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Multi Channel software

User manualRev. 0.91

TiePie engineering

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Contents

1 Introduction 11.1 About the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2 How to use the software . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.2.1 Controlling the software . . . . . . . . 21.3 Software installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.4 Hardware installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Software basics 5

2.1 Main window parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52.2 Basic measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2.2.1 Oscilloscope in Yt mode . . . . . . . . 82.2.2 Oscilloscope in XY mode . . . . . . . 82.2.3 Spectrum analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . 92.2.4 Transient recorder . . . . . . . . . . . 102.2.5 Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.3 Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.4 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3 Displaying data 13

3.1 Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133.1.1 Creating new graphs . . . . . . . . . . 133.1.2 Graph modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133.1.3 Showing measured data in Yt mode . 143.1.4 Showing measured data in XY mode . 153.1.5 Drawing options . . . . . . . . . . . . 163.1.6 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163.1.7 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163.1.8 Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3.2 Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

4 Instruments 234.1 Controlling instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

4.1.1 Instrument bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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4.1.2 Channel bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4.2 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4.2.1 Instrument settings . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4.2.2 Channel settings . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

4.3 Automatically storing measurements . . . . . 31

4.4 Streaming measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . 314.4.1 Streaming versus block measurements 32

4.4.2 Collecting streaming data . . . . . . . 32

4.4.3 Using streaming mode . . . . . . . . . 33

4.5 Combining instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

5 Arbitrary Waveform Generator 35

5.1 Control window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

5.1.1 Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

5.1.2 Signal type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

5.1.3 Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

5.1.4 Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

5.1.5 Amplitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

5.1.6 Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

5.1.7 Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

5.2 Setfiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385.3 Arbitrary data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

5.3.1 Loading arbitrary data from a source . 38

5.3.2 Loading arbitrary data from a file . . 39

5.3.3 Data resampling . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

5.4 Hotkeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

6 Objects 41

6.1 Using objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416.2 Object tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

6.3 Object types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

6.4 Handling objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

6.4.1 Creating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

6.4.2 Cloning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6.4.3 Connecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6.4.4 Disconnecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

6.4.5 Using aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

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6.5 Exporting data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466.5.1 How to export data . . . . . . . . . . 466.5.2 Supported file types . . . . . . . . . . 47

6.6 Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486.6.1 Modulate measured data . . . . . . . 48

6.6.2 Summing channel data . . . . . . . . . 49

7 Sources 517.1 How to use sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517.2 Change unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517.3 Demo Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517.4 Software signal generator . . . . . . . . . . . 52

8 I/Os 538.1 Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538.2 Low-pass filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538.3 Data collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548.4 Sum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548.5 Multiply/Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558.6 Differentiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558.7 Integrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

8.8 Gain/Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568.9 FFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568.10 RPM-detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

9 Sinks 599.1 I2C Analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

A Standard measurements 61

A.1 Short description of the measurements . . . . 61

B Hotkeys 65

C Command line parameters 67

Index 68

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Introduction 1The Multi Channel software package is the next generationof measuring software for the TiePie engineering measuringinstruments. This document explains the basic functionalityin the application. It is intended to get you started and toteach you how to do basic and more advanced measurements.For a detailed and up to date description of functionality andobjects that are not described in this document, refer to thehelp file that comes with the Multi Channel software.

1.1 About the software

The Multi Channel software is the successor of the WinSoftmeasurement software. It can control an unlimited amountof measuring instruments, each with an unlimited amount ofchannels. The Multi Channel software can display this data

in an unlimited amount of different displays. Measured datacan be displayed directly, but it can also be processed first.

In addition to measured data from the instrument inputchannels, the software can also work with other data sources.For example data from internal software signal generators canbe combined with the measured data.

Besides for measuring and displaying data, the Multi Chan-nel software can also be used to control Arbitrary Waveform

Generators (AWG). An AWG can be used to generate stan-dard signals, like sine, block and triangle, but can also outputsignals that have been measured. Refer to chapter 5 for in-formation about the AWG.

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1.2 How to use the software

The Multi Channel software is suitable both for experiencedand inexperienced users. For performing basic measurementsin an easy way, you can use the quick functions, which are

explained in section 2.2. The quick functions automaticallycreate graphs and other objects that are needed to performthe measurement. To easily perform more complex measure-ments, you can load predefined setfiles and start measuringright away.

To get more control and flexibility, you can create objectsyourself and connect them to each other the way you want.You can find information about using objects in chapter 6

and the online help. When you have created your test setup,you can store it in a setfile for later use.

1.2.1 Controlling the software

There are many different ways to control the Multi Channelsoftware. A few of them are treated in this section. This willbe enough to get you started. Not all of the functionalityis mentioned in this manual. Once you are used to how thesoftware is controlled, you will discover it yourself.

Hotkeys The instruments and graphs in the Multi Channelsoftware can be controlled with hotkeys. You can find a com-plete list of the hotkeys in appendix B. Once you know themost important hotkeys by heart you will be able to change

settings very quickly.

Popup menus Almost all settings and options in the MultiChannel software are available via popup menus. When youright-click an object, a popup menu will appear which con-tains actions that affect the object you clicked. The best wayto find all the possibilities, is to try.

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Drag and drop Besides the popup menus, drag and dropis very important. You can drag different objects onto eachother or graphs to make connections and you can drag graphaxes and trigger symbols. You can find more informationabout connecting different objects in section 6.4.3. In section

3.1.8 you can read how to drag axes and trigger symbols.Just like with the popup menus, the best way to find all thepossibilities, is to try. The mouse cursor will indicate wherethe object you are dragging can be dropped.

1.3 Software installation

If you have just recently purchased your instrument, you canuse the installation program from the CD that comes withyour instrument to install the software. Otherwise it is recom-mended to download the latest version from www.tiepie.com,because the Multi Channel software is constantly updated.With the latest version you will be able to use all functiona-lity of your hardware.

The installation process is very standard and is not ex-

plained in detail here. During the installation you will beprompted if you would like to associate the file extensions.DAT and .SET with the Multi Channel software. Thesefiles are used by the old WinSoft measurement software. Ifyou associate the extensions with the Multi Channel software(default), you will be able to open WinSoft files just by dou-ble clicking them or dragging them on the main window ofthe Multi Channel software. If you dont have WinSoft files

or have other programs that use these file extensions, you canuncheck the checkboxes.

1.4 Hardware installation

Before the Multi Channel software can control your instru-ment(s), a driver needs to be installed. Please refer to the

user manual of your instrument(s) for instructions for in-

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Software basics 2This chapter will explain the basics of the Multi Channelsoftware to get you started. It will show you the differentparts of the main window and how to use them to performbasic measurements. A Handyscope HS3 is used in most ofthe examples, but of course other instruments supported bythe Multi Channel software can be used just as well.

2.1 Main window partsWhen you start the Multi Channel software it will look likethe picture in figure 2.1. In the picture, a Handyscope HS3with a maximum sample frequency of 50 MHz is used. Thissection will explain the function of the different parts of themain window.

Figure 2.1: Main window

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In the picture, the different parts are indicated with numbers:

1. Main menu

2. File toolbar

3. Quick functions toolbar

4. Instrument toolbar5. Object tree

6. Graph

File toolbar The file toolbar can be used for accessing fre-quently used items from the file menu, for example opening,saving or reloading files.

