DTAPlot v2 – May 2012
DTAPlot is a simple/quick log file viewer for DTAfast ECUs. I wrote this mainly to help perform analysis between runs at sprints & hillclimb events where time can be short but its use isn't necessarily limited to that alone.
The latest version is available as a Java 'jar' file from here. To run this download the file and save it somewhere on your computer. On Windows computers you should then be able to start the program by double clicking on it. If this does not work it probably means you don't have Java installed. To install Java go to http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp page and then try again.
The source code for anyone who wants to tweak this is available at https://github.com/westboost/DTAPlot. The original idea for this was based on MISA by Guy Hussey which does similar for Race Technology DL1 logs.
When started you should see a screen like the one below open.
The main change from v1 is the ability view data either on a per session or run basis. The session mode is now the default so you can view all the data that was logged.
To make using session display easier, if you zoom into the graphs you will see scroll bars appear to allow you to navigate around the graph.
In v2 you can also view traces for any data the ECU is recording via the 'Other Traces' button. You will also find in here some calculated traces such as distance & longitudinal acceleration.
The Time Lag & Steering trace are not available. I am planning on re-working these features.
Many of the traces are rather smarter, such as the speed trace which has different algorithms to use depending on what sensors are available and if the car is accelerating or breaking.
To load a log file (in .DAT format) you just drag and drop it onto the window. The log file will be split automatically either into sessions or runs if you have selected the 'Auto Split Runs' option. Each session records all the data between the logging being enabled and turned off. A run is just a section of log which starts when the car starts to move, has some part which reaches >60mph and finishes once the car has slowed below 5mph. Using 'Auto Split Runs' allows you to focus on just the active parts of the data also accurately compare runs on timed events as you see in the screenshot above. You can load as many log files as you like.
One a log file is loaded you can change what is displayed by selecting the session/run from the drop down box at the top left to make it the active session/run. The buttons will then change to indicate which traces are being shown and to allow you to add/remove traces. The 'Clear Traces' will remove all visible traces to get you back to a clean picture. If a trace is disabled on the left hand side it means its not available from the log file.
Across the top you will see a window containing messages generated by DTAPlot. Mostly these will be informational but they may also indicate more serious errors.
You can zoom into the details by selecting a region of the graph with your mouse while holding down the mouse button and dragging it over the graph. The 'Reset Zoom' button resets the view to show the whole of the session/runs. When zoomed scrollbars allow you to navigate around the graph.
The 'Options' button allows you to set the trace units to match the type of logs your ECU outputs. Currently it only contains a mph/kph setting. If this is left unset you will be promoted for it when its needed in some calculation such as distance. This version contains some features to guess other units that are in use. These have not been extensively tested.
If you have any problems or feature requests feel free to send me an email to kjouk@yahoo.co.uk. Can't promise I will be able to help but I will if I can.
Kevin Jones
7th May 2012