NeatTools User Manual
Contents
1. E le Fels Fle E Eele The LED can now be turned on either by moving the mouse above the threshold or by depressing the Switch The LED represents a binary two state digital signal Note Later we will need to use the OR module from the DL digital logic toolbox but its logical function is incorporated here implicitly in the LED input so it is not needed here You may wish to try at this point connecting the 2DMeter and the Switch to the input of an OR module and the output of that to the LED Verify then that the operation of the program remains unchanged Page 14 Arithmetic Calculations Sy O As with other programming languages NeatTools can perform arithmetic 3s operations addition subtraction multiplication and division on integers and real numbers NeatTools also includes a number of other mathematical operations We will sometimes use the standard mathematical term operator to denote any of these mathematical modules Actually many other modules in NeatTools qualify for this designation too The essential idea is that such a module operates on one or more input values to produce an output value or result Thus for example a Multiply module operates on two or more input values to produce a result the product The modules that operate on integers are blue and are found in the Digital Logic DL toolbox Those that operate on real numbers i e having a decimal point unlike integers are in the MA Math2. property is set at the default of 16 bits You might want to try this both ways and see that the two methods give the same result Page 21 Introduction to MIDI MIDI is short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface It is commonly incorporated for example into electronic keyboards guitars and drum machines so they can be interfaced to computers For more information visit www midi org NeatTools has a substantial set of MIDI and other modules in the MM Multimedia toolbox Drag a green PushButton and a red Switch from the DS toolbox to the desktop Then from the MM toolbox drag a MIDI module and a MIDI Output module EJ e oF la le Bis SAAANA 8551 138281 400 h When creating MIDI events the particular note that will be produced depends upon where the input is connected to the MIDI module Because there are many such inputs on the left side it is appropriate to elongate the MIDI module as shown below Drag the mouse along the inside of the left edge of the MIDI module and watch the status bar to see where on the module the ports for the desired individual notes are located X 1 80078 Y 0 93750 400 EJ ekl e e AAE ENE BIEBER IRIRE Page 22 Choose a note on the left side of MIDI and drag a link from there back to the output of the green PushButton or proceed from the PushButton output the M
3. a visual programming environment for human computer interfacing user manual www pulsar org center for really neat research I Table of Contents Us Il Introduction e What is NeatTools e Where to get NeatTools e System Requirements lll Lessons e Elementary Techniques e Module Properties e Analog vs Digital e Arithmetic Calculations e Slider amp Mouse e Introduction to MIDI e Sound amp Light e TNG 3B Interface e JoyMouse IV Reference e Listing of Modules V Credits We gratefully acknowledge generous support for this NeatlTools documentation project and related activities from grants provided by Microsoft Corporation NEC Foundation of America and the Institute for Interventional Informatics Page 1 What is NeatTools NeatTools is a visual programming environment in which users can create ly Ze programs by direct manipulation of graphical objects called modules NeatTools Gy Ox can accept input data from devices connected to the PC such as a keyboard Q mouse joystick and TNG pronounced Thing a palm sized serial interface box that accommodates various sensors for human computer interface applications see TNG 3B Interface lesson In creating visual programs users do not need to know the C language that was used to create NeatTools to the extent of about 54 000 lines of code The visual programmer writes programs by dragging and dropping modules onto the
4. Addition for use with strings String Not Equal Not equal for use with strings String Insert Insert for use with strings String Delete Delete for use with strings String Upper Case Upper case for use with strings String Position Position for use with strings Byte Addition Addition for use with bytes Byte Subtract Subtract for use with bytes Byte Length Length for use with bytes Byte Insert Insert for use with bytes Page 45 Credits The following individuals in alphabetic order have contributed to the NeatTools documentation project Matthew Carbone Owner IDeations and Manager of the Center for Really Neat Research Peter Ensminger Ph D free lance science writer based in Syracuse NY Taviare Hawkins doctoral student in Physics at Syracuse University Sarah Leadbeater undergraduate student in Industrial Design at Syracuse University Edward Lipson Professor of Physics at Syracuse University and CEO Mindtel LLC Jill Rajunas doctoral student in Information Studies at Syracuse University NeatTools Historical Credits Dave Warner and Joh Johannsen developed the first generation versions of Neat software with Joh doing the actual programming based on design concepts and specifications by Dave Similarly Dave and Yuh Jye Chang codeveloped NeatTools with Yuh Jye doing the detailed architecture and coding This work was the basis of his Ph D work in Computer Science at Syracuse Univers
5. toolbox and are colored green In the MA toolbox there are also gray modules that operate on complex numbers which have both real and imaginary parts these are beyond the scope of the present lesson and are relevant for more advanced applications such as digital signal processing that are of particular interest to engineers and scientists Open the file Math ntl This program begins with three Integer modules the values of which were arbitrarily chosen for this example These values can be set or changed by right clicking on the module and entering the value in the label property The value of an Integer module can also be changed by inputting at the left an integer value obtained from some other module s output a common use of Integer or Real modules In general they can be used to display the numerical result of other operations or they can serve as an input to another module or both Many NeatTools modules have this dual feature that in a given application they can accept inputs and or provide outputs Page 15 Each integer involved in this calculation has a connection from the Integer module output to the Add module input The Add module adds the integers 1 5 and 2 Its output as displayed in the Integer module on the right is the sum 8 The result of 8 and the value 2 used again are provided as inputs to the Multiply module thereby producing the result 16 The third calculation uses the res
