background image

backlit LCD screen.  The button has ten cycles of brightness, after which it resets 
to the first position.

Figure 3-1.  460 Front Panel layout

Ch A       COM       Ch B

F1

F2

F3

F4

Ch A

Ch B

S TIME nS

ENTER

mV

V

mV

V

AUTO

HOLD

RUN

SCOPE

USER

SAVE

POWER ON

Channel B 
Connector

Channel A 
Connector

Common
(Ground)

RS-232C 

Connector

Power

Plug

Alphanumeric

Display Area

Dual Trace 

Display Area

Menu Area

Menu Function 

Keys (F1-F4)

Highlight 

Direction 

Arrows

460 Power 

Switch

Function 

Acknowledge 

Key

1

3

4

2

5

6

7

8

9

11

10

460 User’s Guide

Operation

C3-2

Summary of Contents for Scope Plus 460

Page 1: ...z Digital Oscilloscope User s Guide Test Products International Inc 9615 SW Allen Blvd Portland OR 97005 Ph 503 520 9197 Fax 503 520 1225 E mail info tpi thevalueleader com The Value Leader www tpi thevalueleader com TM ...

Page 2: ...Copyright 2001 Test Products International Inc All Rights Reserved 08 01 460 User s Guide ii ...

Page 3: ...stance C2 4 Testing Continuity C2 4 Diode Test C2 4 C3 Operation C3 1 Principal Connectors and Keys C3 1 Key Screen Menus C3 3 C4 Advanced Functions C4 1 Triggering C4 1 Trend Mode C4 1 Glitch Capture C4 2 Saving Screens C4 2 Using the 10 1 Probe C4 3 10 1 Probe Compensation Adjustment C4 3 C5 Using Adapters C5 1 Temperature Adapter A301 C5 1 High Current Adapter A251 A256 A296 C5 1 Low Current Ad...

Page 4: ...Cable A404 C5 3 C6 Safety Considerations C6 1 Instrument C6 1 Environmental C6 2 Appendix A Test and Calibration A 1 Appendix B Maintenance Considerations B 1 Appendix C Glossary C 1 Appendix D Optional RS 232C PC Interface D 1 Appendix E Troubleshooting E 1 iv 460 User s Guide ...

Page 5: ... mode and saving screens Chapter 5 Explains and illustrates uses of probes and adapters including pressure temperature and current shunt adapters This chapter also introduces general aspects of the optional optically isolated RS 232 interface Chapter 6 This important chapter details operating methods and tips designed to preserve both the life of your instrument and safety factors to prevent human...

Page 6: ...ue RMS DMM that measures AC DC volts to 600V frequency to 20MHz resistance to 20M Ohm diode test and continuity audible tone Autoranging Autoranging capability across Voltage Timebase and Frequency Bright LCD Backlight Easy to see display in any light condition with user adjustable backlight brightness levels Optically Isolated RS232 Output Transfer data safely without any direct connections to yo...

Page 7: ...er division 25 samples div Time division Equivalent sampling 50ns to 500ns div Real time sampling 1us to 2s div Modes Single Normal Auto Glitch Accuracy Real time sampling 0 1 0 04 time div Equivalent sampling 0 5 0 08 time div Vertical Sampling Rate 25 Mega samples per second Bandwidth DC Coupled 1 1 shielded test leads DC to 10MHz 10 1 probe DC to 20MHz AC Coupled 1 1 shielded test leads 10Hz to...

Page 8: ... Temperature Measurement Optional Adapter A301 k Type thermocouple Range 40 F to 500 F Accuracy 1 5 5 digits Pressure Vacuum Measurement Optional Adapter A620 Range Pressure 500 psi Vacuum 30 inHg Accuracy Pressure 5 5 digits Vacuum 1 5 5 digits Current Measurement Optional Adapter 1 A251 AC AMPS Range 0 40A 40 400A Accuracy 0 40A 2 0 10 digits 50 60 Hz 40 400A 2 0 10 digits 50 60 Hz Optional Adap...

Page 9: ...10 digits 40V 0 01V 1kHz to 20kHz 2 10 digits 400V 0 1V 40Hz to 400Hz 1 10 digits 600V 1V 40Hz to 400Hz 1 10 digits Frequency CH1 CH2 Range Resolution Accuracy 100Hz 0 01Hz 1 0 10 digits 1KHz 0 1Hz 0 5 5 digits 10KHz 1Hz 0 5 5 digits 100KHz 10Hz 0 5 5 digits 1MHz 100Hz 0 5 5 digits 10MHz 1kHz 0 5 5 digits 20MHz 10kHz 2 5 5 digits OHM CH1 ONLY Range Resolution Accuracy 400 Ohm 0 1 Ohm 0 75 5 digits...

