Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

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atulkumar
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Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by atulkumar »

Hello!

I recently purchased 2204 and 2205 devices. I notice that the Linux driver available for these devices is very old (works with Fedora 8). However, in the Labs, there is a newer version available for 3000 A and B Series devices (that works with Ubuntu 10.10/11.04). Can this driver be used for 2204 and 2205?

Thanks and regards,
Atul

Martyn
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by Martyn »

Unfortunately it can't.
However we are working on adding Linux driver support for all our current products so keep checking the Labs site for updates.
Martyn
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royleith
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by royleith »

I've been trying to get the old drivers for the 3204 to work in Kubuntu 11.10. I've got the drivers installed (using alien) and gained access to the USB port.

lsusb gives :Bus 001 Device 012: ID 0ce9:1001 pico Technology PicoScope3204

However, sudo gcc -lps3000 PS3000con.c -oPS3000con

just gives reams of undefined references.
[sudo] password for roy:
/tmp/cc15e1ZQ.o: In function `set_defaults':
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x371): undefined reference to `ps3000_set_ets'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x3df): undefined reference to `ps3000_set_channel'
/tmp/cc15e1ZQ.o: In function `set_trigger_advanced':
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x52d): undefined reference to `ps3000SetAdvTriggerChannelConditions'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x573): undefined reference to `ps3000SetAdvTriggerChannelDirections'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x5a7): undefined reference to `ps3000SetAdvTriggerChannelProperties'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x5cc): undefined reference to `ps3000SetAdvTriggerDelay'
/tmp/cc15e1ZQ.o: In function `collect_block_immediate':
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x652): undefined reference to `ps3000_set_trigger'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x6ac): undefined reference to `ps3000_get_timebase'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x708): undefined reference to `ps3000_run_block'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x726): undefined reference to `ps3000_ready'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x73b): undefined reference to `ps3000_stop'
PS3000con.c:(.text+0x779): undefined reference to `ps3000_get_values'
...
Not being a C programmer, I cannot see what I am doing wrong. Would I have any luck with the 3000A or 3000B drivers?

Regards
Roy Leith

PS I am going to raid my Windows XP installation for the files and see if I can run it in Wine.

Martyn
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by Martyn »

Linux gcc options now require that the libraries are at the end of the line not the start. It has caused problems all over the place

sudo gcc PS3000con.c -oPS3000con -lps3000
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royleith
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by royleith »

by Martyn » Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:15 am
Linux gcc options now require that the libraries are at the end of the line not the start. It has caused problems all over the place

sudo gcc PS3000con.c -oPS3000con -lps3000
It compiled and PS3000com works a treat! Thank you. I am looking at the streamed output in data.txt.

I tried running a copy of the files from a WinXP installation in Wine and also tried installing the program in Wine, but with no luck. I've got a book about C, but I have also got a book about woodwork and no home-made furniture. I'm going to have a look at the sample code and see if I can do anything with it.

It is perfectly OK to release a closed. proprietary binary for Linux: programs don't have to be open or published under a GPL licence. Is there any chance that you might port the program to Linux? Will Linux users ever stop asking?

Regards
Roy Leith

Martyn
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by Martyn »

It is unlikely in the short to medium term that we will be producing a Linux version of our Picoscope software, we don't have the development resource available for such a major project. However, we will be increasing the devices we support under Linux over the coming months.
Martyn
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jkahrs
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by jkahrs »

Hello,

this week you sent out your T&M Newsletter and announced "10x faster streaming" for your USB scopes, even for the 2000 series. I've been waiting for almost two years for this to happen.

Will the new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205 appear this summer ?

Martyn
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by Martyn »

Hopefully, although this work is not currently scheduled into the development plan.
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jkahrs
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by jkahrs »

Hello Martyn,

the reason why I am asking for the new driver is that my application (SDR software defined radio) does not make much sense with the 1 MS/s that the current driver supports. With 1 MHz sample rate, it is almost impossible to receive meaningful signals from the antenna. This poor sound is the best I could get when I first tried in January 2011:

http://www.vr-web.de/~Juergen.Kahrs/sam ... 00Hz_1.mp3

With a sample rate of 10 MHz I could get a much better signal quality and it would be possible to actually listen to the radio in the medium wave and in the short wave range.

If I promised to give you the source code of my software application (about 800 lines on my Linux system) would you deliver your new Linux driver this summer ? This software can turn a PicoScope into a radio receiver and this should be a nice educational application. The only hardware needed is a coil connected to the BNC plug of the PicoScope (there is a coil in one of your educational kits and that one should do).

Martyn
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by Martyn »

The 10x faster streaming actually refers to the performance improvements in streaming mode for the Picoscope6 application and not specifically the drivers.

The streaming performance you could achieve using the existing drivers under Windows was already faster than the 1MS/s, being limited by the performance of the PC. I don't have guideline values for the achievable rate with the Linux drivers but would have expected 5MS/s or similar on standard PC configurations.

I have rechecked the position with the development team and unfortunately the 2204/2205 are no longer scheduled to receive a driver upgrade under Linux.
Martyn
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jkahrs
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Re: Picoscope: new Linux driver for 2204 & 2205

Post by jkahrs »

Yes, you are right, it is possible to sample continuously with 5 MHz sample rate on a Linux system. You have to be very careful and follow the suggestions in the example code and the manual and then it works even on Linux. At such a high speed, the driver is fragile, if the application program is too slow in "polling" the buffer, the driver will experience an overflow and very often cause the application program to crash.

When sampling with 5 MHz it becomes possible to receive radio stations in the short wave range. The following file contains 5 channels with radio stations in foreign language. I sampled the data this evening and sent it through my channelizer (implemented in OpenCL):

http://www.vr-web.de/~Juergen.Kahrs/sam ... 8-15_1.ogg

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