TiePie Handyscope HS3 User manual

Handyscope HS3
User manual
TiePie engineering

ATTENTION!
Measuring directly on the line voltage can be very dangerous.
The outside of the BNC connectors at the Handyscope HS3 are connected
with the ground of the computer. Use a good isolation transformer or a dif-
ferential probe when measuring at the line voltage or at grounded power
supplies! A short-circuit current will flow if the ground of the Handyscope
HS3 is connected to a positive voltage. This short-circuit current can damage
both the Handyscope HS3 and the computer.
Copyright ©2018 TiePie engineering.
All rights reserved.
Revision 2.22, August 2018
Despite the care taken for the compilation of this user man-
ual, TiePie engineering can not be held responsible for any
damage resulting from errors that may appear in this man-
ual.

Contents
1 Safety 1
2 Declaration of conformity 3
3 Introduction 5
3.1 Sampling ................................. 5
3.2 Sample frequency ............................ 6
3.2.1 Aliasing .............................. 7
3.3 Digitizing ................................. 8
3.4 Signal coupling .............................. 9
3.5 Probe compensation .......................... 9
4 Driver installation 11
4.1 Introduction ............................... 11
4.2 Where to find the driver setup ..................... 11
4.3 Executing the installation utility ..................... 11
5 Hardware installation 15
5.1 Power the instrument .......................... 15
5.1.1 External power .......................... 15
5.2 Connect the instrument to the computer ............... 15
5.3 Plug into a different USB port ...................... 15
6 Front panel 17
6.1 CH1 and CH2 input connectors .................... 17
6.2 GENERATOR output connector ..................... 17
6.3 Power indicator ............................. 17
7 Rear panel 19
7.1 Power ................................... 19
7.1.1 USB power cable ........................ 20
7.1.2 Power adapter .......................... 20
7.2 USB .................................... 20
7.3 Extension Connector .......................... 21
Contents I

8 Specifications 23
8.1 Acquisition system ............................ 23
8.2 Trigger system .............................. 23
8.3 Arbitrary Waveform Generator ..................... 24
8.4 Interface ................................. 24
8.5 Power ................................... 24
8.6 Physical .................................. 24
8.7 I/O connectors .............................. 25
8.8 System requirements .......................... 25
8.9 Environmental conditions ........................ 25
8.10 Certifications and Compliances ..................... 25
8.11 Probes .................................. 25
8.12 Package contents ............................ 25
II

Safety 1
When working with electricity, no instrument can guarantee complete safety.
It is the responsibility of the person who works with the instrument to op-
erate it in a safe way. Maximum security is achieved by selecting the proper
instruments and following safe working procedures. Safe working tips are
given below:
•Always work according (local) regulations.
•Work on installations with voltages higher than 25 VAC or 60 VDC should only
be performed by qualified personnel.
•Avoid working alone.
•Observe all indications on the Handyscope HS3 before connecting any wiring
•Check the probes/test leads for damages. Do not use them if they are dam-
aged
•Take care when measuring at voltages higher than 25 VAC or 60 VDC.
•Do not operate the equipment in an explosive atmosphere or in the pres-
ence of flammable gases or fumes.
•Do not use the equipment if it does not operate properly. Have the equip-
ment inspected by qualified service personal. If necessary, return the equip-
ment to TiePie engineering for service and repair to ensure that safety fea-
tures are maintained.
•Measuring directly on the line voltage can be very dangerous. The out-
side of the BNC connectors at the Handyscope HS3 are connected with
the ground of the computer. Use a good isolation transformer or a differ-
ential probe when measuring at the line voltage or at grounded power
supplies! A short-circuit current will flow if the ground of the Handyscope
HS3 is connected to a positive voltage. This short-circuit current can damage
both the Handyscope HS3 and the computer.
Safety 1

2Chapter 1

Declaration of conformity 2
TiePie engineering
Koperslagersstraat 37
8601 WL Sneek
The Netherlands
EC Declaration of conformity
We declare, on our own responsibility, that the product
Handyscope HS3-5MHz
Handyscope HS3-10MHz
Handyscope HS3-25MHz
Handyscope HS3-50MHz
Handyscope HS3-100MHz
for which this declaration is valid, is in compliance with
EN 55011:2009/A1:2010 IEC 61000-6-1/EN 61000-6-1:2007
EN 55022:2006/A1:2007 IEC 61000-6-3/EN 61000-6-3:2007
according the conditions of the EMC standard 2004/108/EC,
also with
Canada: ICES-001:2004 Australia/New Zealand: AS/NZS
and
IEC 61010-1:2001/EN USA: UL61010-1: 2004
and is categorized as CAT I 30 Vrms, 42 Vpk, 60 Vdc
Sneek, 1-11-2010
ir. A.P.W.M. Poelsma
Declaration of conformity 3

Environmental considerations
This section provides information about the environmental impact of the Handy-
scope HS3.
Handyscope HS3 end-of-life handling
Production of the Handyscope HS3 required the extraction and use of natural
resources. The equipment may contain substances that could be harmful to the
environment or human health if improperly handled at the Handyscope HS3’s end
of life.
In order to avoid release of such substances into the environment and to reduce
the use of natural resources, recycle the Handyscope HS3 in an appropriate sys-
tem that will ensure that most of the materials are reused or recycled appropri-
ately.
The symbol shown below indicates that the Handyscope HS3 complies with the
European Union’s requirements according to Directive 2002/96/EC on waste elec-
trical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
Restriction of Hazardous Substances
The Handyscope HS3 has been classified as Monitoring and Control equipment,
and is outside the scope of the 2002/95/EC RoHS Directive.
4Chapter 2

Introduction 3
Before using the Handyscope HS3 first read chapter 1about safety.
Many technicians investigate electrical signals. Though the measurement may not
be electrical, the physical variable is often converted to an electrical signal, with a
special transducer. Common transducers are accelerometers, pressure probes,
current clamps and temperature probes. The advantages of converting the phys-
ical parameters to electrical signals are large, since many instruments for examin-
ing electrical signals are available.
The Handyscope HS3 is a portable two channel measuring instrument with Arbi-
trary Waveform Generator. The Handyscope HS3 is available in several models
with different maximum sampling frequencies: 5 MS/s, 10 MS/s, 25 MS/s, 50 MS/s
or 100 MS/s. The native resolution is 12 bits, but user selectable resolutions of 8,
14 and 16 bits are available too, with adjusted maximum sampling frequency:
Resolution HS3-100 HS3-50 HS3-25 HS3-10 HS3-5
8 bit 100 MS/s 50 MS/s 25 MS/s 10 MS/s 5 MS/s
12 bit 50 MS/s 50 MS/s 25 MS/s 10 MS/s 5 MS/s
14 bit 3.125 MS/s 3.125 MS/s 3.125 MS/s 3.125 MS/s 3.125 MS/s
16 bit 195 kS/s 195 kS/s 195 kS/s 195 kS/s 195 kS/s
Table 3.1: Maximum sampling frequencies
With the accompanying software the Handyscope HS3 can be used as an oscil-
loscope, a spectrum analyzer, a true RMS voltmeter or a transient recorder. All
instruments measure by sampling the input signals, digitizing the values, process
them, save them and display them.
3.1 Sampling
When sampling the input signal, samples are taken at fixed intervals. At these
intervals, the size of the input signal is converted to a number. The accuracy of this
number depends on the resolution of the instrument. The higher the resolution,
the smaller the voltage steps in which the input range of the instrument is divided.
The acquired numbers can be used for various purposes, e.g. to create a graph.
Introduction 5

Figure 3.1: Sampling
The sine wave in figure 3.1 is sampled at the dot positions. By connecting the
adjacent samples, the original signal can be reconstructed from the samples. You
can see the result in figure 3.2.
Figure 3.2: ”connecting” the samples
3.2 Sample frequency
The rate at which the samples are taken is called the sampling frequency, the
number of samples per second. A higher sampling frequency corresponds to a
shorter interval between the samples. As is visible in figure 3.3, with a higher
sampling frequency, the original signal can be reconstructed much better from
the measured samples.
6Chapter 3

Figure 3.3: The effect of the sampling frequency
The sampling frequency must be higher than 2 times the highest frequency in the
input signal. This is called the Nyquist frequency. Theoretically it is possible to
reconstruct the input signal with more than 2 samples per period. In practice,
10 to 20 samples per period are recommended to be able to examine the signal
thoroughly.
3.2.1 Aliasing
When sampling an analog signal with a certain sampling frequency, signals appear
in the output with frequencies equal to the sum and difference of the signal fre-
quency and multiples of the sampling frequency. For example, when the sampling
frequency is 1000 Hz and the signal frequency is 1250 Hz, the following signal fre-
quencies will be present in the output data:
Multiple of sampling frequency 1250 Hz signal -1250 Hz signal
...
-1000 -1000 + 1250 = 250 -1000 - 1250 = -2250
0 0 + 1250 = 1250 0 - 1250 = -1250
1000 1000 + 1250 = 2250 1000 - 1250 = -250
2000 2000 + 1250 = 3250 2000 - 1250 = 750
...
Table 3.2: Aliasing
As stated before, when sampling a signal, only frequencies lower than half the
sampling frequency can be reconstructed. In this case the sampling frequency is
1000 Hz, so we can we only observe signals with a frequency ranging from 0 to 500
Hz. This means that from the resulting frequencies in the table, we can only see
the 250 Hz signal in the sampled data. This signal is called an alias of the original
signal.
If the sampling frequency is lower than twice the frequency of the input signal,
aliasing will occur. The following illustration shows what happens.
Introduction 7

Figure 3.4: Aliasing
In figure 3.4, the green input signal (top) is a triangular signal with a frequency of
1.25 kHz. The signal is sampled with a frequency of 1 kHz. The corresponding
sampling interval is 1/1000Hz = 1ms. The positions at which the signal is sampled
are depicted with the blue dots. The red dotted signal (bottom) is the result of the
reconstruction. The period time of this triangular signal appears to be 4 ms, which
corresponds to an apparent frequency (alias) of 250 Hz (1.25 kHz - 1 kHz).
To avoid aliasing, always start measuring at the highest sampling fre-
quency and lower the sampling frequency if required.
3.3 Digitizing
When digitizing the samples, the voltage at each sample time is converted to a
number. This is done by comparing the voltage with a number of levels. The
resulting number is the number corresponding to the level that is closest to the
voltage. The number of levels is determined by the resolution, according to the
following relation: LevelCount = 2Resolution .
The higher the resolution, the more levels are available and the more accurate
the input signal can be reconstructed. In figure 3.5, the same signal is digitized,
using two different amounts of levels: 16 (4-bit) and 64 (6-bit).
8Chapter 3

Figure 3.5: The effect of the resolution
The Handyscope HS3 measures at e.g. 12 bit resolution (212 =4096 levels). The
smallest detectable voltage step depends on the input range. This voltage can be
calculated as:
V oltageStep =F ullInputRange/LevelCount
For example, the 200 mV range ranges from -200 mV to +200 mV, therefore the
full range is 400 mV. This results in a smallest detectable voltage step of 0.400 V /
4096 = 97.65 µV.
3.4 Signal coupling
The Handyscope HS3 has two different settings for the signal coupling: AC and
DC. In the setting DC, the signal is directly coupled to the input circuit. All signal
components available in the input signal will arrive at the input circuit and will be
measured.
In the setting AC, a capacitor will be placed between the input connector and the
input circuit. This capacitor will block all DC components of the input signal and
let all AC components pass through. This can be used to remove a large DC com-
ponent of the input signal, to be able to measure a small AC component at high
resolution.
When measuring DC signals, make sure to set the signal coupling of the
input to DC.
3.5 Probe compensation
The Handyscope HS3 is shipped with a probe for each input channel. These are
1x/10x selectable passive probes. This means that the input signal is passed
through directly or 10 times attenuated.
Introduction 9

When using an oscilloscope probe in 1:1 the setting, the bandwidth of the
probe is only 6 MHz. The full bandwidth of the probe is only obtained in
the 1:10 setting
The x10 attenuation is achieved by means of an attenuation network. This attenu-
ation network has to be adjusted to the oscilloscope input circuitry, to guarantee
frequency independency. This is called the low frequency compensation. Each
time a probe is used on an other channel or an other oscilloscope, the probe
must be adjusted.
Therefore the probe is equiped with a setscrew, with which the parallel capacity of
the attenuation network can be altered. To adjust the probe, switch the probe to
the x10 and attach the probe to a 1 kHz square wave signal. Then adjust the probe
for a square front corner on the square wave displayed. See also the following
illustrations.
Figure 3.6: correct
Figure 3.7: under compensated
Figure 3.8: over compensated
10 Chapter 3

Driver installation 4
Before connecting the Handyscope HS3 to the computer, the drivers need
to be installed.
4.1 Introduction
To operate a Handyscope HS3, a driver is required to interface between the mea-
surement software and the instrument. This driver takes care of the low level
communication between the computer and the instrument, through USB. When
the driver is not installed, or an old, no longer compatible version of the driver is
installed, the software will not be able to operate the Handyscope HS3 properly
or even detect it at all.
The installation of the USB driver is done in a few steps. Firstly, the driver has to
be pre-installed by the driver setup program. This makes sure that all required
files are located where Windows can find them. When the instrument is plugged
in, Windows will detect new hardware and install the required drivers.
4.2 Where to find the driver setup
The driver setup program and measurement software can be found in the down-
load section on TiePie engineering’s website and on the CD-ROM that came with
the instrument. It is recommended to install the latest version of the software and
USB driver from the website. This will guarantee the latest features are included.
4.3 Executing the installation utility
To start the driver installation, execute the downloaded driver setup program, or
the one on the CD-ROM that came with the instrument. The driver install utility
can be used for a first time installation of a driver on a system and also to update
an existing driver.
The screen shots in this description may differ from the ones displayed on your
computer, depending on the Windows version.
Driver installation 11

Figure 4.1: Driver install: step 1
When drivers were already installed, the install utility will remove them before
installing the new driver. To remove the old driver successfully, it is essential
that the Handyscope HS3 is disconnected from the computer prior to starting the
driver install utility. When the Handyscope HS3 is used with an external power
supply, this must be disconnected too.
Clicking ”Install”will remove existing drivers and install the new driver. A remove
entry for the new driver is added to the software applet in the Windows control
panel.
Figure 4.2: Driver install: Copying files
12 Chapter 4

Figure 4.3: Driver install: Finished
Driver installation 13

14 Chapter 4

Hardware installation 5
Drivers have to be installed before the Handyscope HS3 is connected to
the computer for the first time. See chapter 4for more information.
5.1 Power the instrument
The Handyscope HS3 is powered by the USB, no external power supply is required.
Only connect the Handyscope HS3 to a bus powered USB port, otherwise it may
not get enough power to operate properly.
5.1.1 External power
In certain cases, the Handyscope HS3 cannot get enough power from the USB
port. When a Handyscope HS3 is connected to a USB port, powering the hardware
will result in an inrush current higher than the nominal current. After the inrush
current, the current will stabilize at the nominal current.
USB ports have a maximum limit for both the inrush current peak and the nominal
current. When either of them is exceeded, the USB port will be switched off. As a
result, the connection to the Handyscope HS3 will be lost.
Most USB ports can supply enough current for the Handyscope HS3 to work with-
out an external power supply, but this is not always the case. Some (battery oper-
ated) portable computers or (bus powered) USB hubs do not supply enough cur-
rent. The exact value at which the power is switched off, varies per USB controller,
so it is possible that the Handyscope HS3 functions properly on one computer,
but does not on another.
In order to power the Handyscope HS3 externally, an external power input is pro-
vided for. It is located at the rear of the Handyscope HS3. Refer to paragraph 7.1
for specifications of the external power intput.
5.2 Connect the instrument to the computer
After the new driver has been pre-installed (see chapter 4), the Handyscope HS3
can be connected to the computer. When the Handyscope HS3 is connected to a
USB port of the computer, Windows will detect new hardware.
Depending on the Windows version, a notification can be shown that new hard-
ware is found and that drivers will be installed. Once ready, Windows will report
that the driver is installed.
When the driver is installed, the measurement software can be installed and the
Handyscope HS3 can be used.
5.3 Plug into a different USB port
When the Handyscope HS3 is plugged into a different USB port, some Windows
versions will treat the Handyscope HS3 as different hardware and will install the
drivers again for that port. This is controlled by Microsoft Windows and is not
caused by TiePie engineering.
Hardware installation 15

16 Chapter 5