Capturing Scope Screen Displays for Notebook App

[frank2644]

I want to buy a low cost oscilloscope for Aduino and Am/Fm radio repair. I think most of the “usual” under $400 scopes will meet my requirements, except it’s not clear to me which scopes have good PC connectivity. Basically, I need a way to capture  a scope screen display with my PC in real time.  I’m thinking a PC screen print can then be used, and I can annotate the image, add notes, and put into my lab notebook APP. I need the screen display to capture the entire scope screen including any displayed parameters, settings, etc.

Today I use my camera to take a screen picture of my old Tektronix scope and it’s just not workable.

Unfortunately very little information seems to be available on PC screen display, etc.

I’m looking at Siglent, Hantek, Rigol, Instek, etc, and they all seem adequate and allude to some kind of PC connectivity, except details are scarce. I prefer a LAN connection, but I can also use USB (prefer to avoid sneaker net with thumb drives).

If anyone has some experience with the above I would love to hear suggestions, comments, etc.

Thanks, Frank

[Venturi962]

For capturing from a scope, you can connect using a web browser over the LAN and usually get a 1:1 copy of the display is available via the IP Address of the scope, this is demoed here:

Siglent Scopes:

Rigol Scopes:

[tautech]

Welcome to the forum.

Ideally you want a DSO with one or both the following features:

Screenshot saves to USB and preferably in PNG format due to their small size but in a scope with a quick print key like on Siglents particularly as it saves not having to dig into the Save/Recall menu and therefore captures your menu settings that show how the scope has been configured.

Or, a DSO with a web server so that from your PC in the Instrument Control mode a save screenshot virtual button is available and will capture screenshots and send them to your browsers download folder for you to Copy/Paste them from there into whatever folder or document you need them.

Those DSO's with a web server would be preferred as there's no further PC SW installation required for such functionality.
SDS1104X-E if it has the feature set you require would be my recommendation.

[Fungus]

Ideally you want a DSO with one or both the following features:

Screenshot saves to USB ....

I'm pretty sure he said he wanted direct screen capture from PC. 

Or, a DSO with a web server

Also not needed.
 

SDS1104X-E if it has the feature set you require would be my recommendation.

Sure, because you're a Siglent salesman and that's the only thing you sell.

I need a way to capture  a scope screen display with my PC in real time.  I’m thinking a PC screen print can then be used, and I can annotate the image, add notes, and put into my lab notebook APP. I need the screen display to capture the entire scope screen including any displayed parameters, settings, etc.

Today I use my camera to take a screen picture of my old Tektronix scope and it’s just not workable.

Rigols are fully remote-controllable and have a built-in screen capture function that does what you want. See this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/easiest-way-to-remote-control-and-screen-capture-my-rigol-ds1054z/

Siglents can do it too.

So can the GW-Instek, which is a complete bargain at the moment if you live in the USA (under $300 with EEVBLOG discount).

[tautech]

Ideally you want a DSO with one or both the following features:

Screenshot saves to USB ....

I'm pretty sure he said he wanted direct screen capture from PC. 

It's another option rather than taking photos.

Or, a DSO with a web server

Also not needed.

By far the simplest solution however.

SDS1104X-E if it has the feature set you require would be my recommendation.

Sure, because you're a Siglent salesman and that's the only thing you sell.

FYI I have the opportunity to sell Micsig, Owon, Rigol and Hantek and by choice choose not to.
Not a month goes by without another proposal of another brand to represent.

Who wants to offer in depth support of a whole lot of brands and not do any of them proper justice ?
Buyers will soon realise you are just another box shuffler. Fuck that my customers deserve better.

[frank2644]

Thanks everyone, some good ideas that I will pursue.

I love the idea of a scope with a built-in web server, but they are a little too expensive for my hobbyist needs.

The Instek GDS-1202b (4-chan, 200mhz) looks like a steal for US$346. One drawback is that they seem to be kinda large physically. Also, because I have two labs(computer and electronic) maybe two Hantek 5102p (2-chan, 70mhz) @ US$214 might work for me (wife permitting$).

Looking at some of the posted URLs I see that most scopes seem to have facilities for access programmatically from Windows, Linux. That seems to offer some promise for my requirements.

My thinking at this point is to select a scope based on my electronic/financial needs, and then focus on their screen print convenience.

Again, thanks for the help. Any other comments are certainly welcome.
Frank
 

[Fungus]

Looking at some of the posted URLs I see that most scopes seem to have facilities for access programmatically from Windows, Linux.

Yes, it's just a text based interface. Usually you send it a command and it sends back "OK" or some data. You can control every last parameter of the 'scope this way.

eg. To take a screenshot you send it something like ":DISPLAY:DATA?" and it sends you back a number of bytes followed by the image data in PNG/JPG/BMP format.

(depending on the 'scope)

[nctnico]

Thanks everyone, some good ideas that I will pursue.

I love the idea of a scope with a built-in web server, but they are a little too expensive for my hobbyist needs.

The Instek GDS-1202b (4-chan, 200mhz) looks like a steal for US$346. One drawback is that they seem to be kinda large physically. Also, because I have two labs(computer and electronic) maybe two Hantek 5102p (2-chan, 70mhz) @ US$214 might work for me (wife permitting$).

