Enabling options in Tektronix TDS500, TDS600, and TDS700 series scopes. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2025, 12:49:35 pm
content: To save the hassle of typing this out over and over, here is the procedure to enable and disable options in the Tektronix TDS500, TDS600, and TDS700 series scopes.There are two main ways to do this. You can dump the NVRAM to a floppy disk and edit the file using a hex editor on a PC then load it back into the scope, or send commands via GPIB.I find the GPIB option the easiest, and you can use any GPIB interface that works for you. Even something as simple as an Arduino can work.After the NVRAM has been dumped from the scope via the floppy disk tool, open the file on a PC using a hex editor.Referring to below table and change the desired bit(s) from 00 to 01 to enable an option, or change from 01 to 00 to disable an option, then save the file back to the floppy disk.Use the floppy disk tool to write the file back to the scope, restart the scope and the option(s) will be enabled.Follow this link to find the floppy tools and instructions on their use etc:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-tds500600700-nvram-floppy-dump-tool/Alternatively, with the scope booted switch the memory protection switch to unlock (see attached image below) and send the exact text string via GPIB.Code:PASSWORD PITBULLThen send the required strings one at a time to enable or disable an option, for example sending:Code:WORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327689, 1will enable option 2F. Changing the '1' at the end of the command to '0' will disable the option.Don't forget the set the memory protection switch back to lock then reboot to check if the options are shown on the boot screen.If the option does not appear due to lack of required hardware, disable the option to prevent any errors from occurring.OptionLabelNVRAM AddrHex AddrGPIB CommandDescription1M4M acquisition length0400081F0000081FWORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327686, 1Extends standard acquisition length from 50,000 points per channel to 130,000 samples on three or four channels, 250,000 samples on two channels, and 500,000 samples on one channel.05Video Trigger0400081D0000081DWORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327687, 1Oscilloscope comes with tools that allow investigation of a range of NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and high definition TV signals.N/A-040008210000082113RS-232C and Centronics interfaces0400082300000823WORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327688, 1Add RS-232-C and Centronics interface ports.2FAdvanced DSP math0400082700000827WORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327689, 1Add advanced DSP math features such as FFT, integration, and differentiation.1FFloppy disk drive0400082500000825WORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327690, 1Add 3.5 inch, 1.44 MByte floppy disc drive.N/A-04000829000008292CCommunication Signal Analyzer0400082B0000082BWORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327692, 1Oscilloscope comes configured for communications signal triggering and mask testing.3CP6701B with system calibration0400082D0000082DWORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327693, 1Oscilloscope comes with a P6701B and calibrated short-wavelength optical reference receiver on channel 1.4CP6703B with system calibration0400082F0000082FWORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327694, 1Oscilloscope comes with a P6703B and calibrated long-wavelength optical reference receiver on channel 1.2M8M acquisition length0400083100000831WORDCONSTANT:ATPUT 327695, 1TDS 520D, 724D: To 2M samples on two channels and 4M on one channel. TDS 540D, 580D, 714L, 754D, 784D, 794D: To 2M samples on three or four channels, 4M on two channels, and 8M samples on one channel.1G1 GS/S maximum---Limit sample rate to 1 GS/s maximum. This option allows sales in export–controlled countries. (TDS 540B only).Note: Some options require additional hardware to be installed (05, 13, 1F, 3C, 4C, 2M). The option will simply not appear if the required hardware is not present.Options 1M, 2F, 2C can generally be enabled on basically all scopes AFAIK as they are software options.Note: Option HD (Hard Disk Drive) was included with option 2M. There is no need to enable this option when installing the HDD hardware as it is detected automatically. The HDD does not need option 2M enabled to function, but some of the software that can be loaded onto the HDD does.If you add the HDD option, follow this link for a bunch of software to load onto it:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/software-for-the-tds500-600-700-series-scopes-here-it-is!!!/**NOTE!**If options 3C and 4C are enabled without the required calibration data, errors may be displayed with a processor board fail due to the missing calibration data. Disable these options if the probes and cal data are not present! and the errors will go away (but still be in the error log, send the command ERR CLEAR via GPIB to clear all logged errors)Adding calibration data requires the specific GPIB and calibration hardware, it's not a trivial process...

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2025, 07:13:07 pm
content: Hello and thank you for this information. I am working on a Tek TDS 640A scope. I have it connected to an Agilent 32357B interface and can communicate with it using the keysight connection expert and interactive I/O on a windows 10 computer. When I boot the scope and place the protection switch to unprotected and type password pitbull, I get a time out error. I don't know how to fix this. Any ideas? Thank you.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 03:09:12 am
content: When you send the command PASSWORD PITBULL you won't get a response from the scope, so don't click the <Send & Read> button, just use the <Send Command> button.The Keysight software is probably timing out while waiting for a response that never comes.Also, when using the Keysight IO Libraries Suite, make sure the following settings are set as per the attached photos to ensure the communications are such that the scope understands.

