QUIK HELP FOR PROFESSIONAL PC- BASED AUTOMOTIVE SCOPE v EASE DIAGNOSTICS

Transcription

1 QUIK HELP FOR P ROFESSIONAL ROFESSIONAL PC- PC- BASED AUTOMOTIVE SCOPE v EASE D IAGNOSTICS

2 Copyright This document and accompanying software are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by EASE Simulation, Inc. Copying of this document or software for other than backup purposes is illegal. No part of this document and accompanying software may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo reproductive, recording, or otherwise without the expressed prior written permission of EASE Simulation, Inc. All products and trade names described within are mentioned for identification purposes only. No affiliation with or endorsement of the manufacturer is made or implied. Product names appearing in this guide are registered trademarks of their respective companies. Information furnished by EASE Simulation, Inc. is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, EASE Simulation, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the use of such information or for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties that may result from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent rights of EASE Simulation, Inc. No representation or warranties regarding the fitness of this document for any use are made or implied by EASE Simulation, Inc. We reserve the right to revise this document or make any changes in the specification of the product described therein at any time without notice and without obligation to notify any person of such revisions or change. TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EASE and EASE Professional PC-Based Automotive Scope are trademarks of EASE Simulation, Inc. Microsoft, DOS, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Intel Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. EASE Professional PC-Based Automotive Scope Quik Help Copyright (C) EASE Simulation Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

3 Table of Contents I. Start Here II. Hardware Connection Instructions III. Software Connection Setup IV. Main MenuBar A. Stop/Go Button for All Scope Views B. New Scope Button C. New Meter Button D. Control Panel Hide/Unhide Button E. Layout Views Button F. Layout Views Horizontally Button G. Save Button H. Save as Image Button I. Preview and Print Button J. Record Button K. Scan Tool Mode Button V. Scope Toolbar A. Restore Scope Axis (Refresh) Button B. Cursors Menu Button C. Line Properties Menu Button D. Invert Menu Button E. View as Meter Button(s) F. Clone Active View Button G. Mirror Active View Button

4 H. Toggle Settings Display Button I. Add Annotation Button J. Toggle Notes Button K. Erase Plot Data Button VI. Drag Mode MenuBar A. Disable Dragging Button B. Zoom (Box Zoom) Button C. Pan/Drag Scope All Directions D. Pan/Drag Scope Horizontal E. Pan/Drag Scope Vertical F. Drag Cursors G. Drag Annotation VII. Scope Window Control Panel A. No Scope or Meter Available B. Time Base Tab C. Left Axis Tab D. Right Axis Tab E. Trigger Tab F. Meters Tab VIII. Main Menu/Sub-Menu Descriptions A. File Menu B. View Menu C. Library Menu and Sub-Menus D. Scope Main Menu E. Meter Main Menu... 53

5 F. Settings Menu and Sub-Menus G. Window Menu H. Help Menu IX. Context Menus A. Scope Context Menu B. Meter Context Menu X. How To A. Setup the 20:1 Attenuator B. Setup the Capacitive Secondary Pickup C. Setup the Inductive Trigger Pickup D. Configure the Custom Gain Settings E. Save a Configuration Setting F. Connect to Scope After Recording XI. Waveform Reference Libraries XII. File Explorer Features XIII. Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions cont d Frequently Asked Questions cont d... 71

6 Start Here... When opening the EASE PC Scope for the first time, the window shown to the right will be displayed. In order to activate the PC Scope software, you must call EASE Diagnostics to register the version that you have purchased. When calling, be sure to have your Serial Number (found on the CD case) and Security Code ready for the customer service representative. This can be found under the Settings menu, by clicking on Register Product as shown in the image to the right. When clicking Register Product, the screen below appears, which provides your individual security code. This screen is where the activation codes are entered. After connecting the hardware, be certain to set the correct software driver for the Scope connection that is being used. This is done by clicking on the Driver button that is found on the Controls Panel. Choose PC-SCOPE-32P (LPT1) if connected to the LPT1 port, or PC-SCOPE-32P (USB- PP1) when using a USB to Parallel adapter. 6

7 Hardware Connection Instructions When connecting the SCOPE-23P Hardware box to your computer, be certain that the software program is not running, and that the power supply is disconnected. Connect the parallel cable to the SCOPE-23P unit (Fig. 1), and then connect the parallel cable to the PC (Fig. 2) A USB to parallel adapter may also be used to make the connection to the PC. When this is the case, connect the USB cable to the adapter, and then connect the USB cable to an available USB port on the PC. (Fig. 3) FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 7

8 Software Connection Setup The EASE PC Scope is installed with default configurations for the LPT and USB ports. It is also possible to configure your own USB or Parallel ports with settings of your choice. Most standard installations use the default driver settings. Should these default settings need to be changed, or new drivers added, the following will show how to change these settings: First, under the Settings menu (as shown on the right), click on Drivers to open the window below. Once the Drivers window is open, there are several buttons available. These buttons are Set Default, Remove, Add, and Edit. The Set Default button marks which Scope driver will be used each time the software opens. The Remove button deletes the Scope driver selected. The Add button adds a new Scope driver, and the Edit button changes the settings for an existing Scope driver. It is recommended that these driver settings are not modified unless under instruction of EASE Diagnostics Technical Support. The window to the right displays the characteristics for a selected driver. This is where to modify the settings for individual Scope drivers. It is recommended that these driver settings are not modified unless under instruction of EASE Diagnostics Technical Support. 8

