Multi Channel software

User manual

TiePie engineering
Copyright ©2024 TiePie engineering.
All rights reserved.

Revision 1.11, June 2024

Despite the care taken for the compilation of this user

manual, TiePie engineering can not be held responsi-
ble for any damage resulting from errors that may ap-
pear in this manual.
Contents

1 Introduction 1
1.1 About the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 How to use the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2.1 Controlling the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.2 Edit fields for numerical values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Software installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3.1 Check for updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3.2 Submit usage statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4 Hardware installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Software basics 5
2.1 Main window parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 User presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.1 Creating a User preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.2 Loading a user preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.3 Clearing a user preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2.4 Naming a user preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3 User preset Worksets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3.1 Add a workset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.3.2 Select a workset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.3.3 Remove worksets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.4 Quick Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.4.1 Quick Setup ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.4.2 Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.4.3 Only show compatible Quick Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.5 Basic (quick) functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.5.1 New graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.5.2 Oscilloscope in Yt mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.5.3 Oscilloscope in XY mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.5.4 Spectrum analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.5.5 Data logger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.5.6 Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Contents I
 2.5.7 CAN decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.5.8 I2 C decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.5.9 UART / Serial decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.6 Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.7 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

3 Objects 17
3.1 Object tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.2 Creating objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.3 Configuring objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.4 Cloning objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.5 Connecting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.6 Disconnecting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.7 Inserting objects between other objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.8 Deleting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.9 Saving objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.10 Exporting object data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.11 Using aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.12 Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

4 Instruments 23
4.1 Selecting and opening instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.1.1 Combining instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.1.2 Network instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.1.3 Demo instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.2 Controlling instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.2.1 Using the oscilloscope toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.2.2 Using the channel toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.2.3 Using popup menus and settings windows . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.3 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.3.1 Instrument settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.3.2 Trigger settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4.3.3 Channel settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

5 Arbitrary Waveform Generator 41

5.1 Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
5.2 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

II
 5.3 Output invert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
5.4 Generator mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.5 Signal properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.5.1 Frequency mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.5.2 Sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.6 Setfiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.7 Arbitrary data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.7.1 Loading arbitrary data from an open source . . . . . . . . . 46
5.7.2 Loading arbitrary data from a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.7.3 Data resampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.8 Hotkeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.9 Oscilloscope triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

6 Sources 49
6.1 Software generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

7 I/Os 51
7.1 Math I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
7.1.1 Gain / Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
7.1.2 Add/Subtract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
7.1.3 Multiply/Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
7.1.4 Sqrt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
7.1.5 ABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
7.1.6 Differentiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
7.1.7 Integrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
7.1.8 Logarithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
7.2 Filter I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
7.2.1 Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
7.2.2 Ideal Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.2.3 Signal Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.2.4 Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.3 Adjusting I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.3.1 Deskew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.3.2 Slice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
7.3.3 Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
7.3.4 Comparator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
7.3.5 Resampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Contents III
 7.3.6 Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
7.4 Miscellaneous I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.4.1 Min / Max detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.4.2 Data collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.4.3 Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.5 Analyzing I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.5.1 Duty cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.5.2 RMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
7.5.3 Maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
7.5.4 Minimum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
7.5.5 Maximum - Minimum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
7.5.6 Phase difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
7.5.7 FFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
7.5.8 EMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
7.6 Automotive I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
7.6.1 Crankshaft angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
7.6.2 RPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
7.6.3 EV charger control pilot analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
7.7 Decoder I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.7.1 Pulse decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.7.2 I2 C decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.7.3 UART / Serial decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.7.4 CAN decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.7.5 SAE J1939 decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
7.7.6 SPI decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
7.7.7 Base section to index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

8 Sinks 63
8.1 Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
8.2 Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
8.3 Disk writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.4 Auto disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.5 Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.6 Compression test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

9 Displaying data in graphs 65

9.1 Creating new graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

IV
 9.2 Active graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
9.3 Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
9.4 Vertical axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
9.4.1 Tabbing axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
9.4.2 Adjusting displayed signals using an axis . . . . . . . . . . . 68
9.4.3 Show or hide a line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
9.4.4 Automatically arranging axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
9.4.5 Merging axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
9.4.6 Axis type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
9.4.7 Axis range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
9.4.8 Visible range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
9.4.9 Clipping detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
9.4.10 Show peaks and harmonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
9.5 Horizontal Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
9.5.1 Axis range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
9.5.2 Visible range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
9.5.3 Follow source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
9.5.4 Axis type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
9.5.5 Time axis label style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
9.6 Graph toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
9.7 Zooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
9.7.1 Zooming using keyboard controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
9.8 Automatic measurements using cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
9.8.1 Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
9.8.2 Phase cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
9.9 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.10 Using comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
9.11 Drawing options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
9.11.1 Interpolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
9.11.2 Visual noise reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
9.11.3 Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
9.11.4 Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

10 Displaying data in Meters 85

10.1 Clipping detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.2 Display properties and actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Contents V
 10.2.1 Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.2.2 Digits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.2.3 Decimals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
10.2.4 Auto Prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
10.2.5 Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
10.2.6 Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
10.2.7 Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
10.2.8 Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
10.3 Column actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
10.3.1 Add Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
10.3.2 Disconnect source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
10.4 Meter properties and actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
10.4.1 Single column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
10.4.2 Measurement data range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
10.4.3 Log to disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
10.4.4 Stop disk logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
10.4.5 Copy to clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
10.4.6 Always on top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

11 Saving and logging measurements 93

11.1 Saving a single scope/spectrum analyzer measurement . . . . . . . 93
11.1.1 Saving to a TPS file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
11.1.2 Saving objects to a TPO file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
11.2 Saving multiple scope/spectrum analyzer measurements . . . . . . 95
11.3 Save continuous data logger measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
11.4 Exporting single measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.5 Exporting multiple measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11.6 Saving a measurement to an image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
11.6.1 Saving an image from the command line . . . . . . . . . . . 101
11.6.2 Supported image file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
11.6.3 Image dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
11.6.4 Image scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

12 Loading saved measurements 103

12.1 Loading a whole file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
12.2 Loading just a part of a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
12.3 Loading into selected objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

VI
A Number input prefixes, constants and functions 105
A.1 Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
A.2 Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
A.3 Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

B Standard measurements 107

B.1 Short description of the measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
B.2 Reference resistor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

C Hotkeys 115

D Files types 117

D.1 Multi Channel TPS files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
D.2 Multi Channel TPO files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
D.3 Multi Channel TPIDX files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
D.4 WinSoft files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
D.5 Exporting to other file types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

E Command line parameters 119

E.1 Batch converting multiple saved measurements . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Index 121

Contents VII
VIII
 Introduction
1
The Multi Channel software package is the measuring software for the
TiePie engineering measuring instruments and function generators. This
document explains the basic functionality in the application. It is intended
to get you started and to teach you how to do basic and more advanced
measurements.
A basic knowledge of controlling windows based applications and com-
puter based measuring instruments is assumed. For a detailed and up
to date description of functionality and objects that are not described
in this document, refer to the help file that comes with the Multi Chan-
nel software or to the library section of the TiePie engineering website
www.tiepie.com.

1.1 About the software

The Multi Channel software can control an unlimited amount of mea-
suring instruments, each with an unlimited amount of channels. The Multi
Channel software can display this data in an unlimited amount of differ-
ent displays. Measured data can be displayed directly, but it can also be
processed first.
In addition to measured data from the instrument input channels, the
software can also work with other data sources. For example data from
internal software signal generators can be combined with the measured
data.
Besides for measuring and displaying data, the Multi Channel software
can be used to control Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWG). An AWG
can be used to generate standard signals, like sine, block and triangle or
for generating arbitrary signals, for example signals that have previously
been measured. Refer to chapter 5 for information about the AWG.

1.2 How to use the software

The Multi Channel software is suitable both for experienced and inexpe-
rienced users. For performing most common measurements in an easy
way, you can use the Quick Setups, which are explained in section 2.4.
The Quick Setups automatically setup the hardware, create graphs and
other objects that are needed to perform the measurement.
To easily perform more complex measurements, you can load prede-
fined setfiles and start measuring right away.

Introduction 1
 To get more control and flexibility, you can create objects yourself and
connect them to each other the way you want. You can find information
about using objects in chapter 3 and the online help. When you have
created your test setup, you can store it in a setfile for later use. See
chapter D for more information about using files.

1.2.1 Controlling the software

There are many different ways to control the Multi Channel software. A
few of them are treated in this section. This will be enough to get you
started. Not all of the functionality is mentioned in this manual. Once you
are used to how the software is controlled, you will discover it yourself.

Hotkeys The instruments and graphs in the Multi Channel software can
be controlled with hotkeys. You can find a complete list of the hotkeys in
appendix C. Once you know the most important hotkeys by heart you will
be able to change settings very quickly.

Popup menus Almost all settings and options in the Multi Channel soft-
ware are available via popup menus. When you right-click an object, a
popup menu will appear which contains actions that affect the object
you clicked. The best way to find all the possibilities is to try.

Drag and drop Besides the popup menus, drag and drop is very im-
portant. You can drag different objects onto each other or onto graphs to
make connections and you can drag graph axes and trigger symbols. You
can find more information about connecting different objects in section
3.5. In section 9.3 you can read how to drag axes. Just like with the popup
menus, the best way to find all the possibilities is to try. The mouse cursor
will indicate where the object you are dragging can be dropped.

1.2.2 Edit fields for numerical values

In many locations in the software, it is possible to enter a numerical value,
e.g. to set the gain value of a Gain / Offset I/O.
Entering numbers can be done in various ways:
as plain number e.g. 1200
in scientific notation e.g. 1.2e3
using prefixes e.g. 1.2k or 1k2
as an expression e.g. 10 * ( 100 + 20 )
Several prefixes can be used in edit fields. Prefixes are case sensitive!
Expressions can besides numbers also use parentheses (always in pairs),
constants and mathematical functions. These are case insensitive.
An overview of all valid prefixes, constants and functions can be found in
appendix A

2 Chapter 1
 Any expression that is entered, will be evaluated by the software and the
resulting value is used. The expression will be kept, to make later changes
easier. The expression is also saved when saving a setup to a .TPS file and
reloaded when that file is later reloaded.

1.3 Software installation

If you have just recently purchased your instrument, you can download
the installation program from www.tiepie.com/download to install the
software.
The installation process is straightforward and is not explained in detail
here. During the installation you will be prompted if you would like to as-
sociate the file extensions .DAT and .SET with the Multi Channel software.
These files are used by the old WinSoft measurement software. If you
associate the extensions with the Multi Channel software (default), you
will be able to open WinSoft files by just double clicking them or dragging
them on the main window of the Multi Channel software. If you don’t have
WinSoft files or have other programs that use these file extensions, you
can uncheck the checkboxes.

1.3.1 Check for updates

The Multi Channel software can automatically check for updates when it
is started. When a new software version is available, a message will be
shown, including a link to a page showing the changes in the software,
as well as a download link. You can then download and install the new
version. This is not done automatically.

1.3.2 Submit usage statistics

In order to help us improve the Multi Channel software, the software can
send usage statistics to TiePie engineering. The statistics give us insight
in which features are used and how they are used. These usage statistics
are anonymized and do not contain any personally identifiable informa-
tion.

1.4 Hardware installation

Before the Multi Channel software can control your instrument(s), a
driver needs to be installed. Please refer to the user manual of your in-
strument(s) for instructions for installing hardware and drivers.
The drivers for the TiePie engineering instruments are continuously im-
proved. It is recommended to download the latest version of the driver
for your instrument from www.tiepie.com/download.

Introduction 3
4 Chapter 1
 Software basics
2
This chapter will explain the basics of the Multi Channel software to get
you started. It will show you the different parts of the main window and
how to use them to perform basic measurements. A Handyscope HS5 is
used in most of the examples, but of course other instruments supported
by the Multi Channel software can be used just as well.

2.1 Main window parts

When you start the Multi Channel software it will look like figure 2.1. This
section will explain the function of the different parts of the main window.

Figure 2.1: Main window

In the picture, the different parts are indicated with numbers:

1. Main menu
2. File toolbar
3. Quick Setups toolbar
4. Instrument toolbar
5. Object tree
6. Graph
7. User presets

Software basics 5
 2 File toolbar The file toolbar can be used for accessing frequently
used items from the file menu, for example opening, saving or reload-
ing files.
It also gives access to some quick functions that can be used to create a
new scope, spectrum analyzer, data logger or multimeter, as well as some
protocol analyzers. for more info on these quick functions see section 2.5.
Finally it holds buttons to create math channels, set the application color
scheme and toolbar scheme and it gives access to the Arbitrary Wave-
form Generator window(s).

3 Quick Setups toolbar The Quick Setups toolbar gives access to the
Quick Setups, a system to quickly setup the instrument and software for
any measurement task. See section 2.4 for more information about the
Quick Setups.

4 Instrument toolbar The instrument toolbar can be used to control

basic instrument settings, like Sample frequency, Record length and
trigger settings. For each channel, a channel toolbar is present to con-
trol channel settings like Range, Auto ranging and Coupling. Refer to
chapter 4 for more information about controlling instruments.

5 Object tree The object tree is situated at the left side of the main
window of the application. In figure 2.1 it is opened, but it can also be
closed to maximize the available space for graphs. It can be revealed and
hidden by clicking the Show object tree button on the main toolbar or
by clicking the ◀ or ▶ at the upper right corner of the object tree.
It contains the measuring instruments, function generators and other ob-
jects constructed in the application and shows how these are connected.
These other objects are data Sources, I/Os and data Sinks, which all can
be used in combination with the measured data. For detailed informa-
tion on how to work with the objects in the object tree, refer to chapter
3.

6 Graph The Multi Channel software allows you to create and arrange
multiple graphs for displaying measured or generated data. In chapter 9
you can read more about graphs.

7 User presets toolbar The Multi Channel software allows to create

sets of user defined presets, to quickly load often used settings, for dif-
ferent applications. See section 2.2 for more information about the User
Presets.

6 Chapter 2
 2.2 User presets
When you have several often used measurement setups, an easy and
convenient way to handle these is to store them as user presets. A user
preset contains instrument settings, software desktop settings like which
I/Os are used and what is being shown in the graph(s), etc. and measured
data.
A user preset is stored with the software and is then accessible via a User
preset button on the preset toolbar.

Figure 2.2: User preset toolbar

Assigned User preset buttons are enabled and show a colored icon:

Unassigned User preset buttons are grayed, showing a gray icon

2.2.1 Creating a User preset

To create a user preset, you first have to setup the software and instru-
ment for the specific measurement application. Once the setup is ready,
. key and clicking one
you can create the user preset by pressing the Ctrl
of the user preset buttons.
When a button is clicked that already has a preset assigned, the software
will ask for a confirmation if the existing user preset can be overwritten.

Figure 2.3: Confirm User preset overwrite

When an unassigned button is clicked, the current setup is assigned to

that button. The button is now no longer grayed. When the highest unas-
signed button was clicked, a new, unassigned button with a higher num-
ber will be added. A maximum of 20 user presets can be assigned this
way.

2.2.2 Loading a user preset

To load a specific user preset, all that needs to be done is clicking the
corresponding button. All settings will be loaded from the user preset
and measuring with that setting can immediately start.

Software basics 7
2.2.3 Clearing a user preset
When a preset is no longer required, the preset location can be cleared.
. and Shift
To clear a user preset, press the Ctrl . key together and click
the preset button of the user preset to clear. A confirmation dialog will
be shown:

Figure 2.4: Confirm User preset clearing

When the user preset is cleared, the location becomes available again
for a new user preset. When more preset locations are assigned, clear-
ing one of the middle preset locations will unassign that location, leav-
ing all other locations unchanged. When the cleared user preset was the
highest assigned preset, all unassigned preset buttons higher than the
now highest assigned preset button minus one will be removed from the
toolbar.

2.2.4 Naming a user preset

When multiple presets are assigned, it may be difficult to find the proper
preset for an application. When the user preset buttons are hovered with
the mouse, a hint is shown, containing the title of the corresponding pre-
set and an overview of the preset handling commands. When no title is
given yet, the hint shows User preset and the corresponding number of
the preset.
. key and click the correspond-
To give a user preset a title, press the Alt
ing user preset button. A dialog to enter a name for the user preset is
shown.

Figure 2.5: Enter User preset name

To clear an existing name for a user preset, empty the edit box and click
the OK button.

2.3 User preset Worksets

The User presets can be ordered in Worksets, allowing to create one or
more worksets for different applications, each with one or more user

8 Chapter 2
 presets. The Multi Channel software can handle an unlimited amount of
worksets, with each up to 20 user presets. Initially, the Multi Channel soft-
ware has only one default workset, where all user presets are stored.

2.3.1 Add a workset

To add a new workset, click the Worksets button and select Add work-
set ... from the menu that pops up. A dialog is then shown in which the
name for the workset can be entered. When an existing workset name is
entered, a warning is displayed and a new name can be entered.

Figure 2.6: Enter workset name

Worksets are stored on disk, in separate directories for each workset.

The name of the workset is used as directory name. When this directory
for the workset can not be made, a warning is given.
After creating the new workset, it is also set as active workset. The new
workset is empty, it can now filled with new user presets.

2.3.2 Select a workset

When more than one workset is available, a specific workset can be se-
lected by clicking the Worksets button and selecting the required work-
set from the menu that pops up. The user presets toolbar will now be
filled with buttons for the presets in the workset. When a user preset will
be created, modified or cleared, it will be done in the selected workset.

2.3.3 Remove worksets

When a workset is no longer required, it can be removed from the soft-
ware. Click the Worksets button and select Remove worksets ... from
the menu that pops up. That opens a dialog where all worksets can be
selected to be removed.

Figure 2.7: Remove worksets

Software basics 9
 All user presets in the workset as well as the workset itself will be re-
moved. This is a permanent, non-reversible operation. The default work-
set can not be removed. After removing one or more worksets, the de-
fault workset is activated.

2.4 Quick Setups

To simplify setting up measurements, the Multi Channel software con-
tains a large number of Quick Setups. A Quick Setup contains the basic
settings for a specific measurement. After loading it, that specific mea-
surement can be performed and if needed, small adjustments to the
setup can be made. The Quick Setups are selected and loaded from a
Quick Setup selection dialog, opened by clicking the Load Quick Setup
button, selecting the Load Quick Setup option in the File menu or by
.
pressing hotkey Shift . + O. .
+ Ctrl

Figure 2.8: Quick Setup selection window

2.4.1 Quick Setup ordering

The Quick Setups are ordered in folders by measurement type, e.g. Os-
cilloscope, Protocol decoder or Spectrum analyzer. Each measurement
type can have up to two levels of subfolders, indicating the discriminating
properties of the measurement, e.g. number of channels or communica-
tion protocol. The final level contains one or more Quick Setups that can
be loaded.

2.4.2 Selection
Folders and Quick Setups can be selected using the mouse or using the
arrow keys on the keyboard. Selected folders and Quick Setups are indi-
cated by their background color, the active selection is also indicated by
a thick outline. The information pane at the right side of the dialog shows
additional information regarding the selected folder or Quick Setup. It

10 Chapter 2
 can also show a link to a web page with additional measurement infor-
mation.
.
Double-clicking the Quick Setup, pressing the Enter key or clicking the
OK button will load the selected Quick Setup.

2.4.3 Only show compatible Quick Setups

Depending on the instrument that is used, certain Quick Setups may
not be compatible with the used instrument, because it requires cer-
tain specifications that the instrument does not meet. These are e.g. a
Quick Setup that requires more input channels than the instrument has,
a Quick Setup that requires a higher sampling rate than the instrument
supports, etc.
Quick Setups not compatible with the connected instrument are hidden
from the selection dialog by default. Unchecking ”Only show compatible
Quick Setups” will add these Quick Setups to the dialog and allows to load
these Quick Setups. Note that after loading the instrument setup will be
different than was intended, because of the incompatibilities.

2.5 Basic (quick) functions

This section will show you how to use the quick functions to setup the
displays to perform basic measurements. Besides setting up the display,
in most situations instrument settings need to be changed to correctly
measure a signal. You can read how to change instrument settings in
chapter 4. The quick functions can be accessed through the main menu
or the quick functions toolbar.

Figure 2.9: Quick functions toolbar

Software basics 11
 The quick functions toolbar contains quick functions to use the active
measurement instrument as a standard virtual instrument:

Create a new, empty graph

Oscilloscope in Yt mode
Oscilloscope in XY mode
Spectrum analyzer
Data logger
Voltmeter
CAN decoder
I2 C decoder
UART / Serial decoder
Create a Math channel
Select a color scheme
Select a toolbar scheme
Open the Arbitrary Waveform Generator window

2.5.1 New graph

To create a new, empty graph, click the New graph button on the tool-
bar. This will create a new graph in the in the area of the largest available
graph,
√ dividing that area in two. When the width of the area is larger than
2 times its height, the new graph will be created next to the existing
graph. Otherwise, it will be created below it.

2.5.2 Oscilloscope in Yt mode

To use the active measuring instrument as an oscilloscope in Yt mode,
click the Yt graph button on the toolbar. The channels of the active
instrument will be shown in an empty graph. A new graph will be created
when no empty graph is present.

Figure 2.10: Yt graph.

12 Chapter 2
2.5.3 Oscilloscope in XY mode
To use the active measuring instrument as an oscilloscope in XY mode,
click the XY graph button on the toolbar. Channels 1 and 2 of the
active instrument will be shown in an empty graph. A new graph will be
created when no empty graph is present. This function is disabled when
the active instrument has less than two channels.

Figure 2.11: XY graph.

2.5.4 Spectrum analyzer

To use the active measuring instrument as a spectrum analyzer, click the
Spectrum analyzer button on the toolbar.

Figure 2.12: Spectrum graph.

An FFT I/O object will be created and connected to each channel of the
active instrument. The FFT objects convert the measured time base sig-
nals to a spectrum by means of a Fast Fourier Transform, see section 7.5.7.
The outputs of the newly created FFT objects will be shown in an empty
graph. A new graph will be created when no empty graph is present.

2.5.5 Data logger

To use the active measuring instrument as a data logger, click the Data
logger button on the toolbar.

Software basics 13
 Figure 2.13: Data logger graph.

The active instrument will be set to streaming mode and a Data collec-
tor object will be created and connected to each channel of the active
instrument. The outputs of the newly created data collector objects will
be shown in an empty graph. A new graph will be created when no empty
graph is present.
The Data logger is usually used for relatively slow signals. The instrument
is set to streaming mode. The advantages over normal scope mode op-
eration are:

• The measurement display is constantly updated during the mea-

surement. You don’t have to wait until the whole measurement is
completed to see the result.
• Longer measurements are possible than would fit in the instru-
ment’s memory in normal scope operation.

Read more about the differences between scope mode and streaming
mode in section 4.3.1.

2.5.6 Voltmeter

To use the active measuring instrument as a voltmeter, click the Volt-

meter button on the toolbar. The channels of the active instrument will
be shown in a newly created meter object. Read more about meters in
section 10.

Figure 2.14: Voltmeter.

By default, the measurements Mean and RMS are enabled. Other mea-
surements can be added for each channel. Examples are: minimum, max-

14 Chapter 2
 imum, top-bottom, variance, standard deviation, frequency and for fre-
quency data: Total Harmonic Distortion. See appendix B for a list of the
available measurements and a description.

2.5.7 CAN decoder

To use the active measuring instrument as a CAN decoder, click the

CAN decoder button on the toolbar. A new CAN decoder I/O will be cre-
ated and connected to an newly created Table sink to display the de-
coded CAN data. Read more on the CAN decoder in section 7.7.4.
If the active instrument has two or more channels, the user is asked
whether one or two channels should be used. When two channels are
used, both the CAN high and CAN low signal should be measured. The dif-
ference signal H-L is calculated with a Add/Subtract I/O and fed into the
analyzer.
If only one channel is used, this may measure CAN high, or the differential
CAN signal H-L. The latter is only possible with a differential input.

2.5.8 I2 C decoder

To use the active measuring instrument as a I2 C decoder, click the

I2 C decoder button on the toolbar. A new I2 C decoder I/O will be created
and connected to the first two channels of the active instrument. It is
also connected to an newly created Table sink to display the decoded
I2 C data. The I2 C decoder can only be used with instruments with two or
more channels. The first channel will be used as I2 C SCL (clock) and the
second as I2 C SDA (data). Read more on the I2 C decoder in section 7.7.2.

2.5.9 UART / Serial decoder

To use the active measuring instrument as a serial decoder, click the
button on the toolbar. A new Serial decoder I/O will be created and
connected to the first active channel of the active instrument. It is also
connected to an newly created Table sink to display the decoded UART
/ serial data. It can be used to analyze RS232, RS485, MIDI, DMX or other
compatible serial buses. Read more on the UART / Serial decoder in sec-
tion 7.7.3.

2.6 Printing
You can print your measurements just like they are shown on the screen.
Each graph is printed to a separate page. Choose Print... in the File
menu, press the Print button on the file toolbar, or use the hotkey
.
Ctrl-P .

Software basics 15
 The graphs are printed with the selected graph scheme. By default
a black and white printing scheme is used, but you can also use a
scheme with colors or define your own color scheme. You can select an-
other scheme or change colors for printing in the application settings, in
Graph→Print. To check how the graphs will look on paper without actually
printing them, click Print preview... in the File menu.

2.7 Settings
Many applications settings can be changed with the settings window. You
can open the settings window by clicking the Settings... item in the
Tools menu.

Language The user interface of the Multi Channel software can be set
to many different languages via the Select language... item in the Tools
menu. This item is always displayed in the currently selected language
and in English to make it easily accessible. Changing the user interface
language requires the Multi Channel software to be restarted.

Graph schemes You will notice the colors of the screen shots in this
manual are different than the standard colors on your screen when
you use the software. The screen shots were made using a different
graph scheme. You can choose from several schemes or make your own
schemes for on screen as well as for printing. Schemes can be altered or
added via the application settings, in Graph→Display. Schemes can be
selected using the Color scheme button on the main toolbar.

Meter schemes Just as the colors of the graphs, the colors of the me-
ters can also be changed with schemes. Schemes can be altered or added
via the application settings, in Meter→Display.

Toolbars The instrument and channel toolbars (see sections 4.2.1 and
4.2.2) are fully customizable. Buttons and readouts for all settings can
be dragged on or off the toolbar to meet specific needs. Also the icon
size and text size can be adjusted. Toolbar configurations can be stored
for easy reconfiguring different setups via the application settings, in
Instruments→Oscilloscopes→Toolbar. Toolbar schemes can be selected
using the Toolbar scheme button on the main toolbar.

16 Chapter 2
 Objects
3
The Multi Channel software has a modular structure, with measuring in-
struments, function generators and other objects constructed in the ap-
plication. Besides measuring data with the TiePie engineering measuring
instruments and displaying it like on a conventional scope, it is possible
to do different kinds of processing on the measured data. Data can be
combined with other measured data or with software generated data.
The objects that are available, are divided into five groups:

Oscilloscopes: The detected and opened oscilloscopes with their

channels. See chapter 4.
Function generators: The detected and opened Function genera-
tors. See chapter 5.
Sources: objects that generate data, like software generators. Sour-
ces only have output(s) (like the channels of an instrument). See
chapter 6.
I/Os: objects that accept data (Input), process this data in a specific
way, like e.g. adding, multiplying, filtering, etc. and then generate the
processed data (Output). These objects have input(s) and output(s).
See chapter 7.
Sinks: objects accepting data, like e.g. graphs and meters and tables.
These objects only have input(s). See chapter 8.

Objects can be combined and connected to each other to create mea-

surement applications that range from very simple to very complex.

3.1 Object tree

All objects are located in the object tree. The object tree is situated at
the left side of the main window of the application. It can be resized by
dragging the splitter bar at the right of the object tree. It can be revealed
and hidden by clicking the Show object tree button on the main tool-
bar or by clicking the ◀ or ▶ at the upper right corner of the object tree.
In the application settings can be determined whether the object tree
is default visible or hidden. The status of the object tree (visible or hid-
den) is also saved when a measurement is saved and restored when that
measurement is loaded again.

Objects 17
 3.2 Creating objects
A new source, I/O or sink is created by clicking on the root item in the
object tree and selecting the object of your choice from the popup menu.
In figure 3.1 the I/Os item is clicked and the category Analyze is selected
in the popup menu.

Figure 3.1: Creating an I/O object

3.3 Configuring objects

To control the behavior of an object, several settings and actions are avail-
able. These are divided in two categories: object specific settings and ac-
tions which only occur on that specific object and common settings and
actions, which occur on each object.
The settings and actions can be accessed through a popup menu which
is shown when the object is right clicked in the Object tree.
The settings of an object can also be accessed through its settings win-
dow which is shown when the object is double clicked in the Object tree.
Each object gets its own settings window, affecting only the settings of
that specific object.
The settings window shows the icon of the object and a small description
of its function. If the object has a source, it shows the source(s) of the
object and also gives access to the settings window of the source(s). It
also shows the object specific settings of the object and some important
common settings.
The settings windows will either show all settings of an object, or they
are simplified, showing only the most important settings. Checking ”Ad-
vanced” will then show all settings. The ability to select between simple
and avanced is determined in the program settings of the Multi Channel
software.

18 Chapter 3
 Changes to settings are activated immediately. The settings window can
be left open to allow easy changing of object settings.

Figure 3.2: Object popup menu and settings window.

It is possible to change specific settings of multiple objects at the same

time. Multiple objects can be selected by selecting each object individu-
ally by clicking them with the mouse and keeping the Ctrl key pressed.
The popup menu that is then opened by right-clicking the selection will
show all common settings and actions of the selected objects. A setting
can then be changed and all selected objects will get the same value for
that setting.
This can be used when e.g. 4 channels are measured and each channel
is filtered using a Filter I/O and for all filters the cut off frequency needs
to be adjusted.

3.4 Cloning objects

Another way to create objects, is to clone existing objects. A new object
of the same type will be created with the same settings and data as the
original. To clone an object, choose Clone in its popup menu.

3.5 Connecting objects

The different objects in the object tree can be connected to other objects
by means of drag and drop. You can drag a source or I/O object on a sink

Objects 19
 object or I/O block. The output of the source or I/O that is dragged will
then connect to the input of the I/O or sink it is dropped on.

Figure 3.3: Connecting objects.

In the example in figure 3.3, two SoftGen sources are dropped onto the
Add / Subtract I/O to add their signals together. The Add / Subtract I/O
displays its sources between braces.
The output of the Add / Subtract I/O now contains the signals of the two
SoftGens, added together. To display this result in e.g. a graph, drag the
Add / Subtract I/O in a graph.
When a source with multiple outputs (e.g. an instrument) is dropped on
an I/O or sink with one input, the I/O or sink is cloned multiple times and
each output of the source is connected to such an I/O or sink.

Figure 3.4: Connecting and cloning objects.

3.6 Disconnecting objects

There are different ways to disconnect objects. In the popup menu of
each source you can find the items Disconnect all sinks and Disconnect
sink(s).... When you click the latter, a dialog will popup which lets you
choose which sinks to disconnect.

20 Chapter 3
 In the popup menu of sinks, you will find similar items to disconnect its
sources. Since I/O objects are both sink and source, their menu contains
items for disconnecting sources as well as sinks.
When the source of an object is disconnected, the data in the object re-
mains present and can still be shown in a graph, meter or table. It can
also still be used by other objects (I/Os or sinks) connected behind the
object.

3.7 Inserting objects between other objects

To insert an object between two objects that are already connected to
each other, first the objects have to be disconnected from each other.
Then the new object can be placed between them.
Suppose a streaming measurement is performed where Channel 1 is
connected to a Data Collector I/O and the data needs to be filtered before
collecting it in the Data Collector I/O. The steps to do that are:

1. Right-click the Data Collector I/O and select Disconnect all sources
from the popup menu.
2. Create a Filter I/O that has to be connected between Channel 1 and
the Data Collector I/O.
3. Connect Channel 1 to the Filter I/O by dragging and dropping Chan-
nel 1 on the Filter I/O.
4. Drag and drop the Filter I/O on the Data Collector I/O.

The Filter is now placed between Channel 1 and the Data Collector.

3.8 Deleting objects

When an object is no longer needed, it can be deleted by right-clicking it
in the Object tree and selecting Delete from its popup menu. If the object
was connected to other objects, these connections are removed. These
other objects stay intact.

3.9 Saving objects

An object can be saved to disk, into a TPO file (see D.2) to be used again
in a later stage. Both all settings of the object as well as the data in the
object are saved in the file. Right-click the object in the Object tree and
select Save... from the popup menu to save the object.
When multiple objects are selected and the selection is saved to a TPO
file, all objects, including teir settings and data are saved. But also the
connections between the objects are saved in the file. This makes it pos-
sible to create a complex calculation using multiple object and save that
to disk. Later, this complete calculation can be loaded in the software

Objects 21
 again and be used again. Opening this TPO file creates all saved objects
and restores their interconnections. All that needs to be done then is to
connect a source and a sink or graph. A TPO file can be read multiple
times to load the caclulation more than once.

3.10 Exporting object data

The data in an object can be exported to disk, in several common file
formats. Right-click the object in the Object tree and select Export data...
from the popup menu to export the object data. See also 11.4.

3.11 Using aliases

You can change the displayed name of the objects. This can be handy
when you are dealing with a lot of objects and have problems keeping
them apart. You can for example give channel one of your instrument the
alias ”Battery”, when it is measuring a battery voltage. To give an object
an alias, use the item Alias... in its menu or the Alias field in its settings
window. To remove an alias and revert to the original name of the object,
set the alias to an empty string or press the reset button of the Alias field.

3.12 Example
In this section you will find an example of how to use objects to add the
signals of two channels together. To do this, create an Add/Subtract ob-
ject and drag the sources you want to add on top of it in the Object tree.
Figure 3.5 shows the result of summing the two channels of a Handy-
scope HS5. To make comparison of the signals easier, put the signals on
one axis by dragging the axes on top of each other, see section 9.3.

Figure 3.5: Summing two channels

22 Chapter 3
 Instruments
4

Figure 4.1: Instruments

The TiePie engineering instruments, like the Handyscope HS5, consist

of one or more input channels to acquire measurements. Some instru-
ments also have a function generator or Arbitrary Waveform Generator out-
put. In the software, an AWG is regarded as a separate independent
device. Therefore, in the software and this manual, the word instrument
refers only to the data acquisition part of the physical device.
The first part of this chapter shows how to select and open instruments
in the software. The second part of this chapter shows how to control
the measuring instruments and how to change the different settings. The
sections that follow will show how to perform streaming measurements
and how to combine instruments.

For instrument specific information, refer to the user manual of

your instrument.

4.1 Selecting and opening instruments

When the Multi Channel software is started, all locally connected sup-
ported instruments not in use by other applications will be detected.
When only one instrument is found, it will be opened automatically.
When more supported instruments are detected, the Open instruments
dialog is shown with the detected instruments. To open an instrument,
place a check in the checkbox for that instrument. The checked instru-
ment(s) will be opened when the dialog is closed using the OK button.
Removing a check will close an already opened instrument.

Instruments 23
 Figure 4.2: Open instruments dialog

The toolbar in the dialog gives access to additional functionality regarding

selected instruments. Instruments can be selected by clicking them with
the mouse, when more instruments need to be selected, keep the Ctrl .
pressed as well.

To update the list of detected instruments, the Refresh button or func-

. can be used.
tion key F5

To show detailed information of the selected instrument, click the Info

button. This will show a dialog with instrument name, serial number, cal-
ibration date, driver version etc.

4.1.1 Combining instruments

The software supports combining multiple instruments to a large com-
bined instrument. When the instruments have a CMI interface, this com-
bining is done automatically when the instruments are coupled to each
other via the CMI interface when the software is started. Only the com-
bined instrument will be listed in the dialog.
When the instruments do not have a CMI interface, combining them must
be done manually. To combine these instruments, select them by click-
ing them with the mouse having the Ctrl. key pressed. Clicking the
Combine button will then combine the instruments. The instruments also
need to be connected using a special cable.
When a manually combined instrument (consisting of instruments that
do not have a CMI interface) is listed, it can be split up into individual
instruments again by selecting the combined instrument and clicking the
Separate button. The special coupling cable then has to be removed.

24 Chapter 4
4.1.2 Network instruments
WiFiScopes can be connected via a LAN cable or via WiFi. Refer to the
WiFiScope Quick Start Guide that is delivered with the instrument for
more information.
Selected USB Handyscopes can also be connected via the network, when
using the TPISS Instrument Sharing Server, see www.tiepie.com/tpiss.
When a WifiScope is connected to the network or a USB Handyscope is
connected to a computer in the network running the Instrument Sharing
Server, the Multi Channel software can access, open and use the instru-
ment from a different computer in the network.
To open a network instrument, enable Search instruments in the local
network in the Manage instruments dialog. That will scan the local net-
work for WiFiScopes and for computers running the TPISS and will show
the connected instruments on these computers. Connected instruments
that are in use by another application will be listed as Not available and
can not be opened.

Figure 4.3: Network instruments selection dialog

To open an instrument, place a check in the checkbox for that instrument.

The checked instrument(s) will be opened when the dialog is closed us-
ing the OK button. Removing a check will close an already opened instru-
ment.
The toolbar in the dialog gives access to additional functionality regarding
the detected network instruments.
When a computer running the TPISS Instrument Sharing Server is not
located in the local network, it will not show up in the dialog by default.
Use the Add network location button to add its location to the list of
searched network locations.

Instruments 25
 Figure 4.4: Add network location dialog

The network location can either be entered as IP address or as host

name. When Connect automatically is checked, the Multi Channel soft-
ware will automatically connect to the remote server and show its con-
nected instruments. The location will also be added to the list of used
locations. Editing this list can be done via the program settings.
To connect to a listed remote server, select the server by clicking it with
the mouse and then click the Connect button. The Multi Channel soft-
ware will connect to the server and list all connected instruments to that
server. When network notifications are enabled, these will be shown for
the connected server(s).
To disconnect from a connected remote server, select the server by click-
ing it with the mouse and then click the Disconnect button. The Multi
Channel software will disconnect from the server and no longer list the
connected instruments to that server. Notifications for the disconnected
server are no longer shown.
When a remote server is connected to the network via a wire and it also
has the possibility to connect to the network wireless using WiFi, the
server can be instructed to connect to the WiFi network by selecting the
server and clicking the Setup WiFi button. This will open a WiFi con-
nection dialog in which the available networks are shown.

Figure 4.5: Setup WiFi dialog

To connect to a WiFi network, double click it, which will open a dialog to
enter the WiFi network password. After that, the server will try to connect
to the WiFi network, after which the cable can be removed. To disconnect
from a WiFi network, double click the connected WiFi network, which will
open a confirmation dialog for disconnecting from the WiFi network.
When the IP address or host name of a manually added network location
has changed or was entered incorrect, it can be edited by selecting that

26 Chapter 4
 network lcation by clicking it with the mouse and then pressing the
Edit button.
When a manually added network location is no longer required, it can be
removed from the search list by selecting it with the mouse and clicking
the Delete button.

