TiePie engineering HS4 DIFF Differential USB Oscilloscope
Important Information
ATTENTION!
Measuring directly on the line voltage can be very dangerous.
The outside of the BNC connectors at the Handy scope HS4 are connected with the ground of the computer. Use a good isolation transformer or a differential probe when measuring at the line voltage or at grounded power supplies! A short-circuit current will flow if the ground of the Handy scope HS4 is connected to a positive voltage. This short-circuit current can damage both the Handy scope HS4 and the computer.
This information is subject to change without notice. Despite the care taken for the compilation of this user manual, Tie Pie engineering can not be held responsible for any damage resulting from errors that may appear in this manual.
Safety
When working with electricity, no instrument can guarantee complete safety. It is the responsibility of the person who works with the instrument to operate it in a safe way. Maximum security is achieved by selecting the proper instruments and following safe working procedures. Safe working tips are given below:
- Always work according (local) regulations.
- Work on installations with voltages higher than 25 VAC or 60 VDC should only be performed by qualified personnel.
- Avoid working alone.
- Observe all indications on the Handy scope HS4 before connecting any wiring
- Check the probes/test leads for damages. Do not use them if they are damaged
- Take care when measuring at voltages higher than 25 VAC or 60 VDC.
- Do not operate the equipment in an explosive atmosphere or in the presence of flammable gases or fumes.
- Do not use the equipment if it does not operate properly. Have the equipment inspected by qualified service personal. If necessary, return the equipment to Tie Pie engineering for service and repair to ensure that safety features are maintained.
- Measuring directly on the line voltage can be very dangerous. The outside of the BNC connectors at the Handy scope HS4 are connected with the ground of the computer. Use a good isolation transformer or a differential probe when measuring at the line voltage or at grounded power supplies! A short-circuit current will flow if the ground of the Handy scope HS4 is connected to a positive voltage. This short-circuit current can damage both the Handy scope HS4 and the computer.
Declaration of conformity
Tie Pie engineering
Koppers agers strata 37
8601 WL Seek
The Netherlands
EC Declaration of conformity
We declare, on our own responsibility, that the product
Handy scope HS4-5MHz
Handy scope HS4-10MHz
Handy scope HS4-25MHz
Handy scope HS4-50MHz
for which this declaration is valid, is in compliance with EC directive 2011/65/EU (the RoHS directive) including up to amendment 2021/1980, EC regulation 1907/2006 (REACH) including up to amendment 2021/2045, and with
EN 55011:2016/A1:2017 IEC 61000-6-1:2019 EN
EN 55022:2011/C1:2011 IEC 61000-6-3:2007/A1:2011/C11:2012 EN
according the conditions of the EMC standard 2004/108/EC, also with
Canada: ICES-001:2004 Australia/New Zealand: AS/NZS CISPR 11:2011 and
IEC 61010-1:2010/A1:2019 USA: UL 61010-1, Edition 3
and is categorized as 30 Vrms, 42 Vpk, 60 Vdc
Sneek, 1-9-2022
ir. A.P.W.M. Poelsma
Environmental considerations
This section provides information about the environmental impact of the Handy scope HS4.
End-of-life handling
Production of the Handy scope HS4 required the extraction and use of natural resources. The equipment may contain substances that could be harmful to the environment or human health if improperly handled at the Handy scope HS4’s end of life.
In order to avoid release of such substances into the environment and to reduce the use of natural resources, recycle the Handy scope HS4 in an appropriate system that will ensure that most of the materials are reused or recycled appropriately.
The shown symbol indicates that the Handy scope HS4 complies with the European Union’s requirements according to Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
Introduction
Before using the Handy scope HS4 first read chapter 1 about safety.
Many technicians investigate electrical signals. Though the measurement may not be electrical, the physical variable is often converted to an electrical signal, with a special transducer. Common transducers are accelerometers, pressure probes, current clamps and temperature probes. The advantages of converting the physical parameters to electrical signals are large, since many instruments for examining electrical signals are available.