6. This button can be found in the bottom right hand corner of the joymouse program Additionally click the button above the MIDI Output module in the Latin Sounds program Verify the connection is made by observing the illuminated red button in the upper left hand corner of the sounds socket module and the MIDI Output module Broken connections are depicted as a yellow light WIDI Cutput vounds Socket Cornection successhil faa eines beat 2289 Oe e Eke e eo a Page 36 Test each sound by clicking the blue buttons to the right of the names To select a sound click the yellow button corresponding with the channel Z in the i Qo In tne Joymouse program Op Troubleshooting If you are unable to hear the sound by clicking the blue buttons perform the following steps 1 On the keyboard hit Ctrl F7 2 Right click the MIDI Output module 3 Click Devices 4 Click Edit 5 Choose the alternate device 6 Click Exit 7 Hit Ctrl F7 8 Test for sound by clicking the blue buttons Page 37 The Title Bar 9 NeatTools 2008 C HelloWorld ntl Version of NeatTools in use The Status Bar X 1 68750 Y 1 04688 200 _ X and Y coordinates of mouse The Tool Bars be p ED GL Sc GD DL Desktop Toolbar Toggle Detaches or anchors the Desktop toolbar Edit Mode Toggle Enables or disables the ability to edit a program Guide Toggle Enables or disables the ability to
7. active desktop area of NeatTools and connecting them to establish a dataflow network NeatTools accommodates various data types including integers real numbers and alphanumeric strings Musical Instrument Digital Interface MIDI events and wave streams NeatTools can be used for many applications such as using a joystick to control the cursor entering data through an onscreen keyboard and Web based communications Additionally with suitable electronic devices NeatTools can be used to control objects in the physical world such as remote controlled cars games lamps and appliances NeatTools has been developed in part to serve the needs of people with severe physical disabilities However in keeping with modern principles of universal design features designed for the individuals with disabilities are often of considerable benefit to general users in special situations where for example dependence on keyboard and mouse are undesirable With the advent and spread of wearable computers the need for this type of design will increase For more information on NeatTools TNG interface devices custom sensors and various applications of these technologies please visit www pulsar org Specifically click on the NeatTools link From there you can download the latest version of NeatTools and various collections of and some individual program files In the Documentation section of the NeatTools page you will find several types of doc
8. convention by which computer screens use the top left corner as origin because that is where text typing begins Page 12 To fix this you can use the Not module from the DL Digital Logic toolbox to effect the necessary inversion Remove the link between the MsY and the 2DMeter by clicking on it and then connect the MsY to the Not module and the Not module to the 2DMeter as shown Alternatively you can move rather than destroy the original link by dragging the right end from the 2DMeter to the Not The mouse and the module should now appear to move consistently i e up or down together e e J4 2 57031 400 Now let s add a digital component a binary one that is on or off depending on the value of an analog signal From the DS toolbox select the LED module and drag it to the desktop Connect the output of the 2DMeter to the LED and observe the effect of moving the mouse Page 13 The LED illuminates whenever the yellow indicator in the 2DMeter representing the mouse Y position is above the output link that connects to the LED The link at the 2DMeter output can be placed at any desired vertical position Try yourself to drag it to another vertical position This is an example of an adjustable threshold a topic that will be explored in more depth in later lessons Next drag a Switch module from the DS toolbox and connect that switch directly to the LED X 2 62500 Y 2 50000 400 VA Bi Gi
9. it is off has been changed here to yellow However when you turn on the Switch the LED will show its original foreground color of bright red X 1 34375 Y 0 26953 400 NeatTools Desktop a 0 42188 Y 0 44141 400 NeafTools Desktop 27 m fi gt AAE F p a pa ae 3 F j i ajal zje njo Page 9 To change its on color you will again need to access the properties menu and this time edit the color function Try this yourself In the future you can change the background and foreground colors with the same invocation of the properties menu Typical slider settings are 255 for one or more foreground color s and 180 for background color s Right clicking on the Switch module will bring up a different set of options among which you will notice the option label module Color 0 180 180 S value 65536 65535 0 Z lt o fer 180 180 Nbit 6 1 32 16 e a Experiment with this property It will allow you to add words or numbers to your module Changing Properties of Several Modules at Once A time saving trick when you need to change common properties of several related modules select the modules in question and then right click on any of them This will invoke a properties menu that shows only those properties that are shared among the modules such as color Often you can select the desired modules by dragging a ma
10. volume MIDI Output Mute Toggles mute on and off for MIDI volume MIDI Output Volume Controls volume of MIDI output Auxiliary Output Mute Microphone Output Volume Microphone Output Mute Toggles mute on and off for Controls volume of Toggles mute on and off mixer microphone for microphone volume Auxiliary Output Volume Controls volume of auxiliary output Record Input Mute Toggles mute on and off for recording Record Input Volume Controls input volume for recording Record Input Select Selects input type to be recorded Microphone Input Volume Controls microphone volume MIDI Input Volume Auxiliary Input Volume Controls volume of MIDI input Controls mixer volume MIDI Produces MIDI sound by adjusting MIDI channel CD Input Volume Controls volume of CD input MIDI Output Outputs MIDI events Page 42 The Display Toolbox 9 Display Label Displays labels Integer Displays integers modules Real Complex Displays complex numbers in floating point real Date Displays date Real Displays real numbers Bytes Button Blue Push Button Green Displays bytes Momentary Momentary and auto repeating Switch Red Focus Yellow LED Push on push off Turns on if program is in Light Emitting Diode the active window illuminates 1DViewer 1DViewer 1DMeter Displays 1D signal over time Displays 1D signal over time Displays 1D movement 1DMeter Displays 1D signal
