YSI Data Scout Advanced - Manual (Page 43)

effective. Any name is permitted as long as it can be part of a valid Windows
®
file name. If the name is left blank, then the next
recorded data file name will begin with an underline character followed by the <date> and <time> fields, all separated by an underline
character.
As soon as a new file is created (and a set of header lines describing the transducer and other Data Scout Advanced parameters are
recorded to it) it is closed. Thereafter, it is reopened as a text file (with the append option) only when a scan is ready to be recorded to
it after which it is immediately closed at the end of a complete scan. This makes the file less vulnerable to the user forgetting to close it
when finishing a recording session since it is always incrementally written by appending to it and it remains closed most of the time
between scans (particularly when using the Demand (i.e., 1 button) acquisition or Continuous (i.e., On button) acquisition with a
non-zero Acquire Period).
When the Record function is On, the leftmost box changes from a white background to a bright green background. A relative time
stamp is displayed for each sub-scan of a particular measurement that is recorded. This box remains bright green until the Record
function is stopped by clicking the Off button. The time stamp is also written to the data file before each measurement’s sub-scan. As
the time stamp grows, its format and resolution changes from fractional sec, to min:sec, then hr:min:sec. in order to continue to fit
into the box.
The text box labeled Name, containing the File Beginning Name, is normally light-green while Record is Off. If Record function is
On, and a measurement scan is also currently being acquired, it turns bright-green. If the Record function is On, and a measurement
scan is not currently being acquired, the box is bright yellow indicating that file has been created, but is not currently being written to.
The particular Record data file format selected depends on how the recorded data will be used. The two formats are both simple
sequential text files. However, the one with the .txt extension, records data in a more directly human-readable block format with each
particular measurement’s sub-scan (a time stamp followed by a sample of the measurement(s) from each configured transducer)
written to a separate line of the file. At the end of complete scan a blank line is written. This so-called block format repeats for every
complete scan.
The format with the .csv extension (comma-separated variable text file), records the same basic data but all these data are contained on
the same spreadsheet row (text line). That is, each individual measurement’s time stamp and sub-scan is written on the same
spreadsheet row. There is no blank line dividing complete scans from sub-scans. Commas separate each datum to make it easier for a
spreadsheet program to read and display the file.
The Record options for File Name and File Format are persistent, in that they are saved in a file (Run.ini) when the Run window exits.
Such options will be restored the next time the Run window is activated. The On and Off Record options are not persistent thus the
Run window always starts with Record Off.
4.2.5 RUN WINDOW’S AUTOLOG FEATURE
The Run window’s AutoLog menu items are at the bottom of both the Configure and Acquire menus (figures 4.19 and 4.20).
YSI Incorporated Data Scout Advanced 39
Figure 4.19 Figure 4.20