 
                
                                          
                
                                        
                             

For Teachers, Students, Researchers & Hobbyists
Macintosh and PC Shareware Version 1.0 for Free Distribution.
The Ultimate Math & Science Educational Tool!
Copyright Micro Physics & DRL, 1993
Questions/Comments/Suggestions: davidl@saturn.caps.maine.edu

Ŀ
         PowerGraph Software Reference Manual             


Quickly and Easily: create and shape 2D / 3D graphs, text and
graphics and place them anywhere on your screen, do simulations
and multiple equation analysis, collect and analyze real data,
and play educational games.  Use the example files described
in the on-line manuals or create your own applications.

Note Version 1.0 cannot collect data.



Page 1-1: Table of Contents, Introduction

Ŀ
  Page       Contents                                        
Ĵ
  1-1        Table of Contents, Introduction                 
  1-2        Graphing Equations, The Equation Editor         
  1-3        Adding/Changing/Delete Graphs, The Graph Editor 
  1-4        Variables                                       
  1-5        Variables (continued)                           
  1-6        Functions                                       


PowerGraph is so easy to use that it takes only a few minutes to
show someone how to use it.  Yet even The Shareware Version,
(Version 1) is incredibly powerful, letting you create 3D graphs
and perform Simulations.

Version 2 is much  more powerful and just as simple
to use.  And Version 2.1 comes with the PowerGraph
Sensor board. One simple connection to your computer's
serial port and you can perform real experiments where you
measure real forces, angles, temperature...  See the Product
Info Manual for more information.

Micro Physics owns all rights to PowerGraph.  Only Version 1.0 of
PowerGraph may be distributed and evaluated at no cost. When you
have finished evaluating PowerGraph 1.0 you must order an upgrade
if you wish to continue using PowerGraph.



Page 1-2: Graphing Equations, The Equation Editor

To graph an equation,
     like y=x, press the space bar and type in:  y=x
     The space bar brings up the equation editor window.
     Now click the mouse on the graph. (Or press Tab key.)
     There is your graph.

When the graph is complete, or when you press the space bar,
you can quickly and easily edit your equation. Just click on
the graph again to see a graph of the new equation.

To Clean the Screen, select the CleanScreen menu option.

Use the colon  :   to separate equations on the same line.
     i.e.  w=x : y=.2*w+5

A line is graphed for every line in the equation editor.
     Thus:
          w=x : y=.2*w+5   produces only one line for y vs. x
     And:
          y=x              Ŀ
          w=x : y=.2*w+5    produces two lines.

Constants can be set up on the first line with an exclamation point.
     i.e.
          !m=.5 : b=5      No line is plotted for this line.
          y=m*x+b

To see a ball or number follow the equation line,
     use draw=# at the end of the line.
     i.e.
          y=x : draw=1     plots a 1 travelling along y=x

Negative numbers plots a ball with a face on it.
     The number controls the direction the ball faces.
     i.e.
          y=x : draw=-1    plots a ball facing right.
          y=x : draw=-90   plots a ball facing upward.

To exit the Equation Editor, Select Window..Graphs with the
     mouse or press the Esc key to toggle between the Equation
     editor and the graph editor windows.  (On the Mac select
     the close box on the Editor bar.)

There are 50 special variables, described on Page 3, like x & y.
     PowerGraph always assumes you want to plot y vs x



Page 1-3: Add/Change/Delete Graphs, The Graph Editor

If the Equation Editor window is open, close it by pressing the Esc
     key on the PC (or by clicking on the close box on the Mac) or by
     using the Window..Graphs menu option.

To move a graph, click on the origin of the graph and drag
     it where ever you want. Release the mouse button.

If a piece of the graph ends up off of the screen, PowerGraph assumes
     you want to erase the graph.

To add a new graph, select Edit...Add 2-D Graph,
     A new graph appears in the upper left hand corner.
     You can have as many as 10 graphs on the screen.

The graph number of the last graph clicked on with the mouse appears in
     the upper right hand corner.  Graphs are labeled: 0, 1, 2, 3,...  9

To lengthen an axis of a graph, click on to the end point of
     the axis and drag it to the length you need.

To change the scale of the axis, drag the mouse "perpendicular"
     (at 90 degrees) to the axis until you get the desired scale.

To create a negative axis, select the end point of the
     positive axis with the mouse and drag the point across
     the origin until you have the desired length.

To erase or change a negative axis, select the end point of
     the positive axis, cross the origin until you have
     "picked up" the negative axis.  Adjust it as needed. Or
     release the button on the origin to erase the negative
     axis.

To change the current 2D graph to a 3D graph or 3D to 2D,
     select the Edit...Change 2D <> 3D menu option.



Page 1-4: Variables

PowerGraph always assumes you want to plot Y vs X on graph 0.
Y and X are predefined variables.  Similarly Z can be used for
plotting on the z axis of graph 0.  The variable X is the only
one that automatically increments (increases) on its own.  If
you have an equation with X= in it, the automatic incrementing
is disabled.

PowerGraph does not distinguish between upper and lower case.
i.e.  y  is the same as  Y

T is defined as time in seconds. T=0 when plotting begins.
For example, X=T : Y=X   plots a straight line where the X axis
is the time axis.

Graphs 1 through 9 have similar predefined variables X, Y
and Z except the graph number follows the letter: X1, Y3...

