We were discussing the falling price of digital scopes, and new products coming to the market. I promised a recent article on the subject. Here is it:http://www.edn.com/article/520289-Mobile_apps_The_next_engineering_tool.php

 

I wonder how robust the internal protection circuits are on these. I'd be a bit apprehensive about connecting my iPad or laptop to a live circuit of any sizable amperage/voltage (save for the wireless one obviously.)



Cool nonetheless though.

 

Well if you consider the alternative, hooking up an instrument that cost tens of thousands of dollars, then risking a few hunderd bucks don't seem so bad. IMO, don't exceed rated input parameters, and it'll be OK.

 

Trust me to have an Android. :/

I've downloaded a function generator and an oscilloscope, but apart from using the microphone as an input, I can't measure anything.

I assume that one can make some sort of probe for it, connecting via mini usb, but that isn't really my area...

Something'll turn up.

 

What do you use for the output?

 

I don't.

I can only listen to the pretty sounds.

Although, I suppose some output usb could work...

But then again, I don't know a thing about usb - I assume I can't just solder somewire to a plug?

 

I assume I can't just solder somewire to a plug?

Maybe not. But you can build a simple amplifier with 600 ohm input impeadance and 50 ohm output impeadance. Then you could connect to the amp's output.

 

Well if you consider the alternative, hooking up an instrument that cost tens of thousands of dollars, then risking a few hunderd bucks don't seem so bad. IMO, don't exceed rated input parameters, and it'll be OK.

You have a point there. But, I'd hope the price tag included a fair amount of idiot proofing (although I can be a pretty big idiot.)

Thankfully I have a cheap oscilloscope!

 

When it comes to taking measurements, you're your own idiot-proofing. Maybe the inputs are protected to a cretain spec; I don't really know. My home o-scopes are cheap too, but the one I use at work is a $24K Tektronics. It has an imbedded processor running Windows 2000, and an interface module ( not functionally unlike those shown ) that's integrated into the electronics. It's a high-end instrument, but functionally similar to these kinds of systems.

 

one I use at work is a $24K Tektronics. It has an imbedded processor running Windows 2000, and an interface module

 

Is post #10 really necessary? Aren't replies supposed to be on-topic? I am new here, so I'm just asking. Where I've been before, that would be considered rude and off-topic.

EDIT: Ok, the picture has been explained to me. Anyway, my point was to illustrate that expensive scopes are functionally similar to the new, low $$ kind.

 

Now that we talk about it, why would a big corporation want to by a 24k scope instead of a 2.4k scope? How would its technicians be benefited by such a purchase?

 

Some of the really fast scopes are terribly expensive. They are often used in fields like optical fibre telecommunications, where 10Gb/s is nowadays considered a rather pedestrian bit-rate. Some oscilloscopes for such specialist uses come with a variety of built-in signal analysis features, none of which of course come for free.

Oscilloscopes with bandwidths up into the 10GHz bracket, tend to have 50Ω input impedances. They also require access to low-impedance finance.

Here is an example: http://www.tek.com/datasheet/digital-serial-analyzer-sampling-oscilloscope

And another one - a family of costly hardware: http://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/dpo-dsa-mso70000

Here is a video explaining such a machine: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid424610616001?bctid=636581793001

NB There are other suppliers of horribly expensive test sets. Tektronix just happens to be one of the best known perpetrators.

 

Also, my work scope is pretty old, considering the speed of technology. Around 2000-2001, tek was one of a few making high-end digital scopes, and they were all big, bulky integrated systems. Now a decade later, these smaller firms are getting into the biz, and building smaller interconnected components. No longer should anyone need to lug around a 15 pound, expensive scope for anything but for testing the fastest interfaces. Sure, the big firms still have the highest performing instruments, but I think the smaller companies will close the gap. Another interesting trend will be "open source" instrumentation, where the use can add to the functionality. It's great isn't it? Even poor experimenters will get access to full-featured instrumentation. Almost like technology socialism

 

Check out Bitscope--they make some great PC based equipment--and cheap too--I have used their logic analyzer--for the hobbyist, a PC based digital scope is the way to go--they also are quite portable when used with a notebook computer