pico Technology PicoScope 2000 Series Manual

Copyright © 2006–2016 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.
Programmer's Guide
ps2000pg.en r11
PC Oscilloscopes
PicoScope®2000 Series

IPicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide
Copyright © 2006–2016 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. ps2000pg.en r11
Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
1 Overview ............................................................................................................................................ 1
2 Minimum system requirements ............................................................................................................ 1
3 Legal information ............................................................................................................................... 2
4 Trademarks ........................................................................................................................................ 3
5 Warranty ........................................................................................................................................... 3
2 Programming the 2000 Series Oscilloscopes .............................................................................. 4
1 General procedure .............................................................................................................................. 4
2 Driver ................................................................................................................................................ 4
3 Voltage ranges .................................................................................................................................... 4
4 Triggering ........................................................................................................................................... 5
5 Signal generator .................................................................................................................................. 5
6 AC/DC coupling ................................................................................................................................. 5
7 Oversampling ..................................................................................................................................... 6
3 Sampling modes .......................................................................................................................... 7
1 Block mode ........................................................................................................................................ 7
1 Using block mode ................................................................................................................... 7
2 Streaming mode ................................................................................................................................. 9
1 Compatible streaming mode .................................................................................................... 9
2 Fast streaming mode ............................................................................................................. 10
3 ETS (Equivalent Time Sampling) mode .............................................................................................. 11
1 Using ETS mode .................................................................................................................... 11
4 Combining several oscilloscopes ............................................................................................... 12
5 API Functions ............................................................................................................................ 13
1 ps2000_close_unit ............................................................................................................................ 14
2 ps2000_flash_led .............................................................................................................................. 15
3 ps2000_get_streaming_last_values .................................................................................................... 16
4 ps2000_get_streaming_values ........................................................................................................... 17
5 ps2000_get_streaming_values_no_aggregation .................................................................................. 19
6 ps2000_get_timebase ....................................................................................................................... 21
7 ps2000_get_times_and_values ........................................................................................................... 22
8 ps2000_get_unit_info ........................................................................................................................ 24
9 ps2000_get_values ............................................................................................................................ 25
10 ps2000_last_button_press ............................................................................................................... 26
11 ps2000_open_unit .......................................................................................................................... 27
12 ps2000_open_unit_async ................................................................................................................ 28
13 ps2000_open_unit_progress ............................................................................................................ 29
14 ps2000_overview_buffer_status ....................................................................................................... 30
15 ps2000PingUnit .............................................................................................................................. 31
16 ps2000_ready ................................................................................................................................. 32
17 ps2000_run_block .......................................................................................................................... 33

ContentsII
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18 ps2000_run_streaming .................................................................................................................... 34
19 ps2000_run_streaming_ns ............................................................................................................... 35
20 ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelConditions ......................................................................................... 36
1 PS2000_TRIGGER_CONDITIONS structure .......................................................................... 37
21 ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelDirections .......................................................................................... 38
22 ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelProperties .......................................................................................... 39
1 PS2000_TRIGGER_CHANNEL_PROPERTIES structure ......................................................... 40
23 ps2000SetAdvTriggerDelay ............................................................................................................. 41
24 ps2000_set_channel ........................................................................................................................ 42
25 ps2000_set_ets ............................................................................................................................... 43
26 ps2000_set_light ............................................................................................................................. 44
27 ps2000_set_led ............................................................................................................................... 45
28 ps2000SetPulseWidthQualifier ........................................................................................................ 46
1 PS2000_PWQ_CONDITIONS structure ................................................................................ 47
29 ps2000_set_sig_gen_arbitrary ......................................................................................................... 48
30 ps2000_set_sig_gen_built_in ........................................................................................................... 50
31 ps2000_set_trigger ......................................................................................................................... 52
32 ps2000_set_trigger2 ....................................................................................................................... 53
33 ps2000_stop ................................................................................................................................... 54
34 my_get_overview_buffers ................................................................................................................ 55
6 Programming examples ............................................................................................................ 57
7 Driver error codes ................................................................................................................... 58
8 Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 59
Index ........................................................................................................................................... 61

