PicoScope Beta 6.9.5: Duty cycle graphing

Forum for discussing PicoScope version 6 (non-automotive version)
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alan
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PicoScope Beta 6.9.5: Duty cycle graphing

Post by alan »

Beta releases have NOT been fully tested by us. If you choose to install and use the beta software you should expect to run into bugs. These bugs may range in severity from minor features that don’t work to problems that may cause your PC to crash.

This forum post is intended to provide a brief introduction to a new feature prior to full instructions being added to the manual. If you have any questions or comments about its use (including just wanting to thank the developers for adding the feature :D) then please post below.

PicoScope has for many years had duty cycle available as a measurement, but now using maths channels you can also plot the change of duty cycle over time. To use the new feature follow these steps:

1. From the Tools drop-down menu select Maths Channels then click Create.

2. From the equation editor click Advanced and then click the duty button followed by the letter of the channel you want to use (in the below example it's channel A) and click Next.
duty cycle graphing UI.jpg
If you are happy with the default colours and name, click Next.
If you are happy with the default range (0 to 100%), click Next.

3. You have now added Duty cycle as a new measurement and it will be available in the library for future use. Click on the check box to enable it, then click OK.
duty cycle graphing UI 2.jpg
duty cycle graphing UI 2.jpg (33 KiB) Viewed 21682 times
4. The example below shows a square wave of constant frequency changing in duty cycle from about 5% to about 90%:
duty cycle graphing UI 3.jpg

Gustav
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Re: PicoScope Beta 6.9.5: Duty cycle graphing

Post by Gustav »

Great to see that PicoScope is defending its position as the worlds best scope, by adding new features to a great program! Thank you, the developers, for adding this and many other features :D

I have one question regarding the duty cycle: Don't you need a time-constant, or a window-length within which the duty cycle is calculated? ... and strictly speaking you also need a limit between 'high' and 'low' state.?

Johan
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Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 11:29 am

Re: PicoScope Beta 6.9.5: Duty cycle graphing

Post by Johan »

Thanks guys,
You did add some great things again.
Is the Picolog1012 (USB) still supported?

Johan

Martyn
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Re: PicoScope Beta 6.9.5: Duty cycle graphing

Post by Martyn »

Yes it is :)
Martyn
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jhoyle
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Re: PicoScope Beta 6.9.5: Duty cycle graphing

Post by jhoyle »

This is exactly what I was looking for. But I cannot get a good reading. I can read it okay when using a fluke 87V but when I try with the picoscope I am all over the place. With Fluke I have to use AC duty cycle setting and it works correctly.

Any clues as to why I cannot see it ?

File attached

PicoScope® 6 - PC Oscilloscope software version: 6.11.10.1608
Copyright © 1995-2016, Pico Technology Ltd.

Model: PicoScope 5244A
Serial Number: CP897/024
USB Version: 2.0
Calibration Date: Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Hardware Version: 1
Driver Version: 1.1.5.26
Firmware Version: 1.3.3.0 / 1.0.24.0
Attachments
20160315-0003.psdata
(94.85 KiB) Downloaded 765 times

alan
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Re: PicoScope Beta 6.9.5: Duty cycle graphing

Post by alan »

Hi,

I just looked at your data file and its difficult to see what edges you want to measure duty cycle between. When you zoom in you have positive spikes of about 200mV followed by negative of up to -1V (see below).
56e82f35.jpg

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