Measurement software uses simple icon control

DT Measure Foundry 3.0 is the newest version of the flagship test and measurement application software package from Data Translation.

DT Measure Foundry 3.0 is the newest version of the flagship test and measurement application software package from Data Translation.

DT Measure Foundry's innovative drag-and-drop approach lets users simply arrange the desired instrument functions on their desktops and select the measurement source no training is required.

With today's announcement, powerful functionality - normally found in stand-alone packages - at a $249 price wipes out any barriers to entry in the test and measurement market.

This new version features a software developer's kit, built-in math functionality and software that incorporates OPC-compliant devices as DT Measure Foundry data sources on the manufacturing floor.

These new features, along with DT Measure Foundry's graphical approach, make taking powerful PC-based measurements easier and more affordable than ever.

"Today's announcement leads the industry with robust functionality, normally found in stand-alone packages, that lets users create powerful, PC-based test and measurement applications", said Fred Molinari, president, founder and CEO of Data Translation.

"Together with enhanced design and deployment features, DT Measure Foundry 3.0 increases efficiency, reduces time-to-market and provides greater performance".

The new version of DT Measure Foundry includes the Formula Evaluator, a library of more than 200 math functions, typically found in higher priced stand-alone mathematical analysis packages.

The Formula Evaluator is a multifunctional tool that allows the user to combine information from data and control channels into one formula.

Essentially its own language within DT Measure Foundry, the Formula Evaluator performs up to 60 operations from simple formulas to complicated analysis of signals.

Data Translation is a member of the OPC Foundation (www.opcfoundation.org), an independent, non-profit organisation comprised of more than 300 member companies providing leading-edge industrial automation solutions worldwide.

OPC (OLE for Process Control) is a standard in the manufacturing industry that allows access to OPC servers anywhere on the network.

DT Measure Foundry's OPC Tool lets users access OPC hardware such as programmable logic controllers, distributed control systems etc as data sources and easily create graphical user interfaces in their DT Measure Foundry applications.

Other new features, ideal for the manufacturing environment, are the hot key function and the ability to use DT Measure Foundry as the PC desktop.

The hot key feature lets an OEM assign standard keyboard keys to toggle between panels or to activate functions in the DT Measure Foundry application with a single keystroke.

This feature is ideal for industrial applications in dirty, hazardous environments where an end-user would rather use a keystroke than a mouse.

A DT Measure Foundry application can also replace the Windows desktop, turning a standard PC into an instrument.

The PC can then only be used to run DT Measure Foundry.

Nothing else on it can be used or changed, thereby providing more system security.

The new DT Measure Foundry software developer's kit (SDK) is an open software interface specification that allows a user to develop connections to any vendor's data sources for greater flexibility and investment protection.

New features in DT Measure Foundry 3.0 make it easy to design test and measurement applications and deploy them.

DT Measure Foundry's new application inspector feature makes it easier to see what's happening in an application.

Vital for complex projects, the application inspector displays a tree-style overview of an application showing the connections between its data sources, control sources and events, and the data flow among them.

Design, development and debugging are made easy because the relationships among the data sources are completely apparent.

The Application Inspector can also be saved and printed in multiple formats: text, Excel, ASCII file, bitmap as well as PDF.

Set to automatically create and save a PDF every time the application is closed, the Inspector can create technical documentation to assist with development.

This documentation can also be used to meet ISO requirements, as a training tool or problem-solving guide for technical support.

In the unlikely event that an application does not execute properly at run-time, DT Measure Foundry comes with a debug tool to isolate any event-driven errors.

Together with the application inspector, the debug tool allows users to easily check the performance of a DT Measure Foundry application.

In the previous version, DT Measure Foundry's distribution wizard let users create and deploy unlimited run-times.

In this release, DT Measure Foundry's enhanced distribution wizard makes installation even simpler by generating one executable file.

That way, OEMs are assured of a complete application with all necessary files, ready to be shipped to the user.

One of the more strategic features of DT Measure Foundry is its ability to access vision and sensor data into one measurement application.

The Data Translation Information Exchange (DTiX) allows users to share variable and image data between DT Vision Foundry, Data Translation's machine vision software, with DT Measure Foundry.

Users can perform measurement tasks that integrate sensor data with vision data and correlate the results under a single user interface.

DT Measure Foundry 3.0 is available for immediate order with delivery within 30 days and is priced at $249.

The SDK is also available to create third-party data sources.

DT Measure Foundry runs on Windows 2000 and XP.

DT Measure Foundry includes an extensive library of application examples and tutorials as well as online help.

Data Translation provides complete technical support for all its products.

Support is also available 24x7 via Data Translation's website, where an animated demonstration of the software is also available.

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