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 03:55:13 am
content: Thank you. Now I can't find how to get to those settings.I saw them before. Could you direct me to them? Thank you.

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 04:03:09 am
content: I found them. They are set correctly.

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 04:53:48 am
content: Could you detail how to dump the NVRAM contents of these scopes with the GPIB device including the addresses and all the correct command lines? It would be very helpful to me. I have dumped them with the startup.bat file but not sure if they are correct. Not sure of the addresses. I have TDS620A, TDS640A and TDS644a and wish to have backups for when I try to replace the ds1650y and ds1286 ICs. Thank you Terra Operative!

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 01:30:54 pm
content: The floppy disk tool apparently won't work with the A series scopes, something, something, due to the way they combine their calibration data with the NVRAM.Try using the tektool via DOS prompt to extract the firmware and NVRAM data.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/unified-tektool-released-!-(firmware-flash-tools-for-old-tds-series)/msg3758918/#msg3758918Feel free to post it here for the record for others to use if needed. I also collect and upload the firmware/NVRAM to the Tekwiki for archival.

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 08:42:42 am
content: the instructions for enabling or disabling options don't work on my TD620A. I havn't tried it on my TDS640A or TDS644A yet. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? What' weird is I took a floppy drive and an rs-232 board from my TDS640A scope and installed them in my TDS620A scope and those options show up on the boot up banner screen without any GPIB mumbo jumbo. I would like to add the math option. Not sure what's going on. I don't know what I can do about those options. As far as tektool goes, isn't that a dos program that has to run under dos? I thought it ran through the serial port and not gpib. Please explain this to me, all of this. Thanks.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 10:08:57 am
content: You'll have to check the user manuals for your scopes to find what options apply to your scopes. You can find them on the Tekwiki. The A series were very early, so possibly may be limited in the options available.To enable and disable options, you just send the required commands via GPIB as per the instructions in the first post of this thread, no special software or hardware is required besides any working GPIB adapter to your PC with a way to send commands etc.The Tektool I linked to above runs in the windows command line (even under Win10 with no problems) and is used for backing up and restoring NVRAM and firmware (and updating firmware). If you have any working GPIB connection, no specific hardware is needed.The specific special GPIB hardware is only needed when calibrating the scopes. You need a specific National Instruments ISA GPIB card and also the calibration equipment too, it's not something that is cheap or particularly easy to set up. But then these scopes rarely need recalibration anyway.

author: madao
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 02:57:54 pm
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/hacking-of-old-tds640-and-tds540-fft-and-rs232-option/msg2776726/#msg2776726THis is my posting about early TDS500/600 with only one NVSRAM.regardsmatt

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 09:51:27 pm
content: I got a firmware download for my tds620A scope but when I tried to send it, it says can't send bin files. Is there another way?

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 09:58:44 pm
content: that looks like it is for the ds1245Y. I have the ds1650Y. Would it be the same?

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 10:34:14 pm
content: What version firmware do you have in your scope and what version are you trying to send?

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 01, 2025, 05:16:03 am
content: Quote from: TERRA Operative on May 31, 2025, 10:34:14 pmMy scope has version 3.8.5e. I would assume the bin file I was trying to send is the same version cuz I just extracted it.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 01, 2025, 12:29:58 pm
content: Hmm, can you attach your file here? It should be about 4k in size. (If the forum doesn't allow it, just zip the file and use the second upload slot, not the first due to a forum bug...)Don't forget you have to flick the write protect switch before you boot the scope, and writing will take a long time, maybe 30 minutes or so to write. But if you just extracted the firmware, there's not much use in writing it back, unless you replaced the NVRAM.

author: keystone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 01, 2025, 07:55:23 pm
content: I'll try this.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2025, 06:36:13 am
content: Sorry for the delay in reply..Can you let me know the exact process you are using to download and upload the firmware, step by step?

author: rjmusto
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 09:26:11 pm
content: Thanks a lot for posting this info - really helpful.One question:I have a TDS540 that I have enabled option 2F - and it works. It also has option 13 that works. But it shows no options at all on the start-up splash screen. So is there a memory location where this reporting can be turned off? Or some other setting where it is disabled?Kind of a minor issue, but would be nice to understand what's happening.Thanks.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 11:10:44 pm
content: The earliest scopes (those with no letter after the model number) all seem to not show enabled options on the splash screen.It's a bit of an annoyance, but I guess the programmers didn't think of adding that feature at the time.As it is baked into the firmware there's no way to turn it on, and AFAIK no way to actually see enabled options at all.I'm sure someone could write a Python script to query the memory locations detailed in the first post of this thread to read out enabled options via GPIB...

author: rjmusto
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2025, 07:47:43 am
content: Thanks - good to know.