StrainDAQ

Field and Laboratory Data Logging Software

StrainDAQ is a comprehensive, user-friendly data collection software package developed for laboratory and field testing and analysis. This versatile software supports a variety of sensor inputs (i.e., strain gage, voltage transducer, current transducer, thermocouple, etc.), and makes it simple to setup, calibrate, and measure for each input type. Menu-driven instructions allow for quick hardware and channel set up, testing, and data post-processing. With StrainDAQ, users are able to select specific input channels to acquire data, plot, display, and even store for future test runs. Data is stored in a binary format and can be exported as ASCII files.

StrainDAQ also automatically corrects for Wheatstone bridge nonlinearity, transverse sensitivity (when applicable), and calculates temperature-induced apparent strain values. In addition, the acquired strain values for single, biaxial (Tee), and triaxial (Rectangular and Delta) rosettes can be reduced to principal stresses, stress orientation (Phi), and equivalent stresses (von Mises failure criteria). The data reduction can be performed in “real-time”.

StrainDAQ Software Features

Supported Systems:
- Windows 7 (SP1 and later), Windows 8, Windows 10
- 32-bit and 64-bit support
- USB and Ethernet device support
Supported sensor types:
- Strain Gage — convenient default values throughout the setup process reduces the “setup to acquisition” time to an absolute minimum
- Voltage Transducer — any device, such as a pressure transducer, displacement transducer, load cell, or full bridge
- Current Transducer — any device, such as a pressure transducer, signal converter, or displacement transducer
- Thermocouple — all common types supported (displayed in user-defined units – °F, °C, °R, K)
- Digital Output Device — 24V logic or TTL device, such as an encoder or counter
- IEPE Sensor — constant current excitation device, such as an accelerometer or pressure transducer
Supported DAQ drivers:
- National Instruments NI-DAQmx drivers
- Measurement Computing drivers
- Simulated signals — for training without hardware
- Additional drivers can be configured by request
Simple channel setup:
- Sensor type, input limits, tag-name, calibration type, calibration parameters, scan rate—all selected within one window
- Setup identical channels easily with the multi-channel copy wizard
- Tabular view of all setup parameters allows for a convenient review of the entire channel list
Calibration methods:
- Offset only
- Manual offset and gain entry
- Two-Point Calibration — a zero and a single shunt calibration
- Three-Point Calibration — a zero and two shunt calibrations
- Shunt Verification — a method to verify that sensor and hardware are performing correctly based on calibrated gain
Data recording options (multiple options may be selected simultaneously):
- Manual — discrete recording where only single data points are needed when a button is pressed. Allows gauge readings to be manually entered.
- Continuous — data recorded at user-defined time intervals (averaged to “smooth” the data). This recording type can start recording data at user-defined triggers or when a button is pressed.
- Interval — data recorded at a user-defined scan rate with triggering to start the recording process. This recording type is useful for triggering off of events and limiting the amount of data stored.
- Peak-Valley Recording — data recorded during user-defined peak and valley data values.
- Automatic Summary File Generation — summary files automatically generated as files are completed
Real-time calculated (virtual) channels — available to perform complex equations or logical operations
- Mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentials, polynomials)
- Conditional functions (logical If, Then, Else statements)
- Common functions (hydraulic cylinder load calculations, additional functions can be added upon request)
- Multi-channel averaging
- Cycle counting
- Remote system variable calculations
- Calculations can be made through drag-and-drop setup or manual entry
- Multiple calculations can be made within a single calculated channel
Setups can be easily saved and reused during future tests
View setup function — view entire setup in a screen that can be exported and saved in CSV format

Scan and Display:
- User-defined display lists that can be toggled to monitor engineering units, raw voltage, zero offset, gain, excitation voltage, and reference excitation voltage
- Testing Display Screen
  - Display user-defined tables, charts, and graphs (time-based or X Y) while simultaneously acquiring data
    - Independent windows for each table, chart, or graph
    - Multiple tables, charts, and graphs can be displayed at the same time
    - Resizing available on many tables, charts, and graphs
    - On exit, system remembers which windows are open and where they are placed onscreen for future recall
    - Real-time frequency spectrum plot available
  - Special meter functions can be added for display, including:
  - Peak-valley
  - Cycle counting
  - Min/Max
- Time-interval based email generation (user must supply email server information)
New Scan and Display:
- Data files are stored in a binary format to conserve space, but these files can be exported to the following file types:
  - Tab-delimited ASCII
  - Comma separated variable (CSV)
  - Native Excel XLSX fi
- User-defined export options
  - Export data range
  - Export selected channels
  - Export reduced data (every third sample, etc.)
  - Merge multiple binary files
Summary file generator and viewer for summarizing long-term data logging into a compressed file. The viewer allows the summary file to be viewed graphically
Additional optional plugins:
- Rosette setups:
  - Easier and faster rosette configuration — single and group rosettes can be configured from one screen
  - Supported rosette types include single, biaxial (tee), and triaxial (Rectangular and Delta)
  - Allows user to define strain gage rosette parameters (GF, K_t, temperature coefficients) used in “real-time” stress calculations
  - All applicable corrections performed on strain gage channels automatically (bridge nonlinearity, transverse sensitivity, and apparent strain)
  - Routine strain gage reduction (principle stresses, orientation-angle, and equivalent stress)
- Pipe-bending calculations for axial stress, force, bending stress, bending moment, and axial dogleg — all made in both the 0° and 90° planes
- Post-processing module (also shipped as a standalone utility known as “StrainDAQ Viewer”) that can create report-quality data plots and stress/strain tables from previously acquired strain gage data
- Summary file generator and viewer for summarizing long-term data logging into a compressed file. The viewer allows the summary file to be viewed graphically
- Plot Spectrum — plots the recorded data in the frequency domain for determining frequency components within the data
- Auto-plot — automatically generates plots and prints them
- Advanced external timing and triggering options for data collection

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