Lecroy WS Getting Started

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LeCroy Corporation

700 Chestnut Ridge Road
Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977-6499
Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Internet: www.lecroy.com

© 2005 by LeCroy Corp. All rights reserved.

LeCroy, ActiveDSO, ProBus, SMART Trigger, JitterTrack, WavePro,
WaveMaster, WaveSurfer, and Waverunner are registered trademarks of
LeCroy Corporation. Information in this publication supersedes all earlier
versions. Specifications subject to change without notice.

Manufactured under
an ISO 9000
Registered
Quality Management
System

Visit
www.lecroy.com to
view the certificate.

WS-GS-E Rev A

This electronic product
is subject to disposal
and recycling
regulations that vary by
country and region.
Many countries prohibit
the disposal of waste
electronic equipment in
standard waste
receptacles.

For more information
about proper disposal
and recycling of your
LeCroy product, please
visit
www.lecroy.com/recycle.

G ETTING S TARTED M ANUAL

INTRODUCTION 5
SAFETY REQUIREMENTS 6
WHEN YOUR SCOPE IS DELIVERED 16
INSTALLATION AND POWER UP 18
SYSTEM RECOVERY 21
PROBES 25
USING THE FRONT PANEL CONTROLS 26
UNDERSTANDING DISPLAY INFORMATION 35
MULTIPLE METHODS TO DO THE SAME THING 43
DISPLAYING SIGNALS, VERTICAL SETUP 45
TRIGGER SETUP 51
MEASURING WITH CURSORS 63
MEASURING WITH PARAMETERS 67

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ZOOMING YOUR CHANNELS 75
USING THE MATH TRACE 82
USING ANALOG PERSISTENCE 93
SAVING AND RECALLING SETUPS 97
SAVING AND RECALLING SIGNALS 99
SHARING YOUR DATA & COMMUNICATING WITH

OTHERS 113
PRINT MANAGEMENT 120
PASS/FAIL TESTING 122
UTILITIES AND RENCES 126
REMOTE CONTROL OPERATION 139
AUTOMATION 140

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

BLANK PAGE

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G ETTING S TARTED M ANUAL

Introduction

This brief guide includes important safety and installation
information for your WaveSurfer 400 Seri es oscilloscope along
with brief operating procedures to get you started with the basics
of operating your oscilloscope.

This manual is available in PDF format in languages other than
English on the CD included with your WaveSurfe r.

You can change your user interface to be in a language different
than English. To do this, select Utilities in the Top (File) Menu,
then select Preferences. Language selection is settable in this
menu.

The information contained in this guide also appears in greater
detail in the on-line Help manual. This searchable manual is
resident in the scope and also supplied on CD-ROM, shipped with
your scope.

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

Safety Requirements

This section contains information and warnings that must be
observed to keep the instrument operating in a correct and safe
condition. You are required to follow generally accepted safety
procedures in addition to the safety precautions specified in this
section.

SAFETY SYMBOLS AND TERMS

Where the following symbols or terms appear on the instrument’s
front or rear panels, or in this manual, they alert you to important
safety considerations.

This symbol is used where caution is required.
Refer to the accompanying information or
documents in order to protect against personal
injury or damage to the instrument.

This symbol warns of a potential risk of shock
hazard.

This symbol is used to denote the measurement
ground connection.

This symbol is used to denote a safety ground
connection.

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CAUTION

WARNING

G ETTING S TARTED M ANUAL

This symbol shows that the switch is an
On/Hibernate switch. When it is pressed, the
DSO’s state toggles betwe en Operating and
Hibernate state. This switch is not a disconnect
device. To co mpletely remove power to the
DSO, the power cord must be unplugged from
the AC outlet af ter the DSO is placed in
Hibernate state.

This symbol is used to denote "Alternating
Current."

The CAUTION sign indicates a potential hazard.
It calls attention to a procedure, practice or
condition which, if not followed, could possibly
cause damage to equipment. If a CAUTION is
indicated, do not proceed until its conditions are
fully understood and met.

The WARNING sign indicates a potential
hazard. It calls attention to a procedure, practice
or condition which, if not followed, could possibly
cause bodily injury or death. If a WARNING is
indicated, do not proceed until its conditions are
fully understood and met.

Installation (Overvoltage) Category rating per EN
61010-1 safety standard and is applicable for the
oscilloscope front panel measuring terminals.

CA T I

CAT I rated terminals must only be connected to
source circuits in which measures are taken to
limit transient voltages to an appropriately low
level.

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OPERA TING ENVIRONMENT

The instrument is intended for
indoor use and should be
operated in a clean, dry

WARNING

environment with an ambient
temperature within the range of
5 °C to 40 °C.

Note: Direct sunlight, radiators, and
other heat sources should be taken into
account when assessing the ambient
temperature.

The DSO must not be
operated in explosive, dusty,
or wet/damp atmospheres.

The design of the instrument
has been verified to conform to
EN 61010-1 safety standard per

CAUTION

the following limits:
Installation (Overvoltage)

Categories II (Mains Supply
Connector) & I (Measuring

Protect the DSO’s display
touch screen from
excessive impacts with
foreign objects.

Terminals)
Pollution Degree 2
Protection Class I

Note:
Installation (Overvoltage) Category II
refers to local distribution level,
which is applicable to equipment
connected to the mains supply (AC
power source).

Installation (Overvoltage) Category I
refers to signal level, which is
applicable to equipment measuring
terminals that are connected to
source circuits in which measures

Do not exceed the
maximum specified front
panel terminal (CH1, CH2,
CH3, CH4, EXT) voltage
levels. Refer to
Specifications for more
details.

CAUTION

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G ETTING S TARTED M ANUAL

are taken to limit transient voltages
to an appropriately low level.

Pollution Degree 2 refers to an
operating environment where
normally only dry non-conductive
pollution occurs. Occasionally a
temporary conductivity caused by
condensation must be expected.

Protection Class 1 refers to a
grounded equipment, in which
protection against electric shock is
achieved by Basic Insulation and by
means of a connection to the
protective ground conductor in the
building wiring.

COOLING REQUIREMENTS

The instrument relies on
forced air cooling with
internal fans and
ventilation openings. Care
must be taken to avoid
restricting the airflow
around the apertures (fan
holes) at the sides and
rear of the DSO. To ensure
adequate ventilation it is
required to leave a 10 cm
(4 inch) minimum gap
around the sides, front,
and rear of the instrument.

CAUTION

Do not connect or
disconnect probes or test
leads while they are
connected to a voltage
source.

CAUTION

Do not block the ventilation
holes located on both sides
and rear of the DSO.

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

CAUTION

Do not allow any foreign
matter to enter the DSO
through the ventilation holes,
etc.

AC POWER SOURCE

The instrument operates from
a single-phase, 90-264 V
AC power source at 47-63 Hz,
or single-phase 90-132 V
AC power source at 380-420
Hz.

No manual voltage selection
is required because the
instrument automatically

Note:

rms

The instrument automatically adapts
itself to the AC line input within the
following ranges:

rms

Voltage
Range:

Frequency
Range:

90 to
264
Vrms

47 to

63 Hz

adapts to line voltage.

90 to 132
Vrms

380 to 420
Hz

Depending on the
accessories installed (USB
printer, front panel probes, PC
port plug-ins, etc.), the
instrument can draw up to
180 VA.

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POWER AND GROUND CONNECTIONS

The instrument is provided
with a grounded cord set
containing a molded three­terminal polarized plug
and a standard IEC320
(Type C13) connector for
making line voltage and
safety ground connection.
The AC inlet ground
terminal is connected
directly to the frame of the
instrument. For adequate
protection against
electrical shock hazard,
the power cord plug must
be inserted into a mating
AC outlet containing a
safety ground contact. Use
only the power cord
specified for this
instrument and certified for
the country of use.

Electrical Shock Hazard!
Any interruption of the

protective conductor inside or
outside of the DSO, or
disconnection of the safety
ground terminal creates a
hazardous situation.