9 Main Toolbar This button is like a switch for the entire PC Scope. It controls all of the Scope Views by turning them on or off. Button toggles between GO and STOP. Click here to add another window, or View. Clicking here will add a digital Meter view of Scope information. Displayed by units of your choice. Use this button to display many Views. Clicking here distributes more than 1 View evenly within the available area, instead of manually sizing each View / Window. Click here to add another window, or View to the PC Scope Program. Clicking here will add a graph to display a Waveform view of Scope information. Click here to hide/unhide the Control Panel for the Scope waveforms. It is useful to hide the controls after setting up a View to use the entire screen to show waveform(s). Use this button to display many Views. Clicking here distributes more than 1 View horizontally within the available area, instead of manually sizing each View / Window. Click here to launch the many Save options of the PC Scope. These options include configuration settings, waveforms, text files, or jpeg and bitmap image files of waveforms! This button opens the Print Preview window. This displays how the current View (Waveform or Meter) will look when printed. There is also a Print button on the preview window, allowing for printing. Click here to instantly save a waveform as an image REPORT file! JPEG or Bitmap files that show the waveform, the graph, AND the Control Panel configuration settings from when the image was captured! Click here to start recording live Scope information. Unlike other PC-Based Scopes, recordings are actual logged data samples, not just image captures. These can be fully manipulated when playing back! This button resizes the PC Scope software so that the EASE PC Scan Tool can be viewed with the EASE PC Scope. Compare waveform readings directly from a sensor to processed sensor readings from the vehicle s computer! 9

10 Stop/Go Button for All Scope Views This button has two states. Stop and Go. Think of this button as the master ON and OFF switch for the PC Scope software. If there are 2 windows open, and both are showing readings from different channels at the same time, clicking on this button will immediately disconnect the PC Scope software from the PC Scope hardware. Clicking again will reconnect the software to the hardware, and restart sampling. Click this button To change the Scope State from Stopped to Running and start capturing Scope Data! (As shown below) Click this button To change the Scope State from Running to Stopped and stop capturing Scope Data. 10

11 New Scope Button The New Scope button adds a new window to the Scope Program. Meaning that, the initial channel (Channel A, usually) is shown as a waveform by default in the window that opens when the PC Scope first opens. It is then possible to add windows in order to view additional Scope channels as waveforms, or even view channels in METER format! The window to the left displays how the PC Scope will typically open. The Control Panel is displayed on the left, and one Scope (Waveform) View is visible on the right. By clicking on the New Scope Button A new Waveform View appears. This View can be used to access the 2 nd channel of the Scope while simultaneously sampling the 1 st channel. Clicking the New Scope Button again places yet another Waveform View on top of the previous View. These windows can all be arranged to be viewed simultaneously with one button click. This is covered under the Layout Views button section. 11

12 New Meter Button Similar to the New Scope button, the New Meter button adds a new window to the Scope Program. Meaning that, the initial channel (Channel A, usually) is shown as a waveform by default in the window that opens when the PC Scope first opens. It is then possible to add windows in order to view additional Scope channels as digital METERS! The window to the left displays how the PC Scope will typically open. The Control Panel is displayed on the left, and one Scope (Waveform) View is visible on the right. By clicking on the New Meter Button A new Meter View appears. This View can be used to access the 2 nd channel of the Scope while simultaneously sampling the 1 st channel. Clicking the New Meter Button again Places yet another Meter View on top of the previous View. These windows can all be arranged to be viewed simultaneously with one button click. This is covered under the Layout Views button section. 12

13 Control Panel Hide/Unhide Button Clicking on this button provides a fast and convenient way to display or hide the waveform control panel found on the left side of the PC Scope program. Why is this needed, you may ask? Well, after setting up how to capture a waveform trace, why not make the graph window larger? By hiding the controls, the displayed graph has more room to be displayed. Plus, this button provides a fast, one-click method to hide the controls, instead of searching for a menu listing to hide them. Start with this display And click this button to maximize your display potential! 13

14 Layout Views Button The Layout Views button is ideal for equally tiling any open scope or meter Views or windows. This allows for maximum usage of the available display area. This also provides a one-click method of arranging multiple windows, instead of arranging them manually. Change the PC Scope data views from several windows stacked on top of one another to an evenly-spaced, evenly-arranged view of all open windows. All with one-click! 14

15 Layout Views Horizontally Button Clicking on this button will arrange the sets of open views of Scope data into horizontally-layered windows. This is a great feature when using a four-channel scope, since each channel can be viewed simultaneously, and views are arranged with one mouse-click. Start with several open windows of Scope Waveforms, and with one simple click distribute the windows so that they are all viewable at the same time! 15

16 Save Button This button provides one-click access to the multiple saving capabilities of the PC Scope program. These capabilities include configuration profiles, image captures in bitmap or JPEG format, export of scope data to a text file format, and saving a captured waveform to reload for later analysis. Click on this button to open the PC scope Save As window. Clicking on the Save as type drop-down menu displays the list of available save formats of the PC Scope Program. 16

17 Save as Image Button The Save as Image button provides a rapid route to saving Scope Views as image files. The available image formats are: Bitmap and JPEG. These image(s) are not only screen captures of waveforms or meters, but they also provide specific configuration information, such as trigger settings, timebase settings, coupling settings (AC/DC), sensitivity settings, etc. from when the image was captured. Very handy if used to build a custom waveform library, or generate a Scope Report! Click Here to generate a detailed report image from the information that is displayed on the PC Scope View that is currently in use. The report displayed to the right is a very basic report. The Scope program is capable of displaying custom notes, tracking cursors with their measurements, and even more meters than displayed on the report to the right. These capabilities are explained later in the Quik Help Guide. 17

