[chbot] Diligent USB test tools

Sun Apr 9 04:24:51 BST 2017

Seems like my shopping kart link doesn't work (at least not on my smart phone).
These are the items I was referring to:

$442.86    Analog Discovery 2         http://www.digikey.co.nz/product-detail/en/digilent-inc/410-321/1286-1117-ND/5810115
 $23.79    Set of 6 Mini Grabbers     http://www.digikey.co.nz/product-detail/en/digilent-inc/240-052/1286-1050-ND/4090099
 $31.73    BNC Adaptor board          http://www.digikey.co.nz/product-detail/en/digilent-inc/410-263/1286-1073-ND/4840860
 $31.73    2 BNC Oscilloscope Probes  http://www.digikey.co.nz/product-detail/en/digilent-inc/460-004/1286-1075-ND/4840870
$530.11    (Total)

I can stand to skip the mini grabbers, and maybe get cheaper BNC probes elsewhere, but I am still looking at ~$500.
That's the most I've every considered spending on electronics equipment. Christchurch Robotics may be bad for my wallet :)

Matt Pike

On 8/04/2017 11:09 a.m., Matthew Pike wrote:

Looks good to me - I'm going for the Pro Bundle, as I'd like some BNC scope probes with it.

Here's a shopping kart at Digi-Key, with the equivalent items. $530.11. (http://www.digikey.co.nz/short/3w53b8)

If you just want the scope, $442.86 from Digi-Key. Much better than Element 14 or RS-Online

Matt Pike

On 5/04/2017 6:57 a.m., Mike Field wrote:
If anybody wants to try before they buy I can lend you mine for a few days.

Pretty much a jack of all trades, master of none - main restriction being usable bandwidth and sample buffer sizes are limited.

For purely digital work a Saleae is 100x better as samples are streamed to the PC for analysis and decode.

For analogue work a low end Scope with real probes is better/usable, and has more bandwidth.

Any bench PSU would be a better PSU.

But it is integration of all the functions that is awesome, esp between the signal generator and the scope inputs (so you can test phase and freq response of the system under test).

However it does fit in the palm of your hand, making it handy if working within its limitations. Much like any Swiss Army Knife/Leatherman tool I guess

Mike

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [chbot] Diligent USB test tools
From: Mark Atherton
To: Christchurch Robotics
CC:

All,

Have just been forwarded this message, and am taking the liberty of
passing it on, since it had been forwarded sever times before it reached
me...

Looks like they are $568.84 from element 14, even so, an interesting
piece of kit.

-Mark

=========================

Just received an Analog Discovery 2 unit for $279 -
http://store.digilentinc.com/analog-discovery-2-100msps-usb-oscilloscope-logic-analyzer-and-variable-power-supply/

- Farnell have them for about GBP 220
http://uk.farnell.com/digilent/410-321/oscilloscope-usb-2-ch-30mhz-100msps/dp/2528523
.

This is an interesting bit of kit - it's a cooperation between Analog
Devices (who do all the signal conditioning and interfacing) and Xilinx,
who do the logic, but put together by Digilent, who sell Xilinx
development systems... Initially just a reference design, i.e. a
technical paper, they realised that they had something pretty neat on
their hands, so made it a product.

The design has turned into a really cool bit of kit at a very acceptable
price - a full design rationale is available as are all the schematics
etc. in the reference manual (also on the Farnell page). Its a really
nice unit... Two programmable supplies, 2 waveform generator channels,
16 logic channels. Lots of analog too. 14-bit A/D/A as well, not the
usual 12-bit...

Very few compromises have been made - by using 14-bit DACs and ADCs, it
compares very favorably with far more expensive units. The software is
also extremely stable.

As a small unit to keep with the laptop, there's not a lot to argue
about... I keep mine with the laptop at all times. The wiring harnesses
are only $10/each, so I leave those attached to the boards I'm working
on - the WaveForms (free) software has the concept of projects which
contain the configurations of all the devices on the AD2 that you are
using for each setup, so switching boards takes literally a minute (or
less).

I was using it on the flight from the UK back to the UAE last week - I
had my laptop out, a Texas Instruments MSP-EXP430FR5969 development
board and the Analog Discovery - 6 hours of uninterrupted development
time - USB-powered dev environments are wonderful. No problems from
other passengers or the crew - I told the steward in advance I was an EE
and that I'd be working on the 'plane - I also made sure to keep any
blinking LEDs concealed

I also have the probe expansion board - just so cute!

* Two-channel USB digital oscilloscope (1MΩ, ±25V, differential,
14-bit, 100MS/s, 30MHz+ bandwidth - with the Analog Discovery BNC
Adapter Board
* Two-channel arbitrary function generator (±5V, 14-bit, 100MS/s,
12MHz+ bandwidth - with the Analog Discovery BNC Adapter Board
* Stereo audio amplifier to drive external headphones or speakers
with replicated AWG signals
* 16-channel digital logic analyzer (3.3V CMOS and 1.8V or 5V
tolerant, 100MS/s)
* 16-channel pattern generator (3.3V CMOS, 100MS/s)
* 16-channel virtual digital I/O including buttons, switches, and
LEDs – perfect for logic training applications
* Two input/output digital trigger signals for linking multiple
instruments (3.3V CMOS)
* Single channel voltmeter (AC, DC, ±25V)
* Network analyzer – Bode, Nyquist, Nichols transfer diagrams of a
circuit. Range: 1Hz to 10MHz
* Spectrum Analyzer – power spectrum and spectral measurements (noise
floor, SFDR, SNR, THD, etc.)
* Digital Bus Analyzers (SPI, I²C, UART, Parallel)
* Two programmable power supplies (0…+5V , 0…-5V). The maximum
available output current and power depend on the Analog Discovery 2
powering choice:

...250mW max for each supply or 500mW total when powered through USB

...2.1W max for each supply when powered by an auxiliary supply. 700mA
maximum current for each supply.

As of March 17th, they have also released a fully-fledged logic analyser
version, the Digital Discovery for $199 -
http://store.digilentinc.com/digital-discovery-portable-logic-analyzer-and-digital-pattern-generator/
.
This is an up to 800MHz multi-channel logic analyser & pattern generator
for peanuts.

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