Quick Start: Browsing an Absolute Fleximeter file

This Demo will guide you through the data analysis of Absolute Fleximeter (flex) output files.

In order to follow the tutorial you should:

  • Download and Install Misura™ (see Installation).
  • Get the sample file Absolute Fleximeter Sample File 1.h5 and save it to a known location (eg: your Desktop)

Opening the output file

  1. Run browser.exe application from the folder where you extracted Misura™, or run the link you created on your desktop.
  2. In the Recent data sources window, under the first column Recent files, click on Add button.
  3. Browse to the location where you downloaded Absolute Fleximeter Sample File 1.h5, select and open it.
  4. The loading process will start. If the file is considerably big (several GB) or located on network or slow storage drive, it may take several seconds to open.
  5. The file is displayed on a new tab, on the right of the Databases tab.

The test file tab is divided in three areas:

  • A menu bar in the upper part of the window
  • A right area called Test Configuration. It is divided in at least 4 vertical tabs: Measure, Thermal Cycle, Sample0 and Results.
  • A central area displaying movable and resizable sub-windows, where you see the Data Plot window.

Test Configuration and Data

The most relevant configuration options used for the test run and output results are displayed in the right Test Configuration area.

Measure overview

The first Measure tab contains the list of options regarding the test run.

Detect the following:

  • Name: Name of the test run, set by the operator anytime before the end of the test.
  • Operator: the login name used by the operator who started the test.
  • Type: The type of the test (usually Standard or Calibration).
  • Elapsed time: the total duration of the test.

Thermal cycle

This tab contains a table with points defining the thermal cycle and a graph with a cartesian representation.

The graph displays two curves: the red line is the setpoint temperature; the blue line is the heating rate.

If you cannot see the axes and their labels, enlarge the application window and the Test Configuration area.

Sample data

Most relevant data in the Sample0 tab are:

  • Name: if set, the name the operator gave to this specific sample. It is mainly useful for multi-sample measurement.
  • Initial sample dimension: the operator must set this value to the initial sample length, measured with another instrument (eg: a digital micrometer).
  • Record frames/profiles: did the operator required full frames and (x,y) sample profiles to be recorded onto the output file? They are usually turned off.

You can ignore Border angle, Motion start, Total displacement, Cumulative error options an all their nested options, as they are only useful during live acquisition.

Results

The Results tab displays the Navigator tree component. It is the tree of recorded datasets (curves), organized by groups. Each group represents a part of the instrument or of the measurement.

For example:

  • /flex element represents the Absolute Fleximeter instrument itself. It generates no datasets, but contains one sample (sample0).
  • /kiln element represents the furnace, and contains datasets regarding temperature control (T, temperature; S, setpoint; P, power; etc).

We will see it in detail in next sections, as it is the most powerful and versatile component of the interface.

Interacting with the Data Plot

The Misura™ Navigator tree is the gate to the most important actions you can perform on the data plot.

In order to plot one more dataset (for example the temperature setpoint):

  1. Right-click on the dataset you wish to plot on the Navigator tree (/kiln/S).
  2. Select the Plot action from the context menu.

The same apply for removing a dataset and all its related objects from the plot. The Plot action will be checked if the curve is visible, unchecked if not visibile.

The setpoint curve plot is now referred to its own axis labelled S (°C). To better compare temperature and setpoint, it is useful to refer the setpoint plot to the temperature axis:

  1. Right-click on the setpoint curve on the Data Plot window. Select Properties from the context menu.
  2. A new dialog window opens, listing all the properties of the plotted curve. Search for the bold Y axis entry.
  3. Change Y axis from ax:S to ax:T. The curve will be immediately referred to the T (°C) axis.

The S (°C) axis loses its scale (it’s now from 0 to 1). It’s no longer useful, so you can hide it:

  1. Right-click on the S (°C) axis, select Properties.
  2. The first entry is Hide. Check the checkbox. The axis disappears.

You can freely move any axis by clicking on it and dragging.

Viewing flexion in micron unit

The /flex/sample0/d dataset represents flexion. It is recorded in microns and automatically converted to percentile on dataset loading, but is frequently useful to analyze it as an absolute value in microns. The percentile is calculated towards the distance between the flex rods, set before starting the test.

Follow these steps to convert the curve back to microns:

  1. Locate the d (/flex/sample0/d) element in the Navigator. #. Right-click and select the flagged action Percentile.
  2. A dialog will appear. Click Apply.
  3. A new temporary label in the dialog confirms the dataset was created (Done). Click Close.
  4. If the curve is currently plotted, you immediately view the effect in the graph.
  5. By right-clicking again on the dataset node the Percentile action is now unflagged.