ARBEXPRESS v2.5 WAVEFORM CREATION AND EDITING SW v2.5

ArbExpress is a waveform creation and editing tool for Tektronix AWG and AFG instruments. It provides an easy to use and efficient way to create and edit waveforms, transfer waveforms to and from Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWG), and Arbitrary/Function Generators (AFG), and remotely control AWGs and AFGs. It can import waveforms from Tektronix oscilloscopes and convert them to AWG/AFG file formats.

Version: V2.5
Software Type: Application

Release Date: Nov 11 2009 - 08:00 am
Part Number: 066055107

Release Notes

Instructions

Release Notes

************************************************************
* Tektronix ArbExpress Application Software Release Notes *
************************************************************

Product:	Tektronix ArbExpress Application Software
Version:	2.5
Last Revised: October, 2009

Contents of these release notes:

1) Description
2) Target Platforms
3) What's new?
4) Known Issues
5) Software Compatibility
6) Installation Issues
7) Viewing Sample Files
8) Contacting Tektronix

***************
* Description *
***************

Tektronix ArbExpress is an application for creating waveforms for
Tektronix's signal sources. It allows you to create and edit waveforms,
transfer waveforms to and from Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWG),
and Arbitrary/Function Generators (AFG), and remotely control AWGs and
AFGs. You can import waveforms from Tektronix oscilloscopes and convert
them to AWG/AFG file formats.

ArbExpress supports generating the following standard waveforms:
- Sine, Square, Triangle, Pulse, DC, Exponential Rise, Exponential
Decay, Noise, Sinc, Sweep, Multi-Tone, and Lorentz.

********************
* Target Platforms *
********************

ArbExpress is PC-based software that runs on the following platforms:

•	Windows XP Professional
•	Windows 2000
•	Windows NT
•	Windows 98\Me

***********************
* What's new in v2.5? *
***********************

1. Support for AWG5000/5000B and AWG7000/7000B models in Continuous Mode.

***********************
* What's new in v2.4? *
***********************

1. Support for new AFG3011 model.

***********************
* What's new in v2.3? *
***********************

1. Support new AFG3021B and AFG3022B models.
2. Now ArbExpress can import waveforms from the MSO series of Oscilloscopes.
2. Bug fix: Direct importing of data from DPO4000/7000 had problems.
This has been fixed
3. Bug fix: Opening DPO4000/7000 files had problem. This has been fixed.
4. Bug fix: Incorrect data sent to AFG with csv file. This is fixed now.
5. Bug fix: Waveform generated for Exponential rise and decay was incorrect.
This is fixed now.

***********************
* What's new in v2.2? *
***********************

1. Supports waveform import from new Tektronix Oscilloscopes.
2. Bug fix: Two header less csv files could not be opened in the same
wave book. This has been fixed now.
3. Bug fix: Transferring headerless csv file to instrument transfers
the waveform reduced by two points. This has been fixed.
4. Bug fix: Sometimes ArbExpress did not allow user to disconnect
the instrument once it was connected.
5. Bug fix: User could change the sampling rate for AFG3000 using
waveform properties. Now sampling rate combo box is now disabled.
6. Bug fix: Resolved discrepancy of Point draw interpolation mode
selected between toolbar and point draw table.
7. Bug fix: OLH had incorrect example for transferring file directly
from Matlab environment.
8. Bug fix: Waveform got corrupted when transferring a waveform of
maximum record length to AFG300 instrument. This is fixed now.

***********************
* What's new in v2.1? *
***********************

1. Bug fix: AFG 3000 series instrument specification was incorrect.
In previous version while using standard waveform and Equation editor
user was limited 16K.
2. Bug fix: Sometimes when acquiring waveform from TDS 3000 using
"Import from scope" dialog application might hang.
3. Bug fix: While saving AFG3000 *.tfw file application might create
*.set file when the instrument select is AWGxxx or AFG3xx or AWG2xxx.
4. Now ArbExpress can import waveforms from CSA7000 series of oscilloscopes.
5. When the File transfer dialog is opened for the first time the
default folder is set to C:.
6. Bug fix: Change in the Control panel regional and language settings
will not affect ArbExpress behavior.
7. Bug fix: Transferring file with extension .txt had issues, which
has been fixed now.

