catman FAQs | Setup of a DAQ Project catman FAQs: Setting up a DAQ Project | HBM

catman FAQs: Setup of a DAQ Project

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about setting up a DAQ projet in HBM's catman data acquisition software such as:

General Settings

You can specify the start mode when you start catman Easy/AP using one of the following methods (Options/Program start):

  • Default start (startup screen): catman Easy/AP starts with the normal start screen.
  • Automatic device scan: catman Easy/AP starts directly with a new device scan. In this case, the start window will be skipped and the device scan dialog shows up instead. If you cancel the device scan dialog, no further action will be taken, catman Easy/AP will terminate immediately.
  • Empty DAQ project: catman Easy/AP starts with an empty DAQ project. In this case, no devices are available in the project, but from here you can load an existing DAQ project, or just operate the computation channels only.
  • Empty analysis project: catman Easy/AP starts with an empty analysis project. From here you can create a new or load an existing analysis project.
  • Load existing DAQ project: catman Easy/AP starts with an existing DAQ project. You must specify the DAQ project file to be loaded before. Otherwise, the default start mode will be used.
  • Load existing analysis project: catman Easy/AP starts with an existing analysis project. You must specify the analysis project file to be loaded before. Otherwise, the default start mode will be used.
  • Device scan with import of DAQ settings from a project: catman Easy/AP starts a device scan followed by the import of all settings from an existing DAQ project. You have to specify the DAQ project file with predefined settings (DAQ job settings/visualization) to be imported before. Otherwise, catman Easy/AP starts directly with a new device scan with the most recently used scan mask.

EasyScript is the VBA scripting language integrated in catman AP (you need a separate license to use that feature). You will find help regarding EasyScript in the EasyScript Development Environment (EasyScript editor). If you just want to have a glance at the features and possibilities of the scripting language you may display the help file in a web browser: just open the file ApplicationHelp.htmresiding in the subfolder \ScriptWebHelp of your catman Easy/AP installation.

Please reset the window via the Window/Reset component windows menu. A restart of catman Easy/AP is not necessary.

catman Easy/AP supports a maximum number of up to 4,000 channels. These comprise all the DAQ channels found during the device scan as well as all the computation channels created by the user. DAQ channels may be distributed across a maximum number of 128 devices.

Deactivate the Scan-Server required for these devices only (delays startup by about 6 s). For this purpose, create a registry key in HKEY_CURREN_USER\SOFTWARE\VB and VBA PROGRAM SETTINGS\CATMAN_BASE_SERVICES\STARTUP named 'NOSCANLISTENER' with the value '1'. Alternatively, you may also specify the command line argument /NoScan.

The time required by catman Easy/AP initialization operations (e.g. allocation of the temporary storage space) depends upon the maximum number of channels supported. By default this number is 512 channels. If, however, you always use considerably fewer channels (e.g. a single Spider8 with 8 channels) you can significantly speed up initialization by reducing the maximum number of channels supported.

This can be achieved via the 'Options' dialog on the 'Data storage' register tab.

Typically the following behavior can be observed:

  • Error message immediately after the start, the program shuts down immediately
  • The window layout is strange after the start, window not visible, empty or moved
  • Device scan does not work properly
  • DAQ job cannot be started
  • Sensor assignment does not work properly

Several actions can be taken to solve these problems:

  • If catman still starts up and you can access the main window (e.g. with 'Start a new DAQ project', or in case no hardware is connected, with 'Start a new analysis project'), execute 'Restore defaults' in the 'Special functions' category from the 'File' drop-down main menu and then restart catman. This function is also accessible from the start screen Options/General Options/Reset to default settings.
  • Start catman with the command line arguments /RecoveryStartup and /reg
  • Under Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8, start catman with full admin rights ('Run as administrator' in the context menu of the program link).

Channels and Filters

No, filter settings are not considered.

TEDS sensors can be disconnected like ordinary sensors via 'Disconnect' in the ribbon bar or the context menu of the 'Sensor/Function' column. For QuantumX this has the same effect as switching the channel to 'Deactivate TEDS usage' (see channel configuration ribbon, group 'Sensor' or the context menu of the 'Sensor/Function' column of the channel).

