Jitter spectrum measurements with a digital oscilloscope
February 21, 2022
Clockworks Signal Processing released an application note that measures jitter using a SIGLENT XE series of oscilloscopes. The basic idea is simple enough – measure the clock edges and see if they are all exactly evenly spaced or if they change (jitter) over time. A non-uniform clock fed to an ADC or DAC will produce … Continued
Comparison/Differences in SDS1000X-U and SDS1000X-E oscilloscope models
December 8, 2021
The four-channel SIGLENT SDS1000X-E models (SDS1104X-E and SDS1204X-E models) and SDS1000X-U oscilloscopes are based on very similar digital platforms and share many features. They do have some differences that could be important for you to understand prior to selecting the proper product for your application. Here are the major differences (Note XE is used to … Continued
Programming Example: Identification String (*IDN?) return with LabVIEW 2018
December 16, 2019
This LabVIEW VI (version 2018) provides a simple platform to begin creating LabVIEW programs. You can download the VI here: VISA_IDN.ZIP In this example, the user can: Select the connected instruments from the VISA Resource List drop down menu: NOTE: USB devices will automatically appear. For LAN connections, you will need to add the device. … Continued
Programming Example: Using VXI11 (LXI) and Python for LAN control without sockets
October 3, 2018
In an effort to meet the demands of remote monitoring and control, modern test instrumentation is leveraging more communications busses and than ever before. Each type of bus can also have numerous layers that can be utilized for specific advantages. The VXI bus and subsequent software drivers form a convenient software API that can make remote control … Continued
Programming Example: List connected VISA compatible resources using PyVISA
August 30, 2018
PyVISA is a software library that enables Python applications to communicate with resources (typically instruments) connected to a controlling computer using different buses, including: GPIB, RS-232, LAN, and USB. This example scans and lists the available resources. It requires PyVISA to be installed (see the PyVISA documentation for more information) *** ***** Here is the … Continued
SDS FFT performance on low frequency signals
May 23, 2018
Like many modern oscilloscopes, the SIGLENT SDS series feature FFT math functions that calculate frequency information from the acquired voltage vs. time data. FFT stands for Fast Fourier Transform, and is a common method for determining the frequency content of a time-varying signal. Converting time domain data to the frequency domain makes measuring characteristics like … Continued
Testing Open Socket Communications Using PuTTY
October 19, 2017
Many instruments include the ability to be controlled via a remote connection to a computer using an Ethernet connection. In many cases, these instruments require a special software library that can help establish and maintain the communications link between the instrument and controlling computer. This can be annoying for a few reasons… the software library … Continued
Verification of a working remote communications connection using NI – MAX
September 29, 2017
Automating a test can dramatically increase the productivity, throughput, and accuracy of a process. Automating a setup involves connecting a computer to the test instrumentation using a standard communications bus like USB or LAN and then utilizing code entered via a software layer (like LabVIEW, .NET, Python, etc..) to sequence the specific instrument commands and … Continued