imc STUDIO (PDF) - imc Meßsysteme GmbH

imc STUDIO 4.0
hardware setup • real-time analysis • test sequencing • live reporting
Integrated software environment for measurement and control
imc – productive testing

www.imc-studio.com
imc STUDIO — at a glance
The intuitive tool for the entire measurement
process: operating software for test and
measurement systems
• Hardware configuration and administration
• Setup for trigger, storage and real-time
processing and control
• Synchronized video capture
• Graphical user interface design
• Test process sequencing
• Complete real-time test automation
design environment
• Data and metadata administration
• Data retrieval, browsing and play back
• Multi-monitoring
• Post-processing interplay with imc FAMOS
• Data and project management
imc STUDIO enhances your
testing efficiency
Integrated software environment for measurement and control
imc STUDIO offers a complete test and measurement
workflow environment with an emphasis on productivity
in measurement configuration and test development.
From quick and simple data capture tasks, to
fully automated durability tests, imc STUDIO is based
on over 20 years of experience, with one single goal in
mind: improve your testing productivity.
imc STUDIO provides both the broad functionality of
a general purpose test and measurement tool, and the
pinpoint precision of a customized, integrated data
acquisition and control solution — all within the same
software environment. When used with any of the
platform-based imc measurement and control
systems, imc STUDIO allows you to capture, process
and visualize any combination of analog and digital
signals; perform tests that last just a second, or an
entire year; perform open- and closed-loop control;
and even integrate existing automation and simulation
environments.
Tailored to your needs
One particular advantage of imc STUDIO is its capability
to be precisely tailored to different users with
their specific needs and levels of experience. The
appearance and visualization of the GUI and the range
of offered functionality can very easily be adapted and
controlled with detailed user roles and access rights.
This ensures comfortable and personalized user experience,
while at the same time offering an outstanding
range of functionality and versatility.
Advantages // 03
Advantages
In Practice
Facts & Features

www.imc-studio.com
“As a modular software framework, imc STUDIO combines many separate tools in
a seamless and entirely integrated environment. Within this framework, users are
able to both quickly perform basic measurements and create sophisticated test
configurations. These may incorporate elements from the graphical user interface,
perform manual and automated test control, utilize imc FAMOS analysis
sequences and manage complete automation systems.”
Franz Hillenbrand, Head of development & member of the executive board
Obtaining results faster with imc STUDIO
imc STUDIO Setup: selection of measurement system(s) and configuration of all hardware specific settings.
• Customizable spreadsheet representation for
clarity and simplicity
• Multi-selections, as well as copy and paste of
channel configurations
• Search and filter functions
• Step by step through system setup with the
configuration wizard
• Simple channel configuration with drag & drop access
to the imc SENSORS data base
• TEDS compatible
• Handling large numbers of channels with powerful
automatic naming schemes
• Fieldbus assistant for bus protocols such as
CAN, LIN, ARINC, FlexRay etc.
• imc Online FAMOS – integrated easy to use
assistant for defining optional real-time calculations
imc STUDIO Panel: provides the visual interface (“GUI”) for the configured system, including:
• Pre-defined templates for easy visualization
• Placement of input and output elements
• “Widgets” per drag & drop: library of more than
100 pre-defined display and control elements
• Real-time data & video display
• 2D and 3D data viewing in imc Curve Window
• User interface panel and/or a dynamic test report
• Export & snapshot displays as graphics or PDF
• Replay function of combined data and
video recording
• Navigation bar for precise manual zoom and inspection
across multiple, synchronized imc Curve Windows
• Linking script execution with push-button widgets
imc STUDIO Sequencer: while complete test procedures are realized through interactive elements of the panel,
these tests can be automated by sequencing and looping steps of the process.
• Step by step configuration of test sequences
• Automatically plays individual test steps
• Drag & drop configuration
• Quick results with no programming skills required
• Comprehensive capabilities – from setting start
variables and parameters to automated data
evaluation, report creation and audio or textto-speech
user guidance
• Supports invoking of external script code (VBA, net,
C#, C++, etc.) for virtually unlimited extensions,
and includes scripting development “workbench“
imc STUDIO Video: Addresses the increasing demand for combined video and measurement data acquisition.
The unique approach to handle a video camera like a measurement channel offers seamless integration of video
recordings into tests.
• Time synchronous video and data acquisition
• Uniform setup handling for video and measurement
channels
• Triggered and continuous long-term acquisition
• Pre-trigger for pre-event video recordings
• Up to 4 synchronous cameras
• Two independently triggered video channels and
speed settings with only one single camera
(“monitor“ channels)
• Synchronized replay in imc STUDIO Panel and
imc FAMOS
imc STUDIO Automation: When test control aims for real-time reaction times, a PC alone is unable to ensure
deterministic response times. To meet these strict demands, imc STUDIO automation integrates the real-time power
of device based imc Online FAMOS into the visualization capabilities of the PC.
• Unique state-based control structure
• Interacts with imc hardware to assure full real-time
deterministic response
• Open- and closed-loop control
• Parallel synchronous and/or asynchronous
measurement and control tasks
• Cycle time down to 0.1 ms
• Real-time interrupts
• Real-time limit/alarm monitoring
• Graphically structured development environment
Advantages // 05
Advantages
Advantages
In Practice
Facts & Features

