Force hardware update

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SteveHageman
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Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2014 3:05 am

Force hardware update

Post by SteveHageman »

Hi: I am using the ps5000a.dll with C# and a PS5244B - that all works fine. I have noticed that if I change a channel setting - like AC to DC I don't hear the relay click until I actually trigger the scope. I wonder - is there sufficient delay built into the scope firmware to insure that the channel settings have settled before the actual capture begins? (Relays can take ten's of mSeconds to settle) Is there a way to force the hardware to update without a trigger? Sometimes I have very long captures and I really don't want to redefine the trigger to be something quick just to have to reset it again to be my long sweep - I can do that of course, it's just annoying.

Thanks - Steve Hageman

Hitesh

Re: Force hardware update

Post by Hitesh »

Hi Steve,

Information such as channel and trigger setup is written down to the device when the call to ps5000aRunBlock or ps5000aRunStreaming is made.

On the first such occasion, it will take a few milliseconds for the device to become ready to collect the data - there is some information in the Programmer's Guide in the Rapid Block mode section:
In normal block mode, the PicoScope 5000 series scopes collect one waveform at a
time. You start the the device running, wait until al samples are collected by the
device, and then download the data to the PC or start another run. There is a time
overhead of tens of milliseconds associated with starting a run, causing a gap between
waveforms. When you collect data from the device, there is another minimum time
overhead which is most noticeable when using a small number of samples.
If your settings do not change between captures, then the time for the device to be ready to start collection will be less.

I would recommend waiting for the function to return a status code of 0 (PICO_OK) before you send the signal(s) to the input channel(s).

Which mode of data collection are you using?

Regards,

SteveHageman
Newbie
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2014 3:05 am

Re: Force hardware update

Post by SteveHageman »

Hello Hitesh - Thanks for the information. That makes sense and works out better for my triggering. I am using Block Captures, since my application is a stimulus - response sort of ATE design. I set some source conditions and trigger a reading, then analyze the block of data in my PC, then I repeat with a new stimulus setting. What I literally "heard" in the hardware I attributed to the trigger, but as per your information the hardware is actually being set with the capture setup.

Thanks again for the clarification.

Regards,

Steve Hageman

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