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 1
Copyright © 2006–2016 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. ps2000pg.en r11
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
The PicoScope 2000 Series PC Oscilloscopes are low-cost, high-performance
instruments that are fully USB 2.0-capable and also backwards-compatible with
USB 1.1. There is no need for an additional power supply, as power is taken from the
USB port.
This manual explains how to develop your own programs for collecting and analyzing
data from the PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscopes. This manual describes the
application programming interface (API) for the devices shown below.
PicoScope 2104
PicoScope 2105
PicoScope 2202
PicoScope 2203
PicoScope 2204
PicoScope 2205
PicoScope 2204A
PicoScope 2205A
The Pico Technology software development kit (SDK) is available on the Pico
Technology Software and Reference CD-ROM and for free download from
www.picotech.com/downloads.
1.2 Minimum system requirements
To ensure that your PicoScope 2000 Series PC Oscilloscope operates correctly, you
must have a computer with at least the minimum system requirements to run one of
the supported operating systems, as shown in the following table. The performance of
the oscilloscope will be better with a more powerful PC, and will benefit from a multi-
core processor.
Please note the PicoScope software is not installed as part of the SDK.
Item
Specification
Operating
system
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
32 bit and 64 bit versions supported
Processor
As required by the operating system
Memory
Free disk space
Ports
USB 1.1 compliant port (absolute minimum)*
USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 compliant port
* The oscilloscope will run slowly on a USB 1.1 port. This configuration is not
recommended.

Introduction2
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1.3 Legal information
The material contained in this release is licensed, not sold. Pico Technology Limited
grants a license to the person who installs this software, subject to the conditions
listed below.
Access. The licensee agrees to allow access to this software only to persons who have
been informed of these conditions and agree to abide by them.
Usage. The software in this release is for use only with Pico Technology products or
with data collected using Pico Technology products.
Copyright. Pico Technology Ltd. claims the copyright of, and retains the rights to, all
material (software, documents, etc.) contained in this SDK except the example
programs. You may copy and distribute the SDK without restriction, as long as you do
not remove any Pico Technology copyright statements. The example programs in the
SDK may be modified, copied and distributed for the purpose of developing programs
to collect data using Pico products.
Liability. Pico Technology and its agents shall not be liable for any loss, damage or
injury, howsoever caused, related to the use of Pico Technology equipment or
software, unless excluded by statute.
Fitness for purpose. As no two applications are the same, Pico Technology cannot
guarantee that its equipment or software is suitable for a given application. It is your
responsibility, therefore, to ensure that the product is suitable for your application.
Mission-critical applications. This software is intended for use on a computer that
may be running other software products. For this reason, one of the conditions of the
license is that it excludes use in mission-critical applications, for example life support
systems.
Viruses. This software was continuously monitored for viruses during production, but
you are responsible for virus-checking the software once it is installed.
Support. If you are dissatisfied with the performance of this software, please contact
our technical support staff, who will try to fix the problem within a reasonable time. If
you are still dissatisfied, please return the product and software to your supplier within
14 days of purchase for a full refund.
Upgrades. We provide upgrades, free of charge, from our web site at
www.picotech.com. We reserve the right to charge for updates or replacements sent
out on physical media.

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 3
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1.4 Trademarks
Pico Technology Limited and PicoScope are trademarks of Pico Technology Limited,
registered in the United Kingdom and other countries.
PicoScope and Pico Technology are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the USA and other
countries.
1.5 Warranty
Pico Technology warrants upon delivery, and for a period of 5 years unless otherwise
stated from the date of delivery, that the Goods will be free from defects in material
and workmanship.
Pico Technology shall not be liable for a breach of the warranty if the defect has been
caused by fair wear and tear, willful damage, negligence, abnormal working conditions
or failure to follow Pico Technology's spoken or written advice on the storage,
installation, commissioning, use or maintenance of the Goods or (if no advice has been
given) good trade practice; or if the Customer alters or repairs such Goods without the
written consent of Pico Technology.