Intentional interruption is
prohibited.

WARNING

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The DSO should be
positioned to allow easy
access to the socket­outlet. To completely
remove power to the DSO,
unplug the instrument’s
power cord from the AC
outlet after the DSO is
placed in Hibernate state.

In Hibernate state the
DSO is still connected to
the AC supply. The
instrument can only be
placed in a complete
Power Off state by
physically disconnecting
the power cord from the
AC supply. It is
recommended that the
power cord be unplugged
from the AC outlet if the
DSO is not being used for
an extended period of
time.

The outer shells of the front
panel terminals (CH1, CH2,
CH3, CH4, EXT) are
connected to the instrument’s
chassis and therefore to the
safety ground.

CAUTION

See On/Hibernate Switch for
more information.

ON/HIBERNATE SWITCH

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The front panel On/Hibernate switch controls the operational state
of the DSO. This toggle switch is activated by momentarily
pressing and releasing it.

There are two basic DSO states: On or Hibernate. In the "On"
state, the DSO, including its computer subsystems (CPU, hard
drive, etc,) is fully powered and operational. In the "Hibernate"
state, the DSO, including computer subsystems, is powered off
with the last operational state stored in DSO memory.

Always use the On/Hibernate switch to place the DSO in
Hibernate state so that it executes a proper shutdown process to
preserve settings before powering itself off.

CALIBRATION

The recommended calibration interval is one year. Calibration
should be performed by qualified personnel only.

CLEANING

Clean only the exterior of
the instrument, using a
damp, soft cloth. Do not
use chemicals or abrasive
elements. Under no
circumstances allow
moisture to penetrate the
instrument. To avoid
electrical shock, unplug
the power cord from the
AC outlet before cleaning.

WARNING
Electrical Shock Hazard!
No operator serviceable parts

inside. Do not remove covers.
Refer servicing to qualified

personnel.

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ABNORMAL CONDITIONS

Operate the instrument
only as intended by the
manufacturer.

If you suspect the DSO’s
protection has been
impaired, disconnect the
power cord and secure the
instrument against any
unintended operation.

The DSO’s protection is
likely to be impaired if, for
example, the instrument
shows visible damage or
has been subjected to
severe transport stresses.

Proper use of the
instrument depends on
careful reading of all
instructions and labels.

Any use of the DSO in a
manner not specified by the
manufacturer may impair the
instrument’s safety protection.
The instrument and related
accessories should not be
directly connected to human
subjects or used for patient
monitoring.

WARNING

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VIRUS PROTECTION

Because your scope runs on a Windows-based PC platform, it
must be protected from viruses, as with any PC on a corporate
network. It is crucial that the scope be kept up to date with
Windows Critical Updates, and that anti-virus software be installed
and continually updated.

Visit www.lecroy.com/dsosecurity

for more information regarding
Windows Service Pack compatibility with LeCroy operating
software, and related matters.

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

When Your Scope is Delivered

CHECK THAT YOU HAVE EVERYTHING

First, verify that all items on the packing list or invoice copy have
been shipped to you. Contact your nearest LeCroy customer
service center or national distributor if anything is missing or
damaged. If there is something missing or damaged, and you do
not contact us immediately, we cannot be responsible for
replacement.

: THE WARRANTY BELOW REPLACES ALL OTHE R

NNOOTTEE:

WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS, OR ADEQUACY FOR ANY
PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. LECROY SHALL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCI DENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR
OTHERWISE. THE CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
TRANSPORTATION AND INSURANCE CHARGES FOR THE
RETURN OF PRODUCTS TO THE SERVICE FACILITY.
LECROY WILL RETURN ALL PRODUCTS UNDER WARRANTY
WITH TRANSPORT PREPAID.

WARRANTY
The oscilloscope is warranted for normal use and operation,

within specifications, for a period of three years from
shipment. LeCroy will either repair or, at our option, replace
any product returned to one of our authorized service centers
within this period. However, in order to do this we must first
examine the product and find that it is defective due to
workmanship or materials and not due to misuse, neglect,
accident, or abnormal conditions or operation.

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Spare and replacement parts, and repairs, all have a 90-day
warranty.

The oscilloscope’s firmware has been thoroughly tested and is
presumed to be functional. Nevertheless, it is supplied without
warranty of any kind covering detailed performance. Products not
made by LeCroy are covered solely by the warranty of the original
equipment manufacturer.

MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS

We offer a variety of services under the heading of Maintenance
Agreements. These give extended warranty and allow you to
budget maintenance costs after the initial three-year warranty has
expired. Installation, training, enhancements, and on-site repairs
— among other services — are available through special
supplemental support agreement s. Inquire at your LeCroy
customer service center or national distributor.

WINDOWS LICENSE AGREEMENT

LeCroy's agreement with Microsoft prohibits users from running
software on LeCroy oscilloscopes that is not relevant to
measuring, analyzing, or documenting waveforms.

End-User License Agreement For Lecroy® X-Stream™
Software

The software in this product is made available under license from
LeCroy Corporation. For full details of the End User License
Agreement, please refer to the Copyright section in the on-line
Help.

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

Installation and Power Up

POWER UP

The oscilloscope supports hibernate mode. By default, your
oscilloscope is configured to hibernate when you press the
ON/OFF button.

SOFTWARE

You can find out the scope's software and hard ware configuration
as follows:

1. In the tool bar, touch Utilities.

2. In the dialog area, touch Status.

ADDING A NEW OPTION

To add a software option you will need a code to enable the
option. Call LeCroy Customer Support to place an order and
receive the code.

RESTORING SOFTWARE

Restarting the Application

Upon initial power-up, the scope will load the instrument
application software automatically.

• If you exit the application and want to reload it, touch the
shortcut icon on the desktop:

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.

• If you minimize the application, touch the appropriate task
bar or desktop button to maximize it:

. or

Restarting the Operating System

If you need to restart the Windows® operating system, you will
have to reboot the scope by accessing Shut Down selection from
the File Menu to shut down the Scope. Then, the next time the
Power ON button is pressed, the oscilloscope will boot up from the
SHUT DOWN condition (this will take longer than from normal
Hibernate mode).

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

HARDWARE CONNECTIONS

(1) Centronics Port
(2) Ethernet Port
(3) Mouse
(4) Keyboard
(5) USB Ports
(6) RS-232-C Port
(7) External VGA Monitor
(8) Line Out
(9) Line In
(10) Microphone

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System Recovery

Your WaveSurfer oscilloscope was designed to operate very
reliably for many years. However, the application software does
run on an internal hard drive. In the event of a hard disk problem,
you may need to recover the application software on drive “C:”
and/or the user data on drive “D:”. Since WaveSurfer does not
have an installed CD-ROM drive, LeCroy has provided a recovery
application program that will allow you to recover the application
software and user data by accessing a partition on the hard drive.
This is very easy to do, if necessary. Instructions are as follows:

1. Connect a keyboard and a mouse to the WaveSurfer.

2. Power the WaveSurfer ON.

3. As soon as anything (logo, graphic, text) appears on the
screen after boot-up, press and hold down the F4 key.

4. The FirstWare cME console splash screen displays. Wait
about 10 seconds.

5. The cME console End User License Agreement displays.
There are [Accept] and [Decline] buttons at the end of this
License Agreement. Click the [Accept] button.

6. Phoenix cME Console main page displays. Click

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

“Applications”.

7. Click Phoenix FirstWare Recover. (If you click “SYSTEM
RESTART” button, WaveSurfer will reboot.)

8. Click the LAUNCH button.

9. The First Ware Recov e r splash screen displays.

10. Read the license agreement and click [Accept] to proceed.

11. The Select Recover Type screen displays. Select recover
option, as defined below:

[Recover Boot Partition] Recovers drive "C:" only.
Drive “C:” is the drive that the WaveSurfer application

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software is stored on. Drive "D:" is not recovered. (Drive
"D:" is USERDATA area of the hard disk.)

