Copyright: (C) 1997-2001 PHYWE Systeme GmbH && Seginus IT-Solutions
Citation: Please keep in mind that this text is copyrighted by PHYWE Systeme GmbH. For any further information on measure please contact us at measure@phywe.de.


Context sensitive help
Context sensitive help always relates to the dialog window which you are currently using, and so always offers information to the heart of the matter.


suffix
The suffix is the ending of the file name beyond the dot and indicates the file type.

Example: Executable files have the suffix EXE or COM.


Display options

 The Display options allow you to change the way the measured data is displayed in the diagram. The display options can be called up in 4 different ways as they are frequently used. You can naturally use the corresponding menu option in the measure menu, or press the adjoining button. Alternately, however, you can use the function key F2 or, particularly convenient, the right mouse key to call them up.

When you press the right mouse key in the area of the left y-axis, the display options are called up and the register left y-axis is already opened. Similarly, a click on the right mouse key in the area of the x-axis calls up the display options, together with the General register.

The three register pages contain the following functions:

General

Displayed area

Shows the x-interval which is to be displayed in the diagram. This can be achieved quicker, but less precisely, by using the mouse zoom.

Display crosses:

The supporting points of the curve in the diagram are drawn in as crosses

Display zero line

Draws in the zero line according to the right and left y-axes

Label x-axis

The x-axis is labeled with the function activated

Label y-axis

The y-axis is activated with the function activated

Display x-grid

Draws in the grid according to the x-axis scale

Display y-grid

Draws in the grid according to the y-axis scale, either to the left or right axis according to the setting

Left y-axis or right y-axis

Channel

Channel belonging to the left/right axis which is to be displayed

Displayed area

Shows the y-interval, which the left/right axis should cover

Interpolation

Here you can choose if the data should be interpolated linearly or if it should be connected by cubic splines. If you choose this option the data points will not be connected by straight lines but by a smooth line without edges. It is possible that this may lead to unsatisfying result (overshooting). In this case a linear connection should be preferred. Furthermore the spline interpolation is mathematically quite demanding and therefore on slower computers it might be inconvenient.

Select color

Here you can choose a color for the curve of the selected channel.

Line width

The line width is variable, so that a curve can also be seen from a greater distance from the screen. Enter the line width you require here.

See also:

Measurement information

Channel modification


File menu

In the file menu you will find all the functions which are associated with the saving of measurements on your disk. Further to these, you can have complete descriptions of experiments displayed as PDF files from Acrobat Reader and parameter settings for measure can be made via the file menu. In addition, the open measurement can be printed out using the file menu and program settings can be made. When more than one window (measurement) are opened, the menu always refers to the currently active window. The file menu consists of the following items:

Create new measurement…

Open measurement...

Save measurement…

Save measurement as...

Close measurement

Open experiment...

Show experiment documentation

Print measurement...

Set up printer...

Program setup...

Exit

Under the menu item Exit you will find a history listing with up to 5 entries. This list contains the files last opened and so allows a quick re-opening of these measurements.

See also:

Gauge menu

Measurement menu

Analysis menu

Window menu

Help menu


Measurement menu

In the measurement menu you can edit the measured data as a whole, or edit individual channels. The export and import functions for the data are also located here. Further, it is also possible to generate data records manually using the keyboard or by "drawing" curves with the computer mouse, and to evaluate them with measure.

The measurement menu consists of the following items:

Measurement information...

Display options...

Channel manager...

Assume channel...

Delete channel...

Data table...

Export data...

Import data...

Enter data manually...

Enter data graphically...

Function generator...

See also:

File menu

Gauge menu

Analysis menu

Window menu

Help menu


Analysis menu

You can reach the functions for the analysis and modification of channels, as a whole or in parts, through this menu. The analysis menu is divided up as follows:

Curve analysis...

Peak analysis...

Fourier analysis...

Channel modification...

Cut

Smooth...

Calculate average value...

Show average value...

Show slope...

Show integral...

Show extrema…

Play on soundcard...

Show half-life/half-value thickness…

Interval plot…

See also:

File menu

Gauge menu

Measurement menu

Window menu

Help menu


Window menu

This window menu enables you to control the positioning and then way opened windows, i.e. opened measurements, are displayed. Select Tile, to arrange windows alongside each other. Select Cascade, to have windows positioned on top of each other.

With Arrange icons you can arrange minimized windows in the bottom window area. Select Minimize all windows, to minimize all open windows. Finally, you can use Close all windows to close all open windows. By doing this you can make room on the screen for new measurements.

See also:

File menu

Gauge menu

Measurement menu

Analysis menu

Help menu


Help menu

You can call up measure Help from the Help menu. A brief introduction to using measure is given in the PDF file under Manual.

What’s new informs you on what is new in your current version of measure compared to the previous versions. The current version number is displayed in About measure.

See also:

Table of contents


Measurement information

 All additional information on the measurement is entered in the Measurement information dialog window, which can be activated both via the corresponding menu item as well as with the adjoining button. In addition, you can change the quantities and units, and the names of the individual channels, via this window. The dialog window is separated into 4 registers which have the following tasks:

General

Here you can enter a title, the author and the gauge used or change these entries. By default the gauges elected during the measurement is entered under Gauge. The other displayed data cannot be changed, as it is determined by the measurement.

Notes

In this edit area you can use up to 256 characters for any further comments on your measurement. Tip: Enter here, for example, the side conditions of your measurement.

x-Data

Here you can add a title for the x-channel and the unit and the symbol of the x-data. In addition, you can decide how many decimal places are to be shown in the program. By default the settings which you have entered in the parameter window under New measurement are adopted here.

Channels

Similar to the x-Data, you can enter here a title, unit and symbol, as well as the number of decimal places to be displayed, for the individual Channel (y-Data). You can select the channel in the channel selection box, which is opened by pressing the arrow pointing down. By default the settings which you have entered in the parameter window under New measurement are adopted here as well.

See also:

Display options


Function generator

With the function generator you can generate a channel with the help of a mathematical equation. This can serve, for example, to compare a theoretical curve with a curve based on actual measurements. Additionally, you can use channel modification to e.g. subtract the ”artificially” generated channel with another channel and by doing this determine, e.g. differences and variations.

Register page Function generator

The four basic signal forms sine, triangular, rectangular and saw tooth waves, are available to you at the press of a button without the need to enter a formula. The fundamental parameters of the signals signal frequency, phase angle and amplitude can be specified.

Example:

Function:	sine

Signal frequency:	50 Hz

Phase angle:	0 pi

Amplitude:	10

Channel:	into new measurement

Values:	100

Frequency:	560 Hz

This means: A sine signal, starting with the y-value = 0 and then positively increasing (Phase angle = 0* pi = 0) and a maximum amplitude of 10 units (Amplitude = 10) will be generated. A total of exactly 100 measured values (Measured values = 100) will be calculated.

The sine wave of 50 Hz frequency (Signal frequency: = 50 Hz) will be "scanned" 560 times per second (Frequency: = 560 Hz). This means that every 1/560 s = 0.001786 s, a new signal value, which is based on a 50 Hz sine wave, will be calculated, and this exactly 100 times (Measured values: = 100). The total signal duration is therefore (100 * 0.001786 - 0.001786) s = 0.177 s. Exactly 0.177 (1/50) = 0.177 / 0.02 = 8.85 periods of the 50 Hz wave lie in this time period.