18 Preview and Print Button Clicking here opens a print preview pane that displays what the Scope View will look like prior to printing from the PC Scope program. Keep in mind that the preview will be of the Scope Window that is in use, and can be either waveform or meter data. Click Here To create a preview of the waveform that is about to be printed to your connected printer. If this Scope report is ready for printing, click on the Print button found in the upper-left of this window. 18

19 Record Button Truly revolutionary to the automotive industry, EASE introduces the FIRST PC Scope with fully functional record and playback capabilities. Unlike other computer-based scopes that simply take snapshots, the EASE Scope captures and stores all of the data while capturing readings from whatever it s connected to! This provides an outstanding benefit to the user, since it allows for TOTAL modification during playback, including changing the sensitivity, adding/subtracting meters, scrolling through the length of the recording, panning the waveform, zooming, and many more options!!! Click here to open the recording Control Panel. Click on the Record button to start recording! Then click Save to save your Scope recording for Playback! 19

20 Scan Tool Mode Button Continuing the pioneering trend, EASE offers the first PC-based Scope that easily integrates with it s powerful PC-based Diagnostic Scan Tool. When using the Scan Tool and Scope together, simply click on this button to reduce the size of the PC Scope to view BOTH the Scan Tool and PC Scope simultaneously, on the same screen, providing processed data readings from the Scan Tool, and actual readings from the Scope! Click here To instantly integrate the PC scope program with the Diagnostic Scan Tool Program, to view processed sensor data and actual sensor data simultaneously! 20

21 Scope Toolbar Normally positioned to the left of a Scope View, the Scope toolbar instantly provides access to many of the Scope window s powerful features, such as using cursors to measure waveform data, changing the line styles, an Invert data option, adding notes or annotations, and even displaying all of the Scope settings instantly! The Line Properties Menu button adjusts the display settings of the waveform lines, such as thickness and color. The Clone Active View button creates a copy of the window to provide a means to display different settings of the same channel from the scope! The Erase Data button clears (erases) the current waveform that is displayed on a graph. This button, the graph Refresh button, resets the display of the graph to it s original state. The Invert Menu button provides a means to invert or flip a waveform, horizontally. The Mirror Active View button creates a mirror image of the view. Any changes made to the original will also carry-over to the mirrored view. The Toggle Notes button switches the notes section of the window on or off. The Cursors Menu button, displays the various types of measurement cursors that can be used to measure waveforms. The View as Meter button will change a window from displaying a waveform on a graph to displaying a digital meter! The Toggle Settings Display instantly hides/unhides the current settings for a Scope view, instead of scrolling through the tabs on the Control Panel. The Add Annotation button adds a note to a specific point on the graph, using an arrow. 21

22 Restore Scope Axis (Refresh) Button When using the Pan, Zoom, or waveform shifting features of the PC Scope, it may become necessary to restore the original display of the waveform. This can easily be done by clicking on the Restore Scope Axis (Refresh) button. Clicking here resets the waveform display to it s original display, with the exception of changes made to the timebase, sensitivity, channel, etc. Resetting a modified waveform is as simple as clicking a button. The example to the left shows a waveform that has been zoomed. Simply click here to return the displayed graph to it s normal state. 22

23 Cursors Menu Button The Cursors button opens a menu that allows for selection of different types of measurement cursors, which can be used to measure waveform data. Clicking Here opens the Cursors Menu, from which there are 3 options to choose. Horizontal Cursors, Vertical Cursors, and Paired Cursors. Clicking on one of these menu items displays measurement cursors accordingly. This image shows how paired cursors will be displayed. Simply click and drag on the points to measure a waveform! 23

24 Line Properties Menu Button Want to change the line thickness of a waveform, so that it is easier to see? How about change it s color to a color that is more pleasing to you? Clicking on the Line Properties menu button opens a menu to change these settings. Clicking on the Line Properties Menu button opens a menu to allow changes to the line that is used to display a waveform on the graph. The changes that can be made include line thickness and line color. Selecting the Width option opens a line width menu for the waveform chosen. Choose from 4 different line thicknesses! 24

25 Invert Menu Button Seeing a mirrored, or reflected waveform is made simple with this feature! Simply click on the Invert Menu button and a menu opens that allows the choice between the left or right waveforms to be inverted. Easily view the opposite display of ANY waveform. Simply invert the waveform as it is being captured! Click the Invert Menu button a second time to restore the inverted waveform to it s original state. 25

26 View as Meter Button(s) Switch from a waveform to a digital metered display and back with a simple click. The View as Meter button provides one-click access to switching a waveform display to a meter, and back to a waveform! Clicking the View as Meter button toggles the display to a meter and click again to restore the display to a waveform! 26

27 Clone Active View Button This powerful feature provides a means to freely display and manipulate waveforms that are being sampled from the same channel. View the same channel with different sensitivity settings, different trigger points, and even different timebases! Click here to create a duplicate window of the waveform window selected... which provides the freedom to make any changes to the new window that is created. Or make changes to the original window, your choice! Both windows capture their data from the same channel, while displaying it the way YOU, the user request! 27

28 Mirror Active View Button This feature work similar to the Clone Active View button. This button, however, creates a mirror window of the original. Any changes made to the original will also be reflected in the Mirror view. Click here to create a duplicate window of the waveform window selected... which duplicates the original window. Both windows capture their data from the same channel, while displaying it the way YOU, the user request! 28

