This week with research, I have a lot more data! Earlier in the week, I worked on the data from some of my recent experiments, using it to organize the information in my project description presentation for the REU program. I analyzed the data that I conducted last Friday because I had so many data points that I could still go over and properly record; I was able to add some error bars to that data, so this way I’m also learning ways of organizing data and prepare to conduct future experiments more efficiently.
The biggest highlight of this week has been how I’ve been working with LabVIEW, which is a program we’re using to measure data. LabVIEW is essentially software that uses data flow programming, which means that instead of lines of code, I am wiring up digital functions to make them work for what I need. Although some others in the lab help me troubleshoot sometimes, I struggle to create these sampling programs from scratch. So this learning process has taken a lot of time for me because the online resources are limited and archaic. Because of this, most of my week was dedicated to LabVIEW. Sometimes, it’s a little annoying because it makes me feel like I am not being efficient or I am running out of time or if it is even worth it, but it is. LabVIEW is so key to conducting my experiments and collecting lots of accurate data.
There were two main problems: controlling a power supply automatically and increasing the sample rate with accurate time stamps. I needed to control the power supply because I needed to automatically control the cool temperatures of the experiment so I could reliably run variable temperature experiments. This is something that I had to code up myself and figure out on my own just by getting a bunch of different fragments of what to do online. Fortunately, I was able to make it work, which was so satisfying. The payoff was actually pretty worth it. Building the program for myself and others who may need it helps me leave a mark too. Also, having the program work my way was actually more useful than I expected it to be. I’ve been exposed to other measuring programs before, so I struggled to keep going when I knew there was an easier, quicker, and more intuitive program out there but is also part of a whole different system of software and hardware. But, I see that there is a balance because I’m learning these new skills and I get more customization on data collection, I just need to learn them more.
The other main problem I had with LabVIEW was having a higher sample rate with accurate timestamps for each sample. This was a similar process of long troubleshooting and finally getting something to work. Because of these improvements, I was able to run more experiments and get more data much more quickly, efficiently, and accurately, which made the process more enjoyable and rewarding.
So those are the main highlights of this week. I’m looking forward to analyzing the data even more because now I have a lot to organize. I have to find more ways of graphing and analyzing them. I’m looking mainly to create an intensity chart or a 3D graph, which I’m not super familiar with, but I have been learning how to make them. I think they will provide very useful information that I could use for making future experiments, so I look forward to doing that next week.