Daqarta
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
Scope - Spectrum - Spectrogram - Signal Generator
Software for Windows
Science with your Sound Card!
The following is from the Daqarta Help system:

Features:

Oscilloscope

Spectrum Analyzer

8-Channel
Signal Generator

(Absolutely FREE!)

Spectrogram

Pitch Tracker

Pitch-to-MIDI

DaqMusiq Generator
(Free Music... Forever!)

Engine Simulator

LCR Meter

Remote Operation

DC Measurements

True RMS Voltmeter

Sound Level Meter

Frequency Counter
    Period
    Event
    Spectral Event

    Temperature
    Pressure
    MHz Frequencies

Data Logger

Waveform Averager

Histogram

Post-Stimulus Time
Histogram (PSTH)

THD Meter

IMD Meter

Precision Phase Meter

Pulse Meter

Macro System

Multi-Trace Arrays

Trigger Controls

Auto-Calibration

Spectral Peak Track

Spectrum Limit Testing

Direct-to-Disk Recording

Accessibility

Applications:

Frequency response

Distortion measurement

Speech and music

Microphone calibration

Loudspeaker test

Auditory phenomena

Musical instrument tuning

Animal sound

Evoked potentials

Rotating machinery

Automotive

Product test

Contact us about
your application!

Revision History - v5.00

Daqarta v5.00.1 - 3 December 2009:

Bug Fix: Activating Stairs button in Sweep dialog of Generator caused crash. Also, Stairs change did not prompt to save changed .GEN setup on exit.

Bug Fix: On Win9x systems only, F8 Hot-Key macros caused crash when Macro Dialog closed automatically at end of macro.


Daqarta v5.00 - 1 December 2009:

Spectrum Cursor Track Dialog replaces former Track button, allows control of Track Threshold, Max and Min limit frequencies, allows special Fundamental and Harmonic tracking modes.

Pitch Track options added to Spectrogram dialog (Sgram/PT). Displays real-time pitch of highest Spectrum Peak versus time on a "piano keyboard" background, with peak amplitude encoded as Spectrogram color.

Pitch-to-MIDI option works with Pitch Track to convert real-time voice, whistle, instrument, or other sound to MIDI synthesizer output. Comprehensive controls for up to 8 simultaneous voices plus percussion. May set selected voices to provide background accompaniment for live performance (percussion, rhythm, bass lines, etc, or complete "karaoke" setup). Extensive Changes script language allows dynamic parameter automation. Performances may be recorded to standard MIDI files.

DaqMusiq operation of Pitch-to-MIDI uses a default internal random source, the Daqarta Generator, or an external source to create music from random inputs. Allows unique changing "compositions" in any musical style, or creative modifications of existing songs. Changes scripts allow dynamic control over all parameters. KaleidoSynth mode uses controlled pitch feedback for live performances. Save or load setup files to exchange with others.

Spectrum Limits Dialog allows Pro-license or trial users to apply limit curves to the spectrum data displayed in Y-log (power spectrum) mode, to allow Pass/Fail testing of transducers or other frequency-sensitive devices or circuits. Limit curve Max and Min files may be created via text editor or from a frequency response spectrum via Save Y-log Trace as .CAL, .CRV, or .LIM File in the File menu.

New Frequency Places control in the Frequency Step Mode dialog allows all Generator frequency controls to show 0 to 9 decimal places of resolution. The setting is stored with the .GEN setup, so different setups may use different resolutions. Help topic includes tip for scrolling at finest resolution (about 89 ppm).

Spectrogram display and Spectrum Track operation now reflect any active Spectrum Curve weighting.

Frequency Counter now includes RPM mode, with Cylinder compensation for measurements made from spark or fuel injector timing pulses. Min and Max buttons allow viewing the minimum or maximum Hertz, RPM, or msec values since the last Reset.

The file Open dialog (via Open Existing in the File Menu, or DD / Open on the toolbar) now allows special single-channel text files to be opened as 1024-value static waveforms with high resolution (up to 48 bits). The same Open dialog is used for loading Arb files, where it rounds to integers in the +/-32767 range but supports up to 8192 values.

Convert Text File to .DAT option added to File Menu, replacing former separate Txt2Dat utility program. Allows text to be converted for use as Play wave or DDisk files.

Trace Update Interval has greatly improved timing accuracy and resolution, may now be set as low as 1 msec. (10 msec for Win9x.) Useful for fine time resolution on real-time Spectrograms.

Generator changes while Input is active (full-duplex mode) now maintain sync alignment, at the cost of a stutter in the output sound. This can be blocked by toggling off the new Sync Restart Generator option in the Edit - Run Preferences dialog.

Update indicator shown at upper right corner of trace on alternating updates to show that trace is "live" even with waveforms or spectra that are constant from trace to trace.

