How would I connect an torque screwdriver to MATLAB to simultaneously output a graph of Torque vs Time while my other code measures force from a sensor?

I am working on a research project that uses a MATLAB program that measures force from a donut hole FUTEK sensor in conjunction with implanted screws that go into bones. A screw goes into the hole on the sensor and compresses bone and we measure that force. Here is the sensor specs:

Essentially, I am attempting to use a digital torque screwdriver (this model: https://imada.com/products/cedar-did-4a-digital-torque-screwdriver/) to incorporate real-time continuous torque measurements and compare these with the force outputs from the written MATLAB program. My current task is centered on trying to incorporate this into the MATLAB program possibly by having it side by side on two different graphs with one being force data and one being torque amount which could then be filtered or even overlaying both sets.

I am pretty new to MATLAB but have some experience and would like some suggestions on how to connect devices to the program and read their output and how I can add to this program to output torque from the screwdriver and compare it to the force. Any help is appreciated!

Here is the code for the project (written before I joined the project) that I am attempting to add to, it includes an app interface :

% Properties that correspond to app components

properties (Access = public)

UIFigure matlab.ui.Figure

cutoff matlab.ui.control.NumericEditField

FilterCutoffEditFieldLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

order matlab.ui.control.NumericEditField

FilterOrderEditFieldLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

ReadyButton matlab.ui.control.StateButton

persecondLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

DataCollectionRateLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

DataRate matlab.ui.control.NumericEditField

AppliedLoad matlab.ui.control.NumericEditField

AppliedLoadkgEditFieldLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

CalibrationStatusLamp matlab.ui.control.Lamp

CalibrationStatusLampLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

SetupButton matlab.ui.control.Button

FullCalibrationButton matlab.ui.control.Button

QuickCalibrationButton matlab.ui.control.Button

CheckCalibrationButton matlab.ui.control.Button

BoneViscoelasticityDataCollectionLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

Directions matlab.ui.control.Label

txtLabel1 matlab.ui.control.Label

Filename matlab.ui.control.EditField

FilenameEditFieldLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

StopButton matlab.ui.control.StateButton

StartButton matlab.ui.control.Button

TimeLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

ResetButton matlab.ui.control.Button

TurnGague matlab.ui.control.LinearGauge

NumberofTurnsGaugeLabel matlab.ui.control.Label

TurnButton matlab.ui.control.Button

UIAxes matlab.ui.control.UIAxes

end

methods (Access = private)

function results = func(app)

end

end

methods (Access = public)

function results = func2(app)

end

end

% Callbacks that handle component events

methods (Access = private)

% Button pushed function: TurnButton

function TurnButtonPushed(app, event)

app.TurnGague.Value = app.TurnGague.Value + 0.25;

end

% Button pushed function: ResetButton

function ResetButtonPushed(app, event)

app.TurnGague.Value = 0;

app.StopButton.Value = 0;

app.TimeLabel.Text = num2str(0);

app.Directions.Text = 'Program reset. Type new filename for new data collection';

global file;

file = 1;

pause (0.0001);

end

% Button pushed function: StartButton

function StartButtonPushed(app, event)

global filename

global file

global rate

global order

global cutoff

if file == 1

app.Directions.Text = 'Please type new filename for data collection';

end

if rate ~= 0 %prevents from dividing by zero

timeconst = 1 / rate; %seconds between readings

else

timeconst = 0.1; %defaults to 10 times per second

end

stop = app.StopButton.Value;

app.Directions.Text = 'beginning data collection';

pause(1)

global ard;

global calZero;

global calOffset;

[b,a] = butter(order, cutoff);

i = 0; %initialization of counter

t=(tic);

while (stop == 0 && file == 0)

turns = app.TurnGague.Value;

pause(0.00001);

if toc >= (timeconst * i)

tstart=now();

time = toc(t);

app.TimeLabel.Text = num2str(time);

voltage = readVoltage(ard, 'A1');

compression = (voltage - calZero) / calOffset;

app.Directions.Text = strcat(num2str(compression), " Newtons");

pause(0.00001);

if i == 0

data = table(time, voltage, compression, turns);

plotdata = compression;

avg0 = compression;

elseif i == 1

T = table(time, voltage, compression, turns);

data = vertcat(data, T);

plotdata = [plotdata ((compression + avg0) / 2)];

avg1 = compression;

else

T = table(time, voltage, compression, turns);

data = vertcat(data, T);

plotdata = [plotdata ((compression + avg0 + avg1) / 3)];

avg0 = avg1;

avg1 = compression;

end

writetable(data, filename);

plot(app.UIAxes, data.time, plotdata);

i = i + 1;

stop = app.StopButton.Value;

pause(0.001);

end

%app.Directions.Text= strcat(num2str(now()-tstart), " time");

end

filtered = filter(b,a,data.compression);

time = data.time;

turns = data.turns;