Programming the 2000 Series Oscilloscopes4
Copyright © 2006–2016 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.ps2000pg.en r11
2Programming the 2000 Series Oscilloscopes
2.1 General procedure
The ps2000.dll library in your PicoScope installation directory allows you to program
a PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscope using standard C function calls.
A typical program for capturing data consists of the following steps:
Open the oscilloscope.
Set up the input channels with the required voltage ranges and coupling mode.
Set up triggering.
Start capturing data. (See Sampling modes, where programming is discussed in
more detail.)
Wait until the oscilloscope is ready.
Copy data to a buffer.
Stop capturing data.
Close the oscilloscope.
Numerous sample programs are included in the SDK. These show how to use the
functions of the driver software in each of the modes available.
2.2 Driver
Your application will communicate with a PicoScope 2000 API driver called
ps2000.dll, which is supplied in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The driver exports the
ps2000 function definitions in standard C format, but this does not limit you to
programming in C. You can use the API with any programming language that supports
standard C calls.
The API driver depends on a low-level driver called WinUsb.sys (supplied in 32-bit
and 64-bit versions), which is installed by the SDK and configured when you plug the
oscilloscope into each USB port for the first time. Your application does not call this
driver directly.
2.3 Voltage ranges
You can set the gain for each channel with the ps2000_set_channel function. The
input voltage ranges available depend on the oscilloscope model.
The driver scales all readings to 16 bits, regardless of the voltage range the
oscilloscope is set to. The following table shows the relationship between the reading
from the driver and the signal level.
Constant
Reading
Voltage
decimal
hex
PS2000_LOST_DATA
-32 768
8000
Indicates a buffer overrun in fast
streaming mode.
PS2000_MIN_VALUE
-32 767
8001
Negative full scale
0
0
0000
Zero volts
PS2000_MAX_VALUE
32 767
7FFF
Positive full scale

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 5
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Example
1. Call
ps2000_set_channel
with range set to
PS2000_1V.
2. Apply a sine wave input
of 500 mV amplitude to
the oscilloscope.
3. Capture some data using
the desired sampling
mode.
4. The data will be encoded
as shown opposite.
2.4 Triggering
PicoScope 2000 Series PC Oscilloscopes can either start collecting data immediately, or
be programmed to wait for a trigger event to occur. In both cases you need to use
the ps2000_set_trigger function or, for scopes that support advanced triggering,
the ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelConditions and related functions. A trigger
event can occur on any of the conditions available in the simple and advanced
triggering modes.
Applicability
Available in block mode and fast streaming mode only. Calls to the
ps2000_set_trigger and
ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelConditions functions have no
effect in compatible streaming mode.
The triggering methods available for your oscilloscope are listed in the data sheet.
Where available, the pulse width, delay and drop-out triggering methods additionally
require the use of the pulse width qualifier function,
ps2000SetPulseWidthQualifier.
2.5 Signal generator
The PicoScope 2203, 2204(A) and 2205(A) PC Oscilloscopes have a built-in signal
generator, which is set up using ps2000_set_sig_gen_built_in. You can also
use this signal generator to output arbitrary waveforms, using
ps2000_set_sig_gen_arbitrary.
Applicability
PicoScope 2203, 2204(A) and 2205(A) oscilloscopes only.
2.6 AC/DC coupling
Using the ps2000_set_channel function, each channel can be set to either AC or DC
coupling. When AC coupling is used, any component of the signal below about 1 Hz is
filtered out.

Programming the 2000 Series Oscilloscopes6
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2.7 Oversampling
When the oscilloscope is operating at sampling rates less than the maximum, it is
possible to oversample. Oversampling is taking more than one measurement during
a time interval and returning an average. If the signal contains a small amount of
noise, this technique can increase the effective vertical resolution of the oscilloscope
by the amount given by the equation below:
Increase in resolution (bits) = (log oversample) / (log 4)
Applicability
Available in block mode only.