[Recover Entire Drive] Select this button if you want to
recover both the “C:” and “D:” drives of the hard disk
(Note: USERDATA will be erased if this option is
selected)

12. Read the license agreement and click [Accept] to proceed.

13. The following dialog box is displayed. Click the [Yes] button.

z When you selected [Recover Boot Partition], the dialog

message is “This operation will permanently overwrite
the contents of your boot partition. Are you sure that wish
to continue?”

z When you selected [Recover Entire Drive], the dialog

message is “This operation will permanently overwrite
the contents of your entire drive. Are you sure that wish
to continue?”

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

14. The recovery starts, and the FirstW are Progress screen
displays. No further selections are required. The recovery
takes about 10 minutes.

15. When the recovery is completed, Windows will start
automatically. No message or dialog box will display.

16. When you selected [Recover Entire Drive] at step 11,
CheckDisk will run after the Windows splash screen.

17. After “Welcome” screen, FBReseal dialog box will display.
Click the [OK] button. Windows will restart automatically.

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Probes

OVERVIEW

The PP007 supplied with your WaveSurfer is calibrated for the
WaveSurfer input impedance. If you use other passive probes
with your WaveSurfer, you should make sure that you calibrate
them using the 1 kHz square wave signal available on the AUX
OUT terminal before using them for signal measurements.

LeCroy offers a variety of other passive and active probes for use
with your WaveSurfer 400 Series scope. Visit www.lecroy.com for
specifications and ordering information.

Current Probes

Active Probes

Differential Probes

Passive Probes

High Voltage Probes

WS-GS-E, Rev. A ISSUED: January 2004 25

Available from 15A to 500A.
Single-ended to >1 GHz.
Differential from 15 MHz to >1

GHz.
The PP007-WS is the passive

probe that guarantees full
instrument bandwidth at the
probe tip. Other passive probes
can be used with performance
limitations.

For measuring up to 20 kV.

WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

Using the Front Panel Controls

FRONT PANEL BUTT O N S AND KNOBS

The WaveSurfer front panel is desi gned to allow you to operate
basic oscilloscope functions without having to open software
menus. Use the Horizontal and Vertical controls as you would for
any other oscilloscope. The various controls are described below.

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VERTICAL CONTROLS

Vertical Controls are multi­plexed for each channel. The
lighted channel button indicates
which channel the controls are
active for.

• To turn a channel ON,
simply press the
channel button.

• To make a channel
active, simply press the
channel button.

• To turn a channel OFF,
press the channel
button to make it active,
then press it again to
turn it OFF.

When a channel is active, the Descriptor Label changes from this

to this

When a channel is turned OFF, the next channel in sequence will
become the active channel.

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

If no front panel channel buttons are lit, it either means that no
channels are turned ON, or that a Math, Zoom, or Memory trace is
active. In that case, the vertical offset and sensitivity knobs adjust
the vertical position and vertical scale of the Math, Zoom, or
Memory (Reference Waveform) trace.

HORIZONTAL CONTROL S

Set up the timebase by using the front
panel Horizontal controls, just as for
analog scopes. The WaveSurfer will
allocate memory as needed to maintain
the highest sample rate possible for the
timebase setting.

Acquisition Mode

The WaveSurfer can acquire in either
Real-Time (up to 2 GS/s), Random
Interleaved Sampling (RIS, up to 50
GS/s), or Roll Mode (up to 100 kS/s)

At certain very low time/division settings,
the oscilloscope will default to RIS mode

At certain very high time/division settings, the oscilloscope will
default to Roll mode of operation so that display of the signal on the
screen is not delayed by the long acquisition time. Maximum
sample rate in Roll mode of operation is 100 kS/s.

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of operation to maintain the highest
sample rate.

G ETTING S TARTED M ANUAL

Combining of Channels

Channels are automatically combined to maintain the highest
sample rate possible in Real-Time mode. The highest sample rate
is double the 4-ch sample rate. This process is called Interleaving.
Memory is also doubled during interleaving, allowing for longer
acquisitions. Channels 1 and 2 interleave, as do channels 3 and 4.
Therefore, if you are using two channels and want the maximum
sample rate, connect them accordingly. The basic rule is to choose
either channel 1 or 2 for your first input, and either channel 3 or 4 for
the second input.

When you combine channels, uncombined channels like EXT BNC
remain available for triggering, even though they are not displayed.

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TRIGGER CONTROLS

S

TOP

Cancels the capture in Auto, Normal, or Single
trigger mode

AUTO

Triggers the scope after a time-o ut, even if the
trigger conditions are not met.

NORMAL

Triggers the scope each time a signal is present
that meets the conditions set for the type of trigger
selected.

SINGLE

Arms the scope to trigger once (single-shot
acquisition) when the input signal meets the
trigger conditions set for the type of trigger
selected. If the scope is already armed, it will force
a trigger.

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AUTOSETUP BUTTON

Automatically sets timebase, trigger, and
sensitivity to display a wide range of
repetitive signals.

MEASURE, ZOOM, AND MATH QUICK BUTTONS

Measure – Press once to open the

measure menu. Press again to close the
menu.

QuickZoom (

) – Press once to create

zooms of all displayed channels. Press
again to UnZoom.

Math – Press once to turn on the Math
trace, and display the Math Setup menu.
Press again to close the menu.

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CURSOR KNOBS AND BUTTONS

WaveSurfer has dedicated dual cursor
knobs for cursor control. Cursor s
always default to a “relative” state (two
cursors ON).

• Knobs – Rotate to adjust cursor
position. If Cursors are OFF,
rotating either knob will turn Cursors
ON. Push to set to default position

• Type Button – Pressing the Ty pe
button once will turn Cursors ON to
Horizontal (Time) measurements.
Pressing again will change to

ADJUST KNOB

Vertical (Amplitude) measurements.
Pressing a third time will turn
Cursors OFF.

The adjust knob can be used to make
adjustments to a value when a menu is
open and the selected control has a
yellow highlight.

Push the knob in to toggle between
coarse and fine adjustments.

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PRINT BUTTON

ANALOG PERSISTENCE

This button can be programmed to print
the displayed screen to a file, a printer ,
the clipboard, or sends it as an e-mail
attachment. Select the device and
format it in the Utilities Hardcopy dialog.

The analog Persistence feature helps
you display your waveform and reveal
its idiosyncrasies or anomalies for a
repetitive signal. Use Persistence to
accumulate on-screen points from many
acquisitions to see your signal change
over time. Press the knob to turn
persistence ON to “Analog” mode, press
again to view “Color-graded” mode, and
press again to turn OFF. Rotate the
knob to adjust the saturation of the
persisted waveforms.

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WAVES URFER 400 S ERIES

CLEAR SWEEPS

Clears data from multiple sweeps
(acquisitions) including: persistence
displays, parameter (measurement)

TOUCH SCREEN

statistics, and averaged traces.

The Touch Screen lighted pushbutton
indicates if the oscilloscope touch screen
is operational. If the button is lighted, the
touch screen is ON. If the button is not
lighted, the touch screen is turned OFF.
The button toggles between these two
states.

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Understanding Display Information

WaveSurfer’s display contains valuable information about the
current settings of your V ertical (channel), Horizontal (Timebase)
and Trigger control s. In addition, there are many shortcuts that are
available by using the touch screen capability of your display to
quickly access information or to open menus.

Top Menu

Grid Area

Descriptor
Labels

TOP MENU BAR (“FILE” MENU)

The Top Menu Bar provides access to various software menus. It is
very similar to the “File” menu on any Windows program. For
common oscilloscope operations, you will not need to use the Top
Menu Bar, since you can access mo st menus from the Front Panel
or from the Descriptor Labels. However, it is the only way to
access setup or other menus for the following:

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Message
Bar

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• Display Setup

• Save or Recall Waveform

• Save or Recall Setups

• Print Setup

• Vertical (Cha nnel), Horizontal, or Trigger Status

• Memory (Reference Waveform) Setup

• Pass/Fail Setup

• Utilities and Preferences Setup

• Help Access

At the right end of the Top Menu Bar is an Undo button
This button will appear after the AutoSetup front panel button is
pressed, and after Zooming is performed. If you want to perform an
Undo operation, it must be the very next operation after you perform
the Autosetup or Zoom o peration.

