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e-corder www.eDAQ.com

Scope Software Manual

Scopeversion 4.0

for Windows and Macintosh computers


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ii

Scope Software

This document was, as far as possible, accurate atthe time of printing. However, hanges may havebeen made to the software and hardware itdescribes since then: eDAQ Pty Ltd reserves the rightto alter specifications as required. Late-breakinginformation may be supplied separately. Latestinformation and information about software updates

can also be obtained from our web site.

Trademarks

e-

corder

and PowerChrom are registered trademarks

of eDAQ Pty Ltd. Specific model names of datarecording units, such as e-

corder

201, aretrademarks of eDAQ Pty Ltd. EChem

is a trademarksof eDAQ Pty Ltd. Chart and Scope are trademarks ofADInstruments Pty Ltd and used by eDAQ underlicense.

Mac OS, and Macintosh, are registered trademarksof Apple Computer, Inc. Windows 98, WindowsMe, Windows 2000, and Windows XP aretrademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

PostScript is a registered trademark of AdobeSystems, Incorporated.

All other trademarks are the respective properties oftheir owners.

Document Number: U-ES200S-1103

For Scope version 4.0

Copyright November 2003

eDAQ Pty Ltd

6 Doig Avenue

Denistone East, NSW 2112

Australia

http://www.eDAQ.com

email: [email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this document may bereproduced by any means without the prior writtenpermission of eDAQ Pty Ltd.


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Scope Software iii

Contents

1 Getting Started

1

Learning to Use Scope 2

Computer Requirements 2

Windows 2

Macintosh 2

Windows Installation

3Macintosh Installation 5

Exiting Scope 5

2 Introduction

7

An Overview of Scope 8

Opening a Scope File 10

Closing a Scope File 12

The Scope Window 13

Recording 17

Display While Recording 18

Interruptions While Recording 19

Limits of Recording 19

3 Setting Up Scope

21

Setting the Sampling Rate 22

Sampling Rate Limits 24

Channel Controls 24

The Input Amplifier 26

Signal Display 26

Filtering 27

Signal Input Controls 27

Display Offset 28

Units Conversion 29

Converting Quantities 30

Choosing Unit Names 32

Sweep and Trigger Controls 33

Sweep 33

Trigger 36

The Stimulator 37

Mode 37

Setting the Controls 39

Customized Stimulus Waveforms 40

The Stim Panel 41

Constant Output Voltage 42

The Stimulator Output 42

Stimulator External Trigger 43

4 Data Display

45

Data Display Area 46

Changing Channel Height 46

Overlaying Channels 46

Displaying a Single Channel 47

The Amplitude Axis 48

Axis Labels 49

Display Settings 50

Overlay Display Settings 52

Stimulus Display Settings 53

Navigating 54

Overlaying Pages 55

Using the Page Buttons 55

The Zoom Window 56


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iv

Scope Software

5 Working With Files

61

Selecting Data 62The Selection Miniwindow 63

Editing Data 64

Transferring Data 65

The Clipboard 67Saving Options 67

Appending Files 70

Text Files 71

Printing 73Page Setup 73The Print Command 75

Page Comments 78

The Notebook 78

6 Data Analysis

81

Signal Measurements 82

Using the Marker 82

Setting and Removing Baselines 83

The Marker Miniwindow 84

Background Subtraction 86

The Data Pad 87

Adding Data to the Data Pad 88

Setting Up the Columns 89

The Average Page 91

The XY Display 92

The FFT Display 93

Computed Functions 95

Sampling Rate 96

Units 96

Display Functions 96

Channel Functions 97

7 Customizing & Automating

101

Preferences 102Options 102Menus 105Controls 106Start-Up 107

Special Access 108Hardware Start-Up 109External Trigger 109

Macros 110Recording a Macro 111Replaying a Macro 112Deleting a Macro 112Options When Recording Macros 113Macros Using Macros 116Macro Commands 116

Analysis Scope 123

A Menus & Commands 125Menus 125

128

Keyboard Shortcuts 129

B Troubleshooting 131Technical Support 131

Solutions to Common Problems 133

C Technical Notes 137Fast Fourier Transforms 137

Computed Functions 140

Index 143

License & Warranty 151


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Scope Software 1

C H A P T E R O N E

1Getting Started

Welcome to Scope, software that lets you use your e-corder as a two-

channel storage oscilloscope or XYT plotter. It is one of a range of

eDAQ programs that provide a laboratory data recording and analysissystem for use with Windows or Macintosh computers.

This chapter contains instructions on the installation of Scope and

computer requirements.


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2 Scope Software

Learning to Use ScopeFirst familiarize your self with the computers operating system. Many ofthe Scope menus, dialog boxes, and controls work in a similar way toother software on your computer.

Read the introductory chapters in your e-corderManualto be sure thatthe e-corder is properly connected to the computer, then continue withthis chapter.

Updated documentation, and application notes, are available from ourweb site, www.eDAQ.com.

Computer Requirements

Windows

A Pentium processor or better

Microsoft Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, or later. Windows 95and NT will not work with e-corder units to collect data, howeveryou can use the Scope software on these older computers to openpre-existing data files for review and analysis.

48 MB RAM (Windows NT 4, 2000, XP) 20 MB free hard disk space

A CD-ROM drive

800 x 600, 256 color display or better

A USB interface

Macintosh

A Power PC, G3 or later processor

Mac OS 8.6 or later (Mac OS 9.0 or later recommended).Classic with Mac OS X.

32 MB available RAM

20 MB free hard disk space

Note:

Actual appearance ofthe Scope software onyour computer will varyslightly from thediagrams in this manual,depending on youroperating system(Windows 98, 2000,XP, Macintosh), and yourpersonalized displaysettings.


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Chapter 1 Getting Started 3

A CD-ROM drive

A USB interface

Windows InstallationIt is recommended that you use the e-corder Software Installer to installboth Chart and Scope software at the same time.

Insert the e-corder Software Installer CD into the computers CD drive.The e-corder Installer window should appear. If not, locate and double-click the Startup icon on the CD (Startup.exe if you have file extensionsshowing) to open it. Follow the installation instructions.

The hardware and software manuals (including this manual, the ChartSoftware Manualand e-corderManual) in Adobe Acrobat portabledocument format (pdf) files, can are also be installed on your computer.Check our web site, www.eDAQ.com, periodically for informationregarding software updates and new documentation.

You can easily access the Scope software, or its demonstration files, byusing the Programs menu of the taskbars Start button under eDAQScope. A desktop shortcut to the Scope software is created duringinstallation.

If You Have an Earlier Version of ScopeIf you have an earlier version of Scope, it will be overwritten if the newversion is being installed in the same location. If your old version ofScope is in a different location, uninstall it using the WindowsAdd/Remove Programs control panel. Keeping two versions of thesame software on your computer is not recommended.

New Hardware

The first time you use a new e-corder unit with a computer, Windowswill display the New Hardware wizard, Figure 11, and ask you if youwant to install a driver.

Insert the Installer CD. Leave the wizard on its default settings, asshown, and click the button.


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4 Scope Software

Starting Your Copy of ScopeEnsure that the e-corder is connected properly to your computer (see thee-corder manual) and turned on. Double-click the Scope icon or itsdesktop shortcut or choose Scope from the Programs menu of thetaskbars Start button (under eDAQ).

If the e-corder is not connected, or is not turned on, then the dialog boxin Figure 12 will appear.

Figure 11The New Hardwarewizard

Figure 12The dialog box thatappears if the e-corder isnot connected orswitched on


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Chapter 1 Getting Started 5

Macintosh InstallationIt is recommended that you install both Chart and Scope software at thesame time.

Insert the Software Installer CD into the computer. The e-corder Diskwindow should appear (if it doesnt, double click the CD icon on yourdesktop).

Double-click the e-corder Installer icon to open the e-corder Installer (ifyou wish to install Scope only, double-click the Scope Installer icon inthe Installers folder).

Exiting ScopeIf you want to exit Scope after opening a file, choose Exit (or Quit onMacintosh) from the File menu. If you want to proceed with workingthrough this guide, you can leave the file open, and proceed.


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6 Scope Software


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Scope Software 7

C H A P T E R T W O

2Introduction

Scope software, together with your e-corder, form a powerful data

acquisition system, with an intuitive interface, used to replace

oscilloscopes and XYT plotters.

This chapter provides a general overview of Scope, and deals with the

basics of recording signals.


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8 Scope Software

An Overview of ScopeScope, together with e-corder hardware and a Windows or Macintoshcomputer, provides the capability of a two-channel storageoscilloscope, or XYT plotter, with added display, analysis and storage

options. You can record on one or two channels at a variety of rates.

