Do you connect your oscilloscope?

Reading this makes my decisions easier than tainkg candy from a baby.

I mostly use a USB drive to get screenshots from my Tektronix 2022B. I seldom use the actual data that comes with the screenshot. I would use this feature much more except that Tektronix grossly underpowered the USB interface on this scope. Every time I plug the USB drive into it or try to save a screenshot, I have to wait a long time while it goes through a bunch of tests on the drive. What a pain!

Till now I've never had the need to control directly Oscilloscopes with a PC.
Sometimes I'll save some waveforms in order to do some documentations or to think to a solution for a difficult problem.

I mainly use USB to get my data and LAN/GPIB/USB for remote programming or automation. Built-in LXI webservers are also very useful for quick remote control and saving data.

hello,
for the past few years i have used my TDS2024, 4 channel DSO with RS232/pc parallel port and flash drive on board.
i have designed/built windows based remote control of this scope and several other OEM test equipment using OEM's IVI-COM MS .NET drivers and associated VISA drivers(tek VISA, and agilent VISA, and sometimes NI VISA when needed. since i write code in c# .net primarily i don't use the NI VISA flavor very often.
so i do use the packet protocol to both capture waveform data from the scope besides screen shot capturing. I extend the functionality of this and other test gear by adding in sql server database/ mysql database. this provides users the ability to store / recall instrument configurations and custom io stimulus configurations as well. I am available to provide custom remote control solutions of their test gear(provided it has at least IVI/SCPI(IEEE 488) protocol on board.
in the interest developing deliverable that contains scope remote control, what features would folks most like to see?

I use a Pico ADC-216 for audio testing, connects to PC with a USB-parallel adapter. I can save display graphs directly to the PC, or as ASCII data files for import to Excel, for instance.

I'm in a Metrology Laboratory for a major corporation. We take manual measurements, GPIB controlled measurements, and have large test systems with GPIB controlled oscilloscopes. We have all of the major brands dating back to TEK 7000 series with manual control. Scopes with-out GPIB but with USB are controlled that way. Not only do we use them we also test, repair, performance test and demonstrate their use to our in house customers. USB drives, floppies and CD-R's are used if the scope has one. So we both upload data and control them remotely. We currently service approx 1346 oscilloscopes at our facilities locally. Thank you Fluke for the 9500 calibrator.

I connect an HP-54615 scope to a desktop PC via an RS232 serial interface. I have written software in Visual Basic to control settings on the scope, and to retieve its measurement data from our test setups. The data is analyzed in the PC and stored on our network server. During manufacture we test each piece of our product four times, and all resulting data is stored for easy retrieval and future analysis. We have two identical systems. I also can capture scope screen images using an Agilent software add-in to Excel, and I use these to document test procedures, and keep records for R

I recently had a debug exercise where I had to compare some ATE power supply start up issues between several different testers on different days in different locations. What I ended up doing was downloading the scope capture data in .csv format (via a floppy drive, 'cause that's all this 10 yeat old TEK had) to an Excel spreadsheet and then graphing the data. This worked out well for creating a Failure Analysis (FA) report since it allowed me to deskew (time) and offset (volts) the individual plots on one graph and align the various test results to highlight the differences between "good" and "bad" power supplies. It was a bit more work, but it resulted in a very clear presentation.

I make bandwidth measurements with an oscilloscope and a USB to GPIB converter. I write the programs in VBscript and run them on the scope. The scope sets the sine source to the desired amplitude and frequency and makes a measurement of the DUT amplitude with a standard deviation voltage measurement with a scope parameter. The data is stored in file that can be local or on the network. I can setup the scope to send a hardcopy of the screen to my email address. I've also measured up to the 5th harmonic with the appropriate scope parameters.

How do I connect my scope, let me count thy ways:
1) I always connect it to AC power.
2) I connect the probes to points of interest.
3) I upload data directly into my cranium. Sometimes I actually interpret what I'm seeing correctly.
4) And yes, I store screens on a USB flash drive for archives, reports, etc.

Floppy disk users: Send me your snail-mail address and I'll send you a formatted floppy disk. m.rowe@tmworld.com.

In early 80s I take polaroid pictures of the scope and employed organic neural net processing (my brain) then during the 90s I deployed the SneakerNet (copy waveform to floppy then PC for processing) when communicate with the DSOs.

I have an old-ish Tektronix which can only output data to a built-in floppy drive, which I use very rarely. However, I have a data acquisition card in my PC, which together with LabVIEW is a great aid for lower frequency signal processing (I stay mostly below 40 kHz).

Regularly use a Tek DPO4034 connected to PC via USB port. I download images/data and store/recall setups.

btw I thought Ethernet was transformer isolated to a few Kv, so high voltage onto Ethernet risk is ?
do pc based scopes count, such as PicoScope (TM)

I use a Rigol a lot, and I use a USB drive or the app they have. The app is not well behaved in terms of capture while using the scope front panel. But, it is faster than USB when trying to paste images into a doc. I am writing code for USB using VISA to build automated tests.

