Pico Technology

Here is your monthly Test and Measurement update from Pico Technology.

1.  Tech Tip: PicoScope’s Spectrum Windowing Options

PicoScope’s built-in spectrum analyser produces accurate results, especially when used with a high-resolution converter, and can show them in great detail on your PC’s display. However, no spectrum analyser is perfect, and one type of error common to all FFT-based spectrum analysers is the generation of spurious harmonics. These occur because the FFT operates on a time-limited set of data called a window, which spreads out the spectrum of the original signal and causes ‘spectral leakage’. To minimise this, PicoScope can apply a windowing function to the signal, which smooths out the endpoints of the data. To get the best out of your measurements, we suggest that you experiment with the range of windowing functions that PicoScope offers. Your choice will depend on the balance that you require between frequency resolution and amplitude accuracy.

To choose the windowing function, open a spectrum window, then then go to ‘Settings | Options’ and change the value in the ‘Windowing’ drop-down box. Here is a summary of the window types:

• Rectangle. Simply truncates the data at the start and end of the window. Suitable only for transient signals, but provides maximum amplitude accuracy.
• Triangle. Also called Bartlett window. Fades the signal in and out linearly. Suitable for continuous, non-periodic signals. Greatly reduces spectral leakage but has poorer frequency resolution.
• Gaussian. Very low spectral leakage. Produces minimum possible time and frequency uncertainty, but slow to compute.
• Hamming. A type of Gaussian window with almost zero first and last samples. Suitable for continuous waveforms. Commonly used in speech analysis.
• Blackman. Gives maximum frequency resolution. Very close to the 'ideal' window, with minimum possible leakage.
• Parzen. Superior version of triangle window, with less leakage. Guarantees no negative leakage peaks.
• Hanning. Also called Hann and von Hann. Uses one cycle of a cosine wave. Simple to calculate, but accurate only for continuous waveforms.

View more tech tips

2.  New Money-Saving PC Oscilloscope Bundles

We are offering, for a limited time only, a series of special PC Oscilloscope kits that can save you up to 20% of the price of the individual components. Each kit contains:

• PicoScope PC Oscilloscope (PCO)
• Software and reference CD, including PicoScope and PicoLog
• Oscilloscope probes — one per scope channel
• USB 2.0 cable
• Installation guide
• Hard plastic carry case

Find out more about our PC Oscilloscope kits

3.  Exhibitions this Month

Moscow International Motor Show

Crocus Expo, Moscow, Russia
30 August - 3 September 2006

The Moscow International Motor Show (MIMS) is Russia’s longest- standing and most prestigious automotive exhibition. Now in its tenth year, it is widely recognised as the leading event of its kind in Eastern Europe. The event will take place at the newly completed Crocus Expo exhibition centre, just on the outskirts of Moscow city. Located in Pavilion 2, MIMS 2006 will cover 40,000 sqm and will represent all sectors of the automotive industry with a particular focus on spare parts, accessories and components.

Pico will be represented by Barclay Holding.

CeBIT Bilisim Eurasia Exhibition

Tuyap Fair, Istanbul, Turkey
5-10 September 2006

CeBIT Bilisim Eurasia is the International Trade Fair for Information Technology, Telecommunications, Software and Services. Pico will be represented by ETA Telecom, our main distributor in Turkey, on Stand 7-454. ETA supplies a wide range of telecommunications products as well as measurement instruments from Pico Technology. All Pico newsletter subscribers can obtain free entrance tickets by emailing ETA Telecom or telephoning: (+90) 0 212 210 05 05 or GSM 0 533 353 37 02 until Sunday 10th September, the final day of the exhibition. Tickets are not available from Pico.

Automechanika

Frankfurt am Main, Germany
12-17 September 2006

Automechanika is the leading international trade fair for the automotive industry. Everything that keeps the automobile industry on the move will be exhibited at this international meeting point. Automotive parts, components and systems, electronics, supply and maintenance, right up to environmental and recycling concepts, will be featured.

