Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

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bennog
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Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by bennog »

I use the 4224 in streaming mode relatively low sample rate, 500kS/s and long 20 s/div
When using 2 channels the limit is 50M samples and 3 or 4 channels the limit is 25M samples.

I would like to use longer capturing times with the same sample rate, why is this limited to a total of 100M samples and not limited by total amount of memory available.

Regards,
Benno

Hitesh

Re: Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by Hitesh »

Hi Benno,

PicoScope 6 has a 100MS record limit with streaming mode capture to help preserve PC resources. There are factors to consider such as downsampling and whether the samples can be seen.

With the SDK, the record length is limited by your hard disk capacity :D

Hope this helps.

bennog
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Re: Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by bennog »

Yes that is one option, but you will never be able to view the results in the PicoScope program.
Or is there a solution for this ?

Is there any change that this will be available in future versions of PicoScope(64)

And what about the PicoScope 6000 series (with 1 Gig Sample memory), you won't be able to view the whole memory buffer ?

Regards,
Benno

Hitesh

Re: Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by Hitesh »

Hi Benno,

It's not possible to import a 3rd party file into PicoScope 6 to view and analyse data. You can use a third party application like LabVIEW or MATLAB to acquire and process the data if using the SDK.

There are no current plans for a 64-bit version of PicoScope 6.

If you operate in block mode, then you can acquire all the samples and view it in the memory buffer but you will have to wait until all the data has been collected and transferred to the PC before you are able to view it in the PicoScope display.

With streaming mode, the data is transferred to the PC in an unbroken stream.

Hope this helps.

CoyoteDavid
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Re: Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by CoyoteDavid »

I have a similar question for the streaming mode. Why is the maximum number of samples 100 million for some scopes, and 2 million for others? Specifically, the 3424 is limited to 2M, while then 3406B can sample 100M. The 3406 has enough internal memory that it doesn't need it, while the 3424 could really use the larger buffer in streaming mode. Why do you limit some scopes to only 2M? The 3424 is capable of longer streaming mode captures, as I do it using the SDK. I find I need to capture long sequences, so more memory would be really useful.

Also, as to the 100M limit, I know you are trying to save PC resources. However, I have 16G RAM in my PC, so allowing more than 100M should not be a problem at all. Could it be made into an option in the properties to make it bigger? One of my PicoScopes has a 512M internal buffer, which gives me more than the 100M. However, you have to wait quite a long time for it to transfer if you want to read the whole thing in to save it. If it were captured using streaming mode, it is already in the PC, and you don't have to wait at all.

Thanks,
-David

Mark_O
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Re: Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by Mark_O »

David,
Also, as to the 100M limit, I know you are trying to save PC resources. However, I have 16G RAM in my PC, so allowing more than 100M should not be a problem at all. Could it be made into an option in the properties to make it bigger?
I'm extremely interested in the answer to this question as well. An arbitrary 100M limit seems very anemic, and unnecessary. It diminishes the power and functionality, in more than one way, as you pointed out. Hopefully a new Property setting (still defaulting to the current 100M max) could enable significantly larger buffers to be utilized for streaming mode acquisitions. That would be a huge benefit for me, for a number of CAN bus acquisition projects.

I think Picotech is shooting themselves in the foot on this restrictive limitation.

- Mark

Martyn
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Re: Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by Martyn »

We are currently looking at the performance limits present in PicoScope 6, and how these might be relaxed to support the increased power of PC's, and our continued adoption of USB3 devices.
Martyn
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Mark_O
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Re: Maximum number of samples limited to 100M samples

Post by Mark_O »

We are currently looking at the performance limits present in PicoScope 6, and how these might be relaxed to support the increased power of PC's
Thanks a lot, Martyn! That's really good to hear. Also that the issue is now "performance limits in ps6", and no longer "to help preserve PC resources."

Folks have been asking for this arbitrary limitation to be removed for at least 2 years already. Hopefully, Pico won't still be "looking into it" two years from now. I'm concerned this is costing the company sales, and lost customers.

If I'm paying a significant amount of money for a product (and that's always true for Pico instruments), then I want to be able to use it to get everything out of it that it's capable of. Having to fall back to the SDK and rewrite ps6 ourselves is not an acceptable option.

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