Scope Software Manual

Scop e So ftware Manual
Scope
version 4.0
for Windows and Macintosh computers
e-corder® www.eDAQ.com
This document was, as far as possible, accurate at Document Number: U-ES200S-1103
the time of printing. However, hanges may have For Scope version 4.0
been made to the software and hardware it
describes since then: eDAQ Pty Ltd reserves the right Copyright © November 2003
to alter specifications as required. Late-breaking
information may be supplied separately. Latest eDAQ Pty Ltd
information and information about software updates 6 Doig Avenue
can also be obtained from our web site. Denistone East, NSW 2112
Australia
Trademarks
http://www.eDAQ.com
e-corder and PowerChrom are registered trademarks email: info@eDAQ.com
of eDAQ Pty Ltd. Specific model names of data
recording units, such as e-corder 201, are All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
trademarks of eDAQ Pty Ltd. EChem is a trademarks reproduced by any means without the prior written
of eDAQ Pty Ltd. Chart and Scope are trademarks of permission of eDAQ Pty Ltd.
ADInstruments Pty Ltd and used by eDAQ under
license.
Mac OS, and Macintosh, are registered trademarks

of Apple Computer, Inc. Windows 98, Windows
Me, Windows 2000, and Windows XP are
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe

Systems, Incorporated.
All other trademarks are the respective properties of

their owners.
ii Scope Software
Contents
1 Getting Started 1 Converting Quantities 30
Choosing Unit Names 32
Learning to Use Scope 2 Sweep and Trigger Controls 33
Computer Requirements 2 Sweep 33
Windows 2 Trigger 36
Macintosh 2 The Stimulator 37
Windows Installation 3 Mode 37
Macintosh Installation 5 Setting the Controls 39
Exiting Scope 5 Customized Stimulus Waveforms 40
The Stim Panel 41
Constant Output Voltage 42
2 Introduction 7 The Stimulator Output 42
Stimulator External Trigger 43
An Overview of Scope 8
Opening a Scope File 10
Closing a Scope File 12 4 Data Display 45
The Scope Window 13 Data Display Area 46
Recording 17 Changing Channel Height 46
Display While Recording 18 Overlaying Channels 46
Interruptions While Recording 19 Displaying a Single Channel 47
Limits of Recording 19 The Amplitude Axis 48
Axis Labels 49
3 Setting Up Scope 21 Display Settings 50
Overlay Display Settings 52
Setting the Sampling Rate 22 Stimulus Display Settings 53
Sampling Rate Limits 24
Navigating 54
Channel Controls 24
Overlaying Pages 55
The Input Amplifier 26 Using the Page Buttons 55
Signal Display 26
Filtering 27 The Zoom Window 56
Signal Input Controls 27
Display Offset 28
Units Conversion 29
Scope Software iii

5 Working With Files 61 Special Access 108
Hardware Start-Up 109
Selecting Data 62 External Trigger 109
The Selection Miniwindow 63 Macros 110
Editing Data 64 Recording a Macro 111
Transferring Data 65 Replaying a Macro 112
The Clipboard 67 Deleting a Macro 112
Saving Options 67 Options When Recording Macros 113
Macros Using Macros 116
Appending Files 70 Macro Commands 116
Text Files 71 Analysis Scope 123
Printing 73
Page Setup 73
The Print Command 75 A Menus & Commands 125
Page Comments 78 Menus 125
The Notebook 78 128
Keyboard Shortcuts 129
6 Data Analysis 81
Signal Measurements 82 B Troubleshooting 131
Using the Marker 82
Technical Support 131
Setting and Removing Baselines 83
The Marker Miniwindow 84 Solutions to Common Problems 133
Background Subtraction 86
The Data Pad 87 C Technical Notes 137
Adding Data to the Data Pad 88
Fast Fourier Transforms 137
Setting Up the Columns 89
Computed Functions 140
The Average Page 91
The X–Y Display 92
The FFT Display 93 Index 143
Computed Functions 95
Sampling Rate 96 License & Warranty 151
Units 96
Display Functions 96
Channel Functions 97
7 Customizing & Automating 101

Preferences 102
Options 102
Menus 105
Controls 106
Start-Up 107
iv Scope Software
C H A P T E R O N E
1 Getting Started
Welcome to Scope, software that lets you use your e-corder as a two-
channel storage oscilloscope or XYT plotter. It is one of a range of
eDAQ programs that provide a laboratory data recording and analysis
system for use with Windows or Macintosh computers.
This chapter contains instructions on the installation of Scope and

computer requirements.
Scope Software 1
Learning to Use Scope
First familiarize your self with the computer’s operating system. Many of
the Scope menus, dialog boxes, and controls work in a similar way to
other software on your computer.
Note:
Actual appearance of
the Scope software on Read the introductory chapters in your e-corder Manual to be sure that
your computer will vary the e-corder is properly connected to the computer, then continue with
slightly from the this chapter.
diagrams in this manual,
depending on your
Updated documentation, and application notes, are available from our
operating system
(Windows 98, 2000, web site, www.eDAQ.com.
XP, Macintosh), and your
personalized display
settings. Computer Requirements
Windows
• A Pentium processor or better
• Microsoft Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, or later. Windows 95
and NT will not work with e-corder units to collect data, however
you can use the Scope software on these older computers to open
pre-existing data files for review and analysis.
• 48 MB RAM (Windows NT 4, 2000, XP)
• 20 MB free hard disk space
• A CD-ROM drive
• 800 x 600, 256 color display or better
• A USB interface
Macintosh
• A Power PC, G3 or later processor
• Mac OS 8.6 or later (Mac OS 9.0 or later recommended).
Classic with Mac OS X.
• 32 MB available RAM
• 20 MB free hard disk space
2 Scope Software
• A CD-ROM drive
• A USB interface
Windows Installation
It is recommended that you use the e-corder Software Installer to install
both Chart and Scope software at the same time.
Insert the e-corder Software Installer CD into the computer’s CD drive.

The e-corder Installer window should appear. If not, locate and double-
click the Startup icon on the CD (Startup.exe if you have file extensions
showing) to open it. Follow the installation instructions.
The hardware and software manuals (including this manual, the Chart
Software Manual and e-corder Manual) in Adobe Acrobat portable
document format (pdf) files, can are also be installed on your computer.
Check our web site, www.eDAQ.com, periodically for information
regarding software updates and new documentation.
You can easily access the Scope software, or its demonstration files, by
using the Programs menu of the taskbar’s Start button under ‘eDAQ
Scope’. A desktop shortcut to the Scope software is created during
installation.
If You Have an Earlier Version of Scope…

If you have an earlier version of Scope, it will be overwritten if the new
version is being installed in the same location. If your old version of
Scope is in a different location, uninstall it using the Windows
Add/Remove Programs control panel. Keeping two versions of the
same software on your computer is not recommended.
New Hardware
The first time you use a new e-corder unit with a computer, Windows
will display the New Hardware wizard, Figure 1–1, and ask you if you
want to install a driver.
Insert the Installer CD. Leave the wizard on its default settings, as
shown, and click the button.
Chapter 1 — Getting Started 3

Figure 1–1
The New Hardware
wizard
Starting Your Copy of Scope

Ensure that the e-corder is connected properly to your computer (see the
e-corder manual) and turned on. Double-click the Scope icon or its
desktop shortcut or choose Scope from the Programs menu of the
taskbar’s Start button (under eDAQ).
If the e-corder is not connected, or is not turned on, then the dialog box
in Figure 1–2 will appear.
Figure 1–2
The dialog box that
appears if the e-corder is
not connected or
switched on
4 Scope Software
Macintosh Installation
It is recommended that you install both Chart and Scope software at the
same time.
Insert the Software Installer CD into the computer. The e-corder Disk
window should appear (if it doesn’t, double click the CD icon on your
desktop).
Double-click the e-corder Installer icon to open the e-corder Installer (if
you wish to install Scope only, double-click the Scope Installer icon in
the Installers folder).
Exiting Scope
If you want to exit Scope after opening a file, choose Exit (or Quit on
Macintosh) from the File menu. If you want to proceed with working
through this guide, you can leave the file open, and proceed.
Chapter 1 — Getting Started 5

6 Scope Software
C H A P T E R T W O
2 Introduction
Scope software, together with your e-corder, form a powerful data

acquisition system, with an intuitive interface, used to replace
oscilloscopes and XYT plotters.
This chapter provides a general overview of Scope, and deals with the
basics of recording signals.
Scope Software 7
An Overview of Scope
Scope, together with e-corder hardware and a Windows or Macintosh
computer, provides the capability of a two-channel storage
oscilloscope, or XYT plotter, with added display, analysis and storage
options. You can record on one or two channels at a variety of rates.
Controls and Display

See Chapter 3 for how to set up an e-corder input channel and assign it
to Input A or Input B:
• input sensitivity range and filtering options can be set
independently for each channel, page 24.
• sampling rate can be set up to 200 kHz, page 22.
• in addition the Stimulator, page 37, allows you to set up a voltage
waveform to be output during a sweep: single, double, or multiple
square pulses, ramps, or triangular or free-form waveforms can be
defined. The Stim control panel, page 41, allows stimuli to be
adjusted as required during recording.
Chapter 4 shows how the Scope window can be resized, and the
height of each channel can be changed:
• Channel Amplitude axes, page 48, can be dragged, stretched, or
set through the Scale pop-up menu.
• appropriate axis labels, page 49 (and units of measurement,
page 29) for each channel can be assigned.
The data display can be set to show one or both channels, page 96.
Recording
Scope records data in sweeps, Chapter 3, like a normal storage
oscilloscope:
• you can choose to record one or two channels of data in single,
repetitive, multiple, superimposed, or average sweeps, page 33.
• each sweep can be recorded to a different Scope ‘page’.
8 Scope Software
• Triggering options, page 34, allow you to control when Scope
starts and stops recording.
In addition:
• Page Comments, page 78, can be made for each page of data to
mark features of interest, or
• the Notebook can be used, page 78, to make general notes for
inclusion in the data file.
Saving, Printing, and Editing

Scope recordings can be printed, edited, and saved to a disk for later
review, Chapter 5:
• save the settings of any Scope file to enable an experiment to be
quickly reconfigured, page 68.
• sweeps can be printed in a variety of formats, or cut, copied, and
pasted between files, page 64.
• append a Scope file to the end of an open file, page 70.
• export data to other software, such as statistics programs or
spreadsheets, or paste or import correctly formatted text into a
Scope file, page 65 & 71.
Analysis
After recording, you can make measurements directly from the
recording, and display the signals in various ways to facilitate the
analysis, Chapter 6:
• use the Marker, page 82, as an origin/reference point.
• the Data Pad internal speadsheet, page 87, can extract
parameters about selected regions of the signal (such as mean and
standard deviation values, slopes, integrals etc.). It is saved with the
data file.
• plot data from one channel versus another (XY plotting), page 92
• perform a Fast Fourier transform (FFT, page 93) of the signal to
display a power spectrum.
• A range of computed functions, page 95, can be applied to the
incoming signal, such as smoothing, integration, differentiation, etc.
Chapter 2 — Introduction 9
The signals on the two channels can be added to, subtracted from,
or multiplied by one another. These functions can also be undone
revealing the original, raw data.
• set a background page, page 86, the signals of which are
subtracted from other pages in the file.
You can also:

• use the Zoom window, page 56, to examine a section of signal in
detail.
• or overlay signals from any selection of pages, page 55.
Customizing
Scope can be extensively customized, Chapter 7:
• Controls, and menus and their commands (and keyboard
shortcuts) can be locked, hidden, or altered, page 105, to simplify
the appearance of Scope for student or routine use.
• Macros, page 110, can be created to automate commonly used
sequences of commands.
Note
Hold down the Ctrl key
( key on Macintosh) as
you start Scope to open Opening a Scope File
with the default settings.
Have a Scope file open while working through this manual, so that you
can try the commands, controls, and settings as they are discussed.
First, make sure that the e-corder is properly connected to your
Figure 2–1
Scope icons computer, and is turned on. If an e-corder is not connected, then on
opening a file, a dialog box, Figure 1–2, page 4, offers the Analysis
option to use Scope for viewing and analyzing extisting data files.
To start Scope, double-click:

• , the Scope program icon, Figure 2–1, which will open a
new untitled file;
• , a Scope file icon, which will open a data file; or
• , a settings file icon, which will open a preconfigured settings
file (containing no data), page 68, ready to begin recording. Macro
files, page 110, also use this icon.
10 Scope Software
Figure 2–2
The Open directory
dialog box on a
Windows computer. The
corresponding dialog Select a
box on Macintosh has file to
open
similar options.
Select a
file format
On a Windows computer you can also use the desktop shortcut,

to open Scope, or the taskbar Start button — the default location is
Start>All Programs>eDAQ>Scope.
If Scope is already open then you can open another file or create a
new one by choosing Open… or New from the File menu, Figure A–2,
page 126. Choosing Open… from the File menu accesses the Open
directory dialog box, Figure 2–2. Only one file can be open in Scope
at any one time.
On Windows computers data file names end with ‘.sfwdat’; settings

files with ‘.sfwset’; and macro files with ‘.sfwmac’. This filename suffix
should always be present on a Windows computer, although it may be
hidden. If a file has been moved from a Macintosh to a Windows
computer then it may not have the suffix, and you can use the All files
file format option to locate it. Text files, page 71, can also be imported,
using the All files or Text files options.
The information in a Scope file is made up of data and settings. Data

are the recorded signals, which are normally loaded when opening a
file. Settings are of two sorts:
• recording settings, such as the sampling rate, channel input
sensitivity range, triggering options, and stimulator waveform output;
• display settings, such as window size, display settings, and menu
configuration.
If the checkbox is ticked when opening a Scope file,
Figure 2–2, then both recording and display settings are loaded.
Opening a file with the checkbox off will load only display
settings, not those affecting recording. In either case, settings will apply
to any subsequent sweep.
If a data file is already open, it will be closed when another data file is
opened. If the checkbox is ticked, then both the settings
and the data will be loaded, otherwise the settings of the original data
file are retained.
The use of the checkbox to append files is discussed

on page 70.
The use of the checkbox to discard macros is

discussed on page 114.
There is a demonstration data file (in the Scope>Demo Files folder).
Closing a Scope File

To close a Scope file, choose Close from the File menu, Figure A–2,
page 126, or type Ctrl+F4. To exit Scope, choose Exit (or Quit on
Macintosh) from the File menu, or type Alt+F4 ( –Q on Macintosh).
12 Scope Software
The Scope Window
The essential controls for recording data are provided in the main
Scope window and its various control panels, Figure 2–3, and the
Scope menu bar, Figure 2–4. The Scope Window command from the
Windows menu returns to this window from another, or opens a new,
untitled file if the window has been closed.
Basic Window Controls

The title bar shows the title of the file, and is highlighted it if it is active
(that is, the frontmost window). Drag the title bar to move the Scope
window. Drag the size control or window borders to set the size of the
window: this does not affect recording fidelity — the resolution of
recorded data is independent of the resolution of the display. Click the
close button to close a currently open Scope file (equivalent to choosing
Figure 2–3 Close from the File menu, Figure A–2, page 126).
The Scope window
File title Cursor coordinates Title bar, drag to move Shift+drag a panel title to move
the panel
Scale Set input

pop-up channel
menu, sensitivity
page 48 and
filtering
Amplitude
axis,
page 48
Set
sampling
Channel rate, and
titles sweep
duration
Signal display area
Drag
channel
separator
to adjust
channel
Scaling areas
buttons
Start/stop
Marker recording
Page The Display mode Page buttons — select Re-size control

comments pop-up menu the sweep to display
Six control panels (e-corder, Cursor, Input A, Input B, Time Base, and
Sample) can be moved around the screen independently by
Shift+dragging their titles. Blank panels appear behind the control
panels to hide the background.
The Scope menu bar, Figure 2–4, contains the Scope menus, see
Appendix A, page 125.
On Windows computers, the Scope menu bar can be moved around by

dragging its title bar, and resized horizontally by dragging its borders.
Click its close button to quit Scope, or its minimize button to reduce
Scope to a button on the taskbar (you can do this while sampling).
Windows computers
Figure 2–4
The Scope menu bar
Macintosh
Navigating
Scope stores sweeps of data as if they were pages in a notepad. The
numbered Page buttons along the bottom of the Scope window and the
Page Corner controls at the bottom right of the data display area allow
you to move to, and view, the multiple pages of a Scope file. The
highlighted (dark) Page button, , indicates the page of data currently
Page Corner controls viewed, the active page. The Average page always precedes run 1,
and a blank page, , always appears as the last button. Pages of
Blank (last) page
data are numbered consecutively as they are recorded. Click the upper
folded corner of the Page Corner controls to move a page right, and
the lower corner to move left. Click a numbered Page button to go to
that page, or choose Go To Page… from the Display menu, and enter
Average Active
page (highlighted) the number in the dialog box that appears. You can also go to the
page) page to the left or right by using the left or right arrow keys on the
keyboard, respectively. Hold down the Ctrl key ( key on Macintosh)
while pressing the left or right arrow key to go to the beginning or the
end of the file (the first or last numbered pages with data, not the
Average or blank pages).
Scrolling buttons When there are too many sweeps to accommodate all the buttons
along the bottom of the window, then left and right scrolling buttons
appear, and , click them to move left or right, or press them to
scroll left or right continuously.
14 Scope Software
The Scope Axes
The horizontal axis of the data display area, Figure 2–3, page 13,
shows:
• the time from the start of sampling for Scope display, page 13;
• x-values, for XY displays, page 92; or
• frequency, for FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) displays, page 93;
depending on the option chosen from the Display pop-up menu (at the
bottom left of the window).
The vertical Amplitude axis indicates the size of a signal. Note that the
axis area remains blank until a signal is actually recorded. The scale
for each channel is initially set by the range control on the right side of
the window, but can be stretched or offset using the pointer to drag the
axis ticks and tick labels up and down, page 49. Display options can
be chosen from the Scale pop-up menu, page 48. Units are volts by
default, but the signal can be recalibrated to show any units using Units
Conversion, page 29.
The Channel Controls

The channel controls are located at the right of the main Scope
window, Figure 2–3, page 13. The three control panels are Input A,
Input B (page 24), and Time Base, (page 22). These controls are
disabled if Scope is operating in Analysis mode, Figure 1–2, page 4.
Channel pop-up menu Press the The Input A or Input B Channel pop-up menu to turn off or on
the display channel, or to choose from which of the e-corder input
channels to record. The number of channels available depends on the
model of e-corder. Press the Range pop-up menu to select channel
range/sensitivity. Click the button to display a dialog
box, Figure 3–3, page 25, to preview the signal and set sensitivity and
filtering controls. The Range pop-up menu and button
are disabled if the input is turned off.
Rate/Time display
The Time Base panel, Figure 3–1, page 22, provides control of
sampling rate and recording resolution for both Scope channels. Press
the Samples pop-up menu to choose the number of samples per sweep,
and choose the approximate duration of each sweep from the
Time/Freq pop-up menu. The Rate/Time display to the right of the
panel title display shows the sampling rate currently set. The
preferences can be changed from the default for this panel so that the
time base is set by division or by frequency: double-click the Rate/Time
display to access the dialog box to change them, Figure 7–1,
page 103.
Data Display Area

Recorded data are shown in the main Scope window, Figure 2–3,
page 13, in the data display area. Two channels are displayed by
default. The channel separator between them can be dragged up or
down to vary the size of the channel display areas. Dragging it to the
top of the display or double-clicking it overlays the two channels. See
Chapter 4, page 45 for more information about how to display signals.
Waveform Cursor Display

The Waveform Cursor display, in the Cursor panel, shows the time and
the signal value of the Waveform Cursor in both channels, when the
pointer is over the data display area, Figure 6–1, page 82.
The Marker
The Marker, , page 82, can be found at the bottom left of the Scope
window, Figure 2–3, page 13. It can be dragged from its home
position onto the data display area to set a particular data point on a
waveform as a zero reference point, so that relative measurements can
be made. Double-clicking the Marker or clicking its home box recalls it.
Page Comment Button