Pico will be exhibiting at Hall 9, Level 1, Walkway F, Stand 91. Visit our stand to see our latest products, including the multi-award-winning Automotive Oscilloscope Diagnostics Kit, the time-saving ACE Misfire software, and the FirstLook pressure sensor.

BIAS (Instrumentation for Industry Exhibition)

Fiera Milano, Rho-Pero, Milan, Italy
20-23 September 2006

This year’s BIAS is the 32nd biennial international exhibition of automation, instrumentation, microelectronics and ICT for industry. Products on show will include factory and process automation, process and laboratory instrumentation, sensors, electronic components, systems and instrumentation for production and test, software for industry, and design — IP.

Pico will be represented by PCB Technologies in Pavilion 18, on Stands D17-E20.

4.  Automotive News

New PicoScope 6 Automotive released!

PicoScope 6 Automotive, a major new version of Pico Technology’s award-winning automotive diagnostic software, is now available. It offers higher performance, improved usability and appearance and many new features, and works with all versions of the Pico Automotive Oscilloscope Kit.

The improved performance of PicoScope 6 allows a faster capture rate, making it easier to see fast-moving signals. To make the software easier to use, we have added clearer graphics and text, tool tips and help messages to explain all features, easy point-and-click tools for panning and zooming, and user- configurable toolbars so that you can put all the controls where you want them. There are new features such as a custom probe manager to make it easier to use special probes and sensors; and the ability to create multiple views of the same data, with individual zoom and pan settings for each view.

It’s easy for PicoScope Automotive owners to upgrade to PicoScope 6. The new version can read all waveforms and settings saved by the old version, and supports all models of PicoScope Automotive oscilloscope. The user interface will be familiar to users of PicoScope 5, but improvements behind the scenes will allow us to keep your software up to date and deliver improvements and new features to you faster.

PicoScope 6 is available now, free of charge to existing customers.

Download your free copy of PicoScope Automotive 6

Real-Life Diagnostics article: ABS Part 2

In Part 2 of the ‘Diagnosing ABS’ article in our Real-Life Diagnostics series, dedicated troubleshooter Nick Hibberd, of Hibtech, uses a Pico oscilloscope to track down an unusual fault in some ABS wheel speed sensors. On the way, he gives valuable advice on general fault-finding and on interpreting oscilloscope waveforms.

Read all the Real-Life Diagnostics articles, free of charge and with no need to register.

5.  Forthcoming Exhibitions and Training Dates

Full details of upcoming exhibitions and training dates can be found on the exhibitions page.

6.  Employment Opportunities

Due to our continuing growth, we have vacancies for the following positions:

• Development Engineer - Windows Application Software
• Development Engineer - Device Driver Software
• Development Engineer - Digital Hardware
• Development Engineer - Analogue Hardware
• Marketing Co-ordinator
• Field Sales Engineer
• Technical Support Engineer (post-sales)

Find more details of these positions and complete an online application form

7.  Latest Software Releases

As soon as we release new software, it is made available for FREE download from our website. To check which version you are using, start the software (PicoScope, PicoLog or EnviroMon) and select HELP | ABOUT.

The current releases are:

• PicoScope R5.14.6
• PicoScope Automotive R5.14.6 and new R6.0.0
• PicoLog R5.14.6
• EnviroMon R5.13.7

To download the latest software please visit the software downloads page

(Note: the above web page also contains a link to our 'what’s new' page which describes recent changes and additions to the software.)

8.  Back Issues of this Newsletter

Back issues of this newsletter are available online at http://www.picotech.com/maillist.html

9.  Subscribe / Unsubscribe Information

As this is an opt-in email list, we add names only on request. Pico Technology will not pass your name to any third party.

• To join the email mailing list send an email to mailist@picotech.com with ‘join mail list’ as the subject
• To leave the email mailing list send an email to mailist@picotech.com with ‘leave mail list’ as the subject
• Recommend this newsletter to a friend

To make sure that your Pico newsletter reaches your inbox every month, please add mailist@picotech.com to your email Address Book or Safe List.

Contact details