it.
By clicking a "ask IDN" button the program would scan all enabled devices asking the respective ID command (even for non SCPI instruments (#scpiCmd *idn? txrx? I?)).



-An other issue is that, if you are not in the commands page, you can't see if the log is enabled and running.
Would be nice to have some sort of indicator visible in all pages and maybe an indicator that blinks every time that a new reading is completed (a bit like in some multimeters). Maybe you could add some text to the page selector label, or in the tab title (like in the image).
-When changing the setup of multiple instruments, to select them I move the mouse all left and then all right, having a device selector closer to the buttons would be nice. Without reading the instructions I couldn't understand how to change instrument  (Before I used "show all setup popups").





-Could be possible to pause the log, and maybe reconnect instruments while paused? Often I have to move around stuff during a scan ruining it. It  would be an incredible feature.

Thank you!
Tiziano

[HKJ]

Hi,
I would like to report an issue: I'm running TC 2.91 on linux mint (I haven't tried on windows yet):
All my devices are connected via serial (USB and bluetooth). If I loose connection (cable disconnected or bad bluetooth signal) while running a log, or after stopping it, the program start using 100% of one core of my CPU.
To stop the CPU usage I have to reconnect the instrument or disable it and click reconnect.
Is it normal?

*I'm using two custom config files, but one of the two is a slightly modified keithley 2000 device script so that it works with K2700/2790 so it shouldn't be an issue.

100% cpu load is a bit excessive and I may take a look at it, but I have not really done much about gracefully handling of lost devices.

______________________________________________________
On an other note I have some "suggestion"/questions for the UI. (But maybe I'm using it wrong).

-While log is running the reconnect button is disabled, but I can modify the list of devices (enable, change ports...). Often I forget that a scan is running and start messing with the connections and then see that the reconnect button is disabled.
Shouldn't the table be disabled too?
The reconnect button is a bit hidden down there and far from the tabs (requiring lots of mouse travel), putting it on top maybe would make it more visible and easier to click.

Modifying the list do not change anything for the currently loaded devices, it will first take affect on a reload. That is the reason it is not disabled.

TC layout is to put button on the bottom on most table pages.

-An other cool addiction for the load page would be showing the device ID in the table. I have many serial devices that won't remember the serial port numbering (the serial chip has no id so the pc assigns random port...) or often I forget it.
By clicking a "ask IDN" button the program would scan all enabled devices asking the respective ID command (even for non SCPI instruments (#scpiCmd *idn? txrx? I?)).

I do not understand you idea here, the naming of the device is supposed to say what it is. The "Scan serial port" function is designed to automatic load connected devices, without your checkmarking them. It requires the device to work at 9600 baud and answer to *idn?
I mostly uses this for homemade Arduino devices.

Another point is that I want a fairly snappy response in TC, using time to retrieve the *IDN? response before connecting would sort of work against this.

-An other issue is that, if you are not in the commands page, you can't see if the log is enabled and running.
Would be nice to have some sort of indicator visible in all pages and maybe an indicator that blinks every time that a new reading is completed (a bit like in some multimeters). Maybe you could add some text to the page selector label, or in the tab title (like in the image).

Maybe, I will think about it.

-When changing the setup of multiple instruments, to select them I move the mouse all left and then all right, having a device selector closer to the buttons would be nice. Without reading the instructions I couldn't understand how to change instrument  (Before I used "show all setup popups").

I do not want to change the layout, but try right clicking the "Mode" button (It is not what you asked for).

-Could be possible to pause the log, and maybe reconnect instruments while paused? Often I have to move around stuff during a scan ruining it. It  would be an incredible feature.

You can pause the log, but the instruments has to stay connected and active.
It is part of the advanced logging, TC will pause logging, but still read of the devices and there are a lot of conditions you can use to control start/stop of logging.

You can combine separate scans with the import function.

[TizianoHV]

TC layout is to put button on the bottom on most table pages.

The "Scan serial port" function is designed to automatic load connected devices, without your checkmarking them. It requires the device to work at 9600 baud and answer to *idn?

For example, if you have many devices connected, that have a custom id command and baud (definied in the config file). How do you know which is which?
At the moment I open a serial terminal (an other program), I send the custom id command to every port to find all the instruments, and then enter the Address in TC.