Controls and Display

See Chapter 3 for how to set up an e-corder input channel and assign itto Input A or Input B:

input sensitivity range and filtering options can be setindependently for each channel, page 24.

sampling rate can be set up to 200 kHz, page 22.

in addition the Stimulator, page 37, allows you to set up a voltagewaveform to be output during a sweep: single, double, or multiplesquare pulses, ramps, or triangular or free-form waveforms can bedefined. The Stim control panel, page 41, allows stimuli to beadjusted as required during recording.

Chapter 4 shows how the Scope window can be resized, and theheight of each channel can be changed:

Channel Amplitude axes, page 48, can be dragged, stretched, or

set through the Scale pop-up menu.

appropriate axis labels, page 49 (and units of measurement,page 29) for each channel can be assigned.

The data display can be set to show one or both channels, page 96.

Recording

Scope records data in sweeps, Chapter 3, like a normal storage

oscilloscope:

you can choose to record one or two channels of data in single,repetitive, multiple, superimposed, or average sweeps, page 33.

each sweep can be recorded to a different Scope page.


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Chapter 2 Introduction 9

Triggering options, page 34, allow you to control when Scopestarts and stops recording.

In addition:

Page Comments, page 78, can be made for each page of data tomark features of interest, or

the Notebook can be used, page 78, to make general notes forinclusion in the data file.

Saving, Printing, and Editing

Scope recordings can be printed, edited, and saved to a disk for laterreview, Chapter 5:

save the settings of any Scope file to enable an experiment to bequickly reconfigured, page 68.

sweeps can be printed in a variety of formats, or cut, copied, andpasted between files, page 64.

append a Scope file to the end of an open file, page 70.

export data to other software, such as statistics programs orspreadsheets, or paste or import correctly formatted text into aScope file, page 65& 71.

Analysis

After recording, you can make measurements directly from therecording, and display the signals in various ways to facilitate theanalysis, Chapter 6:

use the Marker, page 82, as an origin/reference point.

the Data Pad internal speadsheet, page 87, can extractparameters about selected regions of the signal (such as mean andstandard deviation values, slopes, integrals etc.). It is saved with thedata file.

plot data from one channel versus another (XY plotting), page 92

perform a Fast Fourier transform (FFT, page 93) of the signal todisplay a power spectrum.

A range of computed functions, page 95, can be applied to theincoming signal, such as smoothing, integration, differentiation, etc.


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10 Scope Software

The signals on the two channels can be added to, subtracted from,or multiplied by one another. These functions can also be undonerevealing the original, raw data.

set a background page, page 86, the signals of which aresubtracted from other pages in the file.

You can also:

use the Zoom window, page 56, to examine a section of signal indetail.

or overlay signals from any selection of pages, page 55.

Customizing

Scope can be extensively customized, Chapter 7:

Controls, and menus and their commands (and keyboardshortcuts) can be locked, hidden, or altered, page 105, to simplifythe appearance of Scope for student or routine use.

Macros, page 110, can be created to automate commonly usedsequences of commands.

Opening a Scope File

Have a Scope file open while working through this manual, so that youcan try the commands, controls, and settings as they are discussed.First, make sure that the e-corder is properly connected to yourcomputer, and is turned on. If an e-corder is not connected, then onopening a file, a dialog box, Figure 12, page 4, offers the Analysisoption to use Scope for viewing and analyzing extisting data files.

To start Scope, double-click:

, the Scope program icon, Figure 21, which will open anew untitled file;

, a Scope file icon, which will open a data file; or

, a settings file icon, which will open a preconfigured settingsfile (containing no data), page 68, ready to begin recording. Macrofiles, page 110, also use this icon.

Figure 21Scope icons

Note

Hold down the Ctrl key( keyon Macintosh) asyou start Scope to openwith the default settings.


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On a Windows computer you can also use the desktop shortcut,to open Scope, or the taskbar Start button the default location isStart>All Programs>eDAQ>Scope.

If Scope is already open then you can open another file or create anew one by choosing Open or New from the File menu, Figure A2,page 126. Choosing Open from the File menu accesses the Opendirectory dialog box, Figure 22. Only one file can be open in Scope

at any one time.

On Windows computers data file names end with .sfwdat; settingsfiles with .sfwset; and macro files with .sfwmac. This filename suffixshould always be present on a Windows computer, although it may behidden. If a file has been moved from a Macintosh to a Windowscomputer then it may not have the suffix, and you can use the All filesfile format option to locate it. Text files, page 71, can also be imported,using the All files or Text files options.

The information in a Scope file is made up of data and settings. Dataare the recorded signals, which are normally loaded when opening afile. Settings are of two sorts:

recording settings, such as the sampling rate, channel inputsensitivity range, triggering options, and stimulator waveform output;

Select afile format

Select afile toopen

Figure 22The Open directorydialog box on aWindows computer. Thecorresponding dialogbox on Macintosh has

similar options.


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12 Scope Software

display settings, such as window size, display settings, and menuconfiguration.

If the checkbox is ticked when opening a Scope file,Figure 22, then both recording and display settings are loaded.Opening a file with the checkbox off will load only displaysettings, not those affecting recording. In either case, settings will apply

to any subsequent sweep.

If a data file is already open, it will be closed when another data file isopened. If the checkbox is ticked, then both the settingsand the data will be loaded, otherwise the settings of the original datafile are retained.

The use of the checkbox to append files is discussedon page 70.

The use of the checkbox to discard macros isdiscussed on page 114.

There is a demonstration data file (in the Scope>Demo Files folder).

Closing a Scope File

To close a Scope file, choose Close from the File menu, Figure A2,page 126, or type Ctrl+F4. To exit Scope, choose Exit (or Quit onMacintosh) from the File menu, or type Alt+F4 ( Q on Macintosh).


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The Scope WindowThe essential controls for recording data are provided in the mainScope window and its various control panels, Figure 23, and theScope menu bar, Figure 24. The Scope Window command from the

Windows menu returns to this window from another, or opens a new,untitled file if the window has been closed.

Basic Window Controls

The title bar shows the title of the file, and is highlighted it if it is active(that is, the frontmost window). Drag the title bar to move the Scopewindow. Drag the size control or window borders to set the size of thewindow: this does not affect recording fidelity the resolution ofrecorded data is independent of the resolution of the display. Click theclose button to close a currently open Scope file (equivalent to choosingClose from the File menu, Figure A2, page 126).

Title bar, drag to moveFile title

Scalepop-upmenu,

page 48

Signal display area

Amplitudeaxis,page 48

Dragchannelseparatorto adjustchannelareas

Pagecomments

The Display modepop-up menu

Marker

Re-size control

Setsamplingrate, andsweepduration

Start/stoprecording

Set inputchannelsensitivity

andfiltering

Page buttons selectthe sweep to display

Cursor coordinates

Channeltitles

Shift+drag a panel title to movethe panel

Scalingbuttons

Figure 23The Scope window


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14 Scope Software

Six control panels (e-corder, Cursor, Input A, Input B, Time Base, andSample) can be moved around the screen independently byShift+dragging their titles. Blank panels appear behind the controlpanels to hide the background.

The Scope menu bar, Figure 24, contains the Scope menus, see

Appendix A, page 125.

On Windows computers, the Scope menu bar can be moved around bydragging its title bar, and resized horizontally by dragging its borders.Click its close button to quit Scope, or its minimize button to reduceScope to a button on the taskbar (you can do this while sampling).

Navigating

Scope stores sweeps of data as if they were pages in a notepad. Thenumbered Page buttons along the bottom of the Scope window and thePage Corner controls at the bottom right of the data display area allowyou to move to, and view, the multiple pages of a Scope file. Thehighlighted (dark) Page button, , indicates the page of data currently

viewed, the active page. The Average page always precedes run 1,and a blank page, , always appears as the last button. Pages ofdata are numbered consecutively as they are recorded. Click the upperfolded corner of the Page Corner controls to move a page right, andthe lower corner to move left. Click a numbered Page button to go tothat page, or choose Go To Page from the Display menu, and enterthe number in the dialog box that appears. You can also go to thepage to the left or right by using the left or right arrow keys on thekeyboard, respectively. Hold down the Ctrl key ( key on Macintosh)while pressing the left or right arrow key to go to the beginning or theend of the file (the first or last numbered pages with data, not theAverage or blank pages).

When there are too many sweeps to accommodate all the buttonsalong the bottom of the window, then left and right scrolling buttonsappear, and , click them to move left or right, or press them toscroll left or right continuously.

