Welcome Screen

Choose a path on the Welcome Screen to quickly start an experiment.

Start or join a Shared Session, set preferences, and check for updates.

Enter non-sensor data into a table and display in a graph.

Connect sensors and select measurements to display in common layouts.

Collect data directly on a Wireless Sensor instead of a computer or mobile device. Download remotely logged data to SPARKvue for analysis.

Collect data using SPARKvue experiment files designed by the PASCO curriculum team.

Create a custom experiment layout to display data and control hardware.

Access previously saved files on your computing device.

Experiment Screen

Use the Experiment Screen to collect, display, and analyze data.

1. Main Menu 
   • Start New Experiment: Return to the Welcome Screen.
   • Experiments: Open a PASCO Experiment.
   • Open: Open a previously saved experiment.
   • Save or Save As: Save the current file to your computing device.
   • Export Data: Export data as a CSV file.
   • Preferences: Toggle certain global settings, such as analytics or auto-hiding runs during experiments.
   • Shared Session: Start or join a Shared Session.
   • Help: Open this help site in your web browser.
   • About SPARKvue: View information about the installed version of SPARKvue, as well as contact information for technical support.
   • Exit: Close SPARKvue.
2. New Page 

Build a new experiment page after the one currently displayed on the screen.

Delete the currently displayed page.

Click to change the name of the current page, or to select a different page to display. Click the arrows to navigate between pages.

Connect a wireless sensor and set up remote data logging.

Create and edit the snapshot Journal. Print or export the Journal after making your edits.

Take a snapshot of the current screen and add it to the Journal.

Display and analyze experiment data in multiple ways such as a graph or table. Control various hardware such as signal generators and Smart Cart accessories.

See the live measurement reading for measurements currently selected in the experiment page. Click to zero, change the sign, calibrate, and configure the measurement properties.

Displays the current sample rate or sampling mode. Click  to configure the following:

• Sampling mode (Periodic or Manual)
• Sampling rate
• Start and stop conditions

1. Data Recording Controls
   • Click to Start or Stop  data collection. The clock displays the elapsed data collection time.
   • When using the Code tool without sensors connected, the Start button changes to Execute . Click to run the program in the Code tool.
2. Zero Measurements 

Click to zero all measurements of connected sensors.

Note

Not all sensors support zeroing measurements.

Tip

Use the Live Data Bar to zero measurements individually.

Click to open the Code tool to create programs using Blockly.

1. Experiment Tools 
   • Manage Runs: Delete or rename a run.
   • Manage Images: Delete and rename images taken with the Camera display.
   • Calculated Data: Create calculations to transform data.
   • Data Properties: Change the number format (such as the number of decimal places), change the default units, and apply one color to all runs.
2. Hardware Setup 

Configure sensors and their measurements:

• Sensors: Turn on or off, zero, and change the sign.
• Measurement: Calibrate the measurement and access the Data Properties.

Click to show or hide the Live Data Bar.

Code tool

The Code Tool interface consists of a workspace to build a program using blocks from the Blockly Toolbox.

To access the Code tool, click on the bottom of the Experiment Screen.

Toggle to disable the Code tool from running a program during data collection. This can be useful when you want to test sensor measurements without having the code interrupt data collection.

Click a category to view blocks that can be added to the workspace when building a program.

Click the Lua tab to view, but not edit, what the program looks like in text-based code to help with debugging.

Upload code to the //control.Node so that it can run independently from a computing device. This toolbar only appears when a //control.Node (PS-3232) is connected.

1. Code Tools
   •  Import code from the PASCO Code Library. This icon appears when a //code.Node (PS-3231) or //control.Node (PS-3232) is connected.
   •  Import code from a .pcbx file.
   •  Export all code as a .pcbx file for importing into other SPARKvue or Capstone files.
   •  Delete all code on the workspace.
2. Workspace Tools
   •  Center the code on the workspace.
   •  Zoom in on the workspace.
   •  Zoom out of the workspace.
   •  Delete blocks by dragging them to the trash can. Click the trash can to retrieve previously deleted blocks.
3. Block tools

Right-click a block to access the block tools menu. (If using a mobile device, tap and hold the block instead.) What appears in the menu depends on the block. The following tools are common to most blocks:

This creates a copy of the block.

This adds a comment icon  to the block. Click the icon to add a note to the block, which can help others understand what your code does.

This option appears for blocks that have more than one input. Selecting External Inputs will make input blocks appear as a vertical list outside of the block. Selecting Inline Inputs will make input blocks appear inside the block as a horizontal list.

Collapse block collapses all the code inside the block into a single line. This can be useful for de-cluttering the workspace to make the code easier to read. Select Expand Block to display the code again.

This disables the block and the code inside the block. This can be useful for debugging a program.

This deletes the block and all code inside the block.

Drag blocks from the toolbox to the workspace to create a program.

Display types

Use a display to visualize data, control hardware, and add content.

Visualize data

Control hardware

Add content

Data display tools

Each data display includes common tools that help with analyzing data and modifying the appearance. Graph displays (Line Graph, Bar Graph, Scope, and FFT) include additional tools that are specifically useful for graphs.

Click to select a run to show in the display.

For graph displays, click the check box to show or hide  a run. When analyzing a run, first select the colored run icon to make the run active. The active run is indicated by a red box.

Click any measurement in a display to change the measurement or its units. In the measurement selection pane, select a measurement to display, or select the unit to change the units. If you want to display user-entered or calculated data, select the User-entered tab at the top of the pane.

Click to show or hide the display's toolbar. Each display includes analysis tools specific for that display. Select a tool in the drawer to activate it in the display.

Graph displays include analysis tools in the plot area for easy access. These are the same tools found in the toolbar. The tools that appear depends on whether you select a single data point or drag over a range of data.

Select a single data point, then select either the coordinates , slope , or annotation tool. After selecting the tool, you can select a different data point by clicking the left and right arrows. Click  to remove the tool.

Drag over a range of data, then select the statistics , linear fit , or curve fit tool. Click  to remove the tool.

Drag across an axis to change the scale of the axis. To prevent the axis from scaling, click the lock icon . You can also drag the plot area to move the plot.