Using BenchLink - Getting Started

    Bench link is a program you can use to get data from an oscilloscope into a computer.  You can do that when you have all of the following:

l Benchlink is installed on the computer
l There is an IEEE-488 card (GPIB) in
    the computer.
l The IEEE-488 card is connected to the
    scope with a standard IEEE-488 cable.
l The scope is turned on, and it is
    displaying a signal you want to get.
        When all of the above is true, you can move data from the scope into the Benchlink program.  Here is what you do.
l Start Benchlink.
l During loading, Benchlink may ask you
    for Setup information.  If so, do the following:
l Select GPIB and search for instruments.
l Select the HP54601A Oscilloscope (Addr7).
l Click OK.
l NOTE:  If you need to change the steup, you
    can click Options-Configure Interface.
l Select Waveform-New.  The waveform on the
    scope should be displayed in a window on the
    computer screen.
l Select Waveform-Save as time, amplitude.
l Save the data in a file where you can find it
    later.
       At this point you have the data saved in a file, but that file cannot be loaded into applications like Mathcad or Matlab.  To create/change the file to one that can be loaded, do the following.
l Start Notepad.
l Load your file into Notepad.
l Delete the header information so that your
    data starts at the top left position.
l Save your file.
        If you want to load your data into Mathcad for analysis, load the workspace L3GetData.mcd into Mathcad.  Then change the name of the file in the READPRN() function statement.  Note: for this to work, you should save L3GetData.mcd into the same folder as your data file.  If you don't do that, you will need to supply the complete pathname in READPRN.