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 7
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3Sampling modes
PicoScope 2000 Series PC Oscilloscopes can run in various sampling modes.
Block mode.At the highest sampling rates, the oscilloscope collects data much
faster than a PC can read it. In this case, the oscilloscope stores a block of data in
an internal memory buffer, delaying transfer to the PC until the required number of
data points have been sampled.
ETS mode.In this mode, it is possible to increase the effective sampling rate of the
scope when capturing repetitive signals. It is a modified form of block mode.
Streaming modes.At all but the highest sampling rates, these modes allow
accurately timed data to be transferred back to the PC without gaps. The computer
instructs the oscilloscope to start collecting data. The oscilloscope then transfers
data back to the PC without storing it in its own memory, so the size of the data set
is limited only by the size of the PC's memory. Sampling intervals from less than
one microsecond (depending on model) to 60 seconds are possible. There are two
streaming modes:
·Compatible streaming mode
·Fast streaming mode
3.1 Block mode
In block mode, the computer prompts the oscilloscope to collect a block of data in its
internal memory. When the oscilloscope has collected the whole block, it signals that it
is ready and then transfers the whole block to the computer's memory through the
USB port.
The maximum number of values depends upon the size of the oscilloscope's memory.
A PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscope can sample at a number of different rates that
correspond to the maximum sampling rate divided by 1, 2, 4, 8 and so on.
There is a separate memory buffer for each channel. When a channel is unused, its
memory can be borrowed by the enabled channels. This feature is handled
transparently by the driver.
The driver normally performs a number of setup operations before collecting each
block of data. This can take up to 50 milliseconds. If it is necessary to collect data with
the minimum time interval between blocks, avoid calling setup functions between calls
to ps2000_run_block, ps2000_ready, ps2000_stop and ps2000_get_values.
See Using block mode for programming details.
3.1.1 Using block mode
This is the general procedure for reading and displaying data in block mode:
1. Open the oscilloscope using ps2000_open_unit.
2. Select channel ranges and AC/DC coupling using ps2000_set_channel.
3. Using ps2000_set_trigger, set the trigger if required.
4. Using ps2000_get_timebase, select timebases until you locate the required
time interval per sample.
5. Start the oscilloscope running using ps2000_run_block.
6. Poll the driver to find out if the oscilloscope has finished collecting data, using
ps2000_ready.
7. Transfer the block of data from the oscilloscope using ps2000_get_values or
ps2000_get_times_and_values.

Sampling modes8
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8. Display the data.
9. Repeat steps 5 to 8.
10. Stop the oscilloscope using ps2000_stop.
11. Close the device using ps2000_close_unit.
Note that if you call ps2000_get_values, ps2000_get_times_and_values or
ps2000_stop before the oscilloscope is ready, no capture will be available and the
driver will not return any samples.
3.2 Streaming mode
Streaming mode is an alternative to block mode that can capture data without gaps
between blocks.
In streaming mode, the computer prompts the oscilloscope to start collecting data.
The data is then transferred back to the PC without being stored in the oscilloscope's
memory. Data can be sampled with a period between 1 µs or less and 60 s, and the
maximum number of samples is limited only by the amount of free space on the PC's
hard disk.
There are two varieties of streaming mode:
Compatible streaming mode
Fast streaming mode
3.2.1 Compatible streaming mode
Compatible streaming mode is a basic streaming mode that works at speeds from
one sample per minute to a thousand samples per second.
The oscilloscope's driver transfers data to a computer program using either normal or
windowed mode. In normal mode, any data collected since the last data transfer
operation is returned in its entirety. Normal mode is useful if the computer program
requires fresh data on every transfer. In windowed mode, a fixed number of samples
is returned, where the oldest samples may have already been returned before.
Windowed mode is useful when the program requires a constant time period of data.
Once the oscilloscope is collecting data in compatible streaming mode, any setup
changes (for example, changing a channel range or AC/DC setting) will cause a restart
of the data stream. The driver can buffer up to 32 kilosamples of data per channel, but
the user must ensure that the ps2000_get_values function is called frequently
enough to avoid buffer overrun.
For streaming with the PicoScope 2202, 2203, 2204, 2204A, 2205 and 2205A variants,
we recommend you use fast streaming mode instead.
Applicability Only recommended for use with PicoScope 2104 and 2105.
Does not support triggering.
The ps2000_get_times_and_values function always returns
FALSE (0) in streaming mode.
See Using compatible streaming mode for programming details.

