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

[kw1]

Hi Eric, I tried the following again:

I create a definition file with the following values, and startet with com5 port (Tinygtc source 10Mhz):


;; COM5: Rx: <10000000.0000279750675 CHA> 31 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 2E 30 30 30 30 32 37 39 37 35 30 36 37 35 20 43 48 41

Two details:
1) Why are you polling all com ports (Remove checkmark for "Scan serial ports".
2) Is the device in some sort of streaming mode? The answer is a frequency, not the id string.

TC can work with a streaming mode, but it is very different from SCPI and do not allow control of the device.

to 1. Yeah, I forgot to turn off the scan.
to 2. i think it is streaming mode. When Teleterm starts up, measurement values with the port designation (A/B) come in immediately every second.
Data example arriving on COM 5: (Teleterm)
10000000.0000176299363 CHA
 9999999.9999688621610 CHA
 9999999.9999860227108 CHA
 9999999.9999669436365 CHA
10000000.0000091716647 CHA


Tinygtc has 3 COM ports:
https://www.tinydevices.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=TinyGTC.Remote
I think i am using the logging port.
Tinygtc can also SCPI:  https://www.tinydevices.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=TinyGTC.SCPI


Can you help me adjust the driver so that I can log the frequency readings?


klaus

[HKJ]

Can you help me adjust the driver so that I can log the frequency readings?

Try single value driver: https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerConfigDevice2%20UK.html#Single_value

Example:

Code: [Select]

#idString HKJ,HKJ Test
#name HKJ Test
#handle Test
#port comfixedbaud
#baudrate 1200
#driver SingleValue

#value Frequency Hz SI

You will, of course, have to adjust the example and please add "streaming" or something like that to the name

[kw1]

Can you help me adjust the driver so that I can log the frequency readings?

Try single value driver: https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerConfigDevice2%20UK.html#Single_value

Example:

Code: [Select]

#idString HKJ,HKJ Test
#name HKJ Test
#handle Test
#port comfixedbaud
#baudrate 1200
#driver SingleValue

#value Frequency Hz SI

You will, of course, have to adjust the example and please add "streaming" or something like that to the name

Hi Hendric, thank you so much for your support!
...great, it works nearly perfectly!
I'm still having problems with displaying the 9 decimal places in the graph... 

klaus

[HKJ]

I'm still having problems with displaying the 9 decimal places in the graph... 

You use the "Scales for charts" to adjust the scales on the chart including decimal digits.

[KungFuJosh]

Does it work for you? It doesn't reset the same as individual panels for me. I can send you a video if you want.

I added notifications to the reset functions and it happens exactly as I specified, there are no extra stuff done.

I see what's going on now. The buttons are not as I expected (but I actually like them this way).

If I click the Reset button normal, all gets reset and Math Min is 0.

If I right-click Reset and hit Reset all panels, all gets reset and math resets without going to zero (this is my preferred option).

If I right-click Reset and hit Reset math channels, then only the math channels reset and Math Min is 0.

I like the behavior of Reset all panels, so I'll just hit that.

Thanks,
Josh

[HKJ]

If I right-click Reset and hit Reset all panels, all gets reset and math resets without going to zero (this is my preferred option).

Math do not get reset in this case, only the panels. Any Math channel that has a buffer or running value will retain it.

Math channels where you specify a sample count has a buffer.
Math channels that calculates totals, do not have a buffer, but calculate running total.

[KungFuJosh]

Math do not get reset in this case, only the panels. Any Math channel that has a buffer or running value will retain it.

Yes, this is exactly what I wanted.

Thanks,
Josh

[HKJ]

Hi Hendric, thank you so much for your support!
...great, it works nearly perfectly!

SingleValue is the simplest driver in TC, there are also other drivers that support streaming and can do more advanced stuff.
For this device a SCPI driver would be the best, but it requires some work.
I do still believe the streaming driver is useful and you are welcome to submit it for inclusion in TC.

[kw1]

Hi Hendric, thank you so much for your support!
...great, it works nearly perfectly!