Similarly, small asterisks shown on alternating updates of Frequency Counter, Voltmeter, and Sound Level Meter to assure that they are working, even with very stable signals.

Frequency Counter Update Rate now has Fast and Slow buttons (no Med). Fast is 10 per sec, Slow is 1 per sec but can be changed via new Fcount Slow control in Run Preferences. Counter now displays up to 9 decimal places.

Spectrogram vertical eXpand limits now have same range as Spectrum horizontal eXpand, allowing high expansion of any frequency range.

Synthesizer Burst controls now have greatly improved timing accuracy. The note name and frequency are now displayed above the Synth MIDI Note control. Setting Synth MIDI Voice to 128 activates Percussion mode, where MIDI Note selects the General MIDI Percussion Sound.

Macro IF statements now allow hexadecimal test values via h prefixes. For example, IF.VarA=&h80000001 will be true if VarA has either its most-significant or least-significant bit set. Particularly useful for Limits tests, where 4 different Pass/Fail test results are present in a single variable.

Custom Macro Message Fonts added for control over size, weight, italics, and font family of a custom macro message.

Context Help added for main menu items (File, Edit, Calibration, Options, Help).

Display Magnification settings for all modes now saved at Daqarta exit, restored in next session. For waveform and linear Spectrum modes, SHIFT+Home restores unmagnified full-scale settings at any time. For Spectrum Y-log or Spectrogram modes it restores the full-scale top of the Y-axis if it had been previously shifted via SHIFT+PgUp or SHIFT+PgDn, but does not change the bottom.

Mute and Auto buttons added to Generator Volume/dB Slider dialogs. Auto mirrors Generator Auto-Mute in Edit Menu - Run Preferences.

All/Burst mode button added next to Stream Offset to allow Offset value to be added only to Burst region. Useful for creating complex waves for Arb files.

New Arb Wave Help topics: Arb Files as Controller, Creating Arb Files with the Generator: Rectified Waves, Pulse Trains, Complex Waves.

New Polarity Determination topic for Full-Scale Range Calibration.

New Applications topics: Impedance Measurement, Input Range and Limiter Circuits, and Automotive Applications (Engine RPM Measurement and Crank/Cam Sensor Simulator).

New Appendix topics: Cables and Connectors, Voltage Dividers, General MIDI Instrument Sounds, and General MIDI Percussion Sounds.

New E.IF form of Macro IF allows testing to make sure a control is enabled before attempting to set it via a macro.

New WinVer macro allows Macro IF tests of the major Windows version, to allow macros that adjust to the operating system.

New WaitMsgTitle macro allows setting title of WaitMsg macro messages (with buttons).

Trace Grid control moved to Run Preferences dialog.

Bug Fix: No files could be opened after the trial period expired. (This was not an intentional limitation!)

Bug Fix: Daqarta now works with 64-bit Windows versions.

Bug Fix: Daqarta failed to find a 16-bit sound card if an 8-bit card (modem, etc) had a lower device number.

Bug Fix: Discovered bug in Windows XP waveInGetPosition and waveOutGetPosition functions that caused values to wrap at 2^27 or 2^28 samples instead of 2^32, causing bad data access after (typically) 46 or 92 minutes. Workaround added.

Bug Fix: Timer macros could cause crash on Win9x systems.

Bug Fix: Save Y-log Trace as .CAL, .CRV, or .LIM file created defective file header Unit entry in SPL mode, would not load properly.

Bug Fix: Cursor Sigma Readout showed erroneous values for spectrum averages in Y-log (dB) mode.

Bug Fix: Spectrum Peak averager mode gave erroneous cursor readout values, although trace displays were OK.

Bug Fix: Spectrum Curves were not properly applied to Spectrum Cursor Peak trace display or .TXT file output addenda, although cursor readouts were OK.

Bug Fix: Spectrogram Color Palette dialog was not updating RGB controls properly.

Bug Fix: Macro scroll operations (using =>1 or =>-1) did not work properly.

Bug Fix: Spectrum Cursor Peak did not properly support CPM mode, showed peaks in Hz even though labeled as CPM.

Bug Fix: Possible crash if Sample Rate lower than 239 Hz.

Bug Fix: Setting AM, FM, or Phase Modulation Freq to 0.2 Hz or less could cause program to stop responding if AM, FM, or PM Sync was selected with Trigger Mode set to Gen Sync.

Bug Fix: Left/right arrow keys in live or File Spectrogram caused improper trace motion when Paused.

Bug Fix: Single Frame Trigger now properly waits for the next trigger event after Arm. (Was updating immediately if a recent prior event had occurred.)

Bug Fix: Macros that saved data files could abort the running macro after the file save, ignoring subsequent commands in the macro.

Bug Fix: Pulse A Width display in Pulse Wave Dialog could show B Width value after Width Units change. (Internal value was unaffected.)



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