Register page Equation

Enter the wanted function in the Equation field. The variable for the x-axis is x. The following basic mathematical functions and constants are available to you:

Symbol	Meaning

+ - / *	Addition, Subtraction, Division, Multiplication

( )	Brackets in order to group part

abs(x)	Absolute value

x^a	Potentiate with a

sqr(x)	Square

sqrt(x)	Square root

sin(x)	Sine (natural, from 0 to 2pi)

cos(x)	Cosine

tan(x)	Tangent

arcsin(x)	Inverse sine

arccos(x)	Inverse cosine

arctan(x)	Inverse tangent

ln(x)	natural logarithm (to the base e)

ld(x)	Logarithm to the base 10

lb(x)	Logarithm to the base 2

E	means *10^ (10th power)

e	Euler constant (2,7...)

pi	pi constant (3,14...)

The use of capital or small letters for the symbols is of no importance, with the exception of ”e” and ”E”.

You can also decide the kind of the x-values, either as Time in seconds or as Number of the measurement value.

Common elements

The Channel selection allows the creation of a new measurement (into a new measurement) or the generation of a new channel in the already existing activated measurement (add new).

Further to this, when you create a new measurement, you can set the number of measured values and also the frequency in the units 1/min, Hz, kHz or MHz. The frequency determines the accuracy of the measurement (or scanning rate), when you have set the x-value to Time in seconds.

Example:

Values:	100

Frequency:	560 Hz

This means: When a signal is "observed" at a "scanning rate" of 560 Hz, then the signal is examined every 1/560 s = 0.001786 s. When this is to happen 100 times, then it takes exactly

(100 * 0,001786 – 0,001786) s = 0,177 s = 177 ms.

This time value appears in gray characters adjoining the label "length" of the signal.

Note: In principle, you can enter any whole number between 1 and 999999 for the frequency. When you intend to play the calculated signal on the sound card of the computer Play on soundcard, however, then only three fixed frequencies are at your choice:

11025 Hz, 22050 Hz, 44100 Hz.

These frequencies can then be set likewise for playing, so that your calculated signal will be acoustically reproduced in a manner true to the original.

Additionally, you can set the title of the y-channel, as well as its symbol and unit, in the Information area.

Should you receive the error message ”while evaluating the equation an invalid operation occurred” after pressing calculate, this is the result of a gap in the definition or the divergence of one of the basic functions involved, e.g. ln(0) results in such an error. In such a case, you can change the function or pass over the corresponding value by pressing Yes in the error message dialog.

See also:

Channel modification


Create new measurement

 You start the recording of the measurement with this menu item. You can alternatively use the adjoining button.

Provided that gauges with self-recognition (e.g. Cobra3-Basic-Unit) are connected to your computer, measure checks if an instrument is indeed ready to measure. When such an instrument is connected, but not switched on, it cannot be detected and so measure answers with the error message that no instrument has been found.

Note: Such a error message is also given when your current version of measure and the version of the software which is running in the connected instrument (e.g. Cobra3-Basic-Unit) are not, or are no longer, compatible. Both measure and our measuring devices are subject to continual further development, so that incompatibility can occur in the course of time. An update solves this problem.

Please contact PHYWE and ask for information on the latest version of measure and on updates for the software in your measuring devices.

See also:

Recording data

Gauge

Problems with the installation of measuring devices or data transfer


Open measurement

 With this menu item, you can open or load previously made measurements, when they are available on your disk, into measure. The files have the suffix msr.

When a measurement that was previously saved is loaded, all of the loaded measured values are again available, in graphic and tabular form, for all measure analysis possibilities.

Program settings such as Gauge  or Measurement parameters are not hereby changed.

Should you also want to have the measurement parameter settings saved and loaded for later recall, then you must use the program functions Load settings and Save settings.

measure also offers you the possibility of loading complete descriptions of experiments, which can be purchased from PHYWE. With the menu item Open experiment, such descriptive texts can be opened from the PDF format in Acrobat Reader, examples of measurements be loaded in graphic and tabular form, and also all necessary measurement parameters be automatically set.

Note: If you use Open measurement, notes on the experiment, a title for the experiment and the author of the experiment are loaded in addition to the measured values. This information can be called up with Measurement information.

See also:

Save measurement

Save measurement as

Close measurement

Load settings

Save settings

Open experiment

Show experiment documentation


Save measurement

 With this menu item, you cause the active measurement to be saved on your disk. When working with measure, just as when working with any other software, it is advisable to save the measurement data from time to time to avoid loss of data when there is an unexpected power failure or a fault of the computer occurs.

The saving of a measurement enables all the measured values to be loaded back into measure in graphic and tabular form at a later date, and so be again made available for all measure evaluation possibilities. Program settings such as Gauge  or Measurement parameters are not hereby saved.

Should you also want to have the measurement parameter settings saved for later recall, then you must use the program function Save settings.

Note: If you use Save measurement, not only the measured values, but also notes on the experiment, a title for the experiment and the author of the experiment are saved, when these have previously been entered under Measurement information.

This software saves the measurement data in its own, program internal, format your disk. As the measurement data cannot therefore be read and processed by other software products (e.g. spread-sheet programs), measure offers the possibility of data export into other programs with the menu item Export data in the Measurement menu.

See also:

Open measurement

Save measurement as

Close measurement

Load settings

Save settings

Open experiment

Show experiment documentation


Save measurement as

Use this menu item if you wish to save a measurement under a new file name, in order not to overwrite a original file. It gives you the possibility of entering a new name and so to avoid overwriting the original file.

The saving of a measurement enables the measured values to be loaded back into measure in graphic and tabular form at a later date, and so be again made available for all measure analysis possibilities. Program settings such as Gauge  or Measurement parameters are not hereby saved.

Should you also want to have the measurement parameter settings saved for later recall, then you must use the program function Save settings.

Note: If you use Save measurement, not only the measured values, but also notes on the experiment, a title for the experiment and the author of the experiment are saved, when these have previously been entered under Measurement information.

This software saves the measurement data in its own, program internal, format on your disk. As the measurement data cannot therefore be read and processed by other software products (e.g. spread-sheet programs), measure offers the possibility of data export into other programs with the menu item Export data in the Measurement menu.

See also:

Save measurement

Open measurement

Close measurement

Load settings

Save settings

Open experiment

Show experiment documentation


Close measurement

With the menu item Close measurement you can stop work on the active measurement and close the window belonging to it.

See also:

Save measurement

Save measurement as

Open measurement

Load settings

Save settings

Open experiment

Show experiment documentation


Open experiment

With this menu item you can opened complete experiments, which can be purchased for PHYWE, in measure.

The experimental library is first divided into Biology, Chemistry and Physics. A click on one of these terms fans out into further topics.

You can decide under Options whether you want to have the measurement examples belonging to an experiment loaded, and/or the experimental documentation shown.

The loading of a measurement example causes all measured values to be again available, in graphic and tabular form, for all measure evaluation possibilities.

The experimental texts can be opened from the PDF format in Acrobat Reader. Should error messages appear on loading, please check if you have the current version of Acrobat Reader installed in your computer. A current version of Acrobat Reader can be found on your measure CD-ROM.

