Tektronix and MathWorks have announced hardware and software linkages between Tektronix's mid- and high-performance lines of oscilloscopes and MathWorks flagship software, Matlab
Until now, engineers, researchers and scientists have conducted test, measurement and advanced analysis in two separate steps - one being the data acquisition with test equipment and the second being the analysis of that data using various commercial or custom software programs.
In response to clear market demand, Tektronix and MathWorks have brought data acquisition and advanced analysis together into one integrated device by developing an interface between Tektronix's Windows-based line of oscilloscopes and MathWorks's Matlab, the data analysis, visualisation and algorithm development tool for engineers and scientists worldwide.
"Tektronix is continually striving to work with industry leaders, such as MathWorks, in ways that will benefit our customers", said Craig Overhage, vice president of Tektronix's instruments business unit.
"Matlab is an industry leader for advanced computation and, with it directly accessible on our Windows-based oscilloscopes, we are providing a seamless interface between data and analysis.
This innovation will save our users valuable time." "Easy connectivity is very important to engineers and researchers", said Loren Dean, manager of test and measurement development at MathWorks: "It was a natural progression for the two companies to combine forces and create a path for users of both product lines to seamlessly integrate Matlab and Tektronix oscilloscopes." MathWorks and Tektronix created this interface by adding support for TekVisa, the Tektronix implementation of the Visa standard, to the Matlab instrument control toolbox, an add-on product to Matlab for controlling and communicating with instruments.
Users who purchase Matlab and the instrument control toolbox have two options for working with Tektronix TDS5000 and TDS7000 series oscilloscopes.
The first option is to load Matlab on the oscilloscope, a typical configuration for a laboratory setting.
A second option is to install Matlab on a separate computer from which the user can communicate with the oscilloscope, an option that would appeal to a researcher who works with multiple instruments.
These two options enable users to select the configuration that best fits their working model.
