Probe inputs wrongly displayed

terrypin · Post by **terrypin** » Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:05 pm

Had a 'phone discussion about this perplexing problem with Gerry in Technical Support this afternoon and promised to let him know results of my subsequent trouble-shooting. Also hope to get other's feedback here please.

I'm using PicoScope 6 (r11-10) on my old XP PC in the shed workshop, with the Series 2 2050A.

This illustration summarises the consistent inexplicable behaviour I'm getting:

With the x1/x10 probe connected to a steady 10V DC, when the slider is at X1 that gets displayed as 100V. And at X10 it is 10V. The correct display should be 10V and 1V respectively. As you see, it's not Pico Technology's probes at fault.
Are other users getting similar behaviour, or able to suggest the likeley cause please?

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Post by **Martyn** » Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:41 pm

Make sure that the probe you have set in the software channel options menu, Channel Letter with black arrow on the toolbar, matches the slider position on the probe.

terrypin · Post by **terrypin** » Sat Aug 18, 2018 7:42 am

Thanks for the fast reply, Martyn, but surely I don't have to make that setting change every time I move the slider? That's never been my experience over many years use of PicoScope usage.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Post by **Martyn** » Mon Aug 20, 2018 6:07 am

That has always been the case, there is no fancy electronics in the probes to signal what the slider position is, it just switches in x10 attenuation. The scope only sees a voltage it does not know what is connected or whether the signal has been attenuated by a probe.

terrypin · Post by **terrypin** » Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:26 am

OK, thanks, understood. Down to me then. It's been a year or three since I used PicoScope in earnest. So either I've totally forgotten that aspect of my previous workflow or the software has changed. But I can never recall seeing a 10V signal reported as 100V! With the slider in any of its two positions. (Presumably you can reproduce that?) I would, of course, always keep in mind that when deliberately moved to the x10 position it would be shown as 1V.

To avoid this, how can I ensure that the default on restarting PicoScope is not x10, as it is now, but x1 please?

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Post by **Martyn** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:39 am

If you go to File->StartUpSettings there are options to set what happens on start up.

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Probe inputs wrongly displayed

Probe inputs wrongly displayed

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