Windows computers

Macintosh

Averagepage

Blank (last) page

Active(highlighted)page)

Page Corner controls

Scro ing uttons

Figure 24The Scope menu bar


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The Scope Axes

The horizontal axis of the data display area, Figure 23, page 13,shows:

the time from the start of sampling for Scope display, page 13;

x-values, for XY displays, page 92; or frequency, for FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) displays, page 93;

depending on the option chosen from the Display pop-up menu (at thebottom left of the window).

The vertical Amplitude axis indicates the size of a signal. Note that theaxis area remains blank until a signal is actually recorded. The scalefor each channel is initially set by the range control on the right side ofthe window, but can be stretched or offset using the pointer to drag the

axis ticks and tick labels up and down, page 49. Display options canbe chosen from the Scale pop-up menu, page 48. Units are volts bydefault, but the signal can be recalibrated to show any units using UnitsConversion, page 29.

The Channel Controls

The channel controls are located at the right of the main Scopewindow, Figure 23, page 13. The three control panels are Input A,

Input B (page 24), and Time Base, (page 22). These controls aredisabled if Scope is operating in Analysis mode, Figure 12, page 4.

Press the The Input A or Input B Channel pop-up menu to turn off or onthe display channel, or to choose from which of the e-corder inputchannels to record. The number of channels available depends on themodel of e-corder. Press the Range pop-up menu to select channelrange/sensitivity. Click the button to display a dialogbox, Figure 33, page 25, to preview the signal and set sensitivity andfiltering controls. The Range pop-up menu and button

are disabled if the input is turned off.

The Time Base panel, Figure 31, page 22, provides control ofsampling rate and recording resolution for both Scope channels. Pressthe Samples pop-up menu to choose the number of samples per sweep,and choose the approximate duration of each sweep from theTime/Freq pop-up menu. The Rate/Time display to the right of the

Channel pop-up menu

Rate/Time display


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16 Scope Software

panel title display shows the sampling rate currently set. Thepreferences can be changed from the default for this panel so that thetime base is set by division or by frequency: double-click the Rate/Timedisplay to access the dialog box to change them, Figure 71,page 103.

Data Display AreaRecorded data are shown in the main Scope window, Figure 23,page 13, in the data display area. Two channels are displayed bydefault. The channel separator between them can be dragged up ordown to vary the size of the channel display areas. Dragging it to thetop of the display or double-clicking it overlays the two channels. SeeChapter 4, page 45 for more information about how to display signals.

Waveform Cursor Display

The Waveform Cursor display, in the Cursor panel, shows the time andthe signal value of the Waveform Cursor in both channels, when thepointer is over the data display area, Figure 61, page 82.

The Marker

The Marker, , page 82, can be found at the bottom left of the Scopewindow, Figure 23, page 13. It can be dragged from its home

position onto the data display area to set a particular data point on awaveform as a zero reference point, so that relative measurements canbe made. Double-clicking the Marker or clicking its home box recalls it.

Page Comment Button

The Page Comment button, , can be found at the bottom left of theScope window, Figure 23, page 13. Click it to display the PageComment window, Figure 517, page 78, for noting down comments

about particular pages of data. If comments have been made, then thebutton icon toggles to .

Start Button

To start recording, click the button. The button toggles to, click it, if required, to stop recording. During starting or


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stopping, or if the e-corder or computer is busy the button will appearas . Dont click the button repeatedly: wait until sampling hasdefinitely started or stopped.

Pointer

The pointer position is controlled by moving the mouse, and willchange shape, for example, , giving an indication of itsfunction, as you move it over various objects in different parts of themonitor.

RecordingTo start recording, click the button in the Sample panel. Thebutton then toggles to : click it, if required, to stop recording.The button may display Wait while starting or stopping, if thee-corder or computer is performing other tasks. Note that Scope canrecord in the background: it does not need to be the active applicationto record data.

Scope can record a large number of sweeps as sequential pages ofdata. You can choose to record one or two channels of data per pagein a variety of sweep modes, page 33:

Single displays and records a single page of data;

Repetitive displays repeat scans, but only records the last page ofdata;

Multiple records multiple pages of data;

Superimposed records sweeps one atop the other on the samepage, dimming the older sweeps only the last sweep is finallyrecorded; and

Average records the average signal from a number of successivesweeps on a single page.


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18 Scope Software

Display While Recording

At slow sampling rates (less than 400 Hz), the signal is drawn on thescreen from left to right, much like a standard oscilloscope. A shortvertical line segment, the Trace Indicator, Figure 25, moves left to rightacross the top of the data display area, tracking the front edge of theadvancing waveform. If repetitive recording is chosen, then when theright edge is reached, drawing starts again at the left (and old data areerased to make way for the new data).

At fast sampling rates, the signal is collected too quickly to bedisplayed in real time and the sweep is drawn after it has beenprocessed. Some information is given on the sampling status of Scopein the e-corder panel, below its title (see Figure 26). The messageSampling will be displayed during single-sweep sampling, or when

Scope is waiting for a trigger. If sweeps are repetitive or superimposed,a progress indicator, , will appear to the left of this message. Ifmultiple or average sweeps are chosen, then after sampling has started,the Progress Indicator, , will be displayed, and the message willshow the number of the sweep (Sweep 1, Sweep 2 etc.). Othermessages will appear in some circumstances, for instance, whenloading and saving files, and recording and playing macros.

Trace IndicatorFigure 25Display during recordingat a slow sampling rate

Figure 26Progress Indicatordisplay


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Interruptions While Recording

If you make changes to various parameters, such as the sampling rateand channel range settings, while recording then Scope stops samplingon the current page, changes to the new settings, and starts samplingagain. This is useful for observing signal changes doing repetitive orsuperimposed sweeps. It is usually recommend to stop sampling beforechanging settings, by clicking the button in the Sampling panel,or typing Ctrl+. , i.e. Ctrl+period character ( . on a Macintosh).

If you are taking multiple or average sweeps, page 38, then changingrecording paramters, first stops recording then starts again with the newsettings. For example, if you were recording eight mutiple or averagesweeps, recording would stop and then start so that eight new seepswould be performed.

Changes to the display, such as resizing the window, will also interruptthen restart sampling.

Limits of Recording

Scope can have a maximum 999 pages in any one file, provided youhave sufficient free disk space available.

The size of a Scope data file depends on the number of data points persweep (up to 2560), and whether you are sampling on one or bothchannels. Scope also compress the data for storage for increasedefficiency.

Each data point is stored as a 32 bit floating point number andrequires four bytes of storage. Recording on both channels at themaximum of 2560 samples per sweep would use 4 2 2560 =20 480 bytes, that is 20 K of memory per page. Thus the largestpossible Scope data file, 999 pages at 20 K per page would have a

size of 20 MB.

To stop recording also useCtrl+. (or . on aMacintosh)


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Scope Software 21

C H A P T E R T H R E E

3Setting Up Scope

This chapter describes basic settings controls such as the sampling rate

and the input amplification (sensitivity), together with features such as,

units conversion, sweep mode, triggering, and stimulation.


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22 Scope Software

Setting the Sampling RateLike a standard oscilloscope, Scope graphs a signal against time in aseries of sweeps. The Time Base panel, Figure 31, controls theduration of a sweep, sampling rate, and number of samples per sweep.

Note that these parameters are not independent: any two defines thethird. Both Scope channels always have the same time base controls.

Like the screen of a standard oscilloscope, the data display area ismarked into divisions by a graticule, or grid, aligned with the tickmarks on the Time axis (see Display Settings, page 50 if you want tochange the appearance of the graticule). Scope always displays 12.8divisions along the time axis, so the number of samples per division isdetermined by the number of data points (samples) per sweep. Forexample, 256 samples per sweep = 20 samples 12.8 divisions.

The Time Base panel can be displayed in three different ways, Figure31. It is possible to configure sampling by time per sweep, time perdivision, Table 31, or by sampling frequency, Table 32. Note thatusing the sampling frequency gives access to the widest range ofsettings. See also Sampling Rate, page 96.

Sampling rate,1 Hz 200 kHz

Select sweep durationsetting, 1 ms 200 s.Actual duration is 1.28times longer

Double click to access Time Basecontrol options, Figure 71, page 103

Sampling rate,1 Hz 200 kHz

Select the duration perdivision (200 s 5 s)

Select the number of data points,256 2560 per sweep

Intervalbetweensamplepoints(5 s 1 s)

Select samplesper division(20 200)

Select the number of data points,(256 2560) recorded in one sweep

Figure 31The Time Base panel.Select the version of thepanel via the Time Basecontrol options, Figure71, page 103.


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24 Scope Software

Sampling Rate Limits

The maximum sampling rate is 200 000 samples per second,corresponding to one sample every 5 s, or 100 s per division. Thisspeed is available on one channel only that is, you must turn oneinput channel off, or select the same channel for both inputs. Atsampling rates of 100 000 /s, or less, you can record signals on bothchannels. Also, not all Trigger sources can be used at the 200 000 /ssetting. When Scope records at fast rates, sampled data are stored inthe internal memory of the e-corder and are transmitted to the computerafter sampling has been completed.

