Subsections

• Data format
• XTMS menus
  • Main menu
  • The xtms calcul functions
• Changing the parameters
  • Windows.
• Printing
• Files
• Known problems

   
The time series analysis tool

The name of the time series analysis tool is xtms. Xtms is a tool devoted to the analysis of time series of point process. XTMS stands for Xwindow TiMe Series analysis

XTMS allows to make time series analysis from files storing events as point process. It can analyze the XNBC cluster behavior from the NBC *.tms files. The default input file extension is .tms, the ouput file is a PostScript file.

Data format

File has the extension .tms and is a simple ascii text file that can be produced by any text editor or spreadsheet.

The input file format is:

		1.0 2
		2.2 3
		3.1 3
		3.2 2
		3 1
		5.0 1
		...

were the first value is the time (in increasing order), that can be a float or an integer. It is supposed to be given in ms. The second is the event number. TMS can process simultaneously up to 5 different events. More can be present in the file, but only 5 can be chosen among them, which is largely enough, since only 1 to 3 are relevant for each processing. Up to 50,000 such pairs can be stored and processed. Only the data corresponding to the chosen events are stored.

XTMS menus

Main menu

The main menu contains the items :

'File', 'Edit', 'Operations' and 'Options'.

• The 'File' menu is a standart and let open and close a source file, save or print a postscript file. This sub-menu contains the items :

  'Open...', 'Close', 'Save Postcript File', 'Print', 'Print on...' and 'Exit'.

  'Print On...' : allow the user to select another printer instead of the default one (desactivated, use the environment variable PRINT_PLOT_PS -see Output Help-).

  'Open...' : ask the user to enter a file source name and a postscript file name for its work. The user can change of source file by openning a new file.

• The 'Edit' menu allows the user to add restrictions to the data analysis by acting on filters and on the axis caracteristics. This sub-menu contains the items :

  'Filters...' and 'Axis lenght...'

  'Filters...' : display a window where the user can select for wich data he wants a filter and each filter caracteristics.

  'Axis lenght...': display a window that let the user select the axis lenght.

• The 'Operations' menu allows the user to select the data and to execute the calculs functions. This sub-menu contains the items 'Parameters...', and the groups of calculs functions.

  'Parameters...': open the parameters window The calculs functions are grouped toghethers. For each group corespond a sub-menu (A, B, C,... H)

• The 'Options' menu allows the user to select an automatic spooling (automatic printing) or not and to write an *.isi file or not for special calculs functions, or to use default values or not. Not using default values allow to modify a lot of parameters.

• The 'Help' menu gives an "Browse manual' and an 'Help on topic'. This use a dynamic help library to allow new topics to be included.

The xtms calcul functions

In xtms there are 31 functions. In general a user wants to draw a serie of graph and will enjoy to have a menu always visible to access quickly to functions. This is why all functions and parameters menus of the main window are 'Tear-off' menus. That means that the user can display permanently all groups of functions menu on the screen...

The main menu propose some general actions and the following submenus (Fig. 10.1):

  

Figure: The time series analysis tool interface

	    A f(Time) drawings 
	    B f(Rank) drawings 
	    C Correlation analysis 
	    D Poincare\'s Maps 
	    E Inter and Peri Event Analysis 
	    F 3D drawings 
	    G Phase map analysis [dx/dt = f(x)]

	    And the submenus contain the following analyses:

		SUB-MENU A: f(Time) drawings 
	
	    A Instantaneous rate = f(time)    (1 event)    [line drawing]
	    B Instantaneous rate = f(time)    (1 event)    [dots drawing]
	    C Instantaneous rate = f(time)    (2 events)   [dots drawing]
	    D Rate as funtion of running time (1 event)    [histogram] 
	    E Interval = f(time)              (1 event)    [dots drawing]
	    F Interval = f(time)              (2 events)   [dots drawing]
	    G Phase = f(time)                 (2 events)   [dots drawing]
	    H Phase = f(interval)             (2 events)   [dots drawing]
	
		SUB-MENU B: f(Rank) drawings 
	
	    A interval = f(rank)      (1 event)       [dots drawing] 
	    B phase = f(rank)         (2 events)      [dots drawing] 
	    C power spectrum of rank  (1 event)       [histogram]
	
		SUB-MENU C: Correlation analysis
	
	    A autocorrelation          (1 event)       [histogram] 
	    B crosscorrelation         (2 events)      [histogram] 
	
		SUB-MENU D: Poincare\'s Maps
	
	    A Poincare's map of intervals     (1 event)       [dot drawing] 
	    B 2 Poincare's maps of intervals  (2 events)      [dot drawing] 
	    C Poincare's map of phases        (2 events)      [dot drawing] 
	    D Poincare's map of cyclic data   (2 or 3 events) [dot drawing] 
	
		SUB-MENU E: Inter and Peri Event Analysis
	
	    A Inter event histogram      (1 event)       [histogram] 
	    B Dot display                (2 events)      [dot drawing] 
	    C Lissajous of cyclic data   (2 events)      [dot drawing] 
	    D Post event histogram       (2 or 3 events) [histogram] 
	    E Post event interv pooled   (2 or 3 events) [dot drawing] 
	    F Post event rate pooled     (2 or 3 events) [dot drawing] 
	    G Post event phase pooled    (3 events)      [dot drawing] 
	    H Scatter diagram            (3 events)      [dot drawing] 
	
		SUB-MENU F: 3D drawings
	
	    A Interval I1 = f(I2,I3)       (1 event)        [dot drawing] 
	    B Phase P1 = f(P2,P3)          (2 events)       [dot drawing] 
	
		SUB-MENU G: Phase map analysis [dx/dt = f(x)]
	
	    A d(interval)/dt = f(Interval)       (1 event)  [dot drawing] 
	    B exp(d(interval)/dt) = f(Interval)  (1 event)  [dot drawing] 
	    C d(phase)/dt = f(phase)             (2 event)  [dot drawing]

For each analysis, specific question are asked. All questions admit a default answer indicated in the text fields.

Changing the parameters

The calcul functions need some parameters to design the drawings. Some parameters are in common or generally used. Those parameters have been implemented in the 'Parameters' window . This window is used to select and display the data to study and its caracteristics.

The axis lenght is accessible in the 'Axis options' window.

The next part of the interface is functions oriented is not the same in xtms and xcaa. For each functions the parameters that are not used are greyed and insensitive in the next windows .

Windows.

Each groups are organized per functions type. the selection of any function in the 'Operations' menu display the same window wich name is the selected function'name. This window display and allows to chose the data for the actual function. It also allows to select some parameters necessary for organization of the data on the graph. The parameters unused are greyed...

Some data are always preset to make quicker the operation. But some parameters need the data identification and other parameters (from the window) to display default value.

The 'Compute' button make a compute operation and fill with default value all fields that need to. Also on this window, a 'Compute' button executes the same action than 'OK' button but close the window and display other windows for more specifics parameters or/and compute the drawing. After computing, the drawing is displayed.

There are 4 others windows for specifics functions that need more parameters. The 'Poincare's map options', 'Arrows options', 'Histogram options' and the 'Three D options' windows allow the to chose default or particular value for the sensitive fields.

Printing

The 'Options' menu allows the user to select an automatic spooling (automatic printing).

Results of XTMS are given as PostScript graphics, displayed on the X window, and/or automatically spooled (or if asked from the menu area).

The PRINT_PLOT_PS environment variable should be positionned with the right print command and printer indicated.

For example in csh:

setenv PRINT_PLOT_PS "lpr -Plaser "

Files

Input: file_in.tms .tmsrc

Output: file_in.ps .tmsrc

Known problems

No known problems