battery test - start botton doesn't work

Ask any non-NVH related questions about using PicoDiagnostics software here.
Post Reply
ansel75
Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2018 10:11 am

battery test - start botton doesn't work

Post by ansel75 »

Hello friends
I'm writing because I have problem to use battery test. Probably I'm not able to use , so I ask if you can help to resolve.
The question is that when battery test opens, I can't push "start botton" because I can't select it. It seems not selectable (as file in attachment).
Surely I'm wrong to do something. I use cable and current clamp as described in guide but it doesn' work.
can you help me please? in some videos I see the the start botton is immediately selectable.
thank for your collaboration
Regards
ansel75
Attachments
test battery.jpg

Hitesh

Re: battery test - start botton doesn't work

Post by Hitesh »

Hi ansel75,

Could you please confirm which PicoScope model you are using?

If you close the PicoDiagnostics software and start the PicoScope Automotive software is your PicoScope detected or is there an error message?

Regards,

Technician
TwoWaves
TwoWaves
Posts: 705
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: battery test - start botton doesn't work

Post by Technician »

I'm experiencing exactly the same problem with the latest software download. Sometimes the software start button gives the impression that the software is activated but then the sub menu does not appear telling you to start the engine, then other times the start menu works straight away and the next menu advises to start the engine and the graph and data appear as normal. I thought it was operator error at first!

ben.martins
Pico Staff Member
Pico Staff Member
Posts: 539
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 1:02 pm

Re: battery test - start botton doesn't work

Post by ben.martins »

Hello Technician,

Thank you for your post. Can you just confirm when the Start button is greyed out have you just swapped from the PicoScope Automotive 6 software?

I've experienced a similar thing when if you are using PS6 Auto software, closed it and then opened PicoDiagnostics straight after, the scope wouldn't be detected. My understanding is that Windows doesn't 'eject' the scope from the USB port when the software closes and so keeps the scope active and therefore not allowing PD to see that there is a scope attached.

If this is the case then there are couple of things you could do. Once you have opened PD and the scope hasn't been detected, remove the USB lead from your computer and then reconnect after a couple of seconds or into another port. The other option is to just wait a little longer after closing one software before opening another. This gives windows time to deactivate the port and then allow connection again.

If you are still having issues then might I ask you to send a message into support@picotech.com and we can take a closer look into what is happening.

Hope this helps

Kind regards

Ben

Technician
TwoWaves
TwoWaves
Posts: 705
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: battery test - start botton doesn't work

Post by Technician »

Thanks Ben, I've printed your post above so that I can read it and try the suggestions tomorrow at work. I will keep you posted.

Thanks :)

Technician
TwoWaves
TwoWaves
Posts: 705
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: battery test - start botton doesn't work

Post by Technician »

I've tried the suggests Ben but unfortunately the battery diagnostics software problem has not been resolved, in fact it seems to have gone worse!

Yesterday late afternoon I switched the Pico Diagnostics software on and clicked the battery test function, the pico scope had not been switched on for over 48 hours. I set the battery specifications on the lower tool bar and connected the amps clamp around the positive battery lead, and the two positive and negative leads from channel one to the car battery.

Previously in past experiences when the start button was depressed I got the same results as the OP in this thread. Then after more attempts I would eventually get the software to run, when it ran it worked but I have always got vertical black lines on the battery scope trace. I don't know their cause. Each time the software did run and work I experienced three faults, they are;

1 / The vertical black lines on the scope trace as explained above, and

2 / The ripple voltage in RED showing at 1 V

3 / The charging percentage either advises 66.666666667% or like yesterday did not show on the results at all!

I took Pico diagnostics at face value and went with the idea that a charging fault was present. For a discussion on this please see the diagnostic section of the thread where I have written more details. I'd put the link in here but not sure how?

So, yesterday afternoon using the Pico Diagnostics software on the car with a fully rebuilt alternator, I put the Fluke DMM across the battery and set the DMM on DC and measured 14.59 V charging, then I lifted the car on the ramp and put the DMM probes on the main battery terminal at the alternator, and the black ground lead on the alternator body while it was running, then the measured AC value was [00.140 mV].

I then decided to connect the Pico Scope, I measured the battery voltage DC across the battery using Channel 1, and using channel 2 with the amps clamp around the battery lead I ran the engine at 1500 rpm with lights, heater, screen heater on and monitored the ripple on the scope. Although hash/noise is present I seem to have managed to reduce this by alternating the buffer settings in the upper tool bar bringing the value right down to as low as 10 or less, there is still noise/hash on the trace but the trace is readable.

The ripple on the scope producing NO noise, no spikes, no tails in either direction upwards or downwards, the load at the time indicated around 40 amps or slightly more. I did not find any problem with the charging system.

I have recorded the results of the battery diagnostics software and the scope traces on my pen drive from work, when I am home this evening I'll upload them for your viewing. I think I can safely say that there must be "Bugs" in the software guys that will require your software team to resolve!

[Edited a mistake sorry]

Kind regards

Tech

Post Reply