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Basic:
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Refer to the purple letters in the image below to the text explanation that appears under the image:
A) Source Indication Line
This line shows the current source that EaKiu is displaying data from. The source device is selected by clicking one of the four source buttons in the Source Area (see H below). The source device can be one of four different types:
- USB Device: WiSpy USB Spectrum Analyzer - While the USB Device is being used, this line tells whether or not the device is attached, and if it is attached, the device name, and ID.
- CSV Source: CSV File Playback - While the CSV File Playback Source is being viewed, this line will show the filename being played back.
- TCP Source: Client/Remote-Server - While the TCP Source is being viewed, this line will show the remote server you are receiving data from.
- SIN Source: Sine-Wave Test Source - While the Sine-Wave Source is being viewed, this line will show the Sine-Wave source and maximum dBm.
B) Select Saving Folder
The small file icon near the top middle of the window allows you to select a Folder for where CSV Recordings (see J below) and Image snapshots (see G below) are to be stored.
The first time EaKiu is run it will automatically ask where you want to store images and recordings when you start the first recording or snap the first image. It remembers the last location in the preferences file and you do not need to set it again. If you wish to change the location use this file icon to select a new Folder for recordings.
C) Recording File Name
To the right of the small file icon at the top center of the window you will see the words Not Recording. When EaKiu is in CSV Recording mode (see J below) this area will change to reflect the name of the file being recorded.
D) Connected Server Users
Near the upper right of the display is an area with a label of Users: and a red word OFF. This area reflects the status of SERVER MODE (see J below). This area will either say NONE if no users are connected or will indicate the number of users currently connected to the all the device servers that are running.
E) Server Port Setting
Near the upper right of the screen is an area labeled Port: followed by the current server port number. When using SERVER mode (see J below) this is the port that the server will be expecting client connections on.
If you would like to change the port number for the server simply move the mouse over this area and click the left button. A dialog will appear which will ask for a new port value. Enter any valid port number into the dialog and click the OK button. You can cancel the dialog by clicking the CANCEL button.
Note that for each device that you have turned the server on, the server will be assigned a unique port automatically by the program. By default the ports start at 2400 and increment up from there. (2400 is easy to remember as it is the lowest Mhz value of the WiFi spectrum.)
F) The Help Icon
In the very upper right corner of the window is a small button with a ? in it. Clicking this button will display a HELP page of keyboard commands. You can also display the HELP page by typing the h keyboard key. Click the help button or type any key to remove the help page and restore the normal display.
G) The CONTROL Button Area
In the CONTROL button area are six buttons labeled Quit, Reset, Zero All, Zero Max, Pause, and Image. These buttons allow you to control various aspects of the EaKiu program:
- The Quit button:
Clicking the Quit button will shutdown and stop the EaKiu program. Clicking this button has the same effect as typing the q key. Prior to stopping EaKiu will save most settings in the preferences file (to avoid saving preferences use the Q keyboard key instead).
- The Reset button:
Clicking the Reset button will return most settings to their default values. You can also perform a reset by typing the R key.
- The Zero All button:
Clicking the Zero All button will zero all data values and all data memory for the currently displayed device. This basically makes the system think it is gathering brand new data. You can also zero all values by typing the Z key.
- The Zero Max button:
Clicking the Zero Max button will zero just the maximum data values for the currently displayed device. Since the maximum data values stick for a very long time this is an efficient way of resetting the programs sense of maximum. You can also zero the maximum values by typing the z key.
- The Pause button:
Click the Pause button will place the currently display device in Pause mode. You can also pause the device by typing the p key.
When paused, the Pause Button light will flash yellow. Also when in pause mode all other paused threads will also flash their lights. You should expect to see the Source button flashing, and if you are using Record and / or Server, those lights should be flashing as well. When paused NO DATA is collected from the current device and no recording or serving of data information is performed on output.
Note that each device can be paused independently. The SIN (sine wave) device defaults to being paused at the start of the program. If the program seems slugish, pause any devices that you don't need to currently monitor.
- The Image button:
Click the Image button to take a screenshot of the EaKiu window. You can also take a screenshot by typing the i key.
