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Ask Slashdot: PC-Based Oscilloscopes On a Microbudget?

Posted by timothy on from the not-yet-part-of-every-smartphone dept.

New submitter fffdddooo (3692429) writes I know it's something that people used to ask every few years, but answers get old so quickly. I'm an electronics teacher, and I'm wondering if it's possible to find some oscilloscope (and why not spectrum analyser?) for recommending to my students, to be able to work at home. I'm thinking of something near $50-$70. Two or three years ago, I'm sure the answer was No, but nowadays? The same reader points out two options spotted on Amazon: one that's "very cheap but Khz" (it's also a kit that requires assembly), and another that aims to be capable of 20MHz, 2-channel operation. What's out there, he'd like to know, that's not junk?

5 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Salae logic by nurd68 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We've been using the Saleae Logic 16 - https://www.saleae.com/logic16 at work.It goes from 2 channels at 100MHz up to 16 channels at 12.5MHz. We use them for debugging all the low speed stuff (serial ports, I2C, SD, etc.) - basically everything but the CPU memory interface.

    Their upcoming "pro" version adds analog sampling, but it is not yet out.

  2. Re:DIY Oscilloscopes by CanHasDIY · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This one looks promising:

    http://www.instructables