Page 10: ... Resolution Accuracy 4 K ohm 1 ohm Beeps 0 1 K ohm 2 5 digits Diode CH1 ONLY Range Resolution Accuracy 4 V 1 mV Open circuit voltage 5 V Short circuit current 5 mA Reading accuracy 2 5 digits 460 User s Guide Introduction C1 6 ...

Page 11: ...up 1 Use the tilt stand if necessary to set up the instrument in a readable position 2 Switch the unit on by pressing POWER ON button for 3 seconds If the unit will power on attach the power adapter Initial charge of the battery must be made with 460 turned on 3 If the Power adapter is attached check the battery level by pulling out the adapter and checking if there is any change to the brightness...

Page 12: ...the Contrast Label 4 Press the Up or Down direction arrows to change contrast 2 Press the User Button 1 Press the POWER ON Button Figure 2 1 Contrast Adjustment with Low Visibility 460 User s Guide Getting Started C2 2 ...

Page 13: ... not being limited by the millivolt range If the voltage reading is then read as a small value use the mV side of the green rocker key to display the millivolt range on the screen 3 Disconnect the DC Voltage source and press Ch A Channel A blue button Use the Up arrow to move the screen highlight to ACV Press Enter 4 Press the green V key and connect the probes to the AC source The voltage can be ...

Page 14: ... Press Enter 2 Connect the probes across the source to be tested If the line is closed equiv of short circuit or not offering more than 100 Ohms of resistance the full beep will be heard and the bar will show the degree of resistance if any Note The continuity test function can also be used to test the resistance in a path up to a value of 4K Ohms The actual value will be shown alpha numerically i...

Page 15: ... identify the nature of the display This list is different from Channel A and includes specialized measuring scales such as oC oF and Psi etc After selecting the scale press ENTER and the Channel B trace is displayed 3 S TIME nS This rocker switch controls the oscilloscope timebase Pressing the left side decreases the sweep rate in 1 2 5 increments down to 2 seconds per division Pressing the right...

Page 16: ...h A Ch B S TIME nS ENTER mV V mV V AUTO HOLD RUN SCOPE USER SAVE POWER ON Channel B Connector Channel A Connector Common Ground RS 232C Connector Power Plug Alphanumeric Display Area Dual Trace Display Area Menu Area Menu Function Keys F1 F4 Highlight Direction Arrows 460 Power Switch Function Acknowledge Key 1 3 4 2 5 6 7 8 9 11 10 460 User s Guide Operation C3 2 ...

Page 17: ...y see callout 11 or to press the HOLD RUN key a second time to unfreeze the display 10 USER This is a toggle switch that allows a user to interrupt most ongoing programs to revert to a setup mode to adjust Contrast RS 232C output or Power Down and then revert to the original program by pressing the button a second time Note that the POWER DOWN menu selection allows an automatic timed power down fo...

Page 18: ... DELETE SCREEN 1 SCREEN 2 Brown Table 3 1 460 User Function Menu Interactions Part 1 DIODE CHA ACV DCV FREQ OHM BEEP CHB OFF ON Blue Blue ACV DCV FREQ 1mV A 10mV A 100mV A 1mV A 10mV A 100mV A 1mV o C 1mV o F 1mV Psi 1mV inHg ACA DCA SCOPE S1 F1 F2 F4 A ACV DCV GND GLITCH MODE AUTO NORM SINGLE Brown OFF B ACV DCV GND PROBES SELECT SEL B 1 1 10 1 SEL A 1 1 10 1 Probe Adjust Enter NO SAVE SAVE RECAL...

Page 19: ...IT Brown F2 SOURCE A B F4 TRIG SLOPE F3 TRIG LEVEL Table 3 2 460 User Function Menu Interactions Part 2 CON TRAST RS 232C POWER DOWN F3 TREND F1 EXIT F2 MAX F4 RE START F3 MIN F4 B MOVE AFTER 10 MIN AFTER 20 MIN AFTER 30 MIN DIS ABLE 460 User s Guide Operation C3 5 ...