11. 255 by a process known as analog to digital conversion In the following example the mouse will provide two representative analog signals namely its X and Y coordinates Strictly speaking they are represented here by discrete values in the range of 0 to 65535 16 bit digital representation It is appropriate nevertheless to consider them as analog rather than digital for they are representing with fine resolution the analog X and Y positions of the physical mouse Open the I O toolbox and drag the MsX MouseX and MsY MouseY modules to the desktop Note for future reference that the Ms Mouse module which is a combination of the MsX and MsY modules could be used here equally well but for clarity we are using the two separate modules Next drag the 2DMeter module from the DS toolbox to the desktop X L86719 Y 151953 400 ala BISIKI Page 11 z le Flee Flle elele El Connect the modules by clicking on the output right side of the MsX and dragging the connection to the input left side of the 2DMeter Similarly connect the MsY and the 2DMeter modules Note the respective locations of the X and Y input ports of the 2Dmeter module As you move the mouse the 2Dmeter will reflect that movement You will notice however that the Y coordinate on the 2DMeter moves opposite to the mouse movement that you are performing mouse goes down 2DMeter indicator goes up This anomaly results from the standard
12. IDI input if you prefer Next link the bottom output of the MIDI module to the left input of the MIDI Output module Note The MIDI Output module has a small red LED indicator in its upper left hand corner that shows whether the module is active or not Normally it is activated by a red Switch module Connect the output of the Switch to the top input of the MIDI Out module Page 23 mises vau ah Nowak oaa Y 0 64844 f 400 NeatTools D Desktop EbARASEALO A Make sure the Switch is depressed and then press the green PushButton to hear your note X 1 98047 cee Ye Epy Ea M minket ete Note If you are unable to hear the note you may need to change to a different MIDI output device To do so right click on the MIDI Output module On the property menu that appears select the line that begins device and then click Edit Chose the alternate device and click Exit Test for sound You may need to do this more than once depending how many MIDI device drivers are installed on your computer If there is still no sound make sure your speakers are operating by using another sound source such as a music CD You may actually want to do that system test first Page 24 Sound amp Light Sy This program demonstrates mouse control of a Musical Instrument Digital Rs Interface MIDI generated sound and b color changes on three different LEDs Modules featured in t
13. Percent Calculates remainder for use with integers Sample Sample input values on demand Accumulator Counts events Encoder Converts bytes to integers Clock Divider Cycling clock Calibrate Accommodates signal range min to max State Object State machine element advanced Timers Page 39 bbb Activates at regular specified time intervals Or Logical Or Integer Greater Than or Equal Greater than or equal for use with integers Integer Add Addition for use with integers Integer Divide Divide for use with integers Integer Maximum Outputs the maximum integer value Integer Random Generates a random integer value Pulse Event production shaped pulse Multiplexer Selects one input to be current Output Decoder Decodes the byte values of integers Time Provides current time use with date module Average Filter Running average The Math Toolbox Complex Equal Equal for use with complex numbers Complex Not Equal Not equal for use with complex numbers Complex Multiplication Multiplication for use with complex numbers Complex Subtract Subtract for use with complex numbers Complex to Real Converts complex numbers to real numbers Real to Complex Converts real numbers to complex numbers Polar to Complex Converts polar coordinates to complex numbers Complex Sine Calculates the sine of complex numbers Complex Hyperbolic Cosine Calculates hyper
14. R module the output of which should go into the Real module Notice how the answer is now displayed as a real number with decimal point In this sort of way you can perform calculations with a combination of integers and real numbers Experiment with some of the other mathematical operators in the DL and MA toolboxes For example try raising a number to a power using the Pow module and try converting real numbers back into integers Remember that depending on the type of numbers you are working with you will need to use either or both of the groups of mathematical modules in the DL and MA toolboxes Page 17 Slider amp Mouse Open the SliderAndMouse ntl file by pressing the Open File OF button on the TL toolbar or by pressing Cirl O and selecting the file name Your screen will display several programs which we will describe briefly before teaching you to modify them X 2 00000 Y 1 28125 400 NeatTools Desktop ar A m nF Mouse Threshold Switch amp LED Mouse XY Display se e e 2D Slider 1D Slider amp Meter amp Meter EEEE PIE EEN Mouse Threshold Mouse Threshold Mouse Threshold This simple network connects three modules MsX Mouse X from the IO toolbox and 1DViewer and LED both from DS toolbox The program displays mouse position on the viewer and turns on the LED when the viewer signal display crosses the threshold Thus the LED turns on whenever the yellow di
15. Sine Calculates the hyperbolic sine of complex numbers Complex Tangent Calculates the tangent of complex numbers Complex Conjugate Outputs the conjugate of complex numbers Real Equal Equal to for use with real numbers Real Multiplication Multiplication for use with real numbers Real Absolute Value Calculates the absolute value of real numbers Real Minimum Outputs the minimum real value Real Tangent Calculates the tangent of real numbers Real Logarithm Calculates the logarithm of real numbers Real Ceiling Calculates ceiling value of real numbers Arc Tangent 2 Determines the four quadrant arc tangent Real Random Generates random real numbers The Keyboard Toolbox These modules are relatively self explanatory and function in the same way that they do when found on a traditional keyboard 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ R S T OViW x 2 0 alib A Gidje T gi hjijjik imn o pars Right Hone teft Dei Ej AitR Ait Fi Shift Shittr Ctri Ctrik Cape F12 15 ri4 15 Fir Generates string events from keyboard input Key Page 41 The Multimedia Toolbox Master Output Mute Master toggle of output mute Master Output Volume Master volume control CD Output Volume Controls CD volume CD Output Mute Toggles mute on and off for CD volume WAV Output Mute Toggles mute on and off for WAV volume WAV Output Volume Controls WAV
