Remember in Power Rangers when each of the rangers’ mechs would come together to form the Megazord? We have a new software feature that functions similarly for our oscilloscopes. On their own our 5 and 6 Series oscilloscopes can each have 8 channels. But if you connect four 8-channel scopes through our Multi-Scope software, you can view, control, and analyze data in real-time from 32 channels. 4 Series MSOs can have up to 6 channels, enabling you to see real-time data from up to 24 channels.
In this blog we’ll explore what TekScope™ and Multi-Scope are and how they can help you improve measurement efficiency and optimize remote work situations.
What are TekScope and Multi-Scope?
TekScope software lets you work with waveforms on your PC, without using an oscilloscope. You can view and scale waveforms, run analysis, and perform measurements on waveform data files on your PC just as you would if you were in front of a scope. The controls work the same as on 4, 5 and 6 Series MSO oscilloscopes. You can easily share data with colleagues so they can see exactly what you see and make their own measurements.
Multi-Scope is an option for TekScope software that enables remote access to up to four oscilloscopes at once, for up to 32 channels. The Multi-Scope option lets you synchronize and transfer waveforms to your PC in real time. You can control and align acquisitions across all four oscilloscopes from the TekScope user interface, without having to adjust each one individually. The software lets you view, analyze, and manage all of the signals as if you were working on a single oscilloscope with 32 channels.
Figure 1: Multi-Scope capability lets you take data in real-time from up to four oscilloscopes.
Improved Measurement and Analysis Efficiency
It’s easy to imagine how the ability to remotely measure and analyze 32 oscilloscope channels can improve your efficiency and productivity. Without TekScope and the Multi-Scope option, to analyze channels from four oscilloscopes you would need to configure the oscilloscopes, run your tests, and export the data one set at a time from each of the four scopes. Then you would need to combine the data and format it for analysis —a lengthy process that is not easy to maintain. With the Multi-Scope option, you can tackle all these steps using one user interface .
Figure 2: This display shows waveforms from three oscilloscopes being analyzed on a single PC display.
Multi-Scope lets you capture the data from all four scopes at the same time based on specific trigger settings. Once the data is acquired and transferred from the scopes to your PC, you can run measurements, analysis, and plots on all 32 channels and correlate data from multiple scopes. Available analysis packages include serial decode and power analysis as well as timing, eye, and jitter analysis. By bringing a variety of analysis tools and hardware together to manage with one remote software, TekScope enables dramatically improved efficiency for a variety of projects.
Optimize Remote Work
Due to 2020’s quarantine situation, many engineers are now working from home while a very small group goes to labs to work onsite. The small onsite group typically sets up testing procedures, including configuring equipment, and collects data so that the remote engineers have what they need to progress on a project. TekScope software, with its ability to emulate the oscilloscope interface and analysis on a PC, can be a great asset in enabling engineers to share datasets.
Adding the Multi-Scope capability facilitates the connection of multiple oscilloscopes to a single DUT, reducing the need to have engineers onsite to move probes and run tests. By increasing the capabilities of remote engineers, TekScope can reduce the time engineers must be on-site. This can improve overall productivity and help your team meet challenging deadlines without having to have an unsafe number of employees in the lab.
Conclusion
TekScope Software with its updated Multi-Scope feature enables higher efficiency measurement and analysis for a wide variety of test and measurement projects. It lets you combine up to four oscilloscopes into one powerful system, like your very own Megazord. And its remote capabilities make it a useful tool to address the increased demand for remote work in 2020.
Learn more about these solutions on our TekScope product page.