New features in PicoScope beta!

The new beta release of PicoScope has a number of exciting new features and performance improvements. Here is a summary of what's new in PicoScope Beta R6.9:

• Faster waveform update rates (details)
• Improved software filters (low pass, high pass, band pass, band stop) (details)
• Duty cycle graphing option (details)
• Serial decoding improvements (more controls and options)

Please try out the new version—it's free of charge—and let us know what you think. We've made it easy for you to send us your comments: use the Send Feedback command under the Help menu in the program.

Download your free copy of PicoScope Beta R6.9

Special offer: PicoScope 2208

This is your last chance to buy the PicoScope 2208, a high-specification two-channel USB oscilloscope that offers amazing value for money. Use it for general-purpose debugging, troubleshooting and field servicing.

Although classified as an 'entry-level' model, the PicoScope 2208 is supplied with the full set of PicoScope functions including FFT spectrum analysis, color persistence display, math channels, serial decoding, automatic measurements with statistics, mask limit testing and advanced digital triggering. Dynamic performance specifications are also excellent for a scope in this price range: SFDR is better than 52 dB at 100 kHz and noise less than 180 µV RMS.

Here are just a few of the specifications and features:

• Bandwidth: 200 MHz
• Sampling rate: 1 GS/s max.
• Timebases: 500 ps/div to 5000 s/div
• Sensitivity: 10 mV/div to 4 V/div (10 divisions)
• DC offset adjustment: full input range
• Buffer memory: 100 MS up to 10 MS/s sampling rate; 40 kS above 10 MS/s
• External 200 MHz trigger input
• Built-in 1 MHz signal generator and arbitrary waveform generator
• Two 250 MHz probes included

Detailed specifications (2.5 MB PDF)

Order now at the special offer price (was £599) while stocks last.

Try the latest PicoScope languages

If English isn't your first language, you can switch PicoScope 6 to a large number of alternative languages:

Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Czech • Danish • Dutch • Finnish • French • German • Greek • Hungarian • Italian • Japanese • Korean • Norwegian • Polish • Portuguese • Romanian • Russian • Spanish • Swedish • Turkish

The option is under Tools > Preference > Regional & Language.

If you are using PicoScope in another language, we would like to hear your comments on our translation. Use the Send Feedback command in the PicoScope Help menu to send us a message, or contact us through the website. It doesn't matter if you're using the stable or the beta version – we welcome feedback on both versions.

Programmers' Corner: Edge-counting in MATLAB®

We are constantly improving our support for PicoScope devices in MathWorks MATLAB.

We recently posted on our forum an explanation of how to count rising and falling edges of a signal acquired from a PicoScope using MathWorks MATLAB. This example is based on the Counting Complex Events Using Analog Input Data article by MathWorks and demonstrates how to count edges in a signal acquired from a PicoScope 2205A using the PicoScope 2000 Series MATLAB Instrument Driver. MATLAB v8.0 (2012b) with Instrument Control Toolbox v3.2 was used to create the example.

Read Counting the number of rising/falling edges of a signal captured using a PicoScope oscilloscope.

Tech Tips

PicoScope serial decoding "link files"

Did you know that you can customize PicoScope's built-in serial bus decoder to display data as text as well as numbers? This feature is invaluable if you are decoding a standard bus such as CAN, where the text 'Trunk open' is much easier to read than the default hex ID of '0x3B1' (actual values are application-dependent).

How It's Done: Look for the Link: label in the Serial Decoding window. To the right of this is a + button that saves a template file (.xls or .csv) containing the necessary structure. Edit this file, adding your own number–text pairs, and save it. You can now click the drop-down list labelled Link:, browse to the link file and open it. PicoScope will replace packet data values with the strings that you have provided.

Triggering on two channels in PicoScope

Q. I need to be able to trigger from either of two channels which will be used almost at random. Is there a way to trigger if either channel activates?

A. On newer scope models, the Advanced Triggers feature does what you need. Select a trigger mode such as Auto or Repeat and then click the Advanced Triggers button. In the Advanced Triggers list you will find a Logic option. You can then set up independent triggering conditions on each channel, and finally combine the active channels using a Boolean operator. In this case select the OR operator to trigger on whichever channel meets its condition first.

Events

Please visit Pico Exhibitions for the latest list of exhibitions and trade shows that Pico and its representatives will be attending.

We're hiring!

Thanks to our continuing success and growth Pico are always seeking talented people to join our company.

Please visit https://jobs.picotech.com/ to see our current vacancies. We look forward to hearing from you!

Software releases

Our latest software releases are available as free downloads. To check which release you are using, start the software and select Help > About.

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Contact details

UK Headquarters:
Pico Technology, James House, Colmworth Business Park, St. Neots,
Cambridgeshire, PE19 8YP, United Kingdom
Tel.: 01480 396395 (+44 1480 396395)
Fax: 01480 396296 (+44 1480 396296)

North America Office:
Pico Technology, 320 N Glenwood Blvd, Tyler TX 75702, United States
Tel:+1 800 591 2796 (Toll Free)

Asia-Pacific Office:
Pico Technology, Room 2252, 22/F, Centro, 568 Hengfeng Road, Zhabei District,
Shanghai 200070, PR China
Tel: +86 21 2226-5152

Email: sales@picotech.com