Rigol DS1054Z trigger adjustment - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: permal
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 07:21:19 pm
content: Hi,I bought my Rigol DS1054 about half a year ago and although I'm very happy with it, there is one thing that annoys me quite a bit - trigger level adjustment. Is there anyway to do a coarse adjustment so that I don't have to turn the trigger knob until my fingers bleed?As seen the attached image, the trigger is currently at 796mV, and to get it to ~3V (top of the signal) requires something like 20 turns. Am I doing something wrong?Current firmware is 04.04.04.Thanks in advance!

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 07:25:29 pm
content: Do they have a "Set to 50%" with a press of the Trigger level control ?Many DSO's do.And welcome to the forum.

author: permal
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 07:31:50 pm
content: Thanks.No, pressing the trigger button resets the trigger to zero.

author: alsetalokin4017
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 07:51:45 pm
content: QuoteWell, you are displaying a 3v peak signal at 100 mV/div, which is kind of weird, since your entire screen will only cover 800 mV of the waveform. At such settings your experience of needing lots of turns to set your trigger level to 3 volts is normal. Try displaying the signal at a vertical setting such that you see the whole waveform on screen without clipping. Then set your trigger where you want it (should take fewer turns), and then change the vertical setting for greater vertical magnification if you need it.

author: permal
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 08:10:58 pm
content: Quote from: alsetalokin4017 on March 05, 2017, 07:51:45 pmWhats wierd about that? Perhaps I want to see how the signal looks at the peak? Anyway, that is not the question here.Your suggestion is sound, though it means I'll have to zoom out, then zoom back in just to set the trigger level. I was hoping there was a way to avoid just that.

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 08:53:31 pm
content: It seems there is an optimal speed and rotation amount between each control refresh. I know when I try to crank the knobs too fast it actually moves slower.

author: permal
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 08:55:43 pm
content: Quote from: metrologist on March 05, 2017, 08:53:31 pmOh, I must test that tomorrow to see if that makes a difference.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 09:09:29 pm
content: Quote from: permal on March 05, 2017, 08:10:58 pmIt's weird because it is not normal to have part for the waveform off the display. OK it might have a DC offset but in this case you use AC input coupling to remove the DC component.In CRO's such operational mistakes overloaded the CRT plate output amps and was discouraged however with DSO's this is not a problem.If there's no 50% button on a 1054Z then metrologist's suggestion seems right.

author: permal
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2017, 09:19:31 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on March 05, 2017, 09:09:29 pmI'm just a happy hobbyist and I don't really see why that is weird, perhaps when I'm more knowledeable I will see it too. Anyway, your statement had me look up AC/DC coupling and I learned something new, so thank you for that.

author: K5HJ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2017, 12:50:17 am
content: Just press the knob to center the trigger on the screen then adjust it where you need it to be.Randy

author: alsetalokin4017
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2017, 04:19:17 am
content: Quote from: K5HJ on March 06, 2017, 12:50:17 amNo, pressing on the Trigger level knob sets the trigger to the trigger channel's 0V baseline, which in the OP's original screenshot is _way_ below the bottom of the screen.The whole "problem" here is that the OP is using a vertical setting of 100 mV/div and turning the Trigger Level knob over a range of 3 volts. Of course it takes some turning to do that! At 100mV/div vertical, the trigger level adjusts in increments of 2 mV, or about 40 mV per full turn of the knob, if you turn the knob slowly. There are 8 full divisions vertically on the screen -- 800 mV! So the OP is displaying only about the top 600 mV worth of a 3V signal. And at 40 mV per (slow) turn of the trigger knob ... well, do the math.(It looks like the OP is displaying the Probe Compensation signal, in which case he needs to adjust the probe's capacitor a little bit to flatten out that trace on top...)

author: K5HJ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2017, 05:06:13 am
content: Best way to go about this is to fit the signal on the screen, adjust triggering, then expand and offset as desired.Going to be hard to adjust triggering on something you can't see.Randy

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2017, 07:22:03 am
content: Quote from: K5HJ on March 06, 2017, 05:06:13 amThis.