R36US0002EU0100 Rev 1.00
Page 4
Aug 26, 2021
RTD120D-EVK Evaluation Kit Software Manual
Note
: Terminal mode uses a “stateless” command line interface model, meaning, all commands are available at all
times. This is in contrast to a multi-level, menu-driven command line interface, where the available commands
depend on commands that have already been executed. The stateless model was chosen as it is more
convenient for applications created by the end user, or simple extensions to data processing systems such as
MatLab, where a program running on the host computer must be able to access all commands without the
complexity of keeping track of the state of the interface. As a basic example, a python script that needs to access
various bits of data from the EVK can simply call an interrogation function to read a parameter or sensor reading
whenever it needs to.
Commands are not case-sensitive, so “
start ppm
” is equivalent to “
START PPM
” and to “
Start PPM
”, etc.
The available commands include interrogation commands, starting with “
=
” (such as “
=PPM
”), parameter setting
commands starting with “
set
“ (such as “
set S1_RAW 1234.56
“ and “
set FILTER_ADC
”), and “FORCE_COIL”
commands starting with “
!
”. FORCE_COIL commands are simple commands with low communications overhead,
using the ModBus FORCE_COIL primitive.
For a list of supported commands, see
Appendix B: Terminal Mode Commands
.
2. ModBus Example: DAQFactory
The
Thermopile CO
2
Detector Software
consists of data acquisition software (DAQFactory Express, available
from AzeoTech) and “control” files that configure DAQFactory to be used with the Thermopile CO
2
Detector EVK.
The control files are available for download from the
.
When opened by DAQFactory,
these control files provide useful functionality without modification but they can also be customized by the user to
change and add functionality. New control files can also be created from scratch; however, for the beginner user, it
is easier to use one of the provided control files and just modify it instead of creating one from scratch. To do this,
save one of the provided control files under a new name and then modify the file in order as not to lose the original
capability.
DAQFactory
is a data acquisition and processing platform that can communicate using the ModBus RTU protocol,
over a USB serial connection transport. It provides a GUI that can be used to monitor and process real-time data
streaming from the evaluation board. Actions can also be initiated from the GUI to cause operations on the EVK to
be carried out, such as adjusting filter settings and saving calibration data points.
The free version, “DAQFactory Express”, has all the functionality needed to access basic features of the EVK,
including monitoring readings of CO
2
, viewing intermediate variables, calibrating the CO
2
detection algorithm, and
monitoring the temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure from the other sensors on the EVK.
The DAQFactory “control” files (with extension .ctl) contain GUI screen definitions, application-specific
communication settings, and scripts for various purposes. The control files for use with the EVK can be
product page. Opening a control file in DAQFactory is all that is needed to
start using the GUI with the EVK for control, monitoring and calibrating.
2.1 Installing DAQFactory Express
To install DAQFactory Express, go to the
website and download version 18.1 or later of DAQFactory
Express. This will install an “Evaluation” version of the full DAQFactory application, as well as the “Express”
version, which has no time limit but some functionality is limited.
For basic monitoring and visualization (plotting) of on-board sensors and system parameters, as well as
calibration of the CO
2
algorithm and miscellaneous control of the EVK, the “Express” version of DAQFactory has
all the necessary functionality. Other applications that can act as a
ModBus RTU
master over USB can also be
used. This is supported by the EVK’s firmware, but additional configuration is required that is specific to the
desired
Note
: After installing DAQFactory, either version can be run from the Start menu; however, Renesas recommends
running the Express version because it does not have a time limit. If you require more capability beyond the needs
