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APIcom Instruction Manual iDAS Configuration and Data Access
Tab Property Description
Append downloaded
data to file
If checked, APIcom will append new data to the existing file.
Otherwise it will completely overwrite the file.
4.5.2. iDAS Channel Names
When a channel’s properties are edited, APIcom checks to make sure that the channel name is unique
and contains valid characters. APIcom does not perform this check when downloading a configuration
from an instrument or when loading a configuration from a file because it assumes that the names are
already valid in these cases. If the name is invalid because it isn’t unique or because it contains invalid
characters, APIcom will display an error message and remain in the channel property dialog.
When editing the iDAS channel names through the front panel push buttons, the instrument will only
allow to use upper case characters with no more than 6 characters. However, APIcom permits to use
longer names and lower case characters. When viewing the channel names using the instrument’s
menus, however, the display will be truncated to 6 characters (with the remaining name stored and
recognized in memory). This limitation is due to the size of the instrument’s display.
Some older instruments with iDAS support may require unique, 6 character names. If long channel
names create problems, we recommend to make the names unique within the first 6 characters and,
failing that, make the names no longer than 6 characters. The names are not case-sensitive in any
instrument.
4.5.3. Duplicating a Channel
APIcom can duplicate a channel and all its properties including parameters. Simply select a channel and
click on
or right-click on a channel and select Duplicate Channel from the context menu.
APIcom will create a new channel and prompt the user for a new channel name to ensure a unique
name.
4.5.4. Deleting a Channel
To delete a channel, simply select the channel and click on . Alternatively, the user can right-
click on a channel and select Delete Channel from the context menu. In either case, APIcom prompts to
confirm the deletion. Prompts like this can be disabled in the Settings-Options menu. When a channel
is deleted, all the parameters in it and all the data downloaded for the channel are automatically deleted
as well. It is recommended to make frequent backups of iDAS scripts on disk to avoid duplicate work in
case of accidental deletion.
4.5.5. Adding or Modifying a Parameter
In order to capture any data, a channel must contain at least one parameter. To add a new parameter to
a channel, either click on while a channel is selected, or right-click on any existing
parameter in the channel, which will bring up the menu shown below, and select New Parameter. If
APIcom refuses to create a new parameter, the maximum number of parameters may have been
exceeded. The maximum number of channels is 20 per instrument, the maximum number of parameters
in each channel is 10 and the maximum number of data records in each channel is 64000. However, the
A-series analyzers are limited by 64 KB data memory, hence the average number of records (depending
on the number of channels and parameters and if the number of samples in a concentration average is
recorded) is much lower, typically around 3000-12000 records. E-series instruments have 1 MB of data
storage capacity and the ability to store up to about 100000 records.
05499 Rev. A 4-7