T2 = table(time, filtered, turns);

filename2 = strcat(erase(filename, ".xlsx"), "_filtered.xlsx");

writetable(T2, filename2);

if file == 0

app.Directions.Text = 'Data collection ended. Reset to collect new data';

end

end

% Value changed function: Filename

function FilenameValueChanged(app, event)

global filename

filename = app.Filename.Value;

t = datetime('now'); %append with date time to prevent overwriting data

filename = strcat(filename, '_');

filename = strcat(filename, datestr(t, 'mm.dd.yy_HH.MM.SS'));

filename = strcat(filename, '.xlsx'); %makes output an excel spreadsheet file

global file

file = 0;

app.Directions.Text = 'press start when ready';

end

% Button pushed function: SetupButton

function SetupButtonPushed(app, event)

global ard;

if ~isempty(instrfind)

fclose(instrfind);

delete(instrfind);

end

if isempty(ard) == 1

ard = arduino('/dev/cu.usbmodem1301','Mega2560');

end

cfile = fopen('calibData.txt', 'r');

cdata = fscanf(cfile, '%f\n');

fclose('all');

%create global variables with calibration constants

global calZero

calZero = cdata(1);

global calOffset

calOffset = cdata(2);

global rate

rate = app.DataRate.Value;

global order

order = app.order.Value;

global cutoff

cutoff = app.cutoff.Value;

app.Directions.Text = 'Setup Complete. Run calibration check or enter filename to begin data collection.';

end

% Value changed function: DataRate

function DataRateValueChanged(app, event)

global rate

rate = app.DataRate.Value;

end

% Button pushed function: CheckCalibrationButton

function CheckCalibrationButtonPushed(app, event)

app.Directions.Text = 'Please remove all load from sensor and press Ready';

go = 0;

while go == 0

go = app.ReadyButton.Value;

pause(0.01)

end

app.Directions.Text = 'Measuring zero';

pause(1)

global ard

global calZero

global calOffset

%run a loop to measure output with zero load

val = zeros(20,1);

i = 0;

timeconst = 0.1;

tic

while i < 20

if toc > (timeconst * i)

val(i + 1) = readVoltage(ard, 'A1');

i = i + 1;

end

end

checkzero = mode(val);

app.ReadyButton.Value = 0;

app.Directions.Text = 'Please load sensor with tray and 25lb weight and press Ready';

go = 0;

while go == 0

go = app.ReadyButton.Value;

pause(0.01)

end

app.Directions.Text = 'Measuring weight';

pause(1);

%run a loop to measure output with load

val = zeros(20,1);

i = 0;

tic

while i < 20

if toc > (timeconst * i)

val(i + 1) = readVoltage(ard, 'A1');

i = i + 1;

end

end

checkoffset = mode(val);

checkoffset = (checkoffset - checkzero) / 117.4 %load in newtons from tray and weight

checkoffset = abs(checkoffset - calOffset) / calOffset;

checkzero = abs(checkzero - calZero) / calZero %calculate the error

if (checkzero < 0.01) && (checkoffset < 0.01)

calib = 0

elseif checkzero < 0.01

calib = 1;

elseif checkoffset < 0.01

calib = 1;

elseif (checkzero < 0.05) && (checkoffset < 0.05)

calib = 1;

else

calib = 2;

end

switch calib

case 0

txt = strcat('Calibration is good. Checkzero = ', num2str(checkzero));

txt = strcat(txt, ', Checkoffset =', num2str(checkoffset));

app.Directions.Text = txt;

app.CalibrationStatusLamp.Color = 'green';

case 1

txt = strcat('Calibration is slightly off. Quick calibration recommended. Checkzero = ', num2str(checkzero));

txt = strcat(txt, ', Checkoffset =', num2str(checkoffset));

app.Directions.Text = txt;

app.CalibrationStatusLamp.Color = 'yellow';

case 2

txt = strcat('Calibration is off. Quick or full calibration necessary. Checkzero = ', num2str(checkzero));

txt = strcat(txt, ', Checkoffset =', num2str(checkoffset));

app.Directions.Text = txt;

app.CalibrationStatusLamp.Color = 'red';

end

app.ReadyButton.Value = 0;

end

% Button pushed function: QuickCalibrationButton

function QuickCalibrationButtonPushed(app, event)

%copy current calibration values to new file

cfile = fopen('calibData.txt', 'r');

t = datetime('now'); %append with date time to show old calibration

newfile = strcat('calibDataBefore', datestr(t, 'mm.dd.yy_HH.MM.SS'));

newfile = strcat(newfile, '.txt');

cfilenew = fopen(newfile, 'w');

cdata = fscanf(cfile, '%f\n');

fprintf(cfilenew, '%f\n', cdata);

fclose('all');

