Why won't my Set Dynaminc Data Attributes timestamp my data

[Le_Gross_Bill]

Using LabView 2011. Built a program that uses a DAQ Assistant to read some sensors. Output is a Dynamic Data Array. Using the Write to Measurement File Express vi to log the data. Set the X Value (time) Columns to One Column only. Result: I get the dt value in the X Value column. How do I get it to display the timestamp instead?

I have tried inserting a Set Attributes express vi between the DAQ Assistant and the Write to Measurement file and selected Start timestamp. No effect. Selected Timestamp under signal index. Nope. That didn't work. Tried setting them both. Still no luck.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advanced,

Dean

[Dennis_Knutson]

In order to change the format, you would have to edit the VI itself. All of the things you tried is just a waste of time. The Express VIs, like the DAQ Assistant and Write to Measurement File are convenient but if you use them, you have to accept their limitations. There is the Export Waveforms to Spreadsheet that you can try, the Write to Spreadsheet, and then the lowest level File I/P functions. The lower level you go, the more programming you need to do but the options for customization.

[Le_Gross_Bill]

You are NOT going to belive this. After spending the afternoon writing VIs for handling existing filenames and exporting waveforms to spreadshet files, I start mucking around with the string because it is putting a blank line between the DAQ reads (5 rows for 5 samples, then a blank row and then the acquisition loops again). In the process of testing (removing the extra carriage returns in the string) I start getting Excel files that no longer have the date or hour, just the minutes and seconds. Wt?

Turns out, Excel sometimes does that. Format the cells using the custom feature and chose dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss.00 and suddenly its all back to normal.

To add to my frustration I went back to the original data file my student was complaining about and formatted the cells and guess what? The standard express vi's export the date, hour, minutes, seconds. All you have to do is use the custom cell format in excel.

However, the standard express vis will still drop those stupid blank rows in your data.

Thanks for your assistance Dennis. I hope my frustrations as noted above will be of some use to you in the future.

Best regards,

Dean