16. To calibrate the joystick click XY Cal button to the right of the 2DMeter Move the joystick vertically and horizontally a few times then move it in a wide circular motion to establish the extent of the joystick s range Click the XY button again to turn off the range of motion test The second step in calibration is to establish the center point of the joystick or the position at which the cursor on the screen is at rest Page 33 5 Remove your hands from the joystick to allow it to return to its rest position Click the SAMPLE button to the right of the 2DMeter 6 To use the joystick click the ENABLE button to the right of the 2DMeter Adjustments The sensitivity of the joystick refers to the speed with which the cursor will move across the screen To determine the level set it near the center of the range and test the speed To increase or decrease the sensitivity of the joystick move the 1Dslider located to the right of the 2DMeter and below the calibration buttons Sensitivity Similarly the joymouse program allows the user to set the free play of the joystick or a dead zone Free play refers to a range around the joystick in which movement of the joystick will not result in movement of the cursor The benefit of this feature is that a user who is not able to hold the joystick still at its rest position will not inadvertently move the cursor In addition a user with less dexterity in releasing the joystick will h
17. and mouse Given the complexity of the program this lesson will focus specifically on running and using the joymouse program i L ar i de ma T E a E ar i es eet ee ent ee r oo EL daa ei eT HOEREER I L L J H J E E Be i a Sii jd v Souja Sigg el aati i oe Ia ie eed ee ew E i r j m i ji J y e Page 30 Used in conjunction with LatinSounds ntl a signal received by the joymouse ntl program is assigned audio feedback for each switch mounted Use of the jm123sh ntl program with joymouse will allow the third digital switch to choose the second digital switch s function on the fly from a list of pre programmed functions Both of these additional modules will be discussed in this lesson Hardware Setup Connect a serial cable to the top of the TNG interface box Connect the opposite end to the com port on the CPU When a NeatTools program is running TNG can be tested by depressing the yellow button to the right of the serial cable connection A red light on the face of the box will illuminate if the proper connections have been made and the box is working Page 31 Running the Program 1 From the center left hand side of the joymouse program select the com port on the CPU that TNG is plugged into 2 Below the Com Port selection identify the type of joystick that will be used custom made joystick or standard unaltered
18. atTools application Export Component Exports a grouped module to a NeatTools file Cut Cuts selected items to the NeatTools clipboard Copy Copy selected items to the NeatTools clipboard Paste Pastes a highlighted group from NeatTools clipboard To Front Brings the module to the front To Back Sends the object to the back Group Groups a highlighted section together Ungroup Ungroups a highlighted section Load External Module Loads an External Module for use in current application About NeatTools Displays the NeatTools splash screen Exit NeatTools Exit the NeatTools application Not Logical Negate bitwise Exclusive Or Logic Xor Integer Equal Integer Multiply integers Integer Minimum value Control in series Delay DeMultiplexer output Exclusive For radio buttons For fast timing Delay Sustain As in music eorn The Digital Logic Toolbox Equal for use with integers Multiplication for use with Integer Absolute Value Calculates absolute value Outputs minimum integer Opens and closes a switch Delays sending current value until next event is received Sends single input to selected High Performance Counter shied And Logical And Integer Greater Than Greater than for use with integers Integer Not Equal Not Equal for use with integers Integer Subtract Subtract for use with integers Integer Power Raise integer to a power Integer
19. ave better command of where the cursor stops on the screen It is recommended that free play be set at or near zero and increased as needed Page 34 To this point this lesson has dealt only with using the joymouse program to move the cursor around within the X and Y axis The F remainder of this program will address adding switches to the TNG interface oA box and the joymouse program to perform mouse clicking functions 4s Sensors amp Peripheral Programs Frequently users use the left mouse button function to select items drag and drop and launch programs TNG and joymouse accept both analog and digital switches Where each is inserted into the TNG box depends on what its function will be For example the switch intended for the left mouse click should always be plugged into the digital input 1 1 Within the joymouse program and in the section labeled Sensors indicate whether the switch in each input is analog or digital Since the joystick X and Y axis are plugged into the number one and two inputs in the analog section of TNG the number one and two slots for sensors will always be digital with the option for either an analog or digital switch as the third sensor SENSors A D Di Page 35 Latin Sounds Sound can be added to switches and other modules used with NeatTools To link joymouse to the latin sounds program open both programs A connection is established by clicking on the socket button labeled Sounds
20. bolic cosine of complex numbers Complex Cosine Calculates the cosine of complex numbers Complex Natural Antilog Calculates natural antilog of complex numbers e Complex Hyperbolic Tangent Calculates the hyperbolic tangent of complex numbers Real Greater Than Greater than for use with real numbers Real Greater than or Equal Greater than or equal for use with real numbers Real Addition Addition for use with real numbers Real Not Equal Not equal to for use with real numbers Real Division Division for use with real numbers Real Subtract Subtract for use with real numbers Real Maximum Outputs the maximum real value Real Power Raises a real number to a power Real Sine Real Cosine Calculates the sine of real Calculates the cosine of real numbers numbers Natural Antilog e Calculates the antilog of real numbers Real Arc Tangent Calculates the arc tangent of real numbers Real Square Root Calculates the square root of real numbers Real Round Rounds real numbers Modulus Calculates remainder of a real number Floor Calculates floor value of real numbers PI 3 14 Natural number e 2 71828 Real Calibrate Calibrates real numbers Page 40 Complex Addition Addition for use with complex numbers Complex Division Division for use with complex numbers Complex to Polar Converts complex numbers to polar coordinates Complex Hyperbolic
