Introduction

MuControl is a self-contained application intended for the manipulation and monitoring of electric signals for 3D electromagnet systems. The goal of this app is to:

  1. Output calculated signals to a National Instruments (NI) function generator to create a constant magnitude rotating 3-D magnetic field

  2. Monitor the signals using a data acquisition card (NI) and resistor array (physical setup not covered in this guide) by plotting the input live

  3. Allow for field parameters to be easily adjusted by using a graphical user interface, keyboard, or gamepad

  4. Eliminate the need for the user to have any coding knowledge

  5. Provide easy to understand visualizations

  6. Eliminate the performance issues and frequent crashes of MATLAB

  7. Provide a platform that can be extended with more features and advanced functionality (gradient tracking, computer vision, corkscrew modalities)

This user guide seeks to provide a succinct overview of the application, how to operate it, and the necessary variables to know to control microwheels.

Quick Start Guide

  • Make sure the NI-DAQmx drivers from National Instruments (NI) are installed on the computer. If you have previously used this computer with the MATLAB control code, these should already be installed. If not, they can be found at https://www.ni.com/en-us/support/downloads/drivers/download.ni-daqmx.html#311818

  • Install the application like any other by double clicking on the setup file and clicking through the installer. The program is now installed on the computer and can be launched like any other program. No other software is needed.

  • Confirm the data acquisition card and function generator are connected and detected on the computer. Start the application.

  • If the default names for the function generator or DAQ card are incorrect, suggestion boxes will pop up to notify the user. Modify these names in the settings window (located in File -> Settings). For further information how to do this, see the section entitled Settings.

  • Confirm the read and write channel lists are correct for your setup, see Settings.

  • After restarting the application, see if lines are plotted on the Live Signal Plot. Without an output, the lines should be close to zero, reading only environmental noise.

  • To start outputting signals according to the set signal parameters, click the “Toggle Output” checkbox.

  • For further information on the signal parameters or other aspects of the UI, see the corresponding sections.

  • To view detail on how to control the signal parameters using the keyboard or a gamepad, see control methods.