mso4000 0.3.2

Simple library for Tektronix MSO4000 series oscilloscopes with synchronized multi-channel capture, correct time axis calculation, and raw data capture

MSO4000 Library

Simple, clean library for Tektronix MSO4000 series oscilloscopes.

Features

• ✅ Connection checking
• ✅ Single waveform capture
• ✅ Synchronized multi-channel acquisition - Sample multiple channels simultaneously
• ✅ Multiple waveform recording to CSV
• ✅ Raw binary data capture and saving
• ✅ Correct time axis calculation using Tektronix formula
• ✅ Detailed waveform inspection with timing verification
• ✅ Simple, clean API

Installation

Install from PyPI:

pip install mso4000

Quick Start

1. Check Connection

from mso4000 import check_connection

success, info = check_connection()
if success:
    print(f"Connected: {info}")
else:
    print(f"Error: {info}")

2. Record Waveforms to CSV (One-liner)

from mso4000 import quick_record

# Record 10 waveforms and save to CSV
filename = quick_record(channel=1, max_records=10)
print(f"Saved to: {filename}")

3. Get Acquisition Information

from mso4000 import MSO4000

scope = MSO4000(channel=1)

if scope.connect():
    # Get acquisition parameters
    info = scope.get_acquisition_info()
    scope.close()

4. Save Raw Binary Data

from mso4000 import quick_save_raw_binary, quick_save_raw_csv

# Save raw binary with metadata
binary_file = quick_save_raw_binary(channel=1)
# Saves: raw_waveform_CH1_<timestamp>.bin
#        raw_waveform_CH1_<timestamp>.metadata

# Save raw waveform as CSV
csv_file = quick_save_raw_csv(channel=1)

5. Synchronized Multi-Channel Recording

from mso4000 import quick_record_multi_channel_sync

# Record 10 sets of synchronized waveforms from channels 1, 2, and 3
result = quick_record_multi_channel_sync(channels=[1, 2, 3], max_records=10)
if result:
    print(f"Recorded at: {result['timestamp']}")
    print(f"Files created: {result['files']}")
    print(f"Total recordings: {result['total_recordings']}")
    # Output: multi_channel_20250217_143022_CH1.csv (contains 10 recordings)
    #         multi_channel_20250217_143022_CH2.csv (contains 10 recordings)
    #         multi_channel_20250217_143022_CH3.csv (contains 10 recordings)

6. Full Control

from mso4000 import MSO4000

# Create scope interface
scope = MSO4000(channel=1)

# Connect
if scope.connect():
    # Get acquisition info
    info = scope.get_acquisition_info()
    
    # Inspect raw event with timing verification
    raw_data = scope.inspect_raw_event()
    
    # Save raw binary with metadata
    binary_file = scope.save_raw_binary()
    
    # Save raw CSV
    csv_file = scope.save_raw_csv()
    
    # Or record multiple to CSV
    filename = scope.record_to_csv(max_records=20)
    print(f"Saved to: {filename}")
    
    # Close connection
    scope.close()

API Reference

MSO4000 Class

__init__(channel=1)

Initialize the oscilloscope interface.

Parameters:

• channel (int): Channel number (1-4), default 1

check_connection() -> Tuple[bool, Optional[str]]

Check if oscilloscope is connected.

Returns:

• (True, device_info) if connected
• (False, error_message) if not connected

connect() -> bool

Connect to oscilloscope and configure for waveform transfer.

Returns:

• True if successful
• False if failed

capture_waveform() -> Optional[np.ndarray]

Capture a single waveform.

Returns:

• numpy.ndarray of voltage values, or None if failed

record_to_csv(filename=None, max_records=None, delay=0.5) -> Optional[str]

Record multiple waveforms and save to CSV.

Parameters:

• filename (str, optional): Output filename (auto-generated if None)
• max_records (int, optional): Maximum waveforms to record (None = until Ctrl+C)
• delay (float): Delay between captures in seconds (default 0.5)

Returns:

• Filename of saved CSV, or None if failed

get_acquisition_info() -> Optional[dict]

Get acquisition parameters including oscilloscope timing parameters.

