CompuScope SDK Manua.. - Egmont Instruments

Basic CompuScopeOperationCompuScopes are a line of ultra-fast PC-based A/D or oscilloscope cards. Installed in a standard PC,CompuScope hardware is able to acquire analog signals at very high sampling speeds on a large number ofchannels with a very high vertical resolution into extremely deep memory buffers. A key advantage of thePC-based CompuScope is its extremely fast data transfer rate to PC RAM from where data can be easilyanalyzed, stored or displayed. No auxiliary data connection, such as a GPIB interface, is required since theCompuScope plugs directly into the PC add-on card slot, which explains its high data transfer ratecapability. This section introduces basic signal capture methods using CompuScope hardware. There arealso digital CompuScope models like the CompuScope 3200, which allow capture of digital multi-bitsignals.Below is a diagram that illustrates a simplified schematic of a generalized analog input CompuScope card.Most CompuScopes have two input channels. The signal connected to each BNC input channel is initiallysignal conditioned. This consists generally of three steps. The input termination can be selected as 1MOhm, for minimal signal loading, or 50 Ohms, for impedance matching with the 50 Ohm signal cable,The input coupling can be programmatically selected as DC or AC. Finally, the input range can beprogrammatically selected, which switches in an appropriate gain amplifier.The Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) takes in analog signals and puts out digital signal at the specifiedclock rate. Data are then latched to ADC’s memory. Most CompuScopes are equipped with two ADCchips and their associated memory banks.CompuScope SDK Manual Page 7