When the option 'Activate live update automatically' (Options/Channel List) is set, catman will update the measured values automatically and continuously after creating a new DAQ project or loading an existing one, in case the project comprises a QuantumX, MGCplus or PMX module. Normally this is required to check whether all channels are working properly.

You can also enable the live update of computation channels together with DAQ channels. However, this will slow down the live update process. For QuantumX/SomatXR systems, automatic TEDS detection can be executed additionally. However, this will slow down the live update process.

Select a channel and press the "+" or "-" keys. To permanently set a larger font for all channels see Options/Channel List. The context menu "Reset font size" of the title row of the channel list provides a function to reset the font size of all channels to default again.

Alternatively, you may create a separate window for the readings of a channel. Select "Large display" from the context menu of the "Reading" column.

Go to 'File/Options' and activate 'Limit value/event monitoring' on the 'Program functions' register tab. Go to the configuration control group 'Limit values/events' under 'DAQ channels'. The channel list now displays the additional column "Limit value monitoring" for assigning limit values to measurement channels. Double click this column to access the limit value assignment/configuration dialog.

Check if the sensor contains an erroneous or empty TEDS (see 'Channel info' window of the channel configuration tab). If so, switch OFF the TEDS usage by clicking the 'Deactivate TEDS usage' menu (see channel configuration ribbon, group 'Sensor' or the context menu of the 'Sensor/Function' column of the channel).

Usually catman Easy/AP applies an automatic anti-aliasing filter to all channels. In this case, the frequency is determined to best fit the sample rate. In some cases, it may however be desirable to manually set the characteristic and the frequency of the filter. To set filters manually proceed as follows:

  • Activate the option 'Allow manual filter settings' (File/Options/DAQ channels/Filter)
  • In 'DAQ jobs' navigate to the register tab 'Channel parameters'. In the column 'Filter' double-click a channel or select a channel (or a range of channels) and select 'Select filter...' from the context menu

Observe the following notes when setting filters:

  • The list of available frequencies is determined by the hardware type.
  • If the hardware does not support the desired frequency, the closest approximation of the desired frequency will be selected. catman Easy/AP immediately informs you about this adjustment and lists the implemented frequency.
  • Setting the filter for an MGCplus multichannel board or a Spider channel will set the filter for all channels of the board.

Channel names containing brackets are truncated (to bracket position) after saving data. Double quote ("), comma (,), colon (:), tilde (~) must not be used in channel names. The following rules shall also apply to the channel name:

  • It must contain at least one letter, numbers only is not allowed
  • It must not consist of 'c' and a number (e.g. 'c1', 'C2', etc.)
  • It cannot be identical to the name of an internal mathematical function, i.e. 'deriv', 'mod', 'integral' etc. are not permitted

In principle, a channel name may contain an arbitrary number of spaces. However, we do not recommend using spaces - use a '_' character instead. Channel names containing spaces may cause problems if used in computations. In case of problems with computation channels, there will be a notification about potential problems with channel names.

Additionally, the following rules shall apply to the channel name of eDAQ/eDAQ-lite devices:

  • It must not contain spaces
  • It may have a maximum of 11 characters
  • Channel names of eDAQ devices must not contain special characters (ASCII characters with character number greater than 128 included)

catman Easy/AP will prevent you from entering special characters when changing channel names manually. Be, however, aware that names may also originate from TEDS sensors or reside within the amplifier and will be read in during a device scan. In these cases, catmanEasy/AP does not automatically change the name. It is up to you to check the names and, if necessary, remove the special characters.

When you change the name of a device, you will be prompted whether its DAQ channels should be renamed automatically according to the new device name. Alternatively, you can easily rename multiple selected channels by using the built-in Auto-naming template (channel configuration ribbon menu 'Rename', or the context menu 'Rename' of the 'Channel name' column of the selected channels). Specify a base name for the selected channels and choose a desired Auto-naming mode (e.g. '_001, _002, _003, ...'), catman will rename the channels using the combination of the base name and the consecutive numeration or letter (with or without separator) that you choose.

