Test and Measurement Forum

We have a Delphi program that we have been running for years on an old 95 machine. The system now needs upgrading to xp due to site rules.

The program records sound and takes data using the function:
'adc100_get_times_and_values (times, values, values, max_samples) '. it runs this for two minutes and collects 60000 samples.

After hard work getting the device to work on XP, whenever i run this function it completely freezes the PC for the two minutes. Not allowing any recording. I tried even running the windows sound recorder in the background but to no avail. The whole PC freezes even the time in the corner, mouse and any other programs running for the whole two minutes.

Any idea how to stop this behaviour? Any help appreciated.

Hi in theory this is possible, in practice it isn't this is because it will all your CPU resources and slow your PC down. With modern operating systems they demand more resources and as such trying to achieve the same thing it not a surprise that it causes the system to freeze. You see the PC is trying to drive the unit and cope with its normal background tasks.

Our newer devices do not use the PC to dictate that timing and as such your results are much more attainable.

Do you require 12 bits resolution?

Kind regards

Thanks for the reply,

It is not nessessery but it would be useful to be 12 bits. I belive that a few programs would have to be alterd if this changed.

Are you saying there is no way to get this current device to use less resources?

Hi unfortunately it is not the best combination.

We do have a wide range of products though from the entry level 220x range:

http://www.picotech.com/picoscope2200-s ... tions.html

We also have a range of 12 bit devices:

http://www.picotech.com/picoscope4000.html

Kind regards

We have decided that we are going to have to buy some upgrades.

We would preferably like the 4000 series for the 12 bit however are unsure about the extra cost due to needing approximately 5 device.

Would they be any differences in the coding for these devices for what I am wanting.

To be clear, I want to run exactly 60000 samples spread well over 2 minutes as I have with the ADC100 using the functions, set interval and then running getTimesAndValues with maxSamples set to 60000.

Thanks

There would be a significant difference in the coding, however the documentation gives you all the function calls and description. You would be able to do 6000 samples.

Have a look at the programmers guide,

http://www.picotech.com/document/pdf/ps4000pg-en-5.pdf

We also have some programming examples, just choose for example the 4224 and then select the SDK:

www.picotech.com/software

Kind regards

I have a ADC100 unit that I have been using on an old Win98 laptop. Although the 'meter' and osciloscope work well the spectrum ananlsyer is very slow on this machine. So I have decided to dedicate an old XP desk top machine spacificaly for this device.

The XP machine installed the software all ok and does recognise the ADC100 but every waveform is a square wave (irrespective if the input is square, triangular or sine wave) and all signals seem to be detected at the same level (varying the input voltage amplitude does not seem to effect the trace that is recorded).

I wonder you know why this is? is simply because it cant be run on XP or do I need to install an different printer driver (I reinstalled XP for the job and I may be missing drivers)?

I found an XP realted issue on the forum but it was not clear if the answer was about XP or the Delphi system they were asking about: post22893.html#p22893

(I have found the same problem when trying out a XP laptop so I am guessing its not a driver issue??)

any thoughts or suggestions would be very useful and appreciated

Thank you in advance

Yours
Jonathan

Jonathan Hare
The Creative Science Centre

www.creative-science.org.uk

Hi Jonathan,

Do you get the same effect wtih no signal plugged into any of the inputs?

Regards

I get a nice flat line when there are no inputs (i.e. the BNCs are removed), lathough there may be slight glitches of transcient signals appearing (these dissapear when the i/p is shorted to ground). but when I introduce any varying signal I get a rough square wave. A rough square wave for sine and triangular input and a better / cleaner square wave for a real square wave input. Jonathan