Pico Technical Support and Discussion Forum

rogerd · Super User Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 27

Since installing 6.0.13.3 I have had a bit of trouble with both Picoscope and Picolog. My current problems:

Frequently when I run picoscope it can't find the hardware. When I unplug and plug the 3424 in again, XP wants to reinstall the software. I let it do that today. Picoscope could then find the 3424 and display a signal, although occasionally the first window it put up said it couldn't find the hardware, but when I closed this window, there was another window underneath with the oscilloscope running. When Picoscope is running the light is on on the 3424, but when I close Picoscope, the light goes out.

With Picolog I also have trouble connecting to the 3424, but I'm not sure it dated from the 6.0.13.3 installation. But this is not the most serious problem. Today when it is connected and I open a file to record data and set it up for data, before pressing the record button the signal indication is fluctuating indicating a signal is present, but the light on the 3424 is out. When I press the record button, the light on the 3424 comes on, but the signal indication stops fluctuating. The signal in this case is only a few millivolts of noise averaging around zero millivolts. After recording the data record is zero mVs throughout the record.

I suspect a hardware problem in the 3424 unless it is something the 6.0.13.3 software has done. Do I have a one year warranty on the 3424?

ziko · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:21 am Post subject:

Hi rogerd,

You have two years warranty please email us at support@picotech.com detailing the problem and with your full return address, we will then generate a returns number and instructions on what you need to do to return the unit.

Kind regards

rogerd · Super User Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 27

Thanks for letting me know I have a two year warranty. I'm not at the point were I want to return the unit yet. Here is the current situation. Perhaps you can tell me how to keep the problem from recurring.

I asked XP Pro to remove all the Picotech software and then downloaded 6.0.13.3 and installed it with the 3424 disconnected. It worked but it did have the problem of putting up a window initially that said the 3424 was not connected and asking me if I wanted to run a demo. Closing this window showed another window with Picoscope running normally. I then downloaded 5.19.1 and installed it with the 3424 disconnected. I had the same problem described in the previous letter with the fast block mode not working in Picolog. Apparently XP Pro didn't remove everything because Picolog remembered the file name I had been using.

I then had XP Pro remove all the Picotech software again and installed the software from the CD that came with the 3424. For Picolog this was 5.15.6. When I tried the fast block mode I got an error message that said, "Sampling was aborted or failed." I then tried real time continuous and streaming modes. Both of these modes worked.

Since I hadn't tried real time continuous and streaming modes with 5.19.1, I again had XP Pro remove the Picotech software and installed 5.19.1 from the earlier download. Now all three modes, real time continuous, streaming, and fast block, worked. I then installed 6.0.13.3 and the fast block mode still worked in Picolog.

The only variation I see is that, in this last instance, I installed 5.19.1 before 6.0.13.3. Perhaps you can tell me if I have a hardware problem that may reoccur or if I am just dealing with a glitch in the software.

ziko · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:31 am Post subject:

Hi rogerd,

Thank you for your observations, I personally have not encountered this, it may be a problem at the installation stage. Not all files are removed when the software is uninstalled.

Kind regards

rogerd · Super User Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 27

After reinstallation of 6.0.13.3 for my 3424, it has crashed XP Pro three times. The first time occurred when I tried to change the sweep speed. Although I could move the cursor with the mouse, XP Pro wouldn't respond to mouse clicks and I had to do a cold boot.

The second and third times occurred immediately after opening the program. The program put up a window that said it couldn't find the 3424 and asked if I wanted to run a demo. This happens every time I open this software version. Usually when I say "No" and close the scope window, there is a hidden window that appears with Picoscope running normally. In the two crashes, the program kept cycling with a window asking if I wanted to do a demo. This happened if I tried to close the application by closing the scope window or using EXIT under the FILE menu. I was able to ask XP Pro to restart but it couldn't close the application either and wouldn't restart, so I had to do cold boots.

I haven't had this problem with the Picoscope 5.19.1 that was installed when I installed Picolog 5.19.1.

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