There are four different possibilities to handle the situation if a name conflict is encountered:

  • Replace the existing name with a default name
  • Expand the existing name with _1, _2, _3....
  • Replace the existing name with another one
  • Return to editing of a new name

Check if zero balancing for the channel is locked. The respective field in the column 'Zero value' of the channel configuration table on the register tab 'DAQ channels' is displaying a lock symbol next to the zero-balance value. To unlock a channel, choose 'Unlock' in the dropdown menu of the toolbar group 'Zero balance'. If the column is invisible, you can make it visible via the main menu Options/Channel list/Columns visible/Zerobalance values.

Select the channel in the channel configuration table and choose 'Undo' in the dropdown menu of toolbar group 'Zero balance'.

Enter the new zero balance value in the respective field of the column 'Zero value' in the channel configuration dialog. If the column is invisible, you can make it visible via the main menu Options/Channel list/Columns visible/Zerobalance values.

Note: It is not possible to zero balance a channel during a running DAQ job!

Open the Zero-balance options dialog (channel configuration ribbon, Zero balance/Options...) and select the zero-balance method 'Use synchronous high-precision zero balancing with averaging'. Then specify the average time in seconds. All following zero balance operations will now use this method.

It is not possible to change a DAQ channel's ranking, since its position in the channel list determined by the hardware configuration. However, to change the ranking of a computation channel by click and hold down the mouse on the channel row header cell, then drag it to the desired position in the channel list and drop it there.

You can configure the channel list via the main menu Options/Channel List. You can show or hide the following columns: Hardware position, Hardware type, Sensor, Status/Reading, Zero-balance values, Channel comment, Limit value monitoring, Sample rate, and Filter. Furthermore, you can specify text properties and table colors to make the channel list table more concise.

Select the context menu 'Show all columns' in the header column of the channel list table to display all columns again. You can rearrange the header columns of the channel list table by dragging them to the position you want.

You can deactivate the selected channel(s) by clicking the channel configuration ribbon menu 'Active'. Click it again to activate the channel(s). With more deactivation criteria in the dropdown menu of the 'Active' ribbon menu, you can even deactivate channels without sensor assignment, channels with initialization failure, or channels in overflow state.

Channels can also be activated/deactivated in the channel parameters table (ribbon tab 'DAQ jobs', group 'Channel parameters'). Channel activation is set individually for each DAQ job. If you want to apply the setting to the first DAQ job only, make sure the option 'Apply to first DAQ job only' (Options/Channel List) is selected.

Note: A measurement is not possible if there is no active channel available in the DAQ project.

Use the context menu of the 'Reading' column or the 'Sample' ribbon control to select the numerical precision. This precision is then also used for indicators on panels. Alternatively, you can preset the precision for all channels via the main menu Options/Channel List/Signal Reading.

You can restrict the channels to be displayed in the channel list table via the 'Display Filter' feature (ribbon tab 'DAQ channels', group 'Channel'). You can set your own display filter combination, for example, to display active channels only, to display channels with valid measurement values or sensor assignment only, or even channels with a specified filter expression that is applied to a channel name or sensor name. An active channel that is hidden in the channel list table will still be stored and saved for the measurement.

By default, the time channels are not displayed in the channel list table. Disable the option 'Hide time channels in channel tables' (Options/Channel List) to show them again.

It is possible to create all formulas in this group inside the editor; however, the predefined formulas are computed significantly faster, increasing the performance of your system.

To edit a computation channel, select the channel you want to modify and then click the 'Edit' button in the 'Computation channels' group in the ribbon bar. Alternatively, you can simply open the computation channel dialog by double-clicking the 'Sensor/Function' column of the selected computation channel.