The Page Comment button, , can be found at the bottom left of the
Scope window, Figure 2–3, page 13. Click it to display the Page
Comment window, Figure 5–17, page 78, for noting down comments
about particular pages of data. If comments have been made, then the
button icon toggles to .
Start Button
To start recording, click the button. The button toggles to
, click it, if required, to stop recording. During starting or
16 Scope Software
stopping, or if the e-corder or computer is busy the button will appear
as . Don’t click the button repeatedly: wait until sampling has
definitely started or stopped.
Pointer
The pointer position is controlled by moving the mouse, and will
change shape, for example, , giving an indication of its
function, as you move it over various objects in different parts of the
monitor.
Recording
To start recording, click the button in the Sample panel. The
button then toggles to : click it, if required, to stop recording.
The button may display Wait… while starting or stopping, if the
e-corder or computer is performing other tasks. Note that Scope can
record in the background: it does not need to be the active application
to record data.
Scope can record a large number of sweeps as sequential ‘pages’ of

data. You can choose to record one or two channels of data per page
in a variety of sweep modes, page 33:
• Single displays and records a single page of data;
• Repetitive displays repeat scans, but only records the last page of
data;
• Multiple records multiple pages of data;
• Superimposed records sweeps one atop the other on the same
page, dimming the older sweeps — only the last sweep is finally
recorded; and
• Average records the average signal from a number of successive
sweeps on a single page.
Display While Recording
At slow sampling rates (less than 400 Hz), the signal is drawn on the
screen from left to right, much like a standard oscilloscope. A short
vertical line segment, the Trace Indicator, Figure 2–5, moves left to right
across the top of the data display area, tracking the front edge of the
advancing waveform. If repetitive recording is chosen, then when the
right edge is reached, drawing starts again at the left (and old data are
erased to make way for the new data).
At fast sampling rates, the signal is collected too quickly to be

displayed in real time and the sweep is drawn after it has been
processed. Some information is given on the sampling status of Scope
in the e-corder panel, below its title (see Figure 2–6). The message
‘Sampling…’ will be displayed during single-sweep sampling, or when
Scope is waiting for a trigger. If sweeps are repetitive or superimposed,
a progress indicator, , will appear to the left of this message. If
multiple or average sweeps are chosen, then after sampling has started,
the Progress Indicator, , will be displayed, and the message will
show the number of the sweep (‘Sweep 1’, ‘Sweep 2’ etc.). Other
messages will appear in some circumstances, for instance, when
loading and saving files, and recording and playing macros.
Figure 2–5
Display during recording Trace Indicator
at a slow sampling rate
Figure 2–6
Progress Indicator
display
18 Scope Software
Interruptions While Recording
If you make changes to various parameters, such as the sampling rate
and channel range settings, while recording then Scope stops sampling
on the current page, changes to the new settings, and starts sampling
again. This is useful for observing signal changes doing repetitive or
superimposed sweeps. It is usually recommend to stop sampling before
changing settings, by clicking the button in the Sampling panel,
or typing Ctrl+. , i.e. Ctrl+period character ( –. on a Macintosh).
To stop recording also use
Ctrl+. (or –. on a If you are taking multiple or average sweeps, page 38, then changing
Macintosh)
recording paramters, first stops recording then starts again with the new
settings. For example, if you were recording eight mutiple or average
sweeps, recording would stop and then start so that eight new seeps
would be performed.
Changes to the display, such as resizing the window, will also interrupt
then restart sampling.
Limits of Recording
Scope can have a maximum 999 pages in any one file, provided you
have sufficient free disk space available.
The size of a Scope data file depends on the number of data points per
sweep (up to 2560), and whether you are sampling on one or both
channels. Scope also compress the data for storage for increased
efficiency.
Each data point is stored as a 32 bit floating point number and

requires four bytes of storage. Recording on both channels at the
maximum of 2560 samples per sweep would use 4 × 2 × 2560 =
20 480 bytes, that is 20 K of memory per page. Thus the largest
possible Scope data file, 999 pages at 20 K per page would have a
size of 20 MB.
20 Scope Software
C H A P T E R T H R E E
3 Setting Up Scope
This chapter describes basic settings controls such as the sampling rate
and the input amplification (sensitivity), together with features such as,
units conversion, sweep mode, triggering, and stimulation.
Scope Software 21
Setting the Sampling Rate
Like a standard oscilloscope, Scope graphs a signal against time in a
series of sweeps. The Time Base panel, Figure 3–1, controls the
duration of a sweep, sampling rate, and number of samples per sweep.
Note that these parameters are not independent: any two defines the
third. Both Scope channels always have the same time base controls.
Like the screen of a standard oscilloscope, the data display area is

marked into divisions by a graticule, or grid, aligned with the tick
marks on the Time axis (see Display Settings, page 50 if you want to
change the appearance of the graticule). Scope always displays 12.8
divisions along the time axis, so the number of samples per division is
determined by the number of data points (samples) per sweep. For
example, 256 samples per sweep = 20 samples × 12.8 divisions.
The Time Base panel can be displayed in three different ways, Figure
3–1. It is possible to configure sampling by time per sweep, time per
division, Table 3–1, or by sampling frequency, Table 3–2. Note that
using the sampling frequency gives access to the widest range of
settings. See also Sampling Rate, page 96.
Sampling rate,
Double click to access Time Base
1 Hz – 200 kHz
control options, Figure 7–1, page 103
Figure 3–1
The Time Base panel.
Select the version of the
panel via the Time Base Select the number of data points,
control options, Figure 256 – 2560 per sweep
Interval
7–1, page 103. between
sample
Select samples points
Select sweep duration per division (5 µs –
setting, 1 ms – 200 s. (20 – 200) 1 s)
Actual duration is 1.28
times longer
Select the duration per

division (200 µs – 5 s)
Select the number of data points, Sampling rate,

(256 – 2560) recorded in one sweep 1 Hz – 200 kHz
22 Scope Software
Samples 256 512 640 1024 1280 2560
Table 3–1 Time Division 20 40 50 80 100 200
Sampling rates available
200 s 20 s 1 2 – – 4 10
when sweep duration, or
duration per division, is 100 s 10 s 2 4 – – 10 20
used to adjust the Time 50 s 5s 4 – 10 – 20 40
Base.
20 s 2s 10 20 – 40 – 100
10 s 1s 20 40 – – 100 200
5s 500 ms 40 – 100 – 200 400
2s 200 ms 100 200 – 400 – 1 000
1s 100 ms 200 400 – – 1 000 2 000
500 ms 50 ms 400 – 1 000 – 2 000 4 000
200 ms 20 ms 1 000 2 000 – 4 000 – 10 000
100 ms 10 ms 2 000 4 000 – – 10 000 20 000
50 ms 5 ms 4 000 – 10 000 – 20 000 40 000
20 ms 2 ms 10 000 20 000 – 40 000 – 100 000
10 ms 1 ms 20 000 40 000 – – 100 000 200 000
5 ms 500 µs 40 000 – 100 000 – 200 000 –
2 ms 200 µs 100 000 200 000 – – – –
1 ms 100 µs 200 000 – – – – –
Frequency Time per Number of Samples

Table 3–2 (Hz) Sample 256 512 640 1024 1280 2560
Sweep durations when 1 1s 256 s 512 s 640 s 1024 s 1280 s 2560 s
using sampling rate
(frequency) to adjust the 2 500 ms 128 s 256 s 320 s 512 s 640 s 1280 s
Time Base. 4 250 ms 64 s 128 s 160 s 256 s 320 s 640 s
10 100 ms 25.6 s 51.2 s 64 s 102.4 s 128 s 256 s
20 50 ms 12.8 s 25.6 s 32 s 51.2 s 64 s 128 s
40 25 ms 6.4 s 12.8 s 16 s 25.6 s 32 s 64 s
100 10 ms 2.56 s 5.12 s 6.4 s 10.24 s 12.8 s 25.6 s
200 5 ms 1.28 s 2.56 s 3.2 s 5.12 s 6.4 s 12.8 s
400 2.5 ms 640 ms 1.28 s 1.6 s 2.56 s 3.2 s 6.4 s
1000 1 ms 256 ms 512 ms 640 ms 1.024 s 1.28 s 2.56 s
2000 500 µs 128 ms 256 ms 320 ms 512 ms 640 ms 1.28 s
4000 250 µs 64 ms 128 ms 160 ms 256 ms 320 ms 640 ms
10 000 100 µs 25.6 ms 51.2 ms 64 ms 102.4 ms 128 ms 256 ms
20 000 50 µs 12.8 ms 25.6 ms 32 ms 51.2 ms 64 ms 128 ms
40 000 25 µs 6.4 ms 12.8 ms 16 ms 25.6 ms 32 ms 64 ms
100 000 10 µs 2.56 ms 5.12 ms 6.4 ms 10.24 ms 12.8 ms 25.6 ms
200 000 5 µs 1.28 ms 2.56 ms 3.2 ms 5.12 ms 6.4 ms 1.28 ms
Chapter 3 — Setting Up Scope 23

Sampling Rate Limits
The maximum sampling rate is 200 000 samples per second,
corresponding to one sample every 5 µs, or 100 µs per division. This
speed is available on one channel only — that is, you must turn one
input channel off, or select the same channel for both inputs. At
sampling rates of 100 000 /s, or less, you can record signals on both
channels. Also, not all Trigger sources can be used at the 200 000 /s
setting. When Scope records at fast rates, sampled data are stored in
the internal memory of the e-corder and are transmitted to the computer
after sampling has been completed.
Delays Between Sweeps

The computer you are using does not limit the sampling rate of the
sweep, but may affect how quickly data can be displayed after
collection, and also the minimum delay between consecutive sweeps.
Usually these limitations are only noticeable at higher recording speeds
when doing multiple repeat sweeps. Less powerful computers will have
longer minimum delays between sweeps. Shorter delays can be
obtained by shrinking the Scope window to its smallest size, reducing
the color depth of the display, and applying any transformations
(computed functions) to your data after sampling.
Channel Controls
Scope has two independent Input panels, Input A (Figure 3–2) and
Input B. Each allocates an e-corder channel to Input A or B, and is used
to adjust the signal range and filtering options.
Press the Channel pop-up menu to turn off a channel, or to select the
e-corder input channel from which to record a signal.
The Range pop-up menu lets you select the e-corder input channel
range (sensitivity). The default setting is 10 V (from –10 V to +10 V). If
the signal is too small at that range, select a more appropriate value.
For the best resolution, the input range should be selected to just
accommodate the maximum amplitude of the signal. If the signal
exceeds the selected range then it will be truncated and that portion of
the signal is lost.
24 Scope Software
Turn off the input, or select the e-corder
Figure 3–2 input channel from which to record
An Input panel and its
pop-up menus: Channel
and Range
Click here to access the

Input Amplifier dialog Range pop-up menu.
box, Figure 3–3. Set the range
(sensitivity) of the
input channel
Figure 3–3
The Input Amplifier
Scale pop-up menu, Amplitude
dialog box Signal average Pause/Scroll button
page 48 axes
Range pop-up
menu
High pass filter
Low pass filters,

page 27
Signal input
controls
Signal is previewed in page 27
this display area
Invert signal
polarity,
page 28
Signal average Click to access Units Conversion Click to access Input Voltage
dialog box, Figure 3–5, page 29 dialog box, Figure 3–4, page 28

The Input Amplifier
Clicking the button of the Input A or Input B control
panels, Figure 3–2, accesses the Input Amplifier dialog box for that
input channel, Figure 3–3, which allows you to adjust channel
sensitivity and signal filtering. The incoming signal is previewed in
display area but is not recorded to disk.
Clicking the OK button to apply the changes updates the corresponding

settings seen in the main Scope window.
Signal Display
The incoming signal is displayed so you can preview the effect of
changing the settings. Slowly changing waveforms will be represented
quite accurately, whereas quickly changing signals will be displayed as
a solid dark area showing only the envelope (shape) of the signal
formed by the minimum and maximum recorded values. The average
signal value is shown at the top left of the display area.
Stop the signal scrolling by clicking the Pause button, , at the top
right of the data display area. It then changes to the Scroll button, ,
which is clicked to start scrolling again.
Shift and stretch the left hand vertical Amplitude axis to make the best
use of the available display area, by dragging the axis ticks and tick
labels. Controls, such as the Scale pop-up menu, function identically to
those in the main Scope window. Changes made in the Input Amplifier
dialog box, update the corresponding settings in the main Scope
window, page 48.
Setting the Range

The Range pop-up menu, lets you select the input range or sensitivity of
the channel. Changing the range in the Input Amplifier dialog box will
update the main Scope window when the button is clicked.
26 Scope Software
Filtering
Scope can apply various filters to the incoming signal:
• AC Coupling. When the checkbox is selected, Figure 3–3, a
high pass filter (cut-off frequency 0.16 Hz) is applied, removing DC
and low-frequency components of the signal. The AC coupling
option is useful to measure a rapidly oscillating signal, such as a
vibration or sound, where it is desirable to remove DC offset.
• Low-Pass Filtering. The Filter pop-up menu, Figure 3–3, gives a
choice of low-pass filters to remove high-frequency components,
such as noise, from an input signal. When the Off position is
selected the signal is recorded at the full 20 kHz bandwidth of the
e-corder unit. These filters are implemented with a digital algorithm
within the e-corder and range from 2 kHz to 1 Hz.
See also the e-corder Manual for details.
Signal Input Controls

The and checkboxes, Figure 3–3, are set depending
on the type of signal being recorded. These checkboxes do not appear
where the input for a channel is only single-ended (for example
channels 3 and 4 of an e-corder 401). The two checkboxes allow you
to set up three possible input modes:
• Positive. Use this setting when the signal is connected to a BNC
input connector on the e-corder front panel. Such signals are termed
single-ended, and have a + component (connected to the BNC
centre pin) and a ground reference (the shell of the BNC connector).
• Negative. It is unusual to use this option by itself. The signal must
be connected to the ‘signal –’ and ground pins of an e-corder Pod
port. It is similar to the single-ended configuration above, except that
positive signal will be shown as a negative voltage.
• Differential. When both the Positive and Negative checkboxes are
checked, both + and – inputs (available on the e-corder Pod port)
for that channel are used. The displayed signal is the difference
between the positive and negative input signals.
Details of connectors can be found in the e-corder Manual.

Inverting the Signal
The checkbox, Figure 3–3, page 25, when ticked, inverts the
signal on the screen. For example, you might be recording from a force
transducer where an increase in force downwards gives a negative
signal, but you want to have a downwards force shown as a positive
signal on the screen.
Display Offset
Clicking the button, Figure 3–3, page 25, causes the
Input Voltage dialog box to appear, Figure 3–4. If the transducer or
signal preamplifier that you are using has offset adjustment capabilities,
you can use this display to help zero the signal before starting
recording. This display is unavailable when the AC checkbox is ticked.
AC coupling removes all DC components of the signal.
Figure 3–4
The Input Voltage dialog
box
Direction in which to adjust offset
Signal value
Units
Clicking the button, Figure 3–3, page 25, accesses the Units
Conversion dialog box, Figure 3–5, allowing you to calibrate the signal
in units of your choice. The waveform currently in the data display area
of the dialog box is transferred to the data display area of the Units
Conversion dialog box. (Use the Pause button to capture any specific
signal you want to use.) The units conversion will only apply to
subsequently recorded signals, so it is more limited than choosing units
conversion directly, as it does not allow the conversion of individual
pages of data.
28 Scope Software
Units Conversion
Units conversion is used to calibrate the signal, applying appropriate
units for the display. You can apply the conversion before you start
recording (all pages recorded can then be scaled to the required units),
or you can apply it after you have made a recording, either to all or
just some of the pages. Each page could have a separate calibration if
required. You need to set up units conversion separately for each of the
two channels.
There are two ways to access the Units Conversion dialog box, Figure
3–5:
• select the Units Conversion… command from the Scale pop-up
menu, Figure 4–4, page 49, in the main Scope window. If a
channel (or page) has no data, the Units Conversion… command is
disabled. If there is a signal in the chosen channel, then it is shown
in the Units Conversion dialog box. Units can be applied to all
pages in the file, or just to the current page.
Figure 3–5
The Units Conversion
Raw signal Calibration Unit pop-up Number of decimal
dialog box
values values menu places for display
Data Use pop-

up menu
Value
button
Difference
button
Applied units
Axis label
(if any)
Amplitude axis Maximum, mean, and minimum values in selection

• click the button in the Input Amplifier dialog box, Figure
3–3, page 25. The data displayed in the Input Amplifier dialog box
is shown in the data display area of the Units Conversion dialog
box. The units conversion will only be applied to subsequently
recorded signals.
Converting Quantities
Two pairs of calibration points are used to calculate the scaling of the
signal in the new units. Note that if the slope is negative, the Amplitude
axis will be inverted.
Entering Values
If you know the relationship between the quantity being measured and
the raw voltage signal, then you can directly enter the calibration
values in the four boxes. For example if you are using a temperature
transducer where a 1 V signal corresponds to 10 °C, and 3 V to
30 °C, then you enter values for the top row and
for the second row, and then choose °C from the
Units pop-up menu.
You can set up units conversion using some values from data points,
averages, and changes in the waveform shown in the data display
area. The Data Use pop-up menu changes which buttons are available
for data transfer: either Point 1 and Point 2 or Point 1 and Difference.
This in turn fixes how displayed data are used: you can either use two
data points (or averages) or a point and a difference to fix the
conversion scaling. (At least one of the base values must be absolute.)
You can shift and stretch the vertical Amplitude axis to make the best
use of the data display area. It is the same as the Amplitude axis in the
main window, and the controls function identically. If you click in the
data display area, a vertical line indicates the active point, and an
indicator arrow at the right of the data display shows the point of
intersection with the waveform (Figure 3–6, ➊). If you make a selection
in the data display area, the indicator arrow at the right of the data
display shows the average amplitude of the waveform, and two
markers above and below it indicate the maximum and minimum data
points in the selection (Figure 3–6, ➍).
30 Scope Software
➊ ➌
Figure 3–6
Selections in the data
display area of the Units
Conversion dialog box
➋ ➍
If there is an active point or a selection in the data display area, then

clicking the Value button enters the voltage value (at the active point, or
the average of the selected data) in the left box in its row. Clicking the
Difference button enters the difference between the maximum and
minimum of the selection in the left box in its row. Differences are
indicated by a delta prefix (∆). In each case, the right box of the row is
selected so that you can type in the known value in the new units. As a
shortcut, you can double-click in the data display area to transfer the
data at a point in one step (doing this a second time enters data in the
unused row).
For example, to calibrate a force transducer:

1. start recording slowly (about 4 /s) and apply first one and then a
second known force (calibration weight) to the transducer during a
sweep.
2. click on the channel you want to calibrate and choose Units
Conversion… from the Scale pop-up menu, Figure 4–4, page 49, to
open the Units Conversion dialog box, Figure 3–5, page 29.
3. choose the 2 Point Calibration option from the Data Use pop-up
menu, then use the pointer to select a point or area in the signal
corresponding to the first calibration force (Figure 3–6, ➋)
4. click the button, Figure 3–5, page 29, to enter its value in the
upper raw signal text box, and type the known force in
corresponding calibration value box beside it.

5. repeat the process for the other force (Figure 3–6, ➌), entering
data in the lower raw signal and calibration value text boxes.
An example where you might use the Point and Difference method is for
a temperature transducer that produces an accurately known change in
voltage for a given change in temperature (such as ∆20 mV giving ∆1
°C) but has a relatively large offset error. Record the signal at an
accurately known temperature (say, 23.6 °C, at ambient). Use this
value in the top row to correspond to the measured signal. Use the
Difference button to enter the 20 mV and 1 °C values in the second
row.
You can also determine a difference by selecting a region where the

signal varies (Figure 3–6, ➍)and clicking the button.
Choosing Unit Names

The Unit pop-up menu, , Figure 3–5, page 29, can be
used to select, define new, or delete old, unit names. Unit names are
stored in the e-corder Settings file in the System folder in the eDAQ
folder, and are available in all Scope for Windows files once created
(or unavailable if deleted).
Select Define Unit… from the Units pop-up menu to access the Define
Unit Name dialog box, Figure 3–7, to define new unit names. Unit
names can be up to nine characters long, with an additional order of
magnitude prefix. Superscripts, subscripts and special characters can
be entered in the same way as for axis labels, page 49. You can delete
unwanted unit names by choosing Delete Unit… from the Units pop-up
Figure 3–7
Dialog boxes for defining
and deleting units
Select a prefix Type the unit name in

from this pop-up here — superscripts and
menu subscripts are possible
32 Scope Software
menu: the Delete Unit Name dialog box appears, Figure 3–7. Select
the unit to be deleted from the scrolling field, Ctrl+click ( -click on
Macintosh) or Shift+click to select several, and click OK to delete the
unit and close the dialog box. Double-click a unit name to delete it
immediately.
You can set the number of decimal places of the new units (from 0 to
6), by clicking the arrows. You can turn units conversion
off or on without losing the values you have entered by clicking the
buttons. Click the button to see how the units
converted axis will appear, or the OK button to convert units and return
to the main Scope window.
Sweep and Trigger Controls

The Sampling… command in the Setup menu, Figure A–5, page 126,
accesses the Sampling dialog box, Figure 3–8, with the sweep and
trigger controls.
A sweep is the recorded and displayed waveform that fills one Scope
page. You can choose the sweep method used by Scope: sweeps may
be single, repetitive, multiple, averaged, or superimposed. When
multiple or averaged sweeps are chosen, you can set the number of
sweeps, and for all modes except single, you can set the delay
between the sweep starting times.
Triggering determines the way in which Scope starts and stops

recording. A trigger is an event such as clicking the Start button or a
voltage above some preset threshold in an incoming waveform. The
active trigger controls in the Sampling dialog box depend on the sweep
control settings. You can use the controls to set up the type of trigger
event you want, the delay until recording, and so on.
Sweep
The Mode pop-up menu, Figure 3–8, selects the way that Scope
samples and then displays data:
• Single. This is the default setting. One sweep is recorded at a
time. A new sweep is started only when a new source event occurs:
clicking the Start button, or a new trigger signal is received

• Repetitive. Sweeps are displayed successively on the same page,
each overwriting (and erasing) the previous sweep. Sampling stops
when the Stop button is clicked. Only the last sweep is recorded
permanently.
• Multiple. The specified number of sweeps is made, each sweep on
a new page. The Sample control, , lets you set
the number of sweeps, from 2 to 999. Ensure that the total of the
number of pages already sampled plus the number to be sampled
does not exceed 999, and that there is enough memory for the
operation.
• Average. The specified number of sweeps is made, with the
average value of the sweeps is displayed after each sweep.
Average mode is useful to reduce noise in a repeating signal, or to
average out variations between individual sweeps. Only the
average sweep is recorded permanently. When Average is chosen,
the Average control, , can be set from 2 to
2048 individual sweeps to be used for averaging.
• Superimpose. Sweeps are displayed successively on the same
page, but previous sweeps are not overwritten. Each new scan is
overlaid on previous sweeps. Clicking the display while sampling
Figure 3–8
The Sampling dialog Click the arrow buttons to set Set the interval between
box; Sweep and Trigger the number of sweeps of data successive sweeps
controls
Mode pop-up
menu. Select the
type of sweep
Source pop-up
menu. Select the
action that starts a
sweep
Start pop-up menu.

Choose how
Scope reacts to the
trigger event
Exact values are displayed

below the slider bar Use the slider bar or text Choose to trigger on an upwards
entry button to set values or downwards sloping signal
34 Scope Software
clears the previous sweeps. Sampling stops when the Stop button is
clicked, and only the last sweep is recorded permanently.
Scope will sample in the chosen mode until you choose a new one. By
default, sampling starts on the blank (last) page of the current file, even
if the active (viewed) page was earlier in the file. Multiple mode creates
the number of blank pages it needs before sampling, Other modes add
a new blank page after sampling.
The Delay control, , sets the interval between the start

of consecutive sweeps in repetitive, multiple, averaged, or
superimposed modes. The delay should normally be greater than the
sweep time. Type a value in up 9999 seconds in increments of 0.1
seconds.
The minimum delay is affected by the speed of the computer. If the

delay is set to less than the sweep time, a new scan is started as quickly
as possible, the actual delay is then dependent of the speed of the
computer.
Clicking the Start button in the main Scope window, Figure 2–3,
page 13, prepares Scope to record, the chosen trigger event starts
Scope recording.The Source pop-up menu, Figure 3–8, selects the
trigger event:
• User. Sampling will be triggered when you click the Start button in
the main Scope window. Other triggering options are inactive.
• Input A, or Input B. Triggering is activated when the signal
reaches a threshold value. The channel must be turned on for its
signal to be used as a triggering event! The Level control is used to
set the trigger level voltage, and is only active in this mode.
• External. Triggering is activated when a signal is received via the
external Trigger connector on the e-corder front panel. See your
e-corder Manual for exact specifications.
• Line. The trigger event comes from a cycle of the mains power (50
or 60 Hz frequency) which is automatically monitored by the
e-corder. This can useful if you are recording a signal derived from
AC current, such as mains transformer output, or for monitoring fast
scans affected by mains hum, where it is desirable to always start in
the same position of the hum cycle so that successive sweeps appear
to have the same baseline.

