Overview of Basic Principles

This section addresses key principles of MakerPlot-J.

Listed again are some key features of MakerPlot-J:

•Pre-Built Interfaces with a variety of potential application or examples to start from.

•Serial Controls for communicating to devices. The environment supports multiple serial connections at once.

•The software installs with example code for interacting with MakerPlot-J. Currently only Arduino Code is available, but it can be used as examples for other systems.

•Through proper string formatting, analog, digital and message strings are easily accessed by plotting controls for rapid plotting of data.

•Using the Controls Palette allows for the rapid design of interfaces in addition to easily set properties and contextual help in writing instructions for a wide variety of controls.

•Many controls support multiple events, such as data arrival or double-clicking.

•The Debug/CLI (Command Line Interface) allows easy testing and use of data and instructions.

•Drawing instructions are a powerful tool in displaying your data or for other uses.

•Control properties, values and variables are easily coded for setting or getting data.

•Powerful math and post-fix string operations exist using easy to use formatting.

•A very flexible data logging control allows saving data to files based on many needs.

•Timers allow for periodic or single-shot operation of event code for operations.

•Interactive control allows MakerPlot-J to send data to your microcontroller or device, or for the microcontroller to request data from MakerPlot-J.

•Use your own graphics for buttons and images to create specialized interfaces with sequence animations using the canvas control.

The topics in this section are a brief introduction on the concepts of MakerPlot-J. They contain links to fuller discussions on those topics. Many examples in these references use the Debug/CLI Window where strings can be entered or results of operations shown, such as:

10,20,30   // Send 3 analog values for plotting or other use

!backGround=RED  // Set the main interface's background to red

? [ain0]   // display in Debug/CLI the value of analog channel 0

In these references, bold green is used to indicate MakerPlot-J instructions and bold blue-shade to indicate Arduino code.