SignalExpress: Exporting data into MS EXCEL using Save/Load Step

[Ronak2]

Hello all,

 

I’ve been trying to log data into MS EXCEL using the Save/Load Step in SignalExpress. My acquisition mode used was Continuous Samples at a rate of 10 Hz and number of samples as 5. After reading temperatures for about 30 seconds I checked out the Excel file to which it was exported (attached to the message). I see that after every 5 seconds it time goes back to zero again and the description of the data collected such as date and time are repeated over again. Is there any way to correct this problem and display time as going from 0 to 30 seconds (with increments of 0.1 sec). I want to do this since I’ll be exporting this data into MATLAB for further calculations and don’t want to tamper with it. Am I using the correct technique or is there any other way.

 

Help greatly appreciated,

Ronak

 

[pflores]

What specific step are you using to save your data? Can you include a screenshot of your SignalExpress program? Check out this KB for a reference.

What version of Signal Express are you using? It may be related to an issue that was fixed in SignalExpress 2009.

[Ronak2]

Hello Peter,

I'm using version 3.0.0 of SignalExpress. I've imcluded a screen shot. To acquire data I'm using the step Acquire Signals>>DAQmx Acquire>>Analog Input. While for Saving data I'm using the step Load/Save Signals>>Analog Signals>>Save to ASCII/LVM.

Ronak

[pflores]

Ronak,

It looks like you are writing to a .lvm file. The LVM file format is best used when saving and loading within NI software. This is because, even though it is an open format, NI software has built in parsers to read these files. They are efficient and detailed, but not as easy to read.

If you want a nicer file to read in Excel and other programs, try changing the Save to ASCII to save to a .txt file.

I created the attached text files using these settings.

Hope this helps...

[Ronak2]

Hey Peter,

Thanks for the Help. But another issue with this format is the time that is displayed. If you notice even in the text file you sent me, the time goes from 0,1,2,3,4 and then zeroes back again instead of continuing. That way I don't have a column displaying the time continuously. I have no way of looking at the temperature at say 15 seconds. Is there a way out of this? Also, is there a way of adding a timestamp to the file.

Thanks again,

Ronak

Message Edited by Ronak2 on 02-12-2010 08:49 AM

[pflores]

Ronak,

If you use the Absolute Time option, you will get a log similar to log.txt attached. The time column actually represents the unmber of milliseconds since midnight Jan 1, 1904.

To stay with relative timestamps, I created a dummy signal to act as the time column. See the attached screenshot and log.

[Phil_J1]

Hi Ronak,

Is there some reason that you cannot use the built-in logging functionality of SignalExpress on your data, and then once the logging is complete, right-click on the log to export it directly to Excel?

Phil

[OKors]

I don't know if you've found a workaround for your issue yet, but I ran into a similar situation a while back and so did another member. The original post can be found at http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=380&thread.id=1603.

Basically it's a bug in SE where it will not display time history in a continuous format while logging straight voltage source. If acquiring 5 samples at 1hz your time column will look like this:

0

1

2

3

4

0

1

2

3

4

0

1

2

3

4

etc...

if acquiring continuous it looks more like this:

 0.0000E+0
1.0000E+0
2.0000E+0
3.0000E+0
4.0000E+0
5.0000E+0
6.0000E+0
7.0000E+0
8.0000E+0
9.0000E+0
0.0000E+0
1.0000E+0
2.0000E+0
3.0000E+0
4.0000E+0
5.0000E+0
6.0000E+0
7.0000E+0
8.0000E+0
9.0000E+0
0.0000E+0
1.0000E+0
2.0000E+0
3.0000E+0
4.0000E+0
5.0000E+0
6.0000E+0
7.0000E+0
8.0000E+0
9.0000E+0
0.0000E+0
1.0000E+0
2.0000E+0
3.0000E+0
4.0000E+0
5.0000E+0
6.0000E+0
7.0000E+0
8.0000E+0
9.0000E+0

it basically gets to 10 then starts over from zero.

The OP has a corrective action request number if you care to track it or add too it.

Note: the more people add to this CAR the higher up the priority list it will get and the sooner it will be addressed.

Sorry if your problem lies someplace else.

[ChuLee]

convert to date & time in EXCEL 

=((Cell*1000-5*3600000) / 86400000)+DATE(1904,1,1)

5 is time zone