29 Toggle Settings Display Button Need a quick way to determine how the Scope s sensitivity, timebase, trigger and other configurations are set? This button provides an instant display of these settings, rather than having to thumb through the tabs on the Control Panel. Click here to instantly display the settings of the current window of Scope data. This method is much more efficient than opening each tab on the Control Panel to view the current settings of the Scope. 29

30 Add Annotation Button Want to point out an obvious problem area found on a waveform to a fellow technician? How about make a note pointing to a specific problem for later reference by yourself or a fellow technician? These are possible using the Add Annotation Button option. By simply clicking on the Add Annotation button, you can place notes that reference specific points on a waveform. Simply click and drag the arrow to the desired reference point. Type notes where the words Enter text here words are located, and click OK to place your Annotation on the graph with the waveform! 30

31 Toggle Notes Button With partial word processing capabilities, this feature allows custom notes to be added to any waveform or meter. These notes may also be saved when a screen configuration is saved. This allows for quick information retrieval. Adding custom notes to any waveform or meter is as simple as clicking a button! By clicking on the Toggle Notes button a window opens where you can type custom notes for each and every waveform that is captured using the PC Scope. 31

32 Erase Plot Data Button Starting over with a clean slate is as simple as clicking a button. The Erase Plot Data feature provides a one-click method of erasing all displayed waveform and meter information. After clicking on the Erase Plot Data button, a confirmation is displayed, asking if the displayed waveform or meter should be erased. After clicking Yes the displayed waveform or meter is instantly cleared. 32

33 Drag Mode Toolbar Normally positioned to the left of a Scope View, the Drag Mode toolbar instantly provides access to many of the Scope window s powerful manipulation features, such as zooming in on any portion of a waveform, panning (dragging) the waveform in all directions, just horizontally or vertically, dragging cursors, and dragging annotations! The Zoom button enables the zooming option. Examine waveforms in great detail with this feature. The Pan/Drag Scope Horizontal button allows for shifting of a waveform horizontally only. The Drag Annotation button allows for locking and unlocking annotation positions on a graph. The Disable Dragging button provides a quick way of locking the positions of cursors and annotations on the graphs. The Pan/Drag Scope All Directions button allows for shifting of a waveform display while sampling! The Pan/Drag Scope Vertical button allows for shifting of a waveform vertically only. The Drag Cursors button allows for locking and unlocking cursor positions on a graph. 33

34 Disable Dragging Button When using the dragging features of a waveform, an annotation, or of cursors, it may be handy to temporarily turn off the dragging features to LOCK all of the elements in place. This button performs that action. Looking at the waveform in this graph, it is clear that it has been zoomed on and dragged to the right. The Disable Dragging button is highlighted, because dragging is still enabled in this image. However, clicking the button locks the waveform image as it is displayed and prevents further movement of the waveform. This prevents accidental dragging or re-positioning of the waveform display. 34

35 Zoom (Box Zoom) Button How far can you go? The zooming feature of the PC Scope allows for waveform magnification limited only to your imagination. Extreme real-time close-ups allow for intricate analysis! Starting with a waveform being displayed like this (square), it is easy to enlarge even the smallest trace. Clicking and dragging around the area that is to be magnified magnifies the boxed area relative to the size of the box drawn while dragging. Meaning, if a large box is drawn, the magnification area would be less. A smaller magnification box requires more detail. 35

36 Pan/Drag Scope All Directions Shifting a waveform s position on a graph is as easy as click, click and drag. Being able to shift a waveform allows for numerous display options, such as multiple waveform displays, real-time pre and post-trigger views, and much more! Starting with this simple squarewave waveform, it is possible to slide the waveform in ANY direction Including being able to slide the waveform to view activity BEFORE the trigger point. This feature also comes in handy when needing to center or align a waveform to a graph. 36

37 Pan/Drag Scope Horizontal While being able to Pan or Drag a waveform is a useful feature in itself, there may come a time where only horizontal (side-to-side) panning or dragging is needed, and not vertical (up or down). In order to accommodate this need, the PC scope offers the Pan/Drag Scope Horizontal button. This button locks the vertical position and allows horizontal panning. Using the square waveform example, the voltage range for this waveform is 0 to +6 volts. In order to maintain this exact voltage range when dragging, click on the Pan/Drag Horizontal button to vertically lock the waveform on the graph. This allows for total horizontal shifting! 37

38 Pan/Drag Scope Vertical While being able to Pan or Drag a waveform is a useful feature in itself, there may come a time where only vertical (up or down) panning or dragging is needed, and not horizontal (side-to-side). In order to accommodate this need, the PC scope offers the Pan/Drag Scope Vertical button. This button locks the horizontal position and allows vertical panning. Using the square waveform example, the timebase range is from 0 to 10 milliseconds. In order to maintain this exact range of time when dragging, click on the Pan/Drag Vertical button to horizontally lock the waveform on the graph. This allows for total vertical shifting! 38

39 Drag Cursors Taking the tracking cursors feature one step further, is the capability to lock them in place. Once set up on the graph, use this button to keep from accidentally moving the measurement cursors. This button also unlocks the cursors, enabling them to be moved freely. After activating the cursors from the cursors menu button, lock and unlock their positions by clicking on the Drag Cursors button. The Unlocked state allows for cursor movement......while the Locked state prohibits cursor movement. 39