X1...X9 remain fixed unless you change them in an equation.
For example, to draw a y=x straight line on graph 1, you
could type in X1=X : Y1=X1 (or X1=X1+1 : Y1=X1)

Version 2 has all of the following predefined variables.
Version 1 has DRAW and SOUND.

Variables    Example        Output
Button       y=Button       The current mouse button status.
                            If Button=0, the mouse button is not down.
                            If Button=1, the mouse button is down.

DX           y1=DX          The change in X between the last 2
                            times X=equation occurred.
                            D stands for "the change in" or delta.
                            Do not equations of the form: X=DX, Y=DY

DY          y1=DY           The change in Y between the last
                            2 times Y=equation occurred.

DZ          y1=DZ           The change in Z between the last 2
                            times Z=equation occurred.



Page1-5 Variables (continued)

Variables    Example        Output

DT              y1=DT       The change in T between the last 2
                            times T was used in an equation.

DX1             y2=DY1      Same as above except these are
DY1                         changes in graph number 1.
DZ1

draw=#          y=x:draw=2  2 moves along y vs. x

Character codes:
 Ŀ
  0 0 32   64 @  96 ` 128  160  192  224  
  1 1 33 ! 65 A  97 a 129  161  193  225  
  2 2 34 " 66 B  98 b 130  162  194  226  
  3 3 35 # 67 C  99 c 131  163  195  227  
  4 4 36 $ 68 D 100 d 132  164  196  228  
  5 5 37 % 69 E 101 e 133 c 165  197  229  
  6 6 38 & 70 F 102 f 134 i 166  198  230  
  7 7 39 ' 71 G 103 g 135 r 167  199  231  
  8 8 40 ( 72 H 104 h 136 c 168  200  232  
  9 9 41 ) 73 I 105 i 137 l 169  201  233  
 10   42 * 74 J 106 j 138 e 170  202  234  
 11   43 + 75 K 107 k 139   171  203  235  
 12   44 , 76 L 108 l 140 f 172  204  236  
 13   45 - 77 M 109 m 141 a 173  205  237  
 14   46 . 78 N 110 n 142 c 174  206  238  
 15   47 / 79 O 111 o 143 e 175  207  239  
 16   48 0 80 P 112 p 144 s 176  208  240  
 17   49 1 81 Q 113 q 145  177  209  241  
 18   50 2 82 R 114 r 146  178  210  242  
 19   51 3 83 S 115 s 147  179  211  243  
 20  52 4 84 T 116 t 148  180  212  244  
 21  53 5 85 U 117 u 149  181  213  245  
 22   54 6 86 V 118 v 150  182  214  246  
 23   55 7 87 W 119 w 151  183  215  247  
 24   56 8 88 X 120 x 152  184  216  248  
 25   57 9 89 Y 121 y 153  185  217  249  
 26   58 : 90 Z 122 z 154  186  218  250  
 27   59 ; 91 [ 123 { 155  187  219  251  
 28   60 < 92 \ 124 | 156  188  220  252  
 29   61 = 93 ] 125 } 157  189  221  253  
 30   62 > 94 ^ 126 ~ 158  190  222  254  
 31   63 ? 95 _ 127  159  191  223  255  
 
Characters 128 through 164 are 36 circle faces incremented
  at 10 to make a total of 360

draw=-#  y=20:draw=-x  A rotating ball moves right.
                       The angle is x in degrees, unless
                       Radian is set to 1.

e        2.718282

MouseX   X=MouseX      The current x position of the mouse
MouseY   Y=MouseY      The current y position of the mouse

Pi       3.141593

Radian   !Radian=1     Sets trig. functions to radians.

Sound    Sound = 100   Outputs short tone with frequency=100 Hz
                       Range is 37 Hz to 10 kHz

You may define up to 50 of your own variables by using them in an equation.
i.e.   NewVariable=10
       assigns the number 10 to the variable called: NewVariable

Variable names may be any length and they may contain numbers.



Page 1-6  Functions

Version 1 has:
SIN(angle)     Example, a sine wave: y=20*sin(10*x)
               Angle is in degrees unless !radian=1 is used.

Version 2 also has:
COS(angle)     y=COS(x)
TAN(angle)     y=tan(x)
ATN(n)         Angle=ATN(.5)

ABS(n)         y=ABS(n)       Returns the absolute value of n
SGN(n)         y=SGN(n)       Returns +1 if n>0 and -1 if n<0
RND(1)         y=RND(1)       Returns a random number between 0 and 1.

LOG(n)         y=LOG(n)       Returns the Log based 10 of n
LNe(n)         y=LNe(n)       Returns the LOG base e of n

IFF(condition):   If the condition is false ignore the rest
                  of the line, if true, evaluate the rest
                  of the line.  No plotting is done for a
                  line with an IFF function in it.
                  i.e.    y=50-x:iff(y<0):sound=200

Other Notes:

PowerGraph accepts all forms of parenthesis {[(  )]}

Mathematical operations  < > + - * / ^
   * is multiplication 3*4=12
   / is division  3/4=.75
   ^ is exponentiation  3^2=9

See the on-line Examples Manual for more examples.

Versions 2.1 ($99) comes with a compact terminal board and sensors.
   Make one simple connection to the serial port and you can read real
   data, like forces and temperature versus time.  No batteries or AC
   adapter needed.  Easy to use, yet powerful.  See the on-line Hardware
   manual for more information.

