Excel Data Streamer

Copper Contributor

1) I included Data Streamer as an Excel add-in as per Microsoft Help

2) I am quite an experienced user. I set up a USB csv serial data stream from my microprocessor. I know that it is a valid csv serial data stream on USB port 5 because I was able to view it on two different serial terminal programs

3) I set up all the correct parameters for the serial data stream. When I entered "Data Streamer -> Connect a device" I was able to connect to USB Port 5

4) However when I clicked "Start Data",   no data stream was captured into excel.

5) So Excel Data Streamer is not receiving a valid csv data stream!

Any ideas on how to progress this issue. It is very frustrating because I know the valid stream is there - I can see it on Two serial terminal programs!

21 Replies

@ESBlan I've reached out the Data Streamer team to see if they can take a look at your issue.

@ESBlan Couple of questions:

What microprocessor are you using?

Is the format of the data following the data format listed here https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/education/data-streamer/connecting-serial-devices

 

 

@Leif Brenne 

Leif, thank you for your interest.

I am using the Parallax Propeller 1 microprocessor.

The serial stream format is exactly as per the Arduino example; data separated by commas and carriage return (ASCII 13) at the end of line.

I know the serial stream is valid because I was able to observe it on the PC using two terminal programs; Parallax Serial Terminal and Bray Terminal.

Excel Data Streamer displays the serial stream port as "USB Port 5", but when I click on it and start the data steam there is no action.

I have even tried with csv text data and it does not recognize that.

@ESBlan Thanks for getting back to me.  We have not tested Data Streamer with Parallax Propeller ( we have been testing this with Arduino, Microbit, Circuit Playground, ESP32. 

We had a similar issue to what you are experiencing below with ESP32.  This was caused by not using the default handshake command for RTS. The fix for ESP32 is coming out in the next release of Office ( 1911) and it might help out on your issue as well.

 

@Leif Brenne,

Leif, thanks for your response.

The Parallax modules mostly use the FTDI USB interface, so out of frustration with the Microsoft Data Streamer, the Parallax community has devised their own open Excel Data Streamer using FTD2XX.DLL with VBA. Read this thread;

http://forums.parallax.com/discussion/170735/excel-ftdi-serial-data-logger#latest

This community Excel Data Streamer streamer is very robust, and as one poster comments "The FTDI DLL works well because it totally bypasses Windows".

You should sort out the Microsoft Data Streamer interface to the Parallax modules because Parallax is heavily involved in STEM education at all levels - see this website; https://www.parallax.com/education/teach

 

@ESBlan Thanks again for the additional information. We did get a Parallax board in-house to try this out. We did replicate the same issue you where seeing, but we were able to get this working correctly when we changed the baud rate. Data Streamer is set to using the baud rate 9600 by default. You can change this in Data Streamer by going to Advanced Settings and Settings tab.

clipboard_image_0.png

 

By setting the baud rate to 115200, we received data correctly in Data Streamer. 

@Leif Brenne 

I am having a similar issue where no data is received by excel.  I am using an Adafruit Feather M4 express. This board is a bit different from the typical Arduino because it doesn't use a usb to serial chip but has USB support on the microcontroller itself. Maybe this is related to the issue?

 

I have verified data is being sent using the proper format using the Arduino serial monitor.  Is there any additional debugging menus that could be added?  It is concerning that there is absolutely no indication of any information being received, there is no feedback and no errors are reported.

 

Please let me know if there is any way I can collect debug information from excel to help diagnose the root cause of this issue.

 

Thanks!

@ESBlan Can you tell me how you added Data Streamer, I just can't find it anywhere.

@rubayet_alam 

Are you on Excel 365?

data streamer - capture code
Hi Leif Brenne ,

I want to capture the data received from the data streamer to different workbook and fill it by incrementing row index so . as to store the data permanently in different sheet/workbook . I tried ways by linking the cells B5 from streamer to the other workbook but the data was not stored permanently there .so can any one help me in this regard .

can you help with writing macro for the same

Thanks in advance

@Sergei Baklan : Thank you so much, Yes I use MS Office 365. But AddIns on PopUp doesn't have Data streamer module. recommend my to fix this problem yet.

Before I was using MS Office 365 with a valid license, I was using MS office 19. I used Addins Data streamer normally for only 1 week. MS Office Excel was not working anymore. To solve this problem, I bought a valid license of MS Office 365 to use. But the problem is that in AddIns Excel 365 there is no Data streamer module (Note: I use Arduino uno R3; MCU board).
‎Feb 08 2023 09:02 PM

Before I was using MS Office 365 with a valid license, I was using MS office 19. I used Addins Data streamer normally for only 1 week. MS Office Excel was not working anymore. To solve this problem, I bought a valid license of MS Office 365 to use. But the problem is that in AddIns Excel 365 there is no Data streamer module (Note: I use Arduino uno R3; MCU board).

@Sergei Baklan 

 

Thank Sergei Baklan so much 

Now, I could Excel data streamer. I need advice so using the Excel data streamer for a job I'm interested in. What I need is a case of receiving data of 32 modbus RTU devices where each device sends 9 data to the Excel data stream via MCU Arduino. I want to extract the data of 9 data of each device with each Excel sheet. , Device number2 to Sheet2, Device number3 to Sheet3 ... Device number 32 to Sheet32 How do I use an Arduino to communicate with the Excel data streamer?

 

@Smitty Smith:
Now, I could Excel data streamer. I need advice that using the Excel data streamer for a job I'm interested in. What I need is a case of receiving data of 32 modbus RTU devices where each device sends 9 data to the Excel data stream via MCU Arduino. I want to extract the data of 9 data of each device with each Excel sheet. , Device number 1 to Sheet1, Device number2 to Sheet2, Device number3 to Sheet3 ... Device number 32 to Sheet32 How do I use an Arduino to communicate with the Excel data streamer?

@Rieungsit 

Good to know you have it, thank you for the update. Sorry, I have zero experience with Data Streamer, can't help here.

@Sergei Baklan :

 

Thank Sergei Baklan so much for taking the time to guide me.

@Rieungsit 

If you find some solution it will be great if you share your experience here, that will be useful for other people in community