One of the features of GW Instek scopes is that they can mount a drive from your computer over the network and write data to it directly. So you can share a folder on your Windows computer and have the GW Instek oscilloscope dump whatever data into that folder (screendumps, waveform dumps, etc). You don't need any software at the PC side. And GW Instek's network interface implementation is pretty fast as well.

[Fungus]

One of the features of GW Instek scopes is that they can mount a drive from your computer over the network and write data to it directly.

Didn't know that. 

[nctnico]

One of the features of GW Instek scopes is that they can mount a drive from your computer over the network and write data to it directly.

Didn't know that. 

It is not a common feature found on oscilloscopes (Yokogawa has it as well). If you don't want to hassle with USB sticks and/or PC software then it is the ducks guts to get data from an oscilloscope straight onto your computer.

[frank2644]

Mounting a drive sounds like a great feature and very convenient. I see it's only available on 4 channel models.  I'll definitely keep that in mind as I decide the scope I purchase.

The "usual" text based commands of most scopes also sounds simple and good.

BTW, there was an error in my prior post where I said the Instek GDS 1202b had 4 channels. It actually only has 2 as the part number suggests. Amazon has a 4 channel picture that caused my mistake.

[Fungus]

Didn't know that. 

It is not a common feature found on oscilloscopes

My MacBook can barely manage it. I never thought I'd see it in an oscilloscope.

BTW, there was an error in my prior post where I said the Instek GDS 1202b had 4 channels. It actually only has 2 as the part number suggests. Amazon has a 4 channel picture that caused my mistake.

Is the two channel model really cheaper then Tequipment's price for the GDs1054B? Under $300 for a GDS1054B is an amazing deal.

[tautech]

Mounting a drive sounds like a great feature and very convenient. I see it's only available on 4 channel models.  I'll definitely keep that in mind as I decide the scope I purchase.

The "usual" text based commands of most scopes also sounds simple and good.

BTW, there was an error in my prior post where I said the Instek GDS 1202b had 4 channels. It actually only has 2 as the part number suggests. Amazon has a 4 channel picture that caused my mistake.

Some offer VNC ports so can achieve the same thing.
A recent customer with a SDS2104X Plus is remotely using the DSO and gathered screenshots to discover the cause of a fault that had plagued his company before he'd even started there. Needless to say he gained hero status. 

[maxwell3e10]

Speaking of screen capture, does anyone know of a scope that can save a short movie or a series of images quickly in a row? Some effects are easiest to describe with a movie or animation.

[nctnico]

Speaking of screen capture, does anyone know of a scope that can save a short movie or a series of images quickly in a row? Some effects are easiest to describe with a movie or animation.

MicSig scopes can record video.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133456893@N03/34280950896/

[Fungus]

Speaking of screen capture, does anyone know of a scope that can save a short movie or a series of images quickly in a row? Some effects are easiest to describe with a movie or animation.

MicSig scopes can record video.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133456893@N03/34280950896/

Micsigs can even view/trim the video right there on the 'scope. 

https://youtu.be/M_y8Brom708?t=41

You can also annotate screenshots and draw arrows on them with your finger (or use a mouse if you prefer).

[frank2644]

BTW, there was an error in my prior post where I said the Instek GDS 1202b had 4 channels. It actually only has 2 as the part number suggests. Amazon has a 4 channel picture that caused my mistake.

Is the two channel model really cheaper then Tequipment's price for the GDs1054B? Under $300 for a GDS1054B is an amazing deal.

Not sure I follow your question, but the Amazon price for a Instek GDS-1202B is US$346, Tequipmnet's price today for the GDS1054B is US$310.50.

I do agree that the GDS1054B @ US$310.50 is "amazing".

[nctnico]

BTW there is an EEVBlog discount for Tequipment. You have to ask them for it.

[frank2644]

Speaking of screen capture, does anyone know of a scope that can save a short movie or a series of images quickly in a row? Some effects are easiest to describe with a movie or animation.

If you can have a real time display of your scope's screen on your PC, I think there are plenty of ways to record a video of your PC screen. Youtubers do it all the time (Google for details).

One scope that reportedly makes it easy is the Siglent SDS1104X-E. It provides a real time display on your PC using a simple web browser. Should be recordable ala the above Youtube method.

[maxwell3e10]

The screen update rate on the PC is usually not very fast, at least for the scopes I have tried.

[Fungus]

BTW there is an EEVBlog discount for Tequipment. You have to ask them for it.

Yep, it's not much but it's enough to put that Instek below $300.

[frank2644]

The screen update rate on the PC is usually not very fast, at least for the scopes I have tried.

The screen update looks pretty fast on the Siglent scope web server.

[Mechatrommer]

The screen update looks pretty fast on the Siglent scope web server.

looks like 5-7fps...

[tautech]

From nearly 3 years ago so there have been some FW updates since then:

[maxwell3e10]

Both of these demos have a poor choice of the waveform being displayed. Having a sine wave drift slowly across the screen would be a much better indication of the update rate and how stable it is.