User and External options can be used in conjunction with the
Stimulator, page 37. Input A, Input B, and Line options cannot be used
if the Stimulator is also being used.
Trigger
A trigger is an event such as clicking the Start button (User triggering),
or when a threshold been reached by the incoming signal, and can be
used to start or stop Scope recording. The available trigger options
depend on the mode and source that are chosen in the Sweep section
of the Sampling dialog box Figure 3–8, page 34. Three trigger modes
are available from the Start pop-up menu:
• At Event. This is the default mode. Sampling starts as soon as the
trigger threshold is reached;
• Post-Trig. With post-triggering, sampling starts a set time after the
trigger event occurs, at a time preset with the Delay control (up to a
maximum delay of about eight sweep durations).
• Pre-Trig. With pre-triggering, sampling starts before the trigger
event occurs. The pr-trigger time is set with the Delay control, up to a
maximum of one sweep duration. The Time axis will have negative
values for the period preceding the trigger event (zero time).
Starting a sweep in this mode causes Scope to immediately monitor
the signal. When a trigger event occurs, the data in the pre-trigger
period is saved, along with the subsequent portion of the sweep.
Pre-triggering will ignore trigger events that occur before the pre-
trigger duration has expired: if you set the pre-trigger to 20 ms,
Scope will monitor the signal for 20 ms before accepting a trigger
event.
There should only be one trigger event per sweep, whatever the mode
of recording, if the sweeps are to be synchronized.
The slope controls, , usually determine whether triggering occurs

when the signal goes up, or down, through the trigger level (threshold).
In the event of contact closure triggering, using the External trigger
connector, page 109, the slope controls determine whether
triggering occurs on going from open to closed circuit, or closed to
open circuit respectively.
36 Scope Software
Figure 3–9
The Trigger Marker, ,
or , in the main
Scope Window
Use the pointer to drag the Trigger Marker up or down
If Input A or Input B have been selected as source of the trigger event,

then the trigger threshold level and slope can be adjusted from the main
Scope window by dragging the Trigger Marker, , Figure 3–9, up or
down to adjust the threshold level. Double-clicking the Trigger Marker
toggles it between and , reversing the slope control.
The Stimulator
The Stimulator… command, available in Setup menu, Figure A–5,
page 126, accesses the Stimulator dialog box, Figure 3–10, which is
used to configure waveforms (pulses, ramps, etc.) to be sent via the
sockets marked ‘Output’ on the front of the e-corder.
The Stimulator can only be used at recording speeds greater than 2 Hz.
Alos must be used in conjunction with the User or External trigger (At
Event) source settings, page 35.
Note that stimulator waveform is only generated while a sweep is in

progress.
Mode
There are several possible stimulus waveforms, examples of which are
shown in Figure 3–11that are selected using the Mode pop-up menu,
Figure 3–10:
• Off. The default setting is to have the stimulator off. No waveform
is defined. However a constant output can be defined with the
Output Voltage… command, page 42.

Figure 3–10 Mode pop-up menu If the external trigger is selected The profile of the stimulus
The Stimulator dialog selects the stimulus type the trigger slope is shown waveform
box
Values set
by the Drag the
various control
controls handles to
are reshape
displayed the
above the waveform
slider bar
Click to
Range open a
pop-up new
menu to Stimulator
change page
the
stimulus
voltage
range
Use the slider bar controls or text entry button to set values
• Pulse. A single pulse can be configured during a sweep.

• Multiple. A train of up to 50 identical pulses can be defined within
a sweep.
• Double. Two independently defined square pulses can be
configured within a sweep.
• Ramp. A ramp can be configured during the sweep.
• Up & Down. Configures a stimulus waveform that slopes up then
down (or down then up) at the same slope.
• Triangle. Configures a triangular waveform, with up to 50
repeats.
• Free Form. Allows a stimulus waveform to be drawn directly, or
copy a recorded waveform and modify it as required, see
Customized Stimulus Waveforms, page 40.
• External Trigger… this a way to set up triggering conditions for
the sweep while in the Stimulator dialog box. See page 43 for
further details.
38 Scope Software
Figure 3–11
Examples of the various
types of stimulus
waveform Pulse Multiple Double Ramp Up & Down
Triangle Free Form
The Time axis settings for the display area depend on the sweep
duration set in the Time Base panel, Figure 3–1, page 22. The
resolution of the stimulus waveform is always the same as the sampling
resolution.
The stimulus waveform can be redefined by reshaping its image in the

display area of the dialog box, Figure 3–10, page 38.
Range and Amplitude

The Range pop-up menu, Figure 3–10, page 38, is used to select the
range, ±200 mV to ±10 V, over which the amplitude of the stimulus
waveform can be adjusted. The Amplitude controls are used to set the
exact stimulation voltage within this range. For a double pulse, Ampl A
and Ampl B controls let you set the amplitudes of the first and second
pulses respectively. For a ramp pulse, Start Ampl and End Ampl
controls let you set the amplitudes at the beginning and end of the
ramp.
The limits of the Amplitude are independent of Scope input channel

settings.
Setting the Controls

The slider bars and Text button ( ) controls can be used to adjust the
parameters of the stimulator waveform, Figure 3–10. The shape of the
waveform in the display area changes as you change values. The
parameters can also be adjusted by dragging the control handles (the
little black squares) on the waveform — the pointer changes shape,

, when in the right position. The slider bar settings and
numerical values change as you alter the shape of the waveform.
The display area of the stimulus waveform can be adjusted by dragging

the Amplitude axis tick marks and axis tick tables, in a similar manner
to those of the main Scope window, page 49.
Duration, Delay, and Interval

The Duration control is used to set the time for which a pulse lasts. The
Duration can be set from zero to the sweep duration. Duration is set in
increments of the time taken to record one sample, since the resolution
of the stimulus waveform is the same as the sampling resolution. If you
change the sweep duration in the Time Base panel, the duration value
will be rounded appropriately if required. For a double pulse,
Duration A and Duration B controls set the durations of the first and
second pulses respectively.
The Delay control defines the period before a the stimulation waveform
is commenced. The Delay can be set from zero to the sweep duration.
The Interval control appears only when Multiple or Double modes are
chosen, and is used to set the period between the end of one pulse and
the beginning of another. The Interval can be set from zero to the
sweep duration.
In all cases, any part of the Stimulator waveform falling beyond the
duration of the sweep is not physically produced.
Number of Pulses
If you choose Multiple or Triangle from the Mode pop-up menu, you
can specify a number of pulses between 1 and 50. Click the
arrows to increment or decrement the number: press and hold the
arrows to increase or decrease the number rapidly.
Customized Stimulus Waveforms

If you choose Free Form from the Mode pop-up menu, then most of the
parameter controls become inactive, and the drawing tools and copy
buttons appear, . The Range pop-up menu works normally,
40 Scope Software
letting you select the range for the amplitude of the stimulus waveform,
from ±200 to ±10 V.
Use the Pencil tool, , to draw freehand curves, and the Line tool, ,
to draw straight lines. The stimulus waveform can have only one value
at any given time, so drawing in an area will replace what previously
was there with what you have just drawn. Click the Eraser, , to erase
the entire display area.
A recorded waveform can be used as a stimulus or the basis for one.

First display the waveform in the Scope window, then click the A or B
buttons, , to copy the waveform from Input A or
B to the waveform stimulus display area. A copied waveform is scaled
vertically to match the set range, but not horizontally, since stimulus
resolution must match sampling resolution. Once transferred, the
waveform can be edited using the drawing tools. A waveform could
also be created in Excel (or other spreadsheet) and then transferred to
Scope, page 65, then copied into the Simulator dialog box.
Creating a Stimulus Waveform Library

You can store up to nine different stimulus waveforms in a file. Extra
waveforms could be defined using Macros, page 110, if required.
To move to a new stimulus waveform, click the arrows of the Stimulus

Page control , Figure 3–10, page 38, or press the left or
right arrow keys on the keyboard. Scope will use the stimulus page
visible when you click OK to close the dialog box.
Stimulus waveforms are stored, and loaded, as part of the file settings.
The Stim Panel

Once you have set up stimulation using the Stimulator dialog box,
recording and stimulation can be started either through clicking the
Start button or through an external trigger event. Settings for the simple
stimulus waveforms can be changed using the Stim panel, Figure 3–12,
which appears when the Stimulator is on.
Click the arrows to increment or decrement the delay, pulse duration,

interval between pulses, and pulse amplitude. To alter the magnitude of

Figure 3–12
The Stim Panel
Figure 3–13
Some of the Stim Panel
increment dialog boxes
this increment, hold down the Ctrl key ( -key on Macintosh) while
clicking the arrows. A dialog box will appear, Figure 3–13, for that
control, in which you can set the increment value of that parameter.
Constant Output Voltage

Stimulator waveform voltages are accessed via the outputs connectors
on e-corder front panel. You can also generate continuous voltages
from these outputs with the Output Voltage… command, in the Setup
menu, Figure A–5, page 126, which activates the Stimulator Constant
Output dialog box, Figure 3–14.
The Range pop-up menu lets you select the range for the output control,
from ±200 to ±10 V. The Level control sets the exact voltage, either
positive or negative, within these ranges.
The Stimulator Output

The Stimulator… and Output Voltage… commands can be used
together: the stimulus waveform adds to the output voltage, but their
sum cannot exceed ±10 V.
42 Scope Software
Figure 3–14
The Stimulator Constant
Range pop-up
Output dialog box menu Click for text entry
of output voltage
Click or drag slider bar

controls to set output voltage
Figure 3–15
A constant output voltage
together with a pulse
from the stimulator
Output + Output –
e-corder units have two output connectors, labelled + and –, which

provide a bipolar waveform. That is, if one output gives a positive
voltage, the other gives a corresponding negative voltage. Thus a 10 V
setting generates a 20 V difference between the two connectors (±10 V
with respect to ground).
Stimulator External Trigger

Choosing External Trigger… from the Mode pop-up menu in the
Stimulator dialog box, Figure 3–10, page 38, accesses the Stimulator
External Trigger dialog box, Figure 3–16. This is a convenient way of
configuring the external trigger while Stimulator dialog box is open.
Three options are available:
• User, which is equivalent to the User setting, page 35, in the
Source pop-up menu of the Sampling Dialog box, Figure 3–8,
page 34.
• Off –> On, which is equivalent to the External setting, page 35, in
the Source pop-up menu of the Sampling Dialog box, Figure 3–8,
page 34. Triggering occurs on the rising edge of a TTL pulse, or on
going from open to closed circuit for a contact closure trigger.
• On –> Off, which is equivalent to the External setting, page 35, in
the Source pop-up menu of the Sampling Dialog box, Figure 3–8,

Figure 3–16
The Stimulator External
Trigger dialog box
page 34. Triggering occurs on the falling edge of a TTL pulse, or on

going from closed to open circuit for a contact closure trigger.
The slope of an external trigger event is indicated in the Stimulator

dialog box Figure 3–8, page 34, by , or . Clicking these
icons also accesses the Stimulator External Trigger dialog box, Figure
3–16.
44 Scope Software
C H A P T E R F O U R
4 Data Display
Scope allows you great flexibility in displaying data. You can change
the lines, patterns, and colors of the data display. You can resize the
Scope window, change the size of each channel’s display, or overlay
two channels on a page. You can look at a small section of data in
great detail, or overlay data from any selection of pages in a file.
This chapter describes the display options available in Scope, from the
basic settings through to Amplitude axis manipulation, axis labels, and
the Zoom window.
Scope Software 45
Data Display Area
Recorded waveforms are displayed in the Scope window in the area
bounded by the Amplitude and Time axes. By default, two channels of
equal height are displayed, with Input A and Input B showing input
channels 1 and 2 of the e-corder, Figure 2–3, page 13. However, it is
possible to alter all of these settings to suit your requirements.
Changing Channel Height

Vary the relative heights of the channel display areas by:
1. positioning the pointer over the channel separator handle, ,
the pointer changes shape, ; then
2. dragging the channel separator to a new position, Figure 4–1.
Double-clicking the handle, , returns the channel displays to equal

heights. Note that data is always recorded at full fidelity (resolution),
regardless of display size. Channels have a minimum height of about
16 mm on a 75 dpi monitor.
Figure 4–1
Changing channel height
Drag the channel separator to set the height of the channel display
Overlaying Channels
Dragging the channel separator handle, , to the top of the window,
or double-clicking it when the channels have the same area, will
overlay channels A and B, Figure 4–2. The Amplitude axes for Input A
and B are now on the left and right sides of the window respectively.
Each axis can be shifted and stretched independently to adjust the
display as required, page 48. The channel separator handle, ,
46 Scope Software
To overlay the waveforms,
Figure 4–2 double-click the separator
handle or drag it to the top
Overlaying channels A
of the window
and B: top, separate;
bottom, overlaid
To display the channels

separately, double-click
the separator handle or
drag it down the window
Horizontal (time) axis
Input
Input
A axis
B axis
remains at the top right of the window: double-click it to toggle between

overlaid and separate displays.
Displaying a Single Channel

For recording one signal only, first turn a channel off using the Input
panels, Figure 3–2, page 25, then:
• overlay the channels (one Amplitude axis will be blank); or
• choose Computed Functions… from the main Display menu, Figure
A–7, page 127, to access the Computed Functions dialog box,
Figure 6–17, page 95. Select ‘Ch A only’ or ‘Ch B only’, as
appropriate, from the Display pop-up menu. The separator handle in
the Scope window disappears. Note that if a channel is not
displayed, it will still record data unless it is turned off.
Chapter 4 — Data Display 47

The Amplitude Axis
The scale of the (vertical) Amplitude axis of each channel can be
independently dragged, stretched, or set through a dialog box for
optimum data display. Scale appearance options can be selected from
the Set Scale pop-up menu, Figure 4–4:
• Single Sided. Sets the Amplitude axis to display only positive
voltage signals. Zero volts is located at the bottom of the display
area. Any readings less than zero volts will be off screen (to see
them, select the Bipolar option or drag the scale). Note that the
Single Sided option is disabled if units conversion is already applied
• Bipolar. This is the default option for a channel, and displays both
positive and negative signals to the limits of the channel input range,
with zero volts at the centre of the vertical scale. Note that the
Bipolar option is disabled if units conversion is already applied
• Set Scale. Enter values for the limits of the Amplitude axis. It works
whether units conversion is on or off. When you choose Set Scale…,
the Set Scale dialog box for that channel appears, Figure 4–4,
allowing the upper and lower limits to be entered for the axis.
• Units Conversion… accesses the Units Conversion dialog box,
Figure 3–5, page 29, which allows you to scale or calibrate the raw
voltage signal with appropriate units, such as mmHg, kPa. Units
conversion is disabled if a channel (or a whole page) has no data.
Note that these settings affect screen appearance only and do not
affect signal resolution. Resolution is determined by the range selected
for the input channel.
Figure 4–3 Click to access Axis label, if any, is

The Set Scale pop-up the scale pop- shown here
menu and dialog box up menu
Units of channel
(or current page)
48 Scope Software
The scale of the Amplitude axis can be shifted or stretched or both
Figure 4–4 allowing the signal to be viewed so as to fill the available space. As
Pointer changes in the pointer is moved near to the Amplitude axis it changes appearance,
Amplitude axis Figure 4–4. Positioned between the axis tick labels the pointer appears
Normal pointer as and dragging it will move (offset) the axis up or down. If the
pointer is near an axis tick label its will appear as , or , and
Dragging pointer dragging it the direction indicated will stretch (expand) the axis, while
dragging it in the opposite direction will compress the axis.
Dragging or compressing the scale allows you to set the axis to three
times the range limit, and stretching allows you to expand the axis up to
Stretching 20 times.
pointers
Double-clicking when the pointer appears as , , or , returns

the scale to its normal, unstretched position, with zero at the mid-point
of the axis (Bipolar display). Double-clicking again toggles to the Single
Sided display, which has zero at the bottom of the axis. Note that this
shortcut works on the raw signal values, if units conversion is on, then
you may have to drag the scale to adjust the position of the axis zero
point.
Axis Labels
Select Axis Labels… from the Display menu to access the Axis Labels
dialog box Figure 4–5. Enter appropriate titles for the Time and the
Amplitude axes.
Most of the range of characters found in the usual fonts are available.
To get special characters:
• on Windows computers, use the Character Map accessory
program from the Accessories submenu of the Programs menu of the
taskbar’s Start button. For the degree sign, °, use Alt+0176, and for
the micro symbol, µ, use Alt+0181. Note that the numerals 0176
etc. must be entered using the numeric keypad — not the top row of
numbers of the main keyboard.
• on Macintosh use Key Caps if you are unsure about how to get
unusual characters. For Ω use Option-Z, for the degree sign, °, use
Option-Shift-8, for µ use Option-m, and for ∆ use Option-J.

Figure 4–5
The Axis labels dialog
box
Superscripts and Subscripts

Superscripted and subscripted characters, such as those occurring in
Na+ or C2H5OH, can be used in an axis label (and unit definitions):
• to superscript a character or characters, first enter ^, the caret
character, by typing Shift+6.
• to subscript a character or characters, first enter §, the section
character, by typing Alt+0167 (or use Option-6 on Macintosh).
• to return to normal characters after superscripting or subscripting,
enter _, the underscore character, use Shift+hyphen to do this.
The caret (^), section (§), and underscore (_) characters appear only in
the text entry boxes, not in the axis labels. Up to twenty characters,
including those used to superscript or to subscript, can be entered.
If no label is entered, the normal units appear alone, otherwise the

label appears with the units following (in parentheses). If the label and
units together are too long to fit in the area allocated in the Scope
window, they are truncated.
Display Settings
Choose Display Settings from the Display menu, Figure A–7,
page 127, to access the Display Settings dialog box, Figure 4–6,
which can be used to set the line type, pattern, and color for each
signal, the pattern and color of the graticule (the display grid), and
whether the background is white or black.
50 Scope Software
Figure 4–6
The Display Settings
dialog box
Background
buttons
Color pop-up Waveform Graticule

menu, Figure 4–7 buttons buttons
Figure 4–7
The Color pop-up menu
The Colour Menus

The Color pop-up menus, Figure 4–7, for the graticule and channels let
you select a pattern and color.
Other Controls
The Graticule buttons, , let you choose the form of the
display grid: dot graticule (the defaults setting), no graticule, or a line
graticule.
The Background buttons, , are used to set the data display

area background to white or black. If black is chosen, then black
colored signals will be automatically set to white: other colors and
patterns are unaffected.

The Waveform buttons, , for each channel are used to
display the signal as individual data points (unjoined dots), a
continuous trace (the data points are joined by lines), or as a bar
graph. The bar graph can be seen more clearly in the Zoom window:
the actual data point is located at the top left of each bar.
X–Y and FFT Display Settings

When in X–Y display mode, page 92, or FFT display mode, page 93,
choosing Display Settings… from the Display menu will access dialog
boxes similar to that shown in Figure 4–6. The Display Settings (FFT)
dialog box is identical in most respects Figure 4–6, but applies only to
the FFT display. The Display Settings (X–Y) dialog box is also much the
same, but applies only to the X–Y plot of Channel A versus Channel B.
The settings for each display mode are stored independently of each
other, and only apply to the appropriate display mode.
Overlay Display Settings

By default, the signals shown on the active page are displayed in solid
colors and the waveforms of overlaid pages are in lighter versions of
the same colors. To change the colors and patterns of the overlaid
signals choose Overlay Display Settings… from the Display menu,
Figure A–7, page 127. The Overlay Display Settings dialog box will
then appear, Figure 4–8. The settings for overlay displays are stored
independently to those of the active page.
Figure 4–8
The Overlay Display
Settings dialog box
52 Scope Software
X–Y and FFT Overlay Display Settings
If Overlay Display Settings… is chosen from the Display menu, Figure
A–7, page 127, when using FFT display mode, page 93, then the
Overlay Display Settings (FFT) dialog box appears with similar controls
to those shown in Figure 4–8. If Overlay Display Settings… is chosen
from the Display menu when using X–Y display mode, page 92, then
the Overlay Display Settings (X–Y) dialog box appears, with controls
similar to those shown in Figure 4–8. The display settings for X–Y or FFT
overlays are stored independently of each other, and only apply to the
appropriate display mode.
Stimulus Display Settings

The stimulus waveform, page 37, can be recorded directly on an
unused Scope input channel by connecting the e-corder output to an
appropriate e-corder input. However, it is also possible to display the
stimulus waveform without actually recording it, by choosing Overlay
Stimulator… from the Display menu, Figure A–7, page 127. which
accesses the Overlay Stimulator dialog box, Figure 4–9. The Mode
pop-up menu selects the type of the stimulator waveform display:
• Off. This is the default setting. The stimulus waveform is not shown.
• At Top. The stimulus waveform is shown in a separate region at
the top of the data display area (Figure 4–10).
• Vert Lines. Vertical lines are overlaid on both channels at start and
end of a ramp or pulse, or each of several pulses, in the stimulus
waveform. Up & Down and Triangle stimuli are marked at the start
and end of stimulation, and at the maxima and minima of the
waveforms. When using free-form stimuli, this option acts the same
as the ‘on both’ option.
• On A. The stimulus waveform is overlaid on input Channel A. The
amplitude of the stimulus waveform as a ratio of the Output range is
used to scale the stimulus display to the full scale range of input A.
• On B. The stimulus waveform is overlaid on input Channel B. The
used to scale the stimulus display to the full scale range of input B.
• On Both. The stimulus waveform is overlaid on both channels. The

Figure 4–9
The Overlay Stimulator
dialog box
Figure 4–10
The stimulus waveform Stimulus waveform
sown at ‘At Top’ of the
data display area
used to scale the stimulus display to the full scale range of input A,
and input B.
To change the color and pattern of the stimulus waveform use the Color
pop-up menu, Figure 4–9.
Navigating
Page Corner controls Scope stores sweeps of data as if they were pages in a pad of paper.
Click on the numbered Page buttons, , along the bottom of the
Scope window and the Page Corner controls, at the bottom right of the
data display area, to move through multiple pages of a Scope file. The
Average Active Blank
highlighted Page button, ,indicates the page of data currently viewed
page page page
(the active page). The Average page bottom, , is leftmost, and the
last (blank) page button, , at the right: Scope will always have at
least these two pages in a file. Pages of data are numbered
consecutively as they are recorded, with the blank page remaining at
the right. Click the upper corner of the Page Corner controls to move a
previous page, and the lower corner to move to the next page — or
you can use the left or right arrow keys on the keyboard. Hold down
the Ctrl key ( key on Macintosh) while pressing the left or right arrow
key to go to the beginning or the end of the file.
54 Scope Software
Scrolling buttons To go to a specific page, click a Page button. If there are too many
pages to show all the buttons along the bottom of the window, then
and buttons appear at either side: click them to scroll one Page
button left or right, or press them to scroll continuously — this doesn’t
change the active page, just the range of Page buttons that you can
see. Choosing Go To Page… from the Display menu accesses the Go
To Page dialog box Figure 4–10, which can be used to nominate a
page to view.
Figure 4–11
The Go To Page dialog
box
Overlaying Pages
To overlay pages of data choose Show Overlay from the Display menu,
Figure A–7, page 127. The signals of all pages selected for overlaying
can be seen. The Show Overlay command toggles to Hide Overlay
which will turn off the overlay display. Note that these commands do
not affect which particular pages are overlaid.
To overlay all pages, choose Overlay All from the Display menu, Figure
A–7, page 127. The signals of all pages appear with the signal from
the active page on top. With default display settings, the signals shown
on the active page are in solid colors, and the signals of the other,
overlaid, pages are in lighter patterns. To remove all pages from the
overlay, choose Overlay None from the Display menu.
Using the Page Buttons

The Page buttons along the bottom of the Scope window indicate the
status of pages, Figure 4–10. The active page is highlighted ; pages
selected for overlaying have taller icons ; pages not selected for
overlay have shorter buttons, .