www.imc-studio.com
What’s new in imc STUDIO 4.0?
Updated appearance and improved usability
With newly introduced Ribbon Controls, intuitive operation
of imc STUDIO 4.0 is improved by presenting
functions well structured and according to the current
operating situation. Efficient workflow is supported by
Faster results with new project management
Configuration templates can be stored and reused
for an accelerated setup. Displays and views, as well
as variable definitions, channel configurations and
names can be prepared ahead of time to be ready on
features like the new assistant for automatic channel
naming. Because many users are already familiar with
common office suites, the new design, among other
things, allows them to quickly navigate the operations
without extensive training.
standby. Then, when beginning new measurement
endeavors with different experiments, you will be able
to start immediately with a perfectly suited default
setup.
Insight and flexibility — even with a multitude of
channels
Users who deal with large numbers of channels also
benefit: With imc STUDIO 4.0, configuration settings
for multiple measurement devices are now simultaneously
loaded. This means a complete system can be
configured in a matter of seconds, including balancing
channels. Furthermore, multiple networked devices
can now independently be controlled in terms of
Connect/Start/Stop. This, for example, allows multiple
test stands to be controlled by a single imc STUDIO
application.
Creating metadata — augmenting your
measurements
Metadata are additional descriptive information, such
as text comments, video footage, photos or links
to other documents or sources that can be used to
enhance the measured data. With imc STUDIO 4.0,
metadata are systematically filed in the Data Browser
and can easily be searched and sorted. Thus, whether
conducting experimental level measurements (such
as a brake test) or performing end-of-line testing, a
wide assortment of additional information can easily
be used to augment the test and gain more thorough
knowledge.
Report channels facilitate post-processing
Often essential meta information that is needed to
successfully interpret a measurement isn’t provided
by the data acquisition itself. But instead, it can be
entered live, by means of text or verbal recordings, to
augment the measurement data.
imc STUDIO 4.0 allows such report channels to be
interactively created and synchronously attached. This
function greatly increases post-processing efficiency.
Multi-monitoring
imc STUDIO Monitor allows multiple users to simultaneously
view live data at multiple computer workstations.
Data can also be enhanced by meta information
(e.g., online commenting) and additionally stored by
these distributed clients.
Configuration made easy
The face of “Sensors” window has been completely
revamped. This user-friendly tool enables quick and
trouble-free channel configuration.
imc SENSORS, a sensor database, stores all relevant
sensor data which can be used for individual channel
setup. During setup of the measuring system, the drag
and drop option can be applied to set channels error
free. Offering a compilation of comparison groups at
the simple push of a button and calibration of userdefined
characteristic curves, imc STUDIO will make a
substantial contribution to your operating efficiency.
Advantages // 07
Advantages
In Practice
Facts & Features

