DewesoftX 2020.1 Released - MIMO Modal Test and More

New versioning and DewesoftX installer update

After almost three years of Dewesoft X3, the software has been rebranded to DewesoftX, following the model of applications and services such as Windows 10 or Office 365 with the intention of only having one software version that is continuously updated.

The folder structure has changed accordingly, making DewesoftX the main folder, followed by the Bin (or Bin64) folder, containing the program’s core files. Due to the structure change, an online update from X3 to DewesoftX 2020.1 is not possible, so an online or offline installer needs to be used. The installer also offers new installation presets, which are oriented at specific use cases. One of those is an analyze-only preset that does not install device drivers.

MIMO support in modal test

A modal test is an indispensable tool for every engineer trying to evaluate the dynamic behavior of a structure. With a big update to DewesoftX’s existing modal test solution, you are now able to excite your structure not only with a modal hammer or a single vibration shaker but with multiple shakers as well, letting you truly obtain the results you are looking for.

Alongside new support for MIMO, the update also features a much-needed streamlining of the user interface. Shaker settings inside the Modal test module have been significantly reworked, enabling you to drive the shakers via analog outputs using just a few clicks.

The best part of all is that the upgrade is free of charge and backwards compatible, allowing you to use existing setup files and expand them with new functionality.

Channel connections

Up to this point, all channel identification in Dewesoft has always been done using channel indexes. For example, when an analog channel is used as an input to the FFT module, it is identified with a fixed parameter based on its “position” in Dewesoft’s setup structure. With channel connections, that same parameter called the unique ID is no longer strictly tied to the channel’s position. 

At the moment, this functionality can be utilized with locked sensors. In that case, the connection to math modules and display widgets is based on the sensor’s serial number and not the position of the channel. Therefore, if a sensor is disconnected and reconnected to a different position, the linked mathematics and display widgets will stay intact. The same principle applies over Dewesoft NET, where sensors can even be moved from the measurement unit to the measurement unit without losing the references on the master.

Improved CAN database management

The updated CAN database management system allows you to more easily manage a CAN setup composed of several definition files. When definition files are imported (DBC, ARXML, or XML), the information about the source document and the import time is stored in the setup file as a database parameter. 

With that information, you can use a filter in the grid to display only CAN messages and channels that belong to the selected database file, as can be seen in the image below. 

Additionally, the replace database option allows you to easily update existing messages and channels from a previously imported database with messages and channels that are defined in the new, updated database.

Other

• The TAFFmat export (TEAC Data Acquisition File Format) is the latest in the line of supported formats to which DewesoftX can convert its DXD data format.

• Template management for math modules is now simpler to use and allows you to set a default template that is automatically applied whenever you add a new math module.

• The IRIG 108 Chapter 10 module is now able to decode multiple Chapter 10 Ethernet streams at the same time.

• The X-axis autoscale function provides a great overview of the behaviour of signals even after a long period of time during the measurement.

DewesoftX 2020.1 is a free upgrade for all existing Dewesoft customers and compatible with all Dewesoft data acquisition systems. You can download it from our download center, where you will also find a changelog listing all the minor improvements and bug fixes.