The active page always appears in an overlay, but other pages can be
added to or removed from the set of overlaid pages. Ctrl+click ( -click
on Macintosh) or double-click a Page button to add/remove a page
to/from the overlaid set. Alt+click (Option-click on Macintosh) a Page
button to deselect all other pages from the overlaid set. Press the Page
button to pop up a menu which duplicates the various overlay and
navigation functions, Figure 4–10.
The Scale of Overlaid Pages

When you overlay pages with different vertical ranges, data on other
pages is automatically scaled vertically to the range of the active page.
However, the time axis is not scaled, so the numbers along the Time
axis refer to the times on the active page and not necessarily to
overlaid pages, which could have different time bases.
Not included Selected Blank

Figure 4–12 in overlay page page
Page buttons indicate
page status
Average Included Background

page in overlay page
Keyboard shortcuts:
Figure 4–13
Ctrl+click (or -click) or double-click
The Page button pop-up
menu Ctrl+click (or -click) or double-click
Alt+click (or Option-click)
The Zoom Window

To magnify a data selection, first drag to select an area of interest in
the Scope window, and then choose Zoom Window from the Windows
menu, Figure A–8, page 127: the Zoom window appears, Figure
4–14.
56 Scope Software
You can make a further selection in the data display area of the Zoom
window: this automatically zooms in further. However, if the selection
contains fewer than four data points along the Time axis, or the vertical
selection is less than a few percent of full scale, the Zoom window will
appear gray: reselect an area in the Scope window.
Data Display
The Zoom window behaves in many ways like the main Scope window.
If the initial data selection covers only one channel, then only one
channel is displayed in the Zoom window, and the separator handle is
hidden, Figure 4–14. If the selection covers two channels, then the
channels are shown overlaid, but double-clicking or dragging the
channel separator handle, , will separate them. The channels
separate in the main Scope window and overlaid in the Zoom window,
and vice versa.
Figure 4–14
The Zoom window
Figure 4–15
The Zoom window with
two channels overlaid

The scale of the (vertical) Amplitude axis of each channel can be
independently dragged, stretched, or set through a dialog box for
optimum data display, just as normal. Changing the settings will affect
the (vertical) extent of the selection in the Scope window. In particular,
if you choose Single Sided or Bipolar from the Scale pop-up menu (or
toggle between them by double-clicking) in the Zoom window, then the
selection in the Scope window is extended to the top half or the full
range of the channel, respectively.
When moving from page to page, the selection area remains the same
with regard to the raw data (and will remain in the same relative
position in the Scope window).
The Marker, , page 82, from the main Scope window also appears
in the Zoom window — moving it onto a signal in one window will
update its position in the other, double-clicking it will send it home.
Similarly the Page Comment button, page 78, is accessible in the Zoom
window.
As you move the pointer across the data display area in the Zoom
window, the Waveform Cursor tracks the displayed signals. The time (t)
and signal amplitude (on channel A and/or B) at the cursor point are
indicated in the Waveform Cursor information display in the Cursor
panel. Double-clicking in the Zoom window transfers relevant data to
the Data Pad at the point at which you double-clicked, just as it does in
the Scope window: the expansion of the waveform in the Zoom
window display allows greater accuracy in selecting data points.
The Zoom window can be left open during sampling. First select the
area of interest in the Scope window, either on the blank page or on a
trial signal — the selection area remains in the same relative position in
the Scope window when moving between pages. Click the Start button
in the Sample panel and then make the Zoom window active. While
sampling, you can click the display to clear previous sweeps in
superimpose mode, zoom in further on a signal by dragging to make a
further selection in the data display area, etc. If the Zoom window is
active while sampling, the data display area of Scope window may
gray out.
58 Scope Software
Printing the Zoom Window
When the Zoom window is active, then the Print command in the File
menu, Figure A–2, page 126, changes to Print Zoom…, and will print
the contents of the Zoom window are printed. The printed page is
headed with the window title and the number of the Scope page.

60 Scope Software
C H A P T E R F I V E
5 Working With Files
Scope recordings can be edited, printed, and saved to disk in various

formats. This chapter describes these operations, and such features as
creating a single file summarizing results from many files, and saving
settings to allow easy repetition of an experiment. Other topics covered
include the transfer of data to other applications and the use of page
comments and the Notebook.
Scope Software 61
Selecting Data
To select an area of data in one channel, ensure that the channels are
separate, position the pointer, and drag to highlight a rectangular
area, Figure 5–1. The minimum horizontal extent of any selection in the
Scope window is four data points; the minimum vertical selection is a
few percent of full scale. The extent of vertical selection affects display
in the Zoom window, but will not affect transfer of information to the
Data Pad, which uses only the time interval of the selected area to
perform calculations.
Selecting Data on Both Channels

To select the same interval of data both channels, first select an area on
one channel and then hold down the Shift key and drag to select an
area in the other channel — this second selected area will be
constrained to have the same time limits as the first. Shift+click in the
display area of one of the channels if you want to deselect it.
Figure 5–1
A selection rectangle
formed by dragging the
pointer over a region of
data
Figure 5–2
Selecting data in two
channels: left, when
overlaid; right,
Shift+dragging when the
channels are separate
62 Scope Software
If two channels are overlaid, simply drag to create a common selection
rectangle over both channels. If you change the channel display from
separate to overlaid, you must reselect the area to ensure a common
selection rectangle.
Extending the Selection

When dealing with one channel or overlaid channels, Shift+click (or
drag) to extend a selection left or right (and vertically) from the point at
which you started to drag. When dealing with selections in separate
channels, Ctrl+click (or -click on Macintosh) to drag the selection left
or right in both channels by the same amount. If you go to the Zoom
window and choose Single Sided or Bipolar from the Scale pop-up
menu (or toggle between them by double-clicking the vertical axis), then
the selection in the Scope window is extended to the top half or the full
range of the channel, respectively.
The Selection Miniwindow

To display the precise extent of a selection, choose Selection from the
Windows menu to access the Selection miniwindow Figure 5–3. The
Time readings at left and right of selection area.

This panel is blank in XY display mode.
Figure 5–3
This panel shows frequency limits of the selection in FFT
The Selection display mode.
miniwindow
Amplitude readings at Top and Bottom of selection area
in Channel A. This panel is blank if there is no signal in
Channel A
Amplitude readings at Top and Bottom of selection area

in Channel B. This panel is blank if there is no signal in
Channel B
Click to access Set Selection dialog box, Figure 5–4
Figure 5–4
The Set Selection dialog
box
Chapter 5 — Working With Files 63

The Selection miniwindow ‘floats’ in front of the active window, and
has three panels, showing the left and right limits of the selection area,
and the amplitude readings at the top and bottom of the selection area
for each selected channel. The panels are blank if there is no selection.
Clicking the button accesses the Set Selection dialog box,

Figure 5–4, which can be used to exactly define the extent of a
selected area. The entered numbers will be adjusted to the values of the
nearest data point.
Editing Data
The Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear commands appear in the Edit menu,
Figure A–3, page 126. These actions of these commands can be
reversed by use of the Undo command, also in the Edit menu.
When the main Scope window is active, the commands work with
whole pages of data:
• Cut removes the active page from the file and places it on the
Clipboard.
• Copy places a copy of the active page on the Clipboard.
• Paste adds a page already on the Clipboard to the file before the
currently selected page. You can use the Cut and Paste commands
to re-order pages (sweeps) within a file.
• Clear removes (deletes) the active page from the file.
A page can be moved between files by cutting or copying to the
Clipboard and opening another file, then pasting the page where it is
required. However, if several pages need to be moved it may be easier
to combine two files (see Appending Files, page 70) and then deleting
and re-ordering pages as required.
If you need to copy Scope data into another program such as Microsoft
Word or Excel, then use the Copy Special… command, page 65.
If the Zoom window is active, the actions of the Cut, Copy, Paste and
Clear commands are the same as if the main Scope window was
active.
64 Scope Software
When the Data Pad is active the action of the Cut, Copy, Paste and
Clear commands work depends on which tool is selected choose. (If is
the active window, then you can copy all of it, or selected rows, to the
Clipboard as text.)
The Undo command changes to reflect your last action. For example, if
you have just deleted a page from the file by choosing Clear from the
Edit menu, then the menu command will change to Undo Clear Data.
(Should you choose the command again, it becomes Redo Clear Data.)
Transferring Data
To transfer images from Scope to other software, such as drawing or
word processor programs, use the Cut and Copy commands in the Edit
menu, Figure A–2, page 126 to place the Scope and Zoom windows
on the Clipboard. These are the same pictures (albeit at a lower
resolution) you would see if the windows were printed, with title, page
comments, etc., but without overlaid pages.
A file, or the contents of the Data Pad, can also be saved as a standard
text file able to be opened by any program that can import text, such as
a word processor, spreadsheet, or statistics package. (To do this,
choose the Save As… menu command from the File menu.)
Special Copying
You can also copy text or graphics to the Clipboard for data transfer
using the Copy Special… command, in the Edit menu, Figure A–2,
page 126 to access the Copy Scope Window to Clipboard dialog
box, Figure 5–5. It allows the copying of overlays in pictures (which the
Copy command itself does not), and the copying of multiple pages or
even an entire file, as text. The command is available only when the
Scope, Zoom, or Data Pad window is active.
The dialog box let has three main options:

• As a Picture. If this radio button is on, then the Scope window,
including visible overlaid pages, is placed on the Clipboard as a
picture, in the ‘enhanced metafile’ graphics format. (This is the same
picture you would see if the window were printed.)

Figure 5–5
The Copy Scope
Window to Clipboard
dialog box
• As Text. If this radio button is on, then the data from the Scope file
is placed on the Clipboard as tab-delimited text. The two
checkboxes beneath the button allow you to precede the data with
the time and page number if required. With both text checkboxes
on, text on the Clipboard would have four columns from left to right:
the time, the page number, the data for Channel A, and data for
Channel B). Having both times and page numbers might be useful
for three-dimensional graphing, for instance. If page overlaying is
on, then the data for the entire file will be copied to the Clipboard,
regardless of which overlaid pages are visible (if any); if page
overlaying is off, only the active page will be copied. If the Append
to Clipboard checkbox is ticked, data can be appended to the
Clipboard, rather than replacing its contents.
• Data Pad. If this radio button is on, then the data from the Data
Pad is placed on or appended to the Clipboard as tab-delimited
text. If the Append to Clipboard checkbox is ticked, data can be
appended to the Clipboard, rather than replacing its contents
Similar options are available when you choose Copy Special… with
the Zoom or Data Pad windows active. When the Zoom window is
active, the Copy Zoom window to Clipboard dialog box appears and
the data or picture copied is confined to the selection that the Zoom
window displays. When the Data Pad window is active, the Copy Data
Pad to Clipboard dialog box appears, but only text copying is possible.
66 Scope Software
The Clipboard
Whenever you cut or copy data from Scope, the information or a
reference to it is stored on the Clipboard. Should you paste from the
Clipboard into other software, that program will use the data in its
preferred form, as text in a word-processor, or maybe bitmap in a
painting program, or an object group in a drawing program. Some
programs may be offer you a choice of format.
To see the information stored on the Clipboard, on Windows

computers, you need a small accessory program called the Clipboard
Viewer. Choose it from the Programs menu of the taskbar’s Start button
(under Accessories). It might not be installed, in which case you may
want to install it using the Add/Remove Programs control panel, and
the original disks or CDs — if you don’t have it, the contents of your
Clipboard will remain a mystery until you try to paste them somewhere.
To see the information stored on the Clipboard, on Macintosh

computers, use the Show Clipboard command in the Edit menu.
Saving Options
To save your results choose Save from the File menu, Figure A–2,
page 126. When this is done, an already existing file will have any
changes made to it saved to disk. The first time that you save a file, or
on any occasion that you choose Save As… from the File menu, the
Save As directory dialog box will appear, Figure 5–6.
You can save files in a number of different formats: Data File; Settings
File; text file; Macro file; or Data Pad text file. These formats are
discussed in detail in the following sections.
Data File
A Data file format contains all recorded data and settings (including
macros). Opening a data file using the Open directory dialog box will
open the file, first closing any current file, since Scope can open only
one file at a time.

Figure 5–6
The Save As directory
dialog box
Settings File
This format only stores the current settings (that is no data is contained
in these files). These include those that affect recording, such as the
sampling rate, channel ranges, triggering, and stimulation settings, and
those that affect the way the data looks, such as the window size,
channel areas, and display settings. Menu configurations and macros,
Chapter 7, are also stored as settings. Using settings files, you can
build up a series of templates to configure various experiments quickly.
Settings files have a different icon from other Scope files. Double-
clicking on a settings file icon automatically load the settings from that
file into a new untitled Scope file. Opening a settings file using the
Open directory dialog box with the Load Settings checkbox selected
loads the settings into the current file.
Text File
This format saves data as a tab-delimited text file (page 71) able to be
opened by any software that can import text, such as a word
processors, spreadsheets, or statistics packages. Each data point
occupies a single row of the text file. When opting to save a Scope file
as a text file, the Save As Text dialog box appears, Figure 5–7, when
you click Save.
68 Scope Software
Figure 5–7
The Save As Text dialog
box
The and checkboxes allow you to add

extra preceding columns to the text file containing the time and page
number of each data point. With both checkboxes ticked, the resultant
text file would have four columns: time, page number, signal value on
Input A, and signal value on Input B (if both channels were recorded).
The size of a text file will be much greater than the size of the Scope
data file from which it is created, and saving the data of a file as text
can be relatively slow: to stop the process, type Ctrl+. , the period
character (or -. on Macintosh).
Scope can also import text files, page 71.
Macro File
This format saves any macros (page 110) currently in memory as a
separate file, which can be opened by Scope as required. It is useful to
save particular groups of macros together.
Macro files have a different icon from other Scope files. Double-clicking
on a macro file icon from the Finder will automatically load the macros
from that file into a new untitled Scope file. Opening a macro file using
the Open directory dialog box (whether or not the Load Settings
checkbox is on) loads its macros into the current file.
Data Pad Text File

The contents of the Data Pad (page 87) can be saved as a tab-
delimited text file able to be opened by word processors, spreadsheets,
statistics packages etc. Each row in the Data Pad becomes a row in the
text file. Empty columns in the Data Pad are not included in the text file.
Titles can be added to the top of each column by using the Data Pad
Add Titles command, page 88.

Appending Files
This feature allows any Scope data file (or text file in the correct format)
to be appended to the end of an already open file in order to produce
a single file with the desired contents. By combining this feature with
Scope’s ability to cut and paste pages of data in a file or between files,
summary files can be created using only those segments of recordings
that have significance. Appending a file is an option provided in the
Open directory dialog box, Figure 5–8, accessed by choosing Open…
from the File menu, Figure A–2, page 126.
Click the checkbox to turn it on. Note that the other

checkboxes become disabled — only the settings (including macros)
currently in memory are retained. Differences in the settings between
the current file and the appended file may result in some scale changes,
but the raw data will not be altered. Select the Scope file you wish to
append to the currently open file, and click the button to
perform the operation. The pages will be added on to the end of the
current file. If, however, you append a settings or macro file, its settings
are applied.
Figure 5–8
The Open directory
dialog box Select a file to open or
append here
Turn this checkbox on to

append the selected file
(rather than open it and
close the currently open file)
70 Scope Software
Text Files
Scope can open text files, or append them to already open files, if they
are in the correct format. Choose Open… from the File menu, Figure
A–2, page 126, to access the Open directory dialog box, Figure 5–8,
and select Text Files from the Files of Type pop-up menu (or Show pop-
up menu on Macintosh). After a text file has been selected, the Read
Text Options dialog box appears, Figure 5–9.
A text file to be imported into Scope must have at least one column of
numbers. Two or more columns of numbers (which must be the same
length) would be more typical: each line must consist of items separated
by tabs or commas, and ended by a return character. There are several
check boxes that allow several variations in the text file:
• Read Titles. When ticked Scope will read in the first line of the file,
if its items are non-numeric, as titles for the Time axis, Channel A,
and Channel B, in that order.
• Read Time Values. When ticked Scope reads in the first column of
numbers as times. There must be a constant increment between
lines: a discontinuity is treated as the start of a new page of data.
There must be at least four legal lines (data points) o create a page.
If this check box is not ticked then no values are red for time and the
Time axis will have no units.
• Read Comments. If this checkbox is ticked, then Scope will look
for text following the last column of numbers, the first such text for
each page will be placed in the Page Comment window for that
page.
Figure 5–9
The Read Text Options
dialog box

Figure 5–10
The Load Text File
dialog box
The Seconds, Minutes and Seconds radio buttons allow you to specify
the time units of the imported values.
Scope first scans the text file and if it finds an inconsistency there will
be an alerts and the file will not be imported. If the text file seems to be
in the correct format, and there are more than three columns of data
(three columns if times are ignored), the Load Text File dialog box
appears, Figure 5–9.
This could be used to import (for example) a Chart text file, which might
have as many as sixteen channels of data. Channel A must have data
loaded, but Channel B can be left blank (choose None from the pop-up
menu).
What Happens to the Text?

When you import text files Scope assumes that signal data has units of
volts, and the time is in the units chosen in the Read Text Options
dialog box, Figure 5–9. Scope pages contain a set number of data
points: 256, 512, 640, 1024, 1280, or 2560. When the number of
data points in a continuous series is not one of these values, Scope will
place extra data onto the next page. The last, partial, page of data will
have zero values added for the points needed to make up a full page.
Pasting Text
Text can be pasted directly into Scope from the Clipboard, and goes
through the same procedure as imported text. If data includes page
numbers (copied using the Copy Special… command, or from a file
72 Scope Software
saved with them), these will be treated as readings. Also, text copied
using Copy Special… contains the data as it appears, with all
computed functions applied. Scope treats pasted data as if it were raw
data, and may apply computed functions to it.
Printing
There are two menu commands in the File menu, Figure A–2,
page 126, concerned with printing: Page Setup… and the Print…
command.
Page Setup
When you select the Page Setup… command from the File menu, the
Page Setup dialog box will appear, Figure 5–11, to select the paper
size, page orientation, etc.
Scope has its own specific options for Page Setup: click the
button (or EChem item in the Page Set-up pop-up menu on Macintosh))
to adjust them. The Page Setup Options dialog box will appear, letting
you choose the layout of Scope pages on the printed sheet, whether to
print in color, and so on.
Figure 5–11
Typical Page Setup
dialog boxes
Waveform Print Layout

Click the appropriate button to print one,
two, three, four, or six Scope pages per printed sheet of paper. The
page range specified when printing refers to Scope pages, not pieces
of paper produced: printing six pages would, if the button were
selected, produce one printed sheet with the six data pages (sweeps)

Figure 5–12
The Page Setup Options
dialog box
Windows page setup
Page Set-up
pop-up menu
Macintosh page
setup
on it. This feature will work in conjunction with the Layout options in the
Printer Properties dialog box, where these are available.
High-Resolution Printing
Checking prints at the maximum resolution of the
selected printer. If you are using a 1200-dpi laser printer, Scope will
print with a resolution of 1200 dots per inch. This will result in print of
the best possible quality, but, since every data point and connecting
line is drawn at full resolution, printing may be slow. Without high-
resolution printing, the accuracy of positioning items on the page is
limited to the nominal resolution of the computer screen (around 75
dots per inch). This will result in quicker printing and probably be
suitable for drafts and routine use. But in most cases you will need high
resolution the final copy.
74 Scope Software
Print Using Color
Checking enables color printing of your data. You can
set up data display colors using the Display Settings dialog boxes,
page 51 & 52. Some colors may not be supported by certain color
printers, or the colors actually printed may differ from those that appear
on a color monitor — you may need to print several pages to establish
color compatibility.
The Print Command

If the Page Comment window is active, or the blank page is active in
the Scope window, the Print… command in the File menu, Figure A–2,
page 126, is disabled. Otherwise the command will appear in various
forms depending on which window is active, Table 5–1.
Print Command Active Window What Prints

Table 5–1
Print… Scope Page range or current
Printing commands
page
Print… Zoom Zoom window con-
tents
Print Data Pad… Data Pad Data Pad contents
Print Notebook… Notebook Notebook contents
The Print… command (or its variants) accesses the Print dialog box,
which will vary in appearance depending on the type of computer and
printer that you are using, typical examples are shown in Figure 5–13.
The manuals for your printer and computer will explain its use.
Scope has a special print option, accessed by clicking the

button (or the EChem item in the , on Macintosh
computers). This access the Print Options dialog box, Figure 5–14,
which is used to ensure that only the active page prints (any range
specified in the Print dialog box is overridden). To print a range of
pages, you must untick this checkbox.
If the waveforms of overlaid pages are visible, they will be printed.
The Average page is not a numbered page, and will only be printed if
it is the active page, , and the checkbox is ticked.