40 Drag Annotation With similar characteristics as the Drag Cursors button, the Drag Annotation button Locks and Unlocks an annotation to the graph. This prevents accidental movement of an Annotation, or allows Annotations to be moved freely around the graph area. In this example, the annotations are floating and are not locked into place on the graph. This is illustrated by the Drag Annotation button being in the down position. After clicking the Drag Annotation button, the Annotations are now locked to the graph, and will not move if clicked and dragged. They can be unlocked again by clicking the Drag Annotation button. 40

41 Scope Window Control Panel The complex controls of a lab scope are made simple here, in the Control Center of the PC Scope. Offering multiple configuration options and settings, this Control Center exposes the heart of the PC Scope to the user in one, comprehensive Control Panel. Each panel of the Control Center is explained in further detail in the following pages... 41

42 No Scope or Meter Available Simply put, this notice is displayed on the Scope Control Center when there is no view open that contains Scope or Meter information. This is to notify the user that a new Scope or Meter must be opened before the Control Center is available for use. 42

43 Time Base Tab The Time Base tab simply provides access to the time base settings for the Scope view that is selected. The time per division range and time multiplier are both selectable from this tab of the Control Center. TIME BASE Turn the window that is used to display the waveform On or Off using this button. Name the window that is used to display the waveform. Type the window name here! Select time base for a waveform display by clicking on the down arrow. Time range is from 2 microseconds per division to 500 milliseconds per division. Select the hardware device connection here. Either through the LPT1 port, or USB ports. Clicking on the Time Base tab displays the time base options. The Time Multiplier divides the selected time per division by the Multiplier number selected, and displays this result per division on the graph. Example: using a graph of 10mS/div, it is expected to see 10 ms time increments per division. When multiplying this time selection by 2 (x2), simply multiply the number of divisions used to display the selected time per division, OR expect to see the time per every 2 nd division equal to 10mS. 43

44 Left Axis Tab The Left Axis tab opens the Control Panel for the left axis of a Scope Graph. Simply put, this will be the BLUE waveform that is always displayed when opening the PC Scope software. LEFT AXIS Turn the window that is used to display the waveform On or Off using this button. Select the hardware device connection here. Either through the LPT1 port, or USB ports. Name the window that is used to display the waveform. Type the window name here! Set which channel is to be used for the window that is open by clicking here. Channels A and B are selectable. Select the color of the waveform that is displayed by clicking here. This also changes the color of the digital meter display. Select the AC or DC coupling by clicking on this switch. Set the voltage range by rotating the Sensitivity per Division knob! Choose from different waveform display filters, such as an averaging filter, or low-pass filter. Choose from several preset current probe configurations. Or, simply build your own, using the Custom selection. 44

45 Right Axis Tab The Right Axis tab opens the Control Panel for the right axis of a Scope Graph. Simply put, this will be the RED waveform that is displayed when using channel B in the PC Scope software. RIGHT AXIS Turn the window that is used to display the waveform On or Off using this button. Select the hardware device connection here. Either through the LPT1 port, or USB ports. Name the window that is used to display the waveform. Type the window name here! Set which channel is to be used for the window that is open by clicking here. Channels A and B are selectable. Select the color of the waveform that is displayed by clicking here. This also changes the color of the digital meter display. Select the AC or DC coupling by clicking on this switch. Set the voltage range by rotating the Sensitivity per Division knob! Choose from different waveform display filters, such as an averaging filter, or low-pass filter. Choose from several preset current probe configurations. Or, simply build your own, using the Custom selection. 45

46 Trigger Tab The Trigger tab opens the triggering options available to the user for the PC Scope. There are multiple trigger modes, references, and options to precisely set a trigger point for any channel of the PC Scope. Turn the window that is used to display the waveform On or Off using this button. Name the window that is used to display the waveform. Type the window name here! Choose from multiple triggering options, such as an auto trigger, repeat trigger, or single, where you control the trigger! Select the source of the trigger point. Choose from either of the sampling channels, or use the external trigger. Select the hardware device connection here. Either through the LPT1 port, or USB ports. Select the triggering edge of the Scope hardware by using this button, the Trigger Edge button. Select the trigger level, in millivolts by clicking the up and down arrows. A faster method may be to use the Drag Trigger option. The Trigger Delay shifts the triggering point by a percentage delay, either using a negative or positive percentage. The Drag Trigger feature is best utilized to locate a trigger reference faster by dragging the trigger to a specific place on a graph. Click on this button, and when it is green, drag the trigger point as desired. 46

47 Meters Tab The Meters tab provides a way to access and configure digital meter displays while simultaneously viewing waveform data in real-time. The best benefit of this feature is that it can all happen from the same window, and not multiple windows. Turn the window that is used to display the waveform On or Off using this button. Select the hardware device connection here. Either through the LPT1 port, or USB ports. Name the window that is used to display the waveform. Type the window name here! This window displays the meters that have been chosen to be displayed on the graph window. This window displays meters that are available to be displayed on the graph window, but have not yet been chosen. The Left Axis and Right Axis tabs allow fast switching between meters displayed with their corresponding Axis, or waveforms. The Visible checkbox provides an easy method of selecting which meters to display, and then choosing to make them visible on the graph. 47