Delays Between Sweeps

The computer you are using does not limit the sampling rate of the

sweep, but may affect how quickly data can be displayed aftercollection, and also the minimum delay between consecutive sweeps.Usually these limitations are only noticeable at higher recording speedswhen doing multiple repeat sweeps. Less powerful computers will havelonger minimum delays between sweeps. Shorter delays can beobtained by shrinking the Scope window to its smallest size, reducingthe color depth of the display, and applying any transformations(computed functions) to your data after sampling.

Channel ControlsScope has two independent Input panels, Input A (Figure 32) andInput B. Each allocates an e-corder channel to Input A or B, and is usedto adjust the signal range and filtering options.

Press the Channel pop-up menu to turn off a channel, or to select thee-corder input channel from which to record a signal.

The Range pop-up menu lets you select the e-corder input channel

range (sensitivity). The default setting is 10 V (from 10 V to +10 V). Ifthe signal is too small at that range, select a more appropriate value.For the best resolution, the input range should be selected to justaccommodate the maximum amplitude of the signal. If the signalexceeds the selected range then it will be truncated and that portion ofthe signal is lost.


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Chapter 3 Setting Up Scope 25

Range pop-up menu.Set the range(sensitivity) of theinput channel

Click here to access theInput Amplifier dialogbox, Figure 33.

Turn off the input, or select the e-corderinput channel from which to record

Range pop-upmenu

Pause/Scroll button

High pass filter

Signal inputcontrolspage 27

Amplitudeaxes

Click to access Input Voltagedialog box, Figure 34, page 28

Click to access Units Conversiondialog box, Figure 35, page 29

Signal average

Signal is previewed inthis display area

Invert signalpolarity,page 28

Scale pop-up menu,page 48

Low pass filters,page 27

Signal average

Figure 32An Input panel and itspop-up menus: Channeland Range

Figure 33The Input Amplifierdialog box


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26 Scope Software

The Input AmplifierClicking the button of the Input A or Input B controlpanels, Figure 32, accesses the Input Amplifier dialog box for thatinput channel, Figure 33, which allows you to adjust channel

sensitivity and signal filtering. The incoming signal is previewed indisplay area but is not recorded to disk.

Clicking the OK button to apply the changes updates the correspondingsettings seen in the main Scope window.

Signal Display

The incoming signal is displayed so you can preview the effect ofchanging the settings. Slowly changing waveforms will be representedquite accurately, whereas quickly changing signals will be displayed asa solid dark area showing only the envelope (shape) of the signalformed by the minimum and maximum recorded values. The averagesignal value is shown at the top left of the display area.

Stop the signal scrolling by clicking the Pause button, , at the topright of the data display area. It then changes to the Scroll button, ,which is clicked to start scrolling again.

Shift and stretch the left hand vertical Amplitude axis to make the bestuse of the available display area, by dragging the axis ticks and ticklabels. Controls, such as the Scale pop-up menu, function identically tothose in the main Scope window. Changes made in the Input Amplifierdialog box, update the corresponding settings in the main Scopewindow, page 48.

Setting the Range

The Range pop-up menu, lets you select the input range or sensitivity of

the channel. Changing the range in the Input Amplifier dialog box willupdate the main Scope window when the button is clicked.


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Filtering

Scope can apply various filters to the incoming signal:

AC Coupling. When the checkbox is selected, Figure 33, ahigh pass filter (cut-off frequency 0.16 Hz) is applied, removing DC

and low-frequency components of the signal. The AC couplingoption is useful to measure a rapidly oscillating signal, such as avibration or sound, where it is desirable to remove DC offset.

Low-Pass Filtering. The Filter pop-up menu, Figure 33, gives achoice of low-pass filters to remove high-frequency components,such as noise, from an input signal. When the Off position isselected the signal is recorded at the full 20 kHz bandwidth of thee-corder unit. These filters are implemented with a digital algorithmwithin the e-corder and range from 2 kHz to 1 Hz.

See also the e-corderManualfor details.

Signal Input Controls

The and checkboxes, Figure 33, are set dependingon the type of signal being recorded. These checkboxes do not appearwhere the input for a channel is only single-ended (for examplechannels 3 and 4 of an e-corder 401). The two checkboxes allow youto set up three possible input modes:

Positive. Use this setting when the signal is connected to a BNCinput connector on the e-corder front panel. Such signals are termedsingle-ended, and have a + component (connected to the BNCcentre pin) and a ground reference (the shell of the BNC connector).

Negative. It is unusual to use this option by itself. The signal mustbe connected to the signal and ground pins of an e-corder Podport. It is similar to the single-ended configuration above, except thatpositive signal will be shown as a negative voltage.

Differential. When both the Positive and Negative checkboxes arechecked, both + and inputs (available on the e-corder Pod port)for that channel are used. The displayed signal is the differencebetween the positive and negative input signals.

Details of connectors can be found in the e-corderManual.


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Inverting the Signal

The checkbox, Figure 33, page 25, when ticked, inverts thesignal on the screen. For example, you might be recording from a forcetransducer where an increase in force downwards gives a negativesignal, but you want to have a downwards force shown as a positive

signal on the screen.

Display Offset

Clicking the button, Figure 33, page 25, causes theInput Voltage dialog box to appear, Figure 34. If the transducer orsignal preamplifier that you are using has offset adjustment capabilities,you can use this display to help zero the signal before startingrecording. This display is unavailable when the AC checkbox is ticked.

AC coupling removes all DC components of the signal.

Units

Clicking the button, Figure 33, page 25, accesses the UnitsConversion dialog box, Figure 35, allowing you to calibrate the signalin units of your choice. The waveform currently in the data display area

of the dialog box is transferred to the data display area of the UnitsConversion dialog box. (Use the Pause button to capture any specificsignal you want to use.) The units conversion will only apply tosubsequently recorded signals, so it is more limited than choosing unitsconversion directly, as it does not allow the conversion of individualpages of data.

Direction in which to adjust offset

Signal value

Figure 34The Input Voltage dialogbox


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Units ConversionUnits conversion is used to calibrate the signal, applying appropriateunits for the display. You can apply the conversion before you startrecording (all pages recorded can then be scaled to the required units),

or you can apply it after you have made a recording, either to all orjust some of the pages. Each page could have a separate calibration ifrequired. You need to set up units conversion separately for each of thetwo channels.

There are two ways to access the Units Conversion dialog box, Figure35:

select the Units Conversion command from the Scale pop-upmenu, Figure 44, page 49, in the main Scope window. If achannel (or page) has no data, the Units Conversion command isdisabled. If there is a signal in the chosen channel, then it is shownin the Units Conversion dialog box. Units can be applied to allpages in the file, or just to the current page.

Valuebutton

Differencebutton

Unit pop-upmenu

Raw signalvalues

Number of decimalplaces for display

Calibrationvalues

Amplitude axis Maximum, mean, and minimum values in selection

Axis label(if any)

Applied units

Data Use pop-up menu

Figure 35The Units Conversiondialog box


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click the button in the Input Amplifier dialog box, Figure33, page 25. The data displayed in the Input Amplifier dialog boxis shown in the data display area of the Units Conversion dialogbox. The units conversion will only be applied to subsequentlyrecorded signals.

Converting QuantitiesTwo pairs of calibration points are used to calculate the scaling of thesignal in the new units. Note that if the slope is negative, the Amplitudeaxis will be inverted.

Entering Values

If you know the relationship between the quantity being measured and

the raw voltage signal, then you can directly enter the calibrationvalues in the four boxes. For example if you are using a temperaturetransducer where a 1 V signal corresponds to 10 C, and 3 V to30 C, then you enter values for the top row and

for the second row, and then choose C from theUnits pop-up menu.

You can set up units conversion using some values from data points,averages, and changes in the waveform shown in the data displayarea. The Data Use pop-up menu changes which buttons are available

for data transfer: either Point 1 and Point 2 or Point 1 and Difference.This in turn fixes how displayed data are used: you can either use twodata points (or averages) or a point and a difference to fix theconversion scaling. (At least one of the base values must be absolute.)

You can shift and stretch the vertical Amplitude axis to make the bestuse of the data display area. It is the same as the Amplitude axis in themain window, and the controls function identically. If you click in thedata display area, a vertical line indicates the active point, and anindicator arrow at the right of the data display shows the point of

intersection with the waveform (Figure 36, ). If you make a selectionin the data display area, the indicator arrow at the right of the datadisplay shows the average amplitude of the waveform, and twomarkers above and below it indicate the maximum and minimum datapoints in the selection (Figure 36, ).


