| Quick Introduction to Benchlink |
Using BenchLink -
Getting Started
Bench link is a program you
can use to get data from an oscilloscope into a computer. You can do that when
you have all of the following:
l
Benchlink is installed on the computer
l
There is an IEEE-488 card (GPIB) in
the computer.
l
The IEEE-488 card is connected to the
scope with a standard
IEEE-488 cable.
l
The scope is turned on, and it is
displaying a signal you
want to get.
When all of the above is
true, you can move data from the scope into the Benchlink program. Here is what
you do.
l
Start Benchlink.
l
During loading, Benchlink may ask you
for Setup information.
If so, do the following:
l
Select GPIB and search for instruments.
l
Select the HP54601A Oscilloscope (Addr7).
l
Click OK.
l
NOTE: If you need to change the steup, you
can click
Options-Configure Interface.
l
Select Waveform-New.
The waveform on the
scope should be
displayed in a window on the
computer screen.
l
Select Waveform-Save as time, amplitude.
l
Save the data in a file where you can find it
later.
At this point you have the
data saved in a file, but that file cannot be loaded into applications like
Mathcad or Matlab. To create/change the file to one that can be loaded, do the
following.
l
Start Notepad.
l
Load your file into Notepad.
l
Delete the header information so that your
data starts at the top
left position.
l
Save your file.
If you want to load
your data into Mathcad for analysis, load the workspace
L3GetData.mcdinto
Mathcad. Then change the name of the file in the
READPRN() function
statement. Note: for this to work, you should save L3GetData.mcd into the same
folder as your data file. If you don't do that, you will need to supply the
complete pathname in READPRN.
|
