| Developer(s) | OriginLab Corporation |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 8.5 / October 14, 2010 |
| Operating system | Windows |
| Type | Data Analysis |
| License | proprietary |
| Website | www.originlab.com |
Origin is a proprietary computer program for interactive scientific graphing and data analysis. It is produced by OriginLab Corporation, and runs on Microsoft Windows. It has inspired several platform-independent open-source clones like QtiPlot or SciDAVis.
Graphing support in Origin includes various 2D/3D plot types.
Data analyses in Origin include statistics, signal processing, curve fitting and peak analysis. Origin's curve fitting is performed by the nonlinear least squares fitter which is based on the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm.
Origin imports data files in various formats such as ASCII text, Excel, NI TDM, DIADem, NetCDF, SPC, etc. It also exports the graph to various image file formats such as JPEG, GIF, EPS, TIFF, etc. There is also a built-in query tool for accessing database data via ADO.
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Origin is primarily a GUI software with a spreadsheet front end. Unlike popular spreadsheets like Excel, Origin's worksheet is column oriented. Each column has associated attributes like name, units and other user definable labels. Instead of cell formulae, Origin uses column formulae for calculations.
Origin also has a scripting language (LabTalk) for controlling the software, which can be extended using a built-in C/C++-based compiled language (Origin C).
Origin can be also used as a COM server for programs which may be written in Visual Basic .NET, C#, LabVIEW, etc.
OriginLab project files (.OPJ) can be read by the open-source library liborigin.
Origin is available in two editions, the regular version (Origin 8) and the pricier OriginPro 8. The latter adds additional data analysis features like surface fitting, short-time Fourier Transform, and more advanced statistics.[1]
Technical support is available to registered users via e-mail and telephone. A user forum http://originlab.com/forum is also available, and posts are routinely answered by OriginLab staff and others in the user community.
Origin was first created for use solely with microcalorimeters manufactured by MicroCal Inc. The software was used to graph the instruments data, and perform nonlinear curve fitting and parameter calculation.
The software was first published for the public in 1992 by Microcal Software, which later was renamed to OriginLab Corporation,[2] located in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Similar proprietary software includes:
Open-source projects inspired by Origin:
Other open-source graphing and data analysis software: