A Tektronix 3000 Series oscilloscope is networked to a computer by means of e*Scope web-enabled tools.
Hello again and welcome to our 52nd Test and Measurement video. Today we’ll look at another aspect of the amazing Tektronix MDO3104 oscilloscope. It is the instrument’s ability to be accessed and even be controlled by a computer that is on a local area network (LAN). Let’s see how this is done.
There are three separate ways that a Tektronix MDO 3000 Series oscilloscope can be connected to a computer. They are by means of Visa drivers, through the e*Scope web-enabled tools or through a socket server. For this demonstration, we will go the e*Scope route. This works with either Mac or PC, making use of the computer’s web browser, and it is not dependent on any additional software that would have to be downloaded.
To set up the e*Scope connection, first connect the oscilloscope to your Internet cable or Internet satellite-dish modem, using a Cat 5e or better Ethernet cable with straight-through as opposed to cross-connect terminations. If all ports are in use, you’ll need to add an Ethernet hub, switch or router.
Then, in the oscilloscope, press Utility. In the choices that appear, press the softkey corresponding to Utility Page. Use Multipurpose Knob a to select I/O. A menu comes up showing the types of oscilloscope-computer networks, and our choice today is Ethernet & LXI.
The side menu that comes up contains choices that are now relevant. First, press the top item to view the current status of the Ethernet connection and LXI LAN status. If the indicator is green, the status is good. If it is red, there is a fault, likely a questionable Ethernet termination. Notice that if we unplug one end of the cable, the status indicator goes red. Before proceeding, any fault must be resolved.
Once good status is indicated, press the LAN Settings button to view the current network parameters as configured in the oscilloscope. Press LAN Reset to restore LAN default settings. Moving down, press Test Connection to find out whether the oscilloscope is seeing a connected network. Then, press More for additional menu items. These allow the user to rename the oscilloscope or network domain or change the service name. Also, passwords for Ethernet, LXI and e*Scope can be changed.
Next, start the computer browser. In the address line, enter the host name followed by a dot, and the domain name. Another method is to enter the IP address of the oscilloscope. Regardless of which of these is done, the web browser should display the LXI Welcome page on the computer screen. Bookmark this site for future reference.
Click Network Configuration to view and edit these settings. To use a password and for changing settings, the default user name is ixiuser.
On the left side of the LXI Welcome page, click on the e*Scope Instrument Control link. A new tab or window opens in the browser and we e*Scope running.
At this point the oscilloscope and computer are networked and they are in communication. To demonstrate, on the oscilloscope we can press AFG. Previously, a BNC able was run from the AFG output port on the back panel to the
Channel One analog input on the front panel. Pressing Waveform, we can use Multipurpose Knob a to scroll through the 13 available waveforms, and the display show up in the computer that is on the Local Area Network.
Remarkably, the oscilloscope can actually be controlled from the computer. The communication is two-way. In the computer, to demonstrate, we click first on control in the top bar, then click on the Multipurpose knob small arrow tab to scroll through the AFG waveforms.
Moreover, we can click on Math in the computer control bar and then FFT to see the frequency domain view of the selected waveform. The full range of oscilloscope functionality is also available and can be controlled at either end of the Local Area Network.
We appreciate your companionship in this remarkable journey through the capabilities of today’s amazing oscilloscopes. Check back soon for another video.
nice article.