Hawk GUI: Data Review and Authorisation

Data Review

The data authorisation process happens after the data has been recorded; this is where the user has a chance to review the data, before authorising it (for permanent storage).

Authorisation Modes

The authorisation mode is a preference setting, available in the “GUI” tab of the preferences:

Automatic: Data will get automatically authorised in the database. All raw data is kept.
Manual: Data is inserted into the database but it is not authorised. The user can select which data to keep and which to discard.
Data Reduction: Data is inserted into the database but it is not authorised. The user can select which data to keep and which to discard. In addition, only data coinciding with a manoeuvre is kept after authorisation.
Sentry Endurance: Data will get automatically authorised in the database. Only data that coincides with a manoeuvre or that coincides with the sentry period is kept permanently.
Extended Endurance: Data will get automatically authorised in the database. Only data that coincides with a manoeuvre or that coincides with the extended endurance period is kept permanently.

Data Review Screen

For all modes requiring manual authorisation by the user (Manual, Data reduction and Extended Endurance), the user reviews and authorises the data via the data review screen. This screen is automatically displayed after stopping scanning, but can also be accessed while writing, to authorise the data acquired so far during the current scanning:

Note: When entering the review screen during writing, the user can only review data and manoeuvres up to the nearest whole minute of elapsed time less than or equal to the current acquisition time.

The data review page has three modes of operation:

Manual
Data reduction
Extended Endurance

Manual mode gives the user full control over the acquired data. When authorising, all data is marked for permanent storage except that which the user has elected to delete.

Data reduction mode gives the user full control over the acquired data; however when authorising, data files are only marked for permanent storage if they overlap with a manoeuvre, otherwise they are discarded.

On entry to the data review screen, the user is presented with a list of channels separated into tacho (pulses or transient) and other (dynamic) channels. The user selects which channels they wish to have plotted in the data review page (up to a maximum of five channels per type). Pressing Accept retrieves a summary of the captured data for display on the main data review page.

Event plot
Tacho plot
Peak plot (for non tacho channels)
Manoeuvre graph
Time axis, using acquisition data time
First segment (writing)
Scanning period (system was in scanning, so no data was captured)
Second segment (writing)
Manoeuvre grid: contains the list of the manoeuvres present for the period of data being reviewed. Manoeuvre details are editable.
Current manoeuvre selected in the manoeuvre grid
Button to add a new manoeuvre, by click and drop onto one of the graphs
Event
Button to add a new events by click and drop onto one of the graphs
Tabs to switch between manoeuvre grid and event grid
Delete area: a user defined time period for which the data, manoeuvres and events will not be stored
Button to add a deletion area, by click and drop onto one of the graphs
Channel selection panel
Tacho trace. This has been computed from the raw data, with one point computed every 100 milliseconds (10 S/s data).
Peak trace: 10 S/s data, every point is the peak value ((max-min) / 2) over a 100 millisecond block of the raw data.
Zoom / pan along the time axis

Events Graph

The events displayed depend upon the options selected:

The user may elect to display user events, and all events for any one channel at a time.

Clicking and dragging the rounded rectangle that represents the event on the graph will allow the user to move events. Moving the mouse cursor over an event highlights the event in the list at the bottom of the page and displays a dashed line down through the other graphs to indicate more clearly at what time the event occurred.

Right-clicking the event graph presents the user with more options, namely addition and deletion of events, as well as the ability to extract events. If too many events exist within a second of each other then they are displayed as a composite event for efficiency reasons. In this case, the right-click popup menu will allow the user to extract a particular event.

Adding an event prompts the user to select a type (and potentially a channel), after which the user may select a point in time to place the event.

Tacho/Peak Graph

The tacho and peak plot graphs display the traces for all of the user selected channels. Right-clicking on these graphs presents the user with more options:

Creation and removal of deletion areas is discussed in more detail later.

‘Rearrange manoeuvres intersecting this delete area’ will modify or delete any manoeuvres that intersect the selected delete area so that they do not intersect the selected delete area.

Manoeuvre Graph

The manoeuvre graph displays all manoeuvres for the time period being reviewed; they are represented as blocks containing the manoeuvre ID of the manoeuvre they represent.

Moving the mouse over a manoeuvre will highlight it and show an overlay of the time period encompassed by it on top of the other graphs (to indicate more clearly its start and end time with respect to the data). This action will also highlight the associated manoeuvre in the manoeuvre list at the bottom of the page.

The manoeuvres can be modified on the graphs using the mouse:

Moving over the block representing the manoeuvre changes the cursor to a drag icon
Holding the left mouse button and dragging the block left or right will change the start and end time.
Moving the mouse over the left or right edge of the block changes the mouse cursor to a sizing icon
Holding the left mouse button and dragging the edge left or right will change the start time (for the left edge) or end time (for the right edge) of the manoeuvre.

Right-clicking on this graph presents the user with more options:

From this menu, the user may add a manoeuvre. This action will force the mouse cursor into the manoeuvre graph where the user can left click to place a manoeuvre. Once the manoeuvre has been placed, it may be edited by the user as normal. The option to ‘Delete this manoeuvre’ is enabled when the mouse is within a manoeuvre block, selecting this option removes that manoeuvre.

Mark an area for deletion

This button adds a delete area to the data review graphs. This action will force the mouse cursor into the graph area whereby when the user clicks a delete area will appear. This delete area can be dragged and resized just like manoeuvre. All data within this period will be discarded (deleted from disk) at time of authorisation. The delete area can be removed by right clicking its visual representation on the data review graphs (except the events graph) and selecting ‘Remove this deletion area’.

Authorisation

Once the user has completed the reviewing process, they may authorise the data.

Authorisation is a process of storing additional data that the user has added (such as new events and manoeuvres) and marking files as completed and therefore ready for archiving (transfer to permanent storage). Authorisation also encompasses the removal of features marked for deletion. When authorising, the user is presented with a series of options:

Authorise everything:

This option will authorise all of the data that was retrieved for data review; all events, manoeuvres and numeric data values will be stored (unless in data reduction mode), except where marked by a delete area.

The user may choose to change the start time of the recording in addition to authorising everything; this changes the time of the data as it is seen in (for example) playback.

Authorise up to the point I choose:

This option will allow the user to select a point in time up to which data will be authorised. Events, manoeuvres and data past that point will not be discarded; on the next entry into data review, everything past the point of this authorisation will be shown again, preceding any additional data which has been acquired in the meantime.

Note: If the user’s intention is to discard events, manoeuvres and data after a certain point, they should mark everything after that point with a delete area and select ‘authorise everything’

Pressing “accept” after selecting this option displays the data review graphs again to allow the user to select a point in time for authorisation, selecting ‘Zoom out fully on accept’ before pressing accept will display all of the data retrieved for data review. Clicking the mouse on the graphs will select a point in time to authorise up to, to cancel authorisation at this time the user can click the mouse and select ‘no’ when prompted if they wish to authorise the data.

When using this option follow the on screen instructions.

Discard everything:

This option will discard (delete from disk) all of the numeric data retrieved for data review; this option is equivalent to placing a delete area across the entire time period.

Note: When returning the system to a configured state, it is necessary to authorise or discard all of the numeric data values that have been acquired. If the user performs a partial authorisation of the data, they will be returned to the Data Review Screen to finish the authorisation process.