Quick functions toolbar The quick functions toolbar con-tains quick functions to use the active measurement instru-ment as a standard virtual instrument: oscilloscope, spec-trum analyzer, transient recorder or voltmeter. The activeinstrument is the instrument highlighted in the object tree.You can make another instrument active by clicking on it inthe object tree or using the hotkey CTRL-n, with n an in-

strument number (1..0). See section 2.2 for more informationabout the quick functions.

Instrument toolbar The instrument toolbar can be usedto control basic instrument settings, like sample frequency,record length and trigger settings. For each channel, a toolbaris present to control channel settings like range, auto rangingand coupling. Refer to chapter 4 for more information about

controlling instruments.

Object tree The object tree is situated at the left side ofthe main window of the application. It contains the measur-ing instruments, function generators and other objects con-structed in the application. These other objects are datasources, I/O blocks and data sinks, which all can be used incombination with the measured data. Data of all sources canbe exported to different file types, see section 6.5.

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You can create a new source, I/O or sink by right click-ing on the label in the object tree and select the object ofyour choice from the popup menu. With drag and drop, thedifferent objects in the object tree can be connected to otherobjects. You can drag a source object on a sink object, I/O

block or a graph. When the source is dropped it will con-nect the object it was dropped on. For detailed informationon how to work with the objects in the object tree, refer tochapter 6.2.

Graph The Multi Channel software allows you to createand arrange multiple graphs for displaying measured or ge-

nerated data. In section 3.1 you can read more about graphs.

2.2 Basic measurements

This section will show you how to use the quick functions tosetup the displays to perform basic measurements. Besidessetting up the display, in most situations instrument settingsneed to be changed to correctly measure a signal. You can

read how to change instrument settings in chapter 4. Thequick functions can be accessed through the main menu orthe quick functions toolbar.

The quick functions toolbar contains quick functions to usethe active measurement instrument as a standard virtual in-strument:

Oscilloscope in Yt mode

Oscilloscope in XY mode

Spectrum analyzer

Transient recorder

Voltmeter

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An oscilloscope can be used to display measurementsagainst time (Yt mode) or to display one channel againstanother (XY mode). You can manually set a graph to ei-ther Yt or XY mode, and drag the desired channels into thegraph, or you can use the Yt or XY quick functions. Infor-

mation about using graphs can be found in section 3.1. Inthe following sections you can read about the quick functionsand see examples of their results.

2.2.1 Oscilloscope in Yt mode

To use the active measuring instrument as an oscilloscope inYt mode, click the button on the toolbar. The channels

of the active instrument will be shown in an empty graph. Anew graph will be created when no empty graph is present.

Figure 2.2: Yt graph.

2.2.2 Oscilloscope in XY mode

To use the active measuring instrument as an oscilloscope inXY mode, click the button on the toolbar. Channels 1 and2 of the active instrument will be shown in an empty graph.A new graph will be created when no empty graph is present.

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This function is disabled when the active instrument has lessthan two channels.

Figure 2.3: XY graph.

2.2.3 Spectrum analyzer

To use the active measuring instrument as a spectrum ana-

lyzer, click the button on the toolbar.

Figure 2.4: Spectrum graph.

An FFT I/O object will be created and connected to each

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channel of the active instrument. The FFT objects convertthe measured time base signals to a spectrum by means of aFast Fourier Transform, see section 8.9. The outputs of thenewly created FFT objects will be shown in an empty graph.A new graph will be created when no empty graph is present.

2.2.4 Transient recorder

To use the active measuring instrument as a transient recorder,click the button on the toolbar.

Figure 2.5: Transient recorder graph.

The active instrument will be set to streaming mode anda data collector object will be created and connected to eachchannel of the active instrument. The outputs of the newlycreated data collector objects will be shown in an emptygraph. A new graph will be created when no empty graph ispresent.

The transient recorder is usually used for relatively slowsignals. The instrument is set to streaming mode. The ad-vantages over normal scope mode operation are:

The measurement display is constantly updated duringthe measurement. You dont have to wait until thewhole measurement is completed to see the result.

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Longer measurements are possible than would fit in theinstruments memory in normal scope operation.

Read more about the differences between scope mode andstreaming mode in section 4.2.1.

2.2.5 Voltmeter

To use the active measuring instrument as a voltmeter, clickthe button on the toolbar. The channels of the activeinstrument will be shown in a newly created meter object.Read more about meters in section 3.2.

Figure 2.6: Volmeter.

By default, the measurements Mean and RMS are en-abled. Other measurements can be added for each channel.Examples are: minimum, maximum, top-bottom, variance,standard deviation, frequency and for frequency data: To-tal Harmonic Distortion. See appendix A for a list of theavailable measurements and a description.

2.3 Printing

You can print your measurements just like they are shown onthe screen. Each graph is printed to a separate page. ChoosePrint... in the file menu, press the print button on the filetoolbar, or use the hotkey CTRL-P.

The graphs are printed with the selected graph scheme.By default a black and white printing scheme is used, butyou can also use a scheme with colors or define your own

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color scheme. You can select another scheme or change colorsfor printing in the application settings, in GraphPrint. Tocheck how the graphs will look on paper without actuallyprinting them, click Print preview... in the file menu.

2.4 Settings

Several applications settings can be changed with the settingswindow. You can open the settings window by clicking theSettings... item in the file menu or pressing the settingsbutton ( ) on the file toolbar.

All settings are stored in an INI file. This makes it possi-

ble to easily backup your settings or to copy them to anothercomputer. You can also use another INI file. If you create anINI file with same name as the application executable in somefolder and run the Multi Channel software from that folder,that file will be used instead of the default one in the appli-cation folder. You can easily accomplish this by changing theStart in property of a shortcut.

Language The user interface of the Multi Channel softwarecan be set to many different languages. The language can beset via the Set language... item in the file menu. This itemis always displayed in English to make it easily accessible.

Graph schemes You will notice the colors of the screenshots in this manual are different than the standard colorson your screen when you use the software. The screen shotswere made using a different graph scheme. You can choosefrom several schemes or make your own schemes for on screenas well as for printing.

Meter schemes Just as the colors of the graphs, the colorsof the meters can also be changed with schemes.

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Displaying data 3Measured or generated data can be displayed in differentways. Mostly graphs are used, but you can also use meters.This chapter will show you how to use graphs and meters.

3.1 Graphs

The Multi Channel software allows you to create and arrange

graphs the way you want. New graphs can be created on themain screen of the Multi Channel software and can be movedto a separate window outside the main screen.

3.1.1 Creating new graphs

Creating new graphs is very easy: right-click anywhere in agraph on the main screen and select Make new graph from

the menu. After dragging a rectangle anywhere on the graphsection, a new graph will be created on the selected position.See figure 3.1.

The size of the newly created graph can be adjusted bydragging the edges of the graph. When the mouse cursor ismoved over the edges of a graph, the mouse cursor will changeshape to indicate that the size of the graph can be changed.

3.1.2 Graph modes

Each graph can be used in different modes; either XY modeor non-XY mode. By default, every new graph is set to non-XY mode.

When using the non-XY mode, or Yt mode, the graphwill accept both time and frequency domain data, but timeand frequency domain data cannot be displayed in one graph

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Figure 3.1: Create a new graph in two steps

at the same time. If you want to display time- and frequency

domain signals simultaneously, a separate graph has to becreated for both domains. The first source dragged onto thegraph determines whether the graph is displaying time orfrequency information.

To change the mode of the graph, you can check or uncheckXY mode in the graphs popup menu. It is also possible toswitch mode by pressing the / button on the graphstoolbar. See figure 3.2.