4.1.3 Demo instruments

When no supported instrument is detected, the Open instruments dialog
is shown with a demo instrument selection, showing all available demo
instruments and their key specifications. The required demo instrument
can then be selected and will be opened when the dialog is closed using
the OK button.

Figure 4.6: Demo instrument selection dialog

4.2 Controlling instruments

The WiFiScope(s) and/or Handyscope(s) opened by the Multi Channel
software can be controlled in different ways. The most convenient way
is to control the oscilloscopes and their channels by means of the tool-
bars, shown at the top of the main window, see figure 4.7.

Figure 4.7: Instrument toolbar

An other way is to control the oscilloscopes by means of popup menus,

opened by right clicking the oscilloscope. The oscilloscope properties can

Instruments 27
 also be accessed through its settings window which is shown when the
scope is double clicked or the Settings window button on the instru-
ment toolbar is clicked.
The quickest way to change the settings is using the hotkeys. When you
are using multiple instruments, the hotkeys affect the active instrument.
This is the instrument highlighted in the object tree. You can make an-
other instrument active by clicking on it in the object tree or using the
hotkey Ctrl. + n. , with n the instrument number (1..0). See appendix C
for a complete list of the available hotkeys.

4.2.1 Using the oscilloscope toolbar

An oscilloscope toolbar as shown in figure 4.8 is created for each
opened oscilloscope. This convenient toolbar has large, clear, touch-
screen friendly buttons for all oscilloscope settings. It shows the current
settings of the oscilloscope and allows to change all settings.
When multiple instruments are detected and opened, each instrument
gets its own oscilloscope toolbar and channel toolbars. To save screen
space, these are tabbed. Clicking the tab of a specific instrument will show
the oscilloscope toolbar of that instrument and will also show the channel
toolbars of that instrument.
The oscilloscope toolbar is fully configurable through the program set-
tings. You can set the button size, add or remove buttons and change
the order of the buttons.

Figure 4.8: Oscilloscope toolbar

In the default toolbar setup, it shows the time base setting and buttons
to adjust the time base, sampling rate and record length indicators, pre
trigger setting controls and readout, the trigger settings and a button to
open the instrument settings window. Clicking the text labels will open a
popup menu to change the corresponding setting. Refer to the help for
detailed information of all controls for the oscilloscope toolbar.

Measurements can be started and stopped by using the Start, Stop

and One Shot buttons on the instrument bar. When the start button or
its hotkey S. is pressed, the instrument will start measuring continuously
until the measuring is stopped by pressing the button or hotkey again.
When the one shot button or its hotkey O. is pressed, one measurement
is performed.

28 Chapter 4
4.2.2 Using the channel toolbar
A channel toolbar as shown in figure 4.9 is created for each oscilloscope
channel. This convenient toolbar has large, clear, touchscreen friendly
buttons for all channel settings, such as input range and coupling. It
shows the current settings of the channel and allows to change all set-
tings by clicking on the buttons.
When a combined instrument is created and opened the channels of the
combined instrument are grouped in a tab per sub instrument. This re-
duces the space occupied by the toolbars, leaving more space for the
graph(s). It also simplifies adjusting a channel for a specific sub instru-
ment in the combined instrument.
The channel toolbar is fully configurable through the program settings.
You can set the button size, add or remove buttons and change the order
of the buttons.

Figure 4.9: Channel toolbar

In the default toolbar setup, it shows a channel indicator, with its name
and showing the used channel color, input coupling controls, input range
controls, the probe setting and a button to open the channel settings
window. Clicking the text labels will open a popup menu to change the
corresponding setting. Refer to the help for detailed information of all
controls for the channel toolbar.

4.2.3 Using popup menus and settings windows

When an oscilloscope or channel is clicked in the object tree, a popup
menu is opened, showing all settings and actions which are available for
that oscilloscope or channel.

Instruments 29
 Figure 4.10: Oscilloscope popup and setings window

Using the option Show settings window, a settings window is opened,

which allows to changes all available settings. The settings window is also
opened when the oscilloscope or channel is double clicked or the Set-
tings window button on the oscilloscope or channel toolbar is clicked.
Only the most used settings and actions are available for an oscilloscope
or channel.

4.3 Settings
The settings of an instrument can be divided in three groups: instru-
ment settings, trigger settings and channel settings. Instrument settings, like
record length and sample frequency, apply to all channels of an instrument.
Channels settings, like input range and signal coupling, apply to individual
channels.
Settings can be changed with the instrument bar and through popup
menus of the instrument and its channels in the object tree. In the follow-
ing sections you will find more information about the different settings.

4.3.1 Instrument settings

Instrument settings can be divided in a few groups: measure mode set-
tings, time base settings and trigger settings. The hotkeys mentioned in

30 Chapter 4
this section apply to the active instrument. This is the instrument high-
lighted in the object tree. You can make another instrument active by
. + n. , with n an
clicking on it in the object tree or using the hotkey Ctrl
instrument number (1..0).

Measure mode

By default, most TiePie engineering measuring instruments work in scope

or block mode. In this mode, the complete measurement is recorded in
the instrument’s memory. After the full record has been measured, the
data is transferred to the computer. The next measurement is started
after the data has been processed, therefore there are gaps between
the measurements.
Besides working in block mode TiePie engineering instruments support
working in streaming mode. In this mode the measured data is trans-
ferred directly to the computer, without using the internal memory of
the instrument. This makes it possible to perform continuous measure-
ments without gaps.
You can change the measure mode of an instrument via its settings win-
dow and via its popup menu in the object tree.

To change the measure mode of an instrument, the instrument

must first be set to pause.

Streaming versus block measurements Both block and streaming

measurements have their advantages and disadvantages. The key fea-
tures of both modes are listed below. Block mode (/Scope mode):

+ Fast measurements are possible

− Record length is limited by the instrument’s memory size

Stream mode:

+ Long measurements are possible

− Sample speed is limited by the data transfer rate to computer and
the computer speed

In block mode, the next measurement is started after the previous data
has been transferred to the computer. This means that there will always
be a (small) gap in between the measurements. In streaming mode, no
data is missed. All successive data chunks can be connected to form one
big measurement.
A disadvantage of the streaming mode is that the maximum measure-
ment speed depends on the data transfer rate from the instrument to

Instruments 31
 the computer and on the overall system performance. Also, in streaming
mode, no triggering is available. Measurements are started and stopped
manually.

Using streaming mode In streaming mode, the measured data will

arrive in chunks. Each of those chunks contains record length samples
which are sampled at sample speed. These two settings determine the
time it takes for a chunk of data to be measured, which is also the time
between the arrival of two consecutive chunks.
Each time when a chunk arrives, the computer will process it and, de-
pending on what is connected to the channel(s) in the software, perform
mathematical operations with it, show it in a graph and/or store it to disk.
When the time between two consecutive chunks is short (the update is
rate high), there is a risk that the computer is not able to process all data
before the new chunk arrives. This may result in the streaming measure-
ment being aborted.

Figure 4.11: The PC could not keep up with the data stream.

It is recommended to keep the update rate lower than approximately 10

updates per second (a chunk measuring time larger than 0.1 second).
Additionally it may help to reduce the post processing load by reducing
the graph size by resizing the graphs and temporarily hiding lines in the
graph(s) until the measurement is ready.

Collecting streaming data In streaming mode, successive measure-

ments will arrive in chunks. Each of those chunks contains record length
samples and can be connected seamlessly with previous and next data
chunks.
The Data collector I/O can be used to collect the successive measure-
ments and combine them into one big block of data of up to 50 million
samples.

Resolution

The resolution of an instrument determines the smallest voltage step

that can be detected. The resolution is indicated with a number of bits.
Every extra bit doubles the accuracy. This means that the smallest de-
tectable voltage step will be 16 times smaller when you use a 12 bit res-
olution instead of 8 bit. You can change the resolution of an instrument
via its settings window or via its popup menu in the object tree.

32 Chapter 4
Time base

The combination of sampling rate and record length forms the time base
of an oscilloscope. To setup the time base properly, the total measure-
ment duration and the required time resolution have to be taken in ac-
count.
With the required measurement duration and sampling rate, the re-
quired number of samples can be determined:
record length = measurement duration ∗ sampling rate
where record length is defined in samples, measurement duration i nsec-
onds and sampling rate in Samples/second.

Time per div The Multi Channel software provides controls to change
record length and sample frequency simultaneously to specific combina-
tions to obtain certain time/div values.

Figure 4.12: Time per div controls

Because a certain time/div setting can be created from different combi-

nations of record length and sampling frequency, the Multi Channel soft-
ware must decide which combination is used. The software will try to use
the highest sample frequency possible and will adjust the record length
accordingly to obtain the required time/div setting.
To avoid the record length becoming this long that collecting the mea-
sured values takes longer resulting in the scope responding slower, the
record length for time/div settings is limited to a value that can be set
in the program settings. When the time/div setting is adjusted by one of
the corresponding controls, the maximum record length is limited to this
value. This limit does not apply to manually adjusting the record length.

Sample frequency The sample frequency is the rate at which the instru-
ment takes its samples of the input signals. It can be set to predefined or
user defined values via different menus. Use the hotkeys F3 . to
. and F4
decrease or increase the sample frequency.

Record length The record length is the number of samples the instru-
ment takes during each measurement or record. It can be set to prede-
fined or user defined values via different menus. Use the hotkeys F11 .
. to decrease or increase the record length.
and F12

Pre-trigger With digital storage oscilloscopes, the record length deter-

mines the number of samples that are measured. All these samples can
be measured after the trigger has occurred. It is however possible to

Instruments 33
 measure (a part of) the record before the trigger occurs, by selecting pre
samples.

Pre samples Post samples

Trigger moment
t=0

Figure 4.13: Pre trigger and post trigger

The total record will then be divided in a pre trigger part and a post trigger
part, respectively containing pre samples and post samples. This way it
is possible to ”look back in time” since the pre samples were captured
before the trigger moment.
With the TiePie engineering instruments it’s possible to define the trigger
moment at any position in the record. It is set as a percentage of the total
record.

Figure 4.14: Pre trigger controls

You can change the pre/post-sample ratio with the buttons on the in-
.
strument bar and via different menus or with hotkeys Shift + ←. and
.
Shift +→ . .

When setting the trigger moment through a popup menu, the op-
tion User defined... also allows to set the value as a number of
samples or as a time.

4.3.2 Trigger settings

Most oscilloscopes are equipped with a trigger circuit to start measuring
when a certain condition occurs in the input signal. Triggering is used
both for capturing unique signal events and to stabilize the display of
repetitive signals. Without triggering, signals are measured and displayed
at random times. The trigger circuit has several settings which are divided
into instrument trigger settings and channel trigger settings.

34 Chapter 4
 Figure 4.15: Trigger settings dialog

Most trigger settings are combined in the Trigger settings dialog. To open
the trigger settings dialog, click the Trigger settings button on the in-
strument toolbar. The trigger settings dialog allows to view and control
instrument and channel trigger settings. Additionally, it gives an explana-
tion on the selected trigger type and examples that do cause a trigger
(left column) and do not cause a trigger (right column). There is a dialog
available for each opened instrument.

Trigger source

The trigger source setting of the instrument determines which trigger sig-
nals are used to trigger the instrument.
The trigger source can be set to a single channel or to any combination of
channels or other trigger sources like digital external inputs or generator
triggers. The sources can be logically combined using an OR function via
the windows that is shown when source Advanced is selected.
When no trigger source is selected, the trigger system is disabled and
the instrument is free-running: it will start measuring the post samples
directly.

Trigger time-out

Once the trigger conditions are set and the measurement is started, the
instrument will wait until the trigger conditions are met before the post
samples are measured and the measurement is finalized. If the trigger
conditions are set in such a way that the input signal(s) will never meet the
trigger settings, the instrument will wait forever. When no measurement
is performed, no signals will be displayed.
To avoid that the system will wait infinitely, a trigger time-out is added to
the trigger system. When after a user defined amount of time after start-

Instruments 35
 ing the measurement still no trigger has occurred, the trigger time-out
will force a trigger. This will ensure a minimum number of measurements
per second (On conventional desktop oscilloscopes, this is called Trigger
mode AUTO).
The trigger time-out is entered as a number, representing the delay in
seconds. There are two special values for the trigger time-out setting:

• trigger time-out = 0
Immediately after starting a measurement a trigger is forced. Ba-
sically this bypasses the trigger system and the instrument always
measures immediately. No pre samples are recorded. The instru-
ments is free-running, just like when no trigger source is selected.
• trigger-time-out = infinite
The system will wait infinitely for a trigger. The software will never
force a trigger, only when the trigger conditions are met, a trigger
will occur and a measurement will take place. This setting is particu-
larly useful for single shot measurements. On conventional desktop
oscilloscopes, this is called Trigger mode NORM.

When the instrument should measure only when a trigger event

occurs the trigger time-out must be set to infinite!

Trigger type

Channel trigger circuits monitor the channels continuously and gener-

ate a trigger signal when the input signals meet some predefined trigger
condition.
There are several different trigger types:

36 Chapter 4
 • Edge trigger
trigger on a rising, falling or any edge in the signal
• Window trigger
trigger when the signal enters or leaves a certain window or range,
optionally shorter/longer than a specified time
• Pulse width trigger
trigger on a positive or negative pulse in the signal wider/narrower
than a specified width, or inside/outside a specified time frame
• Interval trigger
trigger on a periodical signal with a period time shorter/longer than
a specified length, or inside/outside a specified time frame

Changing the trigger type of a channel in the Multi Channel software can
be done in the trigger settings window, by right-clicking the channel in the
object tree or by right-clicking the trigger symbol in on the corresponding
axis in a graph.

Trigger level

All oscilloscope channel trigger types use one or two trigger levels. Trig-
ger levels can be set for each channel individually. The trigger level is set
either in absolute values or in relative values, depending on the selected
Trigger level mode.
Trigger levels can be set for each channel individually. Changing a trigger
level of a channel in the Multi Channel software can be done in the trigger
settings dialog. The level can also be adjusted by dragging the trigger
symbol on the axis in a graph up or down, to the required level.

Trigger hysteresis

All oscilloscope channel trigger types use one or two trigger hystereses.
The hysteresis defines the distance between the firing level and the arm-
ing level and determines the sensitivity of the trigger system. A small hys-
teresis means that the arming and firing level are close to each other and
a small signal change will be enough to cause a trigger. A large hysteresis
means that the signal change must be large before a trigger is generated.
This makes the trigger system less sensitive to noise.
Trigger hysteresess can be set for each channel individually. Changing
the trigger hysteresis of a channel in the Multi Channel software can be
done in the trigger settings dialog. The hysteresys can also be adjusted
by dragging one of the trigger symbol edges in a graph up or down, to
the required position.

Instruments 37
 Trigger condition

Several oscilloscope channel trigger types can have an additional trigger

condition and corresponding trigger condition time. Some trigger condi-
tions have two trigger times, defining a trigger condition time frame. The
following trigger conditions are available:

• None
there is no additional trigger condition.
• Shorter than
the signal requirements defined by the trigger type must last
shorter than the specified trigger condition time to cause a trigger.
• Longer than
the signal requirements defined by the trigger type must last longer
than the specified trigger condition time to cause a trigger.
• Inside
the length that the signal requirements defined by the trigger type
last, must be inside the trigger condition time frame to cause a trig-
ger.
• Outside
the length that the signal requirements defined by the trigger type
last, must be shorter than or longer than the trigger condition time
frame, in other words outside the trigger condition time frame to
cause a trigger.

Setting the trigger condition can be done in the trigger settings window
or via the popup menu that is shown when the channel is right-clicked in
the object tree.

Trigger condition time The trigger condition time specifies the dura-
tion of a specific signal condition, in seconds. When two trigger condition
times are available, the two times define a trigger condition time frame,
in seconds.

4.3.3 Channel settings

Channels settings apply only to one channel. Channel settigns can be
adjusted by using the buttons and labels o nthe Channel toolbar, via the
channel settings windows and popup menus and by hotkeys.
The hotkeys mentioned in this section apply to channels of the active
instrument. The hotkeys on itself apply to channel 1. To change settings
of the other channels add the key combinations shown in table 4.1.

38 Chapter 4
 Channel Key(s)
Ch. 1 –
Ch. 2 Ctrl.
Ch. 3 Shift .
Ch. 4 Ctrl. + Shift.
Ch. 5 .
Alt
Ch. 6 . + Ctrl
Alt .
Ch. 7 . + Shift
Alt .
Ch. 8 . + Ctrl
Alt . + Shift
.
Table 4.1: Selecting channel for hotkeys

Input type

Most oscilloscopes are equipped with standard, single ended inputs,

which are referenced to ground. This means that one side of the input
is always connected to ground and the other side to the point of inte-
rest in the circuit under test. Therefore the voltage that is measured with
an oscilloscope with standard, single ended inputs is always measured
between that specific point and ground.
Some oscilloscopes are equipped with a differential input. A differential
input is not referenced to ground, but both sides of the input are ”float-
ing”. It is therefore possible to connect one side of the input to one point
in the circuit and the other side of the input to the other point in the
circuit and measure the voltage difference directly.
When the oscilloscope is equipped with option SafeGround, the inputs
can be switched between single ended and differential, using the
dedicated button on the channel toolbar.

Input coupling

The channels of an instrument can be set to AC or DC coupling.

DC coupling allows for both the AC and the DC components of the input
signal to pass and being measured. When AC coupling is used, the DC
component of the input signal is rejected and only the AC component is
measured. Use AC-coupling when you are investigating an AC signal on
a rather large DC component.
Use the dedicated button on the channel toolbar or the hotkeys A. (AC)
and D. (DC) to change the input coupling.
When the instrument is equipped with option SureConnect, the scope
can also measure resistance. This is then accessed via teh input cou-
pling, which gets an extra setting Ω.

Instruments 39
 Input range

The input range of a channel determines how large signals can be mea-
sured. The input range is defined as full scale value, the highest voltage
that can be measured, both in positive as in negative direction. When
the input range is e.g. 8 V, signal values between -8 V and +8 V can be
measured. Values outside that range will be clipped.

Figure 4.16: Input range controls

For oscilloscopes, another way of defining the input range is also used,
in V/div. This is the full scale input range divided by the number of grid
divisions that are used to display that range. A typical oscilloscope display
has 8 division vertically, covering -full scale to +full scale. A full scale input
range of e.g. 8 V equals 2 V/div.
Each channel has an auto ranging (hotkey R. ) setting, which will automa-
tically adjust the input range to match the applied signal.
The input range of a channel can be set via the dedicated controls on the
channel toolbar, as well as in the setings window of the channel and via
the popup menu that is opened by right-clicking the channel in the object
tree. You can decrease or increase the range with hotkeys F5 . and F6 . .

Probe

When using an attenuating oscilloscope probe or e.g. a current clamp or

other special probe, the software needs to compensate the measured
values for the attenuation (or gain) of the used probe. The probe readout
shows the current probe setting of a channel. Clicking it opens a menu
with available probes, attenuators and current clamps.
Selecting a certain probe or current clamp will compensate the values
along the axis of a graph, the readout in the cursor window and in meter
diaplays.

40 Chapter 4
 Arbitrary Waveform Generator
5
An Arbitrary Waveform Generator can be used to generate standard as
well as arbitrary signals. This chapter shows how use the arbitrary wave-
form generator with the standard signals and how to load arbitrary sig-
nals. An arbitrary signal can be any previously measured signal or soft-
ware generated data.
The arbitrary waveform generator is controlled with the Arbitrary Wave-
form Generator control window, which is shown in figure 5.1. This win-
dow is opened by clicking the Arbitrary Waveform Generator button
on the File toolbar in the main window of the Multi Channel software. It
can also be opened by double clicking the Generator in the object tree.

Figure 5.1: Arbitrary Waveform Generator control window.

5.1 Toolbars
The extended AWG control window has two fully configurable toolbars
which are populated with buttons for easy access to frequently used
functions and signal settings.
Both toolbars can be fully configured via the program settings of the soft-
ware. Buttons can be added, removed or reordered.
In the default setup, the top toolbar contains buttons for general settings.
The bottom toolbar contains buttons to control the generator and adjust
signal settings.

Arbitrary Waveform Generator 41

 Icon Action Short description
Open Open settings/arbitrary data
Save Save settings/arbitrary data
Save as Save settings/arbitrary data in a new file
Reload Reload previously opened or saved set-
tings/arbitrary data
Help Display help about the AWG
Always on top Make sure the AWG window is always visible
Color scheme Select a color scheme for the AWG window
Settings Display AWG settings

Power Switch AWG on or off

Output invert Switch AWG output invert on or off
Start / Stop Start / stop signal generation
Generator mode See 5.4
Frequency mode Signal or sample frequency, see 5.5.1
Linear sweep See 5.5.2
Logarithmic sweep See 5.5.2
Sine Generate a sine wave
Triangle Generate a triangular wave
Square Generate a square wave
Pulse Generate a pulse wave
DC Generate a DC level
Noise Generate noise
Arbitrary Generate an arbitrary signal, see 5.7
Table 5.1: Toolbar buttons

5.2 Power

The Power button of the generator switches the generator hardware

of the instrument on or off.

5.3 Output invert

The Output invert button is used to invert the generated signal pat-
tern. The signal is inverted around the selected offset level. Use it e.g. to
create pulse signals with a negative pulse.

42 Chapter 5
5.4 Generator mode
The following Generator modes are supported:

Mode Description
When the start button is pressed, signal generation
Continuous starts and continues until stopped by the user.
When the start button is pressed, signal generation
Burst count starts. It stops automatically after ’burst count’ pe-
riods. The output goes to the selected offset level.
When the start button is pressed, signal generation
Gated starts, but the output remains at the selected off-
set level until external trigger input 2 becomes ac-
tive. When external trigger input 2 becomes inactive
again, the output goes to the selected offset level
again.
After the start button is pressed, signal generation
Gated periods starts at a new period, when external trigger input
2 becomes active. When external trigger input 2 be-
comes inactive again, the current period is finalized,
signal generation stops and the output goes to the
selected offset level.
After the start button is pressed, signal generation
Gated period start starts at a new period, when external trigger input 2
becomes active. When external trigger input 2 be-
comes inactive again, signal generation stops and
the output goes to the selected offset level.
When the start button is pressed, signal generation
Gated period finish starts, but the output remains at the selected off-
set level until external trigger input 2 becomes ac-
tive. When external trigger input 2 becomes inactive
again, the current period is finalized and the output
goes to the selected offset level.
After the start button is pressed, signal generation
Gated run starts at a new period, when external trigger input 2
becomes active. When external trigger input 2 be-
comes inactive again, signal generation is paused
and the output goes to the selected offset level.
After the start button is pressed, signal generation
Gated run output starts at a new period, when external trigger input
2 becomes active. When external trigger input 2
becomes inactive again, signal generation pauses
and the output remains at the last generated sig-
nal level.
Table 5.2: Generator modes

Arbitrary Waveform Generator 43

 Note that the EXT2 input is active by default, unless pulled down.
Generator mode can only be set when the generator is stopped.

5.5 Signal properties

Depending on the selected signal type and generator mode, various sig-
nal properties like frequency or amplitude can be set. To adjust a signal
property, the property name label can be clicked. This opens a dialog in
which the new value can be entered. This dialog accepts prefixes like u,
m, k, M, etc.

Figure 5.2: Decreasing a digit

Properties can also be adjusted by clicking the digits or scrolling the

mouse wheel when the mouse pointer is over a specific digit. Clicking
the upper half of a digit will increase the value of that digit, while clicking
the lower half of a digit decreases it. Digits that are currently off, can be
enabled by clicking their upper half.

5.5.1 Frequency mode

When an arbitrary signal is selected, the Frequency mode of the Ar-
bitrary waveform generator can be set. The following modes are sup-
ported:

Mode Description
Signal frequency The frequency controls set the frequency at which
the displayed signal will be repeated.
Sample frequency The frequency controls set the sample frequency at
which the individual samples of the displayed signal
will be generated.
Table 5.3: Frequency modes

With signal types sine, triangle, square and DC, the frequency mode is
fixed to Signal frequency. With signal type noise the frequency mode is
fixed to Sample frequency.

5.5.2 Sweep
The sweep function enables a linear or logarithmic continuous sweep
with the selected signal type (sine, triangle or square). The sweep runs
from Frequency1 to Frequency2, where frequency1 is allowed to be

44 Chapter 5
 higher than frequency2. Optionally, the sweep can start at a different fre-
quency by setting the Start frequency to a value between the two sweep
frequencies. Duration determines the sweep duration.
The accuracy of the sweep is determined by sweep settings in the settings
dialog. The minimum and maximum number of samples that are used for
one period of the signal can be set, as well as the maximum amount of
samples for the complete sweep. Higher values will give a more accurate
sweep, but changes to sweep properties will take a bit longer to take
effect.

Figure 5.3: Linear sweep from 10 Hz to 40 kHz in 1 second.

Sweeping is only available on Handyscope HS5 models and WiFiScope

WS5 models with extended memory option XM.

5.6 Setfiles
All settings and arbitrary data of the AWG can be saved in setfiles with the
Save and Save as... buttons on the toolbar. Setfiles can be loaded
with the Load... toolbar button, or by dragging a setfile onto the AWG
control window. See chapter D for more information about using files.

5.7 Arbitrary data

Besides some standard signals, the Arbitrary waveform generator can
output arbitrary data. There are different ways of loading such data into
the generator. Data can be loaded directly from an open source in the
software, or from a file.

Arbitrary Waveform Generator 45

5.7.1 Loading arbitrary data from an open source
Data of every source in the Multi Channel software can be loaded directly
into an AWG. This means that measured data, but also processed or ge-
nerated data can be put into the AWG. There are two ways to do this.

• by dragging the source onto the AWG in the object tree.

• by dragging the source onto a AWG control window.

5.7.2 Loading arbitrary data from a file

Besides loading data from a source, it can also be loaded from a file.
Currently, loading data from TiePie engineering TPS file, TiePie engineer-
ing WinSoft DAT file, Wave audio files and from specific ASCII files is sup-
ported. (WinSoft is old TiePie engineering scope software)
From a TiePie engineering TPS file, data can be read from each AWG or
Source chunk in the file.
From a TiePie engineering WinSoft DAT file data will be read from the first
channel in the file.
Data from Wave audio files can also be read into the AWG. If more than
one channel (mono) is available in the file, only the first channel will be
read. All uncompressed Wave audio files with a resolution of 8, 16, 32 or
64 bit are supported.
You can create an ASCII CSV file to be able to load your data into the
function generator’s memory. This file must contain a specific header line
containing [SCOPE] and next various lines with waveform pattern data.
Each waveform pattern line must start with 2 commas and then the sam-
ple value, its decimal separator must be a dot. The file name must have
.DAT as extension.
The loaded pattern will be normalized. The highest absolute value in the
pattern will be set to the selected amplitude. A value 0 will be equal to
the selected offset value. All other values will be recalculated accordingly.
An example:

[SCOPE]
,,0
,,1
,,2.5
,,4

This file contains 4 lines of waveform pattern values, but the file may con-
tain any number of data lines.

46 Chapter 5
5.7.3 Data resampling
When loading data into an AWG, it is possible that the AWG does not sup-
port the data size of the loaded data. This can happen for example when
the data is too big to fit into the memory of the AWG. The Handyscope
HS3 has another limitation: the data size must be a power of two (2, 4 ,
8, 16, ..., 262144).
When it is not possible to set the data size of the AWG to the data’s size,
the data will be stretched or shrunken to fit exactly into the possible data
size that is closest to the requested data size.

5.8 Hotkeys
The AWG can be controlled with several hotkeys, see appendix C for a
complete list.

5.9 Oscilloscope triggering

The Arbitrary waveform generator in the WiFiScope WS5, Handyscope
HS5 and Handyscope HS3 has three trigger output signals which are in-
ternally connected to the trigger system of the oscilloscope part of the
instrument. In the oscilloscope they can be used as trigger source, to
provide an exact synchronization between signal generation and mea-
suring. The available trigger signals are:

Generator Start
This signal is generated when continuous generation or burst gene-
ration is started, either by the Start button or by an external trigger
signal.
Generator New Period
This signal is generated when the whole buffer of the Arbitrary
waveform generator has been processed and the generator starts
at the beginning of the buffer again.
Generator Stop This signal is generated when continuous generation
of burst generation is stopped by the the Stop button or burst ge-
neration is stopped because the required number of periods has
been generated.

Arbitrary Waveform Generator 47

48 Chapter 5
 Sources
6
Sources are objects that generate data, like instrument chan-
nels and software generators.
To control the behavior of a Source, several properties and ac-
tions are available. These can be accessed through a popup menu which
is shown when the Source is right clicked in the Object tree. The prop-
erties can also be accessed through its settings window which is shown
when the Source is double clicked in the Object tree. To open the Object
tree, click the Show Object tree button.
Instrument channels are described in section 4.3.3 of this manual. This
chapter will give an brief overview of Source objects in the Multi Chan-
nel software. Refer to the help in the software or the online website for
complete and up to date information on the Sinks and how to control
them.

6.1 Software generator

The Software generator source generates fully configurable

standard signals like sine, block and triangle. All properties of
these standard signals can be adjusted. The output signal of
the Software generator source can be displayed in a graph or a meter
and it can be used as source for I/Os and other sinks.
Typical applications for the Software generator are to compare measured
signals with well known software generated signals or to test complex
mathematical operations with well known signals before using them with
real world measured signals.

Sources 49
50 Chapter 6
 I/Os
7
I/Os are data processing objects that accept data (Input), pro-
cess this data in a specific way, like e.g. adding, multiplying, fil-
tering, etc. and then generate the processed data (Output). The
inputs and outputs of the I/O block can either be time domain or fre-
quency domain data.
The I/Os are categorized in the following categories:

• Math I/Os • Miscellaneous I/Os

• Filter I/Os • Automotive I/Os
• Adjusting I/Os • Decoder I/Os

To control the behavior of an I/O, several properties and actions are avail-
able. These can be accessed through a popup menu which is shown
when the I/O is right clicked in the Object tree. The properties can also
be accessed through its settings window which is shown when the I/O is
double clicked in the Object tree. To open the Object tree, click the
Show Object tree button.
This chapter will give an brief overview of I/O objects in the Multi Channel
software. Refer to the help in the software or the online website for com-
plete and up to date information on the I/Os and how to control them.

7.1 Math I/Os

The Math I/Os perform a basic mathematical operation on one or more
signals.

7.1.1 Gain / Offset

The Gain / Offset I/O multiplies a signal with a constant gain

factor and adds a constant offset. Both an input offset and an
output offset are available. An input offset can be automatically
removed using the Neutralize input offset action.
A typical application of the Gain / Offset I/O is converting sensor output
signals.

I/Os 51
7.1.2 Add/Subtract

The Add / Subtract I/O adds or subtracts data of two or more

sources. Up to 32 sources can be added or subtracted with a
Add / Subtract I/O.
A typical application of the Add / Subtract I/O is performing a differential
measurement using two channels. When the high voltage and the low
voltage of the differential signal are measured, the differential signal can
be calculated by subtracting the low signal from the high signal.

7.1.3 Multiply/Divide

The Multiply / Divide I/O multiplies or divides data of two ore

more sources. Up to 32 sources can be connected to a Multiply
/ Divide I/O.
A typical application of the Multiply / Divide object is power measurement.
When you measure the voltage over a load and the current through it,
you can calculate the power by multiplying both measurements.

7.1.4 Sqrt

The SQRT I/O calculates the square root of each sample of the
source’s data.
The typical application of the SQRT I/O is to use it as part of
larger, more complex mathematical operations.

7.1.5 ABS

The ABS I/O takes the absolute value of each sample of the
source’s data. The ABS operation does for every sample:

if sample < 0 then

sample := -sample

The typical application of the ABS I/O is to use it as part of larger, more
complex mathematical operations.

7.1.6 Differentiate

The Differentiate I/O differentiates the source’s data. The out-

put is proportional to rate of change of the input. For example,
if a source has the unit V, the output of the DIFF will have unit
V/s. The output range can be changed and fixed to user defined values.

52 Chapter 7
 The typical application of the Differentiate I/O is to use it as part of larger,
more complex mathematical operations.

7.1.7 Integrate

The Integrate I/O integrates the source’s data, it is the inverse

of the Differentiate operation.
A typical application of the Integrate I/O is when measuring ac-
celeration sensor signals. Integrating the acceleration signal will give a
signal representing the speed. Integration of the speed will give the rela-
tive position.

7.1.8 Logarithm

The Logarithm I/O calculates the logarithm of the input data.

The base number and a gain can be set.
A typical application of the Logarithm I/O is to create a vertical
axis in dB in the oscilloscope or spectrum analyzer.

7.2 Filter I/Os

The Filter I/Os perform a filtering operation on a signal or consecutive
signals.

7.2.1 Filter

The Filter I/O filters the source’s data using a user definable
software filter.
A typical application of the Filter I/O is to remove unwanted fre-
quencies from a measurement, which may negatively affect further op-
erations on the measured signal.
The filter type can be set and for each filter type, the used algorithm and
order can be set. Depending on the selected filter type, the cut-off fre-
quency or the center frequency and bandwidth can be set. Depending
on the selected filter algorithm, additional settings can be available.
The Filter settings window also shows a graphical representation of the
filter characteristics. A graph with gain and phase is shown as well as a
Zero-Pole plot. The Phase graph can be switched between degrees and
radians by clicking the axis legend. The frequency axis be switched be-
tween linear and logarithmic by clicking the axis legend.

I/Os 53
7.2.2 Ideal Filter

The Ideal filter I/O filters the source’s data using an ideal user
definable software filter. It fully passes all wanted frequencies in
the frequency spectrum and fully blocks all unwanted frequen-
cies in the frequency spectrum. The edges of the filter are infinitely steep.
A typical application of the Ideal filter I/O is to remove unwanted frequen-
cies from a measurement, which may negatively affect further operations
on the measured signal.

7.2.3 Signal Cleaner

The Signal cleaner I/O cleans up a periodical signal by remov-

ing noise and other unwanted distortions from the signal.
A typical application of the Signal cleaner I/O is to remove noise
from a measurement at a periodical signal.

7.2.4 Average

The Average I/O averages successive measurements. The av-

erage of these measurements is then placed on its output. The
Average I/O object can work in two different modes: Running
average (default) and Average-of-n.
Averaging is useful in situations when the signal of interest is periodic and
(random) noise is present on top of it. By taking multiple measurements
of the signal and averaging them, the signal to noise ratio will increase.

7.3 Adjusting I/Os

The Adjusting I/Os perform an adjusting operation on a signal or consec-
utive signals

7.3.1 Deskew

The Deskew I/O shifts the source’s data in time.

A typical application of the Deskew I/O is to place two signals
with a phase shift on top of each other in the scope screen.
An other typical application of the Deskew I/O is to remove a phase shift
from a current signal, caused by a current probe, in order to perform
correct power calculations.

54 Chapter 7
7.3.2 Slice

The Slice I/O cuts a slice out of its input signal and removes the
parts before and after the slice.
A typical application of the Slice I/O is to remove unwanted parts
of a measurement. If a long measurement was performed to capture a
specific phenomenon which is (much) shorter than the total measure-
ment, the Slice I/O can be used to remove the parts that are not interest-
ing. The original time info is kept. This makes processing and saving the
interesting part much more efficient.

7.3.3 Limiter

The Limiter I/O limits or clips a signal to a certain range. The

maximum and minimum level of the clip range can be set indi-
vidually.
A typical application of the limiter is ”cleaning up” digital signals. Set the
clip range to a narrow window around the middle between the high level
and the low level of the digital signal. Then use a Gain / Offset I/O to
magnify the output signal of the limiter to the original magnitude.

7.3.4 Comparator

The Comparator I/O compares a signal to a certain reference

value and indicates whether the signal is higher or lower than
the reference value.

7.3.5 Resampler

The Resampler I/O resamples the source’s data to decrease

or increase the sample frequency (and record length with the
same ratio) of a signal. This can be useful when several signals
are sampled with a high sample frequency and record length but not all
of them require this high speed and record length.

7.3.6 Window

The Window I/O applies a window function to its input signal.

The window function changes the magnitude of the samples of
in input signal, such that the ends smoothly taper to zero. Sev-
eral different tapering functions are available.
A typical application of the Window I/O is to remove spectral leakage in a
frequency spectrum using a Fourier Transform.

I/Os 55
 A second application is to shape signal bursts, e.g. to use in the Arbitrary
Waveform Generator.

7.4 Miscellaneous I/Os

The Miscellaneous I/Os perform an other operation on a signal or con-
secutive signals:

7.4.1 Min / Max detector

The Min / Max detector I/O detects minimum or maximum

values of the source’s data. Every time the source of the Min /
Max detector signals new data, the detector will compare each
value in memory to the new source data and keep the smallest or largest
value, depending on if minima or maxima are detected.
Typical applications of the Min / Max detector I/O are glitch capturing and
capturing intermittent signal changes as well as creating envelope mode.

7.4.2 Data collector

The Data collector I/O is used when performing streaming mea-

surements. During streaming measurements, the data arrives
in consecutive chunks with a size equal to the instrument’s record
length. To form a continuous stream of data, these chunks must be ap-
pended to each other. The data collector does this job. It will fill its data
with the arriving chunks of data.

7.4.3 Reference

The Reference I/O holds a reference copy of a signal. When the

original signal changes, the referece copy remains unchanged.
Typical applications of the Reference I/O are to compare live
signals with known-good signals or adjusting a system to a certain state.

7.5 Analyzing I/Os

The Analyzing I/Os analyze the input data and extract specific information
from it.

7.5.1 Duty cycle

The Duty cycle I/O determines the duty cycle of a signal. The
duty cycle is defined as the ratio between the time that a signal is
”active” and the period. It is usually expressed as a percentage.

56 Chapter 7
 When the source data contains multiple cycles of a signal, the duty cycle
will be determined for each cycle of the input signal. The output of the
duty cycle I/O will then contain the progress of the duty cycle in the input
data.
A typical application of the Duty cycle I/O is to analyze control signals of
actuators that are duty cycle driven.

7.5.2 RMS

The RMS I/O determines the True Root Mean Square value of
a signal. For alternating electric current, RMS is equal to the
value of the direct current that would produce the same aver-
age power dissipation in a resistive load.
Depending on the selected Mode, the RMS I/O returns one value over
the total record, one value over all complete periods in the total record
or one value per complete period in the record.
A typical application of the RMS I/O is logging RMS values to monitor e.g.
mains voltage.

7.5.3 Maximum

The Maximum I/O determines the Maximum value of a signal.

Depending on the selected Mode, the Maximum I/O returns
one value over the total record, one value over all complete pe-
riods in the total record or one value per complete period in the record.
A typical application of the Maximum I/O is logging Maximum values to
monitor e.g. mains voltage.

7.5.4 Minimum

The Minimum I/O determines the Minimum value of a signal.

Depending on the selected Mode, the Minimum I/O returns one
value over the total record, one value over all complete periods
in the total record or one value per complete period in the record.
A typical application of the Minimum I/O is logging Minimum values to
monitor e.g. mains voltage.

I/Os 57
7.5.5 Maximum - Minimum

The Maximum - Minimum I/O determines the Maximum - Min-

imum value of a signal.
Depending on the selected Mode, the Maximum - Minimum I/O
returns one value over the total record, one value over all complete pe-
riods in the total record or one value per complete period in the record.
A typical application of the Maximum - Minimum I/O is logging Maximum
- Minimum values to monitor e.g. mains voltage.

7.5.6 Phase difference

The Phase difference I/O determines the phase difference be-

tween its two input signals.
The Phase difference I/O looks for the locations of all rising slopes
in both input signals. It then determines the phase differences between
corresponding rising slopes. The Phase difference I/O returns one value,
which is the average phase difference between the measured signals.

7.5.7 FFT

The FFT I/O performs a spectral analysis of a signal. The FFT ob-
ject converts a time domain signal to a frequency domain signal
by means of a Fast Fourier Transform, an efficient algorithm to
compute the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The output of an FFT I/O
can be connected to a graph with a frequency scale or an empty graph.
The magnitude of each bin in the spectrum represents the amplitude of
that frequency component.
Typical applications of the FFT I/O are to create a spectrum analyzer to
examine the frequency response of a system or to examine the harmonic
distortion in a system.

7.5.8 EMI

The EMI I/O creates an environment that can be used for EMI
pre-compliance testing. It sets up the instrument appropriately
for performing the measurements and determines the frequency
spectrum of the input signal, which is displayed in a graph.
The EMI I/O adds a new toolbar to the user interface of the software
with all relevant settings. Additionally it gives access to two standard limit
lines (EN61326-1:2006 / EN55011:2007) that can be added to the graph
for easy comparison.

58 Chapter 7
 The EMI I/O can only be used in combination with an instrument with
option E installed. And only channel one of an instrument with option E
can be connected to an EMI I/O.

7.6 Automotive I/Os

The Automotive I/Os perform automotive specific operations on the data.

7.6.1 Crankshaft angle

In modern engines, usually a crankshaft sensor is present which

generates a periodic signal with a number of cycles per revo-
lution of the engine. The Crankshaft Angle I/O converts this
signal into a crankshaft angle signal, showing the exact angle throughout
the whole revolution.
This angle signal can be combined in a graph with an injector signal and
/ or an ignition signal. Relations between the crankshaft angle and the
injection or ignition moments are then immediately visible.

7.6.2 RPM

In modern engines, usually a crankshaft sensor is present which

generates a periodic signal with a number of cycles per revolu-
tion of the engine. The RPM I/O converts this signal into revo-
lutions per minute. The engine speed can be calculated multiple times
per revolution. Because of this, variations in the engine speed during a
revolution can be seen.

7.6.3 EV charger control pilot analyzer

The process of AC charging an Electrical Vehicle (EV) using a

Type 2 coupling (IEC 62196-2) by Mode 2 Electric Vehicle Supply
Equipment (EVSE) can be monitored by analyzing the informa-
tion that is transferred by the Control Pilot (CP) signal. The EV Charger
Control Pilot Analyzer I/O can be used to analyze this signal and show
the available amount of current that can be provided by the EVSE and
the status of the charging process.

I/Os 59
 7.7 Decoder I/Os
The Decoder I/Os decode serial communication data from the input data
and present the decoded messages.

7.7.1 Pulse decoder

The Pulse decoder I/O decodes the two measured signals from
a quadrature encoder to a pulse count/position. A quadrature
encoder (or incremental rotary encoder or relative rotary en-
coder) has two outputs (A and B) which are 90 degrees out of phase.
That makes it possible to determine both position and direction of move-
ment. Additionally the Pulse decoder I/O can also decode the Z reference
output of an encoder, which gives one pulse per revolution. The Pulse de-
coder I/O has auto level detection for all signal lines. The output of the
Pulse decoder can be shown in a graph and in a table sink.

7.7.2 I2 C decoder

The I2 C decoder I/O decodes analog data on an I2 C bus to I2 C

data. Just measure the Clock and Data lines of the I2 C bus with a
scope and connect the measuring channels to the I2 C decoder
I/O. The I2 C decoder I/O has auto level detection and auto bus speed
detection. The output of the I2 C decoder I/O can be shown in a Table
sink.

7.7.3 UART / Serial decoder

The UART / Serial decoder I/O decodes analog data on a serial

bus to serial data. It can be used to monitor and analyze UART,
RS232, RS485, MIDI, DMX, LIN or other compatible serial buses.
The UART / Serial decoder I/O has auto level detection and auto baud rate
detection. The output of the UART / Serial decoder I/O can be shown in
a Table sink.

7.7.4 CAN decoder

The CAN decoder I/O decodes analog data to CAN data. The
source of the decoder can either be the differential CAN signal
(preferred) or the CAN-high signal. The CAN decoder I/O has
auto level detection. The decoded fields can be shown in a table sink.

60 Chapter 7
7.7.5 SAE J1939 decoder

The J1939 decoder I/O extracts SAE J1939 SPN values from CAN
messages. J1939 is a high-level protocol that defines the com-
munication between nodes or electronic control units on a ve-
hicle CAN bus. It was developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE) for car and heavy duty truck applications. Currently the J1939 stan-
dard is used worldwide by heavy duty truck and machinery companies.
J1939 is commonly used for communications throughout a vehicle or ma-
chine.
The J1939 decoder I/O has one input that must be connected to a source
of CAN messages, typically a CAN decoder I/O (see 7.7.4), and can have
multiple outputs. Each output contains the values of a single SPN (Sus-
pect Parameter Number), selected from a database or loaded from a cus-
tom INI file. The data from these outputs can be used in graphs, meter
sinks, table sinks and by other I/Os.

7.7.6 SPI decoder

The SPI decoder I/O decodes analog data on an SPI bus to

SPI data. Just measure the Clock and Data (MOSI or MISO) lines
of the SPI bus with a scope and connect the measuring chan-
nels to the SPI decoder I/O. The SPI decoder I/O has auto level detection
and auto bus speed detection. The output of the SPI decoder I/O can be
shown in a Table sink.

7.7.7 Base section to index

The Base section to index I/O ”fills gaps” in data with the last
known value. The typical application of the Base section to index
I/O is to ”fill” gaps in data retrieved from CAN messages using a
CAN decoder I/O and J1939 decoder I/O.

I/Os 61
62 Chapter 7
 Sinks
8
Sinks are data processing objects that accept data (Input) and
make it visible to the user, like e.g. graphs, tables and meters.
The inputs of the sink can either be time domain or frequency
domain data.
To control the behavior of a Sink, several properties and actions are avail-
able. These can be accessed through a popup menu which is shown
when the Sink is right clicked in the Object tree. The properties can also
be accessed through its settings window which is shown when the Sink
is double clicked in the Object tree. To open the Object tree, click the
Show Object tree button.
This chapter will give a brief overview of Sink objects in the Multi Channel
software. Refer to the help in the software or the website for complete
and up to date information on the Sinks and how to control them.

8.1 Meter

The Meter sink performs various automatic measurements on

the source’s data. The measurement values can be displayed in
segment displays (default), gauge displays, as well as text dis-
plays.
Multiple sources can be connected to the meter and per source, multiple
measurements can be displayed, in individual displays. Sources with time
domain data and sources with frequency domain data can be connected
to a meter. For each connected source, a column with displays is added
to the meter window, a caption at the top of the column indicates the
source by its icon and name or alias.

8.2 Table

The Table sink shows values in a table. The table can display
both numerical and string values. The values contained in the
source’s data are displayed in multiple columns. Columns can
be hidden or shown via the dedicated toolbutton of via the popup menu
that can be accessed by right-clicking the column header. The rows in the
table can be sorted by the values in a certain column, by clicking on the
column header. Data in the table can be exported to various common
file formats.

Sinks 63
 8.3 Disk writer

The Disk writer sink exports measured data directly to disk.

Single oscilloscope measurements as well as multiple consecu-
tive oscilloscope measurements and also streaming data logger
measurements can be written to disk. Data from one or more sources
can be stored. When streaming measurements are written to disk, the
newly arriving data will be appended to the previous data, forming one
large block of data per stream. Data can be written in several common
file formats. The files written by the Disk writer sink can not be loaded
into the Multi Channel software.

8.4 Auto disk

The Auto disk sink stores the measured data and instrument
settings of each measurement of an instrument directly to disk
in a .TPS file. Data from all active channels of the connected in-
strument is stored. Both block mode oscilloscope measurements as well
as streaming data logger measurements can be stored. When streaming
measurements are stored, the newly arriving data will be written in a new
file.

8.5 Sound

The Sound sink makes data audible. This can be both block
mode data and streaming data. It can play data through one of
the installed sound cards. If necessary, the data is resampled to
fit the sound card’s sample frequency.
One or two sources may be connected to each sound sink. If one source
is connected, the data will be played in mono, otherwise in stereo. When
playing stereo, the first source connected will be at the left and the sec-
ond source at the right.

8.6 Compression test

The Compression test sink performs a dynamic compression

test on a combustion engine. This quick and easy test gives a
good impression if an engine has a compression problem with-
out having to apply pressure sensors to the cylinders.
The starter current is measured during cranking and then used to cal-
culate the relative compression of each cylinder. When the deviation of
one or more cylinders is too big, this is indicated with a red bar. The Com-
pression test sink uses a special output window, with a bar graph for each
cylinder.

64 Chapter 8
 Displaying data in graphs
9
The Multi Channel software allows you to create and arrange graphs the
way you want. New graphs can be created on the main screen of the Multi
Channel software and can be moved to a separate window outside the
main screen.

9.1 Creating new graphs

Creating new graphs is very easy: Simply click the New graph quick
function button. This will create a new graph in the in the area of the
largest available graph,
√ dividing that area in two. When the width of the
area is larger than 2 times its height, the new graph will be created next
to the existing graph. Otherwise, it will be created below it.

Figure 9.1: Create a new graph in two steps

It is also possible to create a graph at a self defined location. 1. Right-

click anywhere in a graph on the main screen and select Make new graph
from the menu. 2. After dragging a rectangle anywhere on the graph
section, a new graph will be created on the selected position. See figure
9.1.

Displaying data in graphs 65

 The size of the newly created graph can be adjusted by dragging the
edges of the graph. When the mouse cursor is moved over the edges
of a graph, the mouse cursor will change shape to indicate that the size
of the graph can be changed.

9.2 Active graph

When more than one graph is available, one graph becomes the active
graph, indicated by a blue border around the graph. Instruments, chan-
nels, sources and I/Os have actions that will add a line for that object
in the active graph. The File menu contains an option to save the active
graph as image.
Selecting a graph as active graph is done by clicking that graph with the
mouse or by using hotkey Shift. .
+ graph number .

9.3 Axes
When a graph displays a signal, it has a horizontal axis or scale to indicate
time or frequency information for that signal. It will also have a vertical
axis or scale to indicate signal magnitude information. Each axis has text
labels aligned with the grid lines of the graph, showing the corresponding
magnitude, time or frequency value for that grid position. The range of
the axis automatically adapts to the range of the signal data it belongs to.
When multiple signals are displayed, each signal will get its own vertical
axis, the graph will have one horizontal axis that matches with the com-
bined time or frequency ranges of all signals.

9.4 Vertical axes

A graph gets one vertical axis per displayed signal. This axis is divided in 8
divisions and gives information on the magnitude of the displayed signal
and allows to control how and where the signal is displayed.
The axis can be located at the left hand side of the graph and at the
right hand side of the graph. Axes of automatically added signals, e.g.
when enabling a channel, will be placed at the left or right hand side,
depending on the channel number of the instrument. Axes of manually
added signals will be placed at the same side of the graph as where the
signal source was dropped.
To change the location of an axis, use the mouse to grab it at it colored
tab and drag it to the other side of the graph, B. . In a similar way, an axis
and its corresponding signal can also be moved to another graph, A. .
When keeping the Ctrl . key pressed while moving an axis to another
graph, the axis and its signal will be copied to the other graph.

66 Chapter 9
 Figure 9.2: Axes can be moved to different targets.

9.4.1 Tabbing axes

When multiple signals are displayed, e.g. with large combined instru-
ments, multiple axes will be added to the graph, taking up space, leaving
less space for the actual signals. To reduce the space occupied by the
axes, they can be tabbed. Right click the colored tab of one of the axes
and check Tabbed in its popup menu. All axes at that side of the graph
will now be placed on a tab. To untab them again, right click the colored
tab of one of the axes and uncheck Tabbed in its popup menu.

Figure 9.3: Putting axes on tabs

When the axes are tabbed, only the axis on the selected tab will be visible
and can be used to position and resize the corresponding signal. To se-
lect another axis, click the tab of that axis, which will bring it to the front.
That axis can now be controlled and its corresponding signal can be ad-
justed. Signals of tabbed axes can have different ranges, positions and
sizes.

Displaying data in graphs 67

9.4.2 Adjusting displayed signals using an axis
The size and position of a displayed signal can be adjusted using the cor-
responding axis.
To change the position of a signal, simply grab the corresponding axis
and drag it to the required position, see figure 9.4, the left axis. Use this
to align signals to each other or to align them with grid lines.
To change the size of a shown signal, grab one of the end bars of the
corresponding axis and drag it to the preferred position, see figure 9.4,
the right axis. Use this to zoom in or out vertically on a signal.

Figure 9.4: Adjusting vertical axes

It is also possible to adjust the position and size with the mouse wheel:
when the mouse pointer is above the axis and the wheel is turned, the
position is adjusted. When the Ctrl. key is pressed during the turning of
the wheel, the size is adjusted instead.

9.4.3 Show or hide a line

When a graph shows multiple signal lines, it may be convenient to tem-
porarily hide one or more lines, for a better view on the other signal lines.
When a signal is hidden from the graph, it remains being measured and
all other settings remain unchanged. Right click the corresponding axis
and select Line visible from the popup menu to toggle the visibility of the
signal line.
When performing a streaming measurement with a high sample rate, hid-
ing lines during the measurement will reduce the load on the computer.
This may reduce the chance that the computer cannot keep up with the
data stream, causing the stream to be aborted. When the measurement
is ready, the line(s) can be made visible again, for signal analysis.

9.4.4 Automatically arranging axes

When multiple signals are displayed in a graph, they can be arranged
such that signals do not overlap. The Arrange axes button on the
graph toolbar and the option Arrange axes in the graph’s popup menu
give the following modes:

68 Chapter 9
 Action Description
Off The Arrange mode is switched off. Signals
are shown as how the user positions them.
When a signal is added, it will be shown 1:1,
potentially overlapping other signals.
1:1 All axes are shown unzoomed
Automatic Each axis uses a whole number of divisions
and axes are positioned without overlap.
Axes can get different zoom factors.
Automatic with overlap Each axis uses a whole number of divisions
and axes are positioned with overlap. Axes
can get different zoom factors.
1:N All axes are evenly divided and they are po-
sitioned without overlap. All axes get the
same zoom factor.
1:N with overlap All axes are evenly divided and they are po-
sitioned with 50% overlap. All axes get the
same zoom factor.
1:M Each axis uses a whole number of divisions
and axes are positioned without overlap. All
axes get the same zoom factor.
1:M with overlap Each axis uses a whole number of divisions
and axes are positioned with overlap. All
axes get the same zoom factor.
When a certain mode is selected and a line is added to the graph, all
present signals will be repositioned according to the selected mode.
When a certain mode is selected the graph is zoomed in by dragging a
rectangle with the mouse, pressing the Zoom reset button will reset
the original view corresponding to the selected mode.
When a mode is selected and the user then changes the position of one
or more signals, the mode is switched to Off.

9.4.5 Merging axes

For easy comparison of two (or more) signals with the same unit, they can
be placed on the same axis. When dragging one axis on another axis, the
axes merge to a single axis. The colored tab of the axis will show the
original colors of the merged axes. The range of the axis will be set to
fit the ranges of the merged axes. All signals corresponding to the axis
will be displayed using that axis. When changing position and/or scale, all
corresponding signals will be adapted accordingly.

Displaying data in graphs 69

 Figure 9.5: Two merged axes at the right

To extract a signal from a merged axis and give it its own axis again, right
click the axis and select Extract line from the popup menu.
To delete a signal from a merged axis and no longer display it, right click
the axis and select Delete line from the popup menu.

9.4.6 Axis type

A (vertical) axis can be set to two different types:

Linear: The data of the axis is displayed on a linear scale.

Logarithmic: The data of the axis is displayed on a logarithmic
scale. 0 dB corresponds to 1 V.

Setting the axis type can be done by right clicking the axis and selecting
Axis type from the menu that pops up.

9.4.7 Axis range

An axis has a range that follows the range of the data it is connected to.
If the axis is connected to e.g. a channel that is set to an input range of
-4 V to 4 V, the range of the axis will be -4 to 4 V too. When the range of
the data changes (e.g. the channel is set to another input range), the axis
range automatically changes accordingly.
In certain situations it may be useful to force the axis to keep a speci-
fied range, other than the range of the data. By right-clicking the axis and
selecting Set axis range... a user defined axis range can be entered. A
dialog appears in which a minimum and a maximum value can be en-
tered. A ”Fixed” checkbox, default checked, is also available to keep the
axis fixed to the entered range. The axis will now remain in this fixed axis
range, even if the range of the connected data changes.
To reset the axis range to follow the range of the data again, uncheck the
”Fixed” check box. Now, when the range of the connected data changes,
the axis range will follow the data range again.

70 Chapter 9
9.4.8 Visible range
To adjust the size and position of a displayed signal, use the Visible range
of an axis. The visible range of an axis has a maximum value and a min-
imum value that correspond to the top and the bottom of the axis. It
defines which part of the axis range is visible in the graph. By setting the
visible range smaller than the axis range, a signal is shown larger (zoom in
vertically). By setting the visible range larger than the axis range, a signal
is shown smaller (zoom out vertically).
When the visible range of an axis is adjusted and the range of the data
changes, the visible range of the axis changes accordingly.

9.4.9 Clipping detection

When clipping detection is enabled in the settings, the software will place
indicators in the graph and/or meter display when the signal is clipped
due to being larger than the input range.

Figure 9.6: Clipping detected

When the clipping appears within the visible part of the signal, the clipping
indicator will be placed next to the location of the first occurrence of the
signal clipping. The clipped signal parts will be drawn in a different color.
Clipping at both ends of the input range will be indicated separately, two
indicators will then be placed.
When clipping occurs outside the visible part of the signal, the indicator(s)
will be placed at the edge of the graph, closest to the location where the
clipping occurs.
Hovering an indicator with the mouse will show a hint with more infor-
mation.

Displaying data in graphs 71

 When the displayed signal is processed by one or more I/Os, it may be
no longer possible to detect whether the signal is clipped or not. In that
case no indicators are shown.
The color of the clipping indicator and the clipped signal parts can be
determined in the settings.

9.4.10 Show peaks and harmonics

Each signal line in a graph can show peaks in the signal by placing markers
in the top part of the graph, with lines to the actual peak. The magnitude
of the peak is shown in the marker, as well as a time stamp. When the
graph displays frequency domain data, a frequency spectrum, it can also
show the harmonics, with harmonics number, frequency and magnitude.

Figure 9.7: Show harmonics

Right-clicking a marker allows you to copy all relevant information of that

marker to the clipboard. It also allows you to copy all relevant information
of all markers to the clipboard.

Properties

To control the behavior of the graph markers, several properties are avail-
able. These can be accessed through a popup menu which is shown
when the axis in the graph is right clicked. The properties can also be
accessed through the line settings window which is shown via the popup
menu.

72 Chapter 9
 Figure 9.8: Line settings

Mark peaks

Enabling ”Mark peaks” will place markers at the peaks in the signal. Any
peak in the signal above ”Peaks threshold” will be considered a peak.

Mark harmonics

When the graph contains frequency domain data, a frequency spectrum,

the option to show harmonics becomes available. Enabling ”Mark har-
monics” will place markers at the harmonics in the frequency spectrum.
The maximum amount amount of harmonics that is marked can be set
using ”Harmonics”. When Even harmonics is enabled, both uneven and
even harmonics are marked, otherwise only uneven harmonics are marked.

9.5 Horizontal Axis

A graph gets one horizontal axis, independent of how many signals are
displayed. This axis is divided in 10 divisions and gives information on
the time or frequency of the displayed signal. When time domain data is
connected (in an oscilloscope), the horizontal axis represents time. When
frequency domain data is connected (in a spectrum analyzer), the hori-
zontal axis represents frequency. The range of the horizontal axis auto-
matically follows the range of the data it is connected to. When multiple
signals are displayed, the axis range is set such that the ranges of all con-
nected signals fit. The horizontal axis is always located at the bottom of
the graph.

When the graph operates in XY mode it gets one or more hori-

zontal axes that behave identically to the vertical axes. For more
info on the horizontal axis in XY mode, refer to section 9.4.

Displaying data in graphs 73

 Figure 9.9: Horizontal axis and record view scroll bar

The horizontal axis is equipped with a scrollbar. The width of the scroll bar
represents the total measured record, the width of the slider represents
the visible part of the record. To change the horizontal size of a signal
(magnify / stretch it), drag one of the edges of the slider either to the
left or the right and watch the signal change corresponding to the slider
width. To change the horizontal position of a signal, grab the slider and
drag it to the preferred position or press the buttons at the sides of the
scroll bar.
It is also possible to adjust the size and position with the mouse wheel:
when the mouse pointer is above the scroll bar and the wheel is turned,
the horizontal position is adjusted. When the Ctrl. key is pressed during
the turning of the wheel, the horizontal size is adjusted instead.

Double-clicking the slider, clicking the Reset zoom button or pressing

the hotkey T. will return the horizontal axis to its default unzoomed state.
When zoomed in, the graph can also be panned horizontally by dragging
the signal left or right, with the right mouse button pressed.
Changing the position or the size of the displayed signal(s) modifies the
Visible range of an axis, see 9.5.2.

9.5.1 Axis range

An axis has a range that follows the range of the data it is connected to.
If the axis is connected to e.g. a channel that is set to a time base of 1
ms/div, starting at t = 0, the range of the axis will be 0 to 10 ms. When
the range of the data changes (e.g. the scope is set to another time base
setting), the axis range automatically changes accordingly.
In certain situations it may be useful to force the axis to keep a speci-
fied range, other than the range of the data. By right-clicking the axis and
selecting Set axis range... a user defined axis range can be entered. A
dialog appears in which a minimum and a maximum value can be en-
tered. A ”Fixed” checkbox, default checked, is also available to keep the
axis fixed to the entered range. The axis will now remain in this fixed axis
range, even if the range of the connected data changes.
To reset the axis range to follow the range of the data again, uncheck the
”Fixed” check box. Now, when the range of the connected data changes,
the axis range will follow the data range again.

74 Chapter 9
9.5.2 Visible range
To adjust the horizontal size and position of a displayed signal, use the
Visible range of an axis. The visible range of an axis has a maximum value
and a minimum value that correspond to the right and the left of the axis.
It defines which part of the axis range is visible in the graph. By setting the
visible range smaller than the axis range, a signal is shown larger (zoom
in horizontally). It is not possible to set the visible range larger than the
axis range.
When the visible range of an axis is adjusted and the range of the data
changes, the visible range of the axis changes accordingly.

9.5.3 Follow source

When a time domain graph contains a Data collector (see 7.4.2), it is pos-
sible, while the Data collector is being filled, to zoom in horizontally on
the latest data and have the graph automatically keep the latest data vis-
ible. Choose the appropriate zoom factor in the graph and right-click the
time base axis and select Follow source from the popup menu. This will
show a sub menu with the possible sources to follow and an option not
to follow a source.

9.5.4 Axis type

When a graph contains frequency domain data (spectrum analyzer), the
horizontal frequency axis can be set to two different types:

Linear: The spectrum is shown on a linear frequency scale. The

frequency axis runs from 0 to the maximum frequency and has a
linear division.
Logarithmic: The spectrum is shown on a Logarithmic frequency
scale. The frequency axis runs from the minimum frequency to the
maximum frequency and has a logarithmic division.

Setting the axis type can be done by clicking the Linear axis button or
Logarithmic axis button or by right clicking the axis and selecting Axis
type from the menu that pops up.

Displaying data in graphs 75

9.5.5 Time axis label style
The label style of a time axis can be set to three different styles:

• Seconds: All labels along the axis display the time in seconds.

• Days, hours, minutes and seconds: The labels along the axis dis-
play the time in seconds. When the label time exceeds 1 minute,
the time for that label will be displayed in minutes and seconds.
When the label time exceeds 1 hour, the time for that label will be
displayed in hours, minutes and seconds. When the label time ex-
ceeds 1 day, the time for that label will be displayed in days, hours,
minutes and seconds.

• Date and time: The labels along the axis display the time in abso-
lute date and time.

When the graph contains the output of a Crankshaft Angle I/O or phase
cursors are enabled, the horizontal axis can also be set to a fourth style:

• Degrees: All labels show the angle in degrees or percent, depend-

ing on how the phase cursors are set.

To set the label style, right-click the horizontal axis and select the menu
item Label style.

9.6 Graph toolbar

Each graph has its own toolbar to control how the graph shows signals.

Figure 9.10: Graph toolbar

Enable/disable a time=0 line in Yt mode

Toggle between linear and logarithmic frequency axis
Arrange the axes vertically
Enable/disable value window
Enable/disable vertical cursors
Enable/disable horizontal cursors
Reset horizontal and vertical cursors to 25% and 75% of screen
To zoom in, drag a rectangle in the graph

76 Chapter 9
 Undo the last zoom operation ( U. )
.
Zoom out to full scale, horizontally and vertically ( Shift + U. )
Show/hide reference signals
Update reference signal with live data
Add a comment to the graph
Remove all comments from the graph
Show legend
Yt or XY mode
Move graph to new window
Restore graph in main window
. + Del
Delete all axes ( Ctrl . )
Close this graph
Graph number

9.7 Zooming
If you want to view a small section of your measurement simply drag a
rectangle using the mouse at the section you want to see in detail. Mul-
tiple mouse zooming operations are remembered and it is possible to
unzoom with the Zoom out Undo zoom button or hotkey U. . Fully reset-
ting all horizontal and vertical axes is done with the Zoom reset Reset
zoom button.
To zoom in horizontal direction only and leave the vertical zoom fac-
.
tor unchanged, press the Ctrl key and select a zooming area with
the mouse. To zoom in vertical direction only and leave the horizon-
.
tal zoom factor unchanged, press the Shift key and select a zooming
area with the mouse.
Zooming in horizontal direction only is also possible using the mouse
wheel. Wheel up causes the graph to zoom in horizontally, around the
location where the mouse is positioned. Wheel down causes the graph
to zoom out horizontally, around the location where the mouse is posi-
tioned.
When zoomed in, the graph can then be panned horizontally by dragging
the signal left or right, with the right mouse button pressed.

9.7.1 Zooming using keyboard controls

Horizontal zooming and panning is also possible using hotkeys. The fol-
lowing hotkeys affect the horizontal zoom factor of the active graph:

Displaying data in graphs 77

 Hotkey Function
. +→
Ctrl . Zoom horizontaly in from the left side of the
graph, in fixed steps
. +←
Ctrl . Zoom horizontaly out at the left side of the
graph, in fixed steps
↑. Zoom horizontaly in from the right side of
the graph, in fixed steps
↓. Zoom horizontaly out at the right side of the
graph, in fixed steps
← . Pan to the left, in fixed steps
→ . Pan to the right, in fixed steps
T. Reset to the total full record view
Zooming in and out in a graph affects the horizontal visible range and
vertical visible range of the axes.

9.8 Automatic measurements using cursors

In each graph, vertical and horizontal cursors can be used to indicate
certain parts of the graph. The cursors can be individually enabled by:

• using the Show vertical cursors button on the toolbar

• using the Show horizontal cursors button on the toolbar
• clicking Show vertical cursors in the graph’s popup menu.
• clicking Show horizontal cursors in the graph’s popup menu.

The cursors can also be used to measure values of interest indicated by

the cursors. These measurements include e.g.: Mininum, Maximum, Top-
Bottom, RMS, Mean, Variance, Standard deviation, Frequency.
Measurement results are shown in a special value window which is
opened by clicking the Value window button on the toolbar. When
the value window is opened and the vertical and/or horizontal cursors
are not switched on, the required cursors will be switched on, based on
the default selected measurements.
Vertical cursors are waveform based, they can be positioned anywhere
on the signal by dragging them with the mouse. Optionally, they can snap
to sample positions, by selecting Snap vertical cursors to samples from
the graph’s popup menu. Two red lines in the time axis scroll bar rep-
resent the vertical cursor locations in the record. To position both verti-
cal cursors simultaneously and keeping them at the same distance from
. key while dragging a vertical cursor.
each other, press the Ctrl
Horizontal cursors are graph based, they can be positioned anywhere in
the graph by dragging them with the mouse. To position both horizon-
tal cursors simultaneously and keeping them at the same distance from
.
each other, press the Shift key while dragging a horizontal cursor.

78 Chapter 9
 Due to zooming, cursors can become off screen. To position an off screen
cursor, it can be grabbed at the edge of the screen. The mouse pointer
will change shape to indicate that the cursor can be dragged. Off screen
cursors can be positioned inside the screen again by clicking the Cur-
sor reset button which will position all cursors at 25% and 75% of the
visible screen.
A horizontal and vertical cursor can be positioned simultaneously by
. key and/or
dragging the intersection of the two cursors. Using the Ctrl
.
the Shift key, the other cursors can be positioned as well, maintaining
their distance to each other.

9.8.1 Measurements
For clarity, not all measurements are enabled by default when the cursors
are enabled. In the program settings (Settings) can be determined which
measurements are default shown when the cursors are enabled. The
cursor window will by default look like in the figure below.

Figure 9.11: Cursor window

The measurements Left, Right, Right-Left, Top, Bottom,

Top-Bottom and Slope require the vertical and/or horizontal cursors
to be enabled. They use the cursor positions for their result.
All other measurements are calculated over a data range. When the verti-
cal cursors are enabled, the data range is marked by the vertical cursors.
When the vertical cursors are off, the data range equals the post samples.
Besides the calculated values in between the vertical cursors, the posi-
tions of the vertical cursors, as well as the difference between them, can
be seen at the bottom of the cursor window. The Show base info but-
ton hides or shows this base info.
A user configurable virtual impedance is available that is used by the
Power measurement and the dBm measurement. Cicking the
Impedance button will allow to set its value. Its default value is 600 Ω.
The measured values can be copied to the clipboard as text, by pressing
the Copy to clipboard button.

Displaying data in graphs 79

 When Always on top is switched on with the Always on top button,
the cursor window cannot be hidden under other windows of the Multi
Channel software.
Enabling or disabling measurements can be done by clicking the corre-
sponding measurement buttons on the toolbar, by clicking Select mea-
surements... in the popup menu of the cursor window, or by clicking the
Select measurements button on the toolbar. A window will popup, in
which the desired measurements can be selected.

For the frequency measurement, at least one cycle must be in be-

tween the vertical cursors. Furthermore, at least two rising slopes
must be present in the signal.

9.8.2 Phase cursors

When examining phase shift between signals, or examining other pe-
riodic signals like e.g. crankshaft signals, special Phase cursors can be
switched on in the graph. Right-click the graph and select Phase cursors
from the popup menu to enable the phase cursors.
With these special cursors, the beginning and end of a cycle can be marked,
which then is considered to be 0 to 360 degrees. It is also possible to
mark that area as being 0 to 720 degrees, 0 to 100 % or some user de-
fined range. The regular cursors can then be used to determine the angle
of a specific position in the cycle. This angle is determined using linear in-
terpolation between the two limits of the range.
Optionally, the horizontal axis can be set to show the angles instead of
time. And overlays can be drawn over the graph to divide the selected
range in e.g. 4 sections, for easy visual recognition.

Figure 9.12: Phase cursors and background accenting

80 Chapter 9
In figure 9.12, two sine waves with a phase shift are measured, where the
phase cursors are placed on the beginning and end of one period of the
Ch1 signal. The horizontal axis is set to show degrees. The left hand side
normal cursor is placed at the zero crossing of the Ch2 signal.

Figure 9.13: Phase cursors readout

The cursor readout shows the phase cursor information in the bottom
row of the window. It shows that the phase angle for the left cursor, po-
sitioned at the start of a cycle on Ch2, is at 31.9 degrees, the phase angle
between the two signals. The right cursor is placed half way the ch1 sig-
nal, at 180 degrees.

Phase cursor settings

Right-clicking the graph and selecting Settings for the phase cursors...
will open the Phase cursor settings window.

Figure 9.14: Phase cursors settings window

The following settings are available:

• Range determines the range of the section that is defined by the

two special phase cursors:
– 360 deg the range covers 360 degrees, the left phase cursor
marks 0 ° and the right phase cursor marks 360 °.
– 720 deg the range covers 720 degrees, the left phase cursor
marks 0 ° and the right phase cursor marks 720 °.

Displaying data in graphs 81

 – 100 % the range covers 100 percent, the left phase cursor
marks 0 % and the right phase cursor marks 100 %.
– User defined a user defined range can be set. This uses the
settings Value 1, Value 2 and Unit.
• Partitions determines in how many partitions the range is divided.
The time axis will get one label per partition and the partitions will
be marked in the graph with a slightly different background color.
• Value 1 sets the left hand side limit of the user defined range. This
value can be higher than the right hand side limit.
• Value 2 sets the right hand side limit of the user defined range. This
value can be lower than the left hand side limit.
• Unit sets the unit for the user defined range.

9.9 References
You can create a reference to any signal that is displayed in a graph. A
reference is a copy of a signal. By making such a copy and continuing the
measurements, you will be able to see differences between the life signal
and the reference. References can also be loaded with a ”known good”
signal of a device, to check life signals against this ”known good” signal
while troubleshooting a system.
You can create an automatic reference by choosing Create reference
to ▶ in the popup menu of the graph or one of its axes. This creates a
hidden Reference I/O containing the reference signal and which is added
to the same axis as its original. When the reference is created, an Up-
date reference button is added to the graph’s toolbar, which can be used
to copy new data from the life signal into the reference.

Automatic references can be temporarily hidden from the graph. The

Show references button toggles the visibility of the available references.
When an automatic reference is deleted, the corresponding toolbar but-
ton(s) and the hidden Reference I/O are also removed.
It is also posible to create a manual Reference I/O via the object tree →
I/Os → Miscellaneous → Reference. You have to connect a source to
it manually, which automatically copies the data from the source to the
Reference I/O. The reference I/O can then be shown in a graph or meter
and can also function as source for other I/Os or sinks for further signal
analysis. To update the data in the Reference I/O, right-click it in the object
tree and select the Copy action from its popup menu.
Manuals references do not get toolbar buttons and can not be hidden
using the Show references button.

82 Chapter 9
9.10 Using comments
Sometimes it is clarifying to add a text comment to a graph, to explain cer-
tain phenomena in the measured signals. An unlimited amount of com-
ments can be added to each graph and an unlimited amount of arrows
can be drawn from each comment to point at the signals.
A comment can be added by:

• using the Add comment button on the toolbar

• clicking Add comment in the graph’s popup menu.

The comments can be dragged to the desired position. Arrows can be

created by ”dragging” from the little square at the middle of the bottom
of the comment to the desired position. You can move an existing arrow
by dragging its point to a new position. To move a comment including
its arrow, press the Ctrl. key while dragging the comment. To delete an
arrow, right-click on its point and click Delete.

Figure 9.15: Text comments

To change the text in a comment, right-click the comment and select

Comment.... Comments can be resized be grabbing one of the edges
with the mouse and dragging it to the required location.
To make a copy of a comment, right-click the comment and select Clone
or Clone with arrows from its popup menu.
To delete a single comment, right-click the comment and select Delete.
To delete all comments from a graph, click the Delete all comments
button in the graph toolbar.
When the scope is operating in streaming mode and a Data collector I/O
is present in the graph, pressing the space . bar will add a comment in
the graph at the current position, to indicate a specific phenomenton that

Displaying data in graphs 83

 happened at that time. The comment will contain the text Trigger and a
serial number.

9.11 Drawing options

Several drawing options are available via the graph popup menu, which
is shown by right-clicking a graph.

9.11.1 Interpolation
When the number of pixels in the graph is bigger than the number of
displayed samples, two different ways of drawing the signal are available:

• Interpolation switched on: straight lines are drawn through the

samples
• Interpolation switched off: a staircase line is drawn along the sam-
ples.

9.11.2 Visual noise reduction

The Visual noise reduction setting reduces some of the noise that may
appear while drawing the measurements in the graphs. The result is
smoother and thinner lines.

9.11.3 Legend
Using the option Show legend a legend of the shown signals is drawn in
th upper left corner of the graph.

9.11.4 Markers
Using the option Show markers, each graph additionally gets small mark-
ers on the line. For each line a different symbol is used. These can be
helpful in distinguishing signal lines.

84 Chapter 9
Displaying data in Meters
10
The multimeter is an instrument that performs a measurement on a sig-
nal and then determines one or more specific properties of that signal
and displays these as numeric values. Displaying can be done using a
numerical display, with a gauge or with am text display.
The multimeter can be used to measure or monitor specific properties
of a signal, like RMS value, frequency, maximum value etc. When using a
gauge display, it can be very helpful when adjusting a circuit for a specific
property, e.g. adjusting an offset to zero.
Appearance of the meter can be configured in the program settings.

Figure 10.1: A meter example

The Multimeter uses the Meter sink (8.1).

Multiple sources can be connected to the meter and per source, multiple
measurements can be displayed, in individual displays. Sources with time
domain data and sources with frequency domain data can be connected
to a meter. For each connected source, a column with displays is added
to the meter window, a caption at the top of the column indicates the

Displaying data in Meters 85

 source by its icon and name or alias. Clicking that caption will open the
settings window of that column’s source. Right-clicking the caption will
open a popup menu with additional actions and settings for the column.
Connecting a source can be done in two ways:

• drag the source onto the Meter in the object tree

• drag the source onto the window of the Meter

The following measurements are available:

Momentary Pulse width (negative)

Maximum Crest factor
Minimum Rise time
Maximum - Minimum Fall time
Root Mean Square (RMS) Slew rate
Mean Power
Variance dBm
Standard Deviation Period count
Frequency Pulse count (positive)
Period Pulse count (negative)
n
Duty cycle Rising edge count
n
Duty cycle (inverted) Falling edge count
Pulse width (positive) Total Harmonic Distortion

More information on the measurements can be found in chapter B.

The measurements are performed over a user specified data range of
the associated source, see B. In the program settings can be determined
which measurements are default shown when creating a meter.
Settings for the meter are divided in three categories:

• Meter display properties and actions, see 10.2

• Meter column actions, see 10.3
• Meter properties and actions, see 10.4

86 Chapter 10
 10.1 Clipping detection
When clipping detection is enabled in the settings, the software will place
indicators in the graph and/or meter display when the signal is clipped
due to being larger than the input range.