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If there is an active point or a selection in the data display area, thenclicking the Value button enters the voltage value (at the active point, orthe average of the selected data) in the left box in its row. Clicking theDifference button enters the difference between the maximum andminimum of the selection in the left box in its row. Differences areindicated by a delta prefix (). In each case, the right box of the row isselected so that you can type in the known value in the new units. As ashortcut, you can double-click in the data display area to transfer thedata at a point in one step (doing this a second time enters data in theunused row).

For example, to calibrate a force transducer:

1. start recording slowly (about 4 /s) and apply first one and then asecond known force (calibration weight) to the transducer during asweep.

2. click on the channel you want to calibrate and choose UnitsConversion from the Scale pop-up menu, Figure 44, page 49, toopen the Units Conversion dialog box, Figure 35, page 29.

3. choose the 2 Point Calibration option from the Data Use pop-upmenu, then use the pointer to select a point or area in the signalcorresponding to the first calibration force (Figure 36, )

4. click the button, Figure 35, page 29, to enter its value in theupper raw signal text box, and type the known force incorresponding calibration value box beside it.

Figure 36Selections in the datadisplay area of the UnitsConversion dialog box


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5. repeat the process for the other force (Figure 36, ), enteringdata in the lower raw signal and calibration value text boxes.

An example where you might use the Point and Difference method is fora temperature transducer that produces an accurately known change involtage for a given change in temperature (such as 20 mV giving 1

C) but has a relatively large offset error. Record the signal at anaccurately known temperature (say, 23.6 C, at ambient). Use thisvalue in the top row to correspond to the measured signal. Use theDifference button to enter the 20 mV and 1 C values in the secondrow.

You can also determine a difference by selecting a region where thesignal varies (Figure 36, )and clicking the button.

Choosing Unit Names

The Unit pop-up menu, , Figure 35, page 29, can beused to select, define new, or delete old, unit names. Unit names arestored in the e-corder Settings file in the System folder in the eDAQfolder, and are available in all Scope for Windows files once created(or unavailable if deleted).

Select Define Unit from the Units pop-up menu to access the DefineUnit Name dialog box, Figure 37, to define new unit names. Unit

names can be up to nine characters long, with an additional order ofmagnitude prefix. Superscripts, subscripts and special characters canbe entered in the same way as for axis labels, page 49. You can deleteunwanted unit names by choosing Delete Unit from the Units pop-up

Type the unit name inhere superscripts andsubscripts are possible

Select a prefixfrom this pop-upmenu

Figure 37Dialog boxes for definingand deleting units


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menu: the Delete Unit Name dialog box appears, Figure 37. Selectthe unit to be deleted from the scrolling field, Ctrl+click ( -click onMacintosh) or Shift+click to select several, and click OK to delete theunit and close the dialog box. Double-click a unit name to delete itimmediately.

You can set the number of decimal places of the new units (from 0 to6), by clicking the arrows. You can turn units conversionoff or on without losing the values you have entered by clicking the

buttons. Click the button to see how the unitsconverted axis will appear, or the OK button to convert units and returnto the main Scope window.

Sweep and Trigger Controls

The Sampling command in the Setup menu, Figure A5, page 126,accesses the Sampling dialog box, Figure 38, with the sweep andtrigger controls.

A sweep is the recorded and displayed waveform that fills one Scopepage. You can choose the sweep method used by Scope: sweeps maybe single, repetitive, multiple, averaged, or superimposed. Whenmultiple or averaged sweeps are chosen, you can set the number ofsweeps, and for all modes except single, you can set the delaybetween the sweep starting times.

Triggering determines the way in which Scope starts and stopsrecording. A trigger is an event such as clicking the Start button or avoltage above some preset threshold in an incoming waveform. Theactive trigger controls in the Sampling dialog box depend on the sweepcontrol settings. You can use the controls to set up the type of triggerevent you want, the delay until recording, and so on.

Sweep

The Mode pop-up menu, Figure 38, selects the way that Scopesamples and then displays data:

Single. This is the default setting. One sweep is recorded at atime. A new sweep is started only when a new source event occurs:clicking the Start button, or a new trigger signal is received


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Repetitive. Sweeps are displayed successively on the same page,each overwriting (and erasing) the previous sweep. Sampling stopswhen the Stop button is clicked. Only the last sweep is recordedpermanently.

Multiple. The specified number of sweeps is made, each sweep ona new page. The Sample control, , lets you set

the number of sweeps, from 2 to 999. Ensure that the total of thenumber of pages already sampled plus the number to be sampleddoes not exceed 999, and that there is enough memory for theoperation.

Average. The specified number of sweeps is made, with theaverage value of the sweeps is displayed after each sweep.Average mode is useful to reduce noise in a repeating signal, or toaverage out variations between individual sweeps. Only theaverage sweep is recorded permanently. When Average is chosen,

the Average control, , can be set from 2 to2048 individual sweeps to be used for averaging.

Superimpose. Sweeps are displayed successively on the samepage, but previous sweeps are not overwritten. Each new scan isoverlaid on previous sweeps. Clicking the display while sampling

Source pop-upmenu. Select theaction that starts asweep

Choose to trigger on an upwardsor downwards sloping signal

Exact values are displayedbelow the slider bar

Set the interval betweensuccessive sweeps

Mode pop-upmenu. Select thetype of sweep

Start pop-up menu.Choose howScope reacts to thetrigger event

Use the slider bar or textentry button to set values

Click the arrow buttons to setthe number of sweeps of data

Figure 38The Sampling dialogbox; Sweep and Triggercontrols


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clears the previous sweeps. Sampling stops when the Stop button isclicked, and only the last sweep is recorded permanently.

Scope will sample in the chosen mode until you choose a new one. Bydefault, sampling starts on the blank (last) page of the current file, evenif the active (viewed) page was earlier in the file. Multiple mode creates

the number of blank pages it needs before sampling, Other modes adda new blank page after sampling.

The Delay control, , sets the interval between the startof consecutive sweeps in repetitive, multiple, averaged, orsuperimposed modes. The delay should normally be greater than thesweep time. Type a value in up 9999 seconds in increments of 0.1seconds.

The minimum delay is affected by the speed of the computer. If the

delay is set to less than the sweep time, a new scan is started as quicklyas possible, the actual delay is then dependent of the speed of thecomputer.

Clicking the Start button in the main Scope window, Figure 23,page 13, prepares Scope to record, the chosen trigger event startsScope recording.The Source pop-up menu, Figure 38, selects thetrigger event:

User. Sampling will be triggered when you click the Start button in

the main Scope window. Other triggering options are inactive. Input A, or Input B. Triggering is activated when the signalreaches a threshold value. The channel must be turned on for itssignal to be used as a triggering event! The Level control is used toset the trigger level voltage, and is only active in this mode.

External. Triggering is activated when a signal is received via theexternal Trigger connector on the e-corder front panel. See youre-corderManualfor exact specifications.

Line. The trigger event comes from a cycle of the mains power (50

or 60 Hz frequency) which is automatically monitored by thee-corder. This can useful if you are recording a signal derived fromAC current, such as mains transformer output, or for monitoring fastscans affected by mains hum, where it is desirable to always start inthe same position of the hum cycle so that successive sweeps appearto have the same baseline.


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User and External options can be used in conjunction with theStimulator, page 37. Input A, Input B, and Line options cannot be usedif the Stimulator is also being used.

Trigger

A trigger is an event such as clicking the Start button (User triggering),or when a threshold been reached by the incoming signal, and can beused to start or stop Scope recording. The available trigger optionsdepend on the mode and source that are chosen in the Sweep sectionof the Sampling dialog box Figure 38, page 34. Three trigger modesare available from the Start pop-up menu:

At Event. This is the default mode. Sampling starts as soon as thetrigger threshold is reached;

Post-Trig. With post-triggering, sampling starts a set time after thetrigger event occurs, at a time preset with the Delay control (up to amaximum delay of about eight sweep durations).

Pre-Trig. With pre-triggering, sampling starts before the triggerevent occurs. The pr-trigger time is set with the Delay control, up to amaximum of one sweep duration. The Time axis will have negativevalues for the period preceding the trigger event (zero time).Starting a sweep in this mode causes Scope to immediately monitorthe signal. When a trigger event occurs, the data in the pre-triggerperiod is saved, along with the subsequent portion of the sweep.

Pre-triggering will ignore trigger events that occur before the pre-trigger duration has expired: if you set the pre-trigger to 20 ms,Scope will monitor the signal for 20 ms before accepting a triggerevent.

There should only be one trigger event per sweep, whatever the modeof recording, if the sweeps are to be synchronized.