3.1.3 Showing measured data in Yt mode

The measured data of a source can be shown in a graph bydragging the source and dropping it anywhere on the graph.Depending on the position where the source is dropped, anew scale will be created on the left or right side of the graphand the measured data will appear in the graph. See figure3.3.

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Figure 3.2: Switching between Yt and XY mode.

Figure 3.3: Dragging a channel to a graph.

3.1.4 Showing measured data in XY modeWhen the graph is in XY mode, you have to drag two sourcesonto the graph for each line. When the first source is droppedonto the graph, two scales will be created: one vertical andone horizontal. The dropped source will be connected to thevertical scale. The horizontal one will be empty and blinking,indicating that it is waiting for a source. The second sourcecan now be dropped on the blinking scale. In XY mode,frequency domain data cannot be displayed.

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3.1.5 Drawing options

Interpolation When linear interpolation is turned on,straight lines are drawn through the samples. When thenumber of pixels in the graph is bigger than the number of

displayed samples, the effect of this setting is very clear.

Visual noise reduction The Visual noise reduction set-ting reduces some of the noise that may appear while drawingthe measurements in the graphs. The result is smoother andthinner lines.

3.1.6 ReferencesYou can create a reference to any signal that is displayed ina graph. A reference is a copy of a signal. By making sucha copy and continuing the measurements, you will be able tosee differences between the life signal and the reference.

You can create a reference by choosing Create referenceto in the popup menu of the graph or one of its axes.When the reference is created, an extra button is added to

the graphs toolbar which can be used to copy new data fromthe life signal into the reference.

3.1.7 Cursors

In each graph, cursors can be used to measure values of inte-rest between the cursors. Measurements include: Minimum,

Maximum, Top-Bottom, RMS, Mean, Variance, Standard de-viation and Frequency. For a list of the possible measure-ments and information about them, refer to appendix A. Thecursors can be enabled by:

using the Show cursors button ( ) on the toolbar clicking Show cursors in the graphs popup menu.The cursor window will by default look like in figure 3.4.

Except for the Left, Right and Right-Left values, all

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Figure 3.4: A cursor window

measurements are calculated over the data in between the two

cursors. Besides the calculated values in between the cursors,the positions of the cursors, as well as the difference betweenthem, can be seen at the bottom of the cursor window. Themeasured values can be copied to the clipboard as text, bypressing the Copy to Clipboard button ( ).

For clarity, not all measurements are enabled by defaultwhen the cursors are enabled. Enabling or disabling mea-surements can be done by clicking Select measurements...

in the popup menu of the cursor window, or by clicking thebutton ( ) on the toolbar. A window as depicted in figure3.5 will popup, in which the desired measurements can beselected.

3.1.8 Axes

This section will tell you what you can do with the axes, alsocalled scales.

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Figure 3.5: Selecting measurement

Moving axes Measured signals can be moved with theiraxis by dragging the tab of the axis. Some different possibletargets are depicted in figure 3.6:

a. When using multiple graphs, an axis can be moved to

a different graph. When holding the CTRL key whiledropping the signal, the signal will be copied instead ofmoved.

b. An axis can be moved to another location in the samegraph. From left to right or from right to left.

c. Different signals can be viewed on the same scale. Ifyou drop an axis on another one, they are merged. Notethat the units of the axes must be the same. You can

extract a signal from an axis by choosing Extract linefrom its popup menu.

Arranging axes You can save room in your graphs byputting different sources on the same scale as mentioned ear-lier. Another way is to arrange the axes on tabs. To do this,right-click on the tab of an axis and check the Tabbed item.When the axes are set to tabbed, only one axis will be visible,

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Figure 3.6: Axes can be moved to different targets.

see figure 3.7. Click on the tabs of the other axes to makethem visible.

Figure 3.7: Putting axes on tabs

Controlling axes Depending on the signal that is beingdisplayed in the graph, various axis options can be selected.When using the non-XY-mode, the vertical axis type canbe set to logarithmic or linear. Also the menu options of theconnected source(s) can be accessed through the popup menu

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of an axis. A popup menu of an axis is displayed in figure3.8.

Figure 3.8: A popup menu of an axis.

By default the axis range is such that the ranges of all ofits sources fit in it. You can change the axis range to with themenu option Set axis range.... By default range is fixedafter you change it. This means that it will not change whenthe range of the source(s) changes.

With the menu option Set visible range... you can changethe part of the axis range that is visible. It does not changethe actual axis range.

Trigger symbol The trigger symbol is used to indicatethe trigger settings of a channel. You can change the trigger

level and hysteresis by moving trigger symbol or its edgesrespectively. You can invert the trigger symbol by doubleclicking it. This will change the trigger type from for examplerising to falling and vice versa.

The trigger symbol can also be dragged to another scale.This is a fast way to change the trigger source. When theCTRL key is pressed while dropping the trigger symbol, itis copied instead of moved. This results in OR triggering onmultiple channels.

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3.2 Meters

Besides graphs, meters can be used to display numerical val-ues. Multiple sources can be connected to the meter and persource, multiple measurements can be displayed. Connecting

a source can be in two ways:

drag the source onto the meter in the object tree drag the source onto the window of the meter

The measurements are performed over all post samples ofthe associated source. To enable and disable measurements,use the context sensitive popup menu. For a list of the pos-

sible measurements, refer to appendix A.The measurement values can be displayed in segment dis-

plays (default) as well as gauge displays. You can change thedisplay type through the item Type in the popup menu ofeach measurement. See figure 3.9 for an example of a meterwindow.

Figure 3.9: Example of a meter window.

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Instruments 4

Figure 4.1: Instruments

The TiePie engineering instruments, like the HandyscopeHS3, consist of one or more input channels to acquire mea-surements. Some instruments also have a function generatoror Arbitrary Waveform Generator output. In the software,an AWG is regarded as a separate independent device. There-fore, in the software and this manual, the word instrumentrefers only to the data acquisition part of the physical device.

The first part of this chapter shows how to control themeasuring instruments and how to change the different set-tings. The sections that follow will show how to performstreaming measurements and how to combine instruments.

Info For instrument specific information, refer tothe user manual of your instrument.

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4.1 Controlling instruments

You can control your instrument(s) in different ways. Themost frequently used functions are accessible via the instru-ment toolbar, which consists of a part that affects the whole

instrument and a part for each channel of the instrument, seefigure 4.2.

Figure 4.2: Instrument toolbar

Settings can also be changed via the popup menus of theinstruments and their channels in the object tree. The quick-est way to change the settings is using the hotkeys. When youare using multiple instruments, the hotkeys affect the activeinstrument. This is the instrument highlighted in the objecttree. You can make another instrument active by clicking onit in the object tree or using the hotkey CTRL-n, with nthe instrument number (1..0). See appendix B for a complete

list of the available hotkeys.

4.1.1 Instrument bar

When the Multi Channel software is started, the connected(and installed) measuring equipment is detected. For eachopened instrument, an instrument bar as shown in figure 4.3is created. On this bar the instrument name is displayed

with its serial number, which is a unique number. You canuse the serial numbers to identify which instrument you arecontrolling.

Besides the instrument ID, information concerning thecurrent sample frequency, record length and the resolution isshown. When using an instrument that supports triggeringthe trigger timeout, trigger source and pre/post sample ratioof the instrument are also shown. The settings can be ad-

justed through popup menus by right-clicking the text labels

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Figure 4.3: Changing settings via a popup menu

on the bar, see figure 4.3.Measurements can be started and stopped by using the

start and one shot buttons on the instrument bar. Whenthe start button or its hotkey S is pressed, the instrument willstart measuring continuously until the measuring is stoppedby pressing the button or hotkey again. When the one shotbutton or its hotkey O is pressed, one measurement is per-formed.

