GETDATA

Version 4.30
Data Collection Program
for
Karol-Warner Co. Data Readout
Models 6572 and 6574

GD430.ODT 3/10/2011
 Important Information

GETDATA Version 4.30 is compatible with Karol-Warner model 6572 and 6574 Data Readouts
fitted with firmware 657X, Version 2.01K or later for dual calibration capability. These units were
shipped starting January, 2011. If it is desired to use this program with older readouts or those not
having dual calibration, a firmware upgrade is available. Contact the vendor of your readout.

New in GETDATA version 4.30

Supports readout firmware version 2.01K, allowing two completely independent calibrations,
selectable from the keypad. These calibrations can be different units systems for the same set of inputs
or separate calibrations for different sets of sensors.

System Requirements
The program runs on PC type computers using Windows 9.X, 2000, XP and Windows 7
operating systems, approximately 1.5 M bytes of disk space (not including data) and some type of
pointing device such as a mouse or trackball. The program is best viewed at 1024 X 768 or higher video
resolution but will work with lower resolutions. An RS232 port capable of 19200 Baud data rate is
required for data transfers. A USB to serial adaptor is required for Windows 7. Refer to the Windows 7
installation below.

Software Installation - Windows 9x, 2000, XP

Exit all applications as it may be required to restart the computer to complete the installation.
The program and required files are supplied on CD ROM.

1. Insert the CD ROM into the appropriate drive.

2. From the Windows START menu select RUN.

3. Type the drive path and ‘setup’. Click OK.

Example: X:\setup where X is the selected drive letter
The install program creates a sub folder called DATA. This is where data files will be
written.

4. The program will display a dialog box indicating that the installation was completed
successfully.

5. An additional dialog box may appear on Windows NT or XP systems asking you to

restart the computer to install the drivers. Do so at this time.

NOTE: It has been seen on some older computers that the video adaptor may crash at the end of the
installation program. The reason is unknown. If this occurs re-start the machine. The GETDATA
program should run correctly.

Connections
The readout is connected to the computer using the cable supplied. Ensure that the port number
matches the port specified in the configuration file GETDATA.CFG. Edit the file if required. The file is
discussed in more detail at the end of these instructions.
Software Installation - Windows 7

GETDATA can be used in computers running the Windows 7* operating system. This requires
the Virtual Machine software running XP* mode and an RS232 to USB serial port adaptor with a
Windows XP compatible driver.

The Virtual Machine requires the following:

A. A PC running Windows 7 Professional.

The Home Edition does not support the Virtual Machine.

B. 2 Gigabytes of RAM minimum.

The Virtual Machine requires 1 Gigabyte by itself!

C. The Virtual Machine software.

Download this directly from the Microsoft* website for free. This requires 16 Megabytes
of disk space.

1. Before installing the serial adaptor or GETDATA download and install the Virtual Machine
software. From the start menu select ‘Windows Virtual PC’ and select ‘Windows XP Mode’.
Wait for the XP desktop to appear.

2. Install the driver for your serial adaptor according to the manufacture’s instructions. You will
need to determine what COM port the driver assigned to the device. A tool bar will show at the
top of the XP window with the heading ‘USB’.
Click on the heading. The device name and the option to ‘Attach” will be displayed . Click on
‘Attach’.

3. To determine the assigned COM port click (>) Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware >
Device Manager > Ports(COM & LPT). The device is listed with the assigned COM Port
number. Write down the number.

4. Install the GETDATA program from the CD. After the installation you will be prompted to restart
the PC. Do this now.

5. After the PC returns to the XP desktop, click ‘USB’ on the tool bar and attach the USB to serial
adaptor. This step is required EVERY time XP mode is entered or restarted, BEFORE starting
GETDATA.

