XY Value (.txt)

Instrument
DCA-X
N109x
UXR Scope
Flex Apps:
FlexDCA
FlexRT
Related Topics

XY Format Waveform Files (.txt)

XY- value waveform files are ASCII files (.txt) comprised of a header followed by voltage and time values for each data point. The ASCII amplitude values are in volts or Watts while the X-axis values are in time. Each value is separated by a carriage return and line feed. Like the Y-value format, this format can be imported into many spreadsheet or word processing programs.

Settings for Saving XY Format Files
⚫ Pattern Lock
✘ Acquire Entire Pattern
✔ = selected. ✘ = unselected. ⚫ = don't care

XY-value format is designed for waveforms that have been sampled using unequal time separations between adjacent data points. Unequal time separations occur when any of the following conditions are true:

  • The waveform is a pattern waveform,
  • A precision timebase is used, or
  • The waveform is the output of the versus operator in a waveform signal processing function.

XY-value format files use more disk space than internal format files (.wfmx).

Options for saving XY-Value Waveforms (.txt format)

Select Convert Holes and Clipped values to specify that missing or clipped data points be converted to amplitude values:

  • Missing data (holes) can occur under certain conditions.
  • If an amplitude value is greater than the current settings allow, the clipped value is listed as the string "Infinity". Converted clipped values will be set to the maximum posible value (positive or negative).

Select Limit to to write all waveform values at the specified number of significant digits. The default number of significant digits is 6.

The following table shows the last header lines with the first few data points in a XY-value waveform (.txt) file. In the file, fields are separated with carriage return/line feeds. The name and value pairs are separated with commas. In the Unconverted Data file, notice that clipped values are expressed as Infinity, but in the Converted Data file these same values are set to the amplitude value at the screen's maximum graticule level. Notice also that all amplitude and time values have been rounded at 6 significant digits, which is the default Limit to setting.

Example of Data Point Conversion in File
Unconverted Data in File Converted Data in File 
…
…
X Units, Second
Y Units, Volt
Data, 
9.41328125E-10, 0.426482889969509
9.462109375E-10, 0.423190618570603
9.5109375E-10, Infinity
9.559765625E-10, 0.423841306067734
9.60859375E-10, 0.424079098875056
9.657421875E-10, 0.425358285231304
9.70625E-10, 0.424690370485775
…
…
 
…
…
X Units, Second
Y Units, Volt
Data, 
9.41328E-10, 4.26483E-1
9.46211E-10, 4.23191E-1
9.51094E-10, 4.27070E-1
9.55977E-10, 4.23841E-1
9.60859E-10, 4.24079E-1
9.65742E-10, 4.25358E-1
9.70625E-10, 4.24690E-1
…
…

Example XY-Value Format File

File Format, WaveformXYValues
Format Version, 1
Instrument, N1010A
SwVersion, A.01.60
SerialNumber, sn XXXXXX
Date, 09/07/2011 08:58:30

Points, 2048
X Units, Second
Y Units, Volt
Data, 
0, 0.137924194335938
9.765625E-14, 0.131973266601563
1.953125E-13, 0.108322143554688
2.9296875E-13, 0.143295288085938
3.90625E-13, 0.14312744140625
4.8828125E-13, 0.14013671875
1.9970703125E-10, 0.140792846679688
.
.
.

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