MSO44 question about WFM/CSV

Questions about saving trace data:&#160;<br> 1. For the same data, why is the CSV file taking up 3.8M and the WFM only taking up 123k of drive space?&#160;<br> 2. Please see below for snippet of the CSV file, how come they are all 1.6 instead of giving a lot more precision in terms of decimal places (like 1.6357995)?&#160;<br> <br> What I'm trying to do is stream the data out so I can analyze if<br> 1.&#160;the clock spends noticable time in tri-state or<br> 2. mostly logic&#160;high/lows.&#160;&#160;<br> <br> <br> &#160; <table style="border-collapse:collapse;width:146pt;border:none;" width=195> <colgroup> <col style="width:101pt;" width=135> <col style="width:45pt;" width=60> </colgroup> <tbody> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;width:101pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;" width=135><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">Model</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td style="border:none;width:45pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;" width=60><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">MSO44</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">Waveform Type</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">ANALOG</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">Horizontal Units</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">s</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">Sample Interval</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right class=xl63 style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">1.60E-10</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">Record Length</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">125000</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">Zero Index</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">62499</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">Vertical Units</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">V</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">ANALOG_Thumbnail</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"></td> <td style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">TIME</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">CH1</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td align=right class=xl63 height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">-1.00E-05</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right class=xl63 style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">1.60E+00</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td align=right class=xl63 height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">-1.00E-05</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right class=xl63 style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">1.60E+00</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td align=right class=xl63 height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">-1.00E-05</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right class=xl63 style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">1.60E+00</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td align=right class=xl63 height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">-1.00E-05</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right class=xl63 style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">1.60E+00</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr height=20 style="height:15.0pt;"> <td align=right class=xl63 height=20 style="border:none;height:15.0pt;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">-1.00E-05</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> <td align=right class=xl63 style="border:none;padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;">1.60E+00</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> ... ...

<p>1) .csv files are ASCII, comma delimited, and processed for human readability, which is why it takes up much more memory than a .wfm. .wfm is meant to be used internally and consists of blocks of data ready to be processed by the scope. You can read more about the .wfm formatting here:&#160;https://download.tek.com/manual/Waveform-File-Format-Manual-077022011.pdf</p> <p>2) To get more significant figures in your .csv, you can lower the sample rate from 6.25GS/s to about 3.125GS/s, or until the &quot;Sample: 8 bits&quot;&#160;under the Acquisition tab changes to &quot;Sample: 12 bits&quot;. The higher bit resolution will give you more sig. figures when formatted to .csv.</p>