6. Using Notepad, open the configuration file GETDATA.CFG in the GETDATA program folder. It
will look something like this:

1,19200,N,8,1 1,19200,N,8,1
\DATA\ OR \GD430\DATA\
TEST0.DAT TEST0.GDR

The first number on the first line is the COM Port (1 in this example). Change this to match the
number assigned by the USB driver. The second line is the path to the DATA folder where the
data will be written. The first example places the data in the root of the drive (typically C:) where
the GETDATA folder is located. The second example shows the DATA folder as a sub-folder of
 the GETDATA folder. If the DATA folder is not in the right place you will get a “Can’t Find File”
error when you attempt to start a test. If this happens edit line two to reflect the correct path to
the DATA folder and make sure the folder actually exits at that location.

The third line is the name of the last data file created. The extension (.DAT or .GDR) will depend
on your version of GETDATA. Do not change it.

7. Make sure the serial cable is connected to the readout and the readout is turned on. From the
Start Menu select GETDATA to run the program.

*Windows 7, XP, and Microsoft are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

Short Form Test Instructions.

The following steps assume that the readout is ready and the ‘Acquire New Data’ function was selected
from the Start window.

Timed Test

8. Check the selected channels. Disable any that are not required.
9. Enter a line of text to identify the test in the TEST ID field.
10. Enter the desired reading interval.
11. Use the TARE button on the readout to zero any channels if required.
12. Click START TIMED TEST

Numeric data will be displayed and the graph will be plotted.

13. At the end of the test click STOP TIMED TEST

14. If desired click CAPTURE PEAK to record the peak readings and clear the peak buffer in the
readout.
15. If another test is desired click RESET / NEW TEST and repeat the above steps.

Fast Read to Disk

1. Prepare the test sample.

2. Enter a line of text to identify the test in the TEST ID field.
3. Use the TARE button on the readout to zero any channels if required.
4. Click FAST READ TO DISK.
5. Start the test apparatus.
6. At the end of the test click STOP FAST READ.
7. If another test is desired click RESET / NEW TEST and repeat the above steps.

Peak Capture

1. Perform the required test with the readout monitoring the data.
2. The peak values can be seen on the readout by pressing the PEAK button, if desired.
3. Enter a line of text to identify the test in the TEST ID field.
4. Click CAPTURE PEAK.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for each test sample.
6. After ALL tests are complete click CLOSE PEAK FILE.

Detailed instructions follow.

Detailed Instructions

GETDATA version 4.3 is a Windows based program for use with Karol-Warner data readouts.
The program allows the user to collect data in three different ways. These are:

2. TIMED readings with intervals from 1 second to 1 hour in length. The data is displayed
and graphed in real time and written to a file for later analysis. The graphs and data can
be printed at the conclusion of the test.

B. FAST DATA COLLECTION direct to a file at the fastest rate possible. Display and
graphing can be done after the test is completed.

C. CAPTURE OF PEAK readings directly to a file. This method is used when only the yield
point is required for multiple tests, or to capture the peak readings of a timed test where
the peak may have occurred between recorded readings.

Data files from previous tests can also be reviewed for printing in tabular and graph form.

Starting the Program

From the Program Manager select the GETDATA folder and double click GETDATA. When the
program starts it tests the serial port. If the readout is not ready an error message will prompt you to
check the cabling and power to the readout. After doing so, press ‘Retry’ to initialize the port or ‘Cancel’
to continue without the readout. If Cancel is selected it will only be possible to review previously
recorded data files. For this purpose the readout is not required.

Figure 1
The Start Window (figure 1) shows information about the program and provides entry into the two main
functions of the program; reviewing data and acquiring new data. Entry into the calibration/customizing
function is possible only with the correct password. If the serial port was not initialized the ‘Acquire
New Data’ function will be disabled (figure 2). Disabled functions show faded text. At many points in
the program a function may be disabled if it is not an appropriate action. It will be reactivated as needed
by the program.

Figure 2

To exit the program click on the EXIT button or click on the X in the upper right corner of any
window until the start widow is visible and click the X in the upper right corner.

Select the desired action. Press ‘Examine Existing Data’ to review data files on disk or press
‘Acquire New Data’ to begin a new test.

