Laptop computer USB to Propeller1 interface
Discovery
Posts: 606
in Propeller 1
I am using a propeller 1 to control a system but have not yet added a capability to display system data on a laptop computer. Is there a simple way to interface the readout of measurement data on a laptop computer?
Sincerely,
Discovery
Comments
I use Labview, but you can use Python etc.
Can you explain how they are used to display data to the screen?
Can you reference a tutorial?
Some years ago I helped my friend Rick with a TV commercial. We used Python with PyGame to create displays needed on the PC. The Propeller send serial messages to control what we saw on the displays.
What is your preference. Labview you have to buy, but there are free student and trial versions, Python is free.
This is a basic for python.
Why not just use the Propeller Tool's serial terminal? From there you can copy and paste the data to Excel or another app for graphing, etc.
-Phil
Hi Phil,
I would like to make the data and display exchange as simple as possible and using Propeller Tools serial terminal appears to be the right approach. How do I get started using the tools?
Discovery
Download Propeller Tool from the Parallax website, install it on your Windows machine, and go!
-Phil
Maybe explain what you need to display, and how you want that formatted ?
Chip has added some Graphical Debug support to P2 tools, and that uses just serial strings, so I doubt it is essential that a P2 is connected.
Phase 1 is to place ON/OFF status of 10 pumps, 5 temperatures in xxx.xxF, 8 humidity measurements in percent, 10 flow rate measurements, and any other items that are measured and controlled in the system. There must be upper and lower case alpha characters to describe the measurements. The data must be displayed anywhere on the laptop screen.
Phase 2 is to add a display, a 24 hour chart of any of the data on the screen. Actually several charts for visual correlation.
Labview is the way to go. I have a customer that needed to test a resolver in an evironmetal chamber for 18 hrs. cycling from -59F to +300 F. I did it in labview, drag and drop displays and the ability to record the data, play it back or print it on the notepad. Displayed and recorded excitation voltage, output voltage, frequency, temps.. etc.
Discovery,
What you describe sounds exactly like what the old StampPlot did.
It's now called MakerPlot and though not free, it does exactly what you say you want to do and there is a 30-day fully working trial.
Question: I am not familiar with Labview. Is the propeller chip used at all in this configuration?
I will take a look at MakerPlot. Thank you.
Discovery
By the way...how do I exit the forum? There is no button on my screen for exiting.
Discovery.
As a moderator I can remove you. Why would want to remove your self from this forum.
I don't want to be removed from the forum.
It used to be that I would sign-in to the forum then sign-out. I don't see a way to sign-out.
When I access the forum, I am automatically signed-in. Is that the way it is supposed to work? Just curious.
Discovery
Oh, I see it now. Sign-out is under my account. No problem...forget it.
Discovery
OK You will not be removed.
Labview is a creation of National Instruments. It is a very extensive graphical programming environment that costs a fair amount of money. Labview is not related to the Propeller, however there is nothing to say that you couldn't use it to create an interactive environment with the Propeller (or pretty much any electronic device/process) if you wanted to...
Yes Labview can used with the propeller and stamp Bs2. To send data via serial. Python is also a good choice, you can use tkinter
Thank you.
I will take a look at LabView. I hope that it comes with a good selection of I/O.
Discovery
I read the description of LabView off Wikipedia. LabView is far too expensive for my commercial application. Once the code is downloaded to the propeller and operating, all I want is to monitor system status data, state of motors and fans, temperatures, pressures, flow rates, etc. One of the cogs must be an accurate real-time clock.
What would be the right approach for such a laptop monitoring software?
Discovery
Whatever data your collecting with the prop, your going to send and rec. as serial. So any of those programs will work.
Try what Phil suggested and send the data to see if it’s working
Discovery,
These are the last versions of StampPlot before it became MakerPlot.
https://www.parallax.com/package/stampplot-pro-software/
The Process Control kit used StampPlot and you can use or modify its macros.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110904021836/http://www.parallax.com/Store/Education/KitsandBoards/tabid/182/CategoryID/67/List/0/SortField/0/Level/a/ProductID/318/Default.aspx
Thank you.
Discovery