4.1.2 Channel bar

For each channel of an open instrument, a channel bar iscreated on the instrument bar. The channel bar gives anoverview of the channel settings, such as input range andcoupling. These settings can be changed by clicking on the

icons. All channel settings can be adjusted through popupmenus by right-clicking on the channel name, see figure 4.4.

4.2 Settings

The settings of an instrument can be divided in two groups:instrument settings and channel settings. Instrument set-tings, like record length and sample frequency, apply to allchannels of an instrument. Channels settings, like input range

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Figure 4.4: Changing channel settings via a popup menu

and signal coupling, apply to individual channels.Settings can be changed with the instrument bar and

through popup menus of the instrument and its channels inthe object tree. In the following sections you will find moreinformation about the different settings.

4.2.1 Instrument settings

Instrument settings apply to all channels of an instrument,

unlike channels settings, which apply only to one channel.The hotkeys mentioned in this section apply to the activeinstrument. This is the instrument highlighted in the objecttree. You can make another instrument active by clicking onit in the object tree or using the hotkey CTRL-n, with n aninstrument number (1..0).

Measure mode By default, most TiePie engineering mea-suring instruments work in scope or block mode. In this

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mode, the complete measurement is recorded in the instru-ments memory. After the full record has been measured, thedata is transferred to the computer. The next measurementis started after the data has been processed, therefore thereare gaps between the measurements.

Besides working in block mode, some TiePie engineeringinstruments, like the Handyscope HS3 and Handyscope HS4,support streaming mode. In this mode the measured datais transferred directly to the computer, without using theinternal memory of the instrument. This makes it possible toperform continuous measurements without gaps. For moreinformation on streaming measurements, refer to section 4.4.You can change the measure mode of an instrument via its

popup menu in the object tree.

Info To change the mode of an instrument, the in-strument must first be set to pause.

Sample frequency The sample frequency is the rate atwhich the instrument takes its samples of the input signals.It can be set to predefined or user defined values via differentmenus. Use the hotkeys F3 and F4 to decrease or increasethe sample frequency.

Record length The record length is the number of samplesthe instrument takes during each measurement or record. It

can be set to predefined or user defined values via differentmenus. Use the hotkeys F11 and F12 to decrease or increasethe record length.

Resolution The resolution of an instrument determinesthe smallest voltage step that can be detected. The resolu-tion is indicated with a number of bits. Every extra bit dou-bles the accuracy. This means that the smallest detectablevoltage step will be 16 times smaller when you use a 12 bit

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resolution instead of 8 bit. You can change the resolution ofan instrument via its popup menu in the object tree.

Pre-trigger In most cases, all samples in the record willbe measured after a trigger. It is however also possible to

measure a part of the record before the trigger moment.The samples taken before the trigger moment are called pre-samples. The remaining samples are called post-samples .You can change the pre/post-sample ratio with the knob onthe instrument bar and via different menus or with hotkeysSHIFT + and SHIFT + .

Info When measuring fast periodical signals, inmost cases not all pre-samples will be mea-sured. This is because the trigger condition ismet before all pre-samples have been measuredand starts the post-sample counter. You willsee the first pre-samples are zero when theyare not measured.

Trigger time-out The trigger time-out is an often over-looked, but important setting. When the measurement isstarted, the instrument will start waiting for the trigger event.When the trigger event does not occur within the time-outtime, the instrument starts measuring the post-samples au-tomatically. This will not result in a stable display, but it

will give an impression of the signal. This will enable you tochange the trigger settings to accomplish stable triggering.Use the hotkeys 0, 1 and W to change the time-out to 0, 1second or infinite respectively.

Info When the instrument should measure onlywhen a trigger event occurs the trigger time-out must be set to infinite!

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Trigger source The trigger source setting of an instrumentdetermines which trigger signals are used to trigger the mea-

surement. The trigger source can be set to a single channelor to a combination of channels or other trigger sources. Thesources can be logically combined using OR and AND oper-ations. In figure 4.5 you can see the trigger sources that canbe used with a Handyscope HS3. The trigger source is setto channel 1. You can use hotkey ALT-n, with n a channelnumber, to quickly change the trigger source.

Figure 4.5: Advanced trigger source settings

4.2.2 Channel settings

Channels settings apply only to one channel. The hotkeysmentioned in this section apply to channels of the activeinstrument. The hotkeys on itself apply to channel 1. Tochange settings of the other channels add the key combina-tions in table 4.1.

Coupling The channels of an instrument can be set to ACor DC coupling. DC coupling allows for both the AC and theDC components of the input signal to pass. In contrast, if

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Channel Key(s)

Ch. 1 Ch. 2 CTRLCh. 3 SHIFTCh. 4 CTRL + SHIFT

Ch. 5 ALTCh. 6 ALT + CTRLCh. 7 ALT + SHIFTCh. 8 ALT + CTRL + SHIFT

Table 4.1: Selecting channel for hotkeys

AC coupling is used, the DC component of the input signal isrejected and only the AC component is measured. Use AC-coupling when you are investigating an AC signal on a ratherlarge DC component. Use the hotkeys A (AC) and D (DC)to change the coupling.

Range To select the input range of a channel, right-click

on the channel of which the range should be changed andchoose input voltage range from the menu. You can decreaseor increase the range with hotkeys F5 and F6. If you set achannel to auto-ranging (hotkey R), the range will automa-tically be adjusted to the input signal.

Trigger level The trigger level can be adjusted graphicallyin a graph, as well as with the popup menu that appears by

right-clicking on a channel or its trigger symbol. You candecrease or increase the trigger level with hotkeys F7 andF8. The meaning of the trigger level depends on the triggertype.

Trigger hysteresis Just as the trigger level, the triggerhysteresis can be adjusted graphically in a graph and via apopup menu. You can decrease or increase the trigger hys-teresis with hotkeys [ and ]. The meaning of the trigger

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hysteresis depends on the trigger type.

Trigger type A different trigger type can be selected perchannel. Depending on the trigger type, the input signal is

monitored differently. Examples of trigger types are risingand falling slope and In- and OutWindow. Refer to theonline help for a detailed description of the trigger types.

4.3 Automatically storing measurements

You can use the auto disk function to automatically storeall measurements. This is particularly useful when you are

measuring an event that occurs sporadically. When you setthe trigger settings such that the instrument will trigger whenthe event occurs and use the auto disk function, all events willbe stored.

To enable auto disk, click AutoDisk... in the instru-ments menu. A save dialog will show, in which you can en-ter a filename. A rising number will be appended to this

filename for each measurement. For example, naming thefiles TiePie will create a file sequence of TiePie000000.TPS,TiePie000001.TPS, etc.

4.4 Streaming measurements

By default, most TiePie engineering measuring instrumentswork in scope or block mode. In this mode, the complete

measurement is recorded in the instruments memory. Afterthe full record has been measured, the data is transferred tothe computer. The next measurement is started after thedata has been processed, therefore there are gaps betweenthe measurements.

Besides working in block mode, some TiePie engineeringinstruments, like the Handyscope HS3 and Handyscope HS4,support streaming mode. In this mode the measured datais transferred directly to the computer, without using the

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internal memory of the instrument. This makes it possibleto perform continuous measurements without gaps.