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GRID AREA

The grid area is divided into 8 vertical divisions and 10 horizont al
divisions, just like any other oscilloscope. There are several
indicators on the grid to help you understand the following:

• Trigger Delay setting

• Trigger Level Setting

• Trace Zero Level

These indicators are color-coded to the same color as the channel
that the oscilloscope is currently set to trigger on.

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Trigger Delay Indicator

The Trigger Delay Indicato r is a color­coded triangle that is positioned
horizontally on the grid.

Trigger Delay horizontally positions
the scope trace on the display so you
can observe the signal prior to the
trigger time. Delay adjusts the pre­and post-trigger time.

Post-trigger delay is indicated by a
color-coded arrow pointing to the left.

All trigger delay values (including
post-trigger delay, shown here) are
displayed in the Timebase Descriptor
Label.

Zero delay is the horizontal center of the oscilloscope display.
To change Trigger Delay, use the front panel Delay knob in the

Horizontal Control area. Rotate the knob to adjust, or push to zero.

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Trigger Level Indicator

The Trigger L evel Indicator is a
color-coded triangle that is
positioned vertically on the grid.

The solid triangle may also appear
with a hollow triangle of the same
color. The hollow triangle indicates
what the trigger level will be for the
next valid trigger.

Note that the Trigger Level Indicator
will not be displayed if the triggered
channel is not displayed.

To change Trigger Level, use the front panel knob in the Trigger
Control area. Rotate knob to adjust, or push to set to 50% of the
signal level.

Zero Level Indicator

The Zero Level Indicator is a color­coded label that is positioned vertically
on the grid.

To change the Zero Level, use the
front panel Offset knob in the Vertical
Control area. Rotate this knob to
adjust, or push to set to zero volts.
Push again to toggle back to the
previous offset setting.

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DESCRIPTOR LABELS

Information is contained in rectangular boxes called Descriptor
Labels. These labels contain status information, and also act as
shortcuts to the full menu when you touch them. Descriptor Labels
are displayed only for channels that are turned on. Timebase and
Trigger Descriptor Labels are always displayed.

Channel trace labels show the vertical
settings for the signal. The title bar
(colored area) of the label shows the
Channel number on the far left. Other
information will be indicated in the title
bar, as follows:

• Coupling (AC 1MΩ, DC 1MΩ,
DC 50Ω, GND)

• Deskew (DSQ) set to non-zero
value

• Bandwidth Limiting (BWL) on

• Averaging (AVG) on

Some of these indicators may be
abbreviated if several are on at one
time.

Touch a Channel Descriptor Label once
to make the front panel vertical controls
active for that channel. Touch it again to
open the software menu for further

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adjustment.
If Cursors are ON, cursor information for

this channel will appear in this trace
label.

The title bar of the TimeBase
(Horizontal) label shows the trigger delay
setting at the far right. Time per division,
Sample Rate, and Number of Samples
are indicated below the title bar.

Touch the Timebase Descriptor Label
once to open the software menu for
further adjustment.

The title bar of the Trigger label shows
the triggered channel and the trigger
coupling at the far right. Tr igger mode
(Stopped), Trigger type (Edge), level (0
mV), and slope (Positive) are indicated
below the title bar.

Touch the Trigger Descriptor Label once
to open the software menu for further
adjustment.

Descriptor Labels are also displayed for the Math trace, Zoom
traces, and Memory (Reference Waveform) traces. These
Descriptor Labels are only displayed when these traces are turned
ON. Reference those sections of this manual for information on
those descriptor labels.

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MESSAGE BAR

At the bottom of the oscilloscope display is a narrow message bar.
The current date and time are displayed at the far right. Status,
error, or other messages wi ll also be displayed in this area.

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Multiple Methods to Do the Same
Thing

The front panel and display controls provide the most common way
to access your oscilloscope’s capability. However, the instrument
often gives you more than one way to access menus and to enter
changes.

TOP MENU BAR

If you prefer to drive the oscilloscope with the familiarity of Windows,
then you might prefer to access menus from the Top (File) Menu
Bar. This will open menus at the bottom of the screen where
adjustments may be made.

The menu area occupies the bottom one-third of the display. To
expand the signal display area, you can minimize each menu by
touching the Close tab at the right of the dialog box.

In some limited cases, the Top Menu Bar is the only way to access
certain functionality, but generally speaking, the most common
oscilloscope functionality can be controlled from the front panel.

MOUSE AND KEYBOARD OPERATION

In the procedures, we focus on using the front panel for common
operations, and the touch-screen for making selections. But if you

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have a mouse connected to the instrument, you can click on objects
instead of touching them. Likewise, if you have a keyboard
connected, you can use it to enter data instead of using the virtual
keyboard provided by the instrument.

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Displaying Signals, V ertical Setup

TURNING A CHANNEL ON

1. Connect a signal to a channel (we’ll assume you connected
to Channel 1 in this example, and that the channel was not
already ON).

2. Press the channel 1 button on the front panel to turn on
Channel 1. The button lights and the descriptor label for
that channel will appear.

3. If the signal is not on the grid, press the AUTO trigger
button and adjust Horizontal and Vertical front panel

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controls to adjust the settings to display the signal, or simply
press the AUTOSETUP button to quickly bring most
repetitive signals onto the grid.

4. If you need to change probe attenuation, coupling, or
bandwidth limiting, open the channel setup menu for
channel 1 by touching the descriptor label for channel 1
(you will need to press this twice if it is not the active trace)

or use the Vertical-Channel 1 Setup selection from the Top
Menu Bar

to open the Channel 1 setup menu.

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The following menu will appear at the bottom of the display,
and the grid area will shorten until this menu is closed (by
touching the Close button on the upper right hand corner of
this menu).

COUPLING

Your choices of coupling are as follows:

• DC 50 ohm

• GROUND

• DC 1 Mohm

• AC 1 Mohm

To make a coupling selection, touch inside the Coupling field and
select a coupling mode from the pop-up menu.

Note: The coupling choices for a channel will change if a ProBus probe is connected

to a channel.

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DESKEW

Deskew allows you to compensate for different lengt hs of cables,

probes, or anything else that might cause timing mismatches
between signals. Connect all probes to the desired channels, then
probe a common signal with each probe and adjust for timing
differences using Deskew.

PROBE A TTENUA TION

If you use a LeCroy ProBus
compatible with Probe Ring, the attenuation will be set automatically
by the oscilloscope. If it is not automatically set, select a value here
by touching inside the Probe Atten field and typing in a value on the
pop-up keypad.

BANDWIDTH LIMITS

You may sometimes want to limit high frequency noise on a very low
bandwidth input signal. If this is the case, you can limit the channel
bandwidth to less than the full bandwidth of the oscilloscope. Select
a different bandwidth by touching inside the Bandwidth field and
selecting a value from the pop-up menu.

®

compatible active probe, or a probe

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A VERAGING YOUR SIGNAL

The WaveSurfer allows you the opportunity to continuously average
your signal to reduce signal noise and aid in signal evaluation. If
you want to average, select a value here by touching inside the
Averaging field and entering a value up to 1 million swee ps on the
pop-up keypad.

USING TOOLBAR SHORTCUTS

These toolbar shortcuts can be used to perform specific actions for
the channel corresponding to the current setup menu.

For more information on Measure, Zoom, Math, and Memories
(Reference Waveforms), reference the chapter for that particular
item.

Opens a Measurement selection pop-up
menu. You can then select up to 6 parameters
(measurements) for the active channel from
this menu without leaving the Channel Setup
menu. The parameter automatically appears
below the grid.

Creates a zoom trace of the channel signal.
The zoom trace becomes active, and you can
use the Vertical and Horizontal controls to
modify its scale and position.