The slope controls, , usually determine whether triggering occurswhen the signal goes up, or down, through the trigger level (threshold).In the event of contact closure triggering, using the External triggerconnector, page 109, the slope controls determine whethertriggering occurs on going from open to closed circuit, or closed toopen circuit respectively.


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If Input A or Input B have been selected as source of the trigger event,then the trigger threshold level and slope can be adjusted from the mainScope window by dragging the Trigger Marker, , Figure 39, up ordown to adjust the threshold level. Double-clicking the Trigger Markertoggles it between and , reversing the slope control.

The StimulatorThe Stimulator command, available in Setup menu, Figure A5,page 126, accesses the Stimulator dialog box, Figure 310, which isused to configure waveforms (pulses, ramps, etc.) to be sent via thesockets marked Output on the front of the e-corder.

The Stimulator can only be used at recording speeds greater than 2 Hz.Alos must be used in conjunction with the User or External trigger (AtEvent) source settings, page 35.

Note that stimulator waveform is only generated while a sweep is inprogress.

Mode

There are several possible stimulus waveforms, examples of which areshown in Figure 311that are selected using the Mode pop-up menu,Figure 310:

Off. The default setting is to have the stimulator off. No waveformis defined. However a constant output can be defined with theOutput Voltage command, page 42.

Use the pointer to drag the Trigger Marker up or down

Figure 39The Trigger Marker, ,or , in the mainScope Window


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Pulse. A single pulse can be configured during a sweep.

Multiple. A train of up to 50 identical pulses can be defined within

a sweep.

Double. Two independently defined square pulses can beconfigured within a sweep.

Ramp. A ramp can be configured during the sweep.

Up & Down. Configures a stimulus waveform that slopes up thendown (or down then up) at the same slope.

Triangle. Configures a triangular waveform, with up to 50repeats.

Free Form. Allows a stimulus waveform to be drawn directly, orcopy a recorded waveform and modify it as required, seeCustomized Stimulus Waveforms, page 40.

External Trigger this a way to set up triggering conditions forthe sweep while in the Stimulator dialog box. See page 43 forfurther details.

The profile of the stimuluswaveform

Mode pop-up menuselects the stimulus type

Values setby the

variouscontrolsaredisplayedabove theslider bar

Use the slider bar controls or text entry button to set values

Click toopen a

newStimulatorpage

Drag the

controlhandles toreshapethewaveform

Range

pop-upmenu tochangethestimulusvoltagerange

If the external trigger is selectedthe trigger slope is shown

Figure 310The Stimulator dialogbox


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The Time axis settings for the display area depend on the sweepduration set in the Time Base panel, Figure 31, page 22. Theresolution of the stimulus waveform is always the same as the samplingresolution.

The stimulus waveform can be redefined by reshaping its image in thedisplay area of the dialog box, Figure 310, page 38.

Range and Amplitude

The Range pop-up menu, Figure 310, page 38, is used to select therange, 200 mV to 10 V, over which the amplitude of the stimuluswaveform can be adjusted. The Amplitude controls are used to set the

exact stimulation voltage within this range. For a double pulse, Ampl Aand Ampl B controls let you set the amplitudes of the first and secondpulses respectively. For a ramp pulse, Start Ampl and End Amplcontrols let you set the amplitudes at the beginning and end of theramp.

The limits of the Amplitude are independent of Scope input channelsettings.

Setting the Controls

The slider bars and Text button ( ) controls can be used to adjust theparameters of the stimulator waveform, Figure 310. The shape of thewaveform in the display area changes as you change values. Theparameters can also be adjusted by dragging the control handles (thelittle black squares) on the waveform the pointer changes shape,

Pulse Multiple Double

Triangle

Up & Down

Free Form

Ramp

Figure 311Examples of the varioustypes of stimuluswaveform


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, when in the right position. The slider bar settings andnumerical values change as you alter the shape of the waveform.

The display area of the stimulus waveform can be adjusted by draggingthe Amplitude axis tick marks and axis tick tables, in a similar mannerto those of the main Scope window, page 49.

Duration, Delay, and Interval

The Duration control is used to set the time for which a pulse lasts. TheDuration can be set from zero to the sweep duration. Duration is set inincrements of the time taken to record one sample, since the resolutionof the stimulus waveform is the same as the sampling resolution. If youchange the sweep duration in the Time Base panel, the duration valuewill be rounded appropriately if required. For a double pulse,Duration Aand Duration B controls set the durations of the first and

second pulses respectively.

The Delaycontrol defines the period before a the stimulation waveformis commenced. The Delay can be set from zero to the sweep duration.

The Interval control appears only when Multiple or Double modes arechosen, and is used to set the period between the end of one pulse andthe beginning of another. The Interval can be set from zero to thesweep duration.

In all cases, any part of the Stimulator waveform falling beyond theduration of the sweep is not physically produced.

Number of Pulses

If you choose Multiple or Triangle from the Mode pop-up menu, youcan specify a number of pulses between 1 and 50. Click thearrows to increment or decrement the number: press and hold thearrows to increase or decrease the number rapidly.

Customized Stimulus Waveforms

If you choose Free Form from the Mode pop-up menu, then most of theparameter controls become inactive, and the drawing tools and copybuttons appear, . The Range pop-up menu works normally,


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letting you select the range for the amplitude of the stimulus waveform,from 200 to 10 V.

Use the Pencil tool, , to draw freehand curves, and the Line tool, ,to draw straight lines. The stimulus waveform can have only one valueat any given time, so drawing in an area will replace what previously

was there with what you have just drawn. Click the Eraser, , to erasethe entire display area.

A recorded waveform can be used as a stimulus or the basis for one.First display the waveform in the Scope window, then click the A or Bbuttons, , to copy the waveform from Input A orB to the waveform stimulus display area. A copied waveform is scaledvertically to match the set range, but not horizontally, since stimulusresolution must match sampling resolution. Once transferred, thewaveform can be edited using the drawing tools. A waveform could

also be created in Excel (or other spreadsheet) and then transferred toScope, page 65, then copied into the Simulator dialog box.

Creating a Stimulus Waveform Library

You can store up to nine different stimulus waveforms in a file. Extrawaveforms could be defined using Macros, page 110, if required.

To move to a new stimulus waveform, click the arrows of the StimulusPage control , Figure 310, page 38, or press the left orright arrow keys on the keyboard. Scope will use the stimulus pagevisible when you click OK to close the dialog box.

Stimulus waveforms are stored, and loaded, as part of the file settings.

The Stim Panel

Once you have set up stimulation using the Stimulator dialog box,recording and stimulation can be started either through clicking the

Start button or through an external trigger event. Settings for the simplestimulus waveforms can be changed using the Stim panel, Figure 312,which appears when the Stimulator is on.

Click the arrows to increment or decrement the delay, pulse duration,interval between pulses, and pulse amplitude. To alter the magnitude of


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this increment, hold down the Ctrl key ( -key on Macintosh) whileclicking the arrows. A dialog box will appear, Figure 313, for thatcontrol, in which you can set the increment value of that parameter.

Constant Output Voltage

Stimulator waveform voltages are accessed via the outputs connectors

on e-corder front panel. You can also generate continuous voltagesfrom these outputs with the Output Voltage command, in the Setupmenu, Figure A5, page 126, which activates the Stimulator ConstantOutput dialog box, Figure 314.

The Range pop-up menu lets you select the range for the output control,from 200 to 10 V. The Level control sets the exact voltage, eitherpositive or negative, within these ranges.

The Stimulator Output

The Stimulator and Output Voltage commands can be usedtogether: the stimulus waveform adds to the output voltage, but theirsum cannot exceed 10 V.

Figure 312The Stim Panel

Figure 313Some of the Stim Panelincrement dialog boxes


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e-corder units have two output connectors, labelled + and , whichprovide a bipolar waveform. That is, if one output gives a positivevoltage, the other gives a corresponding negative voltage. Thus a 10 Vsetting generates a 20 V difference between the two connectors (10 Vwith respect to ground).

Stimulator External Trigger

Choosing External Trigger from the Mode pop-up menu in theStimulator dialog box, Figure 310, page 38, accesses the StimulatorExternal Trigger dialog box, Figure 316. This is a convenient way ofconfiguring the external trigger while Stimulator dialog box is open.Three options are available:

User, which is equivalent to the User setting, page 35, in theSource pop-up menu of the Sampling Dialog box, Figure 38,page 34.

Off > On, which is equivalent to the External setting, page 35, inthe Source pop-up menu of the Sampling Dialog box, Figure 38,page 34. Triggering occurs on the rising edge of a TTL pulse, or ongoing from open to closed circuit for a contact closure trigger.