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Page 21: ...n the 460 active connect the Common and Probe Lead A to a signal source Sine Wave preferred and proceed with the following steps 1 Click SCOPE then select A ACU Mode Auto B Off Then select ENTER 2 Move the highlight to TRIGGER and press ENTER 3 Use the mV V Channel A rocker key to size the waveform 4 With the highlight on TRIG LEVEL use the up and down keys to stabilize the waveform 5 Observe that...

Page 22: ...l generators 3 If the 460 is performing correctly you should now have the glitch on your screen complete with leading and trailing edges so that rise time as well as other parameters can be measured 4 Exit the glitch condition by selecting SCOPE then change MODE NORM then press ENTER Saving Screens You can save any screen capture from Channel A Channel B or two instances of both channels simultane...

Page 23: ...robe body and is supplied with a number of dif ferent probe tips Attenuation selection is X1 X10 and a ground reference position Use of the 10 1 probe extends the bandwidth to 100 MHz when used in the X10 position To use the 10 1 probe with the 460 press the SCOPE button then the F1 key when the SCOPE INPUTS PROBES SELECT menu boxes are present on the screen With the 10 1 Adapter in the CH A socke...

Page 24: ...to maximize the squareness on the top and bottom of the square wave 5 On the 460 press the F4 key or the ENTER key to exit the program Method 2 1 Connect the 10 1 Probe BNC adapter to the Ch B input at the top of the 460 Then attach the 10 1 Probe Tip with the Banana Adapter to the Ch A input 2 Press the SCOPE key Then when the SCOPE INPUTS display is present press the F2 key below the PROBE ADJUS...

Page 25: ...ows the Adapter On Off switch to face the user The A301 comes with a 9V battery and a standard 2 Pin plug that sockets directly into the top of the tpi Scope Plus 460 High Current Adapters A251 A256 A296 o A251 A clamp on adapter that measures up to 400 AC amps o A256 A clamp on adapter that measures up to 400 AC and DC amps o A296 A clamp on adapter that measures up to 1000 AC and DC amps All thr...

Page 26: ...ument head socket 2 pin to co axial and a zero adjust control Current Shunt Adapter A130 This adapter is an inexpensive way of extending the current range of your tpi 460 Handheld Oscilloscope to 30 amps The A130 comes with two probes and is used in series with the circuit to be measured The unit uses the power being measured and requires no batteries Plug the unit into the upper sockets of the 46...

Page 27: ...shield the data from electro magnetic radiation sources and therefor from potential signal degradation Using the A404 package you can download data and put the information into spreadsheets and charts for incorporating into reports and other documents Reports from different units can also be merged to produce one report In addition graphs can be shown with the identification number of the instrume...

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Page 29: ...evice Under Test connector points Disconnect Power to the Circuit Unless using Clamp On s o This step provides two safety factors The first ensures that the operators hands are not in the vicinity of dangerous voltages The second allows you to check that the instrument is set up to read the right values before power is present at the DUT o Understand the circuit being measured o Failure to underst...

Page 30: ...arts that could potentially come into contact with the body especially hands or lead pencils and other conducting items List of Danger Warning Signals The following are International Danger Warning signals with an abbreviated explanation of their meanings This label signifies that there is a distinct level of danger in this area This sign is usually accompanied with symbols denoting the exact type...

Page 31: ...n the area which could snag clothing and risk injury to the wearer Avoid wearing loose clothing and beware of test instru mentation with long leads attached This symbol indicates that a hazard exists in this area which could effect exposed skin areas The nature of this hazard could be chemical of temperature based Wear gloves at all times and be careful of any other skin contact This International...

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Page 33: ...ery has previously been low allow at least 15 minutes for the battery charge to build up On power up press and briefly hold the POWER ON button allow a further 5 minutes for the circuitry and LCD screen to stabilize After stabilization press USER then F2 to arrive at CON TRAST Press ENTER and use the Up Down keys to adjust for optimal contrast One way to do this is to press the Up arrow until the ...

Page 34: ...ay so many of these steps will not work when separated from the overall context 1 Press the USER key The following menu bar should display at the base of the screen 2 In the previous screen use CONTRAST to make any necessary adjustment then press the SCOPE key The following menu should display 3 Press the F1 key The following menu should display 460 User s Guide Test and Calibration A 2 ...