Figure 5–13
Typical Print dialog
boxes
Windows Print
dialog box
Print options
pop-up menu
Macintosh Print dialog box
Figure 5–14
The Print Options dialog
box
When printing the contents of the Scope or Zoom windows, the Page
Layout dialog box appears, Figure 5–15. Use it to adjust the size,
location, and proportions of the image. You can also double-click the
image to scale it to the maximum size that will fit on the page. If the
checkbox is unchecked, then the image can be reshaped at
will. Otherwise the image is scaled in proportion to its original
76 Scope Software
Figure 5–15
Turn off this
The Page Layout dialog checkbox to
box reshape the
image
Drag the
image to
position it, Drag the handle to
double- resize the image
click the
image for
maximum
size
Figure 5–16
Sample print jobs
dimensions (which depend on the Scope or Zoom window settings) or

the dimensions set when the checkbox was off. If multiple Scope pages
are being printed on a page, the checkbox will not appear.
The file title, page number, and any page comments, page 78, are
included in the printed Scope page. Long comments will reduce the
area used for the drawing; very long comments will be truncated.
Samples are shown in Figure 5–16.
The Data Pad, page 87, is printed much as it appears on the computer
screen but empty columns are not included. The Notebook pages,
page 78, are also printed much as they appear on screen.

Page Comments
Use Page comments to annotate a particular sweep. Comments must be
entered after recording, and can be edited. Use the Notebook, below,
to make more general comments.
The Page Comment button, , can be found at the bottom left of the
Scope window, and is clicked to access the Page Comment window,
Figure 5–17, in which short blocks of text can be entered or viewed for
the active page only. Use the keyboard arrow keys to scroll through
lengthy comments.
When the Page Comments window of the active page contains

comments, the button changes to .
Printing Page Comments

Whenever a Scope page is printed, page comments are printed
beneath the pictures. If comments are lengthy, the signals will be
displayed in a reduced area when printed (see Figure 5–16). Very
lengthy comments will be truncated.
Figure 5–17 Comment text can be typed in

here and edited normally
The Page Comment
window
Information on the date the page

was modified or the number of
pages averaged is given here
The Notebook
Use the Notebook tomake general comments about the data recorded
in a file. The Notebook is saved as part of the file. (Page comments,
above, are used for noting information specific to particular pages.) To
use the Notebook, choose Notebook from the Windows menu, Figure
A–8, page 127.
78 Scope Software
Figure 5–18
The Notebook window
Click to
move to Click this button to
next page add the date at the
insertion point
Click to move Click this button to

back a page add the time at the
insertion point
The Notebook has a total of eight numbered pages, each of which can
contain up to 32 000 characters. Scroll vertically through the contents
using the up and down keyboard arrows. Only about the first 1200
characters will print if the Notebook is printed — if necessary copy and
paste the text to a word processor to print the contents in full.
The commands Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear in the Edit menu, Figure
A–3, page 126, can be used to edit text. Graphics cannot be pasted
into the Notebook. The contents of the Notebook window are saved in
both data and settings files. If you apply a settings file containing
Notebook information to a data file that also contains Notebook
information, then the data file Notebook contents remain intact.
Printing the Notebook

To print the contents of the Notebook first open the Notebook and then
use the Print Notebook… command in the File menu, Figure A–2,
page 126. The Print dialog box, Figure 5–13, page 76, allows you to
print the contents of the Notebook, or any selected page range (empty
Notebook pages are not printed). The pages are printed out as they
appear on screen, but text in excess of about 1200 characters will be
truncated — if necessary copy and paste the text to a word processor
to print the contents in full.

80 Scope Software
C H A P T E R S I X
6 Data Analysis
This chapter discusses the analysis capabilities of Scope:
• signals can be measured directly to give direct or relative,

readings, page 82;
• a background page, page 86, can be set to be subtracted from

other pages;
• the Data Pad, page 87, calculates and stores statistics about the
signals in the different sweeps. You can average the signals on any
selection of sweeps and display the results on the Average page.
• the X–Y display mode, page 92, plots a signal from one channel
versus the signal on the second channel;
• the FFT display mode, page 93, calculates the power spectrum of
a signal; and finally
• a range of transformations, page 95, can be applied to the raw

signals.
Scope Software 81
Signal Measurements
When the pointer is over the data display area, Figure 6–1, it appears
as a cross, , but its appearance can be changed, page 104.
Waveform Cursors track the signals at the time position of the pointer.
The Cursor display panel shows the time at the pointer location and the
amplitude of the Waveform Cursors.
The Waveform Cursors move from data point to data point as the
pointer is moved (you can see this more clearly in the Zoom window)
and cannot provide readings between these points.
Time at pointer
Figure 6–1
(and Waveform
Measuring the signal
Cursor) position
Amplitudes of
Pointer the Waveform
Cursors
Waveform
Cursors
Using the Marker

The Marker, , is normally located in its home, at the bottom left of
the Scope window, Figure 2–3, page 13. It can be used to set a
particular data point as a zero reference point, so that relative
measurements can be made, Figure 6–2. To set the reference point,
drag the Marker from its home onto the channel of interest; and release
it: it will lock onto the signal. Alt+drag (Option-drag on Macintosh) to
position the Marker independently of the signal. Use the Waveform
Cursor display in the Cursor panel to help to select a data point. If you
need finer control to position the Marker, use the Zoom window: the
Marker also work in this window and can more easily be assigned to a
particular data point.
82 Scope Software
Time at pointer position
Figure 6–2 Cursor relative to Marker. Note
Measurements relative to display the ∆ symbol
the Marker panel
Signal amplitude at the
Waveform Cursor
relative to Marker. Note
the ∆ symbol
Marker
Absolute signal amplitude
at the Waveform Cursor
When moving between pages, the Marker will remain at the same time
position: if locked to the signal, it will lock to the new signal at that
time; if independent, it will remain static. Double-clicking the Marker or
clicking its home box at the bottom left of the Scope (or Zoom) window
sends it back home.
Once the Marker is in position, measurements relative to it are given in

the Cursor panel, Figure 6–2. The ‘∆’ symbol before a value, for
example, , indicates that it is a relative reading to the
Marker.
Switching between X–Y, FFT, and normal Scope display modes will
send the Marker home.
Setting and Removing Baselines

The Marker is also used for setting relative amplitude measurements
relative to an arbitrary baseline. Place the Marker at on the channel of
interest. Then Ctrl+click (or -click on Macintosh) and drag from the
Marker home area, or the Marker itself, to create a duplicate Marker.
The two Marker positions define a baseline shown as a dotted line,
Figure 6–3. Use Ctrl+Alt+click (or -Option-click on Macintosh) and
drag to locate the second Marker at a position off the signal.
The value along the baseline is set at zero: the Waveform Cursor
display in the Cursor panel shows the absolute time, and the amplitude
of the waveform in that channel relative to the baseline.
Chapter 6 — Data Analysis 83

Figure 6–3 Time at pointer position
Setting a baseline
Amplitude at Waveform
Pointer Cursor position relative to
baseline
Duplicate Marker
Marker
Waveform Baseline
cursor
Note that the baseline is set for a particular channel on a particular

page of data. When moving between pages, the baseline may move
considerably if locked to the signal; if independent, it will remain static.
Removing one Marker removes both Markers, and the baseline.
Attempting to set a vertical or near-vertical slope will also remove the
baseline and send the Marker home.
You cannot duplicate the Marker or set a baseline when in the X–Y
display mode.
The Marker Miniwindow

To display the exact Marker position(s) choose Marker from the
Windows menu to access the Marker miniwindow Figure 6–4. The
Marker miniwindow ‘floats’ in front of the active window and is divided
into three panels, showing the channel in which the Marker is active,
and the time and amplitude readings at the Marker position, and the
duplicate Marker position if a baseline is set. If the Marker is inactive,
the two lower panels are blank and the top panel displays ‘Off’.
Clicking the Set… button accesses the Set Marker Position dialog box
(Figure 6–5), which allows you to alter or define the Marker or baseline
position by typing values into the text entry boxes.
In the Set Marker Position dialog box, clicking the Off radio button
turns the Marker (or baseline set with the Marker and its duplicate) off,
and clicking the Chan A or Chan B radio buttons selects the channel in
84 Scope Software
The channel in which the Marker is active. This panel
Figure 6–4 shows ‘On’, in the XY display mode.
The Marker miniwindow
Time and amplitude and readings at the Marker
position in the active channel
Time and amplitude and readings at the duplicate

Marker position. This panel will be blank if the
duplicate Marker is not present.
Click to access the Set Marker Position dialog box,

Figure 6–5
Time at
Marker
Figure 6–5 position
The Set Marker Position
dialog box Select
Amplitude Marker
at Marker channel
position
Position
Marker on
signal
Figure 6–6
The Set Marker Position
dialog box for the X–Y
display mode
which the Marker will appear. If the checkbox is ticked, the

Marker will be set on the signal amplitude at the selected time, while
the text entry box for Marker amplitude position is disabled. If the
checkbox is off, the Marker is can be located independently of the
signal by entering values in the Marker 1 or Marker 2 text entry boxes.
Entering values into both Marker 1 and Marker 2 text entry boxes will
create a baseline.

In the X–Y display mode, page 92, the Marker miniwindow, Figure
6–4, shows no time readings if the Marker is set independently of the
signal, and the Set Marker Position dialog box, Figure 6–6, can be
used used to position the Marker independently of the signal.
Background Subtraction
The signal(s) on a background page is/are subtracted from the signal(s)
of similar pages in a file — that is, those with the same settings of time
base, input range, and units. This can be used for non-linear baseline
subtraction, or can be used to enhance a small signal with a noisy
background.
Go to the page selected to be the background, and choose the Set

Background command from the Display menu, Figure A–7, page 127.
The Page button for a background page has the page number
underlined, . The signal on the background page is subtracted from
the signal on the active page, so viewing the background page will
now show a zero signal. The Display menu commands Subtract
Background and Clear Background in the Display menu will be
enabled while a background page is in memory.
The Subtract Background command toggles with the Don’t Subtract

Background command in the Display menu, Figure A–7, page 127.
Both leave the background page in memory, but will subtract it or not
subtract it, respectively, from signals in the open file, to compare
waveforms before and after subtraction. Choosing Clear Background
from the Display menu clears the background page from memory, and
all pages will show unsubtracted signals. Once a background page has
been set, Scope stores it in memory, even if the file is closed. You can
then open another file and use the old background.
86 Scope Software
The Data Pad
To display the Data Pad, Figure 6–7, select Data Pad from the
Windows menu. The Data Pad is used to analyze signals, and acts like
a small spreadsheet with up to 32 columns and 32 000 rows, with
each row having a maximum of 255 characters per cell, and a total of
2000 characters per row over the 32 columns. Its contents can be
saved as a text file or copied in whole or part to the Clipboard for
export to other software.
Information on the current selection or active point (the last point clicked
in the data display area) is displayed in the row immediately beneath
the column headings. As data are added to the Data Pad, new rows of
values are created below existing rows in the data area. Each cell
contains only one entry, the value added to the Data Pad at the time the
calculation for its column was made.
If the Row button, , is highlighted (click on it) the pointer changes to

a heavy cross, , over the data area. Click to select a row, drag or
Shift+click to select contiguous rows, or Ctrl+click ( -click on
Macintosh) to select or deselect rows individually; the data can then be
Figure 6–7
The Data Pad window Double click a column heading Data Pad pop-
and pup-up menu to access the Data Pad Setup up menu
dialog box, Figure 6–8
Row button
Cell button
Data on the
current
Column selection
headings.
Drag a
heading to
create a
miniwindow,
Figure 6–9, Recorded
page 90 data

cleared, or cut or copied to the Clipboard as tab-delimited text (Edit
menu). If the Cell button, , is clicked, the pointer changes to an I-
beam, , over the data area, and text in each cell can be edited.
The Data Pad pop-up menu, Figure 6–7, provides a series of

commands:
• Add Blank Lines, which inserts blank lines in Data Pad, and is
useful to separate block of parameters.
• Add Titles, which inserts the full current column headings as
spread over three lines. (Superscripts and subscripts in column
headings are converted to plain text when added to the Data Pad.)
• Clear Data Pad on New, clears the Data Pad contents when a new
file is created. A tick appears beside this menu command when it is
active (it applies only to the current file).
• Auto Add, the Data Pad is updated for every sweep as it is
recorded, whether single, multiple, average, or superimposed, and
whether or not the sweep is on a new page. A tick appears beside
this menu command when it is active (it applies only to the current
file).
The width of columns can be altered by positioning the pointer on the

heavy dividing line between column headings, so that it changes to ,
the resizing pointer, then dragging until the column is the desired width.
Adding Data to the Data Pad

To extract parameters from a selected region of the into the Data Pad,
choose Add to Data Pad from the Windows menu. If there is no
selection, parameters at the active point are transferred — you can also
double-click at a point of the signal to make it the active point and
transfer parameters to the Data Pad, all in the one action. The
parameters entered in the Data Pad are determined using the Data Pad
Column Setup dialog box, Figure 6–8. By default, the first two columns
are set to record the mean of the selection in a channel, or the value of
the signal at the position of the active point if no selection has been
made.
88 Scope Software
Setting Up the Columns
Data Pad columns can be configured to contain different information
with the Data Pad Column Setup dialog box, Figure 6–8, accessed by
clicking a Data Pad column heading, Figure 6–7.
To move to the dialog boxes of adjacent columns click the

arrows at the top left of the dialog box, or press the right or left arrow
keys on the keyboard. Data Pad functions are grouped into general
categories:
• Off turns the column off so that no entries will be made.
• General Statistics offers calculations of the mean, standard
deviation, standard error of the mean, and various integrals of the
selection. The value of the largest or smallest data points in the
selection (or the difference between them), the times at which they
were recorded, and the number of data points in the selection, can
also be obtained.
Click arrows to move General Specific Activate a Miniwindow,

Figure 6–8 from column to column category function Figure 6–9
The Data Pad Column
Setup dialog box
A description of the Data An entry in the Data Pad will

Pad function is given only be made for this channel

• Selection Information, if there is a selection, provides functions for
start time, end time, or duration of the selection, current page
number, and the date or time when the page was recorded.
• Cursor functions give the time or value at the active point, if there
is one, or does nothing if there is a selection.
• Slope (first derivative) functions include maximum and minimum
slope of a selected area of the signal, the average slope of a
selection, or the slope at the active point, see page 142.
There are three radio buttons, Figure 6–8, that indicate the conditions
for adding entries to the Data Pad:
• When Any Channel is Selected, information will be recorded about
the channel selected in the Channel pop-up menu no matter on what
channel the selection occurs. For example if you have selected an
region on Channel A, information on Channel B could still be added
to the Data Pad.
• Only When Channel is Selected, information about the channel is
added to the Data Pad for that column only if the selected region of
the signal is on that.
• From First Channel Selected, information is recorded only about
Channel A if both channels are selected.
The Compact Data checkbox works in conjunction with the middle radio
button: if you select data from different channels at different intervals
after the same stimulus, for instance, it will place all the data on the
same line in the Data Pad (if the checkbox is off, then each entry will be
Figure 6–9 recorded on a new line).
A Data Pad Value
miniwindow The Data Pad is useful for quickly collecting statistical information about
Drag the title bar to your signals and it can be displayed as background window that will
position the miniwindow be updated as new entries are made. In addition, Data Pad
miniwindows, Figure 6–9, can be created to display the current values
of statistics or measurements: tick the Miniwindow checkbox,
, in the Data Pad Column Setup dialog box, Figure 6–8,
or drag the column heading to tear it off the Data Pad window, Figure
6–7, page 87. These miniwindows float above the main Scope
window.
Double click to open the Data
Pad Column Setup dialog,
Figure 6–8
90 Scope Software
Printing
When the Data Pad window is active, then the Print command in the
File menu changes to Print Data Pad…, and will print the contents of
this Data Pad, across several pages if it is very wide.
The Average Page

The Average page displays the mean of the waveforms of a number of
pages, Figure 6–10. Display the Average page by clicking its Page
button, , in the main Scope (page 13, 92 & 93) or Zoom (page 57),
windows, or by choosing Go to Page… from the Display menu, Figure
A–7, page 127, and going to page 0 (zero). The pages selected for
averaging are the same set as is used for overlays, see Overlaying
Pages, page 55. In addition the pages used for averaging must have
Note the:
If you apply units
conversion to the • same number of data points;
Average page, the same
units will be applied to
• same sampling rate; and
all pages in the overlay. • same set units (if units conversion has been used)
as the first (leftmost) page in the overlay. If the Average page is active,
the footnote in the Page Comments window (page 78), indicates how
many pages are being averaged. Pages can be added to, or taken
from, the overlay by Ctrl+clicking ( -clicking on Macintosh) or double-
clicking their Page buttons, page 55.
The range displayed in the Amplitude axis for the Average page is the
mean of the ranges for the pages averaged. Overlaid waveforms are
Overlay of sweep 4
Mean signal shown on Average page

Figure 6–10
An Average page Overlay of sweep 2
display, showing the
mean signal from sweeps
2 and 4
Average page

drawn scaled to this average range. FFT and X–Y displays (page 92 &
93) can also be averaged: Scope calculates the plots for each page,
and then averages the values together, that is an FFT of each sweep is
calculated and these FFTs are averaged.
The Average page button, , is not numbered. Thus the Average page
can only be printed if it is the active page and the
checkbox in the Print dialog box is on, page 75.
Figure 6–11
The Display pop-up menu
The X–Y Display
Access FFT options,
Figure 6–14 If X–Y is selected from the Display pop-up menu, Figure 6–11, then the
X–Y display area shows a graph of Channel A data, along the vertical
axis, versus Channel B data, along the horizontal axis, Figure 6–12.
No graph appears if only a single channel is present.
Select the type and pattern or color for the signal with the Display
Settings command located in the Display menu, Figure A–7, page 127.
This accesses the Display Settings (X–Y) dialog box, page 52.
Figure 6–12 Input A

The X–Y display scale Waveform
pop-up Cursor
menu Pointer
Input
A axis
XY display mode Input B axis Input B scale

selected pop-up menu
92 Scope Software
The Waveform Cursor tracks the X–Y signal at the position closest to the
pointer. The Cursor panel shows the time at the pointer location and the
and signal values at that time. If it is difficult to measure a particular
section if the signal overlaps itself, then select the area and use the
Zoom window.
The FFT Display

If FFT is chosen from the Display pop-up menu, Figure 6–11, then the
data display area for each channel shows the power spectrum of the
data, Figure 6–13. Formally, this is the modulus of the amplitude
spectrum, and is calculated using a FFT, Fast Fourier Transform, method
to convert data from time to frequency domain.
The FFT display mode shows the intensity of the frequency components
in the raw signal, see Fast Fourier Transforms, page 137, for details.
The horizontal axis displays frequency, in units of Hz. The type and
pattern or color for the waveform is chosen in the Display Settings (FFT)
dialog box, page 52, Figure 6–13 shows a bar graph display.
The Waveform Cursor tracks the FFT waveform following the pointer
and the Cursor panel shows the frequency, f, and amplitude of the FFT
waveforms.
Figure 6–13
The FFT display. The top
channel has a
logarithmic (dB) axis, the
bottom one a linear axis
The FFT horizontal axis has units of frequency, Hz

FFT Options
The FFT Options… command in the Display pop-up menu, Figure 6–11,
accesses the FFT Options dialog box, Figure 6–14, which can be used
to select a FFT windowing function.
The FFT method assumes that samples represent an integral number of

cycles of a periodic waveform. Windowing functions are applied to
correct for any inaccuracies that arise because of that assumption. They
work by reducing the importance of data at the edges of the ‘window’
(the selection of data points used by the FFT). You may need to try
several window functions before making the best choice — however, in
most cases the effect of the different window functions is small. See Fast
Fourier Transforms, page 137 for more details.
Figure 6–14
The FFT Options dialog
box for setting FFT
windowing functions
Figure 6–15
The Scale pop-up menu
when the FFT display has
been chosen
Click to set a log (dB) axis for the FFT display,
and toggle to Linear scale.
Click to set the 0 dB reference level, Figure 6–16
Figure 6–16
The 0dB Reference Level Units control
dialog box
94 Scope Software
Vertical Scale
When the FFT display mode is chosen the Scale pop-up menu, Figure
6–15, offers extra options for scaling the vertical axis:
• Log Scale. Produces a vertical axis with a logarithmic display, and

units of decibels (dB), showing the relative attenuation with respect
to a reference level (0 dB). Decibels are a ratio scale, so a
measurement of zero means a ratio of 1:1 relative to the reference
level. This command toggles with Linear Scale.
• Reference Level. This command accesses the Reference Level
dialog box, Figure 6–16, to set the 0 dB level for the Log Scale
display. By default, it is set to 0.775 (the square root of 0.6), a
common reference.
Computed Functions
Scope’s computed functions can be applied singly or in combination.
Scope always records a raw signal raw to which the computed
functions are applied. The functions can be selected before or after
recording, and turned off again to restore the raw signals.
Figure 6–17
The Computed Functions
dialog box
Display
pop-up
menu,
Figure
6–18
Function
controls
Math pop-up
menu, Figure Units
6–20 order of
magnitude
control for
Function pop-
math
up menu,
Figure 6–21
Ordering of
computed
functions

