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Forum for discussing PicoScope version 6 (non-automotive version)
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Callum
PICO STAFF
PICO STAFF
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Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2014 10:45 am

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Post by Callum »

The user interface to an oscilloscope has to allow you to adjust the settings as quickly and easily as possible. PicoScope has been designed so that you can control the settings using the mouse, keyboard or a touchscreen. Personally I use all three - if I want to zoom in on a waveform, it's best to use the mouse to draw a box around the area you want to see. If I just want to change a voltage range or timebase whilst holding a probe it's best to just click on a key. If however I want to jump to a specific timebase or voltage range (say change by a factor of 10) it can be quicker using a touchscreen.

This article looks at how to control the scope using the keyboard. PicoScope has had programmable keyboard shortcuts for some time now but more recently we have added the ability to load a predefined keyboard map. At the moment this is for users of QWERTY style keyboards but we will add maps for other keyboards in future releases (and it’s really easy to make them yourself).

To load the default keyboard map in PicoScope 6, click Tools >> Preferences >> Keyboard to either create your own custom keyboard shortcuts or load the advanced (QWERTY) layout from the Select keyboard map drop-down box.

If we load the default QWERTY layout we can see that most of the common used controls are included. Some examples are provided below:

Channels
channels.png
channels.png (10.29 KiB) Viewed 19148 times

The image above shows the buttons that you would use to control the channel settings for a eight channel device.

Channel A is controlled by keys 1, Q and A.
Channel B is controlled by keys 2, W and S.
Channel C is controlled by keys 3, E and D.
Channel D is controlled by keys 4, R and F.
Channel E is controlled by keys 5, T and G.
Channel F is controlled by keys 6, Y and H.
Channel G is controlled by keys 7, U and J.
Channel H is controlled by keys 8, I and K.

• Keys 1 – 4 decrease the voltage range
• Keys Q – R increase the voltage range
• Keys A – D toggle the coupling mode
• SHIFT + 1 – 4 increase offset
• SHIFT + Q – R decrease offset
• SHIFT + A – D reset the offset

Collection Time and Number of Samples
Collection Time and Number of Samples
Collection Time and Number of Samples
Coolection Time and Number of Samples.png (1.45 KiB) Viewed 19194 times
• Up – Decreases collection time
• Down – increases collection time
• Left – decreases the number of samples to collect
• Right – increases the number of samples to collect
• Shift + Left/Right – toggle through the waveform buffer

Trigger
Trigger.png
Trigger.png (2.06 KiB) Viewed 19194 times
• Z – Toggle trigger mode
• X – Toggle Trigger Source
• C – Toggle trigger edge (Ctrl + C copy as image)
• V – Decrease threshold
• B – Increase threshold
• N – Decrease percentage of pre trigger samples
• M – Decrease percentage of pre trigger samples

Zoom
CTRL+op.png
CTRL+op.png (3.02 KiB) Viewed 19148 times
• Ctrl + P – Zoom in
• Ctrl + O - Zoom out

Miscellaneous Controls
Miscellaneous Controls.png
Miscellaneous Controls.png (1.84 KiB) Viewed 19194 times
• F2 – Auto Setup
• F3 - Load Default Settings
• F4 – Zoom Full-size
• F5 – Auto Arrange Axis
• F6 – Toggle signal generator ON/OFF
Callum

Technical Specialist

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