The Handy scope HS4 is a portable four channel measuring instrument. The Handy scope HS4 is available in several models with different maximum sampling rates.
The native resolution is 12 bits, but user selectable resolutions of 14 and 16 bits are available too, with reduced maximum sampling rate:
| resolution | Model 50 | Model 25 | Model 10 | Model 5 |
| 12 bit 14 bit 16 bit | 50 M Sa/s 3.125 M Sa/s 195 k Sa/s | 25 M Sa/s 3.125 M Sa/s 195 k Sa/s | 10 M Sa/s 3.125 M Sa/s 195 k Sa/s | 5 M Sa/s 3.125 M Sa/s 195 k Sa/s |
Table 3.1: Maximum sampling rates
The Handy scope HS4 supports high speed continuous streaming measurements. The maximum streaming rates are:
| resolution | Model 50 | Model 25 | Model 10 | Model 5 |
| 12 bit 14 bit 16 bit | 500 k Sa/s 480 k Sa/s 195 k Sa/s | 250 k Sa/s 250 k Sa/s 195 k Sa/s | 100 k Sa/s 99 k Sa/s 97 k Sa/s | 50 k Sa/s 50 k Sa/s 48 k Sa/s |
Table 3.2: Maximum streaming rates
With the accompanying software the Handy scope HS4 can be used as an oscilloscope, a spectrum analyzer, a true RMS voltmeter or a transient recorder. All instruments measure by sampling the input signals, digitizing the values, process them, save them and display them.
Sampling
When sampling the input signal, samples are taken at fixed intervals. At these intervals, the size of the input signal is converted to a number. The accuracy of this number depends on the resolution of the instrument. The higher the resolution
the smaller the voltage steps in which the input range of the instrument is divided.
The acquired numbers can be used for various purposes, e.g. to create a graph.
The sine wave in figure 3.1 is sampled at the dot positions. By connecting the adjacent samples, the original signal can be reconstructed from the samples. You can see the result in figure 3.2.
Sampling rate
The rate at which the samples are taken is called the sampling rate, the number of samples per second. A higher sampling rate corresponds to a shorter interval between the samples. As is visible in figure 3.3, with a higher sampling rate, the original signal can be reconstructed much better from the measured samples.
Figure 3.3: The effect of the sampling rate
The sampling rate must be higher than 2 times the highest frequency in the input signal. This is called the Nyquist frequency. Theoretically it is possible to reconstruct the input signal with more than 2 samples per period. In practice, 10 to 20 samples per period are recommended to be able to examine the signal thoroughly.
Aliasing
When sampling an analog signal with a certain sampling rate, signals appear in the output with frequencies equal to the sum and difference of the signal frequency and multiples of the sampling rate. For example, when the sampling rate is 1000 Sa/s and the signal frequency is 1250 Hz, the following signal frequencies will be present in the output data:
| Multiple of sampling rate | 1250 Hz signal | -1250 Hz signal |
| … | ||
| -1000 | -1000 + 1250 = 250 | -1000 – 1250 = -2250 |
| 0 | 0 + 1250 = 1250 | 0 – 1250 = -1250 |
| 1000 | 1000 + 1250 = 2250 | 1000 – 1250 = -250 |
| 2000 | 2000 + 1250 = 3250 | 2000 – 1250 = 750 |
| … |
Table 3.3: Aliasing
As stated before, when sampling a signal, only frequencies lower than half the sampling rate can be reconstructed. In this case the sampling rate is 1000 Sa/s, so we can we only observe signals with a frequency ranging from 0 to 500 Hz. This means that from the resulting frequencies in the table, we can only see the 250 Hz signal in the sampled data. This signal is called an alias of the original signal.
If the sampling rate is lower than twice the frequency of the input signal, aliasing will occur. The following illustration shows what happens.