Acquire New Data

The initial acquisition window is shown in figure 3. When the window opens the readout is
polled to determine how many channels are available, the names, units and full scale readings for each
channel. This information is shown next to a data field with the text ‘NO DATA’ The full scale readings
are not shown and are used for scaling the graph. The graph is blank.
 Figure 3

The components of the acquisition window are described below.

CHANNEL SELECTORS

On the left of each data field is a selector for each channel labeled CH 1, CH 2, etc. The
X indicates that the channel is selected and will be read during TIMED tests. In some cases it
may be desired to disable a channel for a test if the data is not required. Use the mouse to click
on the X. The x will clear and the channel will not be read. The channel selector settings are
ignored for fast data reads or peak data acquisition as all channels are read during these tests. The
name of each channel appears to the right of the selector.

DATA FIELDS

Next to each channel selector is a display field for showing each reading as it is acquired.
The field is initialized to ‘NO DATA’. The engineering units of each channel are shown to the
right of the data field.

IO FILE

The file dialog shows the location (path) and name of the next file to be recorded. The
file name is structured so that the number is incremented before a new test is begun. This
prevents changing an existing data file. It is advised that you do not alter the file name. If you
have need to change the file name press the ‘File’ button to start the standard Windows file
dialog. Refer to the section ‘Naming Data files’ for more information.
TEST ID

The ‘Test ID’ data entry allows a single line of text to be added to a data file to identify
the test. This can be any text EXCEPT punctuation marks such as commas, quotes or periods.
The text will appear as the first line of text in the data file.

TIME INTERVAL IN SECONDS

This data entry sets the time interval for readings in a timed test. Any number of whole
seconds from 1 ( the default) to 3600 may be entered. The time interval is ignored for fast reads
to disk and for peak capture.

After identifying the test and selecting a time interval (if desired), various buttons are used to select the
desired function. These are as follows.

START TIMED TEST

This button starts the timed reading of selected channels at the specified interval. Data
will be written to the file shown in ‘IOFile’. During the test the data is displayed numerically and
a graph is plotted to show the progress of the test. A test in progress is shown in figure 4. The
‘Inspect’ button on the graph can be used to freeze the plot for inspection. The axes of the graph
are scaled automatically as the test progresses.

STOP TIMED TEST

This button stops the test in progress and closes the data file.

FAST READ TO DISK

Begins a direct read to disk at the fastest data rate possible. Data is read at 7.5
readings/second for 60 Hz line frequency rejection. The data fields are filled with ‘******’ and a
graph is not created. This is to prevent loss of data. Data can be displayed and plotted after the
test.

STOP DATA STREAM

Stop the fast read and close the data file.

CAPTURE PEAK

This button serves two purposes.

First, for a TIMED test the peak readings may have occurred between time intervals and
may not be reflected in the data file. No matter what the time interval may be, the readout always
reads data internally at the fastest rate. The peak data reflects this and is never ‘averaged’.
Pressing this button after a timed test will read the ‘Peak’ buffer in the readout and write the data
to a separate data file. The file will be named PEAKxxxx.DAT where ‘xxxx’ is the SAME FILE
NUMBER as the timed test data. Each time this button is pressed the peak buffer in the readout
will be cleared.
The second function of the ‘Capture Peak’ button is to collect only the peak readings
from multiple tests where only a yield or fracture point is of interest. Peak readings and the ‘Test
ID’ field are written to the SAME file each time the button is pressed. The file can be reviewed
after all tests are complete.
CLOSE PEAK FILE

Closes the ‘Peak’ data file. If a timed test was not performed a test data file with the same
number as the peak file will be created. The only data in the file will be the word ‘Empty’. This
is done to keep the file numbers consistent and show that no test data is “missing”. Refer to the
section ‘Naming Data files’ for more information.

RESET / NEW TEST

This button resets the acquisition screen to its default values, advances the file number,
clears the peak data buffer in the readout and prepares for a new test.