4.4.1 Streaming versus block measurements

Both block and streaming measurements have their advan-tages and disadvantages. The key features of both modes arelisted below. Block mode (/Scope mode):

+ Fast measurements are possible

Record length is limited by the instruments memorysize

Stream mode:

+ Long measurements are possible

Sample speed is limited by the data transfer rate tocomputer and the computer speed

In block mode, the next measurement is started after theprevious data has been transferred to the computer. Thismeans that there will always be a (small) gap in between

the measurements. In streaming mode, no data is missed.All successive data blocks can be connected to form one bigmeasurement.

A disadvantage of the streaming mode is that the maxi-mum measurement speed depends on the data transfer ratefrom the instrument to the computer and on the overall sys-tem performance.

4.4.2 Collecting streaming data

In streaming mode, successive measurements will arrive inblocks. Each of those blocks contains record length samplesand can be connected seamlessly with previous and next datablocks.

The Data collector I/O-object can be used to collect thesuccessive measurements and combine them into one big blockof data of up to 20 million samples.

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4.4.3 Using streaming mode

By default, most TiePie engineering measuring instrumentswork in scope or block mode. There are several ways to setan instruments mode to stream.

The easiest way to use the streaming mode is to use oneof the quick functions: Transient recorder. When you choosethis function, either from the main menu or the toolbar, itwill set the selected instruments mode to stream. Besidesthis, for each channel of the instrument a data collector I/O-object is created with a data size of 100000 samples and eachdata collector is put into a graph.

To manually change the mode of an instrument, use

the popup menu of the instrument in the object tree. Inthe menu, select Measure modeStream or MeasuremodeBlock.

Info To change the measure mode, the instrumentmust first be set to pause.

4.5 Combining instruments

With the Multi Channel software, you are not limited tonumber of channels of one instrument. It is possible to com-bine two or more instruments to form a combined instrument.Once the instruments are combined, the resulting single in-

strument works just like a normal instrument. There is nolimit to the number of channels in a combined instrument.At the time this manual is written, combining is possible withthe following instruments:

Handyscope HS3

Handyscope HS4

Handyscope HS4 DIFF

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You can create a combined instrument by selecting Cre-ate combined instrument... from the Instrument menu.Choose which instruments must be combined in the appear-ing dialog.

Info The instruments must be synchronized witha coupling cable attached to their extensionconnectors.

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Arbitrary Waveform Generator 5An Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) can be used togenerate signals. Besides some standard signals, arbitrarysignals can be generated. This chapter shows how use theArbitrary Waveform Generator with the standard signals andhow to load arbitrary signals.

5.1 Control window

An Arbitrary Waveform Generator can be controlled with theAWG control window, which is shown in the picture in figure5.1.

Figure 5.1: Arbitrary Waveform Generator control window.

The AWG control window contains a toolbar, for easyaccess to frequently used functions, and some control groupsfor signal properties. The toolbar and the control groups aredescribed below.

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5.1.1 Toolbar

The toolbar at the top of the window contains some buttonsfor easy access to frequently used functions. The function ofthe different buttons is described in table 5.1.

Icon Action Short description

Open Open settings/arbitrary data

Save Save settings/arbitrary data

Save as Save settings/arbitrary data in anew file

Save and email Save settings/arbitrary data andattach it to a new email

Reload Reload previously opened orsaved settings/arbitrary data

Help Display help about the AWG

Table 5.1: Toolbar buttons.

5.1.2 Signal type

The different signal types supported by the AWG can beselected with buttons. The signal that will be at the outputof the generator is displayed. By default, no arbitrary data isloaded into the AWG. As a result only an offset is generatedwhen arbitrary is chosen. See section 5.3 for informationabout loading data.

5.1.3 Frequency

The frequency can be adjusted with the range select buttonsand the scroll bar. An exact frequency value can be enteredafter pressing the hotkey F or after double-clicking the fre-quency display. The actual value is shown on the display.

By default, the signal frequency will be displayed. This isthe frequency at which the displayed signal will be repeated.It is also possible to change the sampling frequency of the

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AWG directly, by checking the sample frequency radio but-ton. The minimum and maximum frequency will depend onthe instrument.

5.1.4 SymmetryThe symmetry can be adjusted with the scroll bar. An exactsymmetry value can be entered after pressing the hotkey S orafter double-clicking the symmetry display. The actual valueis shown on the display. The symmetry range is 0% - 100%.

5.1.5 Amplitude

The amplitude can be adjusted with the scroll bar. An exactamplitude value can be entered after pressing the hotkey Aor after double-clicking the amplitude display. The actualvalue is shown on the display. The minimum and maximumamplitude will depend on the instrument.

5.1.6 OffsetThe offset can be adjusted with the scroll bar. An exact off-set value can be entered after pressing the hotkey O or afterdouble-clicking the offset display. The actual value is shownon the display. The minimum and maximum offset will de-pend on the instrument.

5.1.7 Output

The two buttons in the output group can be used to turn theoutput on or off, and to start or stop the signal:

Turn AWG on/off.

Start/stop AWG signal output.

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By default, the signal will output continuously, but it isalso possible to perform a burst of a certain number of periodsof the signal. To perform a burst, check the Burst radiobutton and select or type the number of periods in the combobox. After pressing Start the burst will be generated.

5.2 Setfiles

All settings and arbitrary data of the AWG can be saved insetfiles with the Save and Save as... buttons on the toolbar.Setfiles can be loaded with the Load... toolbar button, or bydragging a setfile onto the AWG control window. In picture

1 for example, setfile Sin3.TPS is loaded, which contains anarbitrary signal (sine3).

5.3 Arbitrary data

Besides some standard signals, the Arbitrary Waveform Ge-nerator (AWG) can output arbitrary data. There are differ-ent ways of loading such data into the generator. Data can

be loaded directly from an open source in the software, orfrom a file.

5.3.1 Loading arbitrary data from a source

Data of every source in the Multi Channel software can beloaded directly into an AWG. This means that measureddata, but also processed or generated data can be put intothe AWG. There are two ways to do this. One way is to dragthe source onto the AWG in the object tree. The other wayto get the data of a source is to drag the source onto a AWGcontrol window.

Note: Depending on the AWG and the data size, datamay be resampled during loading.

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5.3.2 Loading arbitrary data from a file

Besides loading data from a source, it can also be loaded froma file. Currently, loading data from TiePie engineering TPSfile and from Wave audio files is supported.

From a TiePie engineering TPS file, data can be read fromeach AWG or Source chunk in the file. Data from Wave audiofiles can also be read into the AWG. If more than one channel(mono) is available in the file, only the first channel will beread. All uncompressed Wave audio files with a resolution of8, 16, 32 or 64 bit are supported.

Note: Depending on the AWG and the data size, datamay be resampled during loading.

5.3.3 Data resampling

When loading data into an AWG, it is possible that the AWGdoes not support the data size of the loaded data. This canhappen for example when the data is to big to fit into thememory of the AWG. The Handyscope HS3 has another li-mitation: the data size must be a power of two (2, 4 , 8, 16,

..., 262144).When it is not possible to set the data size of the AWG

to the datas size, the data will be stretched or shrunken tofit exactly into the possible data size that is closest to therequested data size.

5.4 Hotkeys

The AWG can be controlled with several hotkeys, see appen-dix B for a complete list.