Sampling modes10
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3.2.1.1 Using compatible streaming mode
This is the general procedure for reading and displaying data in compatible streaming
mode:
1. Open the oscilloscope using ps2000_open_unit.
2. Select channel ranges and AC/DC coupling using ps2000_set_channel.
3. Start the oscilloscope running using ps2000_run_streaming.
4. Transfer the block of data from the oscilloscope using ps2000_get_values.
5. Display the data.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as necessary.
7. Stop the oscilloscope using ps2000_stop.
8. Close the device using ps2000_close_unit.
3.2.2 Fast streaming mode
Fast streaming mode is an advanced streaming mode that can transfer data at
speeds of a million samples per second or more, depending on the computer's
performance. This makes it suitable for high-speed data acquisition, allowing you to
capture very long data sets limited only by the computer's memory.
Fast streaming mode also provides data aggregation, which allows your application to
zoom in and out of the data with the minimum of effort.
Applicability
PicoScope 2202, 2203, 2204, 2204A, 2205 and 2205A only.
Works with triggering.
See Using fast streaming mode for programming details.
3.2.2.1 Using fast streaming mode
This is the general procedure for reading and displaying data in fast streaming mode:
1. Open the oscilloscope using ps2000_open_unit.
2. Select channel ranges and AC/DC coupling using ps2000_set_channel.
3. Set the trigger using ps2000_set_trigger.
4. Start the oscilloscope running using ps2000_run_streaming_ns.
5. Get a block of data from the oscilloscope using
ps2000_get_streaming_last_values.
6. Display or process the data.
7. If required, check for overview buffer overruns by calling
ps2000_overview_buffer_status.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 as necessary or until auto_stop is TRUE.
9. Stop fast streaming using ps2000_stop.
10. Retrieve any part of the data at any time scale by calling
ps2000_get_streaming_values.
11. If you require raw data, retrieve it by calling
ps2000_get_streaming_values_no_aggregation.
12. Repeat steps 10 to 11 as necessary.
13. Close the oscilloscope by calling ps2000_close_unit.

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 11
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3.3 ETS (Equivalent Time Sampling) mode
ETS is a way of increasing the effective sampling rate when working with repetitive
signals. It is controlled by the ps2000_set_trigger and ps2000_set_ets
functions.
ETS works by capturing many instances of a repetitive waveform, then combining
them to produce a composite waveform that has a higher effective sampling rate than
the individual instances. The maximum effective sampling rates that can be achieved
with this method are listed in the data sheet specifications for your oscilloscope.
Because of the high sensitivity of ETS mode to small time differences, you must set up
the trigger to provide a stable waveform that varies as little as possible from one
capture to the next.
Applicability
Block mode only.
PicoScope 2104, 2105, 2203, 2204, 2204A, 2205 and 2205A
oscilloscopes.
As ETS returns random time intervals, the
ps2000_get_times_and_values function must be used. The
ps2000_get_values function will return FALSE (0).
Stable, repetitive signals only.
3.3.1 Using ETS mode
This is the general procedure for reading and displaying data in ETS mode:
1. Open the oscilloscope using ps2000_open_unit.
2. Select channel ranges and AC/DC coupling using ps2000_set_channel.
3. Using ps2000_set_trigger, set the trigger if required.
4. Set ETS mode using ps2000_set_ets.
5. Start the oscilloscope running using ps2000_run_block.
6. Poll the driver to find out when the oscilloscope has finished collecting data,
using ps2000_ready.
7. Transfer the block of data from the oscilloscope using
ps2000_get_times_and_values.
8. Display the data.
9. Repeat steps 6 to 8 as necessary.
10. Stop the oscilloscope using ps2000_stop.
11. Close the device using ps2000_close_unit.
Note that if you call ps2000_get_values, ps2000_get_times_and_values or
ps2000_stop before the oscilloscope is ready, no capture will be available and the
driver will not return any samples.

