Combining Instruments - TiePie Handyscope HS5 series User Manual

Combining instruments

When more channels are required than one instrument can offer, multiple instru-
ments can be combined into a larger combined instrument. To combine two or
more instruments, the instruments need to be connected to each other using
special cables.
The CMI (Combine Multiple Instruments) interface that is available by default on
the Handyscope HS5 provides an easy way to couple multiple oscilloscopes to
one combined oscilloscope. The CMI interface supports automatic recognition of
the instrument. The high speed trigger bus is automatically terminated with the
correct impedance and the high speed sampling bus is automatically configured
and terminated at the beginning and end of the bus. The high speed sampling bus
takes care that each Handyscope is fully synchronized to ensure that even at the
highest sampling rate the instruments operate at the same sample clock (0 ppm
clock error!). The connection order when combining multiple instruments is not
important. The CMI interface has built-in intelligence to detect the connections
and terminate all buses properly at both ends of the bus. So instruments can be
connected to each other in random order. Placing terminators and determining
the proper connection order is not required!
Advantages of the CMI (Combine Multiple Instruments) interface are:
•
automatic instrument recognition,
•
automatic creation and termination of the high speed trigger bus,
•
automatic creation and termination of the high speed sampling bus,
•
automatic master/slave setting of the sampling clock bus.
Figure 6.1: Auxilary I/O or CMI connectors
Connecting is done by daisy chaining the CMI connectors of the instruments prior
to starting the software, using special coupling cables (order number TP-C50H).
The software will detect how the instruments are connected to each other and
will automatically terminate the connection bus. The software will combine the
connected instruments to one large instrument. The combined instruments will
sample using the same clock, with a deviation of 0 ppm.
Combining instruments
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