48 Main Menu/Sub-Menu Descriptions Like every piece of software, the PC Scope also has many menus from which to make functional choices. This section of the Help Reference is intended to help familiarize you with the layout of the Main and Sub-Menu structures of the PC Scope as well as the Context menus. The Context Menus will many times offer shortcuts to the features that are to be accessed while using the PC Scope software. Example of a Main Menu. This example shows the Scope window controls, which are accessible from the Main Menu, should the Scope and Drag Toolbars be hidden. Example of a Sub Menu. This example shows the Scope Windows Cursor Controls, which are accessible from the Main Menu, should the Scope and Drag Toolbars be hidden. 48

49 File Menu Found within the File menu, there are several baseline functions for operation of the PC Scope software. These functions include multiple file-saving options, print options, etc. (The menu is color-coded for reference only. The menu will not be colored in the PC Scope Program) The Save menu selection allows for saving opened files, such as waveforms, images, or configurations. The Open menu selection allows you to open any file with a format recognized by the PC Scope program. The Save As menu selection allows for saving new files, such as waveforms, images, or configurations. The Print menu selection opens the default printer window to prepare and print the current document. The Print Preview menu selection opens an image viewer to display a preview of the document to be printed. The Print Setup menu selection opens the default printer window to configure the printer for printing. This selection of the menu lists previously opened files by the PC Scope software. Click here to quickly re-open. The Exit menu selection closes the PC Scope program. 49

50 View Menu The View Menu provides a menu selection of the many viewable/non-viewable options. Some of these options are creating a New Scope or Meter View, Mirror or Clone a View, hide/unhide toolbars, and much more! (The menu is colorcoded for reference only. The menu will not be colored in the PC Scope Program) The Mirror View menu selection creates a reflected or mirrored graph of the window/view that is selected. The New Meter View menu selection allows you to create a new digital meter view/window of data. The New Scope View menu selection allows you to create a new graph view/window of Scope data. The Clone View menu selection creates a duplicate window of data whose source is the from the same channel. The Display Settings menu selection instantly lists a Scope or Meter view s control settings on the bottom of the view. The Toolbars menu selection is a way of hiding/unhiding the Scope s toolbars, such as the Main & Drag toolbars The Hide All Toolbars menu selection does just that. Clicking here hides all toolbars, and shows only the open view. The Show All Toolbars menu selection restores any previously hidden toolbars for use in the Scope program. The View Running menu selection turns a Scope view on or off. A shortcut to access this is to use Ctrl and Spacebar. 50

51 Library Menu and Sub-Menus The Library menu is the gateway to access reference waveform patterns. There are many that are built into the PC Scope software. These built-in waveforms are always found under the General Automotive menu, as shown below. User-Specific waveform libraries can also be built. These library files are stored under the Custom menu. There are also directories available to help keep Scope information organized. These directories are also available under the Custom menu selection, but ONLY when there is a file stored in them. If the directory is empty, they will not be listed. The Refresh menu selection updates the Custom directory in order to display any files that were recently added. The Explorer menu selection opens the Library Explorer. This useful tool provides a key to all file types that the PC Scope can interpret, and where they are located. It is covered in more detail at the end of this guide. 51

52 Scope Main Menu The View as Meter selection switches the view selected from a Scope graph to a meter. This selection will read View as Scope when a Meter is chosen. The Scope Main Menu offers all of the functions of the Scope and Drag toolbars from one menu. Many of the Scope window s controls are found in the Scope Main menu s sub-menus. (The menu is color-coded for reference only. The menu will not be colored in the PC Scope Program) The Zoom menu selection enables the Zooming feature of the Scope window selected. Simply leftclick and drag to zoom on the graph. The Pan menu selection opens the panning sub-menu of options available to pan the waveform on the graph of the view selected. The Cursors menu selection opens the sub-menu of options available for the measurement cursors on the graph of the view selected. The Grid menu selection opens the sub-menu of options available for the background grid. These are to hide or unhide the left or right axis grids. The Left Axis menu selection opens a submenu to control the properties of the Left axis waveform, such as line width, line color, and inverting the waveform. The Right Axis menu selection opens a sub-menu to control properties of the Right Axis waveform, such as line width and color. The Timeline Parameters selection defines the timebase range, using Min. and Max. time selections. The Restore Axis menu selection resets the waveforms displayed to their default display settings. Similar to using Refresh. The Add Annotation menu selection adds an noted annotation to the graph. The Erase Data menu selection clears a waveform from a graph and resets a meter display. The Notes menu selection opens the notes pane at the top of a graph or meter to add custom notes. 52

53 Meter Main Menu The Meter Main Menu lists a Digital Meter s functions, and are available from the PC Scope main menu. Many of the Scope window s controls are found in the Scope Main menu s sub-menus. (The menu is color-coded for reference only. The menu will not be colored in the PC Scope Program) The View as Scope menu selection switches the current Meter view to a Scope graph. The Left Axis menu selection opens a sub-menu that lists the display properties, such as Meter Color for the meter view that uses the Left Axis. The Right Axis menu selection opens a sub-menu that lists the display properties, such as Meter Color for the meter view that uses the Right Axis. The Erase Data menu selection removes all waveform and meter data from a view. When a Meter is being used, the Meter will display a status of N/A. The Notes menu selection opens the Notes field at the very top of the Meter view. Custom notes about the Meter can be added and saved here. 53

54 Settings Menu and Sub-Menus The settings menu displays the Scope s Sensitivity settings, as well as a list of all installed and configured drivers. It also lists the directory where the User Files (Such as Recordings, Configuration Files, and Waveforms) are stored, and opens the Access Code window for entry of an Access Code to activate the product. 54

