Cascade DataHub™ :  Version 5.4
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1.3. Connecting to Excel

1.3.1. Receive data in Excel

To get live data from the Cascade DataHub into Excel, you can simply drag it from the Data Browser and drop it into a spreadsheet. Here's how.

  1. Start the Cascade DataHub and ensure that that you have some data coming in. (See Section 1.2, “Test with simulated data” for details.)
  2. Right click on the the Cascade DataHub system-tray icon and choose View Data from the pop-up menu to open the Data Browser.
  3. Select the DataSim domain in the left-hand pane of the window.
  4. Ensure that the Drag & Drop Style at the bottom of the Data Browser is set to MS-Office (Excel/Word).
  5. Open an Excel worksheet.
  6. In the Data Browser, click on the label for an active point and drag it into the Excel worksheet.
    You should see the data update in the worksheet at the same rate it is updating in the Cascade DataHub.
[Note]

This is one of two ways to get data into Excel. For more details, please refer to the section Getting Data into Excel.

1.3.2. Send data from Excel

To send data from Excel to the Cascade DataHub, you need to name a cell in a spreadsheet, and configure the Cascade DataHub to recognize that name.

Name a Cell

  1. Open an Excel spreadsheet.
  2. Click in cell B2 and type in the name my_test_point.
    The name box for the cell is just above the first column of the worksheet.
  3. Save the spreadsheet, and leave it open.

Configure the Cascade DataHub

  1. Start the Cascade DataHub if it isn't already started, and open the Properties Window (by right-clicking on the DataHub icon in the Windows system tray and selecting Properties).
  2. Click the DDE button. (DDE is the data exchange protocol for Excel.)
  3. Check the Act as DDE client... box.
  4. Click the Add button. This opens the DDE Item Definition window where you can add Excel as a new DDE service.
  5. Type in the following information:
    • Connection Name: choose any name, to identify this connection.
    • Service: type in Excel.
    • Topic: type the name of your worksheet file. The default Excel file name is Book1, with no extension. If you have named the file, be sure to include the .xls extension, like this: my_filename.xls.
    • Item Names: type the same name you entered as the cell name in Excel (in step 2 above).
  6. Click the Add button. The fields DDE Item, Point Name and Domain should automatically fill in.
  7. Double-click the Domain entry and change it to default. (The DataHub chooses the most reasonable name, but you have to check and change it if necessary.)
  8. Click OK to close the DDE Item Definition window. The fields DDE Connection Name and Status in the Properties Window should now be filled in as well.
  9. Click OK to close the Properties Window.

Send and View the Data

  1. Open the Data Browser by right clicking the the DataHub icon in the system tray and selecting View Data
  2. With the default domain chosen, scroll down to see the name of the point.
  3. In Excel, type a number into the cell you named in step 2, and press Enter. You should see the data update in the Data Browser.
[Note]

This is one of two ways to get data out of Excel. For more details, please refer to the section Getting Data out of Excel.

Now you are ready to connect over a network or the Internet.

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1.2. Test with simulated data Home 1.4. Connecting over the Internet

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