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Opens a Math selection pop-up menu. You
can then select a math function for the active
channel from this menu without leaving the
Channel Setup menu. The Math trace is then
displayed in its own grid.

Copies the channel trace into its
corresponding Memory (Reference Waveform)
location. For instance, C1 is loaded into M1,
C2 is loaded into M2, etc.

Automatically performs a vertical scaling that
fits the waveform into the grid.

Opens a Labeling pop-up menu that allows
user-defined labels tied to the waveform.

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T rigger Setup

OVERVIEW

The oscilloscope uses many waveform capture techniques that
trigger on features and conditions that you define. These triggers fall
into two major categories:

• Edge activated by basic waveform features or conditions such
as a positive or negative slope, and hold-off

• SMART Trigger® sophisticated triggers that enable you to use
basic or complex conditions for triggering.

Use Edge Triggers for simple signals, and the SMART Triggers for
signals with rare features, like glitches.

This Getting Started Manual contains information on setting up the
Edge Trigger. Reference the on-line Help for information on setting
up and using SMART Triggers.

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OVERVIEW OF TRIGGER TERMS

Trigger Delay - the amount of time that the oscilloscope trigger is

adjusted from a zero value. You can adjust the oscilloscope’s
trigger position from 0-100% pre-trigger (left to right on the grid), or
from 0-10,000 divisions (in time units) of post-trigger.

Coupling – the type of signal coupling at the input of the trigger
source.

Level – the threshold at which the trigger will occur, specified in
volts.

Slope – the direction of the trigger voltage transition used for
generating a particular trigger.

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TRIGGER SETUP OVERVIEW

Trigger Delay

The Trigger Delay Indicato r is a color­coded triangle that is positioned
horizontally on the grid.

Trigger Delay horizontally positions
the scope trace on the display so you
can observe the signal prior to the
trigger time. Delay adjusts the pre­and post-trigger time. Pre-trigger
delay is adjustable from 0-100%

Post-trigger delay is indicated by a
color-coded arrow pointing to the left.
Post-trigger delay is adjustable from
0-10,000 divisions (calculated in time).

All trigger delay values (including
post-trigger delay, shown here) are
displayed in the Timebase Descriptor
Label.

Zero delay is the horizontal center of the oscilloscope display.
To change Trigger Delay, use the Delay front panel knob in the

Horizontal Control area. Rotate knob to adjust, or push to zero.

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Trigger Level Indicator

The Trigger L evel Indicator is a
color-coded triangle that is
positioned vertically on the grid.

The solid triangle may also appear
with a hollow triangle of the same
color. The hollow triangle indicates
what the trigger level will be for the
next valid trigger.

Note: The Trigger Level indicator will not be
displayed if the triggered channel is not

displayed.

To change Trigger Level, use the
front panel knob in the Trigger
Control area. Rotate knob to adjust,
or push to set to 50% of the signal
level.

Trigger level is specified in volts and remains unchanged when you
change the vertical gain settings or offset.

The amplitude and range of the trigger level are limited as follows:

• ± 5 screen divisions with a channel as the trigger source

• ± 0.5 V with EXT as the trigger source

• ± 5 V with EXT/10 as the trigger source

• None with LINE as the trigger source (zero crossing is

used).

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To Set Up an Edge Trigge r

1. Touch the Trigger Descriptor Label

at the bottom right of the display. Or, in t he Top Menu Bar,

touch Trigger, then select Trigger Setup.

In either case, the following menu will appear at the bottom

of the display.

Make sure that “Edge Trigger” is highlighted, and not

“SMART Trigger”

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2. Touch inside the Trigger On field and select an input from

the pop-up menu:

C1 through C4 are abbreviations for
Channel 1 through Channel 4.

Ext and Ext/10 allow you to trigger on
the External Input of the oscilloscope.
Ext input is +/-0.5V. Ext/10 input is
+/-5.0V.

Line is for triggering on the Positive or
Negative excursion of the AC power
line (not available when using battery
or DC input power).

Pattern (Logic Pattern) can be used
as a source during several of the
SMART Triggers (but not for Edge
Trigger).

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3. Touch inside the Coupling field and select a trigger

coupling. Coupling refers to the type of signal coupling at
the input of the trigger circuit. You can choose from these
coupling types:

DC – All the signal’s frequency components are coupled to

the trigger circuit for high frequency bursts or where the use
of AC coupling would shift the effective trigger level.

AC – The signal is capacitively coupled. DC levels are

rejected, and frequencies below 50 Hz are attenuated.

LFREJ - The signal is coupled through a capacitive high-

pass filter network, DC is rejected and signal frequencies
below 50 kHz are attenuated. For stable triggering on
medium to high frequency signals.

HFREJ - Signals are DC coupled to the trigger circuit, and a

low-pass filter network attenuates frequencies above
50kHz; used for triggering on low frequencies.

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HF - Use only when needed for triggering on high-frequency

repetitive signals. HF is automatically overridden and set to
AC when incompatible with trigger characteristics such as
those of SMA RT Trigger.

4. Change the trigger Level by adjusting the front panel trigger

level knob.

5. Touch inside the Slope field and select a trigger Slope:

Positive and Negative slope refer to
the direction of voltage change that
you want to trigger on.

Window defines a region whose
boundaries extend above and below
the selected trigger level. A trigger
event will occur when the signal
leaves this window region in either
direction and passes into the upper or
lower region (see figure below). The
next trigger will occur when the signal
again passes into the window region.

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Explanation of Window trigger operation

Trigger Holdoff

Holdoff is an optional, additional condition of Edge trigger. It can be
set either as a period of time or as an event count. Holdoff disables
the trigger circuit for a given period of time or events after the last
trigger occurred.

Events are the number of occasions on which the trigger condition is
met. The trigger will again occur when the holdoff has elapsed and
the edge trigger’s other conditions (for level, slope, etc.) are met.

Use holdoff to obtain a stable trigger on complex, but repetitive,
waveforms. For example, if there is a signal with multiple edges
prior to the edge you wish to trigger on, you could set the holdoff to
equal the number of edges preceding the desired triggering edge.
Refer to the on-line Help for more information about setup for
holdoff.

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SMART TRIGGERS

The WaveSurfer contains a number of SMART Triggers that allow
you to apply more intelligence to your trigger. Reference the on-line
Help for further information on how to set up and use these SMART
Triggers.

Standard SMART T riggers

Width Trigger allows you to define a positive- or
negative-going pulse width bounded by a voltage
level, above or below which a trigger will occur. Or
you can specify a pulse width and voltag e range,
within or outside of which a trigger will occur.

Glitch Trigger is a simpler form of Width trigger.
Use Glitch trigger when you want to define a fixed
pulse-width time or time range only. Glitch trigger
makes no provision for voltage levels or ranges.

Logic Trigger enables trig gering on a logical
combination (pattern) of five inputs: CH1, CH2,
CH3, CH4, EXT. You have a choice of four Boole an
operators (AND, NAND, OR, NOR), and you can
stipulate the high or low voltage logic level for each
input independently.

TV Trigger - Provides stable trigge ring on standard
or custom composite video signals. Use them on
PAL, SECAM, or NTSC systems.

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Optional SMART Triggers

These triggers are available in the WaveSurfer Advanced Trigger
Package:

Runt Trigger is used to capture pulses that fall
within a user defined amplitude range.

Slew Rate Trigger is used to capture signals that
have a specific rate of increase or decrease, within
defined limits.

Interval Trigger is used to capture intervals that fall
short of, or exceed, a given time limit. In addition,
you can define a width range to capture any interval
that is itself inside or outside the specified range.

Dropout Trigger is used e ssentially for single-shot
applications— usually with a pre-trigger delay. Use
it whenever your signal disappears for a set period
of time. The trigger is generated at the end of the
timeout period following the “last” trigger source
transition.

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Qualified Edge Trigger is an edge-q ualified trigger

that allows you to use one signal's positive or
negative transition to qualify a second signal, which
is the trigger source. For Qualify trigger, you specify
the time or number of events after the transition
when you want the trigger to occur .

