Introduction

Digital oscilloscopes have an excellent factor going for them: they’re digital. Instrument settings, waveforms, and display pictures might be saved as digital information both internally or to exterior units. Not solely can they be saved, however they are often recalled to the oscilloscope or an offline program to assessment the information and, in some circumstances, for extra evaluation and measurements.

The power to save lots of setups is among the nice advantages of digital oscilloscopes. It saves numerous time establishing measurements, permitting settings of earlier work periods to be recalled and work resumed in seconds. A sequence of recalled settings may even be the idea for a complete check process.

Digital oscilloscopes protect the final settings when powered down and restore them when energy is restored. That may be an issue if that state isn’t what you want. As an illustration, If the earlier consumer set the oscilloscope to set off on an exterior sign and also you need to set off on one of many inside channels there might be an issue except you examine first and replace the settings. The simplest method to make sure the state of the oscilloscope when first powered on is to recall its default setup. The default setup is a identified state outlined by the producer. The default state is usually useful in getting information on the display. It often locations the instrument in an auto-trigger mode so there might be a hint on the display. Beginning with the default state the instrument might be set to make the specified measurement. When that state is reached merely saving that setup state implies that it may be recalled at want.

Setup information

Setup file codecs fluctuate between oscilloscope suppliers. Teledyne LeCroy makes use of Visible Fundamental for setup information. Most different suppliers use Commonplace Instructions for Programmable Devices (SCPI) for settings. Each use ASCII textual content which is straightforward to learn and edit.

Determine 1 exhibits a part of a typical setup file for a mid-range Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscope.

Determine 1 A part of a setup file for a Teledyne LeCroy Home windows-based oscilloscope utilizing ASCII text-based Visible Fundamental script. The command for setting the vertical scale of channel 1 is highlighted. Supply: Artwork Pini

The setup information on this oscilloscope are a whole Visible Fundamental Script. This script might be regarded as a program that when executed units up the oscilloscope within the state described. When a setting file is saved, it accommodates a Visible Fundamental program to revive the instrument settings upon execution. Visible Fundamental scripts permit the consumer to include all the ability and suppleness of the Visible Fundamental programming language, together with looping and conditional branching.

The management statements for every operate of the oscilloscope are based mostly on a hierarchical construction of oscilloscope features, which is documented within the automation and remote-control guide in addition to in a software program software known as Maui Browser (previously XStream Browser), which is included with each Home windows oscilloscope. The guide contains detailed directions on utilizing the Maui Browser. The browser connects to the oscilloscope, both regionally or remotely, and exposes the automation elements as seen in Determine 2.

Determine 2 A view of the Maui Browser, linked regionally to an oscilloscope, exhibiting the management picks for channel C1 underneath the Acquisition operate. The vertical scale setting is highlighted. Supply: Artwork Pini

Every practical class of the oscilloscope’s operation is listed within the left-hand column. Acquisition, one of many high-level features, has been chosen on this instance. Underneath that choice is a spread of sub-functions associated to the acquisition operate, together with Channel 1 (C1), which has been chosen. The desk on the suitable lists all of the controls related to channel 1. Word that the Vertical Scale (Ver Scale) setting has been chosen and highlighted. The present setting of 200 mV per division is proven. To the suitable is a abstract of the vary of values obtainable for the vertical scale operate. The worth might be modified on the linked oscilloscope by highlighting the numeric worth and altering it to one of many acceptable values throughout the vary.

An instance of a easy command is setting the vertical scale of channel 1 (C1) to 200 mV per division. The command construction for the chosen command is on the backside of the determine. All that needs to be added is the parameter worth, 0.2 on this case- “app.Acquisition.C1.VerScale=0.2”

The Maui Browser is a device for trying up the specified setting command with out the necessity for a programming guide. Additionally it is useful for verifying chosen instructions and related parameters. The browser program is up to date with the oscilloscope firmware and is all the time updated, not like a paper guide.

Scripting

With Visible Fundamental scripts getting used internally to program the oscilloscope and automate the settings operations, the logical step is to have Visible Fundamental scripts management and automate scope operations. This operation occurs throughout the oscilloscope itself; there isn’t a want for an exterior controller. Visible Fundamental scripting makes use of Home windows’ built-in textual content editor (Notepad) and the Visible Fundamental Script interpreter (VBScript), which can also be put in on this household of oscilloscopes.

