Stability issues in R6_0_16 with PS2203

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RickS
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Stability issues in R6_0_16 with PS2203

Post by RickS »

Hello,

We just purchased a PS2203 to try these on our manufacturing floor. Unfortunately I have yet to get the software to not crash pretty quickly.
Calling support was no help so I am trying here.

The following events will cause a crash every time within 5 seconds.
Open app
Change voltage range from auto to 500mV.
Select probe A settings and change to x10 probe and 12bit mode.
Exit probe menu.
Change trigger from unspecified to auto.
Count to 3.
App crashes.

For a while it seemed that the issue was with setting trigger to Auto as that was when it crashed. After playing with it more today it appears the problem is when set to 12 bit mode.

Whatever the cause is it becomes much worse if the time base is set to a low value such as 5ms.

We intend to use this to look at slow control signals (100Hz range) and could use the resolution of 12 bits.

Am I trying a combination that just isn't stable with this hardware/software or is something wrong here?

This is a 3.2Ghz WinXP-Pro box with a almost fresh install.

Thoghts?

Rick
Rick@moogmusic.com

PeterF
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Location: Cambridgeshire

Post by PeterF »

Hi,
I have reported this bug to our software team and will come back when they have a fix. Did you report this to the Helpdesk by phone or email? If you had reported by email as in your forum post we would have done something immediately.
Regards,
PeterF.

RickS
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Post by RickS »

Thank you Peter.
I originally phoned the help desk and followed up with Richard via e-mail. He was to get back to me Monday but I heard nada.
At the time I reported everything in my post but had not realized at the time that 12bits made the lock up worse.

After posting it I went to 8 bits only, and while the lockups were more unpredictable and less frequent the scope was still not what I would call usable. It seemed that regardless of what i was doing the firmware would eventually crash often locking up the computer beyond the ability to recover (esp if the computer went to sleep while the app ran).

So let me be quite blunt here. Is this software ready for commercial production environment use where stability is required? I'm hoping to use your products with entry level line workers who don't deal well with persnickety issues and are on a strict DFT line timing production schedule. Messing with unstable software will back up the line in a hurry. I didn't have the greatest "out of box experience" here.
That said old Tektronix entry level digital scope (such as the 2430A) are getting, well old and unreliable in themselves.

Rick

PeterF
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Post by PeterF »

Hi Rick,
Did you ring a support line in the US at a distributor? If so that would explain why we had no record here. This forum is good for users to swap information but if you need a rapid response please come direct to us at support@picotech.com here in the UK. We need to know as soon as possible about any application errors as it is difficult to test every combination of settings for every scope with each release of the software. The 2203 is now our best selling scope, even though it is very new and there are few reports of crashes like this. It is being worked on at the moment. In general, it is also best to turn off any power management used by the PC as any sleep modes cause the PicoScope program to lose contact with the scope and that connection cannot be re-established with out un-plugging the USB lead.
Please email me direct at support if you have any other questions or problems (put attn: PeterF to catch my eye)
Regards,
PeterF.

RickS
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Post by RickS »

I'll contact you directly.
I guess I did not understand the business model and perhaps that lead to some confusion. I purchased it from what I thought was you, but now I think it was a US distributer. I called there support thinking it was simply a local US office when perhaps it was further removed from you on that.
Sorry for the confusion.

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