Screen Grabs on TDS series scope over GPIB? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 06:42:23 pm
content: I am trying to figure out how to get screen grabs from a Tek TDS754C over GPIB. Is there a relatively simple application for this. I don't mind spending some money but was hoping it would not be as much as LabView. Also hoping to avoid a bunch of custom coding if at all possible. The 3.5" floppy is a last resort option that I would love to avoid as well - far too slow.I have a GPIB to USB adapter (Galvant). A Google pass on the topic seems to reveal a mish-mash of roll-your-own DIY and app-notes for specific instruments. Nothing seems to stick out as a winner.

author: NF6X
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 07:22:51 pm
content: I'm not familiar with the Galvant adapter, but I have a Prologix GPIB-Ethernet adapter, and a similar need to get screen dumps from my "new" HP 8560E spectrum analyzer. I haven't started working on this quite yet (just got the analyzer yesterday!), but the 8560E appears to be able to print or plot to a few HPIB printers and plotters, and the Prologix adapter has a device mode in addition to its more commonly used controller mode. So in theory I may be able to:Open up the adapter in device mode, using telnet initially but later writing a Python script to make things easier.Print to it from the 8560E's front panel.See printer gobbledygook spew out the telnet window.If that all works, I should be able to write a Python script to set up the interface, grab a printout, and convert it to something like .PNG.Maybe you can do something similar with your Galvant. The amount of custom coding necessary may be quite small?

author: BloodyCactus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 09:52:23 pm
content: find the manual for the tek, look up its gpib commands for taking screenshots. send command over a gpib command terminal.just understand, what sends back as a screenshot probably wont be png, maybe it will be a tif or pcx or somethingeg: my HP logic analyser will happily give you a screenshot in HP PCL printer language as if your sending the screen to the printer.

author: iDevice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 10:43:04 pm
content: I usethis

author: TSL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 11:25:19 pm
content: I second @iDevice.The GPIB toolkit here...http://www.ke5fx.com/gpib/readme.htmThe GPIB toolkit contains a 7470 plotter emulator that's quite exceptional. It also has many other tools and example programs and is compatible with the Prologix.The output attached I captured using the 7470 emulator, an NI GPIB card and connection to my HP8566B SA.cheersTim

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 12:34:20 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on February 22, 2015, 06:42:23 pmYes there is...http://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/tds510a-software/wavestar-oscilloscopes

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 12:52:19 am
content: I have a python script to convert HPGL from 8590 and 8560 analyzers to SVG, and another one to convert HPRTL to BMP. It's much simpler than the 7470 emulators because it just converts it, it doesn't render it. It's pretty easy to convert an SVG to a PNG later with standard graphics editing tools, and you can also pull it into inkscape or illustrator and screw around with it.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 03:20:35 am
content: Quote from: TSL on February 22, 2015, 11:25:19 pmDownloaded, going through the connection learning curve. This is my first adventure with GPIB. At first glance, it seems like a low-ish level world with a bunch of ancient drivers and software. Thank you for the suggestion.Quote from: AlfBaz on February 23, 2015, 12:34:20 amTrying to install this one as well. It looks like a paid license but not sure how much or how to pay for it. At the moment the installer for TekVisa is hung trying to install Adobe Acrobat from about 2007. This should be fun. It smells like a learning curve ahead getting GPIB all connected. The scope is first, followed by two power supplies and a pair of DMM's.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 04:42:23 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on February 23, 2015, 03:20:35 amThe version I linked to...Quote

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 04:44:56 am
content: So far I installed both programs but have not been able to get them to talk to anything. I am able to communicate with a terminal program to talk/listen successfully. Both programs seem to see the GPIB adapter on the serial port but no communication yet.Is the communications worked out with a VISA manager as a separate utility or driver? I have not yet seen any place to setup the serial port like I did in the terminal.Any ideas?

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 04:49:32 am
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on February 23, 2015, 04:42:23 amGot it, thank you.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 04:50:12 am
content: Been a while since I used it. If I'm not using labview and NI's drivers I'm using C/C++ and agilents visa dllI'm about to go out right know, if you haven't managed to get it going when I get back, I'll install it at my end to see if I can help

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 04:57:28 am
content: Thank you, I will continue to plug away at it to see if I can hack my way through.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 07:12:50 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on February 23, 2015, 04:57:28 amSo far, the Tek Wavestar application is not happening. I have tried with both NI-VISA and TEK VISA with no luck communicating at all. The NI-VISA can send/receive commands and responses so at least there is a connection from PC to instrument. The manual indicates you can use whatever VISA you want but it's not clear how to make that happen.No better luck with GPIB Toolkit either. The 7470 emulator functionally is exactly what I was hoping for, but cannot get it to connect. The GPIB Configurator seems to be only for Prologix.

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 08:01:46 am
content: I think the plotter emulator is not what you need. I believe the TDS scopes have a hardcopy command of some sort that will return the image in BMP format directly. Just capture the output of the command and save it to a file and you should be good to go.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 08:14:46 am
content: Quote from: alex.forencich on February 23, 2015, 08:01:46 amYes, the TDS does have a BMP option. I am not sure how to capture the returned data from the command. So far, I have only managed to communicate in a terminal which would be kinda clumsy for capturing many screens if the terminal would even capture the BMP data. I am not strong in Python and was hoping and dreaming of a done and proven utility so I don't have to spend a couple of days hacking through it.One of the nice things about the plotter emulator was that it would listen for me to initiate a HARDCOPY from the scope and save it the chosen folder. Or, I could initiate from the PC side as well. I was at least hoping for that to work like that.

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 08:53:56 am
content: The plotter emulator is primarily for use with old HP test equipment that works with HP plotters, so I'm not sure if it's the right tool for the job. Anyway, the Galvant device is not a standard GPIB to USB cable, it's really a GPIB to RS232 to USB cable (same as the Prologix cable, I believe with a compatible command set as well), so it shows up as a serial port. It's not terribly difficult to open up a serial port in your programming language of choice and read and write data.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 02:51:00 pm
content: So I installed it on my PC and everything worked ok. However it mashed my NI drivers but not the agilent ones. Uninstalling left NI in an unusable state, way to go TEK you FW's. Luckily windows restore fixed it.You may have to go the programmatic route as a brief read up on the Galvant unit seems to indicate a GPIB to virtual com port device. You may be able to use it with 1 instrument only if you select the virtual com port it uses, which means you'll be addressing it as an ASRLx: device rather than GPIBx: deviceI assume that visa won't recognise a serial device as multi drop thereby it will only treat it as one instrument

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 06:32:00 pm
content: Sorry to here the test caused trouble, the effort is appreciated. It appears that I should consider a different GPIB interface. The Galvant was an experiment. If it cannot allow chaining of many instruments, I will move on to a more supported way of getting connected. I have plenty of PCs with available PCI slots for a proper GPIB card. Do you think that will simplify the learning curve?In the short term, I am still hoping that I can figure out how to get a screen capture from the GPIB to serial interface I already have. Totally shocked that it is such a mysterious challenge.

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 06:41:42 pm
content: My recommended cables are either an Agilent or Beiming GPIB to USB cable or an Agilent, HP, or ICS GPIB to Ethernet box. These will work with all of the standard drivers.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 06:57:12 pm
content: I really appreciate the recommendations. There is a ton of random GPIB adapters out there and it is hard for a newcomer to understand the differences.

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 07:08:32 pm
content: Actually, the Tektronix AD007 could also work. The communications protocol does not seem to be listed in the features section of the manual, but there are some references to VXI-11 in the manual so it seems like it should work. There are a couple of these on ebay right now for relatively cheap.Edit: confirmed that they do speak VXI-11, according to this page:http://forums.ni.com/t5/Instrument-Control-GPIB-Serial/Is-it-possible-to-use-NI-VISA-2-5-with-Tektronix-AD007-ENET-GPIB/td-p/39749

author: Narmaraktuk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 08:31:17 pm
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on February 23, 2015, 06:32:00 pmThe galvant allows you to reconfigure the gpib address, so daisy chaining should work. I only use it through the python github instrumentkit project, which provides higher level functions on top of the base gpib commands. Instrumentkit gives you drivers, that you tie to gpib addresses in your own scripts. The scripts can then manipulate the driver objects to make your instruments measure or report. Readdressing galvant then happens 'automatically' in the background.

author: Narmaraktuk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 08:41:16 pm
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on February 22, 2015, 06:42:23 pmFYI: I had a quick look and there are tds244 and tds5xx drivers in instrument kit. Both have capture waveform functions. I don't know how well these travel to your device + you would still need to plot it somehow, so some DIY will be needed if the galvant is still in play.

author: iDevice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 09:39:13 pm
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on February 23, 2015, 06:57:12 pmIn my experience, the safest road is a NI PCI GPIB board.It's 100% supported obviously, can support many un-powered devices on the bus (I have 6 devices and 5 can be powered down without issues).Took me about 15 minutes the first time I used the plotter emulator, most of it finding how it worked and which configuration I had to use. The emulator uses the GPIB.DLL by default, so nothing to tweak to have it recognize the card.The only drawback is that you need a PCI slot and such card can cost between 50 and 200$ depending of your luck.

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 09:53:47 pm
content: Requiring a PCI slot is rather limiting these days. PCI seems to be going the way of ISA. And there is certainly no way to stick a PCI card in a modern laptop.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 10:10:28 pm
content: Quote from: alex.forencich on February 23, 2015, 09:53:47 pmThe good news is that my bench stays put so a desktop PC with PCI slot is not so bad. I sure like the idea of being able to address the instruments from my design workstation over the network just as easy as sitting at the bench. Ethernet seems nice as long as it is not a pain in the ass.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2015, 11:44:16 pm
content: I went through the same difficulties as you when I first set up and I was seriously considering an NI PCI card. I ended up going with the more expensive Agilent 82357B USB-GPIB interface namely so that I could set up automation with a laptop if needed. So far I have had no problems connecting to any instrument in my eclectic collectionForum member Bingo600 has managed to get his USB/GPIB device working with a raspberry pi running linux, meaning you can collect data for long periods of time without burning all the power a PC needs

author: iDevice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2015, 10:12:10 pm
content: Quote from: alex.forencich on February 23, 2015, 09:53:47 pmSure but we are talking vintage right ?So the PCI way guarantees you that it will work with many old softwares that sometimes even are talking directly to the card, bypassing all the NI bloatware.Granted, in that case it's the same as what is done with a prologix but then you are limited to whatever supports the prologix.And PCI is not so bad when you consider you need an ISA NI card in an old ISA bus PC running DOS to be able to calibrate a TDS5XX series scope for instance, a different challenge...Thats the reason I keep a collection of low speed ancient PC's. Served me numerous times in restorations or recreation of old system disks needing 360k 5"1/4 drives, driven by a old dos alien geometry formatter.Always good idea to keep at least one of those old PC when you do restoration.

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2015, 12:19:42 am
content: Depends on what you're trying to do. If it's all about the vintage equipment and the vintage control software, then PCI is probably the way to go if that's what the software supports. Personally, I'm more interested in working on modern open source instrument control software, and to that end being able to control things from my laptop is pretty much a requirement.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2015, 12:40:28 am
content: I believe my bench will always have a mix of old and new hardware. Old power supplies like my Agisight 6653A's, Tek TDS754C, 34401A DMM. These will need to connect to a new LeCroy scope, Agisight ARB, and a 34461A DMM. While the vintage PSU's and other gear have usefulness, old software is not at all appealing. I would hope that I can integrate the old with the new and have them all automated from a single and central software solution.Most any new professional test gear should be Ethernet (LXI?), so I only need to deal with GPIB for the relatively small number of old pieces I will have. I am not a gear collector, I need this stuff to design new circuits. I don't see myself restoring, hacking, or otherwise if it is at all avoidable. I will say that I am tempted to mess with my TDS754C to 1Ghz when the new LeCroy arrives (just for fun, not critical at all).

author: alex.forencich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2015, 12:43:28 am
content: If most of your stuff is LXI, then I would highly recommend getting a GPIB to LAN box so you can connect to your whole bench via the same interface. That's the way mine is set up, both at home an in the lab. It's extremely convenient and leaves all of the USB ports free for JTAG cables, USB to serial cables, dev boards, etc.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2015, 06:45:08 pm
content: Ok, update. I received a Tek AD007 today which should be a VXI-11 compliant GPIB to LAN adapter of the basic variety. I will be getting it all connected and try to figure out how to configure it soon.AD007 cost: $180 USDGenuine HP GPIB cables 3x 1m and 3x 2m were only $60 USD.Cheap way to get the bench gear on the network. Hope it works.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2015, 03:06:11 am
content: DEAD! The Tek AD007 arrived and is stuck in a "Maintenance Mode". Manual says to do a firmaware update, but the update fails. It will get an IP address and serve up a web page telling me that it is in this mode where it does not do anything. Tried with old XP machine but get same errors as with Win7.It is returning ftp errors like can't open connection or connection timeout. I have done a full reset which does not change anything. Stuck again.UPDATE:After some tinkering, I found that some ports were being blocked. I was able to update the firmware and get NI-VISA connected! Now I am trying to figure out how to use WaveStar or any other utility that can help me capture, save, print data. At least I am physically connected now. Baby steps....

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2015, 06:56:38 pm
content: UPDATE:I have been using Tektronix Wavestar for a while now to capture data from my TDS scope. Describing it as a disappointment is putting it lightly. It is from around 1998 or so, and rather rotten even for that time period.Anyway.....what modern options are there for capturing scope data (Tek TDS700 series in my case) for the purpose of logging various points in the development of a circuit? Custom Python code is not what I am after either since I will spend more time fiddling with code every time I need to grab something. The hope is for a modern-ish GUI based 'click to grab' so that I can focus on the test and keep a log.Surely there is something out there - free or paid, right?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2015, 08:04:57 pm
content: When necessary I dumped the data into a CSV file and process with Excel. Otherwise just write a BMP file to a disk.

author: daveyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2017, 02:47:46 am
content: Do you have a copy of Wavestar 3.0 that you could email me? I am looking for it to see how it works with a TDS380/GPIB interface that I have. I am only interested in screen capture.Now, I will be adding a TDS380 module to test software that I have written which currently support that more modern TDS3000 series scopes. I just hjappened to get this TDS380 for free and added the GPIB interface for it. I can talk to it and control it, but I also would like to have a utility to do a simple screen capture. Saving it to a floppy (which I have several hundred 3.5" floppies made in 2012 - LOL) and then tranfering it to my puter via a USB to 3.5" Floppy is time consuming and rather backwards once I got use to Openchoice Desktop, but alas, it does not support the TDS380.Dave

author: KE5FX
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2017, 04:29:46 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on May 15, 2015, 06:56:38 pm7470.EXEwill work with your scope. You will get plots that look like this:... but what I do with my TDS694C is request .BMP files directly, rather than going through the plotter emulator. The current version of the package that contains 7470.EXE also has a batch file, TDSBMP.BAT, that fetches a .bmp image via another utility (BINQUERY.EXE).(Trace labels were added "in post.")This should work fine with either Prologix or NI adapters. Pretty handy if you can live with a batch file. If you want a nicer GUI than 7470.EXE, albeit a non-free one,PrintCaptureis likely to be a good choice (no affiliation).

author: djnz
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2017, 05:13:14 am
content: Quote from: daveyk on May 24, 2017, 02:47:46 amTek has now made Wavestar free.http://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/tds510a-software/wavestar-oscilloscopesSee the 'Instructions' link on that page for the license key.

author: daveyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2017, 11:45:55 am
content: Thank you. I was able to get that but during installing it states to but it or install the trial. I suspect just to install the purchased version.The second issue iis that it seems to support every Tektronix scope BUT the TDS 300 series. I saw a chart somewhere last night that showed versions of Wavestar and the instruments supported. The TDS380 was on one of the versions.I have tried version 3.0, probably in trial mode, and the TDS380 is definitely not on its list. The instrument manager can see and communicate with the scope (setting it up as a different model such as a TDS40x or a TDS 3032) but Wavestar itself will do nothing with it.DaVE

author: daveyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2017, 12:04:14 pm
content: Okay, I followed the instructions this time and installed the payed version using the keycode given by Tektronix. It still does nto have support for the TDS380 outright. When I tried the TDS380 under s different model, it talks with the TDS380 and the TESTS work, but under Wavestar, the Execute functions are mostly greyed out.

author: icezebra
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2022, 12:42:19 am
content: Quote from: icezebra on May 18, 2021, 06:00:01 am