***********************
* What's new in v2.0? *
***********************

1. Point draw mode - This feature enables you to create waveforms
by entering waveform points as time and amplitude data and to edit
the waveform between selected points.The software can connect
the points via Linear, Smooth (Cubic Spline) and Staircase algorithms.
2. Supports waveform import from TDS5K, 6K and 7K Oscilloscopes.
3. Supports AFG3000 Series of Arbitrary/Function Generators.
4. Remembers the last selected instrument (AWG/AFG).
5. Resampling - Waveform can be resampled using Linear and Sinc algorithms.
6. Shift/Rotate - Waveform can be shifted or rotated within cursors.
7. Scope acquisition wizard has been added, which enables user to import
waveform from Tektronix Oscilloscopes more conveniently.
8. Access to multiple waveform properties from Equation editor and
Standard waveform dialog boxes.
9. Increased number of zoom levels in Wavebook window.

*******************
* Changes in v1.1 *
*******************

1. Create and Delete folders/Files in the remote instrument explorer view.
2. Validation of Waveform before sending the waveform to the instrument connected.
3. Complimentary channels will also be enabled at the end of file transfer.
4. Waveform can be sent directly from Equation editor to the instrument
similar to the feature available in the standard waveform.
5. Ten most recently used IP addresses will be remembered with Instrument name.
6. In File transfer and control dialog, last selected path will be remembered
in the PC explorer view.
7. Offset is added between the waveform and boundary of waveform display.
8. Added more sample files in the sample directory.

****************
* Known Issues *
****************

•File Transfer and Control Refresh - To display the active list of instruments,
refresh from application will not refresh TekVisa. TekVisa has to be refreshed
by right clicking and selecting Refresh option on the system tray TekVisa icon.
•Normalization - All waveforms when transferred to AFG300/AFG3000 or saved
as *.tfw will be normalized automatically.
•Pasting non-textual objects in Equation Editor - Pasting any non-textual
objects may cause an exception which can be ignored.
•AWG gets into busy mode - Sometimes AWG may not respond when file transfer
through LAN is aborted. You may have to restart the instrument.
•Saving AWG2000 files - While saving AWG2000 files, normalization has to be
selected for saving the waveform without getting truncated.
•Equation Editor only supports AWG2000 series text file formats.
•Using NI Visa ArbExpress may not work as expected if NI Visa is installed
without uninstalling TekVisa. Uninstall TekVisa completely before installing
NI Visa.
•Waveform Properties - When invoked from Standard waveform and Equation editor
then "Active Waveform" tab will be disabled.
•Application will not generate AFG3000 series setup file *.tfs.
•Using TekVisa the connections of multiple instruments via USB might fail
without notification.
•The connection of AFG3000 Series via USB may drop over time.
•ArbExpress requires AWG500 with V3.0 or higher version.
•ArbExpress supports only VXI-11 server connections for AWG5K and AWG7K
series instruments for LAN support.
•ArExpress may create and transfer waveforms above 32M if sufficient
memory is available in free store.

**************************
* Software Compatibility *
**************************

The following table shows the individual components of the Tektronix ArbExpress
Application Software and their respective version numbers.Also shown are the
other major ArbExpress software components that are external to the ArbExpress
Application Software (i.e. installed separately).

Release	ArbExpress Application SW	ArbExpress Application	TekVisa	Microsoft .NET Framework
2.5	2.5				2.5.2009.10		3.3.2.7			1.1
2.4	2.4				2.4.2007.04		3.3.0.Build 14		1.1
2.3	2.3				2.3.2007.3		3.02 build 33  		1.1
2.2	2.2				2.2.2006.04		3.0 Build 7		1.1
2.1	2.1				2.1.2005.2		2.03 Build 97		1.1
2.0	2.0				2.0.2005.30		2.03	        	1.1
1.1	1.1				1.1.2004.10		2.01			1.1
1.0	1.0				1.0.2004.36     	2.01			1.1

**********************
* Installation Notes *
**********************

You need to have administrator privileges to install Tektronix ArbExpress software
in your system.The Installation program will display a warning message if you do
not have administrator privileges.If you proceed by ignoring this warning,
the application may not install properly.

If you have not installed TekVisa 3.3.2.7 or above and .Net Framework 1.1 or above
then the ArbExpress installation program detects and prompts the user to install
the above mentioned software at the end of the installation.

If you want to reinstall your Tektronix ArbExpress application software, you must
first remove the existing software. You can uninstall the software by going to
Control Panel > Add Remove Programs and selecting Tektronix ArbExpress.

If a failure occurs at any point during the installation of Tektronix ArbExpress,
the installer will not perform a complete uninstall. For this reason, it is
important not to pre-maturely close the installer application by clicking on its
close box in the upper-right corner of the background window; the installer will
automatically close the background window.