Figure 4
Examine Existing Data
Pressing ‘Examine Existing Data’ in the startup screen or ‘Review Data’ in the
acquisition screen displays the ‘Review Data’ screen shown in figure 5. The components of this
screen are described below.

Figure 5

REVIEW FILE

This dialog box shows the last data file recorded, whether it is test or peak data. Peak data
may be displayed and printed but not graphed. If this is the desired file proceed directly to the
functions below. The ‘File’ button starts the familiar Windows file dialog and allows selecting a
new file for review.

DISPLAY DATA.

Displays the data from the selected file in the text window. The scroll bars can be used to
view listings that do not fit the window. See figure 6.
 Figure 6

DISPLAY GRAPH

If the data is a ‘TEST’ file a graph will be plotted when this button is pressed.
See figure 7. Attempting to graph PEAK data will have unpredictable results.

Figure 7
PRINT DATA

This button will print the data in tabular form.

PRINT GRAPH

Prints the graph.

RETURN TO START MENU

Returns to the starting window of the program. The serial port is tested again and the
serial port error message will appear again if the port is not active.

EXIT
Closes any open data files and exits the program.
 CALIBRATION

GETDATA V4.30 supports the dual calibration capability of the readout allowing selection of
alternate units systems and/or sensor configurations. Calibration data may be retrieved from the readout
or files. Changes to the calibration performed on the readout itself (via front panel commands) can be
downloaded and saved to files. Changes can be loaded into the readout and used on a temporary basis or
they can be written to the readout memory for continued use.
Before using the Customize/Calibrate function the readout must be connected to the PC using the
serial cable. If a new calibration is to be performed the sensors need to be connected and a method of
applying input to the sensors (load, pressure, etc.) is required.

Load a calibration into GETDATA from a file OR the readout

3. Connect the readout to the PC. Switch on the power. Start GETDATA.
4. From the menu select CUSTOMIZE/CALIBRATE
5. Enter the password.
6. Select LOAD CALIBRATION DATA FROM FILE (See figure 8)
OR
READ CALIBRATION FROM ACQUISITION UNIT

7. Examine the data and make changes if required (See figure 9 and the detailed instructions below)

8. Press ACCEPT AS DISPLAYED

9. Press RUN WITH TEMPORARY CALIBRATION
OR
WRITE PERMANENT CALIBRATION AND RUN
OR
WRITE CALIBRATION DATA TO FILE

Figure 8
Calibrating the Readout and Modifying Calibration Files - Detailed Instructions
The following procedure applies to either of the two available calibrations.
Refer to the instructions in the readout manual for setting configuration jumpers and sensor
connections. Observe all cautions and warnings to prevent damage or injury. Connect the readout to the
PC serial port, turn on the power and start GETDATA.
Select CUSTOMIZE/CALIBRATE from the starting window. Enter the correct password when
prompted. If a mistake is made entering the password an ‘Invalid Password’ message will be displayed.
Remove ALL characters (shown as ‘*”) with the delete and backspace keys and try again. If the
password is correct the ‘Customize/Calibrate’ window will appear (Figure 8).
Determine the source of the calibration. On first entry to the Customize/Calibrate menu the only
options are ‘Read Calibration From Acquisition Unit’, ‘Load Calibration Data From File’, or ‘Quit
Calibration Without Changes’. If loading from a file a dialog box will appear to aid in selecting the
desired file.

After making a selection the next window will show the CALIBRATION DATA window. (Figure 9).

A As a precaution, save the data to a file before making changes. To do this, press
ACCEPT AS DISPLAYED in the data window and return to the calibration menu.

B WRITE CALIBRATION DATA TO FILE.The standard “Windows” file dialog will

appear. Enter a name for the file and save the file.

C Select READ CALIBRATION FROM ACQUISITION UNIT or

LOAD CALIBRATION DATA FROM FILE to reload the data.. With the file option the
Windows* dialog will allow reloading the file just created.