On > Off, which is equivalent to the External setting, page 35, inthe Source pop-up menu of the Sampling Dialog box, Figure 38,

Output + Output

Range pop-upmenu Click for text entry

of output voltage

Click or drag slider barcontrols to set output voltage

Figure 315A constant output voltagetogether with a pulsefrom the stimulator

Figure 314The Stimulator ConstantOutput dialog box


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page 34. Triggering occurs on the falling edge of a TTL pulse, or ongoing from closed to open circuit for a contact closure trigger.

The slope of an external trigger event is indicated in the Stimulatordialog box Figure 38, page 34, by , or . Clicking theseicons also accesses the Stimulator External Trigger dialog box, Figure316.

Figure 316The Stimulator ExternalTrigger dialog box


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C H A P T E R F O U R

4Data Display

Scope allows you great flexibility in displaying data. You can change

the lines, patterns, and colors of the data display. You can resize the

Scope window, change the size of each channels display, or overlaytwo channels on a page. You can look at a small section of data in

great detail, or overlay data from any selection of pages in a file.

This chapter describes the display options available in Scope, from the

basic settings through to Amplitude axis manipulation, axis labels, and

the Zoom window.


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Data Display AreaRecorded waveforms are displayed in the Scope window in the areabounded by the Amplitude and Time axes. By default, two channels ofequal height are displayed, with Input A and Input B showing input

channels 1 and 2 of the e-corder, Figure 23, page 13. However, it ispossible to alter all of these settings to suit your requirements.

Changing Channel Height

Vary the relative heights of the channel display areas by:

1. positioning the pointer over the channel separator handle, ,the pointer changes shape, ; then

2. dragging the channel separator to a new position, Figure 41.

Double-clicking the handle, , returns the channel displays to equalheights. Note that data is always recorded at full fidelity (resolution),regardless of display size. Channels have a minimum height of about16 mm on a 75 dpi monitor.

Overlaying Channels

Dragging the channel separator handle, , to the top of the window,or double-clicking it when the channels have the same area, willoverlay channels A and B, Figure 42. The Amplitude axes for Input Aand B are now on the left and right sides of the window respectively.Each axis can be shifted and stretched independently to adjust thedisplay as required, page 48. The channel separator handle, ,

Drag the channel separator to set the height of the channel display

Figure 41Changing channel height


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Chapter 4 Data Display 47

remains at the top right of the window: double-click it to toggle betweenoverlaid and separate displays.

Displaying a Single Channel

For recording one signal only, first turn a channel off using the Inputpanels, Figure 32, page 25, then:

overlay the channels (one Amplitude axis will be blank); or

choose Computed Functions from the main Display menu, FigureA7, page 127, to access the Computed Functions dialog box,Figure 617, page 95. Select Ch A only or Ch B only, as

appropriate, from the Display pop-up menu. The separator handle inthe Scope window disappears. Note that if a channel is notdisplayed, it will still record data unless it is turned off.

To overlay the waveforms,double-click the separatorhandle or drag it to the topof the window

InputB axis

InputA axis

To display the channelsseparately, double-clickthe separator handle ordrag it down the window

Horizontal (time) axis

Figure 42Overlaying channels Aand B: top, separate;bottom, overlaid


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The Amplitude AxisThe scale of the (vertical) Amplitude axis of each channel can beindependently dragged, stretched, or set through a dialog box foroptimum data display. Scale appearance options can be selected from

the Set Scale pop-up menu, Figure 44: Single Sided. Sets the Amplitude axis to display only positivevoltage signals. Zero volts is located at the bottom of the displayarea. Any readings less than zero volts will be off screen (to seethem, select the Bipolar option or drag the scale). Note that theSingle Sided option is disabled if units conversion is already applied

Bipolar. This is the default option for a channel, and displays bothpositive and negative signals to the limits of the channel input range,with zero volts at the centre of the vertical scale. Note that the

Bipolar option is disabled if units conversion is already applied Set Scale. Enter values for the limits of the Amplitude axis. It workswhether units conversion is on or off. When you choose Set Scale,the Set Scale dialog box for that channel appears, Figure 44,allowing the upper and lower limits to be entered for the axis.

Units Conversion accesses the Units Conversion dialog box,Figure 35, page 29, which allows you to scale or calibrate the rawvoltage signal with appropriate units, such as mmHg, kPa. Unitsconversion is disabled if a channel (or a whole page) has no data.

Note that these settings affect screen appearance only and do notaffect signal resolution. Resolution is determined by the range selectedfor the input channel.

Click to accessthe scale pop-up menu

Units of channel(or current page)

Axis label, if any, isshown here

Figure 43The Set Scale pop-upmenu and dialog box


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The scale of the Amplitude axis can be shifted or stretched or bothallowing the signal to be viewed so as to fill the available space. Aspointer is moved near to the Amplitude axis it changes appearance,Figure 44. Positioned between the axis tick labels the pointer appearsas and dragging it will move (offset) the axis up or down. If thepointer is near an axis tick label its will appear as , or , and

dragging it the direction indicated will stretch (expand) the axis, whiledragging it in the opposite direction will compress the axis.

Dragging or compressing the scale allows you to set the axis to threetimes the range limit, and stretching allows you to expand the axis up to20 times.

Double-clicking when the pointer appears as , , or , returnsthe scale to its normal, unstretched position, with zero at the mid-pointof the axis (Bipolar display). Double-clicking again toggles to the Single

Sided display, which has zero at the bottom of the axis. Note that thisshortcut works on the raw signal values, if units conversion is on, thenyou may have to drag the scale to adjust the position of the axis zeropoint.

Axis LabelsSelect Axis Labels from the Display menu to access the Axis Labelsdialog box Figure 45. Enter appropriate titles for the Time and the

Amplitude axes.

Most of the range of characters found in the usual fonts are available.To get special characters:

on Windows computers, use the Character Map accessoryprogram from the Accessories submenu of the Programs menu of thetaskbars Start button. For the degree sign, , use Alt+0176, and forthe micro symbol, , use Alt+0181. Note that the numerals 0176etc. must be entered using the numeric keypad not the top row of

numbers of the main keyboard. on Macintosh use Key Caps if you are unsure about how to getunusual characters. For use Option-Z, for the degree sign, , useOption-Shift-8, for use Option-m, and for use Option-J.

Normal pointer

Dragging pointer

Stretchingpointers

Figure 44Pointer changes in theAmplitude axis


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Superscripts and Subscripts

Superscripted and subscripted characters, such as those occurring inNa+ or C2H5OH, can be used in an axis label (and unit definitions):

to superscript a character or characters, first enter ^, the caret

character, by typing Shift+6.

to subscript a character or characters, first enter , the sectioncharacter, by typing Alt+0167 (or use Option-6 on Macintosh).

to return to normal characters after superscripting or subscripting,enter _, the underscore character, use Shift+hyphen to do this.

The caret (^), section (), and underscore (_) characters appear only inthe text entry boxes, not in the axis labels. Up to twenty characters,including those used to superscript or to subscript, can be entered.

If no label is entered, the normal units appear alone, otherwise thelabel appears with the units following (in parentheses). If the label andunits together are too long to fit in the area allocated in the Scopewindow, they are truncated.

Display SettingsChoose Display Settings from the Display menu, Figure A7,page 127, to access the Display Settings dialog box, Figure 46,which can be used to set the line type, pattern, and color for eachsignal, the pattern and color of the graticule (the display grid), andwhether the background is white or black.

Figure 45The Axis labels dialogbox


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The Colour MenusThe Color pop-up menus, Figure 47, for the graticule and channels letyou select a pattern and color.

Other Controls

The Graticule buttons, , let you choose the form of thedisplay grid: dot graticule (the defaults setting), no graticule, or a line

graticule.

The Background buttons, , are used to set the data displayarea background to white or black. If black is chosen, then blackcolored signals will be automatically set to white: other colors andpatterns are unaffected.

Backgroundbuttons

Waveformbuttons

Color pop-upmenu, Figure 47

Graticulebuttons

Figure 46The Display Settingsdialog box

Figure 47The Color pop-up menu


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The Waveform buttons, , for each channel are used todisplay the signal as individual data points (unjoined dots), acontinuous trace (the data points are joined by lines), or as a bargraph. The bar graph can be seen more clearly in the Zoom window:the actual data point is located at the top left of each bar.

XY and FFT Display SettingsWhen in XY display mode, page 92, or FFT display mode, page 93,choosing Display Settings from the Display menu will access dialogboxes similar to that shown in Figure 46. The Display Settings (FFT)dialog box is identical in most respects Figure 46, but applies only tothe FFT display. The Display Settings (XY) dialog box is also much thesame, but applies only to the XY plot of Channel A versus Channel B.The settings for each display mode are stored independently of eachother, and only apply to the appropriate display mode.

