Rigol DHO1000 Waveform Examples
Scott Prahl
Mar 2026
[1]:
%config InlineBackend.figure_format = 'retina'
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import imageio.v3 as iio
from RigolWFM import Wfm, DHO1000_scopes
repo = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/RigolWFM/main/tests/files/"
A list of Rigol scopes in the DHO1000 family is:
[2]:
print(DHO1000_scopes)
['DHO', 'DHO800', 'DHO1000', 'DHO804', 'DHO812', 'DHO814', 'DHO824', 'DHO1072', 'DHO1074', 'DHO1102', 'DHO1202', 'DHO1204']
DHO1074 - Single-channel .wfm capture
Look at a screen shot
This capture was taken on a DHO1074 oscilloscope with CH1 active, measuring a 3.3 V logic signal.
Import the .wfm data
[3]:
filename = "wfm/DHO1074.wfm"
w = Wfm.from_url(repo + filename, "DHO")
downloading 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/RigolWFM/main/tests/files/wfm/DHO1074.wfm'
Textual description of the waveform
[4]:
description = w.describe()
print(description)
General:
File Model = DHO1000
User Model = DHO
Parser Model = dho1000
Firmware = unknown
Filename = DHO1074.wfm
Channels = [1, 2, 3, 4]
Trigger:
Derived Level (CH1) = -919.98 mV
Derived Level (CH2) = -3.34 V
Derived Level (CH3) = 2.95 V
Derived Level (CH4) = 29.00 V
Channel 1:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 54.61 V/div
Offset = 154.00 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 207, 207, 208 ... 207, 207]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [-17.81 V,-18.49 V,-16.47 V ... -18.59 V,-18.93 V]
Channel 2:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 21.85 V/div
Offset = 19.20 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 144, 169, 188 ... 121, 126]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [ -7.67 V, 9.22 V, 22.23 V ... -23.44 V,-20.46 V]
Channel 3:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 2.18 V/div
Offset = -3.76 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 115, 116, 115 ... 116, 116]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [ 2.90 V, 2.94 V, 2.91 V ... 2.95 V, 2.96 V]
Channel 4:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 21.85 V/div
Offset = -71.20 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 66, 66, 66 ... 66, 66]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [ 29.46 V, 29.18 V, 29.27 V ... 29.32 V, 29.23 V]
Plot the waveform
[5]:
ch = w.channels[0]
plt.plot(ch.times * 1e6, ch.volts, color="green")
plt.title("%s CH%d %.0f Sa/s" % (filename, ch.channel_number, 1 / ch.seconds_per_point))
plt.xlabel("Time (µs)")
plt.ylabel("Volts (V)")
plt.grid(True)
plt.show()
The w.plot() convenience method draws all enabled channels automatically:
[6]:
w.plot()
plt.show()
DHO1074 - Four-channel .bin capture
Look at a screen shot
This capture was taken on a DHO1074 oscilloscope with all four channels enabled. The .bin format is documented in the DHO1000 User Guide, Section 19.2.4. It stores calibrated float32 voltage values directly - no additional scaling is required.
Import the .bin data
[7]:
filename = "bin/DHO1074.bin"
w = Wfm.from_url(repo + filename)
downloading 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/RigolWFM/main/tests/files/bin/DHO1074.bin'
Textual description of the waveform
[8]:
description = w.describe()
print(description)
General:
File Model = DHO1000 (BIN)
User Model = auto
Parser Model = dho1000
Firmware = unknown
Filename = DHO1074.bin
Channels = [1, 2, 3, 4]
Trigger:
Derived Level (CH1) = -913.33 mV
Derived Level (CH2) = -3.34 V
Derived Level (CH3) = 2.95 V
Derived Level (CH4) = 28.99 V
Channel 1:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 1.00 V/div
Offset = 0.00 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 58, 55, 63 ... 55, 54]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [-17.81 V,-18.48 V,-16.47 V ... -18.59 V,-18.93 V]
Channel 2:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 1.00 V/div
Offset = 0.00 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 98, 164, 214 ... 36, 48]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [ -7.67 V, 9.22 V, 22.23 V ... -23.44 V,-20.46 V]
Channel 3:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 1.00 V/div
Offset = 0.00 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 139, 139, 139 ... 139, 139]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [ 2.90 V, 2.94 V, 2.91 V ... 2.95 V, 2.96 V]
Channel 4:
Coupling = unknown
Scale = 1.00 V/div
Offset = 0.00 V
Probe = 1X
Inverted = False
Time Base = 5.000 ms/div
Offset = 0.000 s
Delta = 5.000 µs/point
Points = 10000
Count = [ 1, 2, 3 ... 9999, 10000]
Raw = [ 243, 241, 242 ... 242, 242]
Times = [-25.000 ms,-24.995 ms,-24.990 ms ... 24.990 ms,24.995 ms]
Volts = [ 29.46 V, 29.18 V, 29.27 V ... 29.32 V, 29.23 V]
Plot all four channels
The .bin format stores each channel independently. All four are plotted below.
