FFT Function not working with multiple columns

I am trying to analyze data that I recorded from the Force Sensitive Resistors (FSRs) coded on Arduino through data streamer on excel. I used four FSRs, so there are 4 columns of data over a set of time (1200 rows, 12 seconds). I seperated time from the FSR data so that I can graph the FFT of the FSR data against the time.

But I get very strange graphs when I get the plot back (Attached below)

For each single column of data, I get a bunch of lines instead of one.

Can someone tell me how I can see the frequency of the FSR data?

X = xlsread('botdata.csv');
t = xlsread('botdatatime.csv');
Y = fft(X);
plot(X,Y);

[Jonas]

you need to form a frequency vector for your x axis, at the moment your x values are the FSR amplitude data which does not make sence. have a look into the fft description hoe to form the frequency vector from your time vector

try to plot (-50:1/12:50-1/12) at the x axis and y axis you use fftshift(abs(fft(X))/length(t)). i hope i remeber that correctly....

[Raidah Zaman]

Yeah, after I put up the question, I realized my mistake. So, here is my updated code:

X = xlsread('frequencytst1data.csv');
t = xlsread('freqtsttime1.csv');
Y = fft(X);

plot(t,Y);

the time recorded is at 5:50:33 for example yet the graph starts at time 4.80*10^-3. That is my next issue.

[Raidah Zaman]

I will look into that though, thank you!

[Raidah Zaman]

So I just tried putting that in, and this is what came up,

Answer 1

[Mathieu NOE]

hello

first , xlsread is a bit outdated , use importdata instead

second, here's a generic code for time and frequency analysis (linear averaged fft spectrum and spectrograms)

your data does not contain much "dynamics" so it's all very low in the frequency range

clc
clearvars
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% load signal
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

%% data
signal = importdata('botdata.csv');
t = importdata('botdatatime.csv');
dt = mean(diff(t));
Fs = 1/dt;

[samples,channels] = size(signal);

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% FFT parameters
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
NFFT = 256;    % 
OVERLAP = 0.75;

% spectrogram dB scale
spectrogram_dB_scale = 80;  % dB range scale (means , the lowest displayed level is XX dB below the max level)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% options 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% if you are dealing with acoustics, you may wish to have A weighted
% spectrums 

% option_w = 0 : linear spectrum (no weighting dB (L) )
% option_w = 1 : A weighted spectrum (dB (A) )
option_w = 0;

%% decimate (if needed)
% NB : decim = 1 will do nothing (output = input)
decim = 1;
if decim>1
    for ck = 1:channels
    newsignal(:,ck) = decimate(signal(:,ck),decim);
    Fs = Fs/decim;
    end
   signal = newsignal;
end
samples = length(signal);
time = (0:samples-1)*1/Fs;

%%%%%% legend structure %%%%%%%%
for ck = 1:channels
    leg_str{ck} = ['Channel ' num2str(ck) ];
end
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% display 1 : time domain plot
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
figure(1),plot(time,signal);grid on
title(['Time plot  / Fs = ' num2str(Fs) ' Hz ']);
xlabel('Time (s)');ylabel('Amplitude');
legend(leg_str);

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% display 2 : averaged FFT spectrum
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

[freq, sensor_spectrum] = myfft_peak(signal,Fs,NFFT,OVERLAP);

% convert to dB scale (ref = 1)
sensor_spectrum_dB = 20*log10(sensor_spectrum);

% apply A weigthing if needed
if option_w == 1
    pondA_dB = pondA_function(freq);
    sensor_spectrum_dB = sensor_spectrum_dB+pondA_dB;
    my_ylabel = ('Amplitude (dB (A))');
else
    my_ylabel = ('Amplitude (dB (L))');
end


figure(2),plot(freq,sensor_spectrum_dB);grid on
df = freq(2)-freq(1); % frequency resolution 
title(['Averaged FFT Spectrum  / Fs = ' num2str(Fs) ' Hz / Delta f = ' num2str(df,3) ' Hz ']);
xlabel('Frequency (Hz)');ylabel(my_ylabel);
legend(leg_str);

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% display 3 : time / frequency analysis : spectrogram demo
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
for ck = 1:channels
    [sg,fsg,tsg] = specgram(signal(:,ck),NFFT,Fs,hanning(NFFT),floor(NFFT*OVERLAP));  

