I have to second Gene's caution about using PC-based data collection tools, especially ones purported to be high-speed. I am not sure there is a real substitute for a capable digital storage scope.
The real reason I am responding to this email, however, is my experience using a pulse counter to trouble shoot stepper systems and digital control systems, in general. I will never again try to put such a system on line without first running it through a pulse counter test. These counters are great and pretty cheap too. Mine is currently programmed to use Channel B to instruct Channel A to count up or down: Channel B is connected to DIR signal and Channel A is connected to CLOCK. With it I can verify the controller is doing the right thing. I had a problem with a controller, not EMC, having random jitter on DIR which caused the motor drivers to respond in a way that looked liked missed steps. It wasn't, of course, as the drivers were trying to respond to rapid DIR changes and only rarely did when motor speed was slow and jitter was slow. The pulse counter picked this up beautifully and positively changed the discourse between the factory and me. Glenn -----Original Message----- From: gene heskett [mailto:ghesk...@wdtv.com] Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2011 5:14 AM To: emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Halscope as an oscilloscope? On Sunday, January 23, 2011 08:04:16 am Erik Christiansen did opine: > On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 11:45:10PM -0600, Chris Radek wrote: > > But as a general purpose scope, being able to see analogish stuff is > > the primary mode of operation (for me?) and halscope and a parport > > really wouldn't be any use at all. > > For that I use one of these: http://bitscope.com/ I have not personally used one of these yet, but it would be my first choice of devices to consider should my Hitachi V-1065 show up face down in the pool someday. > It's a dual-channel 100 MHz digital storage scope, plus logic > analyser, and suits my needs very well. There are other similar > products, but this one can be linux hosted, so the others don't compete in my workshop. A huge plus to me too. I don't know at the time I've wasted using windows based tools that will not give a meaningful error to the technician when windows has decided to disallow access to that $3000 card the program needs to function. Reboot after reboot to catch it in just the right mood to let the software run has been a major PITA for me literally 100's of times in the past as I was recalibrating new head drums in DVC-PRO broadcast digital VCR's. > Erik -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all. -- Arthur Balfour ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Special Offer-- Download ArcSight Logger for FREE (a $49 USD value)! Finally, a world-class log management solution at an even better price-free! Download using promo code Free_Logger_4_Dev2Dev. Offer expires February 28th, so secure your free ArcSight Logger TODAY! http://p.sf.net/sfu/arcsight-sfd2d _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Offer-- Download ArcSight Logger for FREE (a $49 USD value)! Finally, a world-class log management solution at an even better price-free! Download using promo code Free_Logger_4_Dev2Dev. Offer expires February 28th, so secure your free ArcSight Logger TODAY! http://p.sf.net/sfu/arcsight-sfd2d _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
