MAUI Studio Pro: Analyzing Anyone's Waveform Data

Figure 1: A waveform file (.bin) saved on a Keysight 
oscilloscope undergoes multiple math and measure
 operations in MAUI Studio.

 Another key feature of MAUI® Studio and MAUI Studio Pro is the ability to recall waveform files saved on other vendors' oscilloscopes, as well as on Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscopes. The software supports files saved on Tektronix (.wfm), Keysight (.bin), Rohde & Schwarz (.bin) and Yokogawa (.wvf) instruments. It even lets you filter for these types when browsing for files. And with some simple editing, "time and data with header" format  Excel (.csv) files can also be recalled into MAUI Studio, extending its analysis capabilities to waveforms acquired from nearly any type of instrument or sensor.

The method for recalling other vendor format waveform files is the same as for recalling a Teledyne LeCroy waveform file. First, the file is recalled into a destination memory slot (Mn), then placed on the display by turning on the memory (new memories are turned on by default). The memory waveform can be treated much the same as any other type using any available standard math or measurement tools. Unfortunately, because oscilloscope "personalities" are not inherited with waveform files, as they are with LabNotebook files, the source oscilloscope's software options are not available in MAUI Studio. That need not be a major impediment, however.

Figure 1 shows an analysis performed in MAUI Studio on a multi-tone waveform recalled from a Keysight oscilloscope (.bin) file. This waveform is used to test the amplitude resolution and linearity of a digitizer. In this example, the waveform is expanded horizontally using a zoom trace (upper-right grid) to show increased detail. The peak-to-peak amplitude and frequency of the recalled waveform are measured using parameters P1 and P2. The math trace F2 (lower-right grid) applies the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The FFT shows the multi-tone nature of the waveform. It consists of thirteen sine tones starting at 28 MHz with a frequency spacing of 500 kHz.  The amplitude of each succeeding higher frequency increases by 6 dB. The dual-operator math trace F1 (lower-left grid) first squares then applies an ERes low-pass filter to the waveform in order to amplitude demodulate it. This modulation envelope is then used as the basis for measurement parameter P3, which determines a modulation frequency of 500 kHz. This broad set of standard math and measurement operations performed on a waveform from another vendors’ oscilloscope is only a sample of what is possible.

Figure 2: Adding a simple header (columns A-C)
to an Excel time-and-amplitude format .csv file
lets you recall data from virtually any instrument
or sensor into MAUI Studio.

MAUI Studio can also recall text-based waveforms that were stored using the Excel “Time and Amplitude with Header” format. This is one of the sub-formats available on Teledyne LeCroy instruments for saving waveforms to Excel. It takes some simple editing that can be done in any text editor to convert a random time-and-amplitude data file into this format, but it allows almost any waveform to be imported into MAUI Studio. Note that when saving the .csv file, the delimiter must be a comma, not a semi-colon or any other delimiter character.

A good example of this would be an ASCII waveform of a single channel of a Holter heart monitor. This data consists of 60,000 time and voltage pairs digitized at a 200 samples per second (S/s) rate stored in a 300-second-long record. All that needs to be done is to add a Teledyne LeCroy-compatible header containing the key characteristics of the data. The header used for this is shown in columns A through C of Figure 2. The time data is in column D and amplitude data is in column E. When saved as a comma-delimited .csv file, this waveform can now be recalled into MAUI Studio as described above. 

Learn more about the new features of MAUI Studio Pro in our on-demand webinar, "How to Use Oscilloscopes Remotely and Offline."

See also:

MAUI Studio Pro: "Impersonating" Remote Oscilloscopes