When experiments are loaded, in contrast to when measurements are loaded, all parameter settings of measure are always automatically loaded, so that, when the corresponding experimental set-up is complete, a press on the New measurement button is sufficient to start a new, similar measurement.

The parameter settings for measure for the selected experiment are loaded, even when neither an example of a measurement is opened, nor a documentation called for display. This enables quick loading of the appropriate parameter settings only, and an immediate start of the measurement, when the experimental set-up is already known.

Note: The library of experiments can only be supplemented with PHYWE experiments, not with individual user experiments.

See also:

Save measurement

Save measurement as

Close measurement

Load settings

Save settings

Show experiment documentation


Show experiment documentation

 With this menu item, or the button on the left, you can button from the measure desktop to the Acrobat Reader desktop, which shows you the previously selected and loaded experiment.

Note: An experiment must be previously loaded with Open experiment for the icon or the program instruction Show experiment documentation to be activated!

See also:

Save measurement

Save measurement as

Close measurement

Load settings

Save settings

Open experiment


Print measurement

 Use this menu item, or the adjoining button, when you want to print out a diagram of the measurement. You enter a dialog window where you can select various options.

First you must decide whether you want to print out a plot (Graphic) or a numerical table of the Data. If you want to print the plot, then you can select Fit to page under Options for it to cover a full DIN A4 page. Otherwise, only about 60% of the page is filled, which leaves room for your notes. If you decide to print out the data, you must select the channel to be printed out under Data.

Select the number of copies to be printed under Number.

See also:

Set up printer


Set up printer

Press the button Set up printer in the print dialog, or select the corresponding menu item in the file menu, to reach the standard dialog of your printer. Here you can configure your printer according to its capabilities.

See also:

Print measurement


Program setup

With program set-up you can configure the language of measure as well as the installed gauges. The software can be run in English or German. Note: A change in the language only takes effect after a re-start of measure.

You can see the already installed gauges in the bottom part of the dialog. You can remove or install these gauges, or types of gauges. A special measure driver file with the suffix MDL is required to install them.

To configure a type of gauge, e.g. PHYWE Universal Writer, select the gauge or type of gauge and press the Configure gauges button. A dialog for the settings of the selected gauge type appears. As measure is supplied with various types of PHYWE gauges, this documentation cannot specifically deal with each gauge.

For PHYWE Hand-held gauges, the following settings can be made:

Interface

For PHYWE Hand-held gauges, select the interface which is connected to the instrument. This is usually COM-Port 2, as the mouse is normally connected to COM-Port 1. When you are using Cobra3, a completely automatic selection of the serial interface can be chosen, as Cobra3 is equipped with self-recognition.

Additional settings

When the option Restore settings is activated, then the display instruments (digital displays, analog displays and diagrams) will be positioned at the same places on the screen during the measurement as they were during the previous measurement. In addition, all settings in the dialog Recording data are preserved.

For the hand-held gauge temperature (2xNiCr-Ni), there is an option Use Fahrenheit as unit, as the software cannot detect the °F setting of the temperature gauge. The standard unit is therefore °C, which can be replaced by the option above.

Licensed Hand-held gauges

You cannot change this setting, it simply shows you for which PHYWE Hand-held devices you have purchased the measure software and can use with it. Should you want to use an additional type of gauge, simply first test the demo version of the software you need. All instrument drivers which measure supports are on your measure CD-ROM as a demo version. You can use these demo programs for all measure functions, including New measurement. The time interval before the new measurement starts becomes increasingly longer with each measurement. Should you wish to have the demo program version licensed after this test, simply contact PHYWE.


Gauge

Each program (gauge) which is installed from the measure CD-ROM appears in a list when you click on the menu item Gauge. Should this not be the case, you can install the required gauge manually under File, Program setup. To do this, however, it must have first been installed from the measure CD-ROM, so that an appropriate gauge driver with the extension.mdl is to be found in the phywe\measure directory.

The gauge that is currently selected for measurement is marked by a check mark in front of its name. By a mouse click onto an element of the list you can choose a different gauge for measurement. By choosing a new gauge a new measurement is started automatically.

In the Gauge menu there are as well the following functions:

Load settings...

Save settings...

See also:

Program setup

Create new measurement


Load settings

When you carry out measurements, you can save not only the measured data for a later evaluation, but also the measurement parameters for a later reproduction. This enables you to start a similar measurement quickly with all necessary measure settings, without you having to set each individual parameter again.

You can save the measurement parameters with the menu item Save settings and load them with the menu item Load settings.

The parameters are stored in data files with the extension .mds.

See also:

Save measurement

Open measurement

Open experiment


Save settings

When you carry out measurements, you can save not only the measured data for a later evaluation, but also the measurement parameters for a later reproduction. This enables you to start a similar measurement quickly with all necessary measure settings, without you having to set each individual parameter again.

You can save the measurement parameters with the menu item Save settings and load them with the menu item Load settings.

The parameters are stored in data files with the extension .mds.

See also:

Save measurement

Open measurement

Open experiment


Data table

 You can view the values which have been measured in the data table. You can call up the data table by using the menu item Data table in the measurement menu or the adjoining button.

The first column contains the x-data, the following columns contain the y-data (maximum of 16 columns). To change a measured value, simply click on it with the mouse and change it.

See also:

Export data

Import data


Export data

This software saves the data on the disk in its own, program-internal format. As the data cannot therefore be read and processed by other software programs (e.g. spread-sheet programs), measure offers the possibility of exporting data using the menu option Export data in the Measurement menu.

As Destination for the export, you have the choice of the Windows clipboard or a file on your disk. Further, you can choose the Format of the exported data. You have the choice of either a Bitmap or a numerical value export.

With Bitmap export, the plot is exported as a graphic and can be used without difficulty for a print out from another program. Select the export as Numerical value if you want to process the data and visualize it with another program, e.g. a spread-sheet analysis. You then also have the possibility of limiting the exported data (from...to).

The data is then saved into a text file or copied into the clipboard. The first two lines of the export file contain the name of the channel and the appropriate units, the third line is blank and the data follows from the fourth line on, TAB separated.

See also:

Import data

Data table


Import data

When there is TAB separated data in the clipboard, this can be imported into measure. The first value is used as x-value for the x-channel, the following values up to the line feed for a maximum of 16 y-channels. Channel names and units must be entered manually in the measurement information which automatically appears.

See also:

Export data

Data table


Enter data manually

In order to take advantage of the extensive evaluation functions included in measure for numerical material that does not originate from a directly connected gauge, measure offers an easy-to-use function for entering it in tables. You can use this to enter columns of data which you only have in written form on paper.

Enter the Title of your material under General settings, and the number of columns the table is to have under Number of channels. The maximum number of columns is 16, all columns are y-values. Enter how many numbers are to be entered in each column under Number of measured values.

For the x-values (x-data record), enter the Title, Symbol, Unit and number of Places after the decimal point (or comma) by selecting from the list or by direct keyboard input.

For the y-values (Channels), enter the Title, Symbol, Unit and number of Places after the decimal point (or comma) by selecting from the list or by direct keyboard input.

A press on Continue shows you a table with the number of lines and columns you have set, in which either consecutive numbers or zeros are entered. You can move to the individual cells in the table with the cursor keys or the mouse pointer and enter the appropriate values.