When EaKiu snaps the window it saves it in the current save directory (see B above) using the following filename format:
YYYYMMDD-HHmmSS.tga
Where 'YYYY' is the year, 'MM' is the month, 'DD' is the day and 'HH' is the hour, 'mm' is the minute and 'SS' is the second. The file is stored as a RGB TGA (.tga) file (Truevision file format). Most image programs can read this format.
H) The SOURCE Button Area
The SOURCE button area contains four buttons labeled USB, CSV, TCP, and SIN. These buttons allow you to select which data source you wish to view as follows:
- USB: WiSpy USB Spectrum Analyzer - Clicking this button will select any of the available WiSpy devices plugged into the USB port. When selected the button light will indicate the USB status. A green light indicates that a USB device is the current data source. A dimmer yellow light means that you are not currently looking at the USB source but there are active USB sources. If the light blinks ALL USB sources are currently paused (if you are viewing a USB source and the USB light is blinking, that source is paused). EaKiu supports the entire family of MetaGeek WiSpy USB devices.
Note that if you are using multiple WiSpy devices you can switch between devices by repeatedly hitting the USB button or by click the 'w' button on the keyboard. The 's' keyboard key will switch between ALL data sources.
- CSV: CSV File Playback - Clicking this button will bring up a file dialog and will allow you to select a file for playback. Clicking Cancel in the file dialog will cancel the CSV source and will return you to the previous used source. Selecting a file and clicking OK will begin playback of that files data. The buttons LED will show the status of this source.
Note that CSV files play back at t he speed they were recorded in. Once the file reaches the end it will automatically be paused. Unpausing will replay the file from the beginning. To turn off the CSV device simply click the CSV button again.
- TCP: Client/Remote-Server - Clicking this button will display a small dialog that asks for a remote server and a port. Clicking Cancel in the dialog will cancel the TCP source and will return you to the previous used source. Otherwise, enter a host name or IP address and valid port (port 2400 is the default) and click OK to begin reading data from the remote server. The buttons LED will show the status of this source. To turn a TCP source off simply click the TCP button again.
- SIN: Sine-Wave Test Source - Clicking this button will put the system into Sine-Wave test mode. In this mode an internally generated Sine Wave is used as the data source. The buttons light will be green indicating that this source is in use. Note that EaKiu defaults to this source being paused at startup, so if you select this source take it out of pause mode by clicking the Pause button.
Regardless of which button you selected in the SOURCE area, the SOURCE Text area in the upper left corner of the screen (see A above) will always show the status of that source.
I) The GRAPH Button Area
In the GRAPH button area are four buttons labeled 2d, 3d, Quad, and Wire. These buttons allow you to change the graph to be one of the following for styles:
- Linear Multi-Graph (2d)
- 3D Spectrum Graph (3d)
- 3D Interactive Quad Graph (Quad)
- 3D Interactive Wire Graph (Wire)
To change the graph mode simply click on the desired graph button. The button light will become green indicating that the desired graph mode has been selected and you should also see the change in the graph window itself.
You can also change the graph mode by typing the 'g' key to move forward through each graph type or the 'G' key to move backward through each graph type.
J) The OUTPUT Button Area
In the OUTPUT button area are two buttons labeled Record, and Server. These buttons allow you to direct additional output to the following places:
- Record: File Recording and Playback - Clicking this button will direct data to be output to a disk file. If this is the first time you have run EaKiu a dialog will appear which allows you to select the Folder where the recording will be stored. If this is not the first time you have made a recording the previous location will be used. You can change the location by clicking the File Icon (see B above) and selecting a new Folder.
Once you click the Record button (and optionally select a Folder) recording will being (you can also type the r key once to start recording). A new file will be created in your saving Folder with the following name:
YYYYMMDD-HHmmSS-n.csv
Where 'YYYY' is the year, 'MM' is the month, 'DD' is the day and 'HH' is the hour, 'mm' is the minute and 'SS' is the second. 'n' is an incrementing number that changes for each file stored.
Recording will continue until you again click the Recording button, or type the r key to stop recording. Note that if you click the Pause button it will pause any active recording until Pause is again clicked.
While the program is recording data the Recording File Name area (see C above) will show the name of the file being recorded.
Note that each active device can record a CSV file independently of the others. The header in each CSV file gives information about the device and file format.
- Server: Server Output - Clicking this button will start (if possible) a server running within EaKiu on the port specified in the Port area (see E above).