Returns:

• Dictionary with acquisition info including:
  • num_samples, time_window_sec, sampling_rate_hz, time_per_sample_sec
  • timebase_s_div, channel, ch_scale_v_div
  • xincr_sec: Horizontal sampling interval from oscilloscope
  • xzero_sec: Time coordinate of first sample
  • pt_off: Point offset (usually 0)

Also prints a formatted table of acquisition parameters.

get_raw_waveform_data() -> Optional[dict]

Capture raw binary waveform data with header information.

inspect_raw_event() -> Optional[dict]

Comprehensive inspection of a single event with timing verification.

save_raw_binary(filename=None, save_metadata=True) -> Optional[str]

Save raw binary waveform data with optional metadata file.

save_raw_csv(filename=None) -> Optional[str]

Save waveform to CSV with time axis and raw values.

record_multi_channel_sync(channels, max_records=None, filename_prefix=None, delay=0.5) -> Optional[dict]

Record multiple waveforms from multiple channels simultaneously with synchronized timing and save to separate CSV files.

Parameters:

• channels (List[int]): List of channel numbers to capture (e.g., [1, 2, 3, 4])
• max_records (int, optional): Maximum number of waveform sets to record (None = until interrupted)
• filename_prefix (str, optional): Optional prefix for output files (timestamp added automatically)
• delay (float): Delay between captures in seconds (default 0.5)

Returns:

• Dictionary with acquisition results or None if failed

close()

Close connection to oscilloscope.

Convenience Functions

check_connection() -> Tuple[bool, Optional[str]]

Quick function to check connection.

quick_record(channel=1, max_records=None, filename=None) -> Optional[str]

Quick function to connect and record waveforms.

quick_inspect(channel=1) -> Optional[dict]

Quick function to inspect a single raw event with timing verification.

quick_get_timing_info(channel=1) -> Optional[dict]

Quick function to get acquisition timing information.

quick_save_raw_binary(channel=1, filename=None, save_metadata=True) -> Optional[str]

Quick function to save raw binary waveform data.

quick_save_raw_csv(channel=1, filename=None) -> Optional[str]

Quick function to save raw waveform to CSV.

quick_record_multi_channel_sync(channels, max_records=None, filename_prefix=None, delay=0.5) -> Optional[dict]

Quick function to connect and record multiple waveforms from multiple channels simultaneously with synchronized timing.

CSV Output Format

Single Channel CSV (from record_to_csv())

Contains multiple waveforms from the same channel:

• Column 1: Sample index (0 to N-1)
• Column 2: Time in seconds (relative to waveform start)
• Columns 3+: Voltage values for each recorded waveform

Example:

Sample_Index,Time_sec,Waveform_1_V,Waveform_2_V,Waveform_3_V
0,0.000000,-0.123456,0.234567,-0.345678
1,0.000010,-0.125432,0.236789,-0.347890
...

Multi-Channel CSV (from record_multi_channel_sync())

Each channel saved to separate file with synchronized timing:

• Column 1: Recording index (0 to M-1, where M is number of recordings)
• Column 2: Sample index (0 to N-1)
• Column 3: Time in seconds (shared timing across all channels)
• Column 4: Voltage values for this channel

Example (multi_channel_20250217_143022_CH1.csv):

Recording_Index,Sample_Index,Time_sec,Voltage_V
0,0,0.000000,-0.123456
0,1,0.000400,-0.125432
0,2,0.000800,-0.127890
1,0,0.000000,-0.223456
1,1,0.000400,-0.225432
...

Examples

See example_mso4000.py for complete examples.

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• pyvisa
• numpy

Important: Time Axis Calculation (v0.2.0+)

The time axis is now calculated using the official Tektronix formula:

Time[n] = XZERO + XINCR * (n - PT_OFF)

This ensures exact alignment with the oscilloscope display.

Notes

• The library automatically selects USB resources (skips serial ports)
• Uses binary encoding (RIBINARY) for efficient data transfer
• Default timeout is 30 seconds for waveform transfers
• Press Ctrl+C to stop recording
• Timing parameters are queried from oscilloscope (v0.2.0+)
• Raw binary files preserve exact oscilloscope output
• All functionality is backward compatible

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details