You can press the OK button at any time to view the graphics of the values already entered. To continue entering numbers, click on the menu function Data table or on the corresponding icon.

See also:

Enter data graphically

Function generator

Import data

Export data

Data table


Enter data graphically

We mean by graphical acquisition of measured values, that you can "draw" a curve with the mouse, holding the left mouse key pressed. Then you can analyze this signal with measure in the same way as actual measured values.

For the graphical acquisition, first enter the range of the x-axis and y-axis, and as well enter the symbols and units of your imaginary measured values for the x-axis and y-axis, in the appropriate input windows.

With Reset you can delete any old curve or background picture.

With Insert you can load information from the clipboard and position this information as a background picture on the canvas. You can use such background pictures for assistance or orientation when drawing your "measurement" curve by hand.

With Open file you can load bitmap files in the canvas as background pictures. You can use such background pictures for assistance or orientation when drawing your "measurement" curve by hand.

Before or after you have drawn a curve, you can set the upper right corner point of the frame with the icon shown on the left. Simply click with the mouse pointer and the left mouse key on any point on the canvas. This point is then assigned according to the maximum x-values and y-values which you have defined in the corresponding input windows. The area to the right of the upper right frame corner point is displayed in gray, and any parts of the curve which are in this area are not shown in the evaluation window after pressing the OK key. The area above the upper right frame corner point is displayed brightly and any parts of the curve in this area are also taken into consideration in the evaluation window. However, these parts of the curve have y-values which are higher than the value which was entered as maximum value for the y-axis. The position of the maximum y-value is shown by a gray horizontal line.

Before or after you have drawn a curve, you can set the bottom left corner point of the frame with the icon shown on the left. Simply click with the mouse pointer and the left mouse key on any point on the canvas. This point is then assigned according to the minimum x-values and y-values which you have defined in the corresponding input windows. The area to the left of the bottom left frame corner point is displayed in gray, and any parts of the curve which are in this area are not shown in the evaluation window after pressing the OK key. The area below the bottom left frame corner point is displayed brightly and any parts of the curve in this area are also taken into consideration in the evaluation window. However, these parts of the curve have y-values which are lower than the value which was entered as minimum value for the y-axis. The position of the minimum y-value is shown by a gray horizontal line.

You can only make a line drawing when the button shown on the left is pressed. You can move the mouse pointer to anywhere on the canvas, hold the left mouse key pressed and move the mouse further to the right. Any remainders of previously drawn curves are thereby overwritten. When you move the mouse pointer to the left, no curve is drawn. Only mathematically distinct lines can be accepted as "measurement" curves. Loops are not allowed and can therefore not be graphically acquired. In principle, the mouse pointer can be re-positioned for a curve as frequently as you like. According to the size of the effective frame (the bright area), the drawn curve consists of up to 612 individual values.

See also:

Function generator

Import data

Export data

Data table


Curve analysis

With Curve analysis you can analyze a curve of the measured values for extrema (maxima and minima) as well as for x-intercepts. First you select to which one of the displayed axes

the analysis should relate.

Now you can decide if you want extrema and/or x-intercepts to be calculated. As a measurement can only be an approximation of an ideal mathematical curve at most, small fluctuations (noise) cannot be ruled out. In the determination of the extreme values, this can lead to the display of many unwanted extrema resulting from insignificant fluctuations in the measured values. Because of this, you can set the error tolerance.

With high error tolerance, fewer extrema and therefore only important extrema, are displayed. With lower error tolerance, on the other hand, all extrema will be displayed, even those resulting from noise.

If you wish to copy the results into another program for processing there, click the Copy button. The results are then copied into the clipboard, from where they can be used in another program if you insert them.

See also:

Peak analysis


Peak analysis

In Peak analysis measure provides you with a powerful function for the determination of peaks and the area under them. The starting and finishing points of a peak (beginning from the base line), and the peak maximum, are determined and the area under the peak calculated from these.

To determine the required y-channel, select the y-axis from which the measured values are to be uased for the analysis. In addition, enter the error tolerance with which a peak should be detected, or not detected, as a peak.

As a measurement can only be an approximation of an ideal mathematical curve at most, small fluctuations (noise) cannot be ruled out. In the determination of the peaks, this can lead to the display of many unwanted peaks resulting from insignificant fluctuations in the measured values. Because of this, you can set the error tolerance.

With high error tolerance, fewer peaks and therefore only important peaks, are displayed. With lower error tolerance, on the other hand, all peaks will be displayed, even those resulting from noise.

If you wish to copy the results into another program for processing there, click the Copy button. The results are then copied into the clipboard, from where they can be used in another program if you insert them.

See also:

Curve analysis


Fourier analysis

The menu item Fourier analysis allows not only a Fourier analysis, but also a signal synthesis, to be carried out.

Under Analysis, you can select which channel is to be processed and whether offset which is possibly present should be suppressed.

The highest frequency in the calculated spectrum is always half of the sampling frequency which was used in the signal recording.

Example:

Signal recording frequency: 1 kHz	highest frequency in the spectrum: 0,5 kHz

Measurement every 200 ms, i.e. 5 Hz	highest frequency in the spectrum: 2,5 Hz.

In addition to the spectrum, the phase angle is also calculated in Analysis. This gives the phase relationship which the visible frequencies in the spectrum have to each other. The range is from 0 to 2

Note: The so-called Fast Fourier Transformation algorithm, which can only be applied to certain amounts of data (power of two), is not used in this Fourier analysis. Here, the Fourier analysis can be used for any amount of data - but the calculation does take a little longer than it would using a comparable transformation algorithm. The progress of the calculation is shown by a status bar in the lower right of the measure window.

When a spectrum or a phase angle diagram is displayed in an active window, time signals can again be recovered using Synthesis. Select the channel that contains the spectrum under Spectrum, and the corresponding phase angle channel under Phase angle.

When the whole spectrum, or none of it, is marked (see Mark), the original time signal is recovered by synthesis. In all other cases, a so-called deep pass, high pass or band pass filtering of the original time signal occurs, so that the synthesized time signal can differ considerably from the original time signal under some circumstances.

Generally, for filtering, parts of the spectrum are blinded out or are deleted. The part to be deleted must first be marked (see Mark). The marked part is then not cut out (see Cut), but set to amplitude = null with the mathematical function "x:= 0" in Analysis, Channel modification. The portions of the spectrum whose frequency is set to null are no longer taken into account in the signal synthesis. You can naturally also correspondingly treat portions of the frequency range with other mathematical functions before you carry out a signal synthesis. Portions must not be completely cut out of the frequency range, as signal synthesis requires all points of the spectrum and the phase angle. Gaps would lead here to meaningless and faulty calculations!

See also:

Channel modification

Mark

Function generator


Channel modification

Channel modification offers you a powerful tool for mathematical changes to your data. For example, with this function you can calculate the logarithm of an exponentially growing y-channel and determine the exponent of the e-function from the slopes of the obtained straight line.

Source channels

You determine which channels are to be modified with the setting Source channels. You can choose up to four channels (x or y channels).

Operations

You can choose between four different operations for channel modification. If you want to overlay the selected channel with a function, enter this function in the same way as the function generator in the edit box (f:=). As symbols for the variables please use the letters or letter combinations which are defined in the small left-hand edit boxes in the section Source channel. Please remember that the function in case sensitive.

