Pico Scope locks up

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Pico Scope locks up

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Product: ADC 212/3 with Pico parallel to USB adaptor

Software: PicoScope R5.18.0 (ADC200 driver v4.83

Computer: Thinkpad T60 (Intel Centrino Duo 1.66 GHz w/ 1 GB RAM)

OS: Windows Vista (Enterprise Edition)

Use of device: Automotive Diagnostics & Education


Problem: The PicoScope software will intermittently lock up and stop responding. When this occurs I can not use task manager to force the software to quit (neither commanding the application or the psw32 process to stop through the task manager will stop the non responsive program).

However, if I unplug the USB cable from the computer the software will respond and I can shut it down. In order to reconnect the computer to the ADC 212/3 I must do the following:

Go into the Windows device manager
Plug the USB back into the PC
Use the device manager to uninstall the USB to parallel adapter
Unplug the USB
Plug the USB back into the PC and allow it to reinstall
Re start the PicoScope software

Sometimes when I do this everything will run fine for a while. However, other times once I start collecting data PicoScope will lock up and I will have to go back through the above procedure again.

Occasionally, prior to locking up PicoScope will reverse the channel data (for example I might be looking at primary ignition amps on ch 1 and primary volts on ch 2, the amperage pattern will switch to ch 2 and the volts will switch to ch 1, then PicoScope will lock up).

In the past I have never had particularly good success with the USB to parallel port adapter and so I mostly used the ADC 212/3 through a parallel port. This no longer is an option though, since I am now using a laptop that does not have a parallel port.

Any help in resolving this issue would be appreciated.

Loren

makila
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Post by makila »

Just to add a little more to my post above...

The exact same problem occurs when using PicoScope R6.0.12.2

Loren

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Autonerdz
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USB Adapter

Post by Autonerdz »

Loren,

You may have a defective USB adapter.

Is this Loren from Morrisville? If so, call me. I can send you another USB adapter to see if that fixes it.

Tom Roberts
(The Picotologist)
http://www.autonerdz.com
skype: autonerdz
THE PicoScope Automotive Authority
In North America
Tom Roberts
(The Picotologist)
http://www.autonerdz.com
skype: autonerdz
THE PicoScope Automotive Authority
In North America

makila
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Post by makila »

Hello Tom -

Yep... that would be me. I'll give you a call. Thanks!

Loren

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Post by makila »

it would very consistently lock up when looking at both ignition primary V & A.

So, I connected the ADC 212/3 using the parallel to usb with the older PC and hooked up to a car to look at primary V & A. Sure enough the PicoScope crashed exactly as I described in the above post. I then connected the ADC 212/3 to the PC through the PC's parallel port and measured the exact same signals with no problem.

Since the problem occurs only with the parallel to usb adapter, I think it is definitely part of the problem (as Tom pointed out in his response). However, I think there is more to it than that and at this point I am not convinced the adapter is defective. I think it may just be confused...

The 212/3 can measure a +/- 20 V range (with 100 V over voltage protection I think). With the 20:1 attenuator on the channel to look at primary voltage this would give a +/- 400 V measuring range. Good for the most part when looking at primary voltage. However, primary voltage sometimes spikes higher than this. Because of the 100 V (or 2,000 V with 20:1 attenuator) over protection the ADC 212/3 can handle this. The PicoScope software displays the "out of range exclamation point" in the corner of the screen and all is good... when going straight into the PC with parallel data. However with the usb to parallel adapter I think the data gets scrambled, PicoScope software doesn't know what to do and locks up.

What I need to know at this point is:

1. If the above explanation seems even remotely plausible

2. If so, is this caused because the parallel to usb is scrambling the data because it is defective or do they all do this because the converter doesn't know what to do with an over voltage issue?

3. Is the solution going to be to replace the parallel to usb adapter or to use a 100:1 attenuator instead of the 20:1?


Thanks,

Loren
-->
Ok... I've been looking into this further and have come up with some further information.

I was able to set the PicoScope back up on an older PC that has both usb and parallel ports.

I also noticed that there seemed to be a pattern as to when the PicoScope software would lock up --> it would very consistently lock up when looking at both ignition primary V & A.

So, I connected the ADC 212/3 using the parallel to usb with the older PC and hooked up to a car to look at primary V & A. Sure enough the PicoScope crashed exactly as I described in the above post. I then connected the ADC 212/3 to the PC through the PC's parallel port and measured the exact same signals with no problem.

Since the problem occurs only with the parallel to usb adapter, I think it is definitely part of the problem (as Tom pointed out in his response). However, I think there is more to it than that and at this point I am not convinced the adapter is defective. I think it may just be confused...

The 212/3 can measure a +/- 20 V range (with 100 V over voltage protection I think). With the 20:1 attenuator on the channel to look at primary voltage this would give a +/- 400 V measuring range. Good for the most part when looking at primary voltage. However, primary voltage sometimes spikes higher than this. Because of the 100 V (or 2,000 V with 20:1 attenuator) over protection the ADC 212/3 can handle this. The PicoScope software displays the "out of range exclamation point" in the corner of the screen and all is good... when going straight into the PC with parallel data. However with the usb to parallel adapter I think the data gets scrambled, PicoScope software doesn't know what to do and locks up.

What I need to know at this point is:

1. If the above explanation seems even remotely plausible

2. If so, is this caused because the parallel to usb is scrambling the data because it is defective or do they all do this because the converter doesn't know what to do with an over voltage issue?

3. Is the solution going to be to replace the parallel to usb adapter or to use a 100:1 attenuator instead of the 20:1?


Thanks,

Loren