How to Start and Stop Sweeping

There are more alternatives for how to start and stop measurement (sweeping).

Start Sweeping

There are the following alternatives:

With a Mouse

  • Click theStart Homer button on the Standard toolbar (Fig. 15). After clicking, the button image changes to a Pause symbol .

  • Click the Homer|Run-Pause menu item.

  • Double-click the Homer main menu item.

Without a Mouse

  • Press the F9 hot key.

  • Press the Spacebar (only if the main window has focus or any of the graphic display windows within)

  • Press Alt+H, then press the R key.

The Start Sweeping action has two effects:

  • A command is issued to the Homer to start repeated measurements, possibly autotuning, and sending results.

  • Your PC starts monitoring the Homer, i.e., receiving data messages, processing them, and displaying measurement results as numbers, graphs, or both.

Stop Sweeping

There are, in fact, two ways to stop sweeping, which are not equivalent:

  • You can apply exactly the same methods as for starting the sweeping, typically clicking the Pause button , pressing the Spacebar (if main window has focus), pressing F9, or clicking the Homer|Run-Pause menu item. By this, however, your PC only discontinues monitoring the Homer, i.e., receiving and displaying results, while the Homer continues all its internal activities, such as measurement, possibly autotuning, and sending data.

The instant the monitoring is actually discontinued depends on the state of the Homer|Finish Sweep menu item:

  • If Homer|Finish Sweep is unchecked, the monitoring stops immediately (in the middle of the sweep).

  • If Homer|Finish Sweep is checked, the monitoring continues until the current sweep is completed (graphic traces reach the end of the plot), then it stops.

  • If you click the Stop Homer button or the equivalent Homer|Stop Homer menu item, you will (a) suspend Homer monitoring but also (b) set the Homer to a standstill: the Homer will do nothing (no measurement, no autotuning, no results transmission) except wait for commands. This command is executed immediately, regardless of the Homer|Finish Sweep menu item state.