Page 35: ...e the Scope input using the ENTER button and Direction keys Then press Ch A ACV then F3 TREND You should get the following menu display 6 Repeat the sequence for Step 6 except in the last step press F2 TRIGGER instead of F3 Follow by pressing ENTER You should get the following menu display 460 User s Guide Test and Calibration A 3 ...

Page 36: ...and click ENTER Check that the display shows Psi units at the top left of the screen This is a spot check on the sequence of one of the lists in this menu You may choose to do this for the other lists too i e ACA DCA etc 9 Press ENTER to exit with your selections from the previous screen the press Ch A The result should show the selections available specific to Channel A as depicted in the followi...

Page 37: ... The following screen display should result 11 Press CH A to return to the original Channel A menu except this time use the direction keys to move down to the DIODE selection Press the F4 key to acknowledge selection The following display should result 460 User s Guide Test and Calibration A 5 ...

Page 38: ...u should now have a dual trace display Press the SAVE key This should give you the following menu selection 13 In the screen save menu select SAVE F4 ENTER then SCREEN 1 F4 This will save the first of the two possible saves in internal memory Now repeat the screen save function SAVE key except choose RECALL F4 SCREEN 1 F4 A screen similar to the following should result 460 User s Guide Test and Ca...

Page 39: ...Channel B in conjunction with the Up and Down arrow buttons Also note the Battery symbol in this depiction The bars of the battery will blink when the battery starts to get low The battery symbol is replaced with a power plug symbol whenever the power cord is attached 16 Press the USER button then F3 RS 232C Press the ENTER button You should get the following screen menu Battery Check 460 User s G...

Page 40: ...e lists that were not included should also be checked For general operational tests refer to Chapters 2 and 4 Calibration Most calibration adjustments are carried out at the service facility or factory however the follow ing tests and adjustments can be made in the field If you established that the instrument or attachments are out of alignment and or are not measuring within the confines of the s...

Page 41: ...which could effect readings Be sure that the ground Common for the entity being measured is the true ground Check the specifications in Chapter 1 for the scale being measured Note that probes which are internally attenuated usually have their own adjustment procedure Chapter 4 has an adjustment procedure for 10 1 probes 460 User s Guide Test and Calibration A 9 ...

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Page 43: ...hake the instrument vigorously A gentle rocking is sufficient to check for loose parts 3 Check the display face plate for nicks and scratches that could cause interference with viewing waveforms 4 Check the plug sockets at the top of the instrument for discoloration or burns etc 5 Check the key markings and silk screening above the display Ch A COM Ch B for readability 6 Connect the power adapter ...

Page 44: ...ation circuit whenever you set the probe up or use the same probe on a different channel This adjustment is so that the displayed waveform will accurately represent the shape of the waveform being measured The adjustment is usually made via a trimmer variable capacitance in the head of the adapter at the instrument end Refer to Chapter 4 10 1 Probe Compensation Adjustment for instructions on makin...

Page 45: ...ent socket Note that the red leads are to the right of the connector The leading edge of the connector is best inserted slightly upward and forward 3 Refer to Figures B 2 and B 3 and install the battery into the compartment connector end first Fold the wires in a single fold to the left keeping the wires at the top of the compartment 4 Check the wires are inside the perimeter of the battery case h...

Page 46: ...ll Battery Wire position Fig B 2 Battery Wire position after installation Fold wire within confines of inner battery compartment Fig B 3 Battery Connector position before insertion Note topside position of guide bar and location of red wires to right side B 4 460 User s Guide Maintenance ...

Page 47: ...ommand wait until a reading has stabilized before storing that reading and making it available for display Auto Ranging Ability of a measuring device to automatically select the appropriate range of measurement Auto Set A command to the measuring device AUTO on the 460 to go from manual to automatic setting based on the magnitude of the signal being measured Bandwidth The frequency range over whic...

Page 48: ...ly the ability of an instrument to store information in non volatile memory for use later on demand for analysis and report generation Data Hold The temporary storage function of a measuring device which holds a displayed value when a user presses a key or button Decibels The unit of measure expressed as dB s used when measuring the level of sound Every 3dB represents approximately double the powe...

Page 49: ...the coil Video Monitors power lines and wire harnesses are a few of the devices which produce electro magnetic radiation Glitch Capture The ability of an instrument to listen for and capture spikes that occur in signals The resulting captures are usually sent directly to the screen for display Go No Go Alarm An output from a meter or controller which is used to indicate when a preset measurement p...

