Transfer image (PNG) file from Tektronix MDO3000

[jaywang2001]

 How to transfer screen image file from MDO3000 to PC?

Is there any MDO3000 command available? I try to find it in the MDO3000 programmer manual.

I haven't found it. Can anybody help me ?

Thanks!

[wiebe@CARYA]

What do you mean you can't find it? It's the fist hit on google (click downloads):

https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/mdo3000-mixed-domain-oscilloscope

Click downloads, enter MDO3000, in the results, select programmer (4).

http://download.tek.com/manual/MDO4000-B-MSO-DPO4000B-and-MDO3000-Oscilloscope-Programmer-Manual-Rev...

Haven't looked in it, these devices usually do not have functions to download screenshots\images. They provide functions to download the data. So you need to construct the images yourself from that data.

[Blokk]

@jaywang2001 wrote:

 How to transfer screen image file from MDO3000 to PC?

Is there any MDO3000 command available? I try to find it in the MDO3000 programmer manual.

I haven't found it. Can anybody help me ?

Thanks!

I guess you downloaded and placed the following driver into your instr.lib folder of LabVIEW?

http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niid_web_display.download_page?p_id_guid=6E23DB10D9FC2B05E04400144FB7D2...

As I see, saving and transfering a screen image is not implemented in these driver VIs. Ok, lets see the manual.

Programmers manual: page 16: "Save a screen image to a file": 

ACTONEVent:ACTION:SAVEIMAGE:STATE

The next question is that, whether the default drive of the Tektronix (E drive) visible or not from your PC. I guess not. If this default E: drive is not visible from your PC, I imagine, you could mount a network drive at the Tektronix unit side (see list of commands at page 56). After a network drive is mounted, you could use the commands to transfer the screenshot image file from the Tektronix default directory, to the network drive. For file copy, use the commands at page 337.

(

FILESystem:COPy

(No Query Form)
This command copies a named file to a new file. The new file may be in a totally
separate directory than the old file. You can only copy one file at a time using this
command. Wild card characters are not allowed.)

It would be even better, if you can change the default working directory (CWD - current working directory) from the internal E: drive, to your network drive, see page 342 how to mount your network drive, and page 337 how to set CWD.

FILESystem:MOUNT:DRIve and FILESystem:CWD

As I see, there is only a few file/directory manipulation implemented in the LV driver, this VI below. You need to implement the rest of required commands, but that should be easy using the driver VIs as a guide...

[jamiva]

I don't think "ACTIONEVent:..." is the right command. It sets up the scope to automatically save images after an event occurs.

Use "SAVe:IMAGe" instead

I haven't used this particular Tek oscope model, but there is a way to transfer the image directly from a oscope to a PC. It's not a trivial task to program (using FileSystem:Read). I would not suggest trying it unless you are a seasoned programmer. Best bet is to use either Blokk's networking suggestions to remote into the Oscope, or use sneaker net (i.e. USB Drive).

[ben64]

Have a look at this thread. The commands to save a screen capture are likely the same.

Ben64

[Blokk]

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@ben64 wrote:

Have a look at this thread. The commands to save a screen capture are likely the same.

Ben64

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Cool! If this works, then it is a simple and direct way to make and save a screen capture in one step 🙂

I thought the "HARDCopy" command is only for sending image to printer, but now it makes sense, manual page 350:

Syntax HARDCopy {STARt}

Related Commands *WAI, *CLS

Arguments STARt sends a block of data representing the current screen image to
the requested port. The data sent is in the image format specified by the
SAVe:IMAGe:FILEFormat command and the compression level is controlled
by the selected format (BMP and TIFF are uncompressed whereas PNG is
compressed). The HARDCopy:INKSaver determines whether the data sent is
in InkSaver mode.

So as I see that "VISA Read to File" just after that HARDCopy command should get the data of the screen image. Kudos!

[crossrulz]

For the TDS3000 series, the HARDCopy command is the way to go.  I would assume the MDO3000 series has the same command.

The actual code I used can be found here.

EDIT: And do make sure you set the image type to be a PNG.  They are a lot smaller than bmp and jpg.  PNGs are perfect for scope screen captures.