www.imc-studio.com
In Practice
Component tests — a perfect match for imc STUDIO!
“I need to get the data by tomorrow at noon“. Your
customer’s deadline is clear. But setting up a small
test stand and performing a component test isn‘t an
easy task. However, you’ve already got the 16 channels
of the imc measurement system in place — and the car
door undergoing the window test is already mocked
up on the test stand and ready to go … so what’s left?
Nothing … except:
• System and channel configuration
• Setup of CAN data interface
• Creating measurement statistics
• Configuring the test procedure
• Creating the user interface
• Defining the automation task
• Designing a report
Relax — with the right tool this challenge is no problem.
You can use imc STUDIO! Initial configurations, as well
as changes on-the-fly, are quick and easy.
System and channel configuration: Creating a new
16-channel experiment configuration in imc STUDIO is
not a challenge. With the help of imc STUDIO Setup,
you can configure all of your measurement tasks
within a few minutes. The simple spreadsheet design
and built-in channel assistant allow for user-friendly
operation with functions such as copy & paste, search
& sort and automatic channel naming. All of this, along
with the integration of the comprehensive sensor database,
imc SENSORS, will provide you with an expert
overview of the project and guide you to error-free
results — even if you aren’t experienced.
Setup of CAN data interface to communicate with
the car door: Most car component tests require the
integration of CAN data. With imc STUDIO the integration
of CAN information is literally a mouse click away.
By means of a CAN assistant, CAN data is recorded
with full decoding — not just as CAN-dump files — but
channel by channel. All CAN information, together with
the 16 analog channels, can be recorded, viewed and
evaluated in real time.
Creating measurement statistics & configuring the
test procedure: The test is simple. A door window runs
up and down. After every cycle, the individual “up-run”
and “down-run” data need to be statistically processed
and evaluated. However, the test has to be repeated
for hours without any interruptions.
This is a task for the imc STUDIO Sequencer. Part of
imc STUDIO Professional, it automates testing procedures:
Start…Stop…Evaluate… Repeat; three steps and
a loop.
Another powerful tool available for data evaluation
is imc FAMOS. Containing a few evaluation lines for
every channel, the script sequence of imc FAMOS can
quickly calculate all required statistics and immediately
display all the results on the imc STUDIO Panel —
after every cycle.
Creating the user interface: With two panels of realtime
data and a result page filled with imc FAMOS
evaluation results, the user interface only needs some
simple modifications. Prior test panel pages deliver
the template for the new test.
To create a panel no programming is required. Relinking
the gauges and curve windows from the old
experiment to the new analog channels takes only
seconds and adding a few new display elements is only
a matter of drag & drop.
Defining the automation task: Running and con-
trolling a component test stand lies in the realm of
imc STUDIO Automation. As part of imc STUDIO Developer,
it can take care of any control task. With extremely
low latency and direct access to all imc hardware
inputs and outputs, it allows for real-time open and
close loop control. Moreover, the time consuming integration
of a third party controller is not required.
The setup for the car door window test requires the
window to be driven up and down, start and end conditions
to be defined, and exception and error handling
to be accounted for. By using a unique approach to
configuration and setup of automation tasks,
imc STUDIO Automation guarantees maximum time
efficiency — no programming and no complicated
syntax.
Designing a report: Since every panel in
imc STUDIO can be used as a report page, the
use of curve windows, tables, texts, pictures and all
other widgets can be included in the report. Furthermore,
all measurement data and results created by
imc FAMOS can also be used. The direct access
of imc FAMOS to panel pages and their widgets
guarantees a seamless integration of all analysis data
onto the result panel. A final key stroke creates a PDF
and the print out.
Time elapsed: about 1.5 hours
No need to stay late here: everything is ready to go!
The next morning, when it’s time to start the test,
you only need to check your sensors and tap into the
vehicle’s CAN bus. Using imc STUDIO Setup, a quick
check of the current values of the live signals can be
made to verify the correct calibration values.
From there, the test technician takes over. As an imc
Standard User, he’s locked out of most of the underlying
configurations. For security reasons, he is unable
to access your imc Advanced User settings - only the
relevant operating action. Pressing the “Start” button
in the imc STUDIO Panel, the test technician is asked
(via text to-speech support) to begin testing.
Back on schedule, the testing can now proceed — as
normal. The following day’s noon-time surprise doesn’t
present any problems for your test department. Precisely
because imc STUDIO is so quick to (re)configure.
In Practice // 09
In Practice
Facts & Features

