favorite way to real-time graph/plot sensor data?

[NeverDie]

I've been using plot.ly (which is a free internet plotting service similar to xively), but I want to find something better.
 
I'm presently looking at dedicated PC software, like megunolink or makerplot.
 
Anything else worth considering?
 
I'd especially like to find something that can have different left and right vertical axis but share the same horizontal axis.  Ideally, I'd also like to be able to graphically pan and zoom the plotted data

 

[RAL]

If you have Microsoft Office on your PC, Excel can make dual axis plots.

 

[picta]

NeverDie, just curious what did you find to be the limitations of plot.ly? I was considering it, and thought they had fairly powerful graphing tools. Thanks

 

[NeverDie]

NeverDie, just curious what did you find to be the limitations of plot.ly? I was considering it, and thought they had fairly powerful graphing tools. Thanks

 
A stream has to send update information at least once a minute, or it runs the risk of getting closed.  You can workaround it, but some of the sensors I'm monitoring update only once every 10 minutes or so.
 
There are occasional but obvious visual glitches in the way plotting happens.
 
It doesn't utilize its own real-time clock.  Instead, it relies on you telling it how many milliseconds have passed, supplied by millis() function call, since the stream was started.  For some reason this approach turns out in plot.ly to be much faster than actual clock time (though it shouldn't be), so  there can be serious drift problems regarding the time stamp that's attached to a datapoint.
 
Arduino library support is extremely basic.  If you're running python, you've got better options.
 
Overall, I haven't had much luck getting support.  No real user forum either.
 
Interface has decent speed on a fast computer, but on a slower computer the interface can be quite slow.
 
Files seem limited to 200,000 datapoints.  If you're updating every second, that's less than 3 days worth of data.
 
Those are the negatives I've noticed.

 

[NeverDie]

That said, for now I'm still using plot.ly.
 
 

If you have Microsoft Office on your PC, Excel can make dual axis plots.

You're right, Excel remains an option, at least in the near term.  After Windows 8, though, I've decided to start riding my life of Microsoft.
 
I've since eliminated multiunolink and makerplot from my consideration list.  I'm trending toward Raspberry Pi, which has evolved into a good fit for my modest objectives.  I ordered a B+ this morning.  Most likely I'll transition to an arduino-pi hybrid.

 

[potts.mike]

Depending on what your plotting thingspeak might be an option.

https://thingspeak.com

 

[damage]

all my data is dumped into mysql and the charts are generated on the fly with web pages and php code using chartjs. nothing fancy, but it works.

 

[pete_c]

Just had a look at my mcsTemperature / on demand graphing.  It is really fast running on Homeseer 2.  I use it today for a few or single variable graphing.  It works well.  It does create an on demand jpg file which I do upload to my weather stuff and touchscreens (well it makes the touchscreens work a bit less).
 

 
It is using an application called Chart Director found here.
 
Chart Director
 
Which while it is not a DIY works with .NET, Java, ASP, COM,VB, PHP, Perl, Python,Ruby, ColdFusion, C++
 
Geez its 0840 C here right now and I just saw it snowing outside.
 
Thank-you Damage.
 
Yup here lately using / running mysql on all of my linux things. 
 
A bit of a tangent....
 
Experimenting with a Cumulus like Linux application called wview and just noticed another one called WeeWx.
 
Currently using RRD graphing utilities here and there.  Mostly though on my PFSense/OpenWRT configurations.
 
Using a Davis network serial connection to the current wintel box and may split it such that I can use one and test with the other.
 
Just looking and a way to start a bit slower I can import the current cumulus text files into a mysql db via the web server I am already running. 

 

[NeverDie]

all my data is dumped into mysql and the charts are generated on the fly with web pages and php code using chartjs. nothing fancy, but it works.

 
Today I ran across Dygraphs (http://dygraphs.com/), which at first glance may be similar (?) to chartjs.  I haven't yet tried dygraphs, but I'm sufficiently smitten with a couple of Dygraphs' claimed differentiators that Dygraphs is presently my leading candidate for time series plots:
• Allegedly "handles huge data sets: dygraphs plots millions of points without getting bogged down."
• "Interactive out of the box: zoom, pan and mouseover are on by default."

 

[damage]

Today I ran across Dygraphs (http://dygraphs.com/), which at first glance may be similar (?) to chartjs.  I haven't yet tried dygraphs, but I'm sufficiently smitten with a couple of Dygraphs' claimed differentiators that Dygraphs is presently my leading candidate for time series plots:
• Allegedly "handles huge data sets: dygraphs plots millions of points without getting bogged down."
• "Interactive out of the box: zoom, pan and mouseover are on by default."

 
actually, those 2 differentiators sound like the charts i use so i just looked again at my charts. as it turns out, i started with chartjs but i migrated most of my charts to canvasjs, because i liked it a lot better. so something else for you to look at...