In figure 3.4, the green input signal (top) is a triangular signal with a frequency of 1.25 kHz. The signal is sampled with a rate of 1 k Sa/s. The corresponding sampling interval is 1/1000Hz = 1ms. The positions at which the signal is sampled are depicted with the blue dots. The red dotted signal (bottom) is the result of the reconstruction. The period time of this triangular signal appears to be 4 ms, which corresponds to an apparent frequency (alias) of 250 Hz (1.25 kHz – 1 kHz).
To avoid aliasing, always start measuring at the highest sampling rate and lower the sampling rate if required.
Digitizing
When digitizing the samples, the voltage at each sample time is converted to a number. This is done by comparing the voltage with a number of levels. The resulting number is the number corresponding to the level that is closest to the voltage. The number of levels is determined by the resolution, according to the following relation: Level Count = 2Resolution.
The higher the resolution, the more levels are available and the more accurate the input signal can be reconstructed. In figure 3.5, the same signal is digitized, using two different amounts of levels: 16 (4-bit) and 64 (6-bit)
Figure 3.5: The effect of the resolution
The Handy scope HS4 measures at e.g. 12 bit resolution (2 12=4096 levels). The smallest detectable voltage step depends on the input range. This voltage can be calculated as:
V voltage Step = Full Input Range/Level Count
For example, the 200 mV range ranges from -200 mV to +200 mV, therefore the full range is 400 mV. This results in a smallest detectable voltage step of 0.400 V / 4096 = 97.65 µV.
Signal coupling
The Handy scope HS4 has two different settings for the signal coupling: AC and DC. In the setting DC, the signal is directly coupled to the input circuit. All signal components available in the input signal will arrive at the input circuit and will be measured.
In the setting AC, a capacitor will be placed between the input connector and the input circuit. This capacitor will block all DC components of the input signal and let all AC components pass through. This can be used to remove a large DC component of the input signal, to be able to measure a small AC component at high resolution.
When measuring DC signals, make sure to set the signal coupling of the input to DC.
Probe compensation
The Handy scope HS4 is shipped with a probe for each input channel. These are 1x/10x selectable passive probes. This means that the input signal is passed through directly or 10 times attenuated.
When using an oscilloscope probe in 1:1 the setting, the bandwidth of the probe is only 6 MHz. The full bandwidth of the probe is only obtained in the 1:10 setting
The x10 attenuation is achieved by means of an attenuation network. This attenuation network has to be adjusted to the oscilloscope input circuitry, to guarantee frequency independency. This is called the low frequency compensation. Each time a probe is used on an other channel or an other oscilloscope, the probe must be adjusted.
Therefore the probe is equipped with a setscrew, with which the parallel capacity of the attenuation network can be altered. To adjust the probe, switch the probe to the x10 and attach the probe to a 1 kHz square wave signal. Then adjust the probe for a square front corner on the square wave displayed. See also the following illustrations.
Figure 3.6: correct
Figure 3.7: under compensated
Figure 3.8: over compensated
Driver installation
Before connecting the Handy scope HS4 to the computer, the drivers need to be installed.
Introduction
To operate a Handy scope HS4, a driver is required to interface between the measurement software and the instrument. This driver takes care of the low level communication between the computer and the instrument, through USB. When the driver is not installed, or an old, no longer compatible version of the driver is installed, the software will not be able to operate the Handy scope HS4 properly or even detect it at all.
Computers running Windows 10
When the Handy s cope HS4 is plugged in into a USB port of the computer, Windows will detect the instrument and will download the required driver from Windows Update. When the download is finished, the driver will be installed automatically.
Computers running Windows 8 or older
The installation of the USB driver is done in a few steps. Firstly, the driver has to be pre-installed by the driver setup program. This makes sure that all required files are located where Windows can find them. When the instrument is plugged in, Windows will detect new hardware and install the required drivers.
Where to find the driver setup
The driver setup program and measurement software can be found in the download section on Tie Pie engineering’s website. It is recommended to install the latest version of the software and USB driver from the website. This will guarantee the latest features are included.
Executing the installation utility
To start the driver installation, execute the downloaded driver setup program. The driver install utility can be used for a first time installation of a driver on a system and also to update an existing driver.