If the channel should be subjected to differentiation or integration, select differentiate or integrate.

The fourth option is the progressive average value, with which the average value is progressively calculated, and so becomes increasingly exact with the increasing number of measured values. This operation can be very useful, for example, with data for radioactive decay, to show the reason for making long-term measurements and to demonstrate the statistical nature of radioactivity.

Destination channel

With this option you select where the newly calculated data from the channel modification are to be written. You can add a new channel to the active measurement, overwrite the channel used for the calculation or insert the channel in a new measurement as a x or as a y channel. Additionally you can define the title, unit, and symbol with which the new or overwritten channel is to be displayed in the graphic.

Tip: When you are not quite sure about the result of your channel modification and the result is perhaps not what you wanted, do not immediately use overwrite for the channel modification, but rather add new, so that the channel is not destroyed. With a successful modification and the wanted result, you can delete the original channel using delete channel.

See also:

Curve analysis

Peak analysis


Cut

When you have marked an area in the measurement, you can remove this from the diagram with Cut. The marked values are then deleted and the values bounding them are now used for drawing the curve (line) in this area.

The length of the measurement is therefore not affected. With this function you have the possibility, for example, of removing ”outliers” from the diagram. You can also, however, remove or adjust such not fitting values in the data table.

See also:

Mark

Data table


Smooth

When the measured values fluctuate during a measurement because of slight variations in the signal (noise) measured or due to the limitations of the resolution of the gauge, you can subsequently remedy this by using the Smooth function. This smoothes the marked area. If no area is marked, it smoothes the whole channel.

Smooth

Select the y-channel which is to be smoothed via the axis on which the channel is actually shown.

Smoothing

You can set here how strong the smoothing is to be. It is worthwhile to experiment a little at this point, in order to determine which degree of smoothing is suitable for your measurement series.

Channel

With this option you select where the smoothed data are to be written. You can add a new channel to the active measurement, overwrite the channel used for the calculation or insert the channel in a new measurement.

Tip: Do not immediately use overwrite for smoothing, but add new instead, so that the original channel is not destroyed. With a successful smoothing and the wanted result, you can eventually delete the original channel using delete channel.

See also:

Mark

Delete channel

Calculate average value


Calculate average value

With this function, the average value of the marked measured values is calculated. When no measured values are marked, then the average of the complete channel is determined.

Edit

Select the y-channel which is to be edited via the axis, on which the channel is actually shown.

Channel

With this option, you select where the averaged data are to be written. You can add a new channel to the active measurement, overwrite the channel used for the calculation or insert the channel into a new measurement.

If you only want the average value of a certain area to be displayed, use show average value rather than calculate average value.

See also:

Mark

Smooth

Show average value


Show average value

With this function, the average value of the marked area is displayed as a numerical value. When no area is marked, then the average of the complete channel is displayed.

See also:

Mark

Show slope

Show integral

Show extremes


Show slope

This program function displays the slope of the marked area. When nothing is marked, then the slope of the complete channel is calculated and displayed.

The slope is determined by fitting a straight line through the measurement values in the marked area. You can obtain the same value by fitting a straight line to the measured values with linear regression.

See also:

Mark

Show average value

Show integral

Show extremes

Linear regression


Show integral

This program function displays the integral of the marked area. When nothing is marked, then the integral of the complete channel is calculated and diaplayed.

The area between the x-axis and the curve is always calculated, and that for up to two curves, which can be simultaneously displayed. When two curves are drawn in the diagram, Show integral calculates the area of the curve belonging to the left axis, the area of the right curve and the difference between the two areas.

Note: Parts of curves which lie above the x-axis lead to positive integrals, and parts of curves which are below the x-axis are interpreted as negative areas. When the amount of the area of a curve and the x-axis is to be calculated, whereby this is above and below the x-axis, then all intervals between the x-intercepts of the curve must be successively and separately marked and the integrals calculated. The sum of the amounts of the individual integrals must be manually determined, and this is the wanted absolute value of the area.

See also:

Mark

Show average value

Show slope

Show extremes


Show extremes
Show extrema

This program function displays the extrema (minima and maxima) of the marked area. When nothing is marked, then the extrema for the complete channel are determined and displayed.

See also:

Mark

Show average value

Show slope

Show integral


Play on soundcard

The function Play measurement makes a connection between measure and the sound card in your computer. This naturally means that you can only use this function when your computer is equipped with a sound card!

In principle, all data which you evaluate with measure can also be played as a signal stream by your sound card, regardless of whether the data have been loaded, imported, measured with a gauge, hand-drawn or mathematically generated by formulas.

Quality

Here you can select if you want the signal curve to be played from the sound card as a so-called 8 bit or 16 bit value. This setting is dependent on the possibilities offered by your sound card, but playing as 16 bit value is normally recommended.

Frequency

Three playing frequencies have been internationally standardized for sound cards: 11.025 kHz, 22.05 kHz and 44.1 kHz.

Here you select how many "measured points" should be "played" per second.

22.05 kHz means, for example, that 22050 measured points are played per second. When your measurement curve is made up of 4800 measured points, then a single playing lasts exactly:

(4800 / 22050) s = 0,218 s

When you play the measurements signal periodically (see below), then a repeat playing begins after 0.218 s.

Should a signal be reproduced without distortion, then it must be recorded with the same frequency as is afterwards used for it to be reproduced. This must taken into consideration in the setting of parameters for the program modules Cobra3 Frequency analysis and Cobra3 Universal Writer, and also with the measure function Function generator.

Note: When you sample a signal with 22.05 kHz, then you can reproduced the signal at the original speed (22.05 kHz), at half-speed (11.025 kHz) or at twice the speed (44.1 kHz).

Save

Saves your measured curves as a.wav wave file, which can also be read by other programs which support this file format.

A press on the icon shown on the left plays the measurement which you have selected just once with the specified output frequency.

 Here you can stop the (periodic) playing procedure.

 This function plays the measurement which you have selected periodically and "never-endingly", i.e. at the end of each playing procedure, the complete signal is repeated again right from the start.

Tip: As the playing is at quite a high speed and the number of data points is quite small, a single playing does not usually result in a satisfactory sound impression. It is better here to use the periodic playing function.

But: Surprising or even disappointing acoustic results are often obtained in particular during the periodic playing of the course of curves. An apparently uniform sine progression is heard, for example, strongly distorted or one hears an unpleasant crackling noise.

This behavior can be explained as follows: When the right interval limit of the signal being played is reached, then the first point at the left interval limit is sent to the sound card. When there is a jump in the y-value between interval start and end, this is of course periodically repeated and therefore clearly audible as an unpleasant crackling noise.

It is therefore necessary to ensure that the y-values of the points at the left and right interval ends are as identical as possible. (Left and right interval limits must always run into each other!).

The measure function Mark can be used to "cut out" a suitable interval from the measurement curve for periodic playing.

See also:

Mark

Function generator


Show half-live/half-value thickness

It makes only sense to use this function when the measurement which is to be worked on is a measurement of radioactivity.

The half-life period (t) is calculated when the x-data is a time signal. In general, one measures for this the number of decays (impulses) in dependence on time.