The idea would be to manually (by clicking a button) send the custom ID command to the selected Address of the enabled devices, if the response is not the desidered value (no answer or an other serial number / instrument) the user can change the address (selected from the right click dropdown list) and try again.
I hope is not too confusing.

Maybe, I will think about it.

Nice, that would partially solve some of the other problems

but try right clicking the "Mode" button (It is not what you asked for).

Ummm, right clicking mode will... change mode but, if I have many instruments connected, and I want to change the setup of some, to select the instrument I can only right click the label on the left?

[HKJ]

The idea would be to manually (by clicking a button) send the custom ID command to the selected Address of the enabled devices, if the response is not the desidered value (no answer or an other serial number / instrument) the user can change the address (selected from the right click dropdown list) and try again.
I hope is not too confusing.

That is sort of what "Scan serial ports" automates.

Ummm, right clicking mode will... change mode but, if I have many instruments connected, and I want to change the setup of some, to select the instrument I can only right click the label on the left?

With grid layout you can make a custom panel to open the setup for any device, this can be saved and loaded as needed.
In the "Popups" menu there is a function that will open the mode/setup for all loaded devices (In is in the Devices... section).

[KungFuJosh]

Is something weird in linux? In Windows, if log is not active, Chart, Histogram, and Range are all grayed out on the tabs. That makes it obvious if a log is running or not.

[HKJ]

Is something weird in linux? In Windows, if log is not active, Chart, Histogram, and Range are all grayed out on the tabs. That makes it obvious if a log is running or not.

That is not fully correct: They are grayed out when the table is empty.
This means if you stop logging they will not go gray, because there is something in the table and if you load a CSV file it is the same.

[KungFuJosh]

Ah, good point.

Would it be easy for you to change the color of the tabs during active logging? That seems like a simple option.

[HKJ]

Would it be easy for you to change the color of the tabs during active logging? That seems like a simple option.

It would be very easy and I like the suggestion, a green tab background while logging would be easy to see.

[RikV]

Is support for USBTMC something that could be added in the future?

[KungFuJosh]

Is support for USBTMC something that could be added in the future?

The "USBTMC" Protocol has come up in the past. I've an OWON SDS1192 which uses the "PC" setting to log to its own propreiety software. However, it does support "USBTMC" mode as well.

Any chance of this being updated? I know very little about it at the moment, but it appears it would allow Test Controller to nearly immediately add a bunch of equipment to its list of supported devices.

The problem is that USBTMC requires native code and cannot be done in Java and native code requires separate code for each OS and cpu architecture.

[janfi67]

On top of Windows,  unfortunately yes.

But on top of Linux, with USBTMC natively supported by the Kernel, I don’t think any native code is needed, although it may depend on the USB library used.
To bad for Linux users with USBTMC devices like SPD3303C.

[KungFuJosh]

On top of Windows,  unfortunately yes.

But on top of Linux, with USBTMC natively supported by the Kernel, I don’t think any native code is needed, although it may depend on the USB library used.
To bad for Linux users with USBTMC devices like SPD3303C.

Develop and standardize OS-independent USBTMC support for java, and problem solved.

[flash2b]

It seems that the #cmdSetup advNumber control does not support decimals, while #cmdSetup number does support decimals.

Is this a bug?

[HKJ]

It seems that the #cmdSetup advNumber control does not support decimals, while #cmdSetup number does support decimals.

Is this a bug?

It is, a new test version is up, you can try that.

[flash2b]

You fixed it in v2.92 !! Thx

Some documentation updates needed on:

https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerConfigDevice%20UK.html#Control_advNumber

In the example: change #cmdSetup advnumber downTime to #cmdSetup advNumber downTime

In the Tags section just above change:  AdvNumber into advNumber

[HKJ]

You fixed it in v2.92 !! Thx

Some documentation updates needed on:

https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerConfigDevice%20UK.html#Control_advNumber

In the example: change #cmdSetup advnumber downTime to #cmdSetup advNumber downTime

In the Tags section just above change:  AdvNumber into advNumber

Ok, is fixed.

[flash2b]

Since I changed 2 of my controls from  #cmdSetup number to  #cmdSetup advNumber for Voltage and Current, these parameters do not show up in Param sweeper anymore. (they were there when they were number, and also 3 other controls show up but not the advNumber)

I believe this is a bug.

[flash2b]

The definition that is shared (v1.00) supports that already. That is how I made the screen shot of the graph.

(I am working on a next version using advNumber)