LabChart Lightning Support

Schedule data recording

You can now set times to start and stop recording data, for as many days as you like. This is particularly useful for long-running experiments, such as telemetry, or want data at specific times during your experiment.

You are able to:

• Schedule LabChart Lightning to start and stop recording data automatically, at any time of day.
• Use a ‘Recurring’ schedule to record data at the same time every day, for as long as you like.
• Specify your recording settings by choosing a ‘Source recording’.
• Choose how to save your recorded data.
  • Record all data into one recording file.
  • Create a new recording file for every block of data.
  • Create a new recording file every 24 hours.

• See a preview of your data while you are waiting for recording to start. This lets you verify your signals and settings before recording begins.

Device Plugin Development Support

• Plugin writers can now use breakpoints within LabChart Lightning.

Changes

• Signals with no data in their first block can now calibrate their units.
• Filtering recordings by time now shows the correct recordings.
• Projects are more likely to recover from multiple crashes in a row.
• Custom calculations must now contain at least one connected output signal.
• Custom calculations can't have two identical outputs.
• Recordings can't have their creation undone while sampling.
• The Chart View no longer fails to draw signals recorded in a previous session when scrolling back while sampling.

New Known Issues

• Human NIBP devices are not fully supported when scheduling data recording. Using the two together will lead to unexpected behavior.

Changes

• Spirometers and other front-ends are now correctly detected when used plugged into a C Series Front End Interface on particular USB-C ports.

Changes

• The STH Pump Controller and NIBP Controller Instruments correctly power when plugged into a C Series Front End Interface.
• Bridge Amp inputs are now detected if connected in parallel with the STH Pump Controller output when using a C Series Front End Interface.

New Features

• LabChart Lightning now supports the Human NIBP Nano system on Mac and Windows. Check out our website to learn more.

Changes

•  Support for the latest PowerLab C series hardware.
•  Improved workflows when changing PowerLab C series device configurations within a recording.

Known Issues

• Stimulus Isolators connected through a PowerLab C Front End Interface will appear in the devices list. LabChart Lightning does not currently have support for stimulation so even though the device is shown in the devices list, it cannot be used.

Device Plugin Development Support

•  Floating point support has been added to the LightningDeviceSDK. Check out our examples on GitHub.

New Features

• You can now delete any selected sampled data in the Chart View.

• Decimal places can be specified when defining unit conversions.

Changes

• Times are now exported correctly when exporting table data.
• The Chart View time axis is now timezone aware.
• Improved performance when opening projects with many recordings.
• You are warned when attempting to close LabChart Lightning during device scanning, as this can interfere with firmware upgrades for your connected devices.
• Data is now recovered more reliably if LabChart Lightning crashes.

Known Issues

• On macOS 12, third party bluetooth devices are unable to connect to LabChart Lightning.

What's new in Lightning v1.7

Changes

• Recordings can be moved to a different Project by copying the saved recording file into the Recordings folder of the desired project.
• Recording files now include any saved calculations that they rely on.
• When a pod is disconnected from a PowerLab, and a different pod is connected, the controls in the Sampling Settings dialog now update correctly.
• Improved the error messages that are shown when attempting to use an unsupported hardware configuration.

Data Management

We have changed how Lightning saves data files. You now have direct access to your projects and recordings, making it easier for you to organize and share data. Our goal is to give users direct access to their project and recording files, so that they can organize and manage them however they wish. 

• Project and Recording files are now stored in your Documents folder.
• Recordings are now saved as .lclrec files.
• Projects are now saved as .lclproj files.

When you first open LabChart Lightning version 1.6 or later and close the What’s New dialog, you will need to upgrade your existing projects before you can continue working with them. You can manage the upgrade process using the new Projects dialog. Projects that need to be upgraded will have an upgrade icon, as shown in the image below. Clicking the information button allows you to upgrade your project, and the project will then be automatically moved to the Documents folder.

We have also added these additional features to provide even more flexibility for users:

• Recordings and Projects can now be opened in Lightning by double-clicking their saved file.
• LabChart Lightning can open Projects stored outside the Documents folder.
• Exported Projects now have a new file extension, .lclpak.

New Features

• It is now easier to add subject and group information to recordings that have multiple subjects.
• Basic support has been added for colorblind users.
• Logging into LabChart Lightning now works correctly for users with licenses that have reached the end of their maintenance period.
• Synchronization has been improved when sampling with multiple C-Series devices.

Known Issues

• If LabChart Lightning 1.4 or 1.5 has been used to open older projects, recordings in those projects may not have the correct filename.