SingleValue is the simplest driver in TC, there are also other drivers that support streaming and can do more advanced stuff.
For this device a SCPI driver would be the best, but it requires some work.
I do still believe the streaming driver is useful and you are welcome to submit it for inclusion in TC.

Hi Hendric, if you'd like, feel free to add this driver to TC.
Maybe someone else will come along who's willing to create a more complex driver for this great device.

[HKJ]

Hi Hendric, if you'd like, feel free to add this driver to TC.
Maybe someone else will come along who's willing to create a more complex driver for this great device.

I have added it, it is a simple driver, but better than no driver.
I hope somebody will make a full SCPI driver, that was the reason I asked you to call it something with stream.

[kw1]

Hi Hendric,
Do you know who wrote the Tinysa drive for testcontroller?

#author PL

Since the author is familiar with Zeenko devices, it would certainly be easier to adapt it for tinygtc.


klaus

[HKJ]

Hi Hendric,
Do you know who wrote the Tinysa drive for testcontroller?

#author PL

Since the author is familiar with Zeenko devices, it would certainly be easier to adapt it for tinygtc.

I received the definition on email a few months ago, but I do not know the person who wrote it.

[flash2b]

In sequence in def:

#cmdSetup info Store_Time Store_Recall
:read: iccStoreEstimation?

#cmdSetup info IC_Card System
:read: iccPresent?
:update: Store_Time

The :update: does not update the Store_Time

Why? and how to fix...

[KungFuJosh]

Aren't updates performed as part of an action (pressing a button)? How would an info update another info with no action involved?

[HKJ]

In sequence in def:

#cmdSetup info Store_Time Store_Recall
:read: iccStoreEstimation?

#cmdSetup info IC_Card System
:read: iccPresent?
:update: Store_Time

The :update: does not update the Store_Time

Why? and how to fix...

:update: triggers on writes, not reads. Generally a read is not a reason for update other controls.
I do not remember if I support info for updates.

[flash2b]

#cmdSetup info Syntax_Check Program
:read: syntaxError?

#cmdSetup text Line_1 Program
:read: progLine1?
:write: progLine1
:update: Syntax_Check

This works ok.

So I will be never be able to trigger an :update: from a #cmdSetup info.  :'(

And it just ignores it silently...

[7tronics]

Fantastic tool, working to get this as a standard for our college labs instead of LabView with just a tad of bloatware.

The Owon SPM6103 is supported and in the "Owon SPMXXXX.txt" file, so created another metadef for the Owon SPM8205 we acquired since some of our battery packs require >60V for testing with the Owon OEL1515 series of programmable loads.

I created this added definition for the "Owon SPMXXXX.txt" file:

#metadef
#idString OWON,SPM8205,
#name Owon SPM8205
#handle SPM8205
#replaceText MaxVoltageSet 81
#replaceText MaxVoltageLimit 82
#replaceText MaxCurrentSet 20.1
#replaceText MaxCurrentLimit 20.2

but when I connect with TestController, the only response to #VALUES? is the DC voltmeter:

;; Found Owon SPM8205 on USB Serial (COM3) sn: 26170021
*IDN?
;; OWON,SPM8205,26170021,FV:V1.0.0
#VALUES?
;; SPM8205.VoltageDC=0 V  

The popup for Setup does allow changing values on the front panel and turning the PS on and off and setting every parameter that I tried correctly.

The DC Multimeter app from Owon also works and track, plot, and save device-under-test voltage, current, and Ah capacity.

What am I missing to get the current, voltage, and Ah information for charting lab tests?

Multiple East Tester ET5410A+ programmable loads work fine in this setup of a charging function with battery discharge testing using TestController. It would be great to get the programmable power supply voltage and current data acquisition accessible from TestController as well.

[Later same day...]

To add to the confusion, the MEAS command does return data, but TC is not seeing it. Any suggestions on where to start with making changes to
"Owon SPMxxxx.txt" markup file? See the attached screenshot.