Figure 9
 Figure 9 shows the calibration data window. The example above shows four channels. Only two
channels will be displayed for a two-channel device. The calibration and customizing data fill the text
boxes on the right. Under the heading Select a Channel press the desired channel button to display the
calibration data. There are two sets of data for each channel labeled CALIBRATION 1 and
CALIBRATION 2. The data fields are:

Ch Name Label displayed on the readout to identify the channel

Ch Units The label displayed to identify the units system used (engineering units).

Low Scale The displayed value in engineering units at the zero or near-zero input to the
sensor. This value is the low calibration point. See figure 10.

High Scale The displayed value in engineering units at full scale or near full scale input to the
sensor. This value is the high calibration point. See figure 10.

Offset The offset is used to correct for zero errors in the transducer if calculated
calibration factors are entered, or to allow setting the zero on a channel where the
tare is disabled. Normally this value is zero.

Type This number is used to disable the TARE function if required. Zero (0)
disables the TARE and one (1) enables it. Typically, pressure inputs such as a
pneumatic loading device are not zeroed to prevent overloading a sample.

AD Low This represents the binary number from the Analog to Digital conversion process
at the low calibration point. See figure 10.

AD High This represents the binary number from the conversion process at the high
calibration point. See figure 10.

Precision The number of digits displayed after the decimal point. The precision is
determined automatically from the High Scale field entry.. In figure 9, calibration
1 has zero digits after the decimal point and calibration 2 has three. Thus the
precision is 0 and 3 respectively. The number of decimal places set for Low Scale
and Offset have no effect.

If the data displayed is not what was desired, press SELECT ANOTHER SOURCE to return to
the previous menu.

Altering Data Entries

All of the above data fields can be altered by selecting the desired item with the pointing device
or using the TAB key to step to the desired field if no pointing device is present. Type in the desired
value and press enter or tab to the next field. If the title for a data field is faded out, the field cannot be
changed directly. The Precision field is an example.
The A/D readings can be manually entered if using a calculated value or the READ A/D button
can be pressed to read a new value from the readout. DONT PRESS THESE BUTTONS UNLESS YOU
ARE SET UP FOR A COMPLETE CALIBRATION. See more detail below.

Across the bottom of the calibration data are five data fields. The first four are not altered in
normal calibrations and are presented for information only. Consult the factory to make changes.
 MaxChan The maximum number of readout channels.

Resolution The number of bits of converter resolution expressed as a power of two.

Example: 2^20 = 1 048 576 or approximately one part in one million.

Average The number of readings averaged together for reducing noise and
improving resolution. Averaging reduces the ability to capture peak
readings. Under most conditions averaging readings is not required due to
the high resolution of the conversion.

NumChan The number of channels actually used in the current configuration.

Peak Ref The channel designated as the peak reference for capturing a peak event.
This value can be changed here or in the MENU function of the readout.

Calibration from known sensor inputs

This procedure is performed for new sensors or after a test shows errors in calibration.
Calibration by calculating factors from published sensor data is described in the readout manual. The
calculated parameters can be entered into the calibration data window if desired.
The readout is calibrated by taking the coordinates of two points along the line of the input
versus output characteristic for the desired channel/transducer combination. The input is the applied
stimulus (load, pressure, etc.) and the output in this case is the numerical result of the analog-to-digital
conversion. This output is scaled using the LOW SCALE and HIGH SCALE values to define the
coordinates. This is shown graphically in figure 10.

Figure 10

1. Prepare the readout with the desired sensors connected. A method of applying an input to the
sensor ( load, pressure, etc ) is required.
2. Select the channel from the Calibration Data window (Figure 9) The data for both calibrations
for the channel are shown. Decide which one you plan to alter.

3. Set up the sensor for zero input to establish the LOW SCALE. The device should be oriented as
it will be used in the test figure.

4. Press the READ A/D LOW or ALT A/D LOW to measure the input from the sensor. The number
displayed will be updated. The input can be read as many times as you like by pressing the
button again. Do not press the button for the wrong column of calibration data. Make a note of
the input to the sensor ( in engineering units) if it is not zero. This value must be entered in the
LOW SCALE data field. Under most conditions this should be zero.