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Objects 6The Multi Channel software can be used to do basic measure-ments that could also be done with a classic oscilloscope. Forsuch basic measurements, one graph displaying the measureddata is enough. In section 2.2 you can read how to performsuch basic measurements very easily.

Besides basic measurements, the Multi Channel softwareis capable of performing more complex processing on the mea-sured data. This processing is done with the help of different

objects: sources, I/Os or processing blocks, and sinks. Thischapter will explain how to work with the different objects:how to create them and how to connect them to each other.At the end of the chapter you will find some examples insection 6.6.

6.1 Using objects

There are a lot of occasions where using objects is helpfulduring measurements. Sometimes you want to display thesum of different channels. You can do this with a Sum I/Oobject. Another example is power measurement. When youmeasure the voltage over a load with one channel and thecurrent through it with another channel, you can multiplythe data of both channels with a Multiply/Divide I/O object

to get the power.You can also use a Low-pass filter to filter your measure-

ments. The easiest way to learn about the possibilities of theobjects is to try. Just create some objects, connect them toeach other and see what happens. You can also have a lookat the examples in section 6.6 to get you started.

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6.2 Object tree

The object tree is situated at the left side of the main windowof the application. It contains the measuring instruments,

function generators and other objects constructed in the ap-

plication, the data sources, I/O blocks and data sinks, whichall can be used in combination with the measured data.

With the object tree, the different in- and output blockscan be created (see section 6.4.1) and connected (see sec-tion 6.4.3). When sources are connected to an object, thisis indicated by the caption of the object in the tree. Forexample when two channels of a Handyscope HS3 are con-nected to a Sum I/O object, its caption will change to

Sum1(HS3(12620).Ch1 + HS3(12620).Ch2). The object treecan be hidden or shown by pressing the symbols and re-spectively.

Exporting data to different file formats can be done viathe popup menu of the sources (and I/Os) in the object tree.Read how to do this in section 6.5.

6.3 Object typesThe different objects are divided into groups that can be seenin the object tree. Each group of objects is described in itsown chapter:

Instruments Chapter 4Function Generators Chapter 5

Sources Chapter 7I/Os Chapter 8Sinks Chapter 9

Sources are objects that output data. This can be constantdata, like in the demo source, or any other kind of data. Themost important sources are the instrument channels.

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I/Os also called processing blocks are objects with input(s)and output(s). They produce data at their output(s) that issomehow related to their input(s). A Low pass filter I/O forexample filters the input data. The output of a processingblock is again a source, which can be connected to other I/O

blocks or to graphs.

Sinks are the opposite of a source. Instead of supplyingdata, they accept it, just like an I/O object. The differenceis that a sink does not have an output source.

6.4 Handling objects

6.4.1 Creating

You can create a new source, I/O or sink by right clicking onthe root item in the object tree and selecting the object ofyour choice from the popup menu. In figure 6.1 the I/Ositem is clicked with right mouse button.

Figure 6.1: Creating an I/O object

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After objects are constructed, their settings can bechanged via their popup menu. In figure 6.2 two SoftGensources and a Sum I/O object are created. The signal typeof the second SoftGen source is set to to square.

Figure 6.2: Changing object settings.

6.4.2 Cloning

Another way to create objects, is to clone existing objects.When you clone an object, a new object of the same type willbe created with the same settings and data as the original.The clone an object, choose Clone in its popup menu.

6.4.3 Connecting

By means of drag and drop, the different objects in the objecttree can be connected to other objects. You can drag a sourceobject on a sink object or I/O block. The source will connectto the object it is dropped on.

In the example in figure 6.3, the two SoftGens that werecreated in the previous section are dropped onto the Sum.

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6.5 Exporting data

To be able to use (measured) data in other applications, dataof all sources can be exported to different file types. In thissection you can read how to export data and you can find

some information about the supported formats

6.5.1 How to export data

Data of all sources can be exported. This means that dataof all stand-alone sources like the Software signal generator,but also outputs of other objects, like instruments and I/Os,can be saved to file.

Figure 6.4: Exporting data.

Exporting data can be done by selecting the desired ob- jects in the object tree and choosing Export data... fromits popup menu. See the picture in figure 6.4. A standardsave dialog will popup, which is extended with options for theselected file format. In figure 6.5, the save dialog is displayed

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with the options for saving CSV files.

Figure 6.5: Exporting options for CSV files.

With the file type combo box, the desired file type canbe selected. The list of available file types depends on theselected sources that must be saved. For example, most for-mats only support one time or frequency base. If sourceswith different time bases are selected, these formats will notappear in the file type list.

6.5.2 Supported file types

At the time this manual was written, it was possible to exportdata to the following file formats:

Binary (raw) files Comma Separated Values (CSV) files matlab .MAT files Wave audio filesIt is possible that more file formats are supported in your

version of the software. Refer to the online help file thatcomes with the software for a complete list of the file formatsand a description of their options.

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6.6 Examples

In this section you will find some examples of how to usedifferent objects to process data.

6.6.1 Modulate measured data

You can modulate measured data with a sine wave generatedby a software signal generator. Create a software signal ge-nerator (right-click: Object treeSourcesSoftGen) and setits sample frequency and data size to the same values as yourinstrument. Then create a Multiply/Divide I/O object andconnect the signal generator and your measuring channel to

it. The result of the Multiply/Divide is the measured data,multiplied with the generated data. In figure 6.6 you can seethe result in a graph.

Figure 6.6: Measured data multiplied with generated data

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6.6.2 Summing channel data

In some applications it is useful to sum or subtract the dataof different channels. To do this, create a Sum object (right-click: Object treeI/OsSum) and drag the sources youwant to add on top of it in the object tree. In figure 6.7 youcan see the result of summing the two channels of a Handy-scope HS3. Note that it is difficult to compare the differentsignals because they have different scales. To make compar-ison easier, put the signals on one axis by dragging the axeson top of each other, see section 3.1.8. To subtract sources,change the + mask of the sum object, see section 8.4 onpage 54.

Figure 6.7: Summing two channels

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Sources 7As explained before, the Multi Channel software works withdifferent objects. The main objects are the data acquisitioninstruments and Arbitrary Waveform Generators. The mostimportant data sources in the software are the channels ofthe instruments. Besides the channels of instruments, othersources can be used. This chapter gives a short descriptionof sources that are present and what they can be used for.See section 6.6 for some practical examples.

7.1 How to use sources

Just like the instruments channels, other sources can be usedto generate data. This data can be viewed in graphs or me-ters, but it can also be combined with measured data.

Section 6.4.1 explains how to create objects. How to con-

nect them to each other is explained in section 6.4.3.

7.2 Change unit

By default, the unit of most sources is Volt. You can changethe unit of most sources and I/O objects with the item Setunit... in their menu.

7.3 Demo Source

The demo source contains a little bit of data, which is onlymeant for demonstration. There are two different data setsfrom which one is chosen depending on the number (even orodd) of the demo source.

Try creating two demo sources and add them to an empty

graph. If you set the graph to XY-mode you can see the

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purpose of the demo data. You can read how to view data ina graph in section 3.1.

7.4 Software signal generator

The software generator can be used to generate standard sig-nals like sine, block and triangle. Through its popup menuall its settings can be changed. This object can be used incombination with any other source, including the channels ofthe measurement instruments. The generator supports thefollowing signal types:

Sine

Triangle Square Noise

Several signal parameters can be adjusted:

Signal frequency Phase Amplitude Offset Symmetry Data size Sample frequency

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I/Os 8I/Os, also called processing blocks are objects with input(s)and output(s). They produce data at their output(s) thatis somehow related to their input(s). For example, a Lowpass filter I/O filters the input data and a FFT I/O convertsthe input data to a frequency spectrum. The output(s) ofthe I/Os can be used as sources for further processing. Thischapter will give an overview of I/O objects in the MultiChannel software. Refer to the online help for more completeand up to date information.