Qualified State Trigger is a level-qualified trigger
which requires that the qualifying signal remain
above or below a specified voltage level for a trigger
to occur. It differs from Qualified Edge Trigger in
that the signal must remain above or below the set
level, and not just temporarily go above or below the
set level.

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Measuring with Cursors

OVERVIEW

Cursors are important tools that aid you in measuring signal valu es.
Cursors can be moved around on the waveform to identify specific
voltage and time values on the waveform. Use cursors to make
fast, accurate measurements and to eliminate guesswork.

The cursor controls contain two dedicated cursor knobs and a Type
button. The Type button turns cursors ON (if they are not already
ON), then toggles between Horizontal (T ime) cu rsors, Vertical

(Amplitude) cursors, and OFF. If an FFT Math trace is ON, a
Horizontal (Frequency) selection will be added to the toggle list.

When cursors are ON, they provide measurements for every
waveform displayed. The lone exception is when a Math FFT is
ON, which requires a selection of Horizontal (Fre quency) for
cursors to be placed on that waveform. To locate cursors on a
Zoom waveform, simply move the cursors into the zoomed part of
the original channel signal.

TURNING CURSORS ON

Cursors will automatically turn on
when you rotate either of the two
cursor knobs. Or , you can press the
Type button to turn cursors ON, then
toggle through the various cursor
types.

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CURSOR TYPES

Horizontal (Time)

Horizontal (Time) cursors are moved
horizontally along the waveform.
Place them at a desired location along
the time axis to read the signal’s time
and amplitude information at the
selected location

Vertical (Amplitude)

Vertical cu rsors are lines that you
move vertically on the grid to measure
the amplitude of a signal.

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Horizontal (Frequency)

Horizontal (Frequency) cursors are
moved horizontally along the FFT
Math trace. Place them at a desired
location along the frequency axis to
read the signal’s frequency and
amplitude at the selected location.

Changing Cursor Type

Pressing the Type button between the
cursor knobs will toggle the Cursors
from one type to another, and
ultimately to OFF, without requiring a
cursor setup menu to be opened.

Tracking Cursors

If you wish for cursors to move in
unison when you adjust their position,
select the Track item in the Cursors
Top Menu Bar pull-down menu to
enable cursor tracking.

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READING WAVESURFER CURSOR INFORMATION

Cursor information is displayed in two different places on the
WaveSurfer display.

Descriptor Labels

The Descriptor Labels for Channels,
and Math, Zoom, and Memory traces
contain both absolute and relative
amplitude (voltage) cursor information.

Cursor Table

The cursor table underneath the
Timebase and Trigger Descriptor
Labels appears when Horizontal
(Time) or Horizontal (Frequency)
cursors are turned on. This table
contains the common absolute and
relative information for the two
cursors, and frequency information (if
Horizontal cursors are selected).

If the display is in XY Mode, XY cursor
information will be located underneath
the XY display.

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Measuring with Parameters

OVERVIEW

Parameters are pre-programmed measurements that eliminate the
need to set up cursors for standardized measurement s, like rise
time, fall time, peak-peak amplitude, etc. Use them to automatically
calculate many attributes of your waveform. You can make common
measurements on one or more waveforms, and display up to six
parameter measurements at one time. You can also display
statistics for your measurements, or apply “gating” to the
measurement area.

The WaveSurfer uses pre-defined algorithms to determine the top,
base, 10% level, etc. of the waveform in order to make automatic
measurements. These algorithms are in accordance with IEEE
standards.

If, for some reason, a parameter is unable to be calculated correctly,
a warning symbol will be shown underneath the measurement so
that you know to proceed with caution.

In WaveSurfer, some parameter measurements (like Mean) produce
a single value for all the data between the measure gates. Others
(like Rise Tim e) are always calculated fo r every value in an
acquisition. However, the value displayed is always the last value
in the acquisition. Use statistics if you desire more information
about the distribution of measurements in the acquisition.

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SETTING UP PARAMETER(S)

1. Press the Measure front panel button

Or, in the Top Menu Bar, touch Measure, then select

Measure Setup.

In either case, the following menu will appear at the bottom

of the display.

2. The default status is that parameters are OFF, and all are

undefined (“None”). Touch either the icon or touch in the

None area to bring up the Select Measurement menu:

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Touch any of the icons to select the measurement that you
desire. Scroll down through the list using the slider bar on
the right side of the pop-up menu.

3. Once the parameter is selected, it will appear on the display
underneath the grid, as shown below:

4. The channel source will default to C1. Touch inside the
Source field to select a different source (either a channel, a
math function, a memory, or a zoom).

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5. Add additional parameter measurements to the display by
selecting other parameters (labeled as P1 through P6) as
described above.

6. Close the measure menu by either pressing the front panel
Measure button again, or touching Close on the on-screen
menu.

UNDERSTANDING PARAMETER DISPLAYS

The Parameter Display Format

Understanding the information in the parameter displ ays is easy.
The table below explains what each abbreviation me ans, following
the parameter display from left to right, and top to bottom.

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The format is Px:Name(source) with value and status contai ned
below:

P1, P2, P3,

P4, P5, P6

The number of the parameter measurement. “P”
means Parameter. Each parameter is uniquely
identified.

Name

In the example in step 3 (above), max is the
parameter name, short for maximum. A brief
definition of each parameter is included in the
measurement selection dialog box.

(souce)

The source can be a channel (Cx), a zoom trace
(Zx), a math trace (Math), or a memory
(reference waveform) (Mx)

value

status

The last measured value in the acquisition.
An indication of whether the parameter was

calculated correctly. A

means that the
measurement was performed correctly.
Reference the table below for information on
other status symbols.

Status Symbols

Below each parameter appears a symbol that indicate s the status of
the parameter, as follows:

A green che ck mark means that the scope is returning
a valid value.

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A crossed-out pulse means that the scope is unable to
determine top and base; however, the measurement
could still be valid.

A downward pointing arrow indicates an underflow
condition (signal below the grid area).

An upward pointing arrow indicates an overflow
condition (signal above the grid area).

An upward-and-downward pointing arrow indicates an
underflow and overflow condition (signal below and
above the grid area).

PARAMETER GATES (WINDOWS)

Sometimes you might want to have a
parameter measurement on a specific
portion of your signal, and ignore all
other portions. When this is the case,
you can use Measure Gate. Measure
Gate is controlled in the Measure
menu, and is set in grid divisions.

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To set the gate, touch the Start field to
highlight the control yellow , and then
use the adjust knob to adjust the
location of the start gate. Repeat for
the Stop gate. Measure gates will
remain on the display as long as the
Start gate is not equal to 0 divisions,
and the Stop gate is not equal to 10
divisions.

MEASUREMENT STATISTICS

After you add a parameter measurement, you can look at st atistics
of that parameter measurement, and acquire an understanding of
how that measurement changes with time.

To view measurement statistics, check the
box next to On under Statistics in the
Measure menu. If a measurement is
displayed, statistics will now also be
displayed (as shown below).

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Statistics will continue to accumulate with each additional trigger
until Clear Sweeps (either on the front panel or in the measure
menu) is pressed, or a control (e.g. Volts/Div) is changed.

Most statistical values (mean, minimum, max, standard deviation)
are self-explanatory. Num is the number of measurements in the
statistical sample. Value and Status are defined in Understanding
Parameter Displays (above).

TURNING OFF PARAMETERS

You can turn all parameters OFF by touching the Turn All Off button
in the Measure menu. This will also redefine all the parameter
definitions to NONE.

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Zooming Y our Channels

OVERVIEW

LeCroy offers extremely powerful, yet simple to use, zooming
capability in the WaveSurfer. The large, bright 10.4” display with
touch screen lends itself very well to quickly creating zooms, and
being able to see how they relate to the original channels.

There are a number of different ways to zoom in a WaveSurfer:

• Drawing a box around the area to be zoomed, using either
your finger or a mouse/pointing device.

