Daqarta
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
Scope - Spectrum - Spectrogram - Signal Generator
Software for Windows
Science with your Sound Card!
The following is from the Daqarta Help system:

Features:

Oscilloscope

Spectrum Analyzer

8-Channel
Signal Generator

(Absolutely FREE!)

Spectrogram

Pitch Tracker

Pitch-to-MIDI

DaqMusiq Generator
(Free Music... Forever!)

Engine Simulator

LCR Meter

Remote Operation

DC Measurements

True RMS Voltmeter

Sound Level Meter

Frequency Counter
    Period
    Event
    Spectral Event

    Temperature
    Pressure
    MHz Frequencies

Data Logger

Waveform Averager

Histogram

Post-Stimulus Time
Histogram (PSTH)

THD Meter

IMD Meter

Precision Phase Meter

Pulse Meter

Macro System

Multi-Trace Arrays

Trigger Controls

Auto-Calibration

Spectral Peak Track

Spectrum Limit Testing

Direct-to-Disk Recording

Accessibility

Applications:

Frequency response

Distortion measurement

Speech and music

Microphone calibration

Loudspeaker test

Auditory phenomena

Musical instrument tuning

Animal sound

Evoked potentials

Rotating machinery

Automotive

Product test

Contact us about
your application!

Generator Volume/dB Slider Button


Macros: GenVolDlg, Atten_dB?, Atten_G?

This control is the small button between the Left and Right volume controls, labeled 'Vol' on an uncalibrated system, or 'dB' after calibration (if Use dB is set). Besides serving as the label for the volume controls, it also opens a dialog with slider controls. There are separate dialogs for uncalibrated Vol mode and calibrated dB or User Units mode. If Multi-Channel Outputs is active, and your card supports multiple output channels, the Multi-Channel Slider dialog will open instead. (Only for Windows XP, at present.)

Note: If your sound card uses a custom mixer that denies access to Daqarta, the volume controls are disabled here. You must make all volume changes with the custom mixer, and they will not be stored in Daqarta setups.

You may find sliders more convenient than simple edit controls, especially for uncalibrated operation. In that case, there are separate sliders for Master and Wave attenuators, whereas the main Generator edit controls only affect the Wave settings.

Also, the slider dialogs provide Track options to allow the Left and Right controls to be locked together, such that either one affects both. If enabled, Track stays in effect for the main edit controls as well.

Near the bottom of the slider dialogs are Auto and Mute buttons. Auto is a convenient duplicate of Generator Auto-Mute in Edit Menu - Run Preferences. Mute disables the output sound without changing the visible volume control settings.

The Auto and Mute buttons will be disabled if your sound card does not support the Mute operation.

Note that you can use the F9 function key to open the slider dialog at any time, including with any other dialog, to allow quick volume adjustments without having to close and re-open whatever you were working on.

Note that these volume controls (and those available via the Windows speaker icon in the system tray) only support stereo outputs. If you are using Multi-Channel Outputs you'll need to use the custom control panel that comes with your multi-channel card to control all channels.

Macro Notes:

GenVolDlg=1 opens either the Volume or the dB slider dialog, depending on the Attenuator Options settings (and whether your system is calibrated). GenVolDlg=0 closes the dialog, and GenVolDlg=x toggles between open and closed.

If Multi-Channel Outputs is active, GenVolDlg=1 opens the Multi-Channel Slider Dialog instead of either the Volume or dB slider dialogs, regardless of the Attenuator Options settings. As above, GenVolDlg=0 closes the dialog, and GenVolDlg=x toggles between open and closed.

Atten_dB?2 is a read-only variable that returns the total attenuation, in dB, for channel 2. You may use channels 0-3 here, given as a single digit. Alternatively, you can use V to specify the current Ch Channel Select number. A default attenuation of 0.0 dB is returned for a channel number outside the 0-3 range, whether specified directly or via the V option.

    0 = Left In
    1 = Right In
    2 = Left Out
    3 = Right Out
    V = Ch value (0-3)

The return value is always given in dB, regardless of whether Use Vol Steps or Use dB is active in the Attenuator Options dialog.

The return value for output channels 2 or 3 takes both Master and Wave volume settings into account, if these controls are available on your system.

(For input channels 0 or 1 the return value takes into account whether your sound card has separate input lines and if so which one is selected, as well as whether you have separate attenuation or gain due to Input Line or Master levels.)

If you have not yet performed an auto-calibration, the return value will always be 0 dB.


Atten_G?2 is similar to the above but instead of dB it returns the attenuation as a linear gain factor. For example, Atten_G?2 would return 0.5000 where Atten_dB?2 returns 6.02 dB, or 1.000 instead of 0.00 dB.

See Macro Data Unit Conversions for a discussion of how to use Atten_G? to obtain actual volts or User Units from ADC or DAC values returned by certain macro math and macro array functions.


See also Attenuator Calibration, Signal Generator Control Dialog

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