Tektronix CSA803 screen capture (Compacted binary)

[Dexter2]

I have scored a nice defective Tektronix CSA803 a while ago. I managed to repair it but had quite some problems getting the screen from the unit with the software available on the net. I don't use linux but did not find a working Windows version. I decided to make my own small software in LabVIEW and share it here if someone else finds it of use. You just need to download the program and LabVIEW Runtime and you are set to go.

I have only tested the software with an CSA803 but should also work with the following models or even others that have the compacted binary format:
Tektronix 11201
Tektronix 11401
Tektronix 11402A
Tektronix 11403   
Tektronix 11801
Tektronix 11802
Tektronix 11803
Tektronix DSA600
Tektronix DSA601
Tektronix DSA602
Tektronix DSA602A

If someone owns one of this scopes above and tries the software i would be happy if you conform if its working or not.


Software Main screen:


Feature’s:
-Automatically saves screen captures to disk when you press hardcopy on the scope
-Has Dark and Light color palettes (You can easily switch between color palettes and change the colors on the fly)
-Images can be copied to Windows clipboard
-It is possible to load BIN dumps from scopes that are not connected to the program with "Load From Disk"
-RS232 and GPIB are supported (Sadly GPIB is not any faster than RS232 as these scopes take quite some time to process the screen and output the data)


I have not written any manual for it as its quite straight forward to use. You just connect the instrument to a PC set the communication options and default palettes on the PC and Hardcopy options on the scope (Set to Compacted binary format) and press HardCopy on the Scope. Colors can be changed in the main screen to get the traces in wanted colors. You can save the palette with the Floppy icon next to the color palette in the main program window.


Installation instructions:
-Copy the content of the Tek Screen Snap x86 V1.0.zip to any wanted folder
-Download National Instrument Labview Runtime 2017 x86 and install it
-Download National Instrument VISA Runtime 17 and install it
-Run the program  "TekSS x86 V1.0.exe"


An example of a screen captured:

[Leo Bodnar]

Good job! Very interesting.  I will try it next time I need the screenshots.
I have used http://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/11802 before having modified it to better match onscreen colours. To do it correctly you need to convert them to RGB from Tek HLS and apply gamma correction.
It's a Python application and I use it in Windows with Python 2.7

It would be very useful if you add triggering the screen capture from your application. 
The command is in the CSA803A programming manual.

If you can modify your application to control 11800/CSA803 from the PC it would be super useful.
These instruments' physical UI is absoletutely awful.

Cheers
Leo

[Dexter2]

It would be very useful if you add triggering the screen capture from your application. 
The command is in the CSA803A programming manual.

If you can modify your application to control 11800/CSA803 from the PC it would be super useful.
These instruments' physical UI is absoletutely awful.

Hi Leo,

You just press the Hardcopy button on the front panel no need to go into menus, and bother with the UI. If you select "Autosave" in the TekSS application, it will store your screen captures to the preferred Folder with the set prefix. Screen captures are automatically numbered so they don’t get overwritten. You can also press the hardcopy button a few times and keep working with the scope, you are only limited to the scopes internal buffer. I'm personally always in front of the scope to get the waveform I want so I did not consider a PC triggered option.

[Leo Bodnar]

I am trying to avoid NI-VISA like a plague.  It's almost impossible to get rid of after installing.

In case you want to implement a screenshot button the command to initiate the screen copy is either "COPY START\n" or "ABSTOUCH 11,9\n"

Leo

[Dexter2]

I am trying to avoid NI-VISA like a plague.  It's almost impossible to get rid of after installing.

Actually I had less issues with national instruments Run-Time installments than .NET in the last years, but 10years back yes there were some occasional problems in Windows XP/Vista if you had a lot of software on the PC. But as I mentioned I had zero issues for years now with last quite some versions for win7 and 10 ...

In case you want to implement a screenshot button the command to initiate the screen copy is either "COPY START\n" or "ABSTOUCH 11,9\n"

I will implement this next time i do some modifications on the software.

[Leo Bodnar]

If you are still playing with CSA803/11800 instruments, perhaps you can implement graded display processing.
Behind ugly horrible display screen with six colours hides a beautiful, 16-bit, almost polaroid-like quality data.
Get it with "DISP? DATA"
Leo

[meggerman]

Hi Leo,
HW: Tek CSA 803

Dexter's program works fine and I was able to save a screen capture.

I have tried to run TSC using Python 2.7.13 and 3.6.5.
It fails in a few places, even after the wx and serial modules have been added.
Seem a lot of the wx routines have changed.
What version of Python did you use and do you have issues installing pip?
I can control the scope using the a terminal window, so it should be possible to do this in Python too.

Rob

[Leo Bodnar]

Rob,
I use python 2.7 and added screen print to initiate the print screen remotely.

I have converted a 2m sampling head extender from CSA8000 for use with CSA803 and have the instrument on another desk while working - triggering the screen capture remotely is very convenient.