Page 50: ...multiplexed Overload A signal that is greater than that which a measuring device can accurately or safely accept Many meters have overload protection in the form of a fuse or similar device to protect the meter from overload input Over Range Visual display alerting the user that the signal present at the Indication meter s input is out of range Peak Hold The ability of a measuring device to hold t...

Page 51: ...a display device can indicate For example if a device can display 0 0 to 100 0 RPM the smallest measurement and therefore the resolution is 0 1 RPM Response Time The rate at which a measuring device responds to a change in the measured variable RH Capacitance Probe A capacitive device that senses relative humidity The meter used with such a probe senses the change in capacitance based on the moist...

Page 52: ...k the operation of a transistor The leads of a transistor are inserted into a receptacle and the meter indicates whether the device is operational or not Trend Mode The function of graphing signals over time to capture problems Trigger Selection The basis and point at which the oscilloscope begins its tracking Usually selected on the basis of AC DC or Glitch Capture with slope edge level and sensi...

Page 53: ...to any PC running in a Windows environment 1 Connect the 2 pin optical end of the cable assembly into the side socket of the 460 Connect the other end to the Com Port of the PC Tighten the screw of the Com Port plug 2 Insert the first software installation disk and use the mouse to select Start Run Enter A SETUP EXE into the Open box and select OK Repeat for the second installation disk You should...

Page 54: ... 1 then click Start Repeat this for the other port numbers if necessary 4 If there is still no display present click Stop then select a different Baud rate then click Start Repeat this for the other baud rates if necessary 5 If there is still no display present you may have a cabling problem If you do now have a display continue with File Management File Management 1 Save a file to the default fol...

Page 55: ...y box Use the Browser utility if needed Then click Ok See example in Fig D 4 The result will be the waveform previously recorded 4 Repeat for Channel B as required Note that the Print option for the Data View dialog box is for the data entry only not the waveform Channel 1 Identifier Channel 2 Identifier 460 User s Guide RS 232C PC Interface D 3 ...

Page 56: ...to Stop That is the software has received instructions to temporarily cease communicating with the 460 2 Use Color Set Up to specify the background grid and waveform colors as described in Set Up on the first page of this appendix 3 Use Waveform Print to print the actual waveforms displayed See example in Fig D 6 The included grid graduations will be to the same scale as used in the actual 460 dis...

Page 57: ...r to Fig D 7 for the control button identification Figure D 7 A460 Controls 1 Use the Time Base controls labeled Fast and Slow to change the speed of the time base and hence the stretching or compression of the waveform as it appears on the screen Fast will lengthen the pulse while Slow will compress it Note that each press of the keys will only advance or retard the time base by one step at a tim...

Page 58: ...ved under and then select the File Browser to choose the folder location For a screen capture using Windows press Ctrl hold the button down and then press PrtSc Print Screen You can then retrieve the paste after you have opened the destination folder or other receiving facility such as Microsoft PowerPoint Special Applications The A460 with the RS 232C facility offers a powerful tool in waveform e...

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Page 60: ...he same results when pressed The A460 switches off by itself Waveform shapes appear to be effected when using the 10 1 probe RS 232 link will not capture waveforms RS 232 Waveform updates very slowly Trouble effectively archiving RS 232 waveforms Cannot read Screen Characters The most likely problem is that the contrast adjustment is set incorrectly or that the memory did not maintain storage of t...

Page 61: ...will revert to the A MOVE menu Refer to Chapter 3 for a full list of key menu interactions The A460 Switches OFF by itself The 460 has an on screen menu option to time itself off This menu is found by pressing the USER button then F4 then ENTER Notice that the menu gives the user a total of four options If an option other that DISABLE has been previously selected it will remain the selection unles...

Page 62: ...nsation Fig E 1 a Uncompensated Sinewave Fig E 1 b Compensated Sinewave Fig E 2 a Uncompensated Squarewave Fig E 2 b Compensated Squarewave Fig E 3 a Uncompensated Sawtooth Fig E 3 b Compensated Sawtooth E 3 460 User s Guide Troubleshooting ...

Page 63: ... the trace displayed repeat the same process with a different Baud Rate A less common problem but one you should check is that the chosen trace graph color is differ ent from the background color Select Color Set Up and check or change the three color option boxes Once you click a color box you will be presented with a full color palette to chose from Once you have selected choices from the above ...

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