Sensors

This can be solved in two different ways:

  1. In the sensor database, create a new sensor and specify the adaptation data printed on your sensor.
  2. Modify the adaptation for your DAQ project only. In this case, the sensor data stored in the sensor database remains unchanged. Open the channel configuration tab of the ribbon bar and click the button 'Sensor adaptation' of the sensor group. A dialog will appear where you can manually enter the four points of the sensor adaptation. The data for the values in electrical units can also be obtained via a measurement by clicking the lightning symbol.

Yes, it is possible to adapt the sensor without doing a new sensor assignment with version 5.2 and higher.

New sensors can only be created in 'My sensors' group. This serves to protect the sensors created by yourself if the groups of HBM standard sensors are updated after the installation of a new version.

Open the sensor database editor (tab sensor database of the ribbon bar) in your DAQ project. Select 'New sensor' from the 'Edit' group. You must first click on the 'DAQ Channel' tab to display the sensor database tab.

In this case, a transducer with a TID chip is connected to the channel. Unlike a TEDS (Transducer Electronic Data Sheet) this chip only contains an identification number. catman Easy/AP tries to locate this ID in its sensor database. If successful, the sensor will be assigned to the channel. If no corresponding ID can be found the above message is displayed.

You may add a new sensor with this ID to the sensor database. Copy the ID into the clipboard (context menu 'Sensor/Copy sensor ID') and open the sensor database (register tab 'Sensor database'). Create a new sensor in a group of your choice and paste the clipboard contents into the field labeled 'Sensor-ID'.

In case you are not interested in the ID stored in the chip simply double-click on the status column again and the error message will disappear. In this case, you should assign a sensor manually.

In this case, catman Easy/AP performed a sensor scan after loading the project and encountered one or more sensors with ID chips (TEDS or TID). Since your project does not contain these sensor IDs, catman Easy/AP reports non-matching sensor IDs.

Disable the option 'Execute sensor scan' (search for connected TEDS sensors) in group 'After loading a DAQ project' (OPTIONS/SENSORS) if you are not interested in hardware sensor IDs and work with sensors from the sensor database only.

Yes, just use 'Create computation channel from sensor' in the context menu of the sensor column of the channel table. A computation channel will be created for each selected hardware channel with the source channel as an argument channel which is replicating the scaling of the assigned sensor. The sensor assignment of the source channel is removed, and the channel is set to a 1:1 scaling to retrieve the unscaled electrical values.

Note: A sensor from the sensor database must be assigned to the source channel. This function is not supported by the sensor types CAN BUS, SSI, thermocouple, resistance thermometer (Pt100), and IRIGB.

Assigning a CAN signal to a channel is very similar to assigning a sensor. The sensor group list contains a node labeled 'CAN databases' (only visible if there is at least one ML71). By expanding this node, you get access to the CAN databases stored on the ML71 card (one per CAN port). Assigning a signal works the same as with sensors: simply drag a signal to a channel or double-click on a signal to assign it to the channel currently highlighted.

To load a CAN database into a car, please select SPECIAL/CAN CONFIGURATION from the 'DAQ channels' register tab or the context menu of the sensor list. A special CAN bus dialog will be opened. In this dialog, you can select a database file and load it into the ML71 card for either port 1 or port 2. The dialog shows all the available ML71 cards to enable you to load several databases at once without having to close the dialog.

Note: Only databases in the format defined by Vector (.DBC) are supported.

Select the range of channels you want to assign signals to. Then double-click on the signal that is to be assigned to the first channel of this range. catman Easy/AP will connect all subsequent channels with the signals following this first signal. If more channels are selected than signals are available in the message group, assignment will stop.

User Interface

In the 'File' menu(main menu) you will find the central functions to open/store projects, switch between DAQ and Analysis mode, print panels or pages, access the options dialog, and properly terminate catman.

Use the button on the far right of the ribbon to minimize or maximize it. Once you've minimized the ribbon, you have more space available for the main window. Click on the still visible section (the name) of a tab to show it temporarily so that you can select an action.