55 Window Menu The Window menu lists the window control options for the PC Scope Program. Using multiple windows/views within a program can sometimes get tricky. This menu is designed to aid in controlling multiple views of Scope information. The Layout menu selection stacks the open Scope views/windows in equally-sized columns and rows. The Cascade menu option stacks all open windows on top of each other, exposing only the upper left corner of each. This is good to use to re-position all windows. The Layout Vertical menu selection stacks all open windows horizontally so that multiple channels in more than 1 window can easily be interpreted. The Arrange Icons menu selection re-arranges minimized Scope windows, should they become scattered or moved. The bottom menu contains a list of all open windows. The window with a checkmark is the window in use. Good for switching maximized windows. The Close All Windows selection closes all open views of Scope or Meter data. When doing this, the Control Center and toolbars close automatically. 55

56 Help Menu The Help menu offers various search and display options for the PC Scope Help reference guide. Clicking here launches the reference guide and opens the appropriate sections of the Scope Help file when selected. The Contents menu selection will launch the Scope help file and open the Table of Contents. The Table of Contents lists the topics outlined within the Scope Help file. The Search menu selection opens a search window for the Scope Help file to allow for searching of the document for specific words or phrases. The About EASE PC Scope menu selection displays the information window about the EASE Scope software. The Index menu selection opens the Scope Help file to a topic index that can be scrolled for additional help resources. 56

57 Context Menus Right-Clicking on a waveform/graph window, or on a meter window opens a Context Menu Context menus are intended to provide a faster means of accessing specific functions without having to browse through large lists of menu selections. There are 2 different Context Menus in the PC Scope software. One menu opens when rightclicking on a waveform/graph, and a different menu opens when right-clicking on a meter. These menus are shown below, and explained in the following pages. METER Context Menu SCOPE Context Menu 57

58 Scope Context Menu Right-clicking on a waveform graph will open the Scope Context Menu. This condensed menu contains functions that will be used primarily on a Scope graph. The Scope context menu contains all of the functionality of the Main Menu selections as well as the Scope and Drag toolbars. Window controls are grouped together here. To see each item s functions, Ctrl+ Click on the following links: Mirror Scope, Clone Scope, View as Meter Graph controls are grouped together here. To see each item s functions, Ctrl+ Click on the following links: Grid, Left Axis, Right Axis, Restore Axis Scope controls are grouped together here. To see each item s functions, Ctrl+ Click on the following links: Zoom, Pan, Cursors Other Scope controls are grouped together here. To see each item s functions, Ctrl+ Click on the following links: Display Settings, Add Annotation, Notes, Erase Data The Timeline Parameters selection opens a window to set the TimeBase limits. Ctrl+ Click here to see the full description. 58

59 Meter Context Menu Right-clicking on a meter view will open the Meter Context Menu. This condensed menu contains functions that will be used primarily on a meter window. The Meter context menu contains all of the functionality of the Main Menu selections as well as the Scope and Drag toolbars. Window controls are grouped together here. To see each item s functions, Ctrl+ Click on the following links: Mirror Scope, Clone Scope, View as Meter Meter controls are grouped together here. To see each item s functions, Ctrl+ Click on the following links: Left Axis, Right Axis Other Scope controls are grouped together here. To see each item s functions, Ctrl+ Click on the following links: Display Settings, Notes, Erase Data 59

60 How To... The following section provides answers to some EASE PC Scope usage procedures and additional features. Additional operational information is listed in the Frequently Asked Questions section. 60

61 Setup the 20:1 Attenuator The 20:1 Attenuator is a device that simply steps down incoming voltage so that it can be safely measured by the PC Scope hardware. The scale is 20:1. Thus, if 20V were to be measured at the input of the Attenuator, then 1V would be measured at the output, or where it connects to the Scope hardware. This is good for measuring inductive signals such as Primary Ignition, or Injectors. These signals often encounter short duration, high voltage spikes that could otherwise be damaging to the PC Scope hardware. Setup of the 20:1 Attenuator is easy. Simply connect the Attenuator s male BNC to the PC Scope s female BNC on the channel (A or B) that will be used. Then, connect the test lead to the female BNC end of the Attenuator (As shown in the image to the right). Next, setup the software to interpret the signal from the Attenuator correctly by adjusting the Channel to read using the correct scale. This is done by selecting the channel that the Attenuator is connected to (Left or Right Axis Tabs), and clicking on the menu at the bottom of the Control Panel. Select x20 as shown on the image below. This effectively multiplies the incoming voltage by 20, so that the waveform on the graph represents the voltage that is entering the Attenuator. 61

62 Setup the Capacitive Secondary Pickup The Capacitive Secondary Pickup is used to capture Secondary Ignition waveforms from distributor and DIS ignition systems. Secondary waveforms can be captured as a single cylinder, or a parade pattern (By slowing down the timebase, when connected to the coil wire). Waveforms from DIS systems can only be captured as single cylinder. This pickup probe has an attenuation of 10000:1. Meaning, that for every Volts (Or, 10 kv) the probe sends 1 Volt into the PC Scope hardware. This is important to know, in order to setup the PC Scope software correctly for measuring the signal. It is important to connect the pickup correctly, in order to protect both the Secondary lead, and the PC Scope. To do this, connect the ground clip to engine ground BEFORE connecting the probe to the PC Scope hardware, or coil / ignition wires. After connecting the pickup lead, select one of the presets in the PC Scope software to configure for sampling. The HT Pickup setting will work best for measuring Secondary Ignition. If the waveform pattern displayed is not the expected pattern, adjust the trigger and timebase to steady the pattern. Timebase should be 1 or 2mS per division, and trigger should be set to Auto trigger to start. After the pattern is on the graph, switch the trigger to Repeat. Then, drag the trigger about halfway up the waveform s spike to stabilize. After selecting the HT Pickup Sensitivity Setting, it is possible to further modify this setting by selecting the Custom... selection from the Sensitivity Settings menu. This opens the Custom Gain Settings window, where changes can be made. Please skip to Configure the Custom Gain Settings by clicking here. Analyzing the Waveform 1. Calculation of Burn Time is based on the timebase used. Use the cursors from the Cursors Menu to measure the length of the Spark Line. 2. Burn voltage is determined by measuring the voltage level of the Spark Line. Ex. A 1.4V Spark Line on the waveform represents 14 kv (1V = 10kV) The PC Scope s HT Pickup calculates the conversion so that kv is shown on the graph. 62