The average lifetime (a), which is defined as the half-life period / ln(2), and the error tolerance are displayed as well.

The half-life layer thickness (d) is calculated, when the x-data is a distance or thickness. In general, one measures for this the number of decays (impulses) in dependence on the layer thickness of an absorber between the counting tube and the radiator.

The weakening coefficient (µ), which is defined as ln(2) / half-life layer thickness, and the error tolerance are displayed as well.

Note: For correct calculation, linear measurement curves which are not logarithmic must be used.

With measurement curves in which negative y-values are among the measured values, the error message "Curve does not correspond to an exponential function" is displayed. A calculation is possible after the points in question have been deleted!!


Interval plot

Interval plot converts a measurement into a frequency diagram. A count is made of how often measured points lie in certain y-value intervals, which must be set. This function is particularly useful for statistical evaluations, e.g. of variations in the decay rates of constantly radiating preparations.

Analyse

Here you enter which measurement curve should be used for the function Interval plotting.

Interval plot

Here you enter either the interval width (the corresponding number of intervals is then automatically calculated and displayed) or the number of intervals (the corresponding interval width is then automatically calculated and displayed).


Channel manager

With channel manager, you can plot channels from an existing measurement against each other. As an example, if you have measured temperature and pH over a certain period of time with a PHYWE Hand-held gauge pH, and changed the temperature of the solution being measured, you can use the channel manager to plot pH against temperature, i.e. pH(T). Dependencies can so be visualized and checked.

You have a completely free choice of the new x-channel as well as of the new y-channel or channels. To compile your new measurement (Destination), select in Source any channel (x- or y-channel) you wish to use as the new x-channel. Select with the mouse at destination the x-axis box so that ist background color changes and then press the arrow to the right button to assign the selected channel as the new x-channel. Proceed in an analogous way for the y-channels.

The multiple choice of a channel is allowed, so that copies of a channel can be simply made for a diversity of processing work later.

Note: As it is necessary for the new x-channel that its measured value increases in a strictly monotonous way, the data is sorted on the basis of the x-channel when a new measurement is generated. Measured values of the various channels which belong together naturally remain together – but under some circumstances the existing chronology gets lost when the measured values of the x-channel do not increase. This should be taken into consideration during the interpretation of the results.

See also:

Assume channel

Delete channel


Assume channel

The program function Assume channel enables you to take over a channel from a loaded measurement to another, active measurement.

First click on the window which holds the channel or channels to be assumed, then activate the window which is to assume the selected channel or channels and finally, start the menu function Measurement, Assume channel.

If the x-axis range of the channel to be assumed is larger than the x-axis range of the measurements to be received by the channel, then the surplus range is cut out of the channel to be assumed. Further to this, the density of the measured points of the channel to be assumed are suited to the assuming channel, i.e. additional points can be introduced or points be removed as well.

If the x-axis range of the active measurement is longer than that of the channel to be assumed, then the last measured value is added to the end of the channel to be assumed until it attains the length of the active measurement. - the channel is therefore constant over this range. Further to this, the density of the measured points of the channel to be assumed are suited to the assuming channel, i.e. additional points can be introduced or also points be removed.

See also:

Delete channel

Channel manager


Delete channel

The program function Delete channel enables you to delete a channel (y-channel) from the active measurement.

If the measurement has only one y-channel, then this channel cannot be deleted. In this case, you can only delete the whole file with the File manager (Win 3.1) or Explorer (Win 95).

See also:

Assume channel

Channel manager


Mark

For many of the evaluation and manipulation functions of the program, it is necessary to select an area of the curve. To do this using the marking tool, press the adjoining button.

When you now press and hold the left mouse key within a diagram and move the mouse to the right, you mark an area. The area ends at the position where you release the mouse key.

If you now call up an evaluation or manipulation function, the evaluation will refer to the marked area. If no area has been marked, the program function covers the complete measurement.

To clear a marking, simply click on any point in the diagram with the left mouse key.

See also:

Arrow function

Zooming with the mouse

Survey

Linear regression


Zooming with the mouse

In order to be able to examine an area in the diagram more closely, you can magnify the area by zooming. In order to do this, press the adjoining button.

You can now select a rectangle in the diagram, which represents the new edges of the diagram. First click and hold the mouse key on the left upper corner of the zoom area you want. Now draw the rectangle by moving the mouse down and towards the right until it reaches the new bottom right corner for the diagram. The zoom operates automatically on release of the mouse key.

To zoom back out of the magnification, press the right mouse key within the diagram. When you click on Fit curve, all measured points are again visible in display-filling format.

Alternatively, you can zoom manually in display options by entering the displayed area values for the x-axis and the two y-axes.

See also:

Arrow function

Mark

Survey

Linear regression

Display options


Arrow function

 If you have selected the adjoining button with the arrow, you can display the coordinates (x, y1, y2) of a point in the diagram. The plumb will be lowered onto the x-axis from the tip of the arrow, and this gives the displayed x coordinate. The intersection of the plumb with the particular segment of the curve gives the corresponding y coordinates Y1 and Y2.

To do this, move the mouse arrow to the point in the diagram for which you want to know the coordinates. Now press the left mouse key and the required data will be shown. As soon as you move the mouse, the display disappears and you can select a new point.

In this arrow mode, you can use the right mouse key to very simply have the display options shown. If you press the right mouse key in the region of the left or right y-axis, the display options are shown with the appropriate register page left y-axis or right y-axis. In the region of the x-axis, the display options are shown together with the general register page. This way you can quickly carry out axis specific settings.

See also:

Zooming with the mouse

Mark

Survey

Linear regression

Display options


Linear regression
Lineare regression

The adjoining button allows you to carry out a linear regression. As soon as you have selected this button, a straight line (y1) which passes through two small squares is shown in the diagram.

You can move the small squares with the mouse by clicking the left mouse key on one of them and holding it while moving the mouse to the left or the right. You can visually select the regression interval and observe the matching of the straight line. You can read the straight line equation in the yellow display field, which you can move with the mouse if it covers any of the working area.

Now press the right mouse key within the diagram. A further straight line (y2) is drawn in, with which you can work as above. The intersection of the straight lines is now additionally shown.

If you press again the right mouse key, you receive a third regression straight line and up to three possible intersections will be shown, when the lines are not parallel to each other.

Note: To avoid ambiguity, the regression can only be used on one channel. Any right y-axis which was set is automatically eliminated. The channel on which the regression is to be used must therefore be the one connected to the left y-axis.

If you receive as display a straight line slope of only "0.0", although the straight line clearly does not run horizontally, then this is because the number of significant places after the decimal point (comma) has been set too small for your channel, so that on rounding off the value, 0.0 is obtained. Call up Measurement information and then increase the number of Digits beyond point of your channel.

Should not all information be completely visible in the yellow display window, set your computer to "Small font" under <Start>, <Settings>, <System control>, <Display>, <Settings>, <Font size>.

See also:

Arrow function

Zooming with the mouse

Mark

Survey


Survey

The adjoining button serves to survey distances within a diagram. When the button is selected, a rectangle which has small squares on each of two corners is displayed in the diagram.

With these squares, you can use the mouse to change the size of the rectangle and this way measure another area of the diagram. To do this, press the left mouse key on one of the two squares and, holding the mouse key pressed, drag the small square to the required point. Release the mouse key and repeat this procedure similarly with the other square.

