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Downloads of v 1.1.793

2020-06-11

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MPLAB-Data-Visualizer-Plugin

1.1.793

Overview

It can be difficult to troubleshoot data on an embedded target while your application is running. In the same way a debugger helps you debug your application code, MPLAB Data Visualizer helps you debug your data. With MPLAB Data Visualizer, you can see how key data points in your application change during runtime, e.g. visualize values captured by a sensor on your development board.

MPLAB Data Visualizer has the following features:

• Capture data streamed from a running embedded target via serial port (CDC) or the Data Gateway Interface (DGI)

• Concurrently stream data and debug target code using the MPLAB®X IDE

• Decode data fields at runtime using the Data Stream Protocol format

• Visualize the raw or decoded data in a Graph as a time series or display the data in a terminal

• Analyze plotted data using cursors to measure bandwidth, pulse width and more

MPLAB Data Visualizer comes as a stand-alone application and as a plug-in to MPLAB X.

System requirements

The MPLAB Data Visualizer plug-in must be installed in MPLAB X version 5.30 or later for correct operation.

Hardware tool support

MPLAB Data Visualizer supports targets that stream data over a (virtual) COM port, as well as tools implementing the Data Gateway Interface (DGI) USB interface.

When using a COM port, any target or board can be supported, also user-specific boards. The DGI interface is supported by the Microchip Curiosity Nano and Xplained Pro platforms, as well as the Microchip Power Debugger and Atmel-ICE.

In order to ensure the best possible user experience, make sure that kits or tools used with the MPLAB Data Visualizer are updated to the most recent firmware version.

Documentation

Documentation is shipped with the product and can be opened from the DataVisualizer User Interface once started.

How to Install this Plugin:

This plugin is available for download directly in the MPLAB X IDE Plugin Manager.

1. Open the Plugin Manager by navigating to the Tools | Plugins menu in MPLAB X IDE

2. Click the Available Plugins tab

3. Type MPLAB Data Visualizer in the search field

4. Put a check mark in the box next to MPLAB Data Visualizer

5. Click Install

6. Follow the wizard steps to complete the installation

How to Install this Plugin Bundle Offline:

This plugin can be downloaded as a zip file for offline installation in MPLAB X IDE.

1. Download the zip file from Microchip Gallery

2. Extract it to a location on disk

3. Open MPLAB X IDE

4. Navigate to Tools | Plugins

5. Click Settings tab

6. Click Add button

7. Type a name, such as MPLAB DV

8. In the URL field, enter the location from step 2 using the full path, such as file:/Users/myuser/Downloads/path/to/zip/extraction/updates.xml

Make sure the path ends in updates.xml

9. Click OK

10. A new entry labeled MPLAB Data Visualizer will appear in the Updates tab for an existing installation or Available Plugins tab for a new installation

11. Click either Update or Install, depending on which tab MPLAB Data Visualizer appears

12. Follow the wizard steps to complete the installation

To install MPLAB-Data-Visualizer-Plugin, download this package and open it in IDE.

Supported Products: MPLAB X

Release Notes

What's New in v1.1

• Quick actions for plotting data or viewing data in the terminal
• Choose whether to plot Variable Streamer fields on same or separate axes
• Simplified data stream protocol configuration
◦ Fewer steps means its easier to start visualizing multiple variables

•Graph enhancements
◦Plot several signals on the same axis for easy alignment and zoom
◦Organize axes on different rows, resize, and position
◦Inspect values of data points
◦Use cursors to measure signal width, frequency, and duty cycle

•Notable fixed issues
◦Under heavy system load data timestamps could drift so that data plots appeared delayed compared to actual events (DV-1280).
◦Deleting an field/variable in the plot wizard before a name was assigned could crash the application (DV-1265).
◦When streaming data on serial port, data could be timestamped so that parts of plots looked stretched or compressed (DV-1186)

Customer support

Microchip provides online support via our web site athttps://www.microchip.com/support.

Special Considerations

When streaming timestamped data over DGI from an Xplained Pro or Curiosity Nano kit,too high data rates can lead to buffer overflows and reduced stability of operation. This also applies to Debug GPIO. The Data Visualizer UI will display a warning when the kit or tool indicates a buffer overflow condition.The sample rate at which buffer overflows are likely to occur depends on the PC and the system load.For GPIO it could be down to a few kHz sample rate at system load. For other interfaces it is typically higher.

To get the expected result when streaming data, it is important to configure the target system properly.Study the user guide of the target development board or tool carefully as it can contain important information.

Known Issues

DV-806 Plotted data can look distorted at certain zoom levels. This happens because the Visualizer reduces the resolution of old data as internal buffers fill up, in order to save memory.Workaround: Pause data streaming while investigating data. Environment: All platforms

DV-807 Discarded data count under decoder statistics sometimes increases and resets to 0.This happens when data frames are split across multiple packets. When a full data frame is received, the discarded byte count resets back to 0. Environment: All platforms

DV-835 Cannot connect to ttyACM0 for streaming data. Workaround: add your user to the dial out group and log out, then log back in. Environment: Linux

DV-1089 When renaming a variable streamer field and the field is plotted, the plot source is disconnected. Reconnect the plot source by selecting the new name in the plot options. Environment: All platforms

DV-1152 COM port may not be grouped with the kit interfaces. In this case the COM port will be listed under the serial port section. Environment: Linux

DV-1153 DGI-enabled kits might not show up if a debug session is in progress in MPLAB X when MPLAB Data Visualizer standalone is started. Workaround is to stop the debug session and unplug then plug in the kit. 
Environment: MPLAB X IDE 5.30 Standalone MPLAB Data Visualizer

DV-1176 Interface configuration is not applied after DGI overflow. To ensure correct operation after overflow, reconnect DGI. Environment: All platforms

DV-1335 In the plugin, when the Data Visualizer tab is maximized it will cover floating windows.A workaround is to dock the floating window. Environment: Win 10  MPLAB X 5.40

DV-1342 When a COM port is selected as Variable Streamer source and the Stop button is pressed,the port can only be reconnected from the Connections panel. Environment: Win 10  Standalone

DV-1347 A false valid frame can sometimes clear the variable streamer error indicator even though there is still a mismatch with the protocol. Environment: All platforms

Owners

Authors

Microchip

Copyright

Copyright Microchip

Tags

Dependencies

    • No dependencies.

Version History

Version Downloads Last updated Approved
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.3.1664 10 Tuesday, January 30, 2024 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.3.1331 169 Friday, May 19, 2023 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.3.1320 471 Monday, December 19, 2022 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.3.1160 514 Tuesday, March 15, 2022 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.3.1136 100 Friday, January 21, 2022 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.3.1113 260 Wednesday, October 27, 2021 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.2.956 143 Wednesday, May 12, 2021 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.2.835 174 Wednesday, September 23, 2020 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.2.834 49 Monday, September 21, 2020 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.1.793 (this version) 1,219 Thursday, June 11, 2020 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 1.0.675 341 Friday, December 20, 2019 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 0.2.463 192 Tuesday, July 2, 2019 yes
MPLAB-Data-Visual... 0.1.438 234 Friday, May 24, 2019 yes