Single channel digital meter properties
The single channel digital meter displays the current value of the selected channel.
In the digital meter, the background color shows the state of the value.
- White: A value is within warning and alarm thresholds, or there are no warning or alarm thresholds.
- Magenta: No suitable connector is found, and a series of "+" characters show overflow.
- Yellow: A min (minimum) or max (maximum) warning threshold is exceeded.
- Red: A min or max alarm threshold is exceeded.
Warning and alarm thresholds are set in Test Configuration Edit channel dialogs or in the Test control Digital meter chart Properties dialog.
Screenshot
There are several options available from the menu. Click the
options menu button:
- Freeze: Select to pause the data display. Deselect to resume live data.
- Update rate: Select the rate at which the display refreshes at 1, 2, 5 or 10 times per second. Note that in cases where the channel sample rate is less than the selected update rate, the display refreshes at the lower sample rate.
- Properties: Select font, unit name placement, decimals, scientific notation, update rate, color scheme and warnings and alarms. After entering information in the Digital Meter Properties dialog, click the OK button.
Screenshot
- Font: Three font varieties are available: Mono space takes less space, Sans-serif is easier to read than Mono space and Serif is easiest to read. Two font formats are available: Bold and Italic.
- Unit name placement: Show unit name after or before the data value, or do not show unit name.
- Decimals: Select the number of decimal places to show or select scientific notation for extremely large or small values.
- Update rate: Select the rate at which the display refreshes at 1, 2, 5 or 10 times per second. Note that in cases where the channel sample rate is less than the selected update rate, the display refreshes at the lower sample rate.
- Warnings and alarms: Specify the desired values for user warning and alarm threshold. Note that these are currently used only in the single channel digital display and the test run time Min/Max chart displays.
- Enter a real number that defines the level in physical units, or a real number followed by the ‘%’ character that defines the level as a percent of Range max or min, or leave the cell blank to inhibit the warning or alarm.
- The percent value must be in the range of 0% to 120%.
- The % of Range max is independent of Range min and vice-versa. For example, if Range max is set to 1000 and Range min is set to -500 and 90% is used for both alarm levels, the alarms trip when the data value becomes > 900 or <-450. If the user changes the Range min to -600, the Min alarm threshold changes to -540. However, the Max alarm threshold does not change (i.e., it is still 900).
- The values of the warnings and alarms, in terms of real numbers, must satisfy the following condition for all defined parameters:
Min alarm threshold < Min warning threshold < Max warning threshold < Max alarm threshold.
- A min or max warning will show a yellow background for the numbers.
- A min or max alarm will show a red background for the numbers.
NOTE
Currently, the warnings and alarms are not based on the min/max values for the channel data; they are based on the current value only.