• Using the front panel QuickZoom button.

• Using the software toolbar Zoom button that is in the

Channel menu.

The operating behavior for all three methods is basically the same,
with some minor differences.

In all cases, the zoomed channels are displayed in a separate half­height grid at the bottom of the display (separate from the
channels). If you also have a Math trace displayed when you zoom,
there will be three grids on the display, each one-third height.

The zoomed traces are nearly the same color as the original
channel traces to make comparison easy. The zoomed area is
shown in white on the original channel trace. All zooms share a
common horizontal zoom scale and position. Each zoom has an
independent vertical zoom capability. All zooms are calculated to
16-bit vertical resolution. Therefore, you can vertically scale the
zoom traces and still maintain very high resolution when viewing
signal detail.

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CREATING ZOOMS

There are three ways to create zooms of your channels.

Touch Screen Zooming

You can “draw a box” around the area
that you wish to zoom simply by
dragging your finger, fingernail, or
pointing device around the area of the
waveform that you want to zoom.

If there is only one channel ON when
you draw a box, the zoom will be
created instantly. If more than one
channel is ON, you will be prompted
for which channels you want to zoom.

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To UNDO your zoom, touch the
UNDO button in the upper right corner
of the display.

You can also use touch screen zoom
to change the zoom scale of an
existing Zoom, Math, or Memory
(reference waveform) trace.

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Front Panel QuickZoom Button

Press the front panel QuickZoom
button.

Zoom traces will be created for all of the
channels currently displayed.

To turn off a Zoom trace individually,
touch the Zoom descriptor label twice to
open the Zoom trace menu, then

Toolbar Zoom

uncheck the ON checkbox.
To UNDO your zoom at any time, simply

press the front panel QuickZoom button
again.

Note: If you turn a channel ON while the
QuickZoom is displayed, the new channel will not

be zoomed.

Press the Toolbar Zoom button in the
Channel Toolbar located in the Channel
menu.

A Zoom trace will be created for that
channel only.

To UNDO your zoom, press the UNDO
button in the upper right corner of the
display.

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ZOOM DESCRIPTOR LABEL

When a Zoom trace is ON, there is a descriptor label on the display
for it, much like for the channels, math trace, and memories
(reference waveforms).

• The top line contains information about the Zoom trace (in
this case, it’s a Zoom of Channel 1).

nd

• The 2

• The 3

line contains vertical scaling information.

rd

line contains horizontal scaling information.

If the descriptor label is shaded differently (as shown below), then
the Zoom trace is ACTIVE, which me ans that the Horizontal and
Vertical front p anel controls are set to adjust that specific zoom
trace, and not any of the channels. In this case, the scale and
position of the Zoom trace can be changed by adjusting the
horizontal and vertical controls on the front panel.

Note that the Horizontal scales and position is the same for all Zoom
traces, but Vertical scale and position can be adjusted individually.

If the Zoom trace is not ACTIVE, and you wish to make it ACTIVE,
simply touch the descriptor label once and it will become active.
Touch the descriptor label again, and it will open the Zoom trace
menu.

Note: When a Zoom trace is active, no channel buttons will be lighted, which tells

you that a Zoom trace may be currently active.

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ADJUSTING ZOOM SCALE AND POSITION

Using Front Panel Controls

It is easy to adjust your Zoom trace scale and position. WaveSurfer
multiplexes the Vertical and Horizontal Front Panel controls to
control the zoom scale and position. This is done automatically
after you have created the zoom trace, and remains this way until
you make a Channel, Math trace, or Memory (reference waveform)
active.

If the Zoom trace you wish to adjust is
not active, touch the Descriptor Label
once to make it active.

Then use the front panel horizontal and
vertical controls to adjust position and
scale. The operation of the knobs will
feel natural. Use the table below as a
guide.

Note: When a Zoom trace is active, no channel
buttons will be lighted, which tells you that a

Zoom trace may be currently active.

Panel Control Zoom Control Action

Delay Zooms horizontal position
Timebase Zooms horizontal scale
Offset Zooms vertical position
Gain / Sensitivity Zooms vertical scale
Push – Zero Delay Resets horizontal zoom to 10:1 scale,

and resets to default horizontal
position

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Push – Zero Offset Resets vertical zoom to 1:1 scale,

and resets to default vertical position

Using Zoom Menu Controls

You can also use the Zoom menu controls to adjust zoom.

Touch the descriptor label twice to open
the Math Menu.

Then use the software zoom controls to cha nge the

horizontal and vertical position and scale.
Note that horizontal scale adjustments always apply to all

waveforms.

USING TOOLBAR SHORTCUTS

These toolbar shortcuts can be used to perform specific actions for
each Zoom trace.

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Opens a Measurement selection pop-up
menu. You can then select a parameter
(measurement) for the Zoom trace from this
menu without leaving the Zoom Setup menu.
The parameter automatically appears below
the grid.

Loads the Zoom trace into its corresponding
Memory (Reference Waveform) location (for
instance, Z1 is stored into M1, Z2 is stored into
M2, etc.).

Opens a Labeling pop-up menu that allows
you to create labels tied into the waveform.

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Using The Math T race

OVERVIEW

Math allows you to perform simple and complex mathematical
calculations on your signal, or on a zoom or memory (reference
waveform). The oscilloscope can be operating in any acquisition
mode (Real-Time, RIS, or Roll Mode) when Math is created.

Math traces are defined with an Operator and a Source. Examples
of Operators include Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide, and FFT.
Sources are channels, zoom traces, or memories (reference
waveforms). Some Operators require two sources, and some only
one source. The oscilloscope shows how many sources you need
to define when you choose the Operator .

Math is always displayed in a separate half-height grid at the bottom
of the display, separate from your other traces. This makes it easier
to interpret Math information if the math scale is different from the
channel scales. If you also have Zoom traces displayed when you
turn the Math trace ON, there will be three grids on the display, each
one-third height.

Each Math trace can also be zoomed without setting up a separate
zoom trace. This reduces a step, and gives you more capability to
understand the exact feature of interest without having to create
another trace. Simply use the zoom controls in the Math menu, or
use the Vertical and Horizontal controls for position and scale
change in both axes when the Math trace is active.

One powerful feature about WaveSurfer Math traces is that they are
calculated to 16-bit vertical resolution. Therefore, you can vertically
zoom the Math trace and still maintain very high resolution when
viewing the zoomed trace.

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DESCRIPTION OF MATH FUNCTIONS

WaveSurfer contains several Math operators as standard, plus an
FFT function. Additional Math functions are available in the
MathSurfer Advanced Math option. Descriptions are provided
below:

Standard Math

Difference (Subtract) – Subtracts two
waveforms

Product (Multiply) – Multiplies two waveforms.

Ratio (Divide) – Calculates the ratio of two

waveforms

Sum (Add) – Adds two waveforms

Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) – computes a

power frequency spectrum of an FFT up to 25
kpts. Contains Recta ngular, Von Hann, and Flat
Top windows.

MathSurfer Advanced Math

Absolute Value – calculates the absolute value
of a waveform.

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Average – calculates either a summed or

continuous average up to 1 million sweeps (user
selectable)

Derivative – calculates the derivative of
adjacent samples

Envelope – calculates highest and lowest
vertical values of a waveform at each horizontal
value for a given number of acquisitions
(sweeps)

Enhanced Resolution (ERES) – noise
reduction and smoothing filter specified by
number of additional bits

Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) – Adds
Hamming, Blackman-Harris, and Hanning
windows, and capability to calculate up to 1
Mpts. Also allows FFT Averaging through use of

nd

2

Math Operator.

Floor - calculates the lowest vertical values of a
waveform at each horizontal value for a given
number of acquisitions (sweeps)

Integral – calculates the linearly rescaled
integral (with multiplier and adder) of a
waveform input

Invert – inverts the waveform

Reciprocal – calculates the reciprocal of the

waveform

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Rescale – allows user-defined rescaling,

including user defined units.
Roof - calculates the highest vertical values of a

waveform at each horizontal value for a given
number of acquisitions (sweeps)

Square – calculates the square of the waveform

Square Root – calculates the square root of the

waveform

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SETTING UP A MATH TRACE

1. Press the Math front panel button

Or, in the Top Menu Bar, touch Math, then select Math

Setup…

In either case, the following menu will appear at the bottom
of the display, the Math trace will turn ON, and the last
selected Math Operator will be chosen as the current
operator.

2. To change the currently defined Operator, touch either
the icon or touch in the Operator area to bring up the
following pop-up menu (if you ordered the MathSurfer
Advanced Math option, you would have more selections
than those shown):

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Touch any of the icons to select the math operator
(function) that you desire. Scroll down through the list
using the scroll bar on the rights side of the pop-up menu.

3. Once the Operator is selected, the pop-up menu will
close and the Math trace will be re-defined.

4. If you have purchased the MathSurfer Advanced Math
option, you will also be able to select a second
Operator. To do this, select Dual from the Single/Dual
button selection.

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A second Operator will appear. It can be changed like

the first.

Two Operators can be helpful in some situations. For
instance, you can compute an FFT, then Average the
FFT result over many computations by making the first
Operator an FFT and the second operator an Average
function. Or, you can make the second Operator a
Rescale function to change units and rescale information
for a non-standard calculation.

5. The channel source will default to C1. Touch inside the
source field to select a different source (either a channel,
a memory, or a zoom).

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6. Close the Math menu by either pressing the front panel
Math button again, or touching Close on the on-screen
menu.

MA TH DESCRIPTOR LABEL

When a Math trace is ON, there is a descriptor label on the
display for it, much like for the channels, zooms, and memories
(reference waveforms).

• The top line contains information about how the Math
trace is defined (in this case, it’s an FFT of Channel 1).

nd

• The 2

• The 3

If the descriptor label is shaded differently (as shown below),
then the Math trace is ACTIVE, which means that the Horizontal
and Vertical front p anel controls are set to adjust the Math trace,
and not any of the channels. In this case, the scale and position
of the Math trace can be changed by adjusting the horizontal and
vertical controls on the front panel.

line contains vertical scaling information.

rd

line contains horizontal scaling information.

If the Math trace is not ACTIVE, and you wish to make it ACTIVE,
simply touch the descriptor label once and it will become active
and the Math menu will open.

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ZOOMING MATH

Math traces have zoom capability built in, so it is easy to change
the scale and position of the Math trace, as required. You can
zoom in one of two ways:

Using Front Panel Controls

Touch the descriptor label to make it
active.

Then use the front panel horizontal and
vertical controls to adjust position and
scale. The operation of the knobs will
feel natural. Use the table below as a
guide.

Note: When Math trace is active, no channel
buttons will be lighted, which tells you that the

Math trace may be currently active.

Panel Control Zoom Control Action

Delay Zooms horizontal position
Timebase Zooms horizontal scale
Offset Zooms vertical position
Gain / Sensitivity Zooms vertical scale
Push – Zero Delay Resets horizontal zoom to 10:1 scale,

and resets to default horizontal
position

Push – Zero Offset Resets vertical zoom to 1:1 scale, and

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resets to default vertical position

Using Math Menu Zoom Controls

Touch the descriptor label twice to open
the Math Menu.

Touch the Zoom button in the Math
Menu toolbar.

Then use the software zoom controls to
change the horizontal and vertical
position and scale.

USING TOOLBAR SHORTCUTS

These toolbar shortcuts can be used to perform specific actions for
the Math Trace.

Opens a Measurement selection pop-up
menu. You can then select a parameter
(measurement) for the Math trace from this
menu without leaving the Math Setup menu.
The parameter automatically appears below
the grid.

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Loads the Math trace into its corresponding
Memory (Reference Waveform) lo cation
(Memory 1, or abbreviated as M1).

Opens a Labeling pop-up menu that allows
you to create labels tied to the waveform.

Opens the zoom control tab in the Math menu.

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Using Analog Persistence

OVERVIEW

The Analog Persisten ce fe ature displays your waveform and reveals
its anomalies for a repetitive signal. Use Persistence to accumulate
on-screen points from many acquisitions to see your signal change
over time. These waveform “points” correspond to display pixels.

The instrument persistence modes display the intensity in either an
“analog” view, or graded in a spectrum of colors (with red
representing many occurrences, and violet representing fewer
occurrences).

Persistence works simultaneously on all waveforms di splayed on
the WaveSurfer grid.

Basic persistence adjustments can be made using the front panel
controls. Additional persistence adjustments can be accessed by
selecting Display in the Top Menu Bar, and Persistence Setup
from the drop-down menu.

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TURNING PERSISTENCE ON

To turn persistence ON, press the
front panel Analog Persistence
knob once. This will turn Persistence
ON to Analog mode. Press again to
change to Color-Graded mode.
Press again to turn OFF.

The default saturation level when
first turned ON is 50%, with an
infinite persistence time.

Adjust the saturation of the
persistence by rotating the knob. If
your waveform has very little
variation, you may have to adjust the
knob quite a bit either clockwise or
counterclockwise before you see a
persistence view that meets your
expectations.

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UNDERSTANDING PERSISTENCE

Saturation Level

The Persistence display is generated by repeated sampling of the
waveform over time, and the accumulation of the sampled data into
"3-dimensional" display maps, with the third dimension representing
the number of occurrences.

You can select a saturation level as a percentage of the maximum
population of occurrences. Lowering this percentage causes the
pixels to be saturated at a lower population, and makes visible
those rarely hit pixels not seen at higher percentages.

All pixels with a population of occurrences above the saturation level
are then assigned the highest intensity (representing saturation).
At the same time, all populations below the saturation level are
assigned the remaining intensities. Data populations are updated in
real-time as data from new acquisitions is accumulated.

Persistence Time

The duration of persistence can be used to view how the signal
changes over time by adjusting how long the pixel data stays
displayed before it is no longer displayed. The persistence duration
(decay) is proportional to the persistence population for each
number of occurrences (or time combination in the data).
Persistence Time can be changed from 0.5s to Infinity from a menu
of several pre-defined values.

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Analog Persistence Mode

When you select Analog Persistence mode,
each trace is assigned a single color. As a
persistence pixel map is created, different
intensities of that color are assigned to the range

Color-graded Persistence Mode

between a minimum and a maximum population
of occurrences. The maximum population
automatically gets the highest intensity, the
minimum population gets the lowest intensity, and
intermediate populations get intensities in
between these extremes.

Color-graded Persistence works on the same
principle as Analog persistence, but instead uses
the entire color spectrum to map signal intensity:
violet for minimum population, red for maximum
population. Lowering the saturation percentage
causes the pixels to be saturated at a lower
population, and makes visible those rarely hit
pixels not seen at higher percentages.

Show Last Trace

For most applications, you may not want to show the last trace
because it will be superimposed on top of your persistence display.
In those cases turn off Show Last Trace by touching the checkbox.
However, if you are doing mask testing and want to see where the
last trace is falling, turn Show Last Trace on.

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Saving and Recalling Setups

OVERVIEW

You can save or recall scope settings to or from hard disk, USB key,
or LAN location. This can be very helpful if you repeat the same
types of tasks over and over again, or if you share the scope with
many people.

To Save Scope Settings as a Setup File

Choose Save Setup from the File Top
Menu Bar.

To Recall Scope Settings from a Setup File

Choose to recall the Setup from an

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Choose to save the Waveform Data as
an Internal Setup temporary location in
RAM or to a File on the hard drive or
external storage device.

Touch Save Now to save the file.

Choose Recall Setup from the File Top
Menu Bar.

Internal Setup temporary location in

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RAM or from a File on the hard drive or
external storage device.

Touch Recall Now to save the file.

To Recall Default Scope Settings

Choose Recall Setup from the File Top
Menu Bar.

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Touch the button under Recall Default
Setup.