Overlay Display Settings

By default, the signals shown on the active page are displayed in solidcolors and the waveforms of overlaid pages are in lighter versions ofthe same colors. To change the colors and patterns of the overlaidsignals choose Overlay Display Settings from the Display menu,Figure A7, page 127. The Overlay Display Settings dialog box willthen appear, Figure 48. The settings for overlay displays are stored

independently to those of the active page.

Figure 48The Overlay DisplaySettings dialog box


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XY and FFT Overlay Display Settings

If Overlay Display Settings is chosen from the Display menu, FigureA7, page 127, when using FFT display mode, page 93, then theOverlay Display Settings (FFT) dialog box appears with similar controlsto those shown in Figure 48. If Overlay Display Settings is chosen

from the Display menu when using XY display mode, page 92, thenthe Overlay Display Settings (XY) dialog box appears, with controlssimilar to those shown in Figure 48. The display settings for XY or FFToverlays are stored independently of each other, and only apply to theappropriate display mode.

Stimulus Display Settings

The stimulus waveform, page 37, can be recorded directly on an

unused Scope input channel by connecting the e-corder output to anappropriate e-corder input. However, it is also possible to display thestimulus waveform without actually recording it, by choosing OverlayStimulator from the Display menu, Figure A7, page 127. whichaccesses the Overlay Stimulator dialog box, Figure 49. The Modepop-up menu selects the type of the stimulator waveform display:

Off. This is the default setting. The stimulus waveform is not shown.

At Top. The stimulus waveform is shown in a separate region atthe top of the data display area (Figure 410).

Vert Lines. Vertical lines are overlaid on both channels at start andend of a ramp or pulse, or each of several pulses, in the stimuluswaveform. Up & Down and Triangle stimuli are marked at the startand end of stimulation, and at the maxima and minima of thewaveforms. When using free-form stimuli, this option acts the sameas the on both option.

On A. The stimulus waveform is overlaid on input Channel A. Theamplitude of the stimulus waveform as a ratio of the Output range isused to scale the stimulus display to the full scale range of input A.

On B. The stimulus waveform is overlaid on input Channel B. Theamplitude of the stimulus waveform as a ratio of the Output range isused to scale the stimulus display to the full scale range of input B.

On Both. The stimulus waveform is overlaid on both channels. Theamplitude of the stimulus waveform as a ratio of the Output range is


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54 Scope Software

used to scale the stimulus display to the full scale range of input A,and input B.

To change the color and pattern of the stimulus waveform use the Colorpop-up menu, Figure 49.

NavigatingScope stores sweeps of data as if they were pages in a pad of paper.Click on the numbered Page buttons, , along the bottom of theScope window and the Page Corner controls, at the bottom right of thedata display area, to move through multiple pages of a Scope file. Thehighlighted Page button, ,indicates the page of data currently viewed(the active page). The Average page bottom, , is leftmost, and thelast (blank) page button, , at the right: Scope will always have at

least these two pages in a file. Pages of data are numberedconsecutively as they are recorded, with the blank page remaining atthe right. Click the upper corner of the Page Corner controls to move aprevious page, and the lower corner to move to the next page oryou can use the left or right arrow keys on the keyboard. Hold downthe Ctrl key ( key on Macintosh) while pressing the left or right arrowkey to go to the beginning or the end of the file.

Stimulus waveform

Averagepage

Blankpage

Activepage

age orner contro s

Figure 410The stimulus waveformsown at At Top of thedata display area

Figure 49The Overlay Stimulatordialog box


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To go to a specific page, click a Page button. If there are too manypages to show all the buttons along the bottom of the window, thenand buttons appear at either side: click them to scroll one Pagebutton left or right, or press them to scroll continuously this doesntchange the active page, just the range of Page buttons that you cansee. Choosing Go To Page from the Display menu accesses the Go

To Page dialog box Figure 410, which can be used to nominate apage to view.

Overlaying PagesTo overlay pages of data choose Show Overlay from the Display menu,Figure A7, page 127. The signals of all pages selected for overlayingcan be seen. The Show Overlay command toggles to Hide Overlaywhich will turn off the overlay display. Note that these commands donot affect which particular pages are overlaid.

To overlay all pages, choose Overlay All from the Display menu, FigureA7, page 127. The signals of all pages appear with the signal fromthe active page on top. With default display settings, the signals shownon the active page are in solid colors, and the signals of the other,overlaid, pages are in lighter patterns. To remove all pages from theoverlay, choose Overlay None from the Display menu.

Using the Page Buttons

The Page buttons along the bottom of the Scope window indicate thestatus of pages, Figure 410. The active page is highlighted ; pagesselected for overlaying have taller icons ; pages not selected foroverlay have shorter buttons, .

Scro ing uttons

Figure 411The Go To Page dialogbox


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The active page always appears in an overlay, but other pages can beadded to or removed from the set of overlaid pages. Ctrl+click ( -clickon Macintosh) or double-click a Page button to add/remove a pageto/from the overlaid set. Alt+click (Option-click on Macintosh) a Pagebutton to deselect all other pages from the overlaid set. Press the Pagebutton to pop up a menu which duplicates the various overlay and

navigation functions, Figure 410.

The Scale of Overlaid Pages

When you overlay pages with different vertical ranges, data on otherpages is automatically scaled vertically to the range of the active page.However, the time axis is not scaled, so the numbers along the Timeaxis refer to the times on the active page and not necessarily tooverlaid pages, which could have different time bases.

The Zoom WindowTo magnify a data selection, first drag to select an area of interest inthe Scope window, and then choose Zoom Window from the Windowsmenu, Figure A8, page 127: the Zoom window appears, Figure414.

Includedin overlay

Averagepage

Backgroundpage

Not includedin overlay

Selectedpage

Blankpage

Keyboard shortcuts:

Ctrl+click (or -click) or double-click

Ctrl+click (or -click) or double-click

Alt+click (or Option-click)

Figure 413The Page button pop-upmenu

Figure 412Page buttons indicatepage status


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You can make a further selection in the data display area of the Zoomwindow: this automatically zooms in further. However, if the selectioncontains fewer than four data points along the Time axis, or the verticalselection is less than a few percent of full scale, the Zoom window willappear gray: reselect an area in the Scope window.

Data DisplayThe Zoom window behaves in many ways like the main Scope window.If the initial data selection covers only one channel, then only onechannel is displayed in the Zoom window, and the separator handle ishidden, Figure 414. If the selection covers two channels, then thechannels are shown overlaid, but double-clicking or dragging thechannel separator handle, , will separate them. The channelsseparate in the main Scope window and overlaid in the Zoom window,and vice versa.

Figure 414The Zoom window

Figure 415The Zoom window withtwo channels overlaid


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The scale of the (vertical) Amplitude axis of each channel can beindependently dragged, stretched, or set through a dialog box foroptimum data display, just as normal. Changing the settings will affectthe (vertical) extent of the selection in the Scope window. In particular,if you choose Single Sided or Bipolar from the Scale pop-up menu (ortoggle between them by double-clicking) in the Zoom window, then the

selection in the Scope window is extended to the top half or the fullrange of the channel, respectively.

When moving from page to page, the selection area remains the samewith regard to the raw data (and will remain in the same relativeposition in the Scope window).

The Marker, , page 82, from the main Scope window also appearsin the Zoom window moving it onto a signal in one window willupdate its position in the other, double-clicking it will send it home.

Similarly the Page Comment button, page 78, is accessible in the Zoomwindow.

As you move the pointer across the data display area in the Zoomwindow, the Waveform Cursor tracks the displayed signals. The time (t)and signal amplitude (on channel A and/or B) at the cursor point areindicated in the Waveform Cursor information display in the Cursorpanel. Double-clicking in the Zoom window transfers relevant data tothe Data Pad at the point at which you double-clicked, just as it does inthe Scope window: the expansion of the waveform in the Zoom

window display allows greater accuracy in selecting data points.

The Zoom window can be left open during sampling. First select thearea of interest in the Scope window, either on the blank page or on atrial signal the selection area remains in the same relative position inthe Scope window when moving between pages. Click the Start buttonin the Sample panel and then make the Zoom window active. Whilesampling, you can click the display to clear previous sweeps insuperimpose mode, zoom in further on a signal by dragging to make afurther selection in the data display area, etc. If the Zoom window isactive while sampling, the data display area of Scope window maygray out.


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Printing the Zoom Window

When the Zoom window is active, then the Print command in the Filemenu, Figure A2, page 126, changes to Print Zoom, and will printthe contents of the Zoom window are printed. The printed page isheaded with the window title and the number of the Scope page.


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