Combining several oscilloscopes12
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4Combining several oscilloscopes
The 2000 Series driver can collect data from up to 64 PicoScope 2000 Series PC
oscilloscopes at the same time. Each oscilloscope must be connected to a separate
USB port. If you use a USB hub, make sure it is a powered hub.
To begin, call ps2000_open_unit to obtain a handle for each oscilloscope. All the
other functions require this handle for oscilloscope identification. For example, to
collect data from two oscilloscopes at the same time:
handle1 = ps2000_open_unit()
handle2 = ps2000_open_unit()
ps2000_set_channel(handle1)
... set up unit 1
ps2000_run_block(handle1)
ps2000_set_channel(handle2)
... set up unit 2
ps2000_run_block(handle2)
ready = FALSE
while not ready
ready = ps2000_ready(handle1)
ready &= ps2000_ready(handle2)
ps2000_get_values(handle1)
ps2000_get_values(handle2)
ps2000_close_unit(handle1)
ps2000_close_unit(handle2)
It is not possible to synchronize the collection of data between oscilloscopes that are
being used in combination.

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 13
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5API Functions
The PicoScope 2000 Series API exports the following functions for you to use in your
own applications:
ps2000_close_unit
ps2000_flash_led
ps2000_get_streaming_last_values
ps2000_get_streaming_values
ps2000_get_streaming_values_no_aggregation
ps2000_get_timebase
ps2000_get_times_and_values
ps2000_get_unit_info
ps2000_get_values
ps2000_last_button_press
ps2000_open_unit
ps2000_open_unit_async
ps2000_open_unit_progress
ps2000_overview_buffer_status
ps2000PingUnit
ps2000_ready
ps2000_run_block
ps2000_run_streaming
ps2000_run_streaming_ns
ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelConditions
ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelDirections
ps2000SetAdvTriggerChannelProperties
ps2000SetAdvTriggerDelay
ps2000_set_channel
ps2000_set_ets
ps2000_set_led
ps2000_set_light
ps2000SetPulseWidthQualifier
ps2000_set_sig_gen_arbitrary
ps2000_set_sig_gen_built_in
ps2000_set_trigger
ps2000_set_trigger2
ps2000_stop
The following user-defined function is also described here:
my_get_overview_buffers

API Functions14
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5.1 ps2000_close_unit
int16_t ps2000_close_unit
(int16_t handle
)
Shuts down a PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscope.
Applicability
All modes
Arguments
handle: the handle, returned by ps2000_open_unit, of the
oscilloscope being closed
Returns
non-zero: if a valid handle is passed
0: if handle is not valid
5.2 ps2000_flash_led
int16_t ps2000_flash_led
(int16_t handle
)
Flashes the LED on the front of the oscilloscope (or in the pushbutton, for the
PicoScope 2104 and 2105 oscilloscopes) three times and returns within one second.
Applicability All modes
Arguments handle: the handle of the PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscope
Returns non-zero: if a valid handle is passed
0: if handle is invalid

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 15
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5.2 ps2000_flash_led
int16_t ps2000_flash_led
(int16_t handle
)
Flashes the LED on the front of the oscilloscope (or in the pushbutton, for the
PicoScope 2104 and 2105 oscilloscopes) three times and returns within one second.
Applicability
All modes
Arguments
handle: the handle of the PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscope
Returns
non-zero: if a valid handle is passed
0: if handle is invalid
5.3 ps2000_get_streaming_last_values
int16_t ps2000_get_streaming_last_values
(int16_t
GetOverviewBuffersMaxMin handle lpGetOverviewBuffersMaxMin
)
This function is used to collect the next block of values while fast streaming is running.
You must call ps2000_run_streaming_ns beforehand to set up fast streaming.
Applicability Fast streaming mode only
PicoScope 2202, 2203, 2204, 2204A, 2205 and 2205A only
Not compatible with ETS triggering. Function has no effect in ETS
mode.
Arguments handle: the handle of the required oscilloscope
lpGetOverviewBuffersMaxMin: a pointer to the
my_get_overview_buffers callback function in your application
that receives data from the streaming driver
Returns 1: if the callback will be called
0: if the callback will not be called, either because one of the inputs
is out of range or because there are no samples available

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 17
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5.4 ps2000_get_streaming_values
uint32_t ps2000_get_streaming_values
(int16_t handle,
double *start_time,
int16_t *pbuffer_a_max,
int16_t *pbuffer_a_min,
int16_t *pbuffer_b_max,
int16_t *pbuffer_b_min,
int16_t *pbuffer_c_max,
int16_t *pbuffer_c_min,
int16_t *pbuffer_d_max,
int16_t *pbuffer_d_min,
int16_t *overflow,
uint32_t *triggerAt,
int16_t *triggered,
uint32_t no_of_values,
uint32_t noOfSamplesPerAggregate
)
This function is used after the driver has finished collecting data in fast streaming
mode. It allows you to retrieve data with different aggregation ratios, and thus zoom
in to and out of any region of the data.
Before calling this function, first capture some data in fast streaming mode, stop fast
streaming by calling ps2000_stop, then allocate sufficient buffer space to receive the
requested data. The function will store the data in your buffer with values in the range
PS2000_MIN_VALUE to PS2000_MAX_VALUE. The special value PS2000_LOST_DATA
is stored in the buffer when data could not be collected because of a buffer overrun.
(See Voltage ranges for more on data values.)
Each sample of aggregated data is created by processing a block of raw samples. The
aggregated sample is stored as a pair of values: the minimum and the maximum
values of the block.

API Functions18
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Applicability
Fast streaming mode only
PicoScope 2202, 2203, 2204, 2204A, 2205 and 2205A only
Not compatible with ETS triggering - function has no effect in ETS
mode
Arguments
handle: the handle of the required oscilloscope
start_time: the time in nanoseconds, relative to the trigger point,
of the first data sample required
pbuffer_a_max, pbuffer_a_min: pointers to two buffers into
which the function will write the maximum and minimum
aggregated sample values from channel A
pbuffer_b_max, pbuffer_b_min: as above but for channel B
(two-channel scopes only)
pbuffer_c_max, pbuffer_c_min, pbuffer_d_max,
pbuffer_d_min: not used
overflow: on exit, the function writes a bit field here indicating
whether the voltage on each of the input channels has overflowed:
Bit 0: Ch A overflow
Bit 1: Ch B overflow
triggerAt: on exit, the function writes an index value here. This is
the offset, from the start of the buffer, of the sample at the trigger
reference point. It is valid only when triggered is TRUE.
triggered: a pointer to a Boolean indicating that a trigger has
occurred and triggerAt is valid
no_of_values: the number of values required
noOfSamplesPerAggregate: the number of samples that the
driver should combine to form each aggregated value pair. The pair
consists of the maximum and minimum values of all the samples
that were aggregated. For channel A, the minimum value is stored
in the buffer pointed to by pbuffer_a_min and the maximum
value in the buffer pointed to by pbuffer_a_max.
Returns
The number of values written to each buffer, if successful
0: if a parameter was out of range

PicoScope 2000 Series Programmer's Guide 19
Copyright © 2006–2016 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. ps2000pg.en r11
5.5 ps2000_get_streaming_values_no_aggregation
uint32_t ps2000_get_streaming_values_no_aggregation
(int16_t handle,
double *start_time,
int16_t *pbuffer_a,
int16_t *pbuffer_b,
int16_t *pbuffer_c,
int16_t *pbuffer_d,
int16_t *overflow,
uint32_t *triggerAt,
int16_t *trigger,
uint32_t no_of_values
)
This function retrieves raw streaming data from the driver's data store after fast
streaming has stopped.
Before calling the function, capture some data using fast streaming, stop streaming
using ps2000_stop, and then allocate sufficient buffer space to receive the requested
data. The function will store the data in your buffer with values in the range
PS2000_MIN_VALUE to PS2000_MAX_VALUE. The special value PS2000_LOST_DATA
is stored in the buffer when data could not be collected because of a buffer overrun.
(See Voltage ranges for more details of data values.)