Click on 'Visualization' tab in the 'Panel/page' group and execute the command 'Full screen mode' to display the visualization area in full-screen mode. In full-screen mode, the ribbon and all component windows are hidden. Press the Esc key to switch back to the normal view. It is generally recommended to use a screen resolution of at least 1600x900 pixels (HD+ standard) to ensure optimal visibility.

These tabs all belong to the function group 'DAQ channels'. They will only appear when you click this tab. If you click any other tab not related to this function group (e.g. 'Visualization'), they disappear again.

Please note, however, that visibility of these tabs may also have been deactivated in the 'Option/Program functions' settings.

At the top of the panel area, you will find tabs for each visualization panel or print page. Floating panels are also displayed as buttons in the Windows taskbar. Click any one of them to display the corresponding floating panel.

 The 'Cockpit' tab is only visible after you enable the EasyScript or AutoSequences option. On this tab, you will find the central control commands.

  • Start/Stop DAQ job
  • Start/Stop AutoSequence, load AutoSequence project
  • Start/Stop EasyScript, load EasyScript project

If the 'Cockpit' tab is selected, the visualization panels/print pages are visible - you may, however, not move or configure the objects. Also, the channel list is not visible. You must switch to the 'Visualization' tab to get full access to the object configuration and channel selection.

The status information of a running DAQ job is displayed in a status bar at the bottom of the main window. In the status bar, you will find the controls to access the 'Prevent RT lag' dialog and the On-Board Recording status window. Click the entry in the status bar when it is visible. To display the status bar above the panel area, enable the option 'Status bars position top' in the 'Style' category in 'Options' dialog.

The DAQ job message bar shows all the status messages of the measurement job (e.g. triggering events, the occurrence of an event, disconnection of a device etc.) during a running measurement job above the panel area. You can navigate through the messages at any time and click the 'Hide' button to hide the message bar. It can be displayed again by using the 'Window' menu on the right side of the ribbon.

The 'Job status' dialog shows information such as the camera status, size of available memory. Click the'Additional...'button in the status bar during a running measurement job to open the 'Job status' dialog.

Press and hold the window's title bar that you want to move, and then drag it to the title bar of the other. You can undock it by dragging the tab (the name) away from the arranged tabs.

The closed windows can be reopened by using the 'Window' menu on the right side of the ribbon. Click the 'Reset component windows' from the 'Window' drop-down menu to reset the layout (visibility, size and position of the window) of all the component windows to the default settings.

QuantumX Modules

catman Easy/AP provides a more powerful and easy-to-use scan method for QuantumX modules. In the dialog 'Scan options', simply activate the 'QuantumX - use device manager' option.

The DeviceManager will automatically find all modules available on the Ethernet segment visible to your PC. In addition, the scan will also find any modules connected to your PC via FireWire, modules connected to a QuantumX CX27 processor unit, or MGCplus devices with the CP52 communication processor.

Pressing '​​​​​​​New DAQ project' opens the DeviceManager dialog and starts scanning for modules. Select the modules you want to include in your DAQ project from the list of modules found and press '​​​​​​​Connect'.

Notes:

  • For the DeviceManager to find the devices ports 31416 and 31417 must be enabled for incoming traffic (multicast).
  • The DeviceManager will also list modules to which a connection will not be possible (i.e. cannot be included in the DAQ project) because their address subnet mask does not match your PC's subnet mask. In this case, you may change the module address from within the DeviceManager.
  • Modules connected to your PC via FireWire or modules connected to a CX27 processor module are always in total included in the DAQ project. In this case, you cannot select individual modules.
  • The register tab 'Module info' shows an XML view of the complete module settings.

When you create a new DAQ project, it consists of the QuantumX modules selected in the scan result list in HBM DeviceManager and sorted in ascending alphabetical order by module name. You can change the display order of the QuantumX modules in HBM DeviceManager simply by clicking the desired column header field (module name, module type, or UUID) in the module list table. However, the display order in HBM DeviceManager does not have any influence on the order of the QuantumX modules in DAQ project.