5. Enter the LOW SCALE value. The number of decimal places should not exceed the resolution of
your calibration standard.

6. Apply input to the sensor to establish the HIGH SCALE. It is best if this is full scale but if not,
the input applied can be used as the second point on the input/output curve. Press the READ A/D
HIGH or ALT A/D HIGH to read the conversion number from the readout. Note the input in
engineering units to be entered as the HIGH SCALE value.

7. Enter the HIGH SCALE value. Here the number of digits after the decimal point is important for
determining the PRECISION data field. A total of six digits before and after the decimal point is
allowed. The PRECISION is the number of digits after the decimal point and will be set
automatically. This number should not exceed the resolution and accuracy of the calibration
standard. Example: entering 1500.00 will result in a precision of two.

8. The CH NAME field can be entered as desired up to four characters. Do not put a number in the
first position. Spaces in the label should be avoided as GETDATA will only read the label to the
first space character. Use an underscore ( _ ) as filler. Example: CH_1

9. The CH UNITS label can be up to three characters. Numbers are not permitted in the first
position but leading or trailing spaces can be entered.

10. Enter the TYPE field. This should be a 1 or 0 only. Enter one ( 1 ) for the ability to tare (zero) the
channel. Where the input must be known at all times such as an absolute pressure sensor or a
temperature sensor, enter zero ( 0 ).

11. The channel is now calibrated. The OFFSET should be set to zero for now.

12. At this time the other calibration data can be changed by repeating the above steps or the data
can be written or ignored.

13. To accept the calibration press ACCEPT AS DISPLAYED. From the main menu select
the desired action:
RUN WITH TEMPORARY CALIBRATION use the altered calibration until power-down.
WRITE PERMANENT CALIBRATION AND RUN to keep the data for all testing.
WRITE CALIBRATION DATA TO FILE to save the data for future use. This is recommended in
all cases for backup.
14. After exiting the calibration function the output of the channel should be observed to determine
if any offset (non-zero) value, AT ZERO INPUT, needs to be removed.
Example: -1.2 lbs (negative 1.2 lbs )
Usually this would only occur when entering calculated parameters. Note the value. Reenter
GETDATA and use the calibrate function to read the data from the readout. In the calibration
data for that channel enter the exact number but change the sign. In the above example enter 1.2
(positive 1.2). This will cancel the offset from the sensor.

Single Calibration with Different Units Systems

Often it is necessary to test in a different set of units such as lbf vs kgf (pounds force versus
kilograms force) with the same set of sensors. If the correct conversion factor is known, one of the two
calibrations can be scaled to the desired units. Assume for this example that Calibration 1 is to be
converted from English units to SI units in Calibration 2 , that channel 1 is in pounds force (lbf) and it is
desired to measure load in kilonewtons.

1. Set up the readout and the PC and start GETDATA. Enter the CUSTOMIZE/CALIBRATE
function and display the data from the readout or file. Choose a channel.

2. Examine the A/D LOW and A/D HIGH numbers for Calibration 1. Copy them exactly into the
LOW and HIGH fields for Calibration 2. By this method only the scaling is changed for a valid
calibration.

3. Examine the LOW SCALE for calibration 1. Multiply the number shown, if not zero, by
0.00444822. Enter the number as the LOW SCALE for calibration 2.

4. Examine the HIGH SCALE from Calibration 1. Multiply by 0.00444822 to convert from pounds
to kilonewtons. Enter the result into the HIGH SCALE for Calibration 2.

5. Repeat the process for the OFFSET if it is not zero.

6. The CH UNITS for Calibration 2 can be changed from lbs to kN to properly indicate the units.

7. Press ACCEPT AS DISPLAYED and save the data to a file and the readout.

For information purposes a few conversion factors are listed below.