    % FFT normalisation and conversion amplitude from linear to dB (peak)
    sg_dBpeak = 20*log10(abs(sg))+20*log10(2/length(fsg));     % NB : X=fft(x.*hanning(N))*4/N; % hanning only

    % apply A weigthing if needed
    if option_w == 1
        pondA_dB = pondA_function(fsg);
        sg_dBpeak = sg_dBpeak+(pondA_dB*ones(1,size(sg_dBpeak,2)));
        my_title = ('Spectrogram (dB (A))');
    else
        my_title = ('Spectrogram (dB (L))');
    end

    % saturation of the dB range : 
    % saturation_dB = 60;  % dB range scale (means , the lowest displayed level is XX dB below the max level)
    min_disp_dB = round(max(max(sg_dBpeak))) - spectrogram_dB_scale;
    sg_dBpeak(sg_dBpeak<min_disp_dB) = min_disp_dB;

    % plots spectrogram
    figure(2+ck);
    imagesc(tsg,fsg,sg_dBpeak);colormap('jet');
    axis('xy');colorbar('vert');grid on
    df = fsg(2)-fsg(1); % freq resolution 
    title([my_title ' / Fs = ' num2str(Fs) ' Hz / Delta f = ' num2str(df,3) ' Hz / Channel : ' num2str(ck)]);
    xlabel('Time (s)');ylabel('Frequency (Hz)');

end

function pondA_dB = pondA_function(f)
	% dB (A) weighting curve
	n = ((12200^2*f.^4)./((f.^2+20.6^2).*(f.^2+12200^2).*sqrt(f.^2+107.7^2).*sqrt(f.^2+737.9^2)));
	r = ((12200^2*1000.^4)./((1000.^2+20.6^2).*(1000.^2+12200^2).*sqrt(1000.^2+107.7^2).*sqrt(1000.^2+737.9^2))) * ones(size(f));
	pondA = n./r;
	pondA_dB = 20*log10(pondA(:));
end


function  [freq_vector,fft_spectrum] = myfft_peak(signal, Fs, nfft, Overlap)
% FFT peak spectrum of signal  (example sinus amplitude 1   = 0 dB after fft).
% Linear averaging
%   signal - input signal, 
%   Fs - Sampling frequency (Hz).
%   nfft - FFT window size
%   Overlap - buffer percentage of overlap % (between 0 and 0.95)

[samples,channels] = size(signal);

% fill signal with zeros if its length is lower than nfft
if samples<nfft
    s_tmp = zeros(nfft,channels);
    s_tmp((1:samples),:) = signal;
    signal = s_tmp;
    samples = nfft;
end

% window : hanning
window = hanning(nfft);
window = window(:);

%    compute fft with overlap 
 offset = fix((1-Overlap)*nfft);
 spectnum = 1+ fix((samples-nfft)/offset); % Number of windows
%     % for info is equivalent to : 
%     noverlap = Overlap*nfft;
%     spectnum = fix((samples-noverlap)/(nfft-noverlap));	% Number of windows

    % main loop
    fft_spectrum = 0;
    for i=1:spectnum
        start = (i-1)*offset;
        sw = signal((1+start):(start+nfft),:).*(window*ones(1,channels));
        fft_spectrum = fft_spectrum + (abs(fft(sw))*4/nfft);     % X=fft(x.*hanning(N))*4/N; % hanning only 
    end
    fft_spectrum = fft_spectrum/spectnum; % to do linear averaging scaling

% one sidded fft spectrum  % Select first half 
    if rem(nfft,2)    % nfft odd
        select = (1:(nfft+1)/2)';
    else
        select = (1:nfft/2+1)';
    end
fft_spectrum = fft_spectrum(select,:);
freq_vector = (select - 1)*Fs/nfft;
end

[Raidah Zaman]

When I ran this code with the data I have and I get this error.

Error using  / 
Matrix dimensions must agree.

Error in genericode (line 11)
Fs = 1/dt;

[Mathieu NOE]

hello

I have no errors on my side

did you change something in the code ? or tested with another data files ?

seems now dt is no more a scalar, someone has to find the reason behind... how is your time vector loaded ?

[Raidah Zaman]

Hey,

so it worked now, sometimes matlab doesn't open certain csv files so I remade it, and it worked. Thank you!

[Mathieu NOE]

hello

glad it works now !

if my answer does match your expectations, do you consider accept it ?

[Raidah Zaman]

It does, thank you so much!