Notes:

  • Modules connected to a CX27 processor module are always in total included in the DAQ project and sorted by module name as default.
  • The EasyPlan module allows you to prepare a DAQ project OFFLINE without the devices to be connected. In this mode, you can define the order of the devices you wish to sjow in your DAQ project. You may also add or remove a module ONLINE into an already existing DAQ project by using the corresponding menu functions under the 'Special' ribbon menu. This enables you to reorganize the module list in your way. 

This may happen if, for some reason, the connection to the modules' scan ports 1200, 1201, and 1300 could not be established. Scanning requires these ports to be available for UDP protocol. If communication through these ports is blocked by safety policies on your PC (e.g. a firewall) the modules will not be found. Contact your network administrator to get these ports unlocked for UDP protocol.

If the module is not listed in HBM DeviceManager, a reason might be that the module is also connected to a CX27. In this case, the module is only listed under the CX27 regardless of whether it is additionally connected, for example, via Ethernet to prevent accidental double assignments of a module to a DAQ project.

This may happen if, for some reason, the connection to the command port 5001 and the data streaming ports of the module could not be established. Data streaming requires the ports 7411 and the HTTP port (80) to be available. If communication through these ports is blocked by safety policies on your PC (e.g. a firewall) no connection will be possible. Contact your network administrator to get these ports unlocked.

Connect the CX27 to your PC via Ethernet only. Make sure that no sub-module connected to the CX27 nor the CX27 itself or an active backplane is additionally connected to your PC via FireWire!

For catman Easy/AP to be able to connect to a module, the IP address of the module must match the subnet mask of your PC. That means that the sections of the IP address belonging to a 255 section of the subnet mask must be the same on your PC and the module.

You may change a module's IP address using the DeviceManager located in the start menu (HBM/catman Easy/DeviceManager). After startup, the DeviceManager lists all modules physically visible from your PC - regardless of their IP addresses. You may then assign a new address (matching your PC's subnet mask) to every module. You must close catman Easy/AP before launching the DeviceManager and vice versa!

Note: catman Easy/AP will only connect to modules inside the address range specified in the 'Scan options'. Even if a module's address matches the PC subnet mask, it will not be visible in catman Easy/AP if the address is outside the scan range. 

In the HBM DeviceManager, you may specify 'Automatic address assignment (DHCP)' for every module instead of setting a fixed IP address. In this case, upon power on, the module will receive an IP address from your PC (or a DHCP server located in your LAN) which automatically matches your subnet mask. Connection to the module is then immediately possible. Make sure the TCP/IP settings of your PC are set to 'Automatically obtain IP address'.

Since an IP address obtained automatically is not known in advance (and may change with every new power-on of the module) the scan range specified in catman Easy/AP 'Scan options' must include the whole range from 1 to 255.

The connector No. 1 of an MX840 module can be alternatively operated in CAN bus mode. To switch the connector to this operating mode, simply drag a CAN sensor from the sensor database to the first channel of the MX840. For that purpose, the sensor database must contain CAN sensors (refer to the next item to learn how to include CAN sensors in the sensor database). During this process, you will be asked how many CAN subchannels (signals) shall be provided (default is 8, max. is 128). You may then assign more CAN sensors to these subchannels.

The connector retains CAN operating mode after power-down or shutting down catman Easy/AP. With the next device scan, catman Easy/AP will thus already display CAN channels. The number of CAN channels to be displayed can be set up in the 'Scan option/CAN bus options' (default is 8). This is to prevent catman Easy/AP from always including 128 CAN channels in your DAQ project (the number of signals the connector 1 internally always provides if switched to CAN mode) from which only a few may actually be connected to CAN sensors.

To switch back the connector to analog IN again, simply drag an analog sensor (e.g. DC 10V or a full bridge) to channel 1 of the MX840 module.

Note: Storage of Vector Informatik databases directly in the module (like in MGCplus ML71) is not supported. Instead, import these databases into the catman sensor database and then assign the CAN signals like any other sensor.

In the sensor database edit mode (File/Sensor database...) you may either add CAN sensors manually (New CAN signal) or even import complete CAN databases in the format of the Vector Informatik GmbH (File/Import/Vector CAN database). The CAN signals contained in the Vector database will then become a permanent part of your sensor database. The original Vector database is no longer needed.

CAN sensors requiring an active supply voltage must be configured accordingly in the sensor database (property 'Active supply [V]'). 

CAN signals usually arrive asynchronously and are not related to the sample rate of your catman Easy/AP DAQ job. To, nevertheless, ensure a synchronous data stream across all channels (important for y(t) or y(x) displays and online computations) the catman DAQ kernel 'expands' the CAN data to the catman Easy/AP sample rate by inserting duplicate values (repeating previous values) if necessary.

Use the context menu of the channel list ('Sensor/CAN configuration...'). Select the 'Baudrate' register tab. The baudrate can be specified individually for every MX840 or MX471 connector in your project. Simply select the MX840 module or the MX471 connector in the module list located in the upper part of the dialog.

Note: The baudrate will be set immediately before your DAQ job starts!

Several CAN sensors expect specific command messages sent over the bus to become active. Such messages can be defined using the channel list context menu 'Sensor/CAN configuration...'. Select the register tab 'Bus commands' and add as many messages as you like. For every message, you need to specify the identifier, the length (number of bytes), and the byte sequence.

Command messages may be specified individually for every MX840 or MX471 connector in your project. Simply select the MX840 module or the MX471 connector in the module list located in the upper part of the dialog.

Note: The command messages will be sent immediately before your DAQ job starts!

MX840 knows three different modes regarding TEDS (Transducer Electronic Data Sheet) operation:

  • Ignore TEDS: a TEDS connected will be ignored, contents will not be read.
  • Use TEDS if available: if a TEDS sensor is connected it will be read.
  • TEDS required: the channel will not produce valid signal readings unless a valid TEDS sensor is connected. This mode is not supported in catman Easy/AP.

Only the 'Activate TEDS' function will force the channel to 'Use TEDS'. If during a TEDS scan, catman detects that a channel is switched to 'Ignore TEDS' it will indicate this in the 'Status' column of the channel list. During channel initialization, the channel is set to 'Use TEDS if available'. Assigning a sensor from the sensor database will set the channel to 'Ignore TEDS'. Any subsequent TEDS scan will again switch the channel to 'Use TEDS if available' if a TEDS sensor is found.

These types of scaling will be executed inside the hardware by default. In the case of modules not supporting these scaling types, scaling will be done automatically in the software.

Check whether the sensor contains an erroneous or empty TEDS (see 'Channel info' window of the channel configuration tab). If so, switch TEDS usage OFF (see channel configuration ribbon, 'Sensor' group or the context menu of thechannel's 'Sensor/Function' column).

QuantumX MX1609: The maximum sample rate of this module is 600 Hz. If you want to acquire channels from other modules (MX840) at higher rates simultaneously together with MX1609, all channels belonging to MX1609 must be put into the slow sample rate group. MX1609 only supports thermocouples of type K. The MX1609T supports thermocouples of type T instead of K.

QuantumX MX590: The MX590 is a specialized module for the direct connection of pressure. The modules are factory-calibrated to certain pressure ranges - it is not possible (and not necessary!) to assign a sensor to channels of such a module. The output unit of an MX590 module will always be 'bar'.

QuantumX MX840B/MX440B: In contrast to the MX840/MX840A/MX440A a maximum sample rate of 38400 Hz is supported but only on channels which are not configured for bridge sensors. On these channels, the maximum sample rate is still 19,200 Hz.

QuantumX MX410/MX411/MX403: The maximum sample rate for these modules is 96000 Hz in standard operating mode. They can be switched to Highspeed mode from version 5.3 and higher. In this mode, connectors 3 and 4 are deactivated but the maximum sample rate on connectors 1 and 2 is 192,000 Hz.


catman FAQs: Visualization and Recording

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about visualization and recording in HBM's catman data acquisition software.

catman FAQs: Data Handling and Analysis

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about data handling and data analysis in HBM's catman data acquisition software.


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