21. ceives input from TNG 2 serial interface Oxford Pulse Oximeter Instrument interface Com Port Serial Port Serial port I O for ports 1 4 The Miscellaneous Toolbox 9 misc se Real to Integer Object Converts real numbers to integers Integer to Byte Converts integers to bytes String to Integer Converts strings to integers Byte to String Converts bytes to strings Date Greater Than Greater than for use with dates Date Not Equal Not equal to for use with dates String Equal Equal for use with strings String Subtract Subtract for use with strings String Length Length of string String Lower Case Lower case for use with strings Byte Delete Delete for use with bytes perun amme mm sewe w mhm mu Byte Position Position for use with bytes peuewummreum Integer to Real Object Converts integers to real numbers Byte to Integer Converts bytes to integers WAV to integer Integer to WAV Converts WAVs to integers Converts Integers to WAV String to Byte Converts strings to bytes Integer to String Converts integers to strings Real to Date Converts real to date Date to Real Converts dates to real Date Greater Than or Equal Greater than or equal to for use with dates Date Equal Equal for use with dates String Greater Than or Equal Greater than or equal to for use with strings String Greater Than Greater than for use with strings String Addition
22. computer joystick eee 2 ay i e 3 In the upper right hand corner of the joymouse program note a section titled Channels 2 amp 3 The existence of this function is relevant to another application that will be discussed in a later lesson For now simply choose Select mode Joystick Setup amp Calibration lt What are we going to do about profiles Create a generic oy S Plug the analog and digital sensors into TNG reserving analog 1 amp 2 inputs for the joystick X and Y plugs 1 Move the joystick in a circular motion With the appropriate com port having been selected the motion should be visible on the 2DMeter at the center of the program sensitivity 2 Move the joystick in a vertical motion If the motion in the 2DMeter is opposite that of the actual joystick motion click on the vertical bar to the left of the 2DMeter to invert the on screen vertical motion 3 Similarly move the joystick in a horizontal motion If the motion on the 2Dmeter is opposite of the actual joystick motion click on the horizontal bar at the bottom of the 2DMeter to invert the on screen horizontal motion For the first session in which a joystick is used with the joymouse program it must be calibrated Saving the joymouse program after calibration will save the settings and will therefore not require recalibration each time the joystick is used Calibrating the joystick teaches the program the user s range of motion 4
23. e selected by clicking and dragging them to the desktop Then links between modules are established by clicking and dragging from the output of one module to the input of another or vice versa The links are represented by lines connecting the various modules and can be removed by clicking on them Take care not to do that inadvertently Note that NeatTools will prevent you from making an illegal connection Page 4 Try this simple exercise On the DT toolbar click the DS button A toolbox of various modules will appear Drag a Switch and an LED onto the desktop Then you may close the DS toolbox or leave it open as you wish Note You can click and drag a module to any location on the desktop You can also resize a module by dragging any of its eight sizing handles use corners if you want to maintain aspect ratio use sides to stretch or shrink in one dimension Sale meee ree nme rf reer eel 1 a rr V2 z 7 Page 5 As you move the mouse over each module the status bar will display the name of the module and list its X and Y coordinates Drag the mouse around the four sides of the object and you will notice that small rectangles appear inside each edge These are the module s various input output and control ports Although there are many exceptions inputs are normally on the left outputs on the right and control inputs are on the top sometimes there are special outputs on the bottom Some modules ha
24. epress the Edit ED button on the DT toolbar to be able to make these changes or else type Ctrl E this key combination toggles Edit mode on and off Now try connecting different colored LEDs Remember that in order to change the color of a module you have to access its property menu by right clicking that module You will normally want to change the background dim and foreground bright colors Notice the default settings before making your changes As an exercise construct a similar program using the other 1DViewer module with horizontal axis in the IO toolbox the module that displays mouse Y movement instead of X Switch amp LED Switch amp LED Switch amp LED Page 19 This simple program involves a Switch and an LED both from the DS toolbar When the Switch is depressed the LED turns on Pressing the Switch again turns off both the Switch and the LED This is among the simplest NeatTools programs one can write and is thus a good one to show first when demonstrating NeatTools 1D Slider and Meter This program employs the modules for the 1DSlider top and the 1DMeter bottom both from the DS Toolbox Note that you cannot directly adjust the position of the yellow bar on the 1DMeter by dragging whereas you can freely drag the bar of the 1DSlider The 1DMeter is for display purposes only The same distinction applies between the 2DMeter and 2DSlider When you drag the 1Dslider bar the 1DMeter bar mov
25. es identically Note that the editing mode ED should first be disabled otherwise clicking on the slider bar will select the Slider and cause it to drag around the desktop when you move the mouse Try this yourself both ways so you will be prepared to avoid this problem in the future 2D Slider and Meter This program connects the modules for the 2DSlider and the 2DMeter both from the DS toolbox When you alter the position of the Slider with the mouse the Meter moves identically Note how the X upper and Y lower connections are made Page 20 Mouse XY Display This program combines a variety of modules from previous programs Ms LED NOT and 2DMeter Note that the position of the mouse cursor is indicated by the 2DMeter and that left clicking the mouse turns on the LED The action of the NOT module is to invert the Y direction because the conventional origin of a computer display screen is the top left corner rather than the bottom left as it would be in a conventional XY graph Y increases downward After the NOT inversion Y increases upward as desired An explanation of why the logical NOT operator takes care of this inversion is beyond the present scope Suffice it to say that it works and that it is the simplest way to accomplish this action another way is to use the Subtract module from the DL toolbox and set up a subtraction of the Y output of Ms from the maximum value of 65535 provided the Ms module s N bit s
