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How to import and view the CSV realtime data

In GS-911, real-time data can be logged to a .CSV file. This file is semicolon (";") separated.

To graph or otherwise manipulate the real-time data, the CSV file has to be imported into a spreadsheet or graphing application (like LiveGraph). Examples of popular spreadsheet applications are Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc (opensource free download from http://www.openoffice.org).

How to use Excel:

 

As these log files are separated using a semicolon ";" Excel might have trouble importing this the first time, depending on the regional setting in your version of Microsoft Windows.

In order for Excel to import these CSV files seamlessly, you have to set the "list separator" to semicolon ";" under the Regional Options.

For Windows XP:

"HOW TO: Change Date, Time, Number, and Currency Value Displays in Windows XP"

Alternatively : Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options -> In Regional Options Tab, click Customize button -> Modify "List separator" to ";"-> click Apply button -> click Apply again...

For Windows Vista:

In Windows Vista, go to Control Panel, then choose, Clock language and Regions, then Regional and Language, when the next window pops up the TAB at the top named FORMATS is already displayed, click on the button near the bottom CUSTOMIZE THIS FORMAT. Here you will find the List Separator, change it to ";".

A good alternative to to Excel or OpenOffice would be LiveGraph (http://live-graph.sourceforge.net/)

The picture below shows a typical screenshot of LiveGraph.

LiveGraph.png

 

How to use Live Graph:

  • You can open the .CSV by clicking the Open button (circled red above), in the "Data File Settings (LiveGraph)" window.
  • You select a variable to plot from the "Data series settings (LiveGraph)" window - just tick the one(s) you want to plot.
  • Graphs are plotted in the "Plot (LiveGraph)" window.
  • You can change colors or scaling factors in the "Data series settings (LiveGraph)" window...

If you want to use this on a log from an older version of GS-911 (pre 2010), then make sure that your CSV file conforms to the following (NOT needed post 2010):
Before opening a GS-911 CSV file in LiveGraph, it has to be edited into the correct format.
  1. Use any text editor (such as notepad) to edit the .csv file
  2. the first line of the file has to be "##;##" (this tells LiveGraph that it should use a semicolon as delimiter)
  3. all other lines above the column headings should start with a hash "#" (this makes them comments, as the first data LiveGraph requires are the headings)