Common Conversion Factors **

1 pound force (avoirdupois) (lbf) = 4.448 22 Newtons (N)

= 0.004 448 kilonewtons (kN)
= 0.453 59 kilogram force (kgf)

1 pound force / inch squared (psi) = 689 4.76 Pascal (Pa)

= 6.894 76 kilopascal (kPa)
= 0.070 306 kilogram force / centimeter squared
(kgf/cm2)
1 inch (in) = 25.40 millimeters (mm)
= 0.0254 meter (m)

** Data published in Units and Conversion Charts by Theodore Wildi, IEEE Press, 1991
Data File Names and Formats

Data files created with GETDATA are in ASCII text format. Test information such as column
names and numeric data are comma delimited. Each line is terminated with a carriage return and line
feed.

Naming Data files

Two types of data files are created with GETDATA and by default are named TESTxxxx.DAT
and PEAKxxxx.DAT where xxxx is a file number between 1 and 9999. TEST files contain tabular data
taken during the test. PEAK files contain peak data taken after the test was completed OR peak data
from multiple tests. The number portion of the file name is the same for test and peak data that are
related. Even if no TEST data was collected an empty file named TESTxxxx will be created for each
PEAK data file. The file number is incremented automatically by the program each time the acquisition
screen is initialized. If this file is not used, that is no TEST or PEAK data is recorded the file number is
not incremented.

The name of the last file recorded is stored in the configuration file GETDATA.CFG, described
in more detail below.

TEST Data File Format

The TEST data file contains a two line header followed by the data read at each time interval,
one interval per line. A sample is below. The text “Line x” is for explanation and not part of the file.

Line 1 Sample 1
Line 2 1,3,Load,VDsp,HDsp
Line 3 0.0,0.0,0.01
0.01,0.001,0.01
0.02,0.002,0.01
0.10,0.004.0.035

Line 1: The text string entered in the TEST ID field before starting the test. The default for this
field is NO TEST ID ENTERED if none was entered.
Line 2: In order these are the time interval for the test; the number of columns of data; the name
of each channel for column identification.
Line 3: and all subsequent lines: The data read at each time interval for each channel.

PEAK Data File Format

A sample of a PEAK data file is shown below.

Line 1 Peak Data

Line 2 Load, Dspl
Line 3 Sample 09-871
Line 4 14500,0.0234
Line 5 Sample 27-873
Line 6 13287,0.0185

Line 1: Header included in all PEAK files to identify it as such.

 Line 2: Header of channel names to identify each column of data.
Line 3: Text entered in the TEST ID field before first test.
Line 4: The peak data for the first test.
Line 5: Text entered in the TEST ID field for the second test.
Line 6: The peak data for the second test.

Lines similar to lines 5 and 6 are repeated for each entry triggered by the ‘Capture Peak’ button.

Configuration File

GETDATA requires a configuration file to keep track of the data file name and path, as well as
the serial port settings. A typical file is shown below.

Line 1: 1,19200,N,8,1
Line 2: \GD41\DATA
Line 3: TEST0001.DAT

Line 1 contains, in order, the com port number, baud rate, parity, number of data bits, and
number of stop bits. The only parameter that can be changed on this line is the port number.
Line 2 is the path to the data files and line 3 is the last data file recorded. When the number
portion of the file name reaches 9999 it is automatically reset to 0001.

Calibration file format

The internal calibration and customizing data can be read from the readout and stored in a file.
The file is identified by the .CAL extension. A typical two channel, dual calibration file is shown below.
The “Line X:” is not part of the file.

Line 1: 2,2,20,1,0
Line 2: Load,2620811,2938396,0.0,1500.0,1,lbs,1,0.0,
Line 3: Dspl,2124054,3115886,0.0000,1.0000,4,in,1,0.0000,
Line 3: Load,2132079,3124237,0.0000,10000,0,lbs,1,0.0000,
Line 4: Pres,2098456,2623908,0.00,100.01,2,psi,0,0.00,

* Windows is a registered trade mark of Microsoft Corporation.