The New Hotness

These scope screen shots use the same test setup as the pulse measurements:

The sweep speeds run much slower to capture the complete envelope, which can be up to a minute long, with enough left over to show the end of the previous sequence and the start of the next. The Moire patterns come from the scope sampling rate, the display resolution, or changes in the pulse repetition frequency. Blame Siglent for not making the scope’s digital data accessible through the network; screen shots are the best I can do.

The descriptive headings for each screen shot come from The Auvon AS8016 Fine Manual, a PDF version of which you can get from Auvon’s support staff by asking nicely. I identify the modes as Mxx, rather than their Pxx, for reasons that made sense at the time.

Patterns 1 through 16 correspond to the TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) label and are intended for pain relief / suppression; they should not make your muscles twitch.

P1 – Continuous comfortable tingling.

Continuous 200 µs pulse at 87 Hz

P2 – Comfortable tingling and pulsing sensation.

Continuous 100 µs pulse at 48 Hz

P3 – Comfortable rhythmic tingling.

Blocks of 300 ms on/200 ms off, with 150 µs pulse at 48 Hz

P4 – Continuous comfortable tingling.

Continuous 100 µs pulse at 48 Hz

P5 – Comfortable and slow tingling firstly, then the frequency is significantly increased, and it becomes a noticeable tingling sensation.

Continuous 250 µs pulses, stepping from 10 to 102 Hz and back down

P6 – Low frequency beating with a slight tingling sensation.

Continuous 250 µs pulses at 2 Hz

P7 – Low frequency slight beating firstly and then continuous comfortable tingling.

Bursts of 150 µs pulses for 3 s separated by isolated 200 µs pulses

P8 – Low frequency slight beating firstly and then comfortable pulsing sensation.

Bursts of 150 µs pulses for 3 s separated by isolated 200 µs pulses. Seems identical to P7, although the bursts may be slightly different.

P9 – Comfortable tingling from shallow to deep with 3-4 seconds pause.

P10 – Comfortable pulsing sensation from shallow to deep with 3-4 seconds pause.

P11 – Variable comfortable tingling, slight beating and scrapeing [sic] sensation.

P12 – Comfortable slight tingling from shallow to deep with 3-4 seconds pause.

P13 – Comfortable tingling and pulsing sensation from shallow to more deep with 3-4 seconds pause.

P14 – Rhythmic continuous beating.

Much higher voltage pulses!

P15 – Rhythmic scrapeing [sic] sensation.

P16 – Quick slight beating first, then comfortable tingling.

Patterns 17 through 24 sport the EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) label and should make your muscles twitch in various ways.

P17 – Low frequency slight beating.

Continuous 250 µs pulse with idle time at 4.8 Hz.

P18 – Low frequency beating.

Continuous 250 µs pulse at 6.8 Hz.

P19 – Beating from low frequency to a little high frequency.

P20 – Muscle twitches at a very low frequency. It feels like a tapping massage.

Continuous 250 µs pulse at 13.5 Hz.

P21 – This program activates the muscle in a short tingling cycle. It is smoother than P1/P2.

P22 – This program gently warms up the muscles prior to exercise; it feels like a rhythmic massage. Increase intensity until you get a strong but comfortable muscle movement.

P23 – This program uses a pulse frequency appropriate to fast twitching muscle fibers. It improves their anaerobic capacity and is used for improving maximum muscle strength.

P24 – This program gently warms up the muscles prior to exercise; it feels like a rhythmic beating and comfortable tingling. Increase intensity until you get a strong but comfortable muscle movement.

Despite the icons on the unit’s display, the manual suggests you can apply pretty nearly any pattern to any muscle, but now we all know what’s coming out of those jacks …