Lab Assistant

The data processing and plotting program for Acorn RISC OS machines

Now 32-bit compatible, works on RISC OS 5!

Now Shareware! Send £10 donation, or £20 to get a 150-page manual too.

Downloads updated 18/4/2005

This powerful, multi-tasking, menu-driven application includes the following features:

Files

• very fast loading and saving, loads huge files (eg 1MB) in seconds

• data may be stored in a compressed format to save disc space/memory

• various formats; up to 22 columns, no limit to the number of rows

• a file may contain many sets of data with the same columns ("sweeps")

• can include values of extra parameters which do not change during a sweep, and textual information at the start of the file

Graph plotting

Click to see examples (sizes 8K, 11K, 19K, 49K):

• plots data as curves with various line styles, symbols and colours

• plots any function f(x)

• zoom in or out using the mouse

• histograms; 3D plots using grey-levels or colours to show third dimension

• labels, including sub- and superscripts, fonts, symbols and kerning

• quick standard graphs or perfect publication-quality figures

• fully customisable with many windows for choosing settings, for example:
  
• uses standard printer drivers; monochrome or colour prints

• produces Draw files for use in documents; also includes Draw files in plots - this can also include equations from a formula editor

• extremely flexible command language for producing complicated plots

• command files can be written automatically for subsequent editing

• a list of points can be picked from a graph using the mouse

Data editor

• data appears in a window for easy entry and editing

• a column can be set to some function of the other columns

• facilities to find data satisfying some criterion or to exclude/include such rows

• block operations - move, copy, delete, save, integrate, etc.

• sorting, splining (to produce equally-spaced points), histograms, smoothing

• integrating or differentiating a column; renumbering sweeps; adding comments

• all the minima and maxima in a file can be extracted

Processing

• Fourier transforms, power spectra, autocorrelations

• fitting (line, polynomial, linear combinations, or non-linea function, up to 10 adjustable parameters)

• splines to produce eg equally-spaced points (beta, exact or smooth)

• smoothing and filtering (low, high or band pass, band stop, differentiate)

Macro language

• extremely powerful command language for automating calculations

• all commands can be given interactively or in a macro file

• macros can be produced automatically by recording interactive use

• BASIC-like variables and expressions; loops, conditionals

• user-defined functions for complicated calculations

Data acquisition

There is a very powerful and sophisticated companion program to acquire data using a wide range of instruments (including those with an IEEE interface). Simple commands allow one or more sources to be swept, while reading up to 12 channels of data from different instruments. Single sweeps or large sets of measurements may be performed with ease, interactively or eg overnight. Data is plotted on the screen as it is acquired, and you can zoom in or out and replot it without disturbing data collection. The data is completely compatible with Lab Assistant, and information can be stored at the start of each sweep recording voltages and other settings. A new version now exists for use with National Instruments' Lab View on most other types of computer.

Downloading full version

Click here to download extras (examples etc) (322K, uncompresses to 514K).

Click here to download tutorial (as a 57K PDF file).

Click here to download tutorial (as a 60K archived !Publisher file, uncompresses to 119K).

Click here to download tutorial (as a 29K archived html file, uncompresses to 58K).

Click here to view the tutorial (58K).

Click here to download the full 150-page manual (4.35MB). This is intended for printing as an A5 book. It would be easier to register the software (see below)!

Note that you need David Pilling's !SparkPlug or equivalent to decompress these archives. To download a self-extracting version of !SparkPlug, click here, save the resulting web page to disc, then change the filetype of that file to BASIC, and double-click on it.

For more information, please contact:

Price: please consider registering the software by sending the author £30 if you make heavy use of the program, or a mere £10 for personal use. Add £10 for a full (and very useful!) 150-page manual.

The source code is available on request.