Axon

Datalogger Loader

Getting Started Guide

PC Hardware/software requirements
Magneti Marelli Axon software needs the following PC HW/SW features to run
correctly:
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP.
• Video graphics card: 1024 x 768 32 bits or higher.
• Monitor: 14 inches or higher.
• 1 Ethernet card.

Installation
First time installation

1. Run setup.exe from the installer package.

2. Choose the install path where to install Axon.
3. After completion, run Axon.

Subsequent installation

1. Close Axon.
2. Run setup.exe from the installer package. Select Update/Repair then
continue. If at the end of the installation a reboot of the PC is prompted,
please carry it out otherwise some components will not be installed
correctly.
3. To avoid this situation, please carry out the following procedure before
installation.
4. Open Task Manager and check if any Axon process is still running. End
any such process.

How to change the path where Axon is installed

1. Close Axon.
2. Run setup.exe from the installation package.
3. Select Remove then Continue.
4. When uninstall has completed, run setup.exe again and proceed like
for first time installation.
System files
System files are needful to run Axon. The extensions and functions of these
files are as follows:
• *.LPS a list of the physical components of the logging system and
their functional/operating characteristics.
• *.CLL library containing descriptions (name and physical address)
of all the channels in the system that are available for logging.
Only one CLL file and one LPS file may be loaded in AXON at any time. This
restriction is necessary to avoid mixing functions or channels of different
systems in the same logging table.

Hardware devices and features

Axon can use the following hardware devices:
• Dataloggers
• Dashboards.
With Axon is possible to:
• program hardware devices by sending tables,
• view Dataloggers data (channels values),
• send Zeros to Dataloggers,
• set-up Dataloggers and Dashboards options.

Connecting Hardware devices to PC

Axon communicates with hardware devices via Ethernet (ETH). It is
necessary to set-up ETH PC settings as follows.

IP address PC / HW device

1. Open Windows standard Control Panel window.

2. Select Network Connections.
3. Select a connection or create a new one.
4. Open connection properties and edit Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to set-
up IP address and Subnet mask to values correspondent to HW device
supplied.
Check correct correspondence between IP Address and Subnet Mask set for
ECU and PC ones.
All field values must match exactly, except last IP address value, which must
be different from ECU to PC, as explained in following example:

ECU PC These values

must be different
IP address 192 . 122 . 3 . 11 192 . 122 . 3 . 12
from ECU to PC.
Subnet mask 255 . 255 . 0 . 0 255 . 255 . 0 . 0
Valid values for
PC are in range
[1, 253]

Define ALIAS for Dataloggers

In order to transmit a table to a datalogger, user has to previously assign a

name (ALIAS) to the device (i.e.: driver name or race number).
This operation is very important, because it allows the system to recognize
each HW device by the name that was assigned to the device itself.
1. Run Axon.
2. From the main menu choose command Network/Network Properties,
and select the page Tcp/Ip in the window Network Options.
3. Press button Add for adding a new ALIAS item.
4. Digit the name in the list Alias and confirm modifications with OK
button.
5. Select datalogger device with command Network/Select Datalogger...
from the main menu, or select an item in the devices combo from
standard Toolbar.
6. Open connection with datalogger with command Ping from the main
menu. Icon in the standard Toolbar becomes green. If the icon is
red, check if datalogger is correctly selected in the devices combo in
standard Toolbar.
7. The first time Axon connects to the datalogger (i.e.: when transmitting a
table with command Network/Tx Table from main menu), a window
appears, with a default ALIAS, that user can change.
Table creation and configuration
Create new .TPX

To create a new table (.TPX file) in Axon follow these steps:

1. Run Axon.
2. Select an .LPS file with command System/Load System description
(.LPS) from main menu.
3. Open a new table with command File/New... or CTRL+N shortcut.

4. From the pop up window list select one of the devices available for
loaded .LPS file. An empty table window will appear.

5. Load a Channel List Library (.CLL file) with command System/Load

Channel List library (.CLL) from main menu. Channel List Library
windows opens.
 6. Select desired channels from the right list in window Channel List
Library and add them to new table with Drag & Drop in right pane list of
new table window, or use standard commands Copy/Paste.

7. Save table with command File/Save from main menu.

Configure channel properties

1. Select desired channel in right list of table window.

2. Open window Channel Properties with command Edit/Properties from
main menu.
3. Set-up channel properties, as Name, Unit or Comment.
Base features
Transmit a table to Datalogger

1. Run Axon.
2. Load a valid table (.TPX file) with command File/Load from main menu,
or create a new table.
3. Run command Network/Select Datalogger from main menu, and select
a datalogger from the pop up window list.
4. Connect to datalogger with command Network/Ping.
5. Transmit table to datalogger with command Network/Tx Table....

Visualize Datalogger data (channel values) in DLView window

DLView window shows instantaneous values for all channels, configured in

datalogger table, as they are logged and their names in table format. This is
useful to check if datalogger runs correctly.
1. Run Axon and connect to a datalogger.
2. Open DLView window with command View/DLView from main menu.
3. Connect DLView window with command DLView/Connect.

Zeros

Zero function allows to apply an offset to some channels and forces channels
to assume a specified value (i.e.: useful to set accelerometers to 0 when
vehicle is steady).
1. Run Axon and load a table (.TPX file).
2. Select item Zeros in the tree on left hand of table window.
3. Run command Edit/Insert/Zero.
4. Configure Zero properties in window Zero.

Channel Select a channel from table or use button on the left.

Offset This value will be added to elaboration during table transmission.
Target Value automatically set when running command Network/Zeros.

5. Repeat points 1 to 4 for setting Zero for other channels.

6. Save the table and send it to datalogger.
7. When datalogger is connected, run command Network/Zeros to set
Zero values on datalogger.
Enhanced features
Dashboard configuration and transmission

1. Run Axon and load a valid table.

2. Select command Edit/Dashboard/Select... to open window Select
Dashboard.
3. Select an item in combo.
A further node in tree on left and of table window will appear, named
Dashboard.
Dashboard configuration and visualization (i.e.: adding channels, set-up
Alarms) depends upon dashboard type.

Triggers

1. Run Axon and load a valid table.

2. Select node Trigger and run command Edit/Insert/Trigger/Acquisition or
Edit/Insert/Trigger/A->B.
3. Configure channel name, thresholds for trigger condition and Pre/Post
Trigger options in the window Trigger Setup.