Searching simple waveform viewer

For some testing, I created a simple data logger that outputs lines
like this on the serial port:

sample#,ch1,ch2,ch3,ch4<CR><LF>

All numbers in decimal integers.

The logger can be triggered so the sample# will contain holes. (Just
sending all samples is not an option at 10kHz sample rate and 115k2
communication) I can capture the data on my PC and load it directly
into excel and create a graph (X/Y, using sample# as X). So far so
good, but zooming and moving the waveform is not easely done in excel.
So I am looking for a better alternative.

I've already found Gtkwave, but it uses a rather complex datafile and
I would need some converter program.

Then I tried gwave, but there are no windows executables (I need to run
it on my W-only laptop as well). Compiling it under cygwin has failed.

Anyone know af any other waveform viewers, preferably with windows
binaries for download? If need be, I can change the dataformat or write
a simpe converter.

-- 
Stef    (remove caps, dashes and .invalid from e-mail address to reply by mail)

Stef wrote:

> For some testing, I created a simple data logger that outputs lines
> like this on the serial port:
> 
> sample#,ch1,ch2,ch3,ch4<CR><LF>
> 
> All numbers in decimal integers.

<snip>

> Anyone know af any other waveform viewers, preferably with windows
> binaries for download? If need be, I can change the dataformat or write
> a simpe converter.
> 

Traditional solutions include 'gnuplot' (compiles on Cygwin) and
tek4014 emulation in any number of terminal emulators (suggest
that your target outputs the 4014 control and data sequences
directly).

Regards,

Michael

Stef wrote:
> Anyone know af any other waveform viewers, preferably with windows
> binaries for download? If need be, I can change the dataformat or write
> a simpe converter.

I think your own search failed because you used an overly restrictive 
keyword.  The kind of program you're looking for is a plotting program. 
  "Waveforms" are just one type of plottable data file.

'gnuplot' and any of its competitors can plot your file just fine.

	set datafile separator ','
	plot "log" using 1:2 with linespoints

On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:24:32 +0200, Hans-Bernhard Br�ker
<HBBroeker@t-online.de> wrote:

>Stef wrote:
>> Anyone know af any other waveform viewers, preferably with windows
>> binaries for download? If need be, I can change the dataformat or write
>> a simpe converter.
>
>I think your own search failed because you used an overly restrictive 
>keyword.  The kind of program you're looking for is a plotting program. 
>  "Waveforms" are just one type of plottable data file.
>
>'gnuplot' and any of its competitors can plot your file just fine.
>
>	set datafile separator ','
>	plot "log" using 1:2 with linespoints

I got the impression, possibly faulty, that the OP is looking for a
realtime viewer that accepts data from the serial port and scrolls the
display in realtime.

Does gnuplot do that?

Jon

On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:28:16 GMT, I wrote:

>On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:24:32 +0200, Hans-Bernhard Br�ker
><HBBroeker@t-online.de> wrote:
>
>>Stef wrote:
>>> Anyone know af any other waveform viewers, preferably with windows
>>> binaries for download? If need be, I can change the dataformat or write
>>> a simpe converter.
>>
>>I think your own search failed because you used an overly restrictive 
>>keyword.  The kind of program you're looking for is a plotting program. 
>>  "Waveforms" are just one type of plottable data file.
>>
>>'gnuplot' and any of its competitors can plot your file just fine.
>>
>>	set datafile separator ','
>>	plot "log" using 1:2 with linespoints
>
>I got the impression, possibly faulty, that the OP is looking for a
>realtime viewer that accepts data from the serial port and scrolls the
>display in realtime.
>
>Does gnuplot do that?

Well, maybe on closer reading of the OP's comments, I'm no longer sure
what is being sought.

Jon

In comp.arch.embedded,
Jonathan Kirwan <jkirwan@easystreet.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:28:16 GMT, I wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:24:32 +0200, Hans-Bernhard Br&#4294967295;ker
>><HBBroeker@t-online.de> wrote:
>>
>>>Stef wrote:
>>>> Anyone know af any other waveform viewers, preferably with windows
>>>> binaries for download? If need be, I can change the dataformat or write
>>>> a simpe converter.
>>>
>>>I think your own search failed because you used an overly restrictive 
>>>keyword.  The kind of program you're looking for is a plotting program. 
>>>  "Waveforms" are just one type of plottable data file.
>>>
>>>'gnuplot' and any of its competitors can plot your file just fine.
>>>
>>>	set datafile separator ','
>>>	plot "log" using 1:2 with linespoints
>>
>>I got the impression, possibly faulty, that the OP is looking for a
>>realtime viewer that accepts data from the serial port and scrolls the
>>display in realtime.
>>
>>Does gnuplot do that?
>
> Well, maybe on closer reading of the OP's comments, I'm no longer sure
> what is being sought.