Note:

Should not all information be completely visible in the yellow display window, set your computer to "Small font" under <Start>, <Settings>, <System control>, <Display>, <Settings>, <Font size>.

See also:

Arrow function

Zooming with the mouse

Mark

Linear regression


Shift curve

 With the button shown alongside, you shift the coordinate axes in the diagram in the direction of the arrow. Alternatively, you can do this manually in display options by entering the displayed area values for the x-axis and the two y-axes.

Note:

When Fit curve is used to display all measured points in display-filling format, it is under some circumstances not possible to shift the coordinate axes to the left or the right. A press on the appropriate keys has no effect. The keys first become active after you have magnified a part of the curve with Zoom.

See also:

Fit curve

Fit y-axes

Display options


Fit curve

With the Fit curve button, the x-axis and the two y-axes are so scaled, that the complete curve (i.e. all measured points) can be displayed in the diagram. This enables you to quickly get an overview of your data.

Please note, that in general the two y-axes are scaled differently. You can force the one y-axis to match the other by using fit y-axes.

See also:

Fit y-axes

Shift curve


Exit

You exit measure via the menu item exit. Should you not have saved an open measurement, measure will ask you if you want to continue with the closing process and so discard all changes. Press no if you want to stop closing and save the measurement, or press yes to exit the program and discard all changes to the measurement.


Channel selection for display in the diagram

You can select the channels which are to be displayed with the two select boxes in the header line. The left selection box contains the channel for the left y-axis and the right selection box correspondingly the channel for the right y-axis.

The left axis is always displayed. The right axis can be switched off with [no y-axis]. The channel displayed on a y-axis can be alternatively selected via display options.

See also:

Display options


Labeling of axes with symbol and unit
Labeling of axes

The title of an axis contains the symbol and the unit belonging to it. The symbol and unit are automatically set by the measurement, but can be changed in measurement information.

If no symbol or unit is entered, measure replaces them with a ’1’.

See also:

Measurement information


y-Axis in the diagram
y-Axis

The y-axes are automatically labeled according to the displayed area. The software tries to find whole numbers if possible for the labeling, to give a pleasant presentation. You can change the range displayed in display options on the register pages left y-axis or right y-axis.

See also:

X-Axis

Display options


x-Axis in the diagram
x-Axis

The x-axis are automatically labeled according to the displayed area. The software tries to find whole numbers if possible for the labeling, to give a pleasant presentation. You can change the displayed area in display options, register page general.

It is not possible to position the limits of the range to be displayed outside the intervals of the measured points. In such cases, the range limits are automatically corrected.

See also:

y-Axis

Display options


Help display in the status line

The status line at the bottom of the program window gives you brief help for most program functions and menu instructions, to save you looking in the manual or calling up on-line Help.

During some evaluation and display functions, current information on their settings are given in the status line.


Fit y-axes

The adjoining button serves to adjust the displayed y-interval of one axis to that of the other axis. Press the left button to match the left axis to the right axis, or the right button to match the right axis to the left one.

When one of these buttons has been used, both axes have the same interval and so the same labeling. This allows a quick matching of the axes to each other, avoiding the long way via a manual adjustment in display options.

See also:

Fit curve

Display options


Table of Contents

    Introduction

    Working with measure

Desktop

Program setup and configuration of gauges

Problems with the installation of gauges or data transfer

Recording data

Analysis and evaluation functions

Print measurement

   Keyboard shortcuts

   Service and Support

With F1, you can get context sensitive help to most topics in the main program.


Keyboard shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts are available. They simplify work by allowing quicker manipulation.

Key(s)	Function

F2	Display options

CTRL + N	Create new measurement

CTRL + P	Print measurement

CTRL + O	Open measurement

CTRL + S	Save measurement

CTRL + C	Export data

CTRL + V	Import data

CTRL + X	Cut out marked interval

Shift + F1	Help index


Recording data

The recording of a new measurement is started with the menu prompt Create new measurement or with the adjoining button. You then enter the recording of a new measurement dialog for the installed gauge. In this dialog you make the settings which influence the start, course and end of the measurement, as well as the display during measurement. As measure is supplied with various types of gauges by PHYWE, this documentation cannot specialise on each instrument. You can make the following settings when using the PHYWE Cobra3 Universal-recorder, for example:

Channels

You can select which of the available measurement channels is to be recorded (ANALOG IN 1 / IN 2).

x-Data

Here you can choose whether you want the time in seconds or minutes, or the number of the measured values (1,2,3,...) for the x-data, and so for the later graphical plot of the data.

Tip: When you set Get value to on key press, then, under some circumstances, the setting Number is preferable. With this, you get equidistant intervals on the x-axis at each key press, whereas with a time setting the x-intervals vary correspondingly.

Range

Here you set the voltage range for each analog channel. The larger the measurement range which is used, the lower the resolution of the voltage measurement. This could result in distinctly stepped measurements of small voltages when a large measurement range is set. You should therefore always select the smallest measurement range with which the voltages occurring can be measured without overflow. When a voltage does then occur which is larger than the set measurement range, this causes no damage, as long as it is within the specifications of the Cobra3-Basic-Unit. This is to your benefit, as it means that you must not always begin with the largest measurement range with unknown voltages, as is customary with moving coil instruments.

Normal Measurement

Under normal measurements we understand those measurements which are carried out so slowly that each measured value can be individually transferred to the computer and be immediately displayed. In a two channel measurement, the minimal time between two successive measurements is 2 ms, in a single channel measurement it is 1 ms. When measured values are to be taken faster than this limit, then you should select the Fast Measurement operating mode.

Display

In this section you can select the display instruments for the measurement. Digital displays, analog displays (like a rotating coil instrument) as well as diagrams are available. When you activate a display instrument, in most cases a dialog window appears in which you can select the channel which is to be displayed. For the Analog display as well as for the diagram, the bounds of the measuring range (e.g. from 0 V to 5 V) also have to be entered. Should the measured value go out of the set range, these display instruments show the largest or smallest value of the set range.

The display instrument diagram needs in addition the entry of an x interval. The x interval which is entered has no influence on the actual length or extent of the measurement. The diagram simply stops when the x interval maximum has been reached and no auto scroll or auto range mode is enabled, but the recording of data continues. If you choose the mode auto scroll the x axis is moved if a measured value is not in the entered interval. The displayed interval follows the measured values. If you select auto range the x-range is doubled automatically if measured data exceed the entered interval.

The diagram starts drawing the data when the measurement starts, whereas the digital and analog displays show measured values before recording is started.

Get value

Here you select the way in which the measured values are to be recorded. The individual values are either stored on key press or automatically at the defined interval.

Tip: If you intend to record a very long measurement in which the measured values only slowly change, we recommend that you select a somewhat longer time interval. You will then have fewer measured data and so quicker processing and evaluation by the program.

Example: For a 24 hour voltage measurement, a setting of 00:01:00, i.e. an interval of one minute, is fully sufficient. It results in 1,440 measured values, instead of the 86,400 which would result from an interval of one second.

Allocate memory for

Your selection should be based on a rough estimate of the size of the measurement, as under normal conditions it should not be necessary to change it. Normally, you can select the largest value without any problem, but if you have a PC with small storage space (RAM), then the selection of too much memory can result in system problems. In this case, you must select a smaller value.