8.1 Average

Averaging is useful in situations when the signal of interest isperiodic and (random) noise is present on top of it. By takingmultiple measurements of the signal and averaging them, the

signal to noise ratio will increase.The average I/O object can work in two different modes:

running average (default) and average-of-n. When the ob-ject is working in running average mode, it will continuouslyreplace a part of its memory by the newly arriving data,effectively forgetting the oldest measurements. In average-of-n mode, the average will automatically be cleared after nmeasurements. You can manually clear the average with the

Clear option in its menu.

8.2 Low-pass filter

This processing block can be used to filter data. Data isfiltered with a first order low-pass IIR filter. The cut-off fre-quency can be entered through its popup menu. The filtered

data can be multiplied by a gain which can also be entered

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through the popup menu.

8.3 Data collector

The data collector object can be used when performing stream-

ing measurements. During streaming measurements, dataarrives in blocks with a size equal to the instruments recordlength. To form a continuous stream of data, these blocksmust be appended to each other. The data collector doesthis job. It will fill its data with the arriving blocks of data.

The size of the collected data can be set to a maximum of20 million samples. When the data collector is full, different

actions can be performed:

Continue: the oldest data is shifted out at the left, whilenew data is appended to the right

Stop: data collecting is stopped when full. (The mea-surement is NOT stopped.)

Clear: the output data is cleared and the filling startsover again

Overwrite: existing data in the output array is over-written by the new data

8.4 Sum

The Sum object can be used to add or subtract the data of

different sources. The + mask determines which sources areadded and which sources are subtracted. This mask containsa + or character for every connected source. By default,the mask consists of +-es only and all sources are added. Tosubtract a source, set its corresponding mask character to .For example, to subtract sources 2 and 3 from source 1, setthe mask to + . Up to 32 sources can be added orsubtracted with a Sum I/O. See section 6.6.2 for an exampleof using the Sum I/O object.

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8.5 Multiply/Divide

The Multiply/Divide object can be used to multiply or dividethe data of different sources. Depending on the */ mask, theinput sources can be either in the nominator (default) or

the denominator. This mask works similar to the mask ofthe Sum I/O. For example, a mask of *// will result insrc1/(src2*src3). A maximum of 32 sources can be used.

A typical application of the Multiply/Divide object ispower measurement. When you measure the voltage over aload and the current through it, you can calculate the powerby multiplying both measurements.

8.6 Differentiate

This processing block can be used to differentiate data. Theoutput is proportional to rate of change of the input. Forexample, if a source has the unit Volt, the output of the DIFFwill have unit Volt/s. The output range can be changed andfixed to user defined values.

Info The differentiate operation is very sensitive tonoise, because in most cases noise has a higherfrequency than the signal of interest. To min-imize the effect of noise, add a low-pass filterprocessing block before or after the differenti-ate block.

8.7 Integrate

The Integrate processing block is the inverse of the Differen-tiate operation. The output range of the integrate processingblock can also be changed and fixed.

An ideal integrator integrates all frequencies in a signal.

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In practice, unwanted offsets can cause problems with anideal integrator. Therefore the integrate object contains aleakage parameter. In its menu you can set the Leak fre-quency. All frequencies below the leak frequency will besuppressed.

Info If you are using acceleration sensors, you canintegrate their acceleration signal to obtain thespeed. Integration of the speed will give therelative position.

8.8 Gain/Offset

The Gain/Offset I/O can be used multiply a signal with acertain factor and to add an offset. It is mostly used in com-bination with sensors. For example, if you are measuringwith an acceleration sensor which produces 167 mV/g, youcan convert the measured voltage to gs with a gain factor of

1/0.167 = 5.99. You can enter the offset in two ways: at theinput or at the output. In the example with the accelerome-ter, you can subtract the component caused by gravity in twoways: enter an input offset of -167 mV, or enter an outputoffset of -1 g. To invert a source, you can use a Gain/OffsetI/O with a gain of -1.

8.9 FFTThe FFT I/O object can be used for spectral analysis ofa signal. The FFT object converts a time base signal to aspectrum by means of a Fast Fourier Transform, an efficientalgorithm to compute the Discrete Fourier transform (DFT).As described in section 3.1.2, the output of an FFT I/O canbe connected to a graph with a frequency scale or an empty

graph.

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The Fast Fourier Transform treats the input signal as if itwas a periodical signal. In other words, it assumes the signalis an infinitely long series of repetitions of the record. In prac-tice, mostly the record does not contain an integer numberof periods of the signal. Therefore, if the end of the record is

connected to the beginning, a discontinuity will arise, whichresults in extra frequency components in the resulting spec-trum. This effect is called spectral leakage.

To minimize the effect of spectral leakage, the input recordof the FFT can be multiplied with a window. This is calledwindowing. Several windows can be chosen in the menu of theFFT I/O, which all basically perform the same action: theymake the edges of the record smoother to make the disconti-

nuities smaller. In most cases, the Blackman-Harris windowwill give the best results. However, if your data containsan integer number of periods, the rectangle (no windowing)will give the best result. Refer to the online help for moreinformation.

8.10 RPM-detector

In modern engines, usually a crankshaft sensor is presentwhich generates a periodic signal with a number of periodsper revolution of the engine. The RPM block can be usedto convert this signal into revolutions per minute. The en-gine speed can be calculated multiple times per revolution.Because of this, variations in the engine speed during a revo-lution can be seen.

If figure 8.1 you can see a crank shaft signal of a truckduring start-up, which is converted to the engine speed withan RPM block. The middle picture is a zoomed in part ofthe top picture.

In a typical crankshaft signal, gaps are present. The sig-nal can for example consist of three times eighteen periodsof a sine and a two period gap per revolution, which resultsin sixty periods per revolution. This is the default settingof the RPM-detector. The gaps are detected internally by

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Figure 8.1: A typical crank shaft signal.

the RPM block and the number of RPMs is only detectedbetween each period of the sine wave.

The number of periods per revolution of the used enginecan be entered through the popup menu of the RPM block.As well as the maximum detectable RPM. Besides the max-imum value that will be visible along the axis, the lattersetting also influences the cut-off frequency of the internallow-pass filter.

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Sinks 9Besides sources and processing blocks, the Multi Channel soft-ware also contains sinks. Sinks are the opposite of a source.Instead of supplying data, they accept it, just like an I/Oobject. The difference is that a sink does not have an outputsource. An example of a sink is a meter object, which dis-plays certain measurements on the input data. This chapterwill give an overview of sink objects in the Multi Channelsoftware. Refer to the online help for more up to date infor-

mation.

9.1 I2C Analyzer

The I2C analyzer can be used to inspect an I2C bus. Justmeasure the Clock and Data lines of the I2C bus with a scopeand connect the measuring channels to an analyzer sink. The

sink uses a window for its output. The output can be savedto a text file. In figure 9.1 you can see an example of theoutput of the analyzer.

The I2C analyzer needs two sources: the first connectedsource will be used as I2C SCL (clock) and the second con-nected source will be used as I2C SDA (data).

I2C supports two different bus voltages: 3.3 and 5 Volt,the bus voltage can be selected through the popup menu.

