PicoScope® 4000A Series

Alarms

PicoScope can be programmed to execute actions when certain events occur. The events

that can trigger an alarm include mask limit fails, trigger events and buffers full. The actions

that PicoScope can execute include saving a file, playing a sound, executing a program and

triggering the signal generator or the AWG. Alarms, coupled with mask limit testing, help

create a powerful and time-saving waveform monitoring tool. Capture a known good signal,

auto-generate a mask around it and then use the alarms to automatically save any waveform

(complete with a time/date stamp) that does not meet specification.

Mask limit testing

PicoScope allows you to draw a mask around any signal, in either the scope view or the spectrum view, with user-defined tolerances. This has been designed specifically for

production and debugging environments, enabling you to compare signals. Simply capture a known good signal, draw a mask around it, and then attach the system under test.

PicoScope will capture any intermittent glitches and can show a failure count and other statistics in the Measurements window.

The numerical and graphical mask editors can be used separately or in combination, allowing you to enter accurate mask specifications, modify existing masks, and import and

export masks as files.