No, I am not looking for realtime display (would be nice later on maybe),
but I search an 'interactive' off-line viewer. Load the file and have the
ability to zoom and scroll through the graph. The timebase of the graph
will be fairly long and I need to be able to zoom in to some details.

I can view what I want in MS Excel, but the zooming and scrolling needs 
to be done by repeatedly changing the X-axis scale, a bit cumbersome.

Same applies to gnuplot, need to generate a new plot for each change in
the axis.

I imagine there must be something for analog signals that behaves like
the waveform viewer that comes with Mentor Modelsim. Real easy and fast
to go through your data in that one. Just found out that it can in fact
display a VHDL vector as an analog signal. If I could somehow load my
data, but what's the fileformat? I could translate my data to a VHDL
testbench source and than simulate that, but there must be an easier
option to just view a bit of data. ;-)


-- 
Stef    (remove caps, dashes and .invalid from e-mail address to reply by mail)

Stef wrote:
> Same applies to gnuplot, need to generate a new plot for each change in
> the axis.

Not really.  See "help mouse".

In comp.arch.embedded,
Hans-Bernhard Br&#4294967295;ker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> wrote:
> Stef wrote:
>> Same applies to gnuplot, need to generate a new plot for each change in
>> the axis.
>
> Not really.  See "help mouse".
>
Hey! You _can_ zoom with the mouse, never knew that, thanks.
Got gnuplot to run on linux, not on cygwin yet, that says:

  Terminal type set to 'unknown'

While linux finds an X11 terminal and works great. Zoom in with the
mouse (right click!) and back with 'p' or 'u'.

But why bother with the cygwin version if you can download de W32 version
from the gnuplot homepage? ;-) That also works great so I'm happy for now.

-- 
Stef    (remove caps, dashes and .invalid from e-mail address to reply by mail)

"Stef" <stef33d@yahooI-N-V-A-L-I-D.com.invalid> wrote in message 
news:8531d$46f45866$54f63171$20508@publishnet.news-service.com...
> In comp.arch.embedded,
> Hans-Bernhard Br&#4294967295;ker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> wrote:
>> Stef wrote:
>>> Same applies to gnuplot, need to generate a new plot for each change in
>>> the axis.
>>
>> Not really.  See "help mouse".
>>
> Hey! You _can_ zoom with the mouse, never knew that, thanks.
> Got gnuplot to run on linux, not on cygwin yet, that says:
>
>  Terminal type set to 'unknown'
>
> While linux finds an X11 terminal and works great. Zoom in with the
> mouse (right click!) and back with 'p' or 'u'.
>
> But why bother with the cygwin version if you can download de W32 version
> from the gnuplot homepage? ;-) That also works great so I'm happy for 
> now.
>

I wrote a program that reads analog data (of 60 Hz current) at 2400 samples 
per second through a serial port at 57.6 kbps. It displays the relative 
value on a bar graph, and actual RMS current during operation, and it 
displays up to 5 pulses of current with various on and off times. After the 
test sequence, the waveform can be displayed, expanded and contracted, and 
there are two cursors which can be placed at any two points in time, and 
the true RMS value of the signal between them is displayed. The waveform 
can be saved in a file with a fairly simple format of a short header, and 
integer values for the remaining data. It can be adapted to your sampling 
rate.

It is also possible to read these saved waveform files into the program, 
and play them back in simulated real time, and use the waveform viewer to 
zoom in and analyze the waveform.

It is available for free download at www.Ortmaster.com, and the zipfile has 
a detailed help file that describes the waveform file. I also have an old 
MSDOS utility that can convert the proprietary waveform file (.owf) to a 
standard RIFF format (.wav) that can be played on media player or tweaked 
with audio tools like GoldWave. However, my bursts of 60 Hz are rather 
boring and annoying to listen to.

If this program might be of some use, I could send you some of the source 
files (in Borland Delphi) if you need to modify it for your purposes.

Paul 

In comp.arch.embedded,
Paul E. Schoen <pstech@smart.net> wrote:
> I wrote a program that reads analog data (of 60 Hz current) at 2400 samples 
> per second through a serial port at 57.6 kbps. It displays the relative 
> value on a bar graph, and actual RMS current during operation, and it 
> displays up to 5 pulses of current with various on and off times. After the 
[...]
> If this program might be of some use, I could send you some of the source 
> files (in Borland Delphi) if you need to modify it for your purposes.

Sounds like very nice software, also nice waveform pic in the manual. But
it looks like it's highly specific to the original task it was created for.
So adapting it might be a big job and my Delphi skills are non existant.
I have used Borland C++ builder and did some Pascal way back.
Thanks for the offer, but at the moment gnuplot looks looks like my best
option.


-- 
Stef    (remove caps, dashes and .invalid from e-mail address to reply by mail)