Recently I purchased a Pico 2205A and still learning it. I am using some test probes I had for an old Textronik analog 100 MHH.But recently I am suspicious of the state of the probes I am using and do not know how to ensure they are good or bad.Testing the IDL signal on the 4Runner TPS I found a glitch at a spot on the signal for E2 (ground) and the VTA reporting to the ECU the TPS position.
Will it be OK to use straight cables from the SCope to the TPS instead of the probes I have?
2205A is 25 MGH.
For automotive signals in the sub 20v range you can use plain BNC test leads. Using normal Labscope probes can short are great for woeking on a circuit board on the bench but are too easy to short out when working under the hood. You can also use BNC to 4mm banana adaptors. and BNC extension leads Here are a few on Amazon
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
Thanks Andy. I have been trying to check if I did not fry my 2205A using the AWG but not sure if that section seems OK, it means that the scope is OK.
I probably had a senior moment one time trying to use just a little spike from No. 1 Cylinder Ignition cable to use as a trigger to obtain a "parade" on the ignition. I
I could possibly done some damage, so I am on my own with the scope. I was using HT-1-20 and X10 (total X200) on my old Textronik probe. Kept the probe far away until got just a little spike on the Pico scope, but I must screw up something else.
Will it be possible to use one of the AWG signals and try to get the RPM's n the car to match the period of the let's say ramp from the AWG?
I have only only one HT-25 probe for secondary ignition and I ave seen some using just a little plate (with Hantek-1008C) to get a HV ignition waveform.
Any thoughts on that?
Y may have to buy another HT-25 just to use a trigger otherwise.
Thanks for the advise on the probes from Amazon, will be ordering today.
Batiscafo wrote: Y may have to buy another HT-25 just to use a trigger otherwise.
For a sync signal I prefer an inductive RPM pick up. It's a much cleaner signal so it's easier to get a reliable trigger with. The one I use originally came with a MAC automotive DMM so you might already have one. It's the yellow, Ch 1, trace in the pics.
Thanks, I will search for one in Amazon or eBay.
Question:are you using Hantek Scope 1008C?
I had one from Amazon but returned because I could not handle all the bugs on the software. I have been thinking to get one now that they are very cheap, even just for the probes.
What do you think?
Thanks for your time
Yeah I've got a Hacktek 1008. Bought it a few months back. I downloaded the latest software from hanteks website and have been running it on "shrinkwrapped" Win 10 Pro on a Thinkpad. Only bug I've encountered is a couple times after I'd run the software and closed it out then it wouldn't restart. Checked in Task Manager and it showed two instances of the 'scope software running and task manager couldn't kill them. Rebooting the laptop fixed it.
That isn't to say the software is good. I found the automotive side of it to be next to useless. I can guess the probe settings myself better than it can. I guess it'd be fair to say the software is acceptable considering the sub $100 price point.
On the hardware side the 12 bit vertical resolution is great, though difficult to take full advantage of because of the software. The USB power input could use some filtering. You have to be careful with the common ground. I've come real close to summoning up the ghost of Joseph Lucas a couple times because of it.
Biggest weakness is the 4 kS buffer which really limits what you can do with the thing without a lot of playing around with triggers, or hitting the stop button just right, to capture what you need. Though to be fair you've got to up your budget to several hundred bucks to get something with a decent sized buffer.
Matt; Maybe Hantek fixed some of the bugs I found. I kept sending report/requests one after the other. Then I saw that they seemingly discontinued the 1008C.
The Pico Software seems very impresive, I am still after 6 months learning it. But i am not a mechanic, just DIY working for free for friends and neighbours.
Glad to hear it works for you.
With older vehicles which have distributer ignitions and often bank fired injectors without two ignition secondary probes you can ground a plug wire to identify a cylinder from the firing order the other alternative is to look at ignition primary voltage (using an attenuator to protect the scope) and use the HT25 on cylinder No1 or other cylinder that is easy to get at as synch.
The Hanteck 1008 is still very much with us it is just on different Hantek website. The software was upgraded about 18 months back although it has to be searched for to find. It is somewhat better but still not good.
Pico has great software even non-automotive versions but the learning curve is steeper.
At the really low cost end of scopes the Owon VDS 1022i is a bargain --- decent hardware and really nice touchscreen friendly software,
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
Don't worry about the Pico scope software, use the automotive version, download the latest version 6 of Picoscope, navigate to the install folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Pico Technology\PicoScope6 Automotive) and rename OEM.dll to something like OEM_old.dll and fire up again the pico automotive software and your 2205 will work ok with this version. Everything is the same except you don't get the nice Waveform library but you have access to those automotive guide tutorials, like previous ops were saying, shorting is easy since this oscilloscope has protection up to 20 volts, I would just buy attenuators and always use them lol. The ones from Hantek work nicely 20:1 is what you'd need for this scope so that 400v spikes are safe.