The default bus voltage is 3.3 Volt.Note: Currently I2C High Speed mode is not supported.

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Figure 9.1: Using the I

2

C analyzer

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Standard measurements AIn the cursor window of each graph and in meter objects,different measurements can be selected. These measurementsinclude:

Minimum Maximum Top-Bottom

Root Mean Square (RMS) Mean Variance Standard Deviation Frequency Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) Crest factor

When using the cursor window, the measurements arecalculated over the samples in between the left and right cur-sor. This is called the sample range. In a meter object, thesample range is equal to the post samples.In the cursor window the following additional measurementsare possible:

Left Right Right-Left

A.1 Short description of the measurements

This section gives a short description of the standard mea-surements. Most measurements are very straight forward,

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but are explained for clarity. Some measurements are ex-plained with a formula. In these formulas m corresponds tothe index of the first sample in the sample range and n is thelast index. N is the number of samples in the sample rangeand is equal to n - m + 1. The ith sample is denoted as xi.

Minimum The measurement minimum is the lowest valuein the sample range.

Maximum The measurement maximum is the highest valuein the sample range.

Top-Bottom The measurement top-bottom, also known aspeak-peak is the highest value in the sample range minus thelowest value.

Root Mean Square (RMS) The measurement RMS isthe equal to the square root of the mean of the square of allsamples in the sample range. This is a whole mouth full anda formula is clearer:

RMS=

1N

ni=m

x2i

Mean The measurement mean is the mean value of all sam-ples in the sample range.

Mean = x =1

N

ni=m

xi

Variance The measurement variance is a measure of howvalues are distributed around the mean value.

V ariance =1

N

n

i=m

(xix)2

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Standard Deviation The measurement standard devia-tion () is equal to the square root of the variance. Thestandard deviation is equal to the RMS value for signals witha zero mean value (AC signals).

=

V ariance

Frequency The measurement frequency determines the fre-quency of a time based signal. The frequency is determinedby searching the rising slopes in a signal and measuring thetime between them.

For a correct measurement, at least two rising slopes mustbe present in the sample range.

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) The THD measure-ment can be used on frequency based signals or spectra. Itis a measure of the distortion in a signal and is equal to thepower in the higher harmonics divided by the power in thebase frequency of a signal. In the formula below, Vi is mag-nitude of the ith harmonic of a the signal.

THD = V2

2 + V2

3 + V2

4 + ... + V2

n

V21

Crest factor The Crest factor is equal to the peak ampli-tude of a waveform divided by the RMS value. The Crestfactor can be used to get an idea of the quality of a signal.A signal with more peaks will have a higher Crest factor.The following table lists some Crest factors for some ideal

standard signals.

C=max(| x |)xRMS

Signal type Crest factor

Sine

2 1.41Triangle

3 1.73

Block 1

DC 1

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Left The measurement left can be used in the cursor win-dow. It is the value of the signal at the position of the leftcursor.

Right The measurement right can be used in the cursor

window. It is the magnitude of the signal at the position ofthe right side cursor.

Right-Left The measurement right-left can be used in thecursor window. It is the difference between the magnitude ofthe signal at the position of the right and left cursor.

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Hotkeys BFor the most frequently used functions, hotkeys have been in-cluded to allow faster and easier control of the Multi Channelsoftware.

Common:

F1 Context sensitive help

SHIFT + (1 . . . 0) Select graph 1 through 10CTRL + (1 . . . 0) Select instrument 1 through 10

ALT + S Search instruments

Per instrument:

F3 / F4 decrease / increase sample frequency

F11 / F12 decrease / increase record lengthS Start / StopO Start Oneshot / Stop0 trigger timeout = 01 trigger timeout = 1 sec.

W trigger timeout = infiniteSHIFT + / Change pre-/post samples ratio

Directly force a trigger

Per channel:

F5 / F6 decrease / increase rangeR autoranging on / off

F7 / F8 trigger level[ / ] trigger hysteresis

A AC-couplingD DC-coupling

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The channel hotkeys mentioned by default apply to chan-nel 1. If the hotkeys are used with the keys mentioned in tableB.1, the hotkey applies to the indicated channel1.

Channel Key(s)

Ch. 1 Ch. 2 CTRLCh. 3 SHIFTCh. 4 CTRL + SHIFTCh. 5 ALTCh. 6 ALT + CTRLCh. 7 ALT + SHIFTCh. 8 ALT + CTRL + SHIFT

Table B.1: Selecting channel for hotkeys

Per graph:

L Interpolation

U Zoom outCTRL + DEL Clear graph

SHIFT + DEL Delete graph / Move scroll bar slider

CTRL + / Move left edge of the scroll bar slider / Move right edge of the scroll bar slider

T Full record viewX XY-modeY Yt-mode

1Note: hotkeys are applied to the active instrument

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Command line parameters CThe Multi Channel software can be started with commandline parameters. Currently the following options are avail-able:

-d setfile Load desktop from setfile-sa setfile Load first scope settings from setfile into

all scopes-s setfile Load first scope settings from setfile into

the nth scope-ga setfile Load first AWG settings from setfile into

all AWGs-g setfile Load first AWG settings from setfile into

the nth AWGsetfile Load setfile. Auto detect file type

-MWS FULL Maximize main window

-MWS width,height1 Set main window widthand height

-MWS left,top,width,height1 Set main window at po-sition left,top with widthand height

1

The values may be specified in pixels or percent (add a % sign tothe value).

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Index

AC coupling, 29Active instrument, 6, 26

Alias, 45Arbitrary data, 38Auto disk, 31Auto-ranging, 30Average, 53AWG, 35Axis, 17

Basic measurements, 7Binary files, 47

Channel bar, 25Combining instruments, 33Connecting objects, 44Coupling, 29Creating objects, 43

Crest factor, 63CSV files, 47Cursors, 16

Data collector, 10, 54DC coupling, 29Differentiate, 55Disconnecting objects, 45

Displaying data, 13

Exporting data, 46

FFT, 9, 56Frequency, 63

Gain/Offset, 56Graph, 13Graph mode, 13

Graph scheme, 12

I2

C Analyzer, 59Input range, 30Instrument bar, 24Integrate, 55Interpolation, 16Invert, 56

Language, 12

Low-pass filter, 53Math, 49, 54Matlab files, 47Maximum, 62Mean, 62Measure mode, 26

Stream, 10, 31

Meter, 21Meter scheme, 12Minimum, 62Multiply/Divide, 55

ObjectChanging settings, 44Connecting, 44Creating, 43Disonnecting, 45types, 42

Object tree, 42Oscilloscope in XY mode, 8Oscilloscope in Yt mode, 8

Peak-peak, 62Post-samples, 28Pre-samples, 28

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Pre-trigger, 28Printing, 11

Quick functions, 7

Range, 30Record length, 27Reference, 16Resolution, 27RMS, 62RPM-detector, 57

Sample frequency, 27Scale, 17Sensors, 56Settings, 12SoftGen, 52Source, 51Spectral leakage, 57Spectrum analyzer, 9, 56Standard Deviation, 63

Start measuring, 25Streaming mode, 10, 31Sum, 49, 54

THD, 63Top-Bottom, 62Transient recorder, 10Trigger

Hysteresis, 30Level, 30Source, 29Time-out, 28Type, 31

UnitChanging, 51

Variance, 62

Voltmeter, 11, 21

Wave audio files, 47

XY mode, 13

Yt mode, 13

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