[9]:
colors = ["green", "red", "blue", "orange"]
active = [ch for ch in w.channels if ch.volts is not None]
n = len(active)
fig, axes = plt.subplots(n, 1, sharex=True, figsize=(10, 2.5 * n))
if n == 1:
axes = [axes]
for ax, ch, color in zip(axes, active, colors):
ax.plot(ch.times * 1e6, ch.volts, color=color)
ax.set_ylabel("Volts (V)")
ax.set_title("CH%d %.2f V/div" % (ch.channel_number, ch.volt_per_division))
ax.grid(True)
axes[-1].set_xlabel("Time (µs)")
fig.suptitle(filename, y=1.01)
plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()
The w.plot() convenience method draws the same result in a single call:
[10]:
w.plot()
plt.show()
Select a single channel from a multi-channel .bin file
Pass the selected argument to Wfm.from_file() to load only specific channels. This avoids allocating memory for channels you do not need.
[11]:
filename = "bin/DHO1074.bin"
w1 = Wfm.from_url(repo + filename, selected="1")
ch = w1.channels[0]
plt.title("CH%d %.2f V/div %.2f Voff (%s)" % (ch.channel_number, ch.volt_per_division, ch.volt_offset, filename))
plt.plot(ch.times * 1e6, ch.volts, color="green", label="CH1")
plt.xlabel("Time (µs)")
plt.ylabel("Volts (V)")
plt.legend(loc="upper right")
plt.grid(True)
plt.show()
downloading 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/RigolWFM/main/tests/files/bin/DHO1074.bin'
Format comparison: .wfm vs .bin
DHO1074.wfm and DHO1074.bin are captures from the same oscilloscope model (DHO1074)
but from different measurement sessions, so a direct sample-by-sample comparison is
not meaningful here. The table below summarises the key differences between the two formats.
Property |
|
|
|---|---|---|
Documented |
Yes (User Guide §19.2.4) |
No (reverse-engineered) |
Sample type |
float32 (calibrated V) |
uint16 (raw ADC) |
Channels |
All enabled, separate |
CH1 only in tested files |
Metadata |
In waveform headers |
zlib-compressed blocks |
x_origin sign |
Positive (negate for t0) |
Negative (use directly) |
[12]:
wfm = Wfm.from_url(repo + "wfm/DHO1074.wfm", "DHO")
wfm_ch = wfm.channels[0]
print("DHO1074.wfm")
print(" Points : %d" % len(wfm_ch.times))
print(" Delta t : %.3f µs" % (wfm_ch.seconds_per_point * 1e6))
print(" Time span : %.3f ms" % ((wfm_ch.times[-1] - wfm_ch.times[0]) * 1e3))
print(" Vmin / Vmax: %.3f V / %.3f V" % (wfm_ch.volts.min(), wfm_ch.volts.max()))
print()
bin_ = Wfm.from_url(repo + "bin/DHO1074.bin", selected="1")
bin_ch = bin_.channels[0]
print("DHO1074.bin (CH1 only)")
print(" Points : %d" % len(bin_ch.times))
print(" Delta t : %.3f µs" % (bin_ch.seconds_per_point * 1e6))
print(" Time span : %.3f ms" % ((bin_ch.times[-1] - bin_ch.times[0]) * 1e3))
print(" Vmin / Vmax: %.3f V / %.3f V" % (bin_ch.volts.min(), bin_ch.volts.max()))
downloading 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/RigolWFM/main/tests/files/wfm/DHO1074.wfm'
DHO1074.wfm
Points : 10000
Delta t : 5.000 µs
Time span : 49.995 ms
Vmin / Vmax: -27.320 V / 26.153 V
DHO1074.bin (CH1 only)
Points : 10000
Delta t : 5.000 µs
Time span : 49.995 ms
Vmin / Vmax: -27.313 V / 26.160 V
downloading 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/RigolWFM/main/tests/files/bin/DHO1074.bin'
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