Leo

What version of Python did you use and do you have issues installing pip?
I can control the scope using the a terminal window, so it should be possible to do this in Python too.

[meggerman]

Hi Leo,

I have not had much joy with getting the Python to run - I will have another go in Linux mint.

What changes to the 2m extender cable did you need to make?
If you know the answer I will be most grateful.

I presume its the Tektronix 012-1569-00 cable - I bought one by mistake - making the assumption the pinout looks fine, only afterwards did I read the manual and it specifically says:
do NOT attempt to use this extender with an 11800 or a CSA800 series instrument. Instead, use the extender made solely for the 11800 and the CSA800 instrument. Blah Blah de Blah.

Also what is the rise time of the internal calibrator for your CSA803?
I get the scope showing me a 22 to 23ps rise time pulse on the SD26 head and 28ps on a SD-22 head.


Regards
Rob

[Evodad]

Dexter2 or anyone using this program with success ?

I gave up on this and found a very simple solution on Github (Thank you Gudjon !):
https://github.com/GauiStori/tekprogs/tree/master/csa803c/utils

On Windows 10 with Python 3.6 installed.
Just copied the source code. Added PIL (Pillow) to Python by doing 'pip install Pillow'.
Run the program with arguments: python csa803_screendump.py COM4 filename.png
and follow the instructions (really just press Hardcopy).

This will transfer the Hardcopy, screendump bitmap to the filename given above.

)) Per

[cweagle]

Looks like there's no statute of limitations on threads?

I've just used Dexter's software to get screen dumps from my (very early) 11801a, over the serial port, on Win10.  I first installed the most current Labview Runtime and Visa packages, and then had to find a non-pirated USB-serial adapter.

Somehow the DB9 cable, DB9-25 adapter, and DB25 cable setup I cobbled together out of things found in the back of closets in my lab, worked correctly on the first try.  9600/8N1 for the win!

This is great!

[cncjerry]

I realize this is old, but I thought it would be good to keep this all in one place.  I have a tek 11801C (like the CSA803) and a DSA602.  I haven't tried with the latter, but I wasn't able to get the labview binary to work with my 11801C.  I tried everything, it looks like a VISA issue but after completely hosing up my VISA install I still couldn't get it to run.  I installed a couple of different versions of VISA from NI, I know the code uses V17, but for some reason none of them would recognize the 801c.  My Agilent(Keysight) VISA  recognized it but not NI for some strange reason.  Never had this before.  This was under win10.  No reflection on the code, just no luck. The code would respond to the hardcopy key on the scope so the VISA basic connection was solid.  It would read the data but only once did I get anything that looked like a screen and it was scrambled.  I know you need to have the scope in GPIB talk-only mode; hardcopy set to GPIB, binary compressed for data type (though I tried them all).

So I tried the linked python code and realized it used a serial port.  So I crudely converted it to use GPIB and was able to get it running with great screen prints.  I'll post the code here as well as instructions on how to setup the scope in the next few days.  Basically, I used PYVISA, PYGPIB, PILLOW and the PY version of VISA.  I don't know much about the Python VISA code having used Visual Basic, C++, C#, etc for VISA code but it worked well, was easy to convert, and the results speak for themselves.  I think I had to change less than 10 lines of code.

More to come.

Jerry

[cncjerry]

Code is attached.  Need PYVISA, PYGPIB, Pillow, etc.

Execute it with 'python3 11801c.py 20 t.png' under win10 not in bash mode but native windows with 20 being the address of the device and 't.png' being the file name where the image is saved.

The scope must be in talk-listen mode as the code sends the command to execute the hardcopy.

Settings in the scope must be in GPIB for hardcopy, the device should be set to like '20' and the hardcopy data to binary compacted.

I occasionally get a data error in the first block of the image but it has little or no impact on the image.  Also, for some reason I can't fix, the "hardcopy complete" message is on the screen grab most of the time but not always.

No support provided and no excuses for my coding as python isn't my favorite language.  Also, please note that the processing code was taken from: https://github.com/GauiStori/tekprogs/tree/master/csa803c/utils

and I'll send him a note.  If he want me to take it down, I will.

Jerry

[lucasc]

Hi Leo,

Any chance you could share your version of the python script with me and the versions you've used for python and the WxPython? I tried to get the original script to work but it has been a bit of a nightmare to get it to run without knowing what is the exact versions I should be using.

Thanks in advance,

Lucas

[bozidarms]

A little old tread , but i wonted to give a useful Info:

screen capture functioning super with old Tektronix software:

https://ia802308.us.archive.org/4/items/WSTRO_V25-V281/WSTRO_V25-V281.zip

on Windows 10 too!

After download and installing, first establish link with Instrument Manager part of the software package.
I have done that over one Agilent GPIB to USB converter - Agilent 82357b USB-gpib Interface.
Than start WaveStar software and that's it - enyoy.