26. his program include MIDI 2Dmeter And and Not logic operators and DelaySustain Open the file soundandlight ntl The NeatTools window will display the program shown below 9 Neat Tools 19990708 C NEATTO I SOUNDA 1 NTI X 0 62500 Y 0 37500 162 NeatTools Desktop Make sure Edit mode ED button on DT toolbar is off in order to avoid inadvertent alterations of the program Then place the mouse cursor over each module without clicking and read its name from the Status Bar Slowly move the mouse cursor from the left to the right side of the screen Note that your speakers will produce three successive tones of increasing pitch The sound can be disabled by turning off the red Switch attached to MIDI Out If you fail to obtain sound consult the MIDI lesson for troubleshooting tips Slowly move the mouse cursor from the bottom to the top of the screen Note that the three LEDs sequentially illuminate How the Program Works Examine the overall flow of information connections of modules to understand in general how this program functions Note that the modules for sound are near the bottom and the modules for light are near the top The modules with the black dots are Node modules that are used here simply for fanout i e to allow one link expand into two or more without having to make multiple connections at the special edge of the 2DMeter where the specific link position matters Page 25 Optional Temporarily
27. is protected from accidental change Other buttons control the presentation of the NeatTools desktop by manipulating the Scale SC and Grid GD and specifying whether or not Rulers RU or Links LK are visible This toolbar also features Zoom controls 2 x2 1 The most important buttons on the DT toolbar are those for the seven toolboxes Digital Logic DL Math MA Keyboard KB Multimedia MM Display DS Input Output 10 and Miscellaneous MI Depressing any of these buttons will open a toolbox from which you can select various NeatTools modules You can either click on a module to place it at the current position of the NeatTools cursor different from the Windows mouse cursor or as is more commonly done you can drag the module onto a desired spot on the desktop The Tool TL toolbar contains buttons for common tasks usually found on pull down menus in other programs These include opening and saving files cut copy and paste and grouping and ungrouping sets of objects For a complete listing please refer to the reference section of this manual NOTE These toolbars may be floated by depressing the DT or TL buttons and then dragging We recommend keeping the DT on the left when re docking these toolbars Indeed we further recommend simply leaving them docked all the time NeatTools programs are created by linking modules These modules can be found in the various toolboxes on the Desktop DT toolbar and can b
28. is the active window or not it is for more advanced NeatTools programmers There are several special key combinations in NeatTools Ctrl F4 is a toggle feature that forces a NeatTools program window to remain always on top of any other window whether it is the active one or not a subsidiary feature is that clicking on the NeatTools desktop for example to press buttons or drag sliders will not force the window into focus to do so you should click on the title bar Ctrl F7 allows a user to toggle the NeatTools program in and out of Protected mode which hides the toolbars and status bar to save a program this way click the X button close window button at the right end of the title bar and click Yes when prompted about saving Ctrl F9 will shrink the size of the NeatTools desktop area so that it encompasses a selected set of modules on the desktop selected for example by dragging a marquee rectangle around the desired modules A common key sequence to close a finished program is a select a rectangular area of modules that are to remain visible b Ctrl F9 and c Ctrl F7 To return to editing mode select Ctrl F7 again As a final note modules are grayed out within their toolboxes when the computer running NeatTools does not support the particular functions of those modules Page 7 Module Properties When working in the NeatTools environment you will often need to change the properties of various modules The starting point
29. is to right click on the module Alternatively you can left click to select the module and then left click again on the small red square that appears at the lower right corner of the module Normally we recommend simply right clicking Drag a Switch and two LEDs from the DS toolbox to the desktop Connect the Switch to both LEDs Notice that clicking the Switch activates both LEDs 0 49359 VeO A6H04 40096 NeafTools Deskion zanso YiLO5469 400 OOO js Fe G papa G a z a CaA afe jx w j el Lafa ipo j w s f s e cf m ian value 65536 65535 0 E52 a SDI Page 8 Note The contents of the properties menus will vary among modules However for most modules the menu will include moduleColor usually lt left alone color i e foreground color and bkgnd background color S So Other modules will allow you to add labels change values change parameters 2s etc To change the color of the LED click on the background bkgnd option and click on the Edit button or more simply just double click on the option The properties menu will change to display a color rectangle with three sliders below it Manipulating the sliders will change the color of the LED When you have found a color combination you like click Ok to return to the properties menu and then click Exit to return to the NeatTools desktop Notice that the background color of the upper LED i e color when
30. ity Yuh Jye is now employed by Lucent Bell Laboratories in New Jersey Joh is a principal of Trapezium Development in Southern California Dave is director of the Institute for Interventional Informatics and CIO of Mindtel LLC Joh remains active on the project specifically he is among those developing external modules loadable at runtime for NeatTools Page 46 t O oO for updates beta version