%measure different loads, starting at zero

app.Directions.Text = 'Please remove all load from sensor for calibration and press Ready';

go = 0;

while go == 0

go = app.ReadyButton.Value;

pause(0.01)

end

app.Directions.Text = 'Calibrating zero';

pause(1)

weights = [0; 54.286; 117.143];

val = zeros(20,1);

i = 0;

timeconst = 0.1;

global ard

tic

while i < 20

if toc > (timeconst * i)

val(i + 1) = readVoltage(ard, 'A1');

i = i + 1;

end

end

zcal = mode(val);

%repeat with small weight

app.ReadyButton.Value = 0;

app.Directions.Text = 'Please load sensor with tray and 10lb weight and press Ready';

go = 0;

while go == 0

go = app.ReadyButton.Value;

pause(0.01)

end

app.Directions.Text = 'Calibrating weight';

pause(1)

val = zeros(20,1);

i = 0;

tic

while i < 20

if toc > (timeconst * i)

val(i + 1) = readVoltage(ard, 'A1');

i = i + 1;

end

end

wcalsmall = mode(val);

%repeat with larger weight

app.ReadyButton.Value = 0;

app.Directions.Text = 'Please load sensor with tray and 25lb weight and press Ready';

go = 0;

while go == 0

go = app.ReadyButton.Value;

pause(0.01)

end

app.Directions.Text = 'Calibrating weight';

pause(1)

val = zeros(20,1);

i = 0;

tic

while i < 20

if toc > (timeconst * i)

val(i + 1) = readVoltage(ard, 'A1');

i = i + 1;

end

end

wcalbig = mode(val);

%calculate calibration constants

global calZero

global calOffset

voltages = [zcal; wcalsmall; wcalbig];

W = [ones(length(weights), 1) weights];

B = W\voltages; %calculates linear regression

calZero = B(1);

calOffset = B(2);

app.CalibrationStatusLamp.Color = 'green';

%overwrite calibration file with new calibration constants

cfile = fopen('calibData.txt', 'w');

fprintf(cfile, '%f\n', B);

fclose('all');

app.ReadyButton.Value = 0;

end

% Value changed function: AppliedLoad

function AppliedLoadValueChanged(app, event)

global load

load = app.AppliedLoad.Value;

end

% Button pushed function: FullCalibrationButton

function FullCalibrationButtonPushed(app, event)

%copy current calibration values to new file

cfile = fopen('calibData.txt', 'r');

t = datetime('now'); %append with date time to show old calibration

newfile = strcat('calibDataBefore', datestr(t, 'mm.dd.yy_HH.MM.SS'));

newfile = strcat(newfile, '.txt');

cfilenew = fopen(newfile, 'w');

cdata = fscanf(cfile, '%f\n');

fprintf(cfilenew, '%f\n', cdata);

fclose('all');

%define weights and calculate all values

weightskg = [0; 10; 25; 50; 75; 100; 125; 150; 175; 200];

weightsN = weightskg * 9.807;

voltages = zeros(10, 1);

i = 1;

global ard

global load

timeconst = 0.1;

while i <= 10

app.ReadyButton.Value = 0;

txt = strcat('Please load sensor with ', num2str(weightskg(i)));

txt = strcat(txt, ' kilograms and enter exact value then press Ready');

app.Directions.Text = txt;

go = 0;

while go == 0

go = app.ReadyButton.Value;

pause(0.01)

end

weightsN(i) = load * 9.807;

val = zeros(20,1);

j = 0;

tic

while j < 20

if toc > (timeconst * i)

val(j + 1) = readVoltage(ard, 'A1');

j = j + 1;

end

end

voltages(i) = mode(val);

i = i + 1;

end

%calculate linear regression and save as global calibration constants

W = [ones(length(weightsN), 1) weightsN];

B = W\voltages; %calculates linear regression

global calZero

global calOffset

calZero = B(1);

calOffset = B(2);

app.CalibrationStatusLamp.Color = 'green';

%overwrite calibration file with new calibration constants

cfile = fopen('calibData.txt', 'w');

fprintf(cfile, '%f\n', B);

fclose('all');

app.ReadyButton.Value = 0;

end

Answer 1

[Nathan Blanc]

The answer to this depends on your hardware for torque measurments. almost any data acquisition hardware can be read using the data acquisition toolbox. Alternativeky, If your measurments can be continously recorded to a file, you can periodically read from the file using matlab.

e.g. the following code will read from the file 'blabla.text' every second and plot the data.

fileID = fopen('blabla.txt','r');
while true
    A = fscanf(fileID,'%f');
    plot(A);
    pause(1)
end
fclose(fileID);