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Your benefit – our goal
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Comprehensive
imc STUDIO covers the entire test and measurement process.
• From quick testing to large scale applications
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• From only a few to thousands of channels
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• From mobile testing to test stand and production 011001 environments
• From experienced expert users to well guided operators
• From setup of autonomous systems to multi-client monitoring of distributed systems
Scalable
Adaptable software provides as much, or as little, capability as is needed for the test at hand.
• imc STUDIO Standard & Runtime Edition — configures, displays, reports
• imc STUDIO Professional — automates analysis and reporting
• imc STUDIO Developer Edition — allows customizing, and offers control and integration
capabilities
Intuitive
Getting results quick requires an intuitive approach towards all configurations & components
of the software.
• Assists and guides through setup and configuration processes
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• Drag & drop functions dominate configuration procedures
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• No programming skills needed
• Linking test results with meta information (e.g., text, pictures, etc.) for intuitive evaluation
and assignment of results
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Integrated
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imc STUDIO provides seamless integration
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of hardware and software solutions. It covers 011010 all
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aspects of test & measurement processes.
• Test setup, operation, visualization, analysis, reporting, test process sequencing, real-time
test stand control
Open interfaces
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• imc STUDIO Script enables integration of external hardware components, or 011010 to write or use
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private evaluation procedures
• imc STUDIO provides pre-test integration of additional meta data, real-time I/O, interactivity
and post-test storage and analysis
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imc STUDIO: editions & options
Available in three different editions, imc STUDIO 4.0 not only meets every physical and mechanical testing
environment, but editions are scaled to fit into your budget!
imc STUDIO Setup
imc STUDIO Panel
imc STUDIO Widgets
Function Repository
Parameter Definition
User Rights Manager
Menu & Toolbar Configuration
imc STUDIO Sequencer
Service Functions
Layout Editor
imc STUDIO Automation
imc SENSORS
imc STUDIO Monitor
imc Video
Scripting
: Included; : Optional Extra; : Subset of the full feature set; : Runtime feature of Standard Edition can
execute, but not modify, configurations created with higher editions of imc STUDIO. Note: imc FAMOS and/or
imc Online FAMOS must be purchased separately if analysis functionality is desired.
imc STUDIO licensing for your entire group
Single User
Network
Standard
“I need to configure and use
my imc system for basic data
logging and reporting, or
running setups from others.”
Professional
“Visualization is cool, but
I need also to create and deploy
a measurement app with
automatic analysis & report.”
License is assigned to each user‘s PC
Concurrent licenses for unlimited
PCs sharing a pool of licenses via
your network
Multiple computers per user or license?
Not to worry: we have you covered.
Contact us for details.
imc STUDIO Standard imc STUDIO Professional imc STUDIO Developer
Developer
“I need to integrate all test
stand measurement and
control, deploying robust
apps for non-experts to use.”
Free demo: try it yourself
imc STUDIO Standard is included with every
imc measurement system. Experience the full
power of imc STUDIO for yourself: 30-day free
imc STUDIO Developer.
And tell your colleagues about the free imc FAMOS
Reader for offline data viewing: save even more time
by avoiding inefficient data exporting.
Facts & Features // 11
Facts & Features

Benefit from our international partner network
www.imc-berlin.com/distributors
imc Meßsysteme GmbH
Voltastraße 5
13355 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 - 46 70 90 26
Fax: +49 (0)30 - 463 15 76
hotline@imc-berlin.de
www.imc-berlin.com
imc STUDIO_01/13_international // Printed in Germany 2013 // Errors and changes excepted. All registered trademarks are the property of the respective companies.