The Computed Functions dialog box, Figure 6–17, is accessed via the
Computed Functions… command in the Display menu, Figure A–7,
page 127. Functions for each channel can be configured
independently. The Display pop-up menu of the dialog box, Figure
6–17, can also be used to combine the two channels in various ways.
The function or functions chosen will apply to all pages in the file.
Sampling Rate
Computed functions do not affect sampling rates, but may affect the
delay between consecutive sweeps. The speed of computations applied
to data depends on the speed of the computer, so a slower computer
will give a longer delay between sweeps. If this proves to be a
problem, apply computed functions after sampling.
Units
Some functions will change the (vertical axis) units of displayed data.
This is quite straightforward when the units are volts, although units set
with units conversion might change considerably.
When multiplying two signals together, the resulting units are the
product of the original signals’ units. When adding or subtracting
signals, the units must be the same for both signals, or no operation can
be performed. The units of an integrated signal are the product of the
signal units with the time units of the time axis; units of a differentiated
signal are the units of the raw signal divided by the time units of the
time axis.
Display Functions
Figure 6–18
The (computed function) The Display pop-up menu, Figure 6–18, at the top of the dialog box,
Display pop-up menu Figure 6–17, allows various display options in the main Scope
window:
• Ch A and B, the signals of both channels are displayed.
• Ch A Only, or Ch B Only, displays only the signal of that channel.
The second channel is hidden but is not turned off — it may still be
used to collect data, and viewed again at a later stage.
96 Scope Software
• Ch A + B displays the sum of the two channels. The units of the
signals must be the same for both signals, or no operation can be
performed.
• Ch A – B, or Ch A – B displays the difference signal of the two
channels. The units of the raw signals must be the same for both
signals, or no operation can be performed.
• Ch A * B displays the product signal of the two channels. The units
of the raw signals must be the same for both signals, or no
operation can be performed. The units of the product signal are the
product of the units of the raw signals.
Channel Functions
The dialog box has one panel for Channel A and one for Channel B, in
which functions for the two channels can be set independently. If
multiple functions are applied, their order is from the top to the bottom
of the panel: the waveform is first smoothed, then shifted, and so on.
The display panel at the bottom of the dialog box indicates this order
(and the display settings, as well).
Smooth
Data can be smoothed to remove unwanted high frequencies or noise,
in the signal, Figure 6–19. If the control is set to zero, then smoothing is
off (the default); the larger the number entered, the greater the
smoothing. Click the arrows to increment the degree of
smoothing; press and hold the arrows to increase or decrease the
number rapidly; or type a value, ‘n’ from 1 to 50, in the text box
to set the degree of smoothing. Within ‘n’ points of the start
and end of the sweep it is not possible to use ‘n’ data points for
smoothing and so degree of smoothing will decrease in these regions,
Details of the smoothing algorithm can be found on page 140.
Shift
The Shift control moves a waveform horizontally, that is with respect to
time. If the control is set to zero then shifting is off (the default). Click
the arrows to change the number; press the arrows to increase
or decrease the number rapidly; or type a value in the text box
directly. Positive values shift data to the right, negative to the left, by an

Original signal with no
smoothing
Figure 6–19
Typical effects of
smoothing a signal
Smooth
value of 1
Smooth
value of 2
Smooth
value of 4
integral number of data points. The maximum value for a shift is ±2560
(the maximum number of samples per sweep) — large numbers can be
used to hide most the signal for display purposes.
Math
The Math pop-up menu, Figure 6–20, lets you apply some simple
arithmetic to the signal:
Figure 6–20
• None is the default setting and no arithmetic function is applied to
The Math pop-up menu the signal.
• Add or Subtract a constant value to the signal. The value can be
up to ±30 000, and can have up to 12 characters. This value is
assumed to have units the same as the signal, but you can use the
arrows in the control to alter the unit order of magnitude.
• Multiply or Divide the signal by a number up to ±30 000, and 12
characters long. You cannot enter zero.
• Invert is equivalent to multiplying the signal by –1, effectively
reversing its polarity. Thus positive signal values become negative,
and vice-versa.
• Abs displays the absolute value of a signal; that is, negative
values are displayed as positive.
98 Scope Software
Function
The Function pop-up menu, Figure 6–21, can be used to transform that
the signal:
• None is the default setting and no function is applied to the signal.
Figure 6–21
The Function pop-up • Reciprocal displays the reciprocal of the signal, that is, 1⁄x for any
menu data point of value x. Zero signal values would become infinite are
displayed as off scale.
• Square displays the square of the signal, that is, x2 for any data
point of value x.
• Integrate displays the area under the signal, calculated as the sum
of the data points multiplied by the sample interval. The integral of a
negative signal is also negative. See page 140 for more details.
• Differentiate. This function gives the first-order derivative of the
signal with respect to time. See page 141 for more details. The
Differentiate functions are particularly sensitive to noise, and it is
often useful to combine this function with signal smoothing,
page 97.

100 Scope Software
C H A P T E R S E V E N
7 Customizing &
Automating
Scope can be extensively customised and automated, to increase its
convenience and ease of use. Menus and menu commands can be
locked, hidden, or altered, page 105, and control panels can be
relocated, page 107. Macros, page 110, can be created to speed up
and to automate complex tasks, and stored in any menu in a file; and
new menus can be created. On Macintosh computers there is limited
AppleScript support, page 120.
Scope Software 101

Preferences
The various options in the display settings and recording controls allow
basic customizing of Scope. You can also choose to lock, hide, or alter
controls, menus, and menu commands (and their keyboard shortcuts).
This is useful in simplifying Scope for teaching purposes. The
Preferences submenu, Figure A–4, page 126, in the Edit menu contains
the menu commands:
• Options…, below
• Menus…, page 105,
• Controls…, page 106,
• Start-Up…, page 107,
• Hardware Start-Up…, page 109, and
• External Trigger…, page 109,
to manage particular aspects of Scope performance and display, and
which are discussed in the sections below.
Options
Selecting the Options… command from the Preferences submenu,
Figure A–4, page 126, of the Edit menu, accesses the Scope Options
dialog box Figure 7–1. Double-clicking the Rate/Time display in Time
Base control panel, Figure 3–1, page 22, also displays the dialog box.
The Scope Options dialog box controls various display and recording
settings. There are three main panels with controls which affect general
settings, the appearance of the waveform cursor, and the appearance
of the Time Base control panel.
General Behavior
Four checkboxes can be set to tailor various aspects of the Scope
software behavior:
• Keep Partial Data. When this checkbox is ticked, the portion of
signal obtained during an interrupted sweep is kept as a partial
page; the remainder of the page is filled with a zero signal. If the
102 Scope Software

Figure 7–1
The Scope Options
dialog box
checkbox is unticked (the default setting), then partial sweeps of

data are discarded.
• Show Display Control. If this checkbox is not ticked, the Display
pop-up menu is hidden, Figure 7–2. This prevents unwanted
changes to the display mode. Make sure that the display setting is
correctly set before you hide the control.
• Always Sample on Empty Page. By default, recording starts on the
blank page at the end (right) of the current file. If this checkbox is
not ticked, then for single, repetitive, averaged, or superimposed
sweeps, recording starts on the active page, overwriting any data
already there; in addition, you cannot start multiple sweeps when
the active page contains data, but must move to the blank page.
• Stimulator Independent of Sampling Rate. If the checkbox is ticked
(the default setting), then the stimulus waveform will maintain its
settings if the sweep time base is changed. When this checkbox is
turned off, the time base of the stimulus waveform automatically
rescaled when the sampling rate is changed, so that it remains the
Display pop-up menu

Figure 7–2
The Display pop-up
menu
Hidden Display pop-up menu
Chapter 7 — Customizing & Automating 103

same relative to the sweep. Note that Stimulator range is always set
independently and is not dependent on the Input range selected for
the sweep.
Waveform Cursor
The Waveform Cursor control, , allows a choice of cursor
shape. Click on a shape to select it: it is then highlighted with a heavy
border.
Time Base
The Time Base radio buttons set which two variables are used to control
sampling, page 22, by changing the Time Base control panel, Figure
7–1. By default, the Time per Sweep radio button is on. Click one of
the radio buttons to select that setting:
• Time per Sweep. The time taken for each sweep is set through the
Time/Freq pop-up menu, the number of samples per sweep is set
through the Samples pop-up menu, and the Rate/Time display
shows sampling frequency.
• Time per Div. The time taken for each division of a sweep is set
through the Time/Freq pop-up menu, the number of samples per
division is set through the Samples pop-up menu, and the Rate/Time
display just shows ‘/Div’. This gives the same range of sampling
rates as the default setting, since there are always 12.8 divisions
per sweep (see Table 3–1).
• Sampling Frequency. The sampling rate is set directly from the
Time/Freq pop-up menu, the number of samples per sweep is set
through the Samples pop-up menu, and the Rate/ Time display
shows the time taken for each sample. This allows freer choice and
a greater range of times per sweep, as shown in Table 3–2.
Rate/Time display
Figure 7–3
The three Time Base
panel configurations,
with the same sampling
rate
Time per Sweep Time per Div Sampling Frequency
104 Scope Software

Menus
Six of the Scope menus (File, Edit, Setup, Display, Windows, Macro)
and their commands can be modified from the default settings by using
the Menus dialog box, Figure 7–4, which appears on selecting the
Menus… command from the Preferences submenu of the Edit menu. The
dialog box will initially display the File menu: click the arrows, , or
press the right or left arrow keys on the keyboard, to move to adjacent
menus. The Help menu cannot be edited, but other menus, or menu
commands can be hidden or locked.
Long menus will have a ▼ button at their bases: click it (or press the
keyboard down arrow key) to move down through the menu, then click
the ▲ button that appears at the top of the menu (or press the up arrow
key) if you need to move back up again. By default, the menu title and
all items within the menu will have a adjacent tick icon, , and all
menu commands will have an open padlock icon, , beside them.
Clicking a tick, , will toggle it to a cross, , and hide the menu or

command, which will not appear when you return to the main Scope
window. Keyboard shortcuts for hidden commands are deactivated.
Clicking a cross will toggle it to a tick.
Click to move to adjacent menus Cmd, key on Macintosh

Figure 7–4
The Menus dialog box,
Note that the Crtl key of
a Windows computer is
the Cmd, -key on
Macintosh

Clicking an open padlock, , toggles it to a closed padlock, , and
locks the menu command beside it. The command still appears in the
menu, but if it is selected, or its keyboard shortcut entered, then an alert
notifies the user that it is locked and cannot be used. Clicking a closed
padlock toggles it to unlocked.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts for menu commands can be added or changed.
Click a menu command to select it: it highlights and the Ctrl Key area
(Cmd, , Key area on Macintosh) of the dialog box becomes
undimmed. If the menu command already has a keyboard shortcut, the
letter key appears selected in the text entry box, and you can either
change it, or delete it so that no keyboard shortcut is available. Type a
▼ Refer single lower-case letter or number in the text entry box (letters are
Keyboard Shortcuts, automatically capitalized; invalid characters will be rejected) to assign
page 129 a keyboard shortcut.
If you choose a character already in use, an alert box will warn you of
the fact and tell you where it is assigned. If you choose the character
anyway, your choice overrides any previous assignment.
Controls
The Controls… command from the Preferences submenu of the Edit
menu, accesses the Control Options dialog box, Figure 7–5. Use it to
modify the display of the various Scope control panels. By default, all
items have a tick, , and an , icon to their left indicating that
control panel is visible and will appear behind the Scope window in
case of overlap.
Clicking a tick, , will toggle it to a cross, , and hide the panel

named beside it when you return to the main Scope window. Clicking a
cross, , to toggle to a tick, , and show the hidden item.
Click the icon, it toggles to , and that panel will appear in front
of the main Scope window. You can also Alt+click (Option-click on
Macintosh) directly on a panel title to toggle it to the front or back of
the main Scope window. The horizontal and vertical spaces can be
hidden, but always remain behind all other Scope panels and
windows.
106 Scope Software

Figure 7–5
The Control Options
dialog box
If the Stimulator is set up to deliver stimulus waveforms other than free-

form, the Stim panel, page 41, replaces the e-corder panel when the
Stimulator is on. The control in the dialog box also changes its name
depending on what is visible on screen; settings are retained, though.
Moving Control Panels

The panels named in the Control Options dialog box can be
repositioned by using Shift+drag on their title. Vertical and horizontal
spaces have no title, and can be Shift+dragged from any point.
Start-Up
Settings are of two sorts: those that affect recording, such as sampling
rate, channel ranges, triggering, and stimulation functions; and those
that affect the way the data looks, such as the window size, channel
areas, display settings, and menu configuration. To save or clear
customized settings, select the Start-Up… command from the
Preferences submenu, Figure A–4, page 126, of the Edit menu: the
Start-Up Settings dialog box appears, Figure 7–6.
Figure 7–6
The Start-Up Settings
dialog box

Clicking the button saves all current settings in the Scope
StartUp file in the System folder in the eDAQ folder, so that they are
used each time Scope starts up. Clicking the button clears any
settings stored in the Scope StartUp file: when Scope next starts up, it
will use its factory default settings. Note that you must quit and restart
Scope to apply the new start-up settings.
If you hold down the Ctrl key ( key on Macintosh) as you start the
Scope software, then any customized start-up settings are bypassed,
and Scope opens using the factory default settings.
It is also possible to always start Scope in Analysis mode, page 109

& 123.
Special Access
If access to dialog boxes has been blocked (because the Edit menu or
its relevant commands have been hidden or locked, page 105) use the
Special Access dialog box, Figure 7–7, which appears on typing
Ctrl+\, the backslash character ( -\ on Macintosh).
Figure 7–7
The Special Access
dialog box
Clicking the button accesses the Menus dialog box,

Figure 7–4, which can be used to show hidden menus, and unlock
menu commands, if required.
Clicking the button accesses the Start-Up Settings dialog

box, letting you save the current settings in the file (including menu
layouts and so on) as those Scope will use when it starts up. This is
useful when you use Scope for routine work requiring the same settings
day after day. It also means that quitting and restarting Scope will not
face the user with a Scope file that could have quite different settings,
and none of the safeguards you may have set up.
108 Scope Software

Clicking the button accesses the Save As directory
dialog box, which allows you the complete range of options in saving a
Scope file. It is useful where you have previously used the menu editor,
page 105, to disable the ability to save a file, and then want to save
this configuration as a Settings file.
Hardware Start-Up
The Hardware Start-Up command in the Edit>Preferences submenu,
Figure A–4, page 126, accesses the Hardware Start-Up dialog box,
Figure 7–8. Use it to bypass hardware initialization if you are using
Scope on a computer without an e-corder attached, for example to
review and analyze existing data files — the Hardware Not Found
dialog box will not appear, Figure 1–2, page 4.
This is equivalent to renaming Scope as ‘Analysis Scope’, see

page 123.
Figure 7–8
The Special Access
dialog box
External Trigger
The External Trigger command in the Edit>Preferences submenu, Figure
A–4, page 126, accesses the External Trigger Options dialog box,
Figure 7–9, which configures the external Trigger of the e-corder unit to
respond to a TTL (voltage level) signal or to a contact closure (open
versus closed circuit). See the e-corder manual for more information.
(The External trigger can be selected using the Sampling dialog box,
Figure 3–8, page 34.)

Figure 7–9
Flashes red for
The External Trigger TTL high, or
Options dialog box TTL configuration for contact closed
external trigger
Contact closure
configuration for
external trigger
Macros
Macros are used to repeat a set of commands and are commonly used
to automate recording and analysis, or like settings files, to quickly
reconfigure the appearance and recording parameters of Scope. They
record the results of your actions then reproduce these steps when
replayed. They are useful wherever you need to perform a repetitive
series of operations.
Macros can record any Scope operation: setting dialog box and
window controls; changing the display format; sampling; copying
waveform data to the Data Pad; saving data as a new file; printing the
Zoom window display of selected data; etc.
Macros work by recording the simplest interpretation of your actions,

not the individual keystrokes and mouse clicks. For example if you open
a dialog box while running a macro, then readjust the same setting
several times during, only the final settings used in the macro.
Keep a written record of the steps involved in your macros because,

once saved, macros cannot be edited. Macros may also be
incompatible between different versions of Scope. Writing the macro
steps down before actually recording will help when constructing
complex macros.
Macros are saved with data or settings files: when the file is saved, all
currently available macros are saved with it, becoming part of the file.
When you open a Scope data, settings, or macro file, any macros in
that file are loaded into memory. The Open directory dialog box, has a
110 Scope Software

Discard Existing Macros checkbox. If this is on, macros currently in
memory are discarded when the new file is opened, and any macros in
the new file replace the previous set. If the checkbox is off, macros
accumulate in memory as you open files until you quit and restart
Scope, or delete the macros.
Macros can also be saved as a separate Macros file, with the Save As
command.
Recording a Macro
Choose Start Recording from the Macro menu, the menu command then
toggles to Stop Recording…. When a macro is being recorded, for the
most part Scope remembers rather than executes operations, but
changing channel ranges or turning channels off, for example, are
done as you record. During the process, the Progress indicator changes
in the e-corder or Stim panel, and the message ‘Recording Macro…’ is
displayed, , in the e-corder panel. Perform all actions to
be recorded, then choose Stop Recording… from the Macro menu.
Once recording stops, the Add Macro to Menu dialog box appears,
Figure 7–10.
The button allows you to choose the menu in which your macro will
appear. You can also create a new menu by entering its title (up to 10
characters) in the text entry box. New menus will
be added to the right of existing menus in the menu bar. The name of
the macro (up to 20 characters) should be entered in the
text entry box.
Create a new menu, if desired

Figure 7–10
The Add Macro to Menu
dialog box Choose the menu to which the
new macro will be added
Enter the name of the new macro
Assign a keyboard shortcut

An optional keyboard shortcut can be assigned to the macro as well:
type a single lower-case letter or number in the text entry
box. An alert box will warn you if you choose a character already in
use, page 129, but you can override the previous assignment.
The Size indicator tells you the number of steps recorded, and the
memory used by the macro. Click the button to discard the
macro you have just recorded. Clicking the button closes the
dialog box and you can continue to record more steps in the macro.
Click the button to add the macro to the bottom of the selected
menu.
Until you save the file, new macros exist only in memory and are not
permanently stored. If you open another file (without discarding
currently available macros) and save that file, the macros will become
part of the new file. When you quit Scope, you will not be asked to
save changes if the changes are only concerned with macros, so it is a
good idea to save the file each time you create a macro (or save the
file’s macros as various macro files).
Replaying a Macro
Once assigned a name and location, a macro acts like a menu
command: select it from its menu or type its keyboard shortcut. While a
macro is being replayed, the message is displayed in the
e-corder panel (but not the Stim panel), and no other functions can be
performed within Scope. If you switch to other software, leaving Scope
in the background, the macro stops playing at its current step. To
manually stop a macro type Ctrl+period ( -period on Macintosh)).
Deleting a Macro
To delete existing macros, choose the Delete Macro menu command in
the Macro menu, Figure A–9, page 127, which accesses the Delete
Macro dialog box, Figure 7–11. To delete a macro, select its name
and click the button. To choose multiple macros for deletion,
Shift+click or Shift+drag to select adjacent macros, or Ctrl+click
( –click on Macintosh) to select or deselect macros individually. If you
double-click a macro name it will be deleted and close the dialog box.
112 Scope Software

Figure 7–11
The Delete Macro dialog
box
When a file is saved, all currently available macros are saved with it.
When you delete a macro, you delete it from memory. If the macro is
part of the current file, it is deleted when the file is saved — if you quit
or close the file without saving changes the file can be reopened with
the macro intact.
Options When Recording Macros

Operations involving files and dialog boxes can be made to behave
differently when playing macros, depending on whether you want to do
the same thing all the time, allow user modification, and so on.
Changing Dialog Box Settings

Macros can be used to change dialog box settings and parameter
values, or to open a dialog box for so that you can change settings as
the macro is played.
To use a macro to alter settings in a dialog box, select the dialog box
while macro recording is in progress Change the dialog box settings,
and then click the OK button. The new values of your changes are
recorded — if you do not alter a setting then it is recorded as ‘no
change’ and when the macro is replayed the current value of that
setting will be used. If you click Cancel, the changes made in the
dialog box will be ignored. When replaying the macro, the settings are
changed without displaying the dialog box.

