Firmware for scope!

Yokogawa has released firmware Version 3.20 for the DL850 ScopeCorder series of instruments, which combine the features of a high-speed oscilloscope and those of a traditional data acquisition recorder in a single, portable instrument.

A key feature of the new firmware is direct file saving into the Mathworks MATLAB® data analysis and visualisation environment, offering users quicker and easier import of measurement data. By supporting MATLAB’s .MAT file format on the ScopeCorder, the measurement results can be conveniently imported into MATLAB more speedily and with smaller file size. The .MAT file format on the ScopeCorder is compatible with Level 5 MAT-files, the latest file format from MATLAB.

Other new features include support of an external USB printer for printing on long rolls of paper, and a “sure delete” function for erasing data from the ScopeCorder’s hard disk drive where this is required for security reasons.

In order to support customers that require direct printout of measurement data, such as users of Yokogawa’s earlier SL1400 and OR1400 recorders, the new firmware enables the DL850 ScopeCorder to reprint measurement results on A4 size roll paper using a Brother PJ623/PJ663 USB printer. Typical customers requiring this facility are found in nuclear power stations and marine applications.

The Version 3.20 firmware also enables the measurement data in the internal storage devices of the ScopeCorder to be deleted completely before leaving a test site. This scenario is sometimes required for security reasons in applications such as government research or in companies working on confidential projects.

In addition to these new capabilities, the Version 3.20 firmware also incorporates a number of enhancements to existing capabilities of the ScopeCorder DL850, including the ability to store GPS position information, an extra fifth division to the T-Y waveform display, an “infinite” setting for the number of e-mails sent in the “action on trigger” menu, and the addition of a 1A:1V setting to the current probe attenuation.

The GPS capability is useful in on-board vehicle testing such as test drives in remote locations, where data can be stored on trigger events at different locations. It is equally suited to monitoring power distribution networks or smart grids, where the user can trigger in diverse locations and store GPS position data to distinguish transient locations. Similarly, a ScopeCorder can be taken on board a train to store the locations at which certain trigger conditions occur.

The extra “5-division” setting on the T/Y waveform display offers additional flexibility, particularly when using real-time math channels, while the “Infinite” setting for “action on trigger” e-mails adds more flexibility for long-time monitoring.

The new firmware Version 3.20 is now released and is installed on all ScopeCorders delivered from the factory from the end of March 2015. It is available for downloading from the 27th April 2015. It is applicable to ScopeCorder models DL850, DL850V, DL850E and DL850EV.