Start of measurement

The measurement can be started on key press, when a certain time is reached (time trigger) or when a certain condition has been reached (value trigger).

End of measurement

The measurement can be stopped on key press, when a certain time is reached (time trigger) or when x-values have been recorded or on reaching a certain condition (value trigger).

Fast Measurement

This measurement mode is suitable for the rapid recording of measured data. Scanning frequencies of up to 500 kHz are possible. The rapid accumulation of measured data does not allow an individual transfer to the computer, as in the operating mode Normal Measurement. The measured values which are transferred at high speed are intermediately stored in the Cobra3-Basic-Unit and, when the wanted number of measurements has been made, transferred as a block to the computer and displayed from there.

Trigger

When no trigger conditions have been set (without), the recording of measured values begins when you first press the "Start measurement" key and then the "Continue" key. Otherwise, the start of measurement can be triggered by signals from channel ANALOG IN 1 or ANALOG IN 2. Rising or falling signal slope triggering is possible, as is customary with oscilloscopes. The so-called trigger level is defined by a percentage value, which is related to the entire measuring range of the selected trigger channel. If we assume that analog channel 1 is used for triggering with a measuring range of ±10 V, then -25% means a trigger level of -25% from 10 V, i.e. -2.5 V.

Frequency

The signal scanning frequency is set here in discrete steps. Please note that the highest frequency of 500 kHz is only available for single channel recording. With two channel recording, the highest frequency is reduced to 200 kHz.

Values

The RAM memory of the Cobra3-Basic-Unit is used for intermediate storage of measured values. It is not necessary, however, to always use the whole storage capacity, the size of which is given in brackets to the right of the edit box, for recording measured values. The number of measured values to be received can be reduced by entering a smaller number. The number of measured values refers to a single channel, i.e. 100 values means 100 measured values per channel, and so a total of 200 measured values with two channel measurements.

Press the continue button to show and position the display instruments on the screen and to start recording data (according to setting).

Note: Data logger (only for Hand-held instruments)

The PHYWE Hand-held instruments have an internal data logger, i.e. a data memory for a number of measured values. When you have recorded data from outdoor measurements in the data logger, for example, and have selected PHYWE hand-held gauges as active instrument, then you can mark Read data logger to have this data read into measure and processed. When you read out from the data logger, several other functions are not available and cannot be selected.

See also:

Create new measurement

Problems with the installation of gauges or data transfer


Workface
Desktop

The desktop (user interface) of measure consists of three sections: The menus as well as various buttons and selection boxes are in the top section. In the main window section, you can see the open windows in which measurement diagrams are displayed. Help texts to the buttons or menus selected with the mouse or keyboard are displayed in the bottom line.

To obtain more detailed information on the function of a certain area, e.g. of a button, simply click on the following illustration of the measure desktop:


Introduction

With measure, you have purchased a comprehensive, convenient and, largely intuitively operatable measurement program for your PHYWE measuring devices. measure  offers a uniform surface for the various PHYWE gauges and so allows quick and simple working with any of them using the same software product. measure has been especially designed for use in schools and education facilities, and can be used for demonstrations as well as for student experiments.

We ourselves would welcome any comments you have on this software - whether praise or criticism! - and information on any problems or possible program errors you might encounter while working with measure.

PHYWE SYSTEME GmbH

See also:

Service and Support


Service and Support through PHYWE
Service and Support

Should you encounter a technical problem with measure at any time, first try to solve this by use of the manual or this online help. Check if the problem results out of an faulty installation of your operating system or PC.

For example, try to install measure, if available, on a different computer and observe if the same problem arises there as well. Very often you can discover the nature of the problem by then comparing the different settings of the two computers.

Should the problem with the software still exist after your thorough investigation, we will naturally be glad to help you. Please contact us per e-mail if possible. This is the quickest and most cost-favourable way for you and for us to help you. Should you not have the possibility of sending/receiving e-mail, then you can naturally contact us by ordinary mail.

Inquiries via e-mail:

measure@phywe.de

Inquiries via mail:

PHYWE SYSTEME GmbH

Department PLP

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10

37079 Goettingen

Germany


Problems with the installation of measuring instruments or data transfer
Problems with the installation of gauges or data transfer

When problems are encountered in the transfer of data from the gauge to the measure software, please go through the following checklist:

Problem: 	”Gauge not found”

Cause: 	The gauge is not switched on.

Solution: 	Switch on the gauge.

Cause:	The data cable is not connected.

Solution:	Connect the data cable to the gauge and the other end of it to the serial interface which you have selected in the program.

Cause:	The wrong interface is selected in the program.

Solution:	Select the correct interface in program setup .

Cause:	The data cable is defect.

Solution:	Try to replace it with another one.

Cause:	The interfaces are mixed up in the BIOS.

Solution:	Change the setting in the BIOS (press Del after switching on) or try using other COM ports in the program setup .

Cause:	Your version of measure and the version of the software which is running in the connected gauge (e.g. Cobra3-Basic-Unit) are not, or are no longer, compatible.

Solution:	Contact PHYWE for information on the latest measure version and on updates for the software for your gauge.

Problem: 	”During opening the COM port an error has been encountered”

Cause: 	The wrong COM port is selected

Solution: 	Select the correct COM port (interface) in the program setup .


Program setup and configuration of measuring instruments
Program setup and configuration of gauges

The software works together with various PHYWE gauges. These gauges are normally easily installed using the automatic installation program and can be used immediately. Further information on special settings of the gauge driver and configuration of the software is given in program setup.

The gauges must be connected to the PC with a special interface cable. Please only use original PHYWE cables (order no.: 14602.00), to avoid problems with data transfer. A normal standard cable can lead to faulty functioning under some circumstances, even though it can be plugged into the PC and gauge without difficulty.

Connect the gauge to the PC before starting the software, and select the gauge when recording measurements if it is not automatically detected. The Hand-held instruments are automatically detected, when only hand-held gauges are installed.

See also:

Program setup


Analysis and evaluation functions

The software offers you a series of useful analysis and evaluation functions. The following is a list of the most important of these types of function:

Peak analysis

Curve analysis

Show average value

Show slope

Show integral

Show extremes

Play on soundcard

Channel modification

Fourier analysis

Smooth

Calculate average value

Linear regression

Survey

Show half-life/half-value thickness

Interval plot


Working with measure

measure can be operated in various ways. Many functions can be reached with the mouse or keyboard via menus or with the mouse through buttons below the menus. There are also a number of keboard shortcuts for even quicker access. Therefore there are several possible ways of calling up most functions, which can be used according to personal preference.

The use of a mouse is necessary, because some functions can only be reached with a mouse. While working with measure, you will generally be confronted with 3 parts of the program. The recording of data and display of actual data form one part. After completing the Recording of data you use the second part of the program. The data are visualised in a diagram and you have the possibility to influence the display by means of display options , to save the data and to comment on and configure the data via measurement information . The second part of the program comprises the extensive analysis and evaluation functions for processing the data.

While working with measure, the F1 key calls up context sensitive help for most topics.

See also:

Desktop

Program setup and configuration of gauges

Recording data

Analysis and evaluation functions

Print measurement