Figure 10.2: Clipping detected

When the displayed signal is processed by one or more I/Os, it may be

no longer possible to detect whether the signal is clipped or not. In that
case no indicators are shown.
The color of the clipping indicator can be determined in the settings.

10.2 Display properties and actions

To control the behavior of a display of the Meter, several properties are
available. These can be accessed through a popup menu which is shown
when the display is right clicked.

10.2.1 Color
When multiple sources are displayed in a meter, they can be distin-
guished from each other by their Color. Two color settings are available
for a meter display.

• As source
The display will use the same color as its source.
• User defined...
The color of the display is user selected, using a color picker dialog.
Any color can be used.

10.2.2 Digits
The Digits option determines how many digits are used to show the value
on the segment display. Three different options are available:

• Auto detect
The segment display determines the optimal number of digits,
based on the resolution of the value.

Displaying data in Meters 87

 • 6
The segment display uses six digits to display the value
• User defined...
The number of digits is user defined, using a number input dialog.

10.2.3 Decimals
The Decimals option determines how many decimal positions are used
to show the value on the segment display. Three different options are
available:

• Auto detect
The segment display determines the optimal number of decimals,
based on the resolution of the value.
• 3
The segment display uses three decimals to display the value
• User defined...
The number of decimals is user defined, using a number input dia-
log.

10.2.4 Auto Prefix

The option Auto prefix determines whether a prefix (µ m k M G etc.) is
added to the displayed unit on a segment display. The displayed value is
shown accordingly. Auto prefix is default on. When Digits and Decimals
are set to Auto detect, Auto prefix will be fixed to on.

10.2.5 Range
The Range option determines the full scale range of a gauge display. Two
options are available:

• Auto ranging
The gauge display sets the full scale range according to the output
range of the associated source of the display.
• User defined...
The upper and lower limit of the gauge display range are user de-
fined, using an input dialog.

10.2.6 Measurement
The property Measurement determines which type of measurement is
performed on the data of the associated source of the display. A sub-
menu allows to select from the available measurements.

88 Chapter 10
10.2.7 Type
The property Type determines whether a Segment display with numbers,
a Gauge display with a pointer or a Text display is used to show the value.
When a Text display is selected, the measurement for that display is au-
tomatically set to Momentary.

Figure 10.3: The different display types

10.2.8 Delete
The Delete action deletes the display.

10.3 Column actions

Some actions that are related to a column of a meter are available. These
can be accessed through a popup menu which is shown when the col-
umn caption is right clicked.

10.3.1 Add Measurement

The action Add measurement adds a display with a specified measure-
ment to the column of displays for the associated source. The measure-
ment to add can be selected from a sub menu.

10.3.2 Disconnect source

To remove a source from a meter, the Disconnect source action can be
used. This will remove all displays and caption for that source from the
meter window.

10.4 Meter properties and actions

To control the behavior of the Meter sink, several properties are available.
These can be accessed through a popup menu which is shown when the
sink is right clicked in the object tree.

Displaying data in Meters 89

10.4.1 Single column
When measurements for multiple sources are displayed in the Meter
sink, each source gets its own column with displays. When many sour-
ces are connected, the total Meter display can become very wide. In that
case it can be more convenient to set the Meter to Single column, where
all sources are shown in a single column, below each other.

Figure 10.4: Multiple columns and single column

10.4.2 Measurement data range

The data range over which the measurements are calculated can be set
to one of the following settings:

• All samples: Use both pre samples and post samples to perform
the measurements calculations.
• Post samples only: Use only the post samples to perform the mea-
surements calculations. (Default)
• Pre samples only: Use only the pre samples to perform the mea-
surements calculations.

10.4.3 Log to disk

The meter can log its readings to a Comma Separated Values file to disk.
When enabled, a dialog is shown in which the destination folder for the
CSV files can be selected. A separate file for each connected source, with
date and time stamp of the starting moment of the measurement as file
name, as well as the source’s name.
Each line in the file will contain a time stamp and the values of the differ-
ent displays for that source, separated by commas. Each time the meter
gets new data, a new line is added to the file(s).

90 Chapter 10
10.4.4 Stop disk logging
When disk logging is no longer required, Stop disk logging is used to
close the created file(s) and make them accessible to other applications.

10.4.5 Copy to clipboard

The Copy to clipboard action copies the values of all displays including
layout to the Windows clipboard, from where it can be pasted in various
applications. The Copy to clipboard action is available in the popup menu.

10.4.6 Always on top

When the Always on top property is switched on, the Meter window
cannot be hidden under other windows of the Multi Channel software.
The Always on top property is available in the popup menu.

Displaying data in Meters 91

92 Chapter 10
 Saving and logging measurements
11
In the Multi Channel software different ways to store measurements are
available:

• Save a single scope / spectrum analyzer measurement, 11.1

• Save multiple scope / spectrum analyzer measurements, 11.2
• Save continuous data logger measurements, 11.3
• Export single measurements to common, third party files, 11.4
• Export multiple measurements to common, third party files, 11.5
• Save a measurement to a graphical image, 11.6

11.1 Saving a single scope/spectrum analyzer measurement

The Multi Channel software can save oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer
measurements to TPS and TPO files. Refer to chapter D.1 and D.2 for
more information on these file types.

11.1.1 Saving to a TPS file

There are different ways to save a measuremnt to a file:

• To save your complete setup in a Desktop type of file, create a TPS

file with the Save as... item in the File menu. This creates a TPS file
with all instrument settings, instrument data and all used objects in
the setup.
• To save instrument settings and optionally data to an Instrument
type of file, right-click the instrument in the object tree and click
Save as.... This creats a TPS file with just instrument settings and
instrument data.
• To save function generator settings and optionally data to a Func-
tion Generator type of file, right-click the function generator in the
object tree and click Save as... or use the save button on the func-
tion generator control window. This creats a TPS file with just gene-
rator settings and generator data.

11.1.2 Saving objects to a TPO file

In the object tree one or more sources, I/Os and sinks can be selected.
You can save the selected object(s) to a TPO file by right-clicking on the

Saving and logging measurements 93

 selection and choosing Save as... from the popup menu. The objects will
be saved with all connections they have in common.

Figure 11.1: Saving two objects

Saving groups of objects can be handy when you want to use the group
with the same settings in another setup, or just want to quickly create
multiple equal groups of objects to perform the same kind of processing
on several sources. After saving the file, you can open it multiple times to
add the objects in the file to the setup.

Figure 11.2: TPO Save as dialog.

You can enter a description and choose to only store settings and no
data by checking the ”Don’t store data” checkbox.

94 Chapter 11
11.2 Saving multiple scope/spectrum analyzer measurements
The AutoDisk function can be used to store all measurements of an os-
cilloscope to TiePie engineering TPS files. Besides the measured data, the
TPS files contain the instrument settings. Each measurement is stored in
a separate file.

Figure 11.3: Setting up the Auto Disk

Logging measurements of an instrument using AutoDisk can be initiated

in two ways:

• Right-click the instrument in the object tree and choose AutoDisk...

from the popup menu. An AutoDisk sink is created and the instru-
ment is connected to it.
• Click Sinks in the object tree, create an AutoDisk sink and drag the
instrument on it.

A save dialog will appear in which you can enter a file name. After
choosing the file name, the auto disk function is ready to store all mea-
surements and a window as depicted below will appear, displaying the
progress. A serial number and/or time stamp is appended to the file
name for each measurement. Right-click the AutoDisk sink and select
Filename options to determine which are added. The serial number
starts at 000000 and is incremented after each measurement. All mea-
surements of the instrument associated with the AutoDisk function will
be stored until the Stop button is pressed.

Figure 11.4: Auto disk progress dialog

Saving and logging measurements 95

 The files saved with the AutoDisk only contain the instrument set-
tings and data, no settings and/or data of other objects that were
present during the measurements.

You can review the stored TPS files in different ways:

• Use File → Load... in the main menu

• Use Load... in the instrument’s menu
• Drag the file from a Windows explorer window onto the Multi Chan-
nel software
• Double click the file in a Windows explorer window

When you load a TPS file with recorded data directly in the instru-
ment, the data is processed by the processing blocks that are con-
nected to the instrument. This can be very useful when you want
to perform some kind of processing on auto disk measurements.

11.3 Save continuous data logger measurements

Continuous logging can be done using the Signal logging Quick Setups
(see also 2.4). These Quick Setups setup the instrument and software for
a specific logging operation with just a few mouse clicks. After selecting
and loading the Quick Setup, all that needs to be done is starting the
measurement. The measurement will then run for an unlimited amount
of time, until it is manually stopped. All measured values are stored to
disk.
These Quick Setups use Data collector I/Os (7.4.2). These can be set to
save their content to disk in a TiePie engineering TPO file when they are
full, then clear them self and start collecting again.
When performing continuous streaming measurements, Data collector
I/Os can be used to collect and ”glue” the streaming data and then display
it and post process it.

96 Chapter 11
 Figure 11.5: Setting up the Data collector

When for the Data collector property When full the option Save to disk
and clear is selected, each time the Data collector is full, a .TPO file
containing the Data collector is saved to disk. The Data collector is then
cleared and starts collecting again. The file name for the .TPO files starts
with the date and time of starting the measurement, followed by a serial
number that increments each time the Data collector is full. Additionally
an index file (.TPIDX) is stored keeping track of all saved .TPO files that
belong to a certain measurement. The name of the index file contains
the date and time of starting the measurement. The location where the
files are stored can be set in the application settings. When the setup
contains multiple Data collector I/Os, all saving to disk, they will all be in-
cluded in the same index file. When the measurement is stopped, the
final, incomplete chunck is saved as well.
When the measurement is started directly from a data logging Quick
Setup and more than one chunk was saved, a dialog will appear when
the measurmeent is stopped, asking to load and show all saved data.
When the measurement was setup manually without using a Quick Setup,
the index file can be opened in the Multi Channel software, using File →
Load Data collector index file. This will load a block of two, three or four
of the saved Data collector .TPO files, depending on the data length of the
saved Data collectors. The loaded Data collectors are shown together in
a graph. When the original setup contained multiple Data collector I/Os,
the .TPO files with matching times will be loaded and displayed together.
Additionally, a special toolbar is shown that allows to navigate through
the available .TPO files that belong to the specific measurement.

Saving and logging measurements 97

 Go to the first part of the measurement
Go to the previous block of the measurement
Go to the previous part of the measurement
Go to the next part of the measurement
Go to the next block of the measurement
Go to the last part of the measurement
Close the index file and remove all loaded Data collectors

Clicking the indicator label on the toolbar allows to jump to a specific part
of the measurement. A dialog will be shown in which the number of the
required part can be entered.
It is also possible to manually load all .TPO files into the Multi Channel
software. This will create Data collectors with the saved data. When the
Data collectors are then all shown in one graph, the various parts will be
displayed after each other, giving an overview of the total measurement.
Note that depending on the amount of Data collectors and their data
size, this can be very memory consuming.

11.4 Exporting single measurements

Data of all sources can be exported. This means that data of all stand-
alone sources like the instruments, and channels, but also outputs of
other objects like I/Os can be saved to file.
The data displayed in a graph can also be saved to a file. All data of all
visible lines will be exported. When cursors are switched on, only the data
in the section between the two curstors will be exported.
Exporting data of sources, I/Os or graphs can be done by selecting the
desired objects and choosing Export data... from its popup menu.

Figure 11.6: Exporting data.

98 Chapter 11
 A standard save dialog will popup, which is extended with options for the
selected file format. Below, the save dialog is displayed with the options
for saving binary files.

Figure 11.7: Exporting options for Binary files.

With the file type combo box, the desired file type can be selected.

• Binary (raw) (.bin)

• Comma Separated Values ASCII (.csv)
• JSON files (.json)
• Matlab (.mat) data (version 6)
• Wave audio (.wav)

The list of available file types depends on the selected sources that are
to be saved. For example, most formats only support one time base. If
sources with different time bases are selected, a separate file per source
will be exported. The file name of the exported file will then also contain
the name of the corresponding source.

11.5 Exporting multiple measurements

With the Disk writer sink object you can store the data of any source to
several common, third party file formats. Supported file formats are:

• Binary (raw) (.bin)

• Comma Separated Values ASCII (.csv)
• JSON files (.json)
• Matlab (.mat) data (version 6)
• Wave audio (.wav)

Saving and logging measurements 99

 These files can only be saved by the Multi Channel software, the
software can not load these files.

Both block mode measurements (oscilloscope / spectrum analyzer) and

streaming data logger measurements can be expoted using the Disk
writer. This way, very long measurements can be perfomred and store
them to disk. Files with a size up to 4 GB can be written.

Figure 11.8: Setting up the Disk writer

To start exporting logging, first create a disk writer object by right clicking
Sinks in the object tree and choosing the disk writer. A new disk writer
object will now be created. By right-clicking the disk writer, a popup menu
will show in which several settings can be changed. Entering a file name
in the settings window of the writer is required.
When all settings are correct, you can connect the source(s) of which you
want to store the data by dragging it/them onto the writer. If you want to
store all channels of an instrument, you can drag the instrument instead
of the single channels. After the objects are connected, all data will be
recorded.

You can use several disk writer objects at the same time to store
data in different file formats or locations simultaneously.

The Disk writer has several settgins that change it behavior. They can be
accessed via its settings window that is shown when the Disk writer is
double clicked or via the popup mneu of the Disk writer.

100 Chapter 11
 11.6 Saving a measurement to an image
To be able to use data displayed in a graph in reports or presentations
or other applications, graphs can be saved as images. The image that
is saved resembles the graph as it is shown on the screen, but is not an
exact screen shot. The way the image is drawn is fully configurable. When
cursors are used in a graph, the image will also contain the cursors and a
table with the cursor readouts. Comment memos are saved to the image
as well. The image can be saved in various common graphic file formats.
To save an image of a graph, it is recommended to pause the measure-
ments first.
Then activate the desired graph by clicking in it with the mouse or by using
.
the graph selection hotkey Shift .
+ graph number . In case of multiple
graphs, a blue border will be present around the active graph.
Once the required graph is selected, open the File menu and click Save
image.... This will open a save dialog with image saving options.

Figure 11.9: Saving an image

The example that is shown in the Save dialog is an example image,

it is not the actual image that will be saved. When the image is
actually saved using the Save button, the data of that moment is
used. If the scope was still measuring, this will be different data
than is shown in the example.

11.6.1 Saving an image from the command line

It is also possible to save an image file using command line parameters.
Refer to the chapter E on command line options for more information.

Saving and logging measurements 101

11.6.2 Supported image file formats
The desired image file type can be selected in the file type combo box.
Several different image file formats are available:

• Portable Network Graphics (*.PNG)

• Bitmap (*.BMP)
• Graphic Interchange Format (*.GIF)
• Enhanced Meta File (*.EMF)
• Joint Photographic Experts Group (*.JPG)

The PNG format is most suitable image format to save a graph as image.
Using the JPG format will lead to loss of contrast and color information.

11.6.3 Image dimensions

When saving an image, several predefined dimensions are available:

• 320 x 200
• 640 x 480
• 800 x 600
• 1024 x 768
• 1280 x 1024
• 1600 x 1200

It is also possible to enter user defined dimensions, by clicking the

Other... button. This will open the Image size dialog in which the required
dimensions can be entered. The entered image dimensions will be added
to the list of available image dimensions.

11.6.4 Image scheme

When saving an image, various parts of the image can be customized.
These settings are combined in an image scheme. Several default
schemes can be selected from. It is also possible to define own schemes,
which can be saved for later use.

102 Chapter 11
 Loading saved measurements
12
A TPS, TPO or WinSoft file can be loaded in several ways.

12.1 Loading a whole file

The common way to load a file is to use the Load... entry in the File menu.
By default, the whole file is loaded when you press ”Open”. Dragging and
dropping a file on the main form of the application will also load the whole
file.

12.2 Loading just a part of a file

The open dialog of the Multi Channel software is extended with a tree
view. This tree view represents the contents of TPS and TPO files. The
parts of the file that can be opened, are highlighted in the tree.

Figure 12.1: File Open dialog.

In the displayed open dialog, the selected file is a Desktop type TPS file,
containing a complete setup. By default, the Desktop node in the tree is
selected and the total file is loaded when you press ”Open”.
As you can see in figure 12.1, the instrument and function generator are
highlighted as well. They can be loaded separately, leaving the rest of
your setup intact. To load the instrument settings from the file, click the
Instrument node in the tree and press ”Open”. If multiple instruments
have been opened by the software, you will be asked to select which in-
strument(s) should load from the file. Loading a function generator part
from a file works the same.

Loading saved measurements 103

 12.3 Loading into selected objects
In the object tree on the main form of the application, one or more ob-
jects of the same type can be selected. When you right-click on a selection
of objects and choose Load... from the popup menu, the earlier men-
tioned open dialog will appear, but now only compatible parts from the
file can be opened. The compatible items in the file are highlighted in the
tree.

Figure 12.2: Instrument popup menu.

For example, when using the Load... function of an instrument on the

same file used earlier, only the instrument part may be opened. It is se-
lected automatically, because it is the first item in the file that can be
opened by the instrument. Just press ”Open” to load the instrument set-
tings and data into the instrument. The rest of the setup is left intact.

Figure 12.3: Load File into instrument.

104 Chapter 12
 Number input prefixes, constants and functions
A
Number input fields support the use of prefixes, constants and functions.

A.1 Prefixes
Valid prefixes that can be used in number input fields are:
Prefix Name Value
f femto 10-15
p pico 10-12
n nano 10-9
µ or u micro 10-6
m milli 10-3
k kilo 103
M mega 106
G giga 109
T tera 1012
P peta 1015
Prefixes are case sensitive!

A.2 Constants
Supported constants are:
Constant Value
pi 3.141592638
eulersnumber or en 2.718281828
Constants are not case sensitive.

Number input prefixes, constants and functions 105

 A.3 Functions
Supported functions are:
Function Description
sin(Arg1) returns the Sine of angle Arg1 in degrees
cos(Arg1) returns the Cosine of angle Arg1 in degrees
tan(Arg1) returns the Tangent of angle Arg1 in degrees
arcsin(Arg1) returns the angle in degrees of the ArcSine of Arg1
arccos(Arg1) returns the angle in degrees of the ArcCosine of Arg1
arctan(Arg1) returns the angle in degrees of the ArcTangent of Arg1
arctanxy(Arg1,Arg2) returns the angle in degrees of the ArcTangent of Arg2 / Arg1
degtorad(Arg1) converts angle Arg1 in degrees to an angle in radians
radtodeg(Arg1) converts angle Arg1 in radians to an angle in degrees
sqr(Arg1) retuns the square of Arg1
sqrt(Arg1) returns the square root of Arg1
ln(Arg1) returns the natural logarithm of Arg1
log10(Arg1) returns the ten base logarithm of Arg1: 10 log Arg1
log2(Arg1) returns the two base logarithm of Arg1: 2 log Arg1
logn(Arg1,Arg2) returns the Arg1 base logarithm of Arg2: Arg1 log Arg2
exp(Arg1) returns e (euler’s number) to the power Arg1: eArg1
power(Arg1,Arg2) returns Arg1 to the power Arg2: Arg1Arg2
ceil(Arg1) returns the nearest integer equal to or greater than Arg1
floor(Arg1) returns the nearest integer equal to or less than Arg1
round(Arg1) rounds Arg1
trunc(Arg1) returns the integer part of the floating point Arg1
mod(Arg1,Arg2) returns the remainder of Arg1 divided by Arg2
div(Arg1,Arg2) returns the whole number result of Arg1 divided by Arg2
Functions are not case sensitive.