31. level 1DSlider Adjusts 1D signal level 1DSlider Adjusts 1D signal level 2DMeter Displays 2D signal level 2DSlider Adjusts 2D signal level Page 43 The Input Output Toolbox B B B B a a in B TEN Complex Object Container for reusable data flow networks Node Pass through and fan out event detector on bottom Executable Opens an EXE file Data Base Module Mouse Y Receives and transmits i o for mouse y motion Mouse X Receives and transmits i o for mouse x motion Middle Mouse Button I O for middle mouse button Right Mouse Button I O for right mouse button Record Block Records and plays back block type data use with converter module Client Socket Provides client socket connection Joymouse 1 Joystick I O on port 1 Joymouse 2 Joystick I O on port 2 Line Printer 0x3BC LPT I O for Ox3BC print port Line Printer 0x278 LPT 1 0 for 0x278 print port TNG 4 Receives input from TNG 4 serial interface TNG 3 Receives input from TNG 3 serial interface saSnaER Davicon EMG Instrument interface Page 44 NeatTools Program Executable NeatTools program executable Complete Mouse Receives full mouse I O Left Mouse Button I O for left mouse button Converter Converts data types to block data and vise versa Server Socket Connection Provides server socket connection Line Printer 0x378 LPT 1 0 for 0x378 print port TNG 2 Re
32. nd switches it provides a flexible system for human computer interface applications notably for persons with severe disabilities 8 Analog Inputs 8 Digital Inputs The illustration below demonstrates how to develop a network using the TNG 3B serial interface It shows the use of a calibrator and displays one analog and two digital outputs Page 27 Turning on the Switch modules labeled COM and CAL illuminates the LED indicator at the top left corner of the COM and Calibrate modules respectively Both the COM and Calibrate modules are enabled at the top left port Note The COM port number of this module and the computer COM port number that the TNG 3B interface is plugged into should match If the COM port does not work check whether the port is being used by another device such as a modem or by another program The TNG3 module has 9 output ports Channels 1 8 correspond to the eight analog inputs on the TNG 3B Interface Channel 9 carries all 8 digital inputs Analog channel connection to calibrator When an analog sensor is used depending on the channel the sensor is plugged into the output is linked from that channel to the input of the Calibrate module i e if the sensor is in Analog channel 1 the output from channel 1 on the TNG3 module is linked to the input of the Calibrate module Page 28 Note The TNG3 module is set here for 8 bits as is the Decoder Calibrate and GreaterThan module The default f
33. or all of these modules M4 is 16 bits These properties can be changed by right clicking on the module Ss The eight digital inputs are transmitted together as one byte as are each of the 4 analog channels from the TNG3 module The Decoder extracts the individual bits informing of the current state of the eight digital inputs When Digital sensors are plugged into Digital Inputs 1 and 2 on the TNG3B Interface the Decoder module is linked from channel 0 to the input of an LED module and from channel 1 to the input of another LED module The LED modules become illuminated when the sensor is activated in the TNG 3B Interface Note Channel numbers on the Decoder module are numbered O 7 instead of 1 8 as on the TNG3 module to correspond with numbering on the TNG 3B device The output from the Calibrator module links into three other modules The 1D Meter and 1D Viewer modules record the signals from the sensor When the sensor s signal shown on the 1D Meter exceeds the limit set on the 1D Slider the green LED threshold is illuminated showing that the signal is greater than the set threshold The level of the 1D Slider can be changed The 1D Viewer module displays signals from the sensor with respect to time Page 29 JoyMouse A complex set of module connections joymouse provides the user with a relatively user friendly interface and allows for the use of a custom made joystick and switches to replace traditional joystick
34. rquee rectangle around them When this does not work or does not suffice you can always add one more module to the selection group by holding down the Shift key and then left clicking on that module Page 10 Analog vs Digital Sp Many NeatTools programs particularly those concerned with human computer Ra interfacing accept signals from external input devices process these signals and then produce an output which may be confined to the computer or may instead control devices in the user s environment In such situations you have a device that provides input e g a mouse a keyboard or a TNG with sensors and switches and you program NeatTools to process that input and produce the output to perform a desired action In this lesson the mouse is used as a representative input device that sends information to the NeatTools program The mouse motions produce specific results that can be viewed on the monitor A digital signal or variable is one with discrete states often just two of them for example a light switch can be on or off In computers the two common digital states are represented by 0 and 1 or false and true In contrast an analog signal varies continuously for example the speed of an automobile or the brightness of a light source Often analog signals are digitized and thereby become discrete For example an analog voltage accepted by a TNG interface is converted electronically to a number between 0 and
35. snap to grid Link Toggle Displays or hides the links connection lines Hidden Line Toggle Displays or hides links hidden behind modules Ruler Toggle Displays or hides the ruler toolbar Scaler Toggle Displays zoom slider on left side of screen Grid Toggle Displays or hides the grid lines Digital Logic Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides the Digital Logic toolbox Math Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides the Math toolbox Keyboard Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides the Keyboard toolbox Multimedia Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides the Multimedia toolbox Display Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides the Keyboard toolbox Input Output Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides the 1 0 toolbox Miscellaneous Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides the Miscellaneous toolbox External Toolbox Toggle Displays or hides an External Module toolbox Zoom Out by 2 Zooms out by 2 Zoom Out Zooms out Original Scale Returns the display to the original size Zoom In Zooms in Zoom In by 2 Zooms in by 2 Name of current NeatTools file T oF sF w S lg le le f uG LM Page 38 Current zoom factor a Description of currently selected module Tool Toolbar Toggle Detaches or anchors the Tool toolbar New File Starts a new NeatTools application file Open File Opens a NeatTools application file Save File Saves the NeatTools application Save File As Saves the NeatTools file as a specific filename Import Component Imports a module file into this Ne