Thanks, Mark

[pivous]

I'm measuring a DC/DC converter's characteristic across several different input voltages, and I'd like to compare the resulting curves in a single chart — ideally with each run starting from a common t=0 rather than its real, absolute timestamp.
As I understand it, #LOG records on the real/absolute time axis, so running the same test script repeatedly (once per input voltage) makes each run's data simply continue after the previous one in time, rather than each starting fresh at t=0 for overlay.
Is there a supported way to log/plot each run relative to its own start time, or otherwise combine several separate runs into one chart for this kind of comparison — without exporting the data and aligning/overlaying it in an external tool?
If there's an existing example or chart feature for this, a pointer would be appreciated.

[KungFuJosh]

Try out the Param sweeper. It should do exactly what you want. I've used it to compare the same test across 6 devices.

[HKJ]

So I will be never be able to trigger an :update: from a #cmdSetup info.  :'(

And it just ignores it silently...

Correct.

[HKJ]

Fantastic tool, working to get this as a standard for our college labs instead of LabView with just a tad of bloatware.

A nice detail with using a free tool is that students can put it on their own computers and take it home.

The Owon SPM6103 is supported and in the "Owon SPMXXXX.txt" file, so created another metadef for the Owon SPM8205 we acquired since some of our battery packs require >60V for testing with the Owon OEL1515 series of programmable loads.

I created this added definition for the "Owon SPMXXXX.txt" file:

#metadef
#idString OWON,SPM8205,
#name Owon SPM8205
#handle SPM8205
#replaceText MaxVoltageSet 81
#replaceText MaxVoltageLimit 82
#replaceText MaxCurrentSet 20.1
#replaceText MaxCurrentLimit 20.2

but when I connect with TestController, the only response to #VALUES? is the DC voltmeter:

;; Found Owon SPM8205 on USB Serial (COM3) sn: 26170021
*IDN?
;; OWON,SPM8205,26170021,FV:V1.0.0
#VALUES?
;; SPM8205.VoltageDC=0 V  

The popup for Setup does allow changing values on the front panel and turning the PS on and off and setting every parameter that I tried correctly.

The DC Multimeter app from Owon also works and track, plot, and save device-under-test voltage, current, and Ah capacity.

What am I missing to get the current, voltage, and Ah information for charting lab tests?

TC uses the #askValues line to read data
In this case it uses "CONFigure?" to read the data, maybe there is a need to define what the command returns.
This can be done on the #prepareSample line.

[HKJ]

I'm measuring a DC/DC converter's characteristic across several different input voltages, and I'd like to compare the resulting curves in a single chart — ideally with each run starting from a common t=0 rather than its real, absolute timestamp.
As I understand it, #LOG records on the real/absolute time axis, so running the same test script repeatedly (once per input voltage) makes each run's data simply continue after the previous one in time, rather than each starting fresh at t=0 for overlay.
Is there a supported way to log/plot each run relative to its own start time, or otherwise combine several separate runs into one chart for this kind of comparison — without exporting the data and aligning/overlaying it in an external tool?
If there's an existing example or chart feature for this, a pointer would be appreciated.

Two things:
1) You can use the import function to overlay curves, you simply specify what column to synchronize/align and TC will do it, even if the sample rates do not match.
There is an example here: https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerPopupBatteryTestExample%20UK.html#Summary where it overlays a couple of different tests on 3 different parameters, in 3 different charts.

2) TC has a special test function for DC/DC converters where it will run a bunch of test automatic. It is called power supply test, because it can be used for both DC and AC sourced converters. It do require the equipment used are fully defined.
https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerPopupPSTest%20UK.html

[flash2b]

What is the difference between printLog() and print() ?

[pivous]

Fully functional definition file for this PS except sequention featature, which is fully covered by Testcontroller. May be in the future :-)

[HKJ]

What is the difference between printLog() and print() ?

Print() outputs to the internal return buffer, printLog() outputs to the log window.
Commands run on the command line or in the log window will output the internal return buffer to the log window when finished.