TracerDAQ® and TracerDAQ® Pro

TracerDAQ and TracerDAQ Pro data acquisition (DAQ) software provides four virtual instruments to acquire, analyze, and display data, and generate signals. No programming experience is needed to create DAQ applications within minutes of installing a MCC DAQ device. TracerDAQ Pro includes enhanced features over standard TracerDAQ.

• TracerDAQ Pro
• TracerDAQ

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• TracerDAQ Feature Comparison

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Compatibility with PLC

Does this software have compatibility with typical Commercial off the shelf PLC's?

Sorry, TracerDAQ PRO is only compatible with Measurement Computing hardware.

How many PC's can this be installed on?

We have 2 PC's that will be recording data and need to know how many PC's this can be installed on at once when purchasing a PRO license?

TracerDAQ PRO is licensed for one PC installation at a time. If you wish to install TracerDAQ pro on multiple PCs at the same time, you must purchase one license per PC.

Can I run a function generator and strip chart at the same time?

Would like to generate an analog output and also read analog input.

Yes, TracerDAQ Pro, allows you to run multiple instances of each application at a time, as long as the applications use different DAQ hardware resources.

Is it compatible with Windows 10?

Yes. Beginning in late 2015, with version 2.3.3, TracerDAQ PRO supported Win10.

Convert history file .sch to .csv or .txt

Hi, is there a way to convert a .sch file to .csv or .txt by code? I found an UL sample program “ULLOG04” that can convert a binary file to .csv but not a history file. I have lots of data stored in history files and i dont want to convert them all by hand using the TracerDAQPro program. Can anyone help me with this?

The UL API does not have a way to read .SCH files from TracerDAQ. MCC can provide a document on the SCH file format upon request.

Rename Strip chart right side channels

Can you rename the right side channels to anything other than CH0 CH1 etc. Can they match the editable channel name?

No, there is not a way to rename those right-side markers. But, with PRO, if you select View Measurements, then a separate measurements table pops up, which displays the most recent value for each channel … and it also displays the unique channel names that you assigned under Edit Channel Settings.

Can TracerDAQ be configured to auto start the s/logging trip chart on computer reboot?

Would like strip chart application to restart recording unattended after power outage

TracerDAQ PRO cannot be configured to “AutoStart” It is a manual process. You would have to use our DASYLab Graphical Programming language and enable the AutoStart feature. Please call Sales Engineering for details.

TracerDAQ not detecting device

Hi, I've just received my new USB-1608FS-Plus :) DAQami finds the device just fine and works as expected but TracerDAQ doesn't detect it - “No DAQ hardware detected.” Am I missing something? I'm using Windows 10 Home 64-bit. Thanks.

The newer DAQami makes configuration easy by automatically discovering the DAQ hardware. The older TracerDAQ requires you to have previously manually run the InstaCal utility to discover the DAQ hardware.

How many channels can TracerDAQ Pro plot at once

If I have a USB-2416 and an AI-EXP32, could I plot every differential input at the same time?

Yes, TracerDAQ PRO is capable of supporting up to 48 inputs from one or multiple DAQ devices and the number of differential inputs that the USB-2416 and the AI-EXP32 supports comes to 32. So you will actually have some channels to spare.

How can I get TracerDAQPro to collect more than 1e6 readings?

I am using TracerDAQPro to collect 3 channels of data at 40hz. I need to continuously collect the data for approximately 53 hours. TracerDAQPro will only collect for 6 hours and 56 minutes max (1,000,000 measurements). Is there any way to extend the range without reducing the sample rate? Or is there any way to have TRACER DAQ automatically store the data and start again without having to manually do it every 7 hours?

TracerDAQ PRO has a hard limit of 1 million samples per channel. Any restart must be manually initiated. If you reduce your sample rate to 5 Hz, you can sample for 53 hours. Otherwise, please consider purchasing DASYLab lite. A free 28 day evaluation version may be downloaded to try out before buying.

What does error code 300 mean?

I am trying to collect some data using TRACERDAQpro and keep running into this error which stops data collection but then continues to display data on the dashboard.

Error 300 is not specific to TracerDAQ, but instead is bubbling up from the underlying DAQ (UL) driver. Error 300 is a catch-all for a variety of low-level bus errors. So if the DAQ device is USB based, then the problem is USB bus related. If using a USB 3.0 port, try a USB 2.0 port, and/or update the USB drivers (for your USB ports) as recommended by your PC vendor. If you are using a USB hub or USB cable extender in between the DAQ the PC, try without it. While less likely, if there are electro-magnetic or inductive events nearby, try moving those away.

If I aquire a waveform can I compare it to another waveform to make sure it is within a known tolerance?

This is to ensure when making a software change in our product software that the timing has not changed.

TracerDAQ PRO does not have the capability of comparing a reference waveform to your acquired waveform. You could convert your TracerDAQ PRO data file into a CSV file and then use Excel to perform the comparison. Another option would be to use our DASYLab BASIC Graphical programming language. The BASIC version supports a “Reference Curve” module which allows you to compare your incoming data to a specified reference curve that you would create. A 28 Day Evaluation version of DASYLab is available for free.

How do I transfer tracer daq pro to a new computer

TracerDAQ PRO is not copy protected, but it is licensed for installation on one PC at a time. It sounds like you are planning to uninstall it from one PC, and therefore you can legally install it onto another PC. If you no longer have your TracerDAQ PRO installation exe file (MCC sells PRO as download-only, not on a physical CD), then you should locate your original purchase email (which includes a link, login, and password), and download the latest version of PRO.

Is it possible to time/date stamp rather than just time lapse or number of scans?