To create a macro step that will allow you to change dialog box
settings when replaying the macro, hold down the Alt key (Option key
on Macintosh) when selecting the command that shows the dialog box,
then click the OK button. Do not make any other changes in the dialog
box. When the macro is replayed, the dialog box will be opened so
that you can change the settings; click the dialog box OK or Cancel
buttons so that the macro replay can continue, with any new settings
that you have made.
Starting Sampling
Macros can be used to control when sampling starts and stops: click the
Scope Start button at the appropriate step while recording a macro.
Repetitive or superimposed sampling will give only a single sweep in
this case, otherwise the macro would never end.
Opening Files
A macro can be used to open the same file each time it is played, or to
allow the user to choose a file to open. To open a particular file,
choose Open… from the File menu while the macro is being recorded:
the Macro Open directory dialog box is displayed, Figure 7–12.
To choose which file is to be opened when the macro is replayed, press

the Alt key when selecting the Open… command while recording a
macro. An alert box reminds you that you are giving the user a choice.
The Open directory dialog box, Figure 2–2, page 11, will be
displayed when the macro is played.
Figure 7–12
The Macro Open
directory dialog box
114 Scope Software

If the chosen file has been moved (or deleted) since the macro was
recorded, then Scope searches in the most recently used folder and in
the same folder as Scope. If the file is in neither of these locations, an
alert box warns you that Scope cannot find the file, and the Open
directory dialog box is displayed to locate the file — if you click the
Cancel button, the macro will stop.
Saving Files
When playing a macro, you can save data in a single or a series of
files. Use the normal Save command in a macro to save a current
named file. You might want to do this at specified intervals to ensure
the collected data is backed up in the event of a power outage. Press
the Alt key (Option key on Macintosh) when selecting the Save
command to decide the location and name of the file when the macro
is replayed — the Save As directory dialog box, Figure 5–6, page 68,
will be displayed when the macro is replayed.
While a macro is being recorded, the Save As… command accesses

the Macro Save As directory dialog box, Figure 7–12 which can be
used to save a data file with a unique file name during macro replay.
Three checkboxes allow you to specify the unique file names:

• Unique number, a different number is added to the end of the file
name each time the file is saved during macro replay. Numbers are
added in sequence, for example, if the file name is CoolData, then
Figure 7–13
The Macro Save As
directory dialog box

files will be saved as CoolData(001), CoolData(002), etc. If the
macro is stopped (or finished) and replayed again, numbering will
recommence from the last such numbered file, to give
CoolData(003) etc.;
• Time, appends the current time to the file name. This checkbox is
disabled if the Unique number checkbox is ticked.
• Date, appends the current date to the file name. This checkbox is
disabled if the Unique number checkbox is ticked.
If no checkboxes are ticked, then each time you replay the macro, the
file will be overwritten.
Macros Using Macros

New macros can use existing macros as part of their command
sequence but macros can only be nested up to ten deep. An alert box
will appear during the of your macro replay if the combination
becomes too recursive. If a macro is called by other macros, Scope
warns you if you attempt to delete it. If a macro being replayed calls a
deleted macro, an alert box will appear, and the replay will halt.
Complex macros are often best constructed by creating a series of short

macros then a master macro that calls the other macros in sequence.
Macro Commands
Special macro menu commands are available from the Macro
Commands submenu, Figure A–10, page 128, while recording a
macro. These are discussed in the following sections.
Update Screen
By default he Update Screen menu command is ticked and when a
macro is played, the screen is updated after each macro step. Clicking
Update Screen command to untick it causes the macro to play without
updating the screen. Update Screen can be toggled off or on at any
stage of a macro. In either case the screen will be redrawn when the
macro is finished.
Macro replay can be faster if Update Screen is off.
116 Scope Software

Wait…
The Wait… macro command, Figure A–10, page 128, accesses the
Wait dialog box, Figure 7–14. A pop-up menu lets you select:
• Wait For a set length of time (for example, 55 seconds);
• Wait Until a certain time (for example, 11:20 a.m.); or
• Wait Until the Next time division (for example, at the next hour);
before the macro continues.
The checkbox lets you choose whether the

dialog box, shown in Figure 7–15, appears during the wait period of
the macro replay. As well as giving a visual indication of wait
progress, you can also proceed immediately to the next step of the
Figure 7–14
The Macro Wait dialog
box, with the three
options selected
Figure 7–15
The Macro Wait dialog
box during the playing of
the Wait step of a macro

macro (click the button), or abort the macro (click the
button). You can also type Ctrl+period (or -period on
Macintosh) to abort the macro.
Play Sound…
On Windows computers the Play Sound… macro command, Figure
Note A–10, page 128, accesses the Browse for Sound File directory dialog
Preceding an alert box
box, Figure 7–16, to set and audible alerts during macro replay. On
with an audible signal
(using the Play Sound… Macintosh, the Macro Play sound dialog box is opened, and you can
command) is useful to select from the range of sounds in your computer’s system.
draw attention to the
screen Click the name of a sound in the list to select it. If you want to hear the
selected sound, click the Preview button. To have it actually played in
the macro, click the Open button. To save time in creating multiple
sounds, you can create a library of sound macros, and simply
incorporate one or more of them in the macro that needs them.
You might wish to have three beeps signal when the e-corder starts
recording data, or a bell and a whistle when a trigger point has been
reached. You can even record short verbal cues using the Sound
Figure 7–16
The Browse for Sound
File directory dialog box
Windows computers
Macintosh computers
118 Scope Software

Recorder accessory (if your computer has a microphone input) and use
these in your macros.
If a macro attempts to play a sound not in the computer system (since

removed from the system), then another sound will be substituted.
Message…
The Message… macro command accesses the Macro Message dialog
box, Figure 7–17. This lets you display alert boxes requiring user
response at certain stages during macro replay. You can type in the a
message of up to 255 characters. The dialog box produced will have
an OK button (which will close the box and continue with the macro
replay) and, if the checkbox is ticked, a ‘Cancel’
button for exiting the macro.
Figure 7–17 Include a Cancel button

The Macro Message with the macro message
dialog box to abort macro replay
Choose an icon to be displayed with

the message during macro replay
Speak Message… (Macintosh only)

If you choose the Speak Message… macro command, the Speak
Message dialog box appears, Figure 7–18. You can type in the
message of your choice (up to 255 characters) which will be spoken by
the computer during macro replay. Speech is generated phonetically
so, for example, if you were to enter Chinese words as phonetic English
then Chinese words would be spoken.

Figure 7–18
The Speak Message
dialog box (Macintosh
only)
The volume at which the message is spoken can be set to Default (the
volume set in the Macintosh Sound control panel), or from 1 to 7, which
overrides the system setting.
Three radio buttons give a choice of actions when the macro step is
replayed:
• Never Show, the message will be spoken if speech is enabled,
otherwise a standard system beep is used;
• Show if Speech not Available, the message is spoken if speech is
enabled, otherwise an alert appears displaying the written message
and the macro is paused until alert box OK button is clicked;
• Always Show, an alert box always appears, displaying the written
message, whether or not a spoken message occurs. The macro is
paused until the alert box OK button is clicked.
AppleScript… (Macintosh only)

This macro command allows you to insert an AppleScript as a macro
step. AppleScript is a scripting language for automating tasks, and
controlling applications and their interactions through Apple events. To
use it, you must have AppleScript installed on your computer. On
selecting the AppleScript… macro command, the AppleScript from
Macro dialog box appears, Figure 7–19.
You can enter a script of 32 000 characters in the scrolling field. The
dialog box is a movable modal one, which means you can switch out
of Scope, to get tested scripts from the Script Editor, say, and paste
them in, but you will lose text styles from a formatted script if you do
120 Scope Software

Figure 7–19
The AppleScript dialog
box (Macintosh only)
this. Scripts are just left as unformatted text in the dialog box, even
when compiled there.
Click the button to check and compile the script — you are
will be warned if the script will not run. The AppleScript is also checked
and compiled once you click the button. Note that an
application must be called by its name exactly as it appears in the
Finder (for example ‘Scope v3.6’, not just ‘Scope’).
Once you click the button, the AppleScript is stored as one

step of the macro and then cannot be re-edited. Complex scripts that
might require re-editing are better left residing in the Finder, and then
called using a simple AppleScript macro step within Scope.
Scope is Apple event aware, but not Apple event recordable, and has
no dictionary. It supports the open, print, quit, run and do script
commands, Table 7–1.
The macro to be played by the do script Apple event is identified by the

name of the menu that the macro is in, a colon, and the name of the
macro (as it is shown in the Delete Macro dialog box, Figure 7–11,
page 113). Scope is automatically brought to the front when a do
script event occurs.
Command Function Example

Table 7–1
AppleScript commands open Open a specified Scope document open file "Test Results"
print Print a specified Scope document print file "Test Results"
quit Quit Scope application quit application "Scope"
run Launch Scope application run application "Scope"
do script Play the specified Scope macro do script "Macro:Beep"

If an AppleScript macro step both switches out of Scope to some other
program and then switches back in, the macro continues and completes
any remaining steps. If the AppleScript switches out of Scope, but does
not switch in again, then the macro finishes at that step, and any
remaining steps are ignored.
As an example of its use, the menu commands in a new Tutorial menu

(created using macros) might use AppleScript to take students to
particular cards in an especially written HyperCard stack that teaches
them about Scope or guides them through an experiment. HyperCard
can then use a script to return to Scope, set things up, and so on.
Additionally, you could transfer data to an Apple event aware

spreadsheet as you worked through a Scope file, by running a macro
to cut a line from the Data Pad, and using an AppleScript step to switch
to the spreadsheet, paste the data into the next row, and switch back to
Scope again.
Begin Repeat
The Begin Repeat macro command is used to enter a number, Figure
7–20, to repeat groups of steps in a macro. You may repeat any group
of commands up to 100 000 times. This could be used, for example, to
set up fast sampling at staggered intervals overnight. For each Begin
Repeat you should specify an End Repeat, page 123. If you do not
specify enough End Repeats, they are automatically added when you
select Stop Recording…
Repeat for Each Page

Use this macro command to perform some operation on each overlaid
page of data, indicated as shown in Figure 7–21. The Average page,
blank page, and pages not in the overlay are ignored. See Overlaying
Pages, page 55, for information on how to set an overlay.
Figure 7–20
The Begin Repeat dialog
box
122 Scope Software

Figure 7–21
Repeat for Each Page Average page Blank (last) page
Only these are included
macro: the affected in the overlay
pages are those selected
for overlay.
When this macro command plays, it will go through the Scope file and
display each page it operates upon, unless the Update Screen
command is turned off. You should specify an End Repeat after the
instructions you want performed with the Repeat for Each Page.
End Repeat
Each Begin Repeat, or Repeat for Each Page, macro step should be
paired with an End Repeat. If you do not specify enough End Repeat
steps, they are automatically added when you choose Stop
Recording….
Analysis Scope
Rename the Scope software on the computer hard disk (not the desktop
shortcut) by prefixing it with the word ‘Analysis’, for example Analysis
Scope, or Analysis Scope.exe. Scope will then always open in analysis
mode, bypassing hardware initialization. This is useful if you are using
Scope on a second computer, without an e-corder attached, to review
and analyze existing data files — the Hardware Not Found dialog box
will not appear, Figure 1–2, page 4
This is equivalent to setting Scope to always open in analysis mode in

the Hardware Start Up Options dialog box, page 109.

124 Scope Software
A P P E N D I X A
A Menus & Commands
Menus
The menus shown here are the default settings, and your copy of Scope
may be set up differently, since Scope menus can be extensively
customized. Scope has seven menus: File, Edit, Setup, Display,
Windows, Macro and Help; more can be added with macros. Some of
the menu commands shown will change or be disabled depending on
the active window and what, if anything, is selected. An ellipsis (…)
after a menu command indicates that it accesses a dialog box; any
keyboard shortcut, page 129, is also shown after the menu command;
and an adjacent tick indicates that the command is currently active.
The following figures show menus as they appear on a Windows

computer. Corresponding menus on Macintosh are similar except that
keyboard shortcuts shown as using the Ctrl key use the key on
Macintosh.
Figure A–1 Restore window to previous size from maximised state

The Control menu Make window moveable with keyboard arrow keys
(Windows computers Make window resizeable with keyboard arrow keys
only) Shrink active window (all of Scope) to button on taskbar
Expand active window to take up nearly all the screen
Close the application window and exit (quit) Scope
Scope Software 125

Figure A–2 Create a new Scope file
The File menu
Open an existing file
Close the current file

Save the current file
Save file with a new name, or format
Set up page size and so on to suit the printer

Print one or more pages of data
Exit Scope (Quit on Macintosh)
Figure A–3 Undo previous action (if possible)

The Edit menu
Cut selected data to the Clipboard
Copy selected data to the Clipboard
Paste selection
Clear selection
Copy text or graphics to the Clipboard
Customise Scope options (see submenu)
Look for hardware

Figure A–4 Set external trigger type
The Preferences submenu Choose default settings
Modify Scope menus
Modify Scope panel behaviours
Save current settings as defaults
Figure A–5 Configure sampling parameters (sweep and trigger controls)

The Setup menu
Configure the output waveform (pulses, ramps, etc.)
Set the constant output voltage
126 Scope Software

Figure A–6 Hardware, software, and contact information
The Help menu,
Windows computers.
Use the Apple menu on a
Macintosh.
Figure A–7 Modify display colors, grids, lines, etc.

The Display menu Label the Time and Amplitude axes
Go straight to a particular page of a file
Show or hide an overlaid page

Turn all overlays on
Turn all overlays off
Modify appearance of overlaid waveforms
Subtract the background from all pages

Set current page as the background
Turn off the background waveform
Overlay the stimulation waveform on the data
Apply various computations to the raw data
Figure A–8 Open Notebook window

The Windows menu
Return to or open the Scope window
Display a selection in the Zoom window
Display and adjust settings for selected area

Display and adjust Marker settings
Open the Data Pad window

Make new entry in the Data Pad
Figure A–9 Start or stop recording a macro

The Macro menu Delete a macro
Open submenu shown in Figure A–10
Appendix A — Menus & Commands 127

Redraw the screen during macro replay
Figure A–10
The Macro Commands Pause the macro for a set time
submenu Set an audible alert using the system sounds
Display a message dialog box
Speak a message (Macintosh only)
Add an AppleScript (Macintosh only)
Select each page of data to manipulate

Start a repeat sequence
Finish a repeat sequence
Windows Macintosh Function

Table A–1
Keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+A –A Overlay all
Ctrl+B –B Clear selection
Ctrl+C –C Copy to Clipboard
Ctrl+D –D Add information on selection to Data Pad
Ctrl+F –F Set up computed functions
Ctrl+G –G Go to a page
Ctrl+H –H Overlay none
Ctrl+N –N New
Ctrl+O –O Open
Alt+F4 –Q Quit
Ctrl+P –P Print
Ctrl+R –R Start/stop macro recording
Ctrl+S –S Save file
Ctrl+V –V Paste
Ctrl+W –W Close active window
Ctrl+X –X Cut selection
Ctrl+Z –Z Undo/redo (if possible)
Ctrl+\ –\ Access to dialog boxes (Menu, Save As, Start-up)
Ctrl+Period (.) –Period (.) Stop sampling, stop macro recording or playing
Ctrl+Spacebar –Spacebar Start/stop sampling (this shortcut may not work on
some computers)
Ctrl+Right arrow –Right arrow Go to end of file
Ctrl+Left arrow –Left arrow Go to start of file
128 Scope Software

Keyboard Shortcuts
Factory default Keyboard shortcuts are shown in Table A–1. Shortcuts
can be reassigned with the menu editor, page 106, or with macros
page 111. The commands are context sensitive and may change or be
disabled depending on the active window and whether a selection of
data has been made.
Standard keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes also apply:

• Tab moves the insertion point to next text entry box;
• Enter or Return is the same as clicking the OK button; and
• Ctrl+. ( -. on Macintosh), or Esc, is the same as clicking the
Cancel button.
On Windows computers only, you can press the Alt key to activate
menus, use left and right arrow keys to select a menu, and the down
arrow key to show it (or press the Alt key and then type the underlined
letter in the menu title to show it). Menu commands have underlined
letters: type the letter to choose the command in an active menu. Use
the up and down arrow keys to select and highlight a menu command,
and then press the Enter key to choose (activate) it.
Appendix A — Menus & Commands 129

130 Scope Software
A P P E N D I X B
B Troubleshooting
Technical Support
If you are experiencing difficulties with Scope that are not covered in
this manual, or you need technical assistance with your e-corder
system, then eDAQ and its authorized distributors are glad to help. Use
the About Scope… command from the Help menu (Apple menu on
Macintosh) to access the About Scope dialog box, Figure A–1, which
provides contact and system information.
Dealer and Distributor Information

Click the Telephone button, , to display a list of eDAQ offices,
Figure A–2. You can also visit the eDAQ web site to obtain the latest
information.
Figure A–1
The About Scope dialog version and
box. release date
Click for System

Information, Figure A–3
Click anywhere on the main Click for Contact

part of the box to cancel it Information, Figure A–2
Scope Software 131

Figure A–2
The eDAQ Addresses Internet links
dialog box
Click to copy the

information for pasting into
an email, or fax document
Figure A–3
The Information dialog
box
Click to copy the text to

an email or fax
System Configuration Information

Click the Computer button, , to access the Information dialog box,
Figure A–3 which gives information on which version of Scope is
running, together with the system software. Also provided is a detailed
description of your computer, your e-corder and how it is connected,
connected eDAQ Amps (if any), and other peripheral devices
connected to the computer.
Use the Print… button or Copy All button to send the information via fax
or email to your eDAQ distributor if required.
132 Scope Software

Solutions to Common Problems
Scope has an extensive array of dialog and alert boxes, and these will
probably appear in most cases where problems arise. Very often they
will suggest appropriate courses of action. Where they do not, or
where the actions they suggest fail to alleviate the problem, this section
of the guide should prove useful.
Your e-corder Manual will also have suggestions.
The computer can’t find the e-corder on start-up
• Check that the e-corder is on, and plugged into a working power
socket.
• Ensure that the USB cable is firmly attached at both ends. Try a
new cable if possible.
• Turn everything off for at least 10 seconds. Turn the e-corder and
computer back on. Turn on the computer and try using the software
again.
Scope ‘hangs’ or gives an alert on start-up
• It may be that the copy of the Scope software has become

damaged in some way. Try reinstalling Scope from the original CD.
Scope starts up with strange settings and/or macros
• Opening a data file with custom settings or a settings file, will start
with the settings of the file. Start up again using the Scope software
icon or its desktop shortcut.
• Start-up settings may have been customized. To start up Scope
with its factory default settings, hold down the Ctrl key ( key on
Macintosh) as you open Scope.
• To remove customized start-up settings, choose the Start-Up…
submenu command from the Preferences submenu of the Edit menu
and click Clear in the dialog box that appears.
Appendix A — Troubleshooting 133

Keyboard shortcuts don’t work, or do strange things
• If your menu commands are missing, or keyboard shortcuts

reassigned, they may have been customized. Compare menu
commands and keyboard shortcuts to those shown in Appendix A.
• Start-up settings may have been customized. To start up Scope
with its factory default settings, hold down the Ctrl key ( key on
Macintosh) as you open Scope.
• To remove customized start-up settings, choose the Start-Up…
submenu command from the Preferences submenu of the Edit menu
and click Clear in the dialog box that appears.
• Type Ctrl+\ ( -\ on Macintosh) for emergency access to the
menu settings, start-up settings, and saving options.
Alert boxes say the sampling rate is too fast
• Scope can sample only on one channel at 200 kHz, page 24,
ensure the second channel is turned off.
• External and Line options set in the Sampling dialog box will not
work at a sampling rate of 200 kHz.
Nothing seems to be recording
• Scope may be sampling, but when data is acquired at a fast

speed (400 Hz or more) it may be displayed once the sweep is
over. The e-corder does computed functions and digital filtering
itself, and this may also increase the delay between sweeps. If
Scope is sampling, then there will be an indication in the e-corder
(or Stim) panel.
• Apply complex transformations (such as FFTs) after recording.
• The Trigger may not be set to User, and Scope may be waiting for
a trigger event: the word ‘Sampling…’ will show in the e-corder
panel. The e-corder will also indicate it is waiting for a trigger (see
the owner’s guide for your e-corder).
• The Stimulator is in use (the Stim panel is showing), the Stimulator
External Trigger is on, and Scope is waiting for the event. The
Start/Stop button will read Stop. The e-corder also indicates it is
waiting for a trigger.
134 Scope Software

The computer ‘hangs’ while recording, or there is data loss
• Ensure that the USB cable is firmly attached at both ends and try
again. If there is still a problem, try a new cable.
• Check your network connections, if you are on a network.
Only one page printed, although a page range was specified
• Scope has a specific option in the Print Options dialog box, the
Print Current Page Only checkbox, which is on by default. When the
checkbox is on, the active page prints regardless of the range, if
any, specified in the Print dialog box. Click the Options… button in
the Print dialog box to display the Print Options dialog box.
• To print a range of pages, turn off the Print Current Page Only
checkbox, and enter the numbers as usual.
Scope quits unexpectedly, crashes, or freezes
• The file you are using may have become corrupted. Use disk-
checking software to find and fix the problem.
• It may be that the copy Scope software has become damaged in
some way. Try reinstalling Scope from the original CD.
• It could be that a computer virus is causing the problems. Check
your disk with anti-viral software.
• If the problem occurs again please contact eDAQ.
Appendix A — Troubleshooting 135

136 Scope Software
A P P E N D I X C
C Technical Notes
Fast Fourier Transforms

Scope uses a discrete FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) algorithm to convert
data from time to frequency domains, page 93. For a detailed
discussion of the FFT see Numerical Recipes: The Art of Scientific
Computing, W.H. Press et al., Cambridge University Press, 1986.
The FFT algorithm requires 2n data points where n is an integer. Scope

pages contain 256, 512, 640, 1024, 1280, or 2560 data points.
Pages with 256, 512, or 1024 samples can be transformed directly.
Pages with 640 or 1280 points first require ‘zero padding’. That is, the
signal is lengthened before FFT calculation to 1024 and 2048 points
respectively by adding points with a value of zero equally at the start
and end of the sweep. Pages with 2560 samples have the FFT
calculated from the first 2048 data points, the last 512 points are
ignored and do not contribute to the FFT.
Consider a sequence of N consecutive data points, at a time interval ∆,

described by a function hk ≡ h(tk) where tk ≡ k∆ is the time value of
sample k, where k is the series 0, 1, 2, … N–1. The FFT transforms
these N discrete samples in time, with h voltage (or derived units), to N
discrete samples in frequency, with H frequency amplitude. The
frequencies can be assigned the discrete values fn = n/N∆, where n is
the series –N/2, …, (N/2)–1. The discrete FFFT is defined by:
N–1
2πikn ⁄ N
Hn ≡ ∑h e k
k=0
Scope Software 137

This transform maps N complex numbers hk into N complex numbers
Hn. For signals that Scope measures, numbers hk are real with the
imaginary part set to zero. Zero frequency corresponds to n = 0;
positive frequencies correspond to values 1 ≤ n ≤ ((N/2)–1). The
function can be seen to be periodic in n with period N, with
H–n = HN–n for values of n other than zero. One can let the n in Hn
range from 0 to N–1 so that the correspondence between k in the time
domain and n in the frequency domain is more obvious (but we don’t
for this treatment).
If we take Re and Im to be respectively the real and imaginary parts of

the nth frequency component, then the amplitude of the nth frequency
component of the spectrum may be expressed as:
2 2
( Re ( H n ) ) + ( Im ( H n ) )
A ( n ) = -------------------------------------------------------------
-
N⁄2
The vertical, intensity, axis of the FFT can have a linear (units derived
from the signal units) or logarithmic scale (units of deciBels, dB). The
logarithmic display shows the relative attenuation of spectral lines with
respect to the largest spectral line (set to zero decibels). It compresses
the data into logarithmic decades, making discernible smaller
components that might otherwise be difficult to see on the display
because of a large dynamic data range. It derives from the formula dB
= 20log(A1/A2).
Terminology
The power spectrum Scope derives using the FFT is, technically, the
modulus of the amplitude spectrum. The terms amplitude spectrum and
power spectrum are sometimes used loosely. However, strictly
speaking, an amplitude spectrum can have negative values (indicating
phase), while a power spectrum uses the square of the signal
amplitude. If you compare power spectra obtained with Scope with
those of other software, it is important that you establish that comparing
to other power spectra.
FFT Windowing Functions

The FFT algorithm assumes that data points of a sweep represent an
integral number of cycles of a periodic waveform. However, as is
138 Scope Software