For details regarding the installation and use of ArbExpress software, refer to
the ArbExpress Installation Manual.pdf file.

************************
* Viewing Sample Files *
************************

The installation program will copy several ArbExpress sample files onto the target
folder.You can open this folder through the shortcut menu
Start > Programs > Tektronix ArbExpress > Samples.Under this folder, there will
be two sub folders viz. Equations and Waveforms.The Equations folder contains a
few sample equation files which can be opened from the Equation Editor.The Waveforms
folder contains a few sample files that can be opened in the ArbExpress Application.

*********
* Tools *
*********

The installation program will copy Matlab-AWG connectivity files onto the target folder.
You can open this folder through the shortcut menu
Start > Programs > Tektronix ArbExpress > Tools > Matlab.

************************
* Contacting Tektronix *
************************

If you have any questions, please contact the Tektronix Technical Support Center:

Phone			1-800-833-9200*
Address				Tektronix, Inc.
14200 SW Karl Braun Drive
P.O. Box 500
Beaverton, OR, 97077
USA

Web site		      	www.tektronix.com

Sales support			1-800-833-9200, select option 1*

Service support			1-800-833-9200, select option 2*

Technical Support	Email:	techsupport@tektronix.com
1-800-833-9200, select option 3*
6:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* This number is toll free in North America. After office hours, please leave a
voice mail message. Outside North America, contact a Tektronix sales office or
distributor; see the Tektronix web site for a list of offices.

Instructions

Installation

This Installation guide contains installation information and the
system requirements for the ArbExpress Waveform Creation and
Editing Tool for Tektronix AWG/AFG version 2.5.

Minimum System Requirements
OS supported Minimum requirements
- Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1
- Windows 2000
- Windows Me
- Windows 98 SE
- Windows NT Service Pack 6a
Pentium III @ 800 MHz and higher
256 MB RAM
300 MB Free Disk Space
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 and higher
.NET Framework 1.1 Redistributable Installation
800x600 display resolution

ArbExpress Version 2.5 Instructions

1. Download the ArbExpress setup file and double-click it. The Install
Shield wizard displays the Splash Screen.

2. Follow the instructions given by the InstallShield wizard.

3. The installation follows this sequence of steps: Welcome, View Release
Notes (optional). License Agreement, Choose Destination Location,
Start Copying Files, Setup Status.

- Click Next to continue and navigate through the InstallShield wizard.
- Click Back if you want to change the settings in the previous window.

4. In the Welcome window, click on the Release Notes button to view the
release notes.  Then click Next to display the License Agreement window.

5. In the License Agreement window, do the following:
- Read the License Agreement carefully.
- Select the I accept the terms of the License agreement option to continue.

6. After you have selected the I accept the terms of the License agreement
option, then click Next to display the Choose Destination Location window.

7. In the Choose Destination Location window, do one of the following:
- To install ArbExpress in the default folder
C:\Program Files\Tektronix\ArbExpress click Next.
- To change the location where you would like to install the ArbExpress
software, click Browse and browse to the location.

8. Click Next to display the Start Copying Files window. This window displays
the disk space available and the disk space required to install ArbExpress.

9. Click Next to start installation. The Setup Status window displays a progress
bar. ArbExpress will be installed in the selected folder with a shortcut in the
Start menu.

10. When the installation is complete, the message "ArbExpress Software Setup
completed successfully" is displayed. If you do not have TekVisa
and .NET Runtime Framework version 1.1 or above installed on your computer,
ArbExpress detects this and displays a message to install these before
running ArbExpress.

11. Click Finish to exit.

Launching the Application and Online Help

After you have installed the application you can run the ArbExpress
software by clicking
Start > Programs > Tektronix ArbExpress> ArbExpress Application.
You can display the online help by clicking
Start > Programs > Tektronix ArbExpress> ArbExpress Help

Contacting Tektronix
Phone 1-800-833-9200*
Tektronix, Inc.
14200 SW Karl Braun Drive
P.O. Box 500
Beaverton, OR 97077, USA

Web site www.tektronix.com
Sales support 1-800-833-9200, select option 1*
Service support 1-800-833-9200, select option 2*
Technical support Email: techsupport@tektronix.com
1-800-833-9200, select option 3*
6:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. Pacific time

* This phone number is toll free in North America. After office
hours, please leave a voice mail message.

Outside North America, contact a Tektronix sales office or distributor;
see the Tektronix web site for a list of offices.

By downloading, you agree to the terms and conditions of the Software Download Agreement.

This software applies to: AXW100