Anyone know of a parser for Audio Precsion System One files?

[autopoiesis]

Hi all,

I'm trying to help a friend with a System One produce hi-res PDF files of test results for print, and for screen.

Is there a parser around that can read the AP's .TST files, and extract the data in csv (or similar) format?

This would open up the graphing possibilities beyond those available (.GPL, etc) offered by the original software.

Hope someone can help out; best wishes,
AP

 

[Samuel Groner]

You can export from the AP software into various formats, e.g. ASCII/CSV. I'm using Matlab to do nice plots.

Samuel

 

[jan.didden]

I used to save them in ASCII/CSV and run plots from Dplot.

jan

 

[autopoiesis]

Thank you gents!

I didn't realise one could export directly (the AP in question is in the UK, I'm not).

Time for me to RTFM and check out Dplot Jr (budget is zero, so no matlab )

Cheers,
AP

 

[autopoiesis]

Progress was made, now stalled, might restart

After a few dead ends (notably the plotter approach), I settled on:

Run s1.exe in 'DOSBox' under Windows (XP, currently)
Use the Data Export from s1.exe to produce a .DAT file from a TST
Use GNUPlot to plot the raw .DAT data (to GIF, PNG, PDF).

The tool (which runs in XP) analyses the DAT data (eg extract labels, data types, maxima/minima...), deals with some quirks that confuse GNUPlot (eg writing '2.45299747e-007' instead of '0' ) and then composes an executes a GNUPlot command file (in XP).

Proof of Concept output attached.

The parser and GNUPlot bits are basically done (VBScript ). Main remaining tasks:
1. Automate .TST file handling.
While developing, I used manually-exported DAT files, but they don't contain test type, comments, bounds, etc from the TST file. One may want these as well (to accompany the nice graph) but this is a manual operation at present. Automating this will require creating some S1 Procedures, then running s1.exe-within-DOSBox to call the .PRO, spit out a text file with the test metadata, then the .DAT file, and then return to Windows to create the graph.

2. Deal with some bugs in handling multiple dataset overlays.

3. Testing and documentation

4. Nice to have: some kind of GUI, with thumbnails, palette choices, etc. This will probably be an HTA, which - as it's basically an HTML page - doesn't need compiling, and exposes tinkerable source. This might not work with latest IE versions, though...

Development has - ahem - stalled , but with winter approaching I might actually finish it. That said, I'm doing the work for someone specific, and would have to check if he'd be happy to share it (not a prob for me).

That was longer than intended - let me know if interested, it might spur me on!

autopoiesis

 

[31697B]

WoW. I gave up on my SyS One dual-domain... it all worked but my old XT-PC was having issues and is terribly slow etc. Now we have this SW improvment and a USB interface else where in the works. Better buy a used Sys-One soon because when the used market finds out, the price will increase on them as demand increases due these sw and hw improvements.

THx-RNMarsh

 

[Analogbuff]

I´d be interested to see more automation of S1´s output, and an USB interface
so please do continue .
even at 25 years , the hardware can be kept working well for a long time,
with some careful maintenance.
A note to those who have or get hold of an old one:
Do change ALL the decoupling tantalum caps directly connected to/ across supply power - there are not very many of them, and they kill copper tracks if they blow. Those in high resistance series connections just die quietly - if ever - they do last a long time. No need to change these unless dead.

I guess there is a lot of still working but under-used S1 ´s
because of the lack of software to better use their capabilities. HW is still close to the state of art.
AP naturally has little interest in these competing with demand for newer products.