The screen shots in this description may differ from the ones displayed on your computer, depending on the Windows version.
When drivers were already installed, the install utility will remove them before installing the new driver. To remove the old driver successfully, it is essential that the Handy scope HS4 is disconnected from the computer prior to starting the driver install utility. When the Handy scope HS4 is used with an external power supply, this must be disconnected too.
Clicking ”Install” will remove existing drivers and install the new driver. A remove entry for the new driver is added to the software applet in the Windows control panel.
Hardware installation
Drivers have to be installed before the Handy scope HS4 is connected to the computer for the first time. See chapter 4 for more information.
Power the instrument
The Handy scope HS4 is powered by the USB, no external power supply is required.
Only connect the Handy scope HS4 to a bus powered USB port, otherwise it may not get enough power to operate properly.
External power
In certain cases, the Handy scope HS4 cannot get enough power from the USB port. When a Handy scope HS4 is connected to a USB port, powering the hardware will result in an inrush current higher than the nominal current. After the inrush current, the current will stabilize at the nominal current.
USB ports have a maximum limit for both the inrush current peak and the nominal current. When either of them is exceeded, the USB port will be switched off. As a result, the connection to the Handy scope HS4 will be lost.
Most USB ports can supply enough current for the Handy scope HS4 to work without an external power supply, but this is not always the case. Some (battery operated) portable computers or (bus powered) USB hubs do not supply enough current. The exact value at which the power is switched off, varies per USB controller, so it is possible that the Handy scope HS4 functions properly on one computer, but does not on another.
In order to power the Handy scope HS4 externally, an external power input is provided for. It is located at the rear of the Handy scope HS4. Refer to paragraph 7.1 for specifications of the external power input.
Connect the instrument to the computer
After the new driver has been pre-installed (see chapter 4), the Handy scope HS4 can be connected to the computer. When the Handy scope HS4 is connected to a USB port of the computer, Windows will detect new hardware.
Depending on the Windows version, a notification can be shown that new hardware is found and that drivers will be installed. Once ready, Windows will report that the driver is installed.
When the driver is installed, the measurement software can be installed and the Handy scope HS4 can be used.
Plug into a different USB port
When the Handy scope HS4 is plugged into a different USB port, some Windows versions will treat the Handy scope HS4 as different hardware and will install the drivers again for that port. This is controlled by Microsoft Windows and is not caused by Type engineering.
Front panel
Figure 6.1: Front panel
Channel input connectors
The CH1 – CH4 BNC connectors are the main inputs of the acquisition system.
The outside of all four BNC connectors is connected to the ground of the Handy scope HS4. Connecting the outside of the BNC connector to a potential other than ground will result in a short circuit that may damage the device under test, the Handy scope HS4 and the computer.
Power indicator
A power indicator is situated at the top cover of the instrument. It is lit when the Handy scope HS4 is powered.
Rear panel
Figure 7.1: Rear panel
Power
The Handy scope HS4 is powered through the USB. If the USB cannot deliver enough power, it is possible to power the instrument externally. The Handy scope HS4 has two external power inputs located at the rear of the instrument: the dedicated power input and a pin of the extension connector.
The specifications of the dedicated power connector are.
| Pin | Dimension | Description |
| Center pin Outside bushing | Ø1.3 mm Ø3.5 mm | ground positive |
Besides the external power input, it is also possible to power the instrument through the extension connector, the 25 pin D-sub connector at the rear of the instrument.
The power has to be applied to pin 3 of the extension connector. Pin 4 can be used as ground.
The following minimum and maximum voltages apply to both power inputs:
| Minimum | Maximum |
| 4.5 VDC | 14 VDC |
Table 7.1: Maximum voltages
Note that the externally applied voltage should be higher than the USB voltage to relieve the USB port.
USB power cable
The Handy scope HS4 is delivered with a special USB external power cable.
One end of this cable can be connected to a second USB port on the computer, the other end can be plugged in the external power input at the rear of the instrument. The power for the instrument will be taken from two USB ports of the computer.
