Test data management and reporting introduction

Collecting data from practically any source, manipulating them in any way, and then creating great reports is straightforward with LMS Test.Lab Desktop. Anyone with a basic knowledge of Windows operating systems can use it.

Browse over and into data files using a familiar Explorer-like interface. Just click on a function and the data automatically loads into the display. Search for data using context strings - such as the person who performed the test, the object configuration, the measurement date, or other particular details. You can even bookmark important data so you can find it easily weeks later.

Data can be accessed without knowing which particular application program was used to acquire them or how it operates. With LMS Test.Lab Desktop, it is no longer necessary to learn another code just to make a report.

LMS Test.Lab Desktop works transparently with data from any source. There is no need to copy, convert or even know where the data is located. Data acquired by legacy systems can easily be compared to something measured today using the latest equipment. You can access competitive benchmarks acquired by other departments or compare the status of the latest prototype with the results of the previous model measured years ago. Being able to access all these data in a transparent way means you can leverage investments you have made in the past. With the support of the ASAM/ODS standard, Test.Lab Desktop makes it possible to access and exchange data across platforms without losing vital descriptive information.

Noise and vibration problems are often caused by subtle events: the troublesome third order that is nearly but not quite masked by background noise, the local mode just at the point where you need to connect a sensitive component, or the annoying rattle that develops over time. To discern intricate details, you need powerful graphical displays with flexible limit settings, a choice of viewing angles, color scales and line formats. Optimized by years of LMS experience, the LMS Test.Lab Desktop graphics provide everything you need for noise and vibration engineering.

Often insight only comes by comparing data - which may not be easy when measurements were made by different people, incompatible equipment or even at different times. With LMS Test.Lab Desktop you can align spectra with different resolutions into power spectral densities (PSDs), scale them, change acoustic weightings, smooth curves, and perform a host of other operations. The system automatically takes care of unit conversions so you can never make a mistake overlaying data measured in millimeters, meters, or inches. The original data sets remain unchanged and are never overwritten. Reference curves stored together with display layouts immediately tell you whether you meet the target or not. Advanced cursor functions help you quickly scroll through the curves, jump to peaks and read out values. You can even make comparisons by listening to the data.

LMS Test.Lab Desktop helps document the huge amount of data that a typical test team generates every week. You can add key information to raw data, such as operator details, test object descriptions and testing conditions for data traceability, as well as digital images showing the actual test setup. Better documentation means your data will retain its value long after the testing phase has been completed. 

As the amount of test data grows, it is crucial to organize and keep track of it. You need a system that makes data annotation consistent - one that relates measurement results to product structure and speeds up data search and retrieval. You can extend LMS Test.Lab Desktop with LMS Tec.Manager, which is developed for engineering data organization and fully integrated with LMS Test.Lab.

LMS Test.Lab Desktop makes it easy to create compelling reports. You can combine trace, waterfall, and surface-shaded animations along with labels, lines, and logos to conform to corporate standards. All Microsoft Office features are available to highlight crucial elements. Once you have a template, LMS Test.Lab Desktop automatically fills in data-specific details - such as channel number, axis limits, and cursor read-outs - as the report is being produced. Copy and paste work is eliminated and consistency within the company guaranteed. 

Reports can be made in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and saved in PDF and HTML e-reporting standards. With OLE/ActiveX technologies, your documents are not static reports, but dynamic entities so that other readers can manipulate data formats and animation viewpoints to suit their particular requirements.

When you need to report large data sets based on the same test, batch reporting and organizer facilitates structured printing of large data files according to multiple pre-defined plot formats, created in Microsoft Office applications, including Active Pictures. Intuitive ways of ordering data are available to sort your data according to various print templates. Both electronic document printing and printing to a printer are supported.