PicoScope 7 Software
Available on Windows, Mac and Linux
The PicoScope Beta software for Linux now supports all PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscopes including the new models launched in April. This series includes:
PicoScope Beta for Linux is available from online repositories for Debian, Ubuntu, Mint (using apt-get), OpenSUSE (using zypper) and Fedora 20 / CentOS 6 (using yum).
Joonas Pihlajamaa's Code and Life blog has a new review of the PicoScope 2208B MSO ultra-compact mixed-signal oscilloscope.
Joonas surveys the differences between the various models in the PicoScope 2000 Series before diving into the details of the 2208B MSO. Along the way you will find out how to: compensate a scope probe; use the basic controls such as timebase, number of samples and channel settings; find signal irregularities using persistence mode; decode serial data; and use your scope as a logic analyzer.
The "Pros and Cons" list at the end will help you with your purchasing decision.
You may have noticed USB Type-C connectors appearing on some new devices. PicoScope oscilloscopes and PicoLog data loggers are compatible with these connectors: just use the blue USB cable provided with your device in conjunction with our TA285 USB Type-C to Type-A adaptor.
You don't need to know about the complexities of USB Type-C cables and power supply currents when connecting a PicoScope or PicoLog device to your computer, but for users of other peripherals we have written a brief guide. For more information on USB Type-C and its compatibility with peripherals, see Will my Pico oscilloscope or data logger work with a USB Type-C port?.
This month's video, Detecting glitches with PicoScope, is presented by Pico Applications Engineer Stuart Murlis. Stuart demonstrates how three features of PicoScope:
can be used to find intermittent signals that are invisible when viewed by a simple real-time scope.
Visit the Pico Technology YouTube channel for more videos on oscilloscopes and data loggers
Q. Can you please explain the effect of the PicoScope rise time specification on the acquired signal? Could it happen that the bandwidth matches the requirement but the rise time is not good enough?
A. In PicoScope specifications the rise time is calculated from the bandwidth using the formula rise time (s) = 0.35 / bandwidth (Hz). This is an approximation that assumes a simple lowpass filtering characteristic on the oscilloscope input.
We provide the rise time specification as an alternative to the bandwidth for applications involving square waves and other signals with fast edges. The shorter the rise time is for a PicoScope, the more vertical the edges and sharper the corners will be on a captured high-frequency square wave. For example, if you want to look at a pulse with a rise time of 100 ns, you will need an oscilloscope with a shorter rise time than this (ideally 10 to 20 ns) in order to see the pulse shape accurately. For more information, see Anyone who can tell me how Rise Time affect signal sampling on our forum.
Please visit Pico Exhibitions for the latest list of exhibitions and trade shows that Pico and its representatives will be attending.
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!
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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