|
Thomas Grocutt has built a PC based oscilloscope. He has full plans and build information on his site so you can build your own! “The initial purpose of this project was to create a cheap, easy to use digital storage oscilloscope (DSO). However we have gone a bit further since the original idea. One of the biggest problems with most DSO’s is there small storage depth, we decided to solve this problem once and for all by creating a DSO with a huge storage depth (hence the name). Along the way we found we could add other useful features like a built in logic analyser at minimal extra cost. The result is the DSO in the picture above. It’s PC based so is cheap and easy to build. Have a look at the specs page for more info or download the docs. Over the next few years the DSO will continue to be developed, so if you have any ideas for additional features let me know.” |
March 29th, 2006
I made a very (,very, very) simple oscilloscope using a PIC12F275 that has a relatively slow sampling rate, but is MUCH easier to construct because it relies solely on the PIC’s ADC for sampling: http://www.semifluid.com/PIC12F675_Oscilloscope.html
I’ve also created a very simple USB oscilloscope that uses a PIC18F2550: http://www.semifluid.com/PIC18F2550_usb_hid_oscilloscope.html
Both of my oscilloscopes have the disadvantage of slow sampling rate, but the advantage of incredibly simple construction.
March 29th, 2006
Nice design Steven. Love the schematic, clean and simple
Have you thought of dual probe inputs?
March 30th, 2006
Yes, however, the PIC’s internal ADC requires a switch-over time to settle, which lowers the sampling rate even further. If I were to use multiple external high-speed ADCs, then a dual (or more) channel oscilloscope would be perfectly feasable. The high-speed ADCs (Intersil HI5667) are what make the Large Storage Depth Oscilloscope, which is linked to in the article, such an appealing design.
March 31st, 2006
Thanks for the info Steven
I think I will build your design when I have some free time. I love the simplicity of it.
April 6th, 2006
There is also this the PC scope using the sound card as an input
http://polly.phys.msu.ru/~zeld/oscill.html
September 18th, 2007
This DSO site has been around for awhile now and the project doesn’t seem to have progressed, which is a real pity. Here are some links to some other oscilloscope projects:
http://www.fpga4fun.com/digitalscope.html
http://alternatezone.com/electronics/dsoamk3.htm
http://www.bitscope.com/design/hardware/
The last one also has updated pre-built version you can buy with an ethernet interface … not cheap though
Paul
February 17th, 2008
okay! sounds great! an affordable, buildable, pc based dso! question is this … how to get my
hands on the schematics, documentation etc. you really know how to leave a person hanging.