The Teledyne LeCroy web site has many helpful scripts for his or her oscilloscopes posted on the web site, they carry out duties like establishing a knowledge logging operation, saving chosen measurements to spreadsheet information, or utilizing cursors to set measurement gate limits. These can be utilized as written, however they’ll additionally function examples on which to base your script. Think about the next instance. Determine 3 exhibits a settings script that enables a zoom hint to be dynamically centered on the place of absolutely the horizontal cursor. Because the cursor is moved the zoom tracks the motion.

Determine 3 A Visible Fundamental script that facilities a zoom hint on the present horizontal cursor location. Supply: Artwork Pini

The script is copied to the oscilloscope and both recalled utilizing the recall setup operate of the oscilloscope or executed by highlighting the script file in Home windows File Explorer and double-clicking on it. The script activates the cursor and the zoom hint and adjusts the middle of the zoom hint to match the present cursor’s horizontal location as seen in Determine 4.

Determine 4 The script facilities the zoom hint on absolutely the horizontal cursor location and tracks it as it’s moved. Supply: Artwork Pini

The script operates dynamically; because the cursor is moved, the zoom hint tracks the motion immediately. The script runs constantly and is stopped by turning off the cursor. The message, “Script operating; flip off cursor to cease,” seems within the message subject within the decrease left nook of the display.

CustomDSO

Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscopes incorporate the superior customization possibility, together with the CustomDSO characteristic, which permits user-defined graphical interface parts to be known as Visible Fundamental scripts. The fundamental mode of CustomDSO creates a easy push-button interface used to run setup scripts. The contact of a single button throughout the oscilloscope consumer interface can recall scripts. The recalled setups can embody different nested setups. This permits customers to create a posh sequence of setups. CustomDSO Plug-In mode will allow customers to create an ActiveX Plug-In designed in an setting like Visible Studio and merge this graphical consumer interface with the scope consumer interface.

Determine 5 exhibits the CustomDSO consumer interface.

Determine 5 The CustomDSO fundamental mode setup hyperlinks a consumer interface push button to a particular setup script file. Supply: Artwork Pini

In fundamental mode, CustomDSO hyperlinks eight consumer interface push buttons with setup scripts. A checkbox allows exhibiting the CustomDSO menu on powerup when no different menu is being displayed.

Determine 6 exhibits the CustomDSO consumer interface with the primary pushbutton linked to the script to have the zoom heart observe the cursor.

Determine 6 The consumer interface for the fundamental CustomDSO mode with the leftmost pushbutton linked to the zoom monitoring script. Supply: Artwork Pini

The fundamental consumer interface has eight push buttons that may be linked with setup scripts. On this instance, the leftmost push button, which is highlighted, has been linked to the script “Monitor Zoom.lss”. The oscilloscope makes use of the foundation identify of the script because the push button label. This functionality permits check designers to permit customers with much less coaching to recall all the weather of a check process.

Another oscilloscopes can retailer a number of setups after which sequence by them as a macro program. That is comparable however lacks any stream management when executing the macro.

The Plugin mode of CustomDSO is an much more highly effective characteristic that enables user-programmed ActiveX controls to create a customized graphical consumer interface. The plugins are powered by routines written in Visible Fundamental, Visible C++, or different ActiveX-compatible programming languages. Many interactive units can be found, together with buttons, a examine field, a radio button, a listing field, an image field, and a typical dialogue field. An in depth description of plugin era is past the scope of this text.

Recall instrument setups

The usage of Visible Fundamental scripts allows these oscilloscopes to recall instrument setups simply and enhances this course of with the power to program a sequence of setups right into a check process. It additionally provides the power to make use of customized consumer graphical interfaces to simplify operations.

Arthur Pini is a technical assist specialist and electrical engineer with over 50 years of expertise in electronics check and measurement.

Associated Content material

• Customise your oscilloscope to simplify operations
• The scope…from Hell!
• Oscilloscope articles by Arthur Pini
• Fundamental jitter measurements utilizing an oscilloscope

The put up Save, recall, and script oscilloscope settings appeared first on EDN.

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