Figure A–1 Cosine Bell window
FFT Windowing functions 2πn
w n = 0.50 1 + cos  ----------
 N 
Hamming window
2πn
w n = 0.54 + 0.46 cos  ----------
 N 
Blackman window
2πn 4πn
w n = 0.42 + 0.50 cos  ---------- + 0.08 cos  ----------
 N   N 
For all equations n is a value between –N/2 to (N/2)–1, and N is

the number of sampled points. The equations can be defined over
positive values of n from 0 to N–1 simply by rearranging them
likely, the first and last values of the signal in a sweep do not join
smoothly together, then a spurious frequency reading will be detected
at the edge of the sampling window by the FFT: this is known as an
‘edge effect’. The accuracy with which an FFT can resolve frequencies
depends on the sampling rate, 1/∆, and the number of points sampled,
N. If a frequency reading is not an integral multiple of 1/∆N Hz, then
it will be resolved into peaks above and below that value, distorting the
result. Setting N at a large value (1024 data points, or more, for
sweeps that are to be used for FFT) minimizes these problems.
Windowing functions reduce the importance of data at the edges of the

window of data used by the FFT, preventing spurious peaks arising
from edge and related effects. The discrete Fourier transform data are
multiplied by the windowing function wn to weight them:
N–1
2πikn ⁄ N
Hn ≡ ∑w h e n k
k=0
Three of the more common windowing functions (cosine Bell, Hamming,

and Blackman) have been provided in Scope, Figure 6–14, page 94,
and their details are described in Figure A–1.
Appendix C — Technical Notes 139

Computed Functions
The information in this section describes the mathematics involved in
some of the computed functions available in Scope.
Smoothing
Signals can be smoothed as described on page 97. A number (1 – 50)
is entered to indicate degree of smoothing, n, but at the start and end
of the sweep it is not possible to use the full degree of smoothing. If N
is the number of points in the sweep, and the original signal is
described by f(i) at point i, where 0 ≤ i ≤ N–1, then each point on the
smoothed signal, g(i), can be expressed by the equation:
 i+n
 1 [0 ≤ i ≤ n – 1]
 ∑
---------------------
n+i+1
f(j)
 j=0
 i+n
 1
g(i) =  ----------------- ∑ f(j) [n ≤ i ≤ N – n – 1]
 2n + 1
j = i–n

 N–1
1
 --------------------------------------------------
(N – 1) – (i – n) + 1 ∑- f(j) [N – n ≤ i ≤ N – 1]
 j = i–n
Integral
Integration can be done using one of the Data Pad Integral functions,
page 89, or by using the Integrate computed function, page 99, but in
either case a similar calculation is done. Sloping baselines set with the
Markers, page 83, are ignored for the purposes of integration.
Background subtraction, page 86, is done from the integrated wave.
If ∆t is the time between consecutive data points, and the original

signal amplitude is f(j), then for each position i in the integrated signal,
g(i):
i
g ( i ) = ∆t ∑ f(j)
j=1
140 Scope Software

That is, the integral at the ith point in a signal is the sum total of the
amplitude of the data points, up to and including the ith point,
multiplied by ∆t. Data Pad Integral functions use only data points from
the start time to the end time of the selected portion of the signal.
Integral Abs, Integral Positive, and Integral Negative Data Pad
functions sum the absolute, positive or negative signal amplitudes
respectively.
Differential
The differential of a signal is obtained using the Differentiate computed
function, page 99. In a sweep of N points, the value of the differential
at a point i, where 0 ≤ i ≤ N–1, is the average of the slope of two
lines, one joining point i–1 to i, and the other between point i and i+1,
Figure A–1.
Note that at the start and end of the sweep it is not possible to do this
and that the first differential values is defined by the slope of the line
between the first two points, while the last differential value in a sweep
is defined by the slope of a line joining the last two points.
Thus for a sweep of N data points, at a time interval of ∆t, where the
data points have an amplitude of f(j), the differentiated value, g(i) is
determined by the equation:
 f(2) – f(1) i = 0
 ---------------------------
 ∆t
 f(i + 1) – f(i – 1) [1 ≤ i ≤ N – 2]
g ( i ) =  ------------------------------------------
 2∆t
 f(N – 1) – f(N – 2)
 ------------------------------------------------- [i = N – 1]
 ∆t
Figure A–2 i
Slope at point i
Determination of signal
derivative (slope) i– 1 i+ 1
∆t True signal
Appendix C — Technical Notes 141

Slope
The Data Pad Slope function, page 90, has three options:
• Average Slope, is calculated for an active point (where the data
display area was last clicked) as described in page 139. However
if a selection of region of the signal has been made then the least
squares line of best fit is determined for the selection, and the slope
of this line is reported.
• Maximum Slope, the slope for each point is calculated as in
Figure A–1 and the maximum slope value for points in the selection
is reported.
• Minimum Slope, the slope for each point is calculated as in Figure
A–1 and the minimum slope value for points in the selection is
reported.
142 Scope Software

Index
A B
About Scope dialog box 131 Background buttons 51
About Scope… command 131 background page 86
Abs 98 background recording 17
absolute value 98 background subtraction 86, 140
access to Chart 3 baseline 83–84
Add 98 and integration 140
non-linear 86
Add Macro to Menu dialog box 111
Begin Repeat command 122
Add to Data Pad command 88
Begin Repeat dialog box 122
adding data to the Data Pad 88
bipolar display 48
Amplitude axis 15, 48–49, 58
Browse for Sound File directory dialog box 118
analysis 9, 81–99
analysis mode 10, 123
C
Analysis Scope 123
appending data files 70 calibrating a signal
Units Conversion 29
AppleScript 120–122
calibration 31
AppleScript commands 121
caret symbol, ^ 50
AppleScript dialog box 121
Cell button 87
AppleScript… command 120
channel controls 15, 24
automating Scope 110–123
Channel pop-up menu 24
Average control 34
channel separator 16, 46
Average page 91–92
printing 75, 92 Clear Background command 86
averaged sweeps 34 Clear command 64
axis labels 49–50 Clipboard 67
Axis labels dialog box 50 Clipboard Viewer 67
Axis Labels… command 49 close button 13
Scope Software 143

Close command 12 Copy Special… command 65
closing a Scope file 12 Copy Zoom window to Clipboard dialog box 66
Color pop-up menu 51, 54 copying data
color printing 75 as picture 65
as text 66
comments 78
from Data Pad 66
computed function
Cursor panel 16
Abs 98
Add 98 customized stimulus waveforms 40
Differentiate 99, 141 customizing Scope 10, 101
Divide 98 Cut command 64
Integrate 99, 140
Invert 98
Multiply 98 D
Reciprocal 99 data display area 16, 46
Shift 97
Smooth 97, 140 data file 67
Square 99 data loss 103, 135
Subtract 98 Data Pad 65, 69, 87–91
computed functions 95–99, 140–142 adding data 58, 88
channel display 47, 96 functions 89–90
sampling speed 96 limits 87
units 96 printing 77, 91
Computed Functions dialog box 47, 95 saving as text file 69
setting up 89–90
Computed Functions… command 47, 96
Data Pad Column Setup dialog box 89
computer requirements
Windows computer 2 Data Pad command 87
constant output voltage 42 Data Pad Value miniwindow 90
control handle 39 Data Pad window 87
Control Options dialog box 107 data resolution 24
control panel dealer and distributor information 131

Cursor 16 default settings 10, 108
Input A 15, 24 Define Unit Name dialog box 32
Input B 15, 24
defining unit names 32
Stim 42
Time Base 15, 22, 104 defining units 32
control panels 14 degree sign, ° 49
hiding 106–107 delay between sweeps 35
moving 107 Delay control 35
position 106
Delete Macro command 112
controls and display 8
Delete Macro dialog box 113
Controls… command 106
Delete Unit Name dialog box 33
Copy command 64
deleting unit name 33
Copy Data Pad to Clipboard dialog box 66
deleting units 32
Copy Scope Window to Clipboard dialog box 66
delta symbol, ∆ 49
144 Scope Software

differential exiting Scope 5, 12
slope 141
Differentiate 99, 141 F
Display menu 127
FFT display 93–95, 137–139
Axis Labels… command 49
edge effect 139
Clear Background command 86
reference level 95
Computed Functions… command 96
settings 52, 53
Display Settings… command 50, 52
terminology 138
Go To Page… command 14, 55
windowing functions 94, 138–139
Overlay All command 55
Overlay Display Settings… command 52 FFT Options dialog box 94
Overlay None command 55 File menu 126
Overlay Stimulator… command 53 Close command 12
Set Background command 86 Exit command 12
Show Overlay command 55 New command 11
Subtract Background command 86 Open… command 11, 70
display offset 28 Page Setup… command 73
Print… command 75
Display pop-up menu 92, 93, 96
Quit command 12
hiding 103
Save As… command 65, 67–69
display settings 50–54 Save command 67
Display Settings (FFT) dialog box 52, 93 file types
Display Settings (X–Y) dialog box 52, 92 data 67
Display Settings dialog box 50 macro 69
settings 68
Display Settings… command 50, 52
text 68–69
Divide 98
filtering 27
divisions 22 AC coupling 27
Double stimulus waveform 38 low-pass 27
duplicate Marker 83 Free Form stimulus waveform 38, 40–41
Function pop-up menu 99
E
earlier versions 3
G
eDAQ Addresses dialog box 132 Go To Page dialog box 55
Edit menu 126 Go To Page… command 14, 55
Clear command 64 graticule 22
Copy command 64
Graticule buttons 51
Copy Special… command 65
Cut command 64
Paste command 64 H
Save As… command 115
Help menu 127
Undo command 64, 65
About Scope… command 131
emergency access 108–109
high-resolution printing 74
End Repeat command 123
Eraser tool 41
Exit command 12
Index 145
I Macro Open directory dialog box 114
Macro Save As directory dialog box 115
Information dialog box 132
Macro Wait dialog box 117
Input A panel 15, 24
macros 110–123
input amplifier 26–28
called by other macros 116
Input Amplifier dialog box 25 changing dialog box settings 113–114
Input Amplifier… button 15 commands 116–123
Input B panel 15, 24 deleting 112–113
keeping records 110
Input Voltage dialog box 28 keyboard shortcuts 112
installing software 3–5 loading 110
Integrate 99, 140 master macro 116
nesting 116
Invert 98
opening files 114
recording 111–112
K replaying 112
sampling 114
keeping partial data 103
saving 111–112
keyboard shortcuts 14, 54, 106, 128 saving files 115–116
changing 106 stopping 112
macros 112 versions 110
Marker 16, 58, 82–86
L independent 82
locked to waveform 82
Line tool 41
Marker command 84
Load Text File dialog box 72
Marker miniwindow 84–85
logarithmic display 95
Math pop-up menu 98
measurement
M relative 82–83
Macintosh to Windows 11 menu commands
macro commands 116–123 hiding 105
locking 106
Macro Commands submenu 128
AppleScript… command 120 menus 125–128
Begin Repeat command 122 altering 105–106
End Repeat command 123 hiding 105
Message… command 119 Menus dialog box 105
Play Sound… command 118 Menus… command 105
Repeat for Each Page command 122
Speak Message… command 119 Message… command 119
Update Screen command 116 micro symbol, µ 49
Wait… command 117 Mode pop-up menu 33, 37
macro file 69 moving control panels 107
Macro menu 127 Multiple stimulus waveform 38
Delete Macro command 112
multiple sweeps 34
Start Recording command 111
Multiply 98
Macro Message dialog box 119
146 Scope Software

N number of data points 72
Page button 86
navigating 14, 54
Page button pop-up menu 56
New command 11
Page buttons 14, 54, 55–56
New Hardware wizard 3
Page Comment button 16, 78
new menus 111
page comments 78
non-linear baseline 86
editing 78
Notebook 78–79 printing 77, 78
printing 79
Page Corner controls 14, 54
Notebook command 78
Page Layout dialog box 77
Notebook window 79
page setup 73–75
number of pulses 40
Page Setup dialog box 73
Page Setup Options dialog box 74
O Page Setup… command 73
old versions 3 Paste command 64
omega synbol, Ω 49 pasting text into Scope 72
Open directory dialog box 11, 70 Pencil tool 41
Open… command 11, 70 Play Sound… command 118
opening a Scope file 10 pointer 17
Options… command 102 cross 82
Output Voltage… command 42 dragging 49
heavy cross 87
Overlay All command 55 I-beam 88
Overlay Display Settings (FFT) dialog box 53 resizing 88
Overlay Display Settings (X–Y) dialog box 53 stretching 49
Overlay Display Settings dialog box 52 PowerLab Settings 32
Overlay Display Settings… command 52 PowerLab Unavailable dialog box 4
Overlay None command 55 preferences 102–106
Overlay Stimulator dialog box 54 preferences file 32, 108
Overlay Stimulator… command 53 Preferences submenu 126
Controls… command 106
overlaying
Menus… command 105
channels 46–47
Options… command 102
display settings 52
Start-Up… command 107
pages 55–56
stimulus waveform 53 Print Current Page Only checkbox 75, 135
overview of Scope 8–10 Print dialog box 76
overwriting data 103 Print Options dialog box 76
Print… command 75
P printing 73–77
Average page 75, 92
page color 75
and FFTs 137 commands 75
definition 14, 54 Data Pad 91
Index 147
high-resolution 74 Save As directory dialog box 68
Notebook 79 Save As Text dialog box 69
page comments 77, 78
Save As… command 65, 67–69, 115
Scope pages per sheet 73–74
Scope window 76 Save command 67
Zoom window 59 scale
Progress Indicator display 18 FFT display 95
logarithmic 95
Pulse stimulus waveform 38
moving 49
overlaid pages 56, 91
Q setting 49
stretching 49
Quit command 12
Scale pop-up menu 15, 48, 94
Scope Options dialog box 103
R
Scope window 13–17
Ramp stimulus waveform 38 printing 76
range 24, 26 Scope Window command 13
Range pop-up menu 15, 24, 39 Scrolling button 14, 55
Read Text Options dialog box 71 section symbol, § 50
Reciprocal 99 selecting data 62–63
recording 8, 17–19 selecting unit names 32
changing settings during 19
Selection command 63
display during 18
interruptions during 19, 103 selection information 90
length 19 Selection miniwindow 63
on blank page 103 Set Background command 86
recording fidelity 13, 24, 46 Set Marker Position dialog box 85
recording length 19 Set Scale dialog box 48
reference level 95 Set Scale… option 48
re-order pages 64 Set Selection dialog box 63
Repeat for Each Page command 122 settings 67, 68, 108
repetitive sweeps 34 settings file 68
Row button 87 Setup menu 126
Output Voltage… command 42
S Sampling… command 33
Stimulator… command 37
Sample control 34
Shift 97
Sampling dialog box 34
shifting waveforms 97
sampling frequency 104
Show Clipboard command 67
sampling rate 22–24
Show Overlay command 55
sampling speeds
signal input controls 27
computed functions 96
stimulus waveform 103 single sweeps 33
Sampling… command 33 single-sided display 48
148 Scope Software

size control 13 Subtract 98
slider bar 39 Subtract Background command 86
slope 90, 142 superimposed sweeps 34
Smooth 97, 140 superscripts and subscripts 32, 50, 88
Source pop-up menu 35 sweep
Speak Message dialog box 120 Average 34
Multiple 34
Speak Message… command 119
Repetitive 34
special access 108–109 Single 33
Special Access dialog box 108, 109 Superimpose 34
special characters 49 sweeps
Square 99 controls 17, 33–35
definition 33
Start button 16 synchronising 36
Start pop-up menu 36 system configuration information 132
Start Recording command 111
Start-Up Settings dialog box 107 T
Start-Up… command 107
tear-off data displays 90
statistics 89
technical support 131–132
Stim panel 42
Text button 39
Stim Panel increment dialog boxes 42
text file 68–69, 71–73
stimulation
and triggering 36, 37, 43, 44 Time axis 15
stimulator 37–44 Time Base panel 15, 22, 104
Stimulator Constant Output dialog box 42 time per division 104
Stimulator dialog box 38 time per sweep 104
Stimulator External Trigger 38 title bar 13
Stimulator External Trigger dialog box 44 Trace Indicator 18
Stimulator output 42 transferring data 65–66
Stimulator… command 37 Triangle stimulus waveform 38
Stimulus Page control 41 Trigger Marker 37
stimulus waveform triggering 33, 36–37

Double 38 after the event 36
Free Form 38, 40–41 and stimulation 36, 37, 43, 44
Multiple 38 before the event 36
Pulse 38 changing in Scope window 37
Ramp 38 external 35, 43, 44
Triangle 38 from signal 35
Up & Down 38 Input A or Input B 35
line 35
stimulus waveforms slope 36
display 53 synchronising recording 36
overlaying 53 user 35
sampling speed 103 wih Start button 35
storing 41
Index 149
triggering event 35 Z
turn off input 24
zero reference point 82
0dB Reference Level dialog box 94
U
Zoom window 56–59
underscore symbol, _ 50 Zoom Window command 56
Undo command 64, 65
uninstalling software 3
unit names 33
Unit pop-up menu 32
units conversion 28, 29–33, 48, 49
calibration 31
typing in values 30
using sampled data 30–32
Units Conversion dialog box 29
units of computed functions 96
Up & Down stimulus waveform 38
Update Screen command 116
W
Wait… command 117
Waveform buttons 52
Waveform Cursor 58, 82, 93, 104
Waveform Print Layout buttons 73
where to start 2
window
Data Pad 87
Notebook 79
Scope 13–17
Zoom 56–59
Windows menu 127
Add to Data Pad command 88
Data Pad command 87
Marker command 84
Notebook command 78
Scope Window command 13
Selection command 63
Zoom Window command 56
Windows to Macintosh 11
X
X–Y display 92–93
settings 52, 53
150 Scope Software

License & Warranty
Copyright and Trademarks will issue you with a RAN (return authorization
number). You must ship the defective product at your
e-corder and PowerChrom are registered expense. We will pay return shipping. The product
trademarks, and EChem a trademark of of eDAQ should be packed safely (preferably in its original
Pty Ltd. Chart and Scope are trademarks of packaging) and have the RAN on the shipping
ADInstruments Pty Ltd and are used bt eDAQ under label. Returns sent without a RAN may be refused
license. All eDAQ software, hardware, and delivery.
documentation is protected by copyright. eDAQ
retains the exclusive ownership of the trademarks This warranty does not cover hardware that has:
and registered trademarks represented by its • been modified by the user in any way;
company name, logo, and product names.
• been subjected to unusual physical, electrical,
Responsibilities or environmental stress. This includes damage
due to faulty power sockets, inadequate
earthing, or power spikes or surges;
You and any others using any eDAQ product agree
to use it in a sensible manner for purposes for which • been damaged because of incorrect wiring to
it is suited, and agree to take responsibility for their ancillary equipment, or because of substandard,
actions and the results of their actions. connectors or cables; or
If problems arise with an eDAQ product, eDAQ will • had the original identification marks removed
make all reasonable efforts to fix them. This service or altered.
may incur a charge, depending on the nature of the
problems, and is subject to the other conditions in Software License
this Agreement.
You have the non-exclusive right to use the supplied
Hardware Warranty Scope software. (Your employees or students, for
example, are entitled to use it, provided they adhere
eDAQ Pty Ltd warrants e-corder systems, to be free to this agreement.) Each separate purchase of the
of defects in material and workmanship for one year Scope software licenses it to be used on two
from the date of purchase. eDAQ Pty Ltd will repair computers at any given time (on one computer for
or replace defective equipment as appropriate. data acquisition with an e-corder hardware unit,
and on a second computer for the analysis of
To obtain a warranty repair/replacement you must existing data files). Although multiple copies of a
first notify us before return of the instrument and we program may exist on several computers, more than
Scope Software
two copies must not be used simultaneously.
Departmental/company licences are available if you
wish to run more than two copies simultaneously.
Technical Support
Please register your unit to receive technical support.
Technical assistance is available via email. Please
describe the problem with as much detail as
possible. Include a small example data file, if
appropriate. Please also state:
• the model and serial number of your e-corder
unit.
• the type of computer and operating system
being used (for example Windows XP, or
Macintosh OS 10.2)
• the software version you are using (for
example Scope v4.0.1)
We endeavor to answer all your questions, but in

some cases, for example where the problem relates
to the other equipment that you are using, a nominal
fee may be charged.
Jurisdiction
eDAQ Pty Ltd is bound by the laws of New South
Wales in Australia, and any proceedings shall be
heard by the Supreme Court of New South Wales in
Australia.
Disclaimer
eDAQ reserves the right to alter specifications of
hardware and software without notice.
No liability can be accepted for consequential

damages resulting from use of eDAQ products.
152 Scope Software

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Scope Software iii

7 Customizing & Automating 101

This chapter contains instructions on the installation of Scope and

Insert the e-corder Software Installer CD into the computer’s CD drive.

If You Have an Earlier Version of Scope…

Chapter 1 — Getting Started 3

Starting Your Copy of Scope

Chapter 1 — Getting Started 5

Scope software, together with your e-corder, form a powerful data

Controls and Display

Saving, Printing, and Editing

You can also:

To start Scope, double-click:

On a Windows computer you can also use the desktop shortcut,

On Windows computers data file names end with ‘.sfwdat’; settings

The information in a Scope file is made up of data and settings. Data

The use of the checkbox to append files is discussed

The use of the checkbox to discard macros is

There is a demonstration data file (in the Scope>Demo Files folder).

Closing a Scope File

Basic Window Controls

Scale Set input

Page The Display mode Page buttons — select Re-size control

On Windows computers, the Scope menu bar can be moved around by

The Channel Controls

Data Display Area

Waveform Cursor Display

Page Comment Button

Scope can record a large number of sweeps as sequential ‘pages’ of

At fast sampling rates, the signal is collected too quickly to be

Each data point is stored as a 32 bit floating point number and

Like the screen of a standard oscilloscope, the data display area is

Select the duration per

Select the number of data points, Sampling rate,

Frequency Time per Number of Samples

Chapter 3 — Setting Up Scope 23

Delays Between Sweeps

Click here to access the

High pass filter

Low pass filters,

Chapter 3 — Setting Up Scope 25

Clicking the OK button to apply the changes updates the corresponding

Setting the Range

See also the e-corder Manual for details.

Signal Input Controls

Details of connectors can be found in the e-corder Manual.

Chapter 3 — Setting Up Scope 27

Data Use pop-

Amplitude axis Maximum, mean, and minimum values in selection

Chapter 3 — Setting Up Scope 29

If there is an active point or a selection in the data display area, then

For example, to calibrate a force transducer:

Chapter 3 — Setting Up Scope 31

You can also determine a difference by selecting a region where the

Choosing Unit Names

Select a prefix Type the unit name in

Sweep and Trigger Controls