PicoScope 6.14.5 release introduces the following new features:

• We've added a new serial decoder for Manchester encoded signals
• There's another new decoder for DALI (Digitally Addressable Lighting Interface), a type of Manchester encoding

New Manchester decoder added

Manchester encoding is a serial data recording and communication method originally developed at the University of Manchester for use with magnetic drum and 1600 bpi data storage devices on early generation computer systems. It is in widespread use today in network communications, including 10BaseT Ethernet, MIL-STD-1553 and DALI lighting controls.

To simplify setup and use for you, PicoScope automatically detects the baud rate, which can be overridden if necessary. Others, like Word Length, Bit Order etc., need to be set manually to match the specific protocol characteristics of the network under test – knowledge of those parameters is essential and can usually be obtained by reference to the system documentation.

Full explanation of Manchester encoding and the PicoScope serial decoder

New DALI decoder added

DALI (Digitally Addressable Lighting Interface) is a specific implementation of Manchester signaling that defines a communication protocol for lighting applications in industrial, commercial and domestic buildings. It is used for communication between lighting control devices, such as electronic ballasts, brightness sensors and motion detectors.

PicoScope 6.14.5 now includes the DALI decoder, as well as a generic Manchester decoder, which can of course be taken advantage of using any modern PicoScope oscilloscope.