My task is the following: I have to grab programmatically few
hundred nanosec. long signals with 1ns resolution (2-300 data points/frame)
arriving on two channels to the scope. The challenge is that the rep rate of
the signals are 3kHz! Currently I’m doing this manually using the Fast Frame segmented
memory of a TDS 7104 Tektronix scope. This feature allows me capturing signals
up to 160 kHz rep rate in the acquisition memory of the scope. With 2-300 data
points/frame I can grab 7-8000 frames on two channels+trigger channel, which is
enough for me.
My question is: How can I do this programmatically? How can I
grab programmatically 7-8000 frames to the acq. memory and save them to a file.
I’m programming in Labview but not in C.
I called Tektronix and it was advised to develop the
software directly on the scope without any GPIB. I’ve researched on NI.com and it
seems that the best would be would be to use NI-VISA. I haven’t tried the
instrument driver for the scope just downloaded but it seems that it is not
suitable for my application.
The final goal with such a software is to automatize our
measurements by repeating this data acquisition sequence 20-30 times and
between each sequence move an OWIS stepping motor via the USB port of the scope.
Therefore between each acquisition sequence the grabbed 7-8000 frames should be
written into a file.
It is also important that the whole measurement should be as
short as possible. Tektronix engineers advised me not to use GPIB as it can
slow down the whole process.
