Console port debug adapter for Tek TDS500 TDS600 and TDS700 series scopes

[Jwalling]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324202332145? 

No affiliation.

EDIT: some more pics as it looks like he sold some and the listing will eventually disappear. He offered to send me one for testing.

[maurit]

Thank you all !!!
I attach images:

[siggi]

That looks pretty handy, ordered one. I have a TDS684A that's probably a goner, but would be nice to see what the self tests have to say about it.

[Jwalling]

Up until now, I've been using this home-made adapter which has, at times, been a little flakey.

Maurit was kind enough to send me his adapter free of charge! It works great, and now I can run the scopes at temperature with the cover on! 

I don't know if he's planning on selling more of these; hopefully he will be, as it's a very useful tool.

Many thanks, Maurit!

EDIT: He is. https://www.ebay.com/324316946766?

[Tantratron]

Maurit was kind enough to send me his adapter free of charge! It works great, and now I can run the scopes at temperature with the cover on! 

I did order one unit to Maurit on eBay https://www.ebay.fr/usr/maurit00 but it never worked for some reason on both TDS540C's in my lab.

The symptom was clear and drastic, each oscilloscope would stay blocked on booting (same effect as when you toggle the memory protect switch).

Un-plugging the Console port adapter, each TDS540C's would work fine.

Has anybody tried this console port on TDSxxx serie C or serie D ?

Albert

[keystone]

I have used one on my TDS 620A, 640A and 644A scopes.  Works great.

[tkamiya]

I have one and it works well.

I think you are supposed to plug it in component side DOWN.  Did you do that?

[Tantratron]

I have one and it works well.

I think you are supposed to plug it in component side DOWN.  Did you do that?

What TDS model did you try ?

[james_s]

Looks like it's just a passive adapter for the serial connector? Or is there additional hardware between the ribbon connector and the DB9 on the panel? It's been a while since I've opened mine up.

[Jwalling]

Maurit was kind enough to send me his adapter free of charge! It works great, and now I can run the scopes at temperature with the cover on! 

I did order one unit to Maurit on eBay https://www.ebay.fr/usr/maurit00 but it never worked for some reason on both TDS540C's in my lab.

The symptom was clear and drastic, each oscilloscope would stay blocked on booting (same effect as when you toggle the memory protect switch).

Un-plugging the Console port adapter, each TDS540C's would work fine.

Has anybody tried this console port on TDSxxx serie C or serie D ?

Albert

Yes. I've used it on 744A, 754D, and 784D scopes with no problem. Can you take a picture?

[Tantratron]

Maurit was kind enough to send me his adapter free of charge! It works great, and now I can run the scopes at temperature with the cover on! 

I did order one unit to Maurit on eBay https://www.ebay.fr/usr/maurit00 but it never worked for some reason on both TDS540C's in my lab.

The symptom was clear and drastic, each oscilloscope would stay blocked on booting (same effect as when you toggle the memory protect switch).

Un-plugging the Console port adapter, each TDS540C's would work fine.

Has anybody tried this console port on TDSxxx serie C or serie D ?

Albert

Yes. I've used it on 744A, 754D, and 784D scopes with no problem. Can you take a picture?

Please find attached some pictures of my test last end of june.

As you can see, attaching the kit end-up freezing (boot-fail) my TDS540C. Last picture shows my Oscope works fine once removing the Console kit and re-connecting the RS232 Centronics PCB. I did try on 2nd TDS540C but only had one RS232-Centronics (option 13) board, again the 2nd TDS540C would fail booting so this is why I was curious to know how it worked for others and find a solution because it would be very practical.

The italian eBay seller was pro and fair, he refunded the kit which I've shipped back from France to Italy.

[korlatos]

I had the same problem when I added this adapter to my TDS784A - the scope would not boot anymore. It turns out that the serial debug port uses RTS-CTS handshaking, and so a scope with an installed adapter refuses to boot if the handshaking line is not asserted on power-up. I created a DB9 plug with a short between RTS and CTS (pins 7 and , and the scope now boots fine with the adapter in place.