While the server is running it listens for connections on the server port (the server is multi-threaded and can handle simultaneous concurrent connections). If there are no connections the Server button light will be a deep purple color and the Users area (see D above) will read none in deep purple. If one or more users are connected, the Server button will light green and the number of connected users will be shown in green next to the Users area.
You can disconnect all active users simply by turning the server off (just by clicking the Server button).
Note that each active device can have a server independent of the others. Ports start by default at 2400 and increment from there for each active device. The Users area shows ALL connected users across all servers.
Also note that if you change the Server Port setting while a server is running the change will not take place until you stop and restart the server.
K) The SETTINGS Area
In the SETTINGS area are a number of labeled fields that show information. These fields include: Average, Depth, CPU, S/F, and F/S. Of these five valued fields three of them are under your control. The fields are defined as follows:
- Average - This value indicates the number of consecutive samples per channel that are combined (averaged) to make the Average Signal. If AVERAGE is set in your Viewing Mode (see R below) this will affect the graph display. The larger this number is (it can be as large as the value set by the Depth field) the more data is averaged together to make the final display, and thus the smoother and less noisy the result will be. The smaller this value is (as small as three), the less values are used to average the signal.
You can change this value by using the mouse or the keyboard keys. To change the value with the mouse, position the mouse cursor over the actual number next to the Average label, click and hold the left button and move the mouse to the left to decrease the value and to the right to increase the value.
To change the Average value with the keyboard, type the { key to decrease the value and the } key to increase the value.
- Depth - This value indicates the depth (size) of the sample buffer. EaKiu initially starts with a sample buffer of 400 samples. This means that for each of the 84 frequencies there are 400 consecutive sample positions that are retained. The depth can be anywhere between 5 samples and 5000 samples. The more samples you have the more data-over-time you can view in the 3d, Quad, and Wire graphs.
You can change this value by using the mouse or the keyboard keys. To change the value with the mouse, position the mouse cursor over the actual number next to the Depth label, click and hold the left button and move the mouse to the left to decrease the value and to the right to increase the value.
To change the Depth value with the keyboard, type the < key to decrease the value and the > key to increase the value.
- CPU - This field shows you the current CPU load on your computer. You can only change this value indirectly by manipulating things like Average, Depth, Data, and F/S. The lower the CPU value is the less load is being placed on your computer. Higher values indicate that the computer is working harder and may be slowing up. Generally values under around 2.5 are considered fine.
- S/F - This field shows you the current Samples Per Frame. This is the number of Data samples that are being seen for each graphic frame being viewed. This number will most likely flicker rapidly as the number of sampled data is never exactly the same from sample to sample (unless you have a VERY fast computer). The closer to zero or one this number is, the less data you are missing from the input source (actually, a value of zero or one means you are missing NO data at all). Higher numbers indicate that data was received from the input device that was not displayed or incorporated into the data set. You can only change this value indirectly by manipulating things like Average, Depth, Data, and F/S.
- F/S - This value indicates the Frames Per Second of the graphic drawing layer.
This field actually shows two values. The first value is a number and the second value is another number in parenthesis. The first value is the actual frames-per-second currently being displayed. The second value is what you would LIKE the frames-per-second to be. The second number can range between 10 and 121. At the value 121 the number will be replaced with the word OFF.
The human eye sees continuous motion anytime a frame-rate is 10 FPS or higher. Frame rates above 30 FPS really don't add much visually, as it is faster than what the eye needs to see motion. The F/S control is the number one way to decrease CPU load. Placing this value at 30 FPS allows the system to limit the drawing speed (as long as it would draw faster than that). Thus, the value you set becomes an 'upper limit' that the system attempts to maintain.
If you set the F/S to be OFF, than there are no upper limits and the system will attempt to draw frames as fast as possible (you might see frame rates in the hundreds of frames per second).
You can change this value by using the mouse or the keyboard keys. To change the value with the mouse, position the mouse cursor over the actual number next to the F/S label, click and hold the left button and move the mouse to the left to decrease the value and to the right to increase the value.
To change the F/S value with the keyboard, type the ( key to decrease the value and the ) key to increase the value.
L) The dBm Values
Along the right side of the screen appears a list of dBm (amplitude) values in the colors set for the current graph.