106 Appendix A
 Standard measurements
B
In the cursor window of each graph and in meter objects, different mea-
surements can be selected. These measurements include:

Momentary Pulse width (negative)

Maximum Crest factor
Minimum Rise time
Maximum - Minimum Fall time
Root Mean Square (RMS) Slew rate
Mean Power
Variance dBm
Standard Deviation Period count
Frequency Pulse count (positive)
Period Pulse count (negative)
n
Duty cycle Rising edge count
n
Duty cycle (inverted) Falling edge count
Pulse width (positive) Total Harmonic Distortion

The measurements are calculated over a sample range. When using the
cursors, the sample range is equal to the samples in between the left and
right cursor. In a meter object, the sample range is user definable.
In the cursor window the following measurements are also possible:

Left Top
Right Bottom
Right - Left Top - Bottom
Slope

B.1 Short description of the measurements

This section gives a short description of the standard measurements.
Most measurements are very straight forward, but are explained for clar-
ity. Some measurements are explained with a formula. In these formulas
m corresponds to the index of the first sample in the sample range and
n is the last index. N is the number of samples in the sample range and
is equal to n - m + 1. The ith sample is denoted as xi .

Standard measurements 107

 Momentary gives a momentary value of the measured signal. It is
the last, or right-most value in the sample range.

Maximum is the highest value in the sample range.

Minimum is the lowest value in the sample range.

Maximum - Minimum, also known as peak-peak, is the highest value

in the sample range minus the lowest value.

RMS is equal to the square root of the mean of the squares of all
samples in the sample range.
v
u
u1 ∑ n
RM S = t x2
N i=m i

Mean is the mean value of all samples in the sample range.

1 ∑
n
M ean = x = xi
N i=m

Variance is a measure of how values are distributed around the

mean value.

1 ∑
n
V ariance = (xi − x)2
N i=m

Standard deviation (σ) is equal to the square root of the variance.

The standard deviation is equal to the RMS value for signals with a zero
mean value (AC signals).

√
σ= V ariance

108 Appendix B
 Frequency determines the frequency of a time based signal. The
frequency is determined by searching rising slopes in a signal and mea-
suring the time between them.
For a correct measurement, at least two rising slopes must be present in
the sample range.

Period determines the period time of a time based signal. The period
time is determined by searching the rising slopes in a signal and measur-
ing the time between them.
For a correct measurement, at least two rising slopes must be present in
the sample range.

Duty cycle is defined as the ratio between the time that a signal
is higher than half the amplitude and the period. It is expressed as a
percentage.

Duty cycle (inverted) is defined as the ratio between the time that
a signal is lower than half the amplitude and the period. It is expressed
as a percentage.

Pulse width (positive) determines the width of rising pulses in a

signal. It uses the mid level crossings in the signal to determine the width
of pulses.
For a correct measurement, at least two mid level crossings must be
present in the sample range. When multiple pulses occur in the sample
range, the average width of all detected pulses is shown.

Pulse width (negative) determines the width of falling pulses in a

signal. It uses the mid level crossings in the signal to determine the width
of pulses.
For a correct measurement, at least two mid level crossings must be
present in the sample range. When multiple pulses occur in the sample
range, the average width of all detected pulses is shown.

Standard measurements 109

 The Crest factor is equal to the peak amplitude of a waveform di-
vided by the RMS value.

max(| x |)
C=
xRM S

The Crest factor can be used to get an idea of the quality of a signal. A
signal with more peaks will have a higher Crest factor. The following table
lists Crest factors for some ideal standard signals.

Signal type Crest

√ factor
Sine √2 ≈ 1.41
Triangle 3 ≈ 1.73
Block 1
DC 1

The Rise time is the time it takes for the signal to rise from 10% to
90% of its top-bottom value. The first rising slope in the sample range is
used.

The Fall time is the time it takes for the signal to fall from 90% to
10% of its top-bottom value. The first falling slope in the sample range is
used.

Slew rate is defined as the change of voltage per unit of time and is
expressed in V/s. The first edge in the sample range is used.

Power shows the amount of electrical power that is dissipated in a

virtual reference resistor by the measured signal. The following formula
is used, in which an adjustable virtual reference resistor Rref is used to
convert the measured voltage to power. The default value of Rref is 600Ω

xRM S 2
P ower =
Rref

110 Appendix B
 dBm is the power ratio in decibels of the measured power refer-
enced to one milliwatt. The following formula is used, in which a reference
resistor Rref of 600Ω is used to convert the measured voltage to power.

1000 · xRM S 2
dBm = 10 ·10 log
Rref

Period count uses the mid level crossings in the signal to determine
the number of periods or pulses in a signal.
For a correct measurement, at least three mid level crossings must be
present in the sample range.

Pulse width (positive) determines the width of rising pulses in a

signal. It uses the mid level crossings in the signal to determine the width
of pulses.
For a correct measurement, at least two mid level crossings must be
present in the sample range. When multiple pulses occur in the sample
range, the average width of all detected pulses is shown.

Pulse width (negative) determines the width of falling pulses in a

signal. It uses the mid level crossings in the signal to determine the width
of pulses.
For a correct measurement, at least two mid level crossings must be
present in the sample range. When multiple pulses occur in the sample
range, the average width of all detected pulses is shown.

n
Rising edge count determines the number of rising edges in a sig-
nal. It uses the mid level crossings in the signal to determine the amount
of edges.
For a correct measurement, at least two mid level crossings must be
present in the sample range.

n
Falling edge count determines the number of falling edges in a sig-
nal. It uses the mid level crossings in the signal to determine the amount
of edges.
For a correct measurement, at least two mid level crossings must be
present in the sample range.

Standard measurements 111

 Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is defined as the ratio between
the power of the harmonic frequencies above the base frequency and
the power of the base frequency. This ratio is displayed in dB. It is a mea-
sure of the distortion in a signal.
The THD is calculated using the following formula:
√
V22 + V32 + V42 + ... + Vn2
T HD =
V1

where V1 is the RMS amplitude of the base frequency and V2 to Vn are

the RMS amplitudes of each higher harmonic.
The THD measurement can only be used on frequency spectrum signals.

Left can be used in the cursor window. It is the value of the signal at
the position of the left side cursor.

Right can be used in the cursor window. It is the value of the signal
at the position of the right side cursor.

Right - Left can be used in the cursor window. It is the difference

between the value of the signal at the position of the right and left cursor.

Top can be used in the cursor window. It is the value of the signal at
the position of the top cursor.

Bottom can be used in the cursor window. It is the value of the signal
at the position of the bottom cursor.

Top - Bottom can be used in the cursor window. It is the difference

between the value of the signal at the position of the top and bottom
cursor.

The Slope of a signal is the change of magnitude divided by the

elapsed time. The measurement slope determines the slope in a signal
between the left and the right cursor.

xright − xlef t
Slope =
tright − tlef t

112 Appendix B
B.2 Reference resistor

A user configurable virtual impedance is available that is used by the

Power measurement and the dBm measurement. Its default value is
600Ω.
Cicking the Impedance button in the cursor readout window will allow
to set its value.
Right-clicking a Meter display and selecting Impedance... from the popup
menu allows to set the impedance value for this Meter. Any display in
this Meter that will show Power or dBm, will use the selected impedance
value.

Standard measurements 113

114 Appendix B
Hotkeys
C
For the most frequently used functions, hotkeys have been included to
allow faster and easier control of the Multi Channel software.

Common

.
F1 Context sensitive help
Shift. + ( 1. … 0. ) Select graph 1 through 10
Ctrl. + ( 1. … 0. ) Select instrument 1 through 10
Alt. + S. Search instruments

Per instrument

F3 . / F4
. Decrease / increase sample frequency
F11 . / F12
. Decrease / increase record length
S. Start / Stop
O. Start Oneshot / Stop
0. Trigger timeout = 0
1. Trigger timeout = 1 sec.
W. Trigger timeout = infinite
Shift . +←. /→. Change pre-/post samples ratio
space . Directly force a trigger
Q. Perform a quick auto setup
Ctrl . + Q. Perform a quick auto setup and
keep following the signal

Per channel

F5 .
. / F6 Decrease / increase input range
R. Autoranging on / off
F7 . / F8
. Decrease / increase Trigger level
[. / ]. Decrease / increase Trigger hysteresis
A. AC-coupling
D. DC-coupling
The mentioned channel hotkeys by default apply to channel 1. If the
hotkeys are used with the keys mentioned in table C.1, the hotkey ap-
plies to the indicated channel, of the active instrument.

Hotkeys 115
 – Ch. 1
Ctrl. Ch. 2
Shift . Ch. 3
Ctrl. + Shift. Ch. 4
.
Alt Ch. 5
. + Ctrl
Alt . Ch. 6
. + Shift
Alt . Ch. 7
. . .
Alt + Ctrl + Shift Ch. 8
Table C.1: channel selection hotkeys

Per graph

L. Interpolation
U. Zoom out
. + DEL
Ctrl Clear graph
.
Shift + DEL Delete graph
← . /→ . Move scroll bar slider
. +←
Ctrl . /→. Move left edge of the scroll bar slider
.↑ / ↓. Move right edge of the scroll bar slider
T. Full record view
X. XY-mode
Y. Yt-mode

Per Arbitrary Waveform Generator

F. Enter the frequency

A. Enter the amplitude
O. Enter the offset
S. Enter the symmetry
P. Enter the phase
B. Enter the burst count
D. Enter the sweep duration

116 Appendix C
 Files types
D
The Multi Channel software uses various file types to load and store data
and settings. This chapter gives a short description of the TiePie engineer-
ing file types used in the Multi Channel software. For information about
other file types to which data can be exported, refer to section D.5.

D.1 Multi Channel TPS files

TiePie Settings (TPS) files are used to store all kinds of settings as well as
data. The files can contain instrument settings, graph settings, function
generator settings, etc. They can be used to save a (complicated) mea-
surement setup for later use. The files can also contain measured data,
making it possible to examine the measured data at a different location
or at a later time.
There are three kinds of TPS files which can all include data:
TPS type Contains
Desktop all settings of the instruments, function gener-
ators, objects, graphs, etc.
Instrument settings of one instrument
Function Generator settings of one function generator
When selecting a TPS file in the open dialog, you can see its type in the
tree view at the right side of the dialog. The root node in the tree view
displays the file type.
Desktop TPS files can be loaded as a whole, but you can also load just
parts from a file. See section 12.1 about loading files for details.

D.2 Multi Channel TPO files

TiePie Objects (TPO) files are used to store one or more objects with
or without their data. The objects can be sources, I/Os and sinks. When
multiple objects are stored in a TPO file, the connections between these
objects are stored as well. This makes it possible to save e.g. a mathe-
matical operation using multiple objects to a file for later use or to load
it multiple times if you want to perform the same operation on multiple
sources.
The file structure of TPO files is very similar to that of TPS files. The objects
contained in TPO files can also be found in TPS files and can be loaded
from both file types the same way. See the sections about loading and
saving objects for details.

Files types 117

 D.3 Multi Channel TPIDX files
TiePie InDeX (TPIDX) files are created by a Data collector I/O when it is
logging to disk.
When for the Data collector setting When full the option Save to disk
and clear is selected, each time the Data collector is full, a .TPO file con-
taining the Data collector is saved to disk. The Data collector is then
cleared and starts collecting again. Additionally an index file is stored
keeping track of all saved .TPO files that belong to a certain measure-
ment. The name of the index file contains the date and time of starting
the measurement.
The index file can be opened in the Multi Channel software, using File →
Load Data collector index file. This loads a selection of the TPO files and
displays them, as well as a navigation toolbar to view the other files of
that mesaurement.

D.4 WinSoft files

For backward compatibility, the Multi Channel software can open files
created by the WinSoft measuring software. Both settings and data can
be loaded. The following file types are supported:
WinSoft type Description
DAT Binary or ASCII data file. Must be accompanied by a
.GEG settings file.
SET WinSoft settings. Can contain instrument and function
generator settings.
When a WinSoft file is opened via the file menu or dragged and dropped
onto the main form, the current setup is closed and replaced by the setup
in the file. When a WinSoft file is opened via the popup menu of an in-
strument or function generator, the settings of that device are loaded,
but the rest of the setup is left intact.

D.5 Exporting to other file types

It is possible to export data to the following file formats:

• Binary (raw) (.bin)

• Comma Separated Values ASCII (.csv)
• JSON files (.json)
• Matlab (.mat) data (version 6)
• Wave audio (.wav)

Refer to the online help file that comes with the software for a complete
list of the file formats and a description of their options.

118 Appendix D
Command line parameters
E
The Multi Channel software can be started with command line parame-
ters. Currently the following options are available:

Loading setfiles
-d setfile[.tps] Load desktop from setfile
-sa setfile[.tps] Load first scope settings from setfile into all
scopes
-s<n> setfile[.tps] Load first scope settings from setfile into the nth
scope
-ga setfile[.tps] Load first AWG settings from setfile into all AWGs
-g<n> setfile[.tps] Load first AWG settings from setfile into the nth
AWG
-l setfile[.tps] Load setfile. Auto detect file type

Saving files
-SaveAll setfile[.tps][,NoData] Save desktop to setfile

-SaveScp setfile[.tps] Save scope number index to setfile

[,Index=1][,NoData]

-SaveGen setfile[.tps] Save generator number index to setfile

[,Index=1][,NoData]

-SaveImg filename Save screenshot of graph number index to

(.png/.bmp/.gif/.emf/.jpg) filename
[,Index=1][,w=800][,h=600]
[,Scheme=Image standard]

Window size and position

-MWS FULL Maximize main window
-MWS w,h Set main window width and height
-MWS l,t,w,h Set main window at position left,top with width
and height

Size and position values may be specified in pixels or a percentage of the

primary monitor size (add a % sign to the value).
When Allow multiple instances is switched on in the Multi Channel soft-
ware, each launch of the Multi Channel software will open a new instance.
Any command line parameter is used in that instance. When Allow mul-
tiple instances is switched off (default), each launch will activate the cur-

Command line parameters 119

 rent instance. Any command line parameter will be passed on to the cur-
rent instance and executed there. Several command line options work
best when Allow multiple instances is switched off.
The following applies to the command line parameters:

• command line options are case-insensitive

• values between ( ) are mandatory
• values between [ ] are optional
• values after = are the defaults.
• if the option string contains spaces, it must be escaped with quotes
• multiple command line options can be used in a single call

E.1 Batch converting multiple saved measurements

When batch converting multiple saved measurements to other file for-
mats or creating images from them, each time starting the Multi Channel
software and after the conversion/creation closing the software again,
can be time consuming. A command is added that will start the software
without creating the user interface, perform the required task and then
close the software again.

-console run the Multi Channel software without showing

its user interface

Example To make the Multi Channel software appear full screen on the
right monitor of a dual monitor system, use: -MWS 100%,0,100%,100%

120 Appendix E
Index

I2 C decoder, 60 CSV files, 99, 118

Cursors, 78
ABS, 52
Active instrument, 31 Data collector, 14, 56
Add, 52 Data logger, 13
Alias, 22 dBm, 111
Arbitrary data, 45 Decoder
ASCII files, 99, 118 I2 C 15, 60
Auto disk, 64 Base section to index, 61
Auto-ranging, 40 CAN, 15, 60
AutoDisk, 95 J1939, 61
Automatic measurements, 78 Pulse, 60
Average, 54 Serial, 15, 60
AWG, 41 SPI, 61
UART, 15, 60
Base section to index, 61 Deleting objects, 21
Basic measurements, 11 Deskew, 54
Binary files, 99, 118 Differentiate, 52
Disconnecting objects, 20
CAN decoder, 15, 60 Disk writer, 64
Channel, 38 Displaying data
Coupling, 39 Graph, 65
Input range, 40 Meters, 85
Input type, 39 Duty cycle, 56, 109
Probe, 40 Inverted, 109
Toolbar, 29
Channel toolbar, 29 Edge count
Cloning objects, 19 Falling, 111
Comments, 83 Rising, 111
Comparator, 55 EMI, 58
Compression test, 64 EV charger, 59
Configuring objects, 18 Exporting object data, 22
Connecting objects, 19
Control Pilot, 59 Fall time, 110
Coupling, 39 Falling edge count, 111
AC, 39 FFT, 13, 58
DC, 39 File
Crankshaft angle, 59 ASCII, 99, 118
Creating objects, 18 AutoDisk, 95
Crest factor, 110 Binary, 99, 118

121
 CSV, 99, 118 Limiter, 55
JSON, 99, 118 Log, 53
Loading, 103
Matlab, 99, 118 Math, 22, 52
Saving, 93 Matlab files, 99, 118
Setfile, 117 Maximum, 57, 108
TPIDX, 118 Maximum - Minimum, 58, 108
TPO, 117 Mean, 108
TPS, 117 Measure mode, 31
Wave audio, 99, 118 Stream, 14
WinSoft, 118 Meter, 63
Filter, 53 Meter scheme, 16
Band pass, 53 Meters, 85
Band stop, 53 Min/Max detector, 56
High pass, 53 Minimum, 57, 108
Low pass, 53 Momentary, 108
Frequency, 109 Multiply/Divide, 52

Gain/Offset, 51 Object
Graph, 65 Cloning, 19
Active, 66 Configuring, 18
Interpolation, 84 Connecting, 19
New, 65 Creating, 18
Toolbar, 76 Delete, 21
Graph scheme, 16 Disconnecting, 20
Grid, 63 Exporting, 22
Inserting, 21
I2 C decoder, 15 Saving, 21
Ideal filter, 54 Object tree, 17
Input range, 40 Oscilloscope in XY mode, 13
Input type, 39 Oscilloscope in Yt mode, 12
Inserting objects, 21
Instrument toolbar, 28 Peak-peak, 108
Instruments, 23 Period, 109
Combine, 24 Period count, 111
Demo, 27 Phase, 80
Network, 25 Phase cursors, 80
Open, 23 Phase difference, 58
Toolbar, 28 Power, 110
Integrate, 53 Pre-trigger, 33
Interpolation, 84 Printing, 15
Probe, 40
J1939 decoder, 61 Pulse count
JSON files, 99, 118 Negative, 111
Positive, 111
Language, 16 Pulse decoder, 60

122
Pulse width Stop measuring, 28
Negative, 109 Streaming mode, 14, 31
Positive, 109 Sum, 22, 52

Quick functions, 11 Table, 63

Quick Setups, 10 THD, 112
Time base, 33
Range, 40 Time per div, 33
Record length, 33 Toolbar
Reference, 82 Channel, 16, 29
Reference I/O, 56 Generator, 41
Reference resistor, 113 Graph, 76
Resampler, 55 Instrument, 16, 28
Resolution, 32 Quick functions, 11
Rise time, 110 Scheme, 16
Rising edge count, 111 User presets, 7
RMS, 57, 108 Trigger, 34
RPM, 59 Condition, 38
Condition time, 38
Sample frequency, 33 Hysteresis, 37
Saving objects, 21 Level, 37
Sensors, 51 Source, 35
Serial decoder, 15, 60 Time-out, 35
Setfile, 117 Type, 36
Settings, 16
Signal Cleaner, 54 UART decoder, 15, 60
Slew rate, 110 User preset worksets, 8
Slice, 55 User presets, 7
SoftGen, 49
Sound, 64 Variance, 108
Source, 49 Voltmeter, 14, 63
Spectrum analyzer, 13, 58
SPI decoder, 61 Wave audio files, 99, 118
Sqrt, 52 Window, 55
Standard Deviation, 108
Start measuring, 28 Zooming, 77
If you have any suggestions and/or remarks regarding this manual, please contact:

TiePie engineering
Koperslagersstraat 37
8601 WL SNEEK
The Netherlands

Tel.: +31 515 415 416

Fax: +31 515 418 819
E-mail: [email protected]
Site: www.tiepie.com