I have TracerDAQ Pro i wanted to see how i can have the time and date scroll across the bottom for my graphs.

The X-axis can only display elapsed time, which is the time from the start of the sampling. It cannot display time-of-day. However, the log file’s timestamps are time-of-day.

What is the difference/benefit of Pro?

Hi, I am having trouble spotting what the advantage of Pro is over the regular TracerDaq software

Hello - We have a comparison chart posted in the resource center that shows the differences between TracerDAQ and TracerDAQ Pro. Please let us know if you have any additional questions

Is TracerDAQ Pro capable of displaying pressure?

My company recently purchased TracerDAQ with the hopes of using the software to record pressure tests for our equipment. After configuring the hardware using InstaCal and using TracerDAQ for logging, I noticed that the only units displayed are in Volts.

Yes, TracerDAQ PRO supports linear scaling. For each strip chart channel, you can enter a multiplier and offset.

User Rights Issues-been fixed?

Tracerdaq has issues with user rights on Windows 7 (possibly XP). Hardware drivers can't be installed unless you have admin privileges (Instacal generates an error) and the computer will hang if logging and the user screen times out. Is there a software update?

First, for the InstaCal error you report when adding new hardware without Administrative privileges, we have resolved that issue in newer InstaCal versions. For your TracerDAQ question, in Win7, you should be able choose either “Switch User” or Lock this computer” without affecting TracerDAQ’s operation, but you cannot “Log off”. Logging off is not possible, since Windows closes all programs, including TracerDAQ.

Does Tracer DAQ Pro can create Diferential Plotting between two channels?

I wish to know if Tracer DAQ Pro is capable of making a strip chart of the difference between two channels. What i need to do is multiply a constant with the linear scaling to this difference. In Other words i want to do this operation : Constant*(tempera

Unfortunately, TracerDAQ PRO does not support mathematical functions with the exception of linear scaling in the form of (m(x) + b. However, we do have a product called DASYLab that would in fact allow for mathematical calculations to be performed on your input signals then displayed on a strip chart.

Number of Channels to be recorded

Is it possible to record 8 analog channels at the same time to a CSV. file with the free version of TracerDAQ?

Yes, the free version can support a maximum total of 8 channels. The PRO version supports 48 channels. In either version, to increase above the default 4 channels: Open the DAQ Hardware Settings window, right click on any of the 4 channels already in the list, and select Number of Channels.

The TracerDAQ does not detect the hardware , how I can set the hardware?

Before launching TracerDAQ, you must first run InstaCal - to have the hardware recognized (and possibly also configure the hardware). Then close InstaCal and re-launch TracerDAQ.

Is it possible to use PMD-1208LS with TracerDAQ

I am trying to record a data with PMD-1208LS. Is it possible to use it with TracerDAQ Thanks

Yes - the PMD-1208LS (now the USB-1208LS) is compatible with TracerDAQ.

Marker Values on Strip chart doesn't work

Marker values just display 0.00 while graphing and output works.

The marker values do start at zero. The markers values are updated each time you move (with the mouse) one or the other marker. i.e. live data scrolling across the screen, in and of itself, does not update the marker values.

Is there any option to create RMS values over time?

I need data logged over long periods of time (hours). If I set it to sample slow enough so that the on-board storage doesn't fill up, I only get say 1 data point per second. My signal is something like a PWM, so I end up getting random points between 0 and 1. Instead I need it to sample fast, create an RMS value, and then just store the RMS value rather than tons of data points. Is there any way to create long strip charts that don't just sample 1 point per second or so? Instead, I need something like 1000 points per second, averaged into 1 point per second.

Hello - TracerDAQ PRO does not offer any averaging capability. You should consider DASYLab Lite, as it can perform RMS (Quadratic Mean) in its Averaging module.

TracerDAQ error after reinstalling windows 7

After reinstalling windows 7 and installing tracerDAQ, when started the program encounters an error that states “Input string was in incorrect format.” and does not load. Reinstalling tracerDAQ several times did not help.

This error message is relatively new, but as of yet has not been very common. We have not been able to duplicate it ourselves, and do not yet know a solution.

Can recorded data files be played back on analog outputs?

TracerDAQ does not support the use of an arbitrary file for outputting analog data. However, TracerDAQ PRO does. The file must be in .CSV or .TXT format and you can easily convert your TracerDAQ PRO strip chart data file to either format within the application. One caveat is that TracerDAQ PRO, along with the data includes information regarding the experiment in a header that is not compatible with the function generator and needs to be edited out. You will have to open the .CSV or .TXT file and edit this out prior to using it with the function generator. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

Sample size not working

Hi, when I open strip chart software on tracerdaq and try to set the scan rate to 500 HZ it says the maximum time frame data can be recorded is 1 minute an 4 seconds (only 32,000 samples). From your product page it says it can record up to a million samples.

Hello JoseC - The standard version of TracerDAQ can sample up to 32,000 samples per channel. The PRO version, sold separately, is the one that can sample up to 1,000,000 samples per channel. A comparison chart showing the differences between the Standard and Pro versions may be viewed above.

Strip chart not displayed.

When I open the strip chart a button shows up on the task bar but I do not get a strip chart display on the screen. How do I get the main display?

This quirk was fixed recently in TracerDAQ 2.3.0.0. In earlier versions, if you shut down your PC when TracerDAQ was minimized, TracerDAQ comes up the next time as minimized. You should be able to enlarge it by right clicking on it in the task bar. If you are using Windows7, you may first need to left click to pick which of the two TracerDAQ windows on the task bar you wish to reference, and then right click, and select “Maximize”.