[Tantratron]

I had the same problem when I added this adapter to my TDS784A - the scope would not boot anymore. It turns out that the serial debug port uses RTS-CTS handshaking, and so a scope with an installed adapter refuses to boot if the handshaking line is not asserted on power-up. I created a DB9 plug with a short between RTS and CTS (pins 7 and , and the scope now boots fine with the adapter in place.

Thanks so I was not the only one after all 

[Jwalling]

Looks OK... was your terminal program set to 9600,n,8,1?
Did you get the same result whether it was connected to your computer or not?

[korlatos]

Yes, the terminal was set to 9600, 8N1, and RTS/CTS HW handshaking. That's how I realized what the problem was - the scope would only boot with the PC connected and terminal program active. But you don't need the PC at all. As I said, take a DB9F connector, solder a wire between pins 7 and 8, and just plug it into the scope serial port - no other connections are required. Now it will boot fine every time even without the PC.

[maurit]

Hello everybody,

                                             I’m the designer of the hardware interface offered in the mentioned auction.

First of all I’d like to thank all the Forum users who allow me to learn new things every day.
Let me take the occasion to share with you some thoughts.
I didn’t invent anything, if not the implementation of the board on the PCB, in order to make it more easily usable
without the need of disassembling the oscilloscope.

IMPORTANT:

1) This board accesses a “Control Port” which has not been implemented for the final users,
    but for the debug of the oscilloscopes in Tektronix and in distributors.
2) For various reasons, it’s much better to NOT leave it plugged into the oscilloscope (you can plug it of just with 2 screws).
   
3) “RTS-CTS Handshaking” guarantees security of transferred data, so it’s better using it with the following steps.

PROCEDURE (step by step in this order):

Plug the interface, connect it internally to Opt.013, connect RS232 cable to the PC, power on the PC, power on the oscilloscope,
use it and then you can restore Opt.013 interface.

POSSIBLE ERROR:

If you don’t connect serial cable or you don’t power on the PC, the oscilloscope will stay, AS EXPECTED,
locked, waiting for the communication on the “Console Port”!

This is exactly what happened to  "Tantratron"  and the reason for his complaint.

Thanks to everybody and to the dozens of people who appreciated my little work.

Maurizio

[maurit]

P.S.:
Search in auction:
"Tektronix CONSOLE PORT TDS 5/6/7xx Oscilloscope Debug Card RS-232 for Opt 013" .

Or for Agilent Keysight Infiniivision owners:

"Agilent Keysight DSOXLAN Card MSOX DSOX 2000 3000 InfiniiVision Oscilloscope"

Thanks.

[Tantratron]

Yes, the terminal was set to 9600, 8N1, and RTS/CTS HW handshaking. That's how I realized what the problem was - the scope would only boot with the PC connected and terminal program active. But you don't need the PC at all. As I said, take a DB9F connector, solder a wire between pins 7 and 8, and just plug it into the scope serial port - no other connections are required. Now it will boot fine every time even without the PC.

What would be the explanation that some TDSxxx owners did not have a problem (boot OK even if no computer connected to the RS232 port) but others like yourself and myself end up with boot KO ?

Does the option 13  module (PCB) comes with a different firmware depending the TDSxxx or do you set up so the TDS would always boot  in stand-alone while the console pore debug adapter attached to the J40 connector ?

[dxl]

The option 13 module doesn't have a firmware. It all depends whether some scope firmware versions implement a timeout waiting for the serial console port.

I remember that my TDS784D was also 'hanging' when no computer was connected when i 'reversed engineered' that console port long time ago.

[Tantratron]

For those without Option 13 board or prefer a direct solution with USB https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/tektronix-tds500-700-debug-konscole-interface/msg3519226/#msg3519226

Works like a charm with MacBook Air so I guess same with Linux or Windows