If you are viewing the LINEAR Multi-Graph than this will show alongside of the chart and will also have lines into the chart. For LINEAR Multi-Graph, the position of the dBm along the chart IS the location of that amplitude on the chart itself.
If you go to any of the 3D graphs (e.g., Spectrum, Quad, or Wire) this area will still show dBm, but will shrink and the lines into the chart itself will disappear. In these chart modes dBm can be determined by the color of the peaks and valleys - compared to the dBm colors shown, and not by the actual location of the dBm values.
M) The Resize Stripes
The lower right corner of the screen shows a few angled lines. This is the area to click into and drag if you wish to resize the EaKiu window.
N) The Current Time Line
In the lower right corner of the EaKiu window is the current time of day (24 hour clock) based on the time setting of your computer. This serves to 'timestamp' views when taking screen snapshots or just as a handy reminder.
O) The Channel Numbers
When in LINEAR GRAPH mode (2d) and 3d SPECTRUM MODE the area just below the Graph itself will contain the channel numbers positioned under the frequency for that channel. When in the other Graph modes (Quad and Wire) the channel numbers will appear within the Graph area itself.
Also note that in the 2d and 3d views, tiny blue triangles will appear just above the channel numbers (not shown in the image above). These triangles indicate the bluetooth frequencies and can be useful when troubleshooting bluetooth connection issues.
P) The Current Date Line
In the lower left corner of the EaKiu window is the current date in YYYY-MM-DD format, based on the time and date setting of your computer. This serves to 'datestamp' views when taking screen snapshots or just as a handy reminder.
Q) The Graph Area
The large grey (or black) graph area is where the various graph are displayed. You can also view HELP in this area by typing the h key (or by clicking the little ? button in the upper right corner), or Airport information (if using Airport) by typing the a key (or by clicking the arrow just to the right of the AIRPORT word).
R) The Viewing Mode Area
To the lower left of the Graph Area are four buttons placed vertically and marked (from top to bottom) as A, C, P, and M.
These four buttons affect the Viewing Mode of the particular Graph type you are looking at. The buttons will behave differently depending on whether you are in the 2D LINEAR view or one of the 3D (Spectrum, Quad, or Wire) views as follows:
- 2D Linear View - In the 2D Linear View these buttons allow you to control exactly which data you see. The 2D Linear View is the only viewing mode that allows you to see all the possible data types (average, peak, maximum, current) at one time.
You will note that while in the 2D Linear View, the A and C buttons work like a toggle. This toggle affects whether or not the YELLOW BARS are showing you the Average signal, or the true Current signal (A stands for Average and C for Current). Whichever button is bright is what is currently being viewed. For example, if the A button is bright and you click C, the A will go dim and C will go bright.
The P and M buttons specify whether or not you are viewing the Peak (Red Line) or Maximum (Colored Vertical Lines) data respectively. Each can be toggled independently.
It is also possible to toggle ALL the buttons into the off state. To do this, set the P and M to off, and then to turn the A or C off, simply click the one that is on. In this mode all the buttons will be dim. The display, in this mode, will then show a colored line that is ONLY the TRUE MAXIMUM (this is the same as the little white dots in the other modes, only connected by lines and colored to indicate the dBm).
- 3D Views - In any of the 3D Views (Spectrum, Quad, or Wire) these four buttons act together to allow you to see one of the four views (Average, Current, Peak, or Maximum). Clicking one of the buttons will turn all the others off and will only show you the mode of the button you clicked.
Note that the 2D LINEAR mode has a different memory of how the buttons are set than the 3D modes.
S) The Airport Line
Just above the graph itself is the Airport Line. This line shows you information about the status of Airport and how many wireless channels it finds.
You can toggle whether or not Airport is being used by either clicking the word AIRPORT or by typing the A key. When AIRPORT is being used the legend will read AIRPORT-> in green, and when AIRPORT is not being monitored the legend will read just AIRPORT in grey.
When AIRPORT is on (green) you can click the little arrow to the right of the AIRPORT word to see the entire list of wireless access points (or type the a key). To the right of the arrow are also red/green triangles with a channel number for each channel that is found - hovering your mouse over the triangles will show information about that access point.
Note that if more than one wireless network is sharing the same channel, only the first one found will be displayed.
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