63 Setup the Inductive Trigger Pickup The Inductive Trigger Pickup is used to synchronize the waveform displayed on the PC Scope software with a particular firing event of the ignition system. The synch cylinder commonly used is number one. This pickup lead is good for use when parading, since it will synch off of the cylinder it is clamped to, and then will display the secondary pattern for that particular cylinder. The pickup will work with distributor and DIS ignition systems. This probe can also be used to isolate other signals, such as the ID of a crankshaft position sensor. Connection of the Inductive Trigger Pickup is simple. Clamp the Pickup around the appropriate ignition wire. Notice that the clamp has two yellow dots on the housing. When clamping around ignition wires, these yellow dots should be facing the spark plug. Next, connect the BNC to the PC Scope hardware. If the Secondary Lead is not already connected, connect it to the PC Scope s other open channel. Set the timebase for the type of waveform to be viewed. 1-2 ms is used for single cylinder, or 10mS for parade. Trigger should be Auto to start. Once a pattern is on the graph, stabilize by changing the trigger to Repeat and drag the trigger approximately halfway up the voltage spike. Don t forget to trigger off of the rising edge! The PC Scope is now triggering off of the voltage spike produced by this Inductive Trigger. What this also means, is that the PC Scope is triggering off of the firing event of the cylinder it is clamped around, and the Secondary Lead s channel can now display the Secondary pattern for that cylinder, when increasing the timebase to view a single cylinder. When parading, this synch probe will allow for recognition of particular cylinders. Set the trigger on the Rising Edge, and Repeating on Ch. A or B wherever the Pickup is connected. 63

64 Configure the Custom Gain Settings Found under the Probes/Sensitivity Settings menu selection, the Custom Gain Settings are opened by selecting Custom... This configuration panel displays and stores the different profiles that characterize the architecture of the PC Scope. The methods used to interpret the sampled signals from the Scope hardware channels are defined here. The PC Scope utilizes several different Custom profiles for different probes that can be attached to the hardware. Use these or, build your own! The Minimum and Maximum fields will set the vertical axis range of a graph. This Description field is actually the name of the selected Gain s configuration profile. The Add and Remove buttons will insert or remove selected Custom Gain profiles. The Selection menu displays the configuration settings for the Custom Gain profile chosen. The Units field sets the units display on the graph. This field can be set to use any unit of measurement. The Scale fields determine how the incoming signal from the PC Scope hardware is measured. 64

65 Save a Configuration Setting A Configuration Setting is a profile that the PC Scope uses to set various Scope controls in order to display Scope patterns and waveforms correctly. After changing various controls such as timebase, trigger mode, trigger delay, sensitivity/gain, voltage per division using the Control Center, it is possible to save all these as a Configuration Profile for later use. This saves time because the Scope s controls will not have to be manually re-set each time, to capture various patterns. The Scope settings can simply be loaded into the Scope, and it is then ready to perform measurements using those settings. After setting up the PC Scope software s various Controls (As Shown Above), click on the File menu, and select Save As... The Save As dialogue shown to the right will open. From the Save as Type menu selection, choose Configuration File Next, open the Configurations folder by doubleclicking on it, name the file, and then save it in the Configurations folder. 65

66 Connect to Scope After Recording After making a Scope recording, the PC Scope automatically launches the recorded file for immediate playback. In order to immediately connect to the PC Scope after saving a recording and continue sampling without losing the configuration settings, 2 methods can be followed. Method #1 Prior to starting the recording, after making adjustments of the Scope s Controls to achieve the best pattern display, save these Scope settings as a configuration. By saving the settings as a configuration, the configuration can easily be re-loaded into the Scope program to use to perform live sampling. (Shown Below) Method #2 After the recording has been saved and loaded into the PC Scope for playback, simply use the Erase Plot Data button to clear the recording from the graph. This actually clears the recording from PC memory, allowing the configuration settings to be re-used for sampling. When the confirmation screen appears, (Image Below) click on Yes 66

67 Waveform Reference Libraries The most valuable portion of the PC Scope are the waveform reference libraries. These libraries, which are composed of MANY different samples from various automotive components, provide an excellent visual aide to use when using the PC Scope to diagnose a malfunctioning component. Not only do these reference waveforms provide a visual reference, but after selecting a reference file, and loading it into the PC Scope, the Scope automatically adjusts sensitivity and timebase in order to capture a waveform similar to the sample that loads. After loading a library waveform, note that the settings for the sampling window that opens below the reference window are pre-set and ready to capture a waveform from a similar component. Simply connect the test leads to the component, and start graphing! Both the timebase and voltage scale have been set to capture data from the component in this example. 67