PASCO Capstone 4+

PASCO Capstone is a powerful and easy-to-use science program for collection and analysis of data using PASCO sensors.

Data is collected and displayed in real time on a graph or your choice of display type. Use Capstone in the basic graph/table mode or choose to configure your own workspace with any of the many displays available.

Display Types

-Graph: Plot multiple measurements on a single plot area or create multiple plot areas with analysis tools including coordinates tool, curve fits, error bars, and area under the curve
-Table: Easily add or subtract columns. Add calculated columns
-Digits: The display can be sized to fill the whole screen. This display can also display text output from Blockly code
-Oscilloscope: This display supports multiple measurements and x-y mode. The scale can be changed directly by dragging the axes
-FFT: Supports multiple measurements and can zoom in for more resolution. Displays statistics such as mean and standard deviation
-Meter: Choose from small arc to full circle
-Bar Meter: Bar length responds to changes in the data
-Histogram: Bin data and apply statistics for statistical experiments
-Circuit Emulator: Construct circuit diagrams and see current flow as measured by sensors
-Video Analysis: Record a movie, track a moving object, and convert the motion into data on a graph
-Image Display: Insert an image, add annotations, and make measurements on the image
-Text Input Box: Make notes and respond to questions. Choose font type, size, and color. Includes Greek letters

Tools

-Calculator: Make calculations on data sets using the usual scientific functions as well as special functions (period, amplitude, filters, and logic statements) required for analyzing data
-Calibration Wizard: Takes you through the steps required to calibrate sensors
-Photogate Timer Wizard: Choose from an assortment of standard timers or create your own timing sequence
-Signal Generator: For controlling interfaces with signal output, choose the wave type and settings such as DC offset and frequency sweep
-Data Collection Modes: Sample periodically, or manually sample when you press a key, or sample at high-speed when using an oscilloscope
-Start and Stop Conditions: Begin and/or stop recording when a condition on time or a sensor measurement is met
-Data Playback: Play back data with or without a synchronized movie. The speed of playback can be adjusted from slow to fast
-Journal: Save and print snapshots of graphs or other displays
-Blockly coding: Use Blockly coding in Capstone to program sensors and controllers to sense the environment around you and control a wide variety of things like motors, lights, and fans

Highlights

-Undo/Redo: Made a mistake? Just undo. Undo/redo gives you the freedom to explore without losing data
-Visual Statistics: Unique to Capstone is the ability to show minimum, maximum, and mean as lines on the graph and to show the standard deviation as a shaded area. This view makes clear how much spread there is in the data
-Exclude or delete outlier data points from analysis
-Utilize complex curve fits like damped sine, Gaussian, sine series, and custom user-defined fits
-Add error bars to the graph. Choose from percent error, fixed error, or point-by-point error defined by a data set
-Draw predictions on the graph to compare to future data runs
-Quick-Calcs on the graph axes allow you to linearize the data plot by changing the quantity to the quantity squared or other calculations
-Synchronize videos of the phenomenon with the corresponding sensor data and replay it to see the relationship between the motion and the graph
-Set your preferences for properties of the graph and many other parts of the program so the program opens with your choices of appearance and behavior

Purchase:
-Capstone requires a purchase of a one-year license which will grant full access to all features of Capstone
-There is no trial period for Capstone