The outside of the external power connector is connected to +5 V. In order to avoid shortage, first connect the cable to the Handy scope HS4 and then to the USB port.
Power adapter
In case a second USB port is not available, or the computer still can’t provide enough power for the instrument, an external power adapter can be used. When using an external power adapter, make sure that:
- the polarity is set correctly
- the voltage is set to a valid value for the instrument and higher than the USB voltage
- the adapter can supply enough current (preferably >1 A)
- the plug has the correct dimensions for the external power input of the instrument
USB
The Handy scope HS4 is equipped with a USB 2.0 High speed (480 Mbit/s) interface with a fixed cable with type A plug. It will also work on a computer with a USB 1.1 interface, but will then operate at 12 Mbit/s.
Extension Connector
Figure 7.4: Extension connector
To connect to the Handy scope HS4 a 25 pin female D-sub connector is available, containing the following signals:
| Pin | Description | Pin | Description |
| 1 | Ground | 14 | Ground |
| 2 | Reserved | 15 | Ground |
| 3 | External Power in DC | 16 | Reserved |
| 4 | Ground | 17 | Ground |
| 5 | +5V out, 10 mA max. | 18 | Reserved |
| 6 | Ext. sampling clock in (TTL) | 19 | Reserved |
| 7 | Ground | 20 | Reserved |
| 8 | Ext. trigger in (TTL) | 21 | Reserved |
| 9 | Data OK out (TTL) | 22 | Ground |
| 10 | Ground | 23 | I2C SDA |
| 11 | Trigger out (TTL) | 24 | I2C SCL |
| 12 | Reserved | 25 | Ground |
| 13 | Ext. sampling clock out (TTL) |
Table 7.2: Pin description Extension connector
All TTL signals are 3.3 V TTL signals which are 5 V tolerant, so they can be connected to 5 V TTL systems.
Pins 9, 11, 12, 13 are open collector outputs. Connect a pull-up resistor of 1 k Ohm to pin 5 when using one of these signals.
Specifications
Acquisition system
| Number of input channels | 4 analogy |
| CH1, CH2, CH3, CH4 | BNC, female |
| Type | Single ended |
| Resolution | 12, 14, 16 bit user selectable |
| Accuracy | 0.2% of full scale ± 1 LSB |
| Ranges (full scale) | ±200 mV ±2 V ±4 V ±40 V ±800 mV |
| Coupling | AC/DC |
| Impedance | 1 MΩ / 30 pF |
| Maximum voltage | 200 V (DC + AC peak |
| Bandwidth (-3dB) | 50 MHz |
| AC coupling cut off frequency (-3dB)±1.5 Hz | |
| Maximum sampling rate | HS4-50 | HS4-25 | HS4-10 | HS4-5 |
| 12 bit | 50 MSa/s | 25 M Sa/s | 10 M Sa/s | 5 M Sa/s |
| 14 bit | 3.125 MSa/s | 3.125 M Sa/s | 3.125 M Sa/s | 3.125 M Sa/s |
| 16 bit | 195 k Sa/s | 195 k Sa/s | 195 k Sa/s | 195 k Sa/s |
| Maximum streaming rate | HS4-50 | HS4-25 | HS4-10 | HS4-5 |
| 12 bit | 500 kSa/s | 250 k Sa/s | 100 k Sa/s | 50 k Sa/s |
| 14 bit | 480 kSa/s | 250 k Sa/s | 99 k Sa/s | 50 k Sa/s |
| 16 bit | 195 k Sa/s | 195 k Sa/s | 97 k Sa/s | 48 k Sa/s |
| Sampling source | internal quartz, external |
| Internal | Quartz |
| Accuracy | ±0.01% |
| Stability | ±100 ppm over -40◦C to +85◦C |
| External | On extension connector |
| Voltage | 3.3 V TTL, 5 V TTL tolerant |
| Frequency range | 95 MHz to 105 MHz |
| Memory | 128 samples per channel |
Trigger system
| System | digital, 2 levels |
| Source | CH1, CH2, CH3, CH4, digital external, AND, OR |
| Trigger modes | rising slope, falling slope, inside window, outside window |
| Level adjustment | 0 to 100% of full scale |
| Hysteresis adjustment | 0 to 100% of full scale |
| Resolution | 0.024 % (12 bits) |
| Pre trigger | 0 to 128 samples (0 to 100%, one sample resolution) |
| Post trigger | 0 to 128 samples (0 to 100%, one sample resolution) |
| Trigger hold-off | 0 to 1 Simples, 1 sample resolution |
| Digital external trigger | |
| Input | extension connector |
| Range | 0 to 5 V (TTL) |
| Coupling | DC |
Interface
| Interface | USB 2.0 High Speed (480 Mbit/s) (USB 1.1 Full Speed (12 Mbit/s) and USB 3.0 compatible) |
Power
| Input | from USB or external input |
| Consumption | 500 mA max |
Physical
| Instrument height | 25 mm / 1.0” |
| Instrument length | 170 mm / 6.7” |
| Instrument width | 140 mm / 5.2” |
| Weight | 480 gram / 17 ounce |
| USB cord length | 1.8 m / 70” |
I/O connectors
| CH1 .. CH4 | BNC, female |
| Power | 3.5 mm power socket |
| Extension connector | D-sub 25 pins female |
| USB | Fixed cable with type A plug |
System requirements
| PC I/O connection | USB 2.0 High Speed (480 Mbit/s) (USB 1.1 Full Speed (12 Mbit/s) and USB 3.0 compatible) |
| Operating System | Windows 10, 32 and 64 bits |
Environmental conditions
| Operating | |
| Ambient temperature | 0 ◦C to 55◦C |
| Relative humidity | 10 to 90% non condensing |
| Storage | |
| Ambient temperature | -20◦C to 70◦C |
| Relative humidity | 5 to 95% non condensing |
Certifications and Compliances
| CE mark compliance | Yes |
| RoHS | Yes |
| REACH | Yes |
| EN 55011:2016/A1:2017 | Yes |
| EN 55022:2011/C1:2011 | Yes |
| IEC 61000-6-1:2019 EN | Yes |
| IEC 61000-6-3:2007/A1:2011/C11:2012 | Yes |
| ICES-001:2004 | Yes |
| AS/NZS CISPR 11:2011 | Yes |
| IEC 61010-1:2010/A1:2019 | Yes |
| UL 61010-1, Edition 3 | Yes |
Probes
| Model | HP-3250I | |
| X1 | X10 | |
| Bandwidth | 6 MHz | 250 MHz |
| Rise time | 58 ns | 1.4 ns |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ oscilloscope impedance | 10 MΩ incl. 1 MΩ oscilloscope impedance |
| Input capacitance | 56 pF + oscilloscope capacitance | 13 pF |
| Compensation range | – | 10 to 30 pF |
| Working voltage (DC + AC peak) | 300 V 150 V CAT II | 600 V 300 V CAT II |
Package contents
| Instrument | Handy scope HS4 |
| Probes | 4 x HP-3250I X1 / X10 switchable |
| Accessories | USB power cable |
| Software | Windows 10, 32 and 64 bits, via website |
| Drivers | Windows 10, 32 and 64 bits, via website |
| Software Development Kit | Windows 10 and Linux, via website |
| Manual | Instrument manual and software manual |
If you have any suggestions and/or remarks regarding this manual, please contact:
Customer Support
TiePie engineering
Koperslagerstraat 37
8601 WL SNEEK
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 515 415 416
Fax: +31 515 418 819
E-mail: support@tiepie.nl
Site: www.tiepie.com
TiePie engineering Handyscope HS4 instrument manual revision 2.45, February 2024
Documents / Resources
 | TiePie engineering HS4 DIFF Differential USB Oscilloscope [pdf] User Manual HS4 DIFF Differential USB Oscilloscope, HS4, DIFF Differential USB Oscilloscope, Differential USB Oscilloscope, USB Oscilloscope, Oscilloscope |