36. splay signal is to the right of where the link connects to the bottom edge of the 1DViewer module The same type of direct thresholding is available in the other 1DViewer which has a horizontal axis as well as in the two 1Dmeter modules and the 2DMeter module see below Page 18 A problem with this direct thresholding is that one can change the threshold level only by adjusting the link position while in Edit mode a Although this offers the advantage of rapid programming it can become a Ss disadvantage if one needs later to adjust the threshold level especially if the 4s program has been saved in Protected Mode An alternative method which avoids this problem is to use a 1DSlider to set the threshold and a GreaterThan module from DL toolbox to do the comparison In this example as you move the mouse to the right X direction the 1DViewer display signal shifts to the right while it also progresses continuously downward as a function of time and periodically returns to the top after it reaches the bottom The display here depends only on the mouse X position and is unaffected by its vertical Y position As you move the mouse to the right note that the LED turns on once the 1DViewer signal crosses the threshold value You can turn the LED on and off by crossing this threshold back and forth Practice changing the threshold value by dragging the existing link to a new position along the edge of the 1DViewer module You should d
37. turn off the LK Link button on the DT Desktop toolbar so the links among icons disappear Now move the cursor over each module to see which other modules it is connected to The green LED connected to NOT illuminates if the yellow indicator on the 2DMeter remain within the lowest zone defined by where along the right edge of the 2DViewer the output links are connected The yellow LED connected to AND and NOT illuminates if the yellow indicator is in the middle zone The red LED illuminates if the cursor is in the upper zone The 2DMeter connects to three Pulse modules one for each note each of which connects in turn to a D S Delay Sustain module The D S modules connect to the MIDI module and the Timer module Try the following exercises 1 Make the frequency of the three tones decrease as the cursor moves from left to right 2 Make all three tones sound off for a shorter period time 3 Add a fourth note of higher pitch than the others 4 Make the three tones sound off as the cursor moves up instead of to the right 5 Make the green LED stay on as the cursor moves up 6 Change the thresholds of the LEDs 7 Add a switch to enable input to the Timer and observe the effect Page 26 TNG 3B Interface TNG 3B TNG 3B is a general purpose interface device that accepts 8 analog and 8 digital inputs and streams data to the PC through a DB9 serial port connector Together with appropriate sensors transducers a
38. ult of 16 from the Multiply module and using the Subtract module subtracts the value 7 producing the output 9 The final calculation uses the Divide module to divide the result 9 from the previous step by 3 yielding the final result which is also 3 Page 16 The Add module can accept multiple values at its one input on the left side So you can add several numbers at once the same holds for the l Multiply module However the Subtract and Divide modules have two input SS locations one 1 to the left and the other 2 at the top each of which can S accept only a single value For subtraction the order is 1 minus 2 left minus top and for division it is 1 divided by 2 Verify that this is the case for the example calculations shown above and then try this yourself with a new program using your own choices of numbers Similar calculations can be performed using real numbers or through the use of the Rtol Real to Integer or ItoR Integer to Real converter modules these calculations can be performed with a mixture of integer and real numbers Using the file we just finished studying drag an ItoR module from the MI Miscellaneous toolbox onto the desktop as well as a Real module distinguished in the DI Display toolbox by its default display value of 0 0 The Real module whatever its numerical value will always display a decimal point Connect the result of the previous calculation 3 to the Ito
39. umentation some of which are animated NeatTools and the various support resources are freeware We hope you enjoy using them for worthwhile purposes and hope that you will spread the word so that others can participate and benefit System Requirements for NeatTools e Pentium PC 133MHz or higher e Windows 95 98 NT e 64 MB of RAM Recommended e 800 x 600 monitor resolution Page 2 Elementary Techniques The image below depicts what is seen when NeatTools is first opened The components are described below ee az fic w mja gA afa Arn ma ajs ma 1 we am st gt afa NET igx Title Bar S SSSR ES ee The Windows title bar at top shows the name of the current NeatTools file here desktop ntl The title bar also displays the version of NeatTools here 2000_0202 or February 2 2000 Status Bar _ 0 29688 Y 0 30018 400 NeafTools Desktop The status bar located just below the title bar displays the mouse X and Y coordinates relative to the NeatTools desktop the overall magnification zoom level and particulars on the various modules and or links associated with the current mouse cursor position Page 3 Tool Bars Two vertical toolbars are on the left side of the window The DT Desktop toolbar at left contains buttons that directly affect what is happening on the NeatTools desktop The ED Edit button for example turns edit mode on and off when it is off a file
40. ve multiple input and or output ports Sometimes a single input port can accept more then one link It is common for one output port to link to several other modules X 1 03906 1 61719 400 SwitchObj 0 12500 0 15625 0 25000x0 25000 L Input Input Output Output s le Fle Bs le e l l l l le Connect the two modules on the desktop by clicking on the output port of the Switch module and dragging it to the input port of the LED module X 1 58984 Y 1 73828 400 NeatTools Desktop aA Fla le Elle als le ls 5 e Page 6 This is how all modules are connected in NeatTools Clicking on the Switch lo will light the LED demonstrating the effectiveness of the simple connection To eliminate the connection simply click on the link that connects the two pieces S O as X 1 99219 Y 0 58594 400 2 Fe le EE ele lkl klel As you explore the contents of the toolboxes you will discover that many of the modules look similar except for color or other attributes For example in the DS toolbox there are four switches buttons that are graphically identical beveled edges except for their colors The red module is a toggle Switch push on push off here of course push really means click The blue and green modules are respectively momentary and autorepeating Buttons i e pushbuttons The yellow Button pertains to whether the NeatTools window is in focus i e
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