For standard-test setups I control the scope modes with the PC and download the data - frequently a statistic such as average current over an interval.
For exploratory work, I capture the data over GPIB, LAN or USB if software is available on the bench. If not, I take a photo with my pocket digital camera.
If I expect to take a lot of data or need a cleaner screen-shot for documentation, I may write a short program to capture the screen based on SCPI commands. For A/B comparisons or for later close examination of the data I capture the data preferably along with the screen shot. In such cases I often capture the data and the screen so that I can more easily examine the data details at a later time.

This is a good discussion topic. Here are some scope image capture methods from over the years and at various employers.
My home scope is a Tek TDS2002. It does not have an interface card, but I can photograph the screen with a digital camera and upload that to my PC.
Back in the late 80's did not use a PC. Text editing was done on a DEC mainframe, the scope records were Polaroid photographs glued into a lab notebook and dissemination was by photocopier. Upload to a PC was possible when scanners became available.
Back in the early 90's had a 4 channel Agilent scope that could copy screen to floppy. Was so much better than Polaroid film and the image could be transferred into Word documents. Problem was the image was non-colorized and waveforms often had to be kept separated with 4 different ground references to be readable on paper.
Late 90's early 2000's used color TEk scope with same copy to floppy, transferred the images to Adobe Framemaker. That color really helps when channels were superimposed on top of each other for maximum vertical resolution.
Mid 2000's another 4 channel Agilent scope with color and a built in MS Word processor. This was real luxury. The interface was Ethernet so I could transfer files to the office PC. I built a nice oak shelf to attach to the scope cart to hold the keyboard and mouse, all my lab notes and color waveform plots could be stored in ongoiing lab test logs. On-screen color-coded text labels made the final image very readable. The ultimate for manual design debug and verification.
2008-2009 no way could the scopes be connected to a PC. The very few scopes were 20 years old at least. PCs were not networked, the company owner believed that having networked PCs in the lab areas would result in the techs spending all their time searching the web for filthy pictures. But I got out of that place...
2010 back to an old 4 channel Agilent with no network interface and only 2 probes, both broken; management could not afford to "waste" money on proper scope probes. At least the scope was color and had a floppy drive. Since my modern laptop had no floppy drive I had to use an old lab PC as an intermediary to transfer waveform plots from scope to floppy to lab PC to USB flash to my laptop. Very efficient (not).
All connections to computer are for data upload, have never used a computer to control a scope remotely.

GPIB used for TDS3014 control and data/measurement transfer in Automated CFT System. USB used for PicoScope PC oscilloscope control and data transfer in Automated System Test.

I personally do both. I have a bench top scope connected to a networked computer running LabVIEW, and MatLAB. I also disconnect this for field use (ie troubleshoot) regularly. When I'm out of the lab with it, I store the data via usb (you're right, it's easy). I do the same thing with my DMM, spectrum analyzer, and "portable" power supply(ies). It all comes down to how I'm feeling at the time. Do I bring parts to the bench, or attempt "quick fixes" on site. And yes (again), my remote locations are only at most, about half a mile away from my lab. Which I realize it puts me in a small minority of people who can do this.

It really depend on how the survey was conducted. "Have you ever connect your oscilloscope to your PC?" will almost definitely out-pace "Do you connect your oscilloscope to your PC?"

I've connected to Oscilloscopes via GPIB and Ethernet for Data Capture & Measurements, and, if only for manually saved Waveform Displays, have used Ethernet and Floppy Disc (Sneaker Net).
I also use PXI Scope Cards for Automated Test systems, where the PXI Controller can display the Waveform if desired, or save it as Logged Data
( sometimes, Seeing is still Believing !)
The Automated Systems use LabVIEW and/or Test Stand.

Sorry, couldn't resist one last comment.
With a PicoScope or a BitScope, you get a proper keyboard too. No more messing about poking a stick at tiny picture of a keyboard on the touch screen.

A couple of follow on thoughts about the built in report capabilities and connectivity of DSO's and similar equipment.
For much of the higher end kit, where the DSO is a PC with a DSO hardware "card" plugged into it, why don't the manufacturers make taking a screendump of traces a simple Print Screen (or Alt print screen) i.e. a screenshot saved into a jpeg or bmp or maybe svg format?
Save the DSO setup and status as a simple text file or better still in OASIS Open Document format then anything (yes, even MS Word) can edit it.
After all who wants pay for licenses just to have MS Office on a DSO just so you can read and edit your own reports? Put Libre Office or OpenOffice on it and any local note taking and up front editing or formatting is right there for free.
Put the CompPad or OOO-imath extensions into Libre/Open Office and you can even do serious maths in the report at the same time.
If you need more mathematical clout then SciLab or ScicosLab are well worth looking at.
In fact these days, I don't want a PC with a DSO *built* into it. I want a PC, Laptop or even a netbook with a DSO *plugged* into it.
Then I can run whatever software I need and get a proper screen to look at it on instead of having to squint into a little DSO screen trying to show me a whole Desktop.
I think that people like Pico Technology and BitScope have the right idea and that more test equipment should be built using that model. The really high performance kit sits on the bench in a neat little box while all the clever analysis runs as software on your own PC or whatever with a nice big screen.
I could even run more than one piece of kit from the same PC. How useful would that be?
The question of connecting the kit to a network or a USB stick then disappears: the problem then devolves to protection you should already have on your PC.
And more people working on open source software to do it. Then you can run it on Linux boxes and Macs, with a little less fretting about viruses too.

First I used a scope camera.
Then they came with a proprietary operating system that could screendump to a plotter or a printer, or maybe even a floppy disk.
Then to a memory card of some sort and then a USB stick.
Then the OS got clever enough to allow the scope to connect to a LAN.
It evolved from a scope run by a processor with an OS to being a PC running an OS that had a program to drive the data acquisition hardware.
At that point things got scary because most of the manufacturers chose to move to an M$ operating system.
With IE and Outlook Express all ready to tempt the unwary to go rummaging about into the big wide web.
And the OS constantly pestering you to go and install all those updates ...
So you really don't want to plug a USB stick into umpty thousand quids worth of 12GHz DSO or Comms Analyser or connect it to a LAN without first installing an anti-virus suite of some sort.
As a result most of the scopes I come across are never connected to a LAN and are only allowed to produce whatever output, whether it's a report or just screendumps, to tightly controlled USB sticks which are frequently virus checked on protected PC's and never connected to anything outside. Not ideal but a reasonable compromise.
As for most of the "report" facilities I've come across built into scopes ... next to useless. Almost impossible to edit externally: files generated with an rtf suffix that even M$ Word struggles to interpret; html output that you can waste your life reformatting to produce a readable document; pdf output that everyone can read and agree that the formatting is useless; screen and instrument status dumps that are in such bizarre mixed drawing and text formats that they too defy any attempt to edit them in time for the presentation you want them for.
Bah. Humbug.
Now where did I leave that pencil and sketch pad?

If the scope is integrated into one of our test setups, we use GPIB and (less frequently, only if there are large amounts of data to transfer) Ethernet/LAN. Otherwise data transfer is through USB Flash drives or (for older models) 3 1/2 inch floppies (anyone remember those? :-) One issue we ran into is that the scopes (and other test equipment) often run older version of Windows (95, 2000) with weaker protection against virus attacks, so we had a couple cases where the scope caught a virus and then spread it through the network. Which is why I am a bit reluctant to hook them up to the LAN and prefer GPIB. (Plus the virus takes out an important piece of equipment, potentially for days). Haven't yet seen a virus that can get in through GPIB!

Commenters:
Thanks for you insight and wit. I'd like to discuss more with you offline. Please contact me at m.rowe@tmworld.com or 781-869-7973. Thanks.

Alex,
LeCroy demonstrated a 12-bit scope at DesignCon two weeks ago, the WaveRunner 6zi HRO.
The ScopeCorder from Yokogawa has 16-bit input modules.

8 year old scope from the company in Beaverton still a good scope but the Floppy is soooo slow to write the screen image file (and only four per disk -no JPG). It does have an ethernet connection and a web server so the easiest is to connect to the network and browse to the scope with a browser, then right click and copy the screen image and paste to a word processor for a report.

In response to: Do you connect your oscilloscope?
1)due to the nature of my work I would need a digital scope wit at least 12 bit resolution, since there is no such a scope, most of the time I am using high bandwidth analog scopes,which ca not be connected so easily to the computer at all

still I connect to my mind and get lot.

Martin,
I send data optically. It is cheap, free really and requires no additional computers, usb chips, cables or anything else. Well, sometimes it requires some Windex and reading glasses.

My route is a little complicated:
1) Scope to USB Drive
2) USB drive to PC
3) PC to Linux server farm via Samba for analysis

Still using the floppies on my 10 yr. old scope. It has network connection but it is slower than the floppy transfer. Getting a new scope in a month or so and expecting much better network performance. A short range wireless link would be nice.

We are still too concerned about high voltage failures of some sort causing dangerous voltages into our network to use Ethernet. Wireless would be nice, but we mostly use USB drives because of this. Maybe there is a device to isolate the ethernet but we have not done the research as of yet.

primarily .. (the link) provides a documentation method... to share or store.

Once upon a time there were scope photos, taken with a Polaroid camera and pasted into a notebook. Then I had scopes with 3.5" floppy drives used to transfer scope shots to a computer. Then came the USB stick method of transfer. Now I have a scope with an Ethernet port. It is connected to the network and accessed from my laptop. Surprisingly it doesn't allow transferring a scope image as a file, but I can see the image on the laptop and capture it, then crop it and drop it into a report. I suppose a wireless connection with image file transfer is coming, and not too soon.

I use my scope commonly in four ways:
1) flash drive to get data.
2) GPIB control from external PC controlled from Matlab.
3) Network connection an Windows remote desktop allows me to log in and run display and control my scope from home. And allows me to directly save files to my PC workstaion at work cube.
4) I sometimes run Matlab and/or Mathcad on the scope PC itself using the scope as a complete work station.