Starting Data Collection

Stages Starting... Initializing Setting SyncGroups Configuring Module Calibrating Verifying Calibration Starting... RUNNING Note: Steps 5 and 6 are only done if Calibration is On

To start data collection, press the StartData button (circled above in red). The StartData button changes to "Starting" (circled below in red) and DynaDAQ begins performing startup procedures. The startup messages are displayed in the message window (circled below in blue):

Startup Stages

• The "Initializing" stage initializes functions which apply to all channels.
• The "Setting SyncGroups" stage makes sure that all channel data is synchronized.
• The "Configuring Module" stage sets the gain for each channel.
• The "Calibrating" stage performs calibration.
• The "Verifying Calibration" stage makes sure that the calibration coefficients have taken gain into account.
• The "Starting..." stage puts the DAQ832 into run mode.
• The "RUNNING" stage changes the "Starting" button to a "Stop" button (circled below in red). Data is collected for realtime viewing only until the "Record" button is pressed.

Processing

Note the "Processing" message (circled above in orange). This is an indication that data is being collected successfully and no data has been lost. If the "Processing" message changes to an "Overrun" message, that means that data has been lost.

Data can be lost when...

• The computer processor is not fast enough. It should be at least 900Mhz to run at 6.4MB/s.
• The computer hard drive speed is not fast enough and alot of data is being collected. This applies when recording data. The recommended hard drive speed is 30MB/s.
• The user starts other applications.
• The user is running other applications which are using processing time.
• Applications are running in the background such as email programs, or virus scanners.
• The user drags the DynaDAQ window. When the window is dragged, the operating system takes control of processing until the window is no longer dragged. When this happens, the software can not collect data. The hardware does buffer some data, but if the software can not gain control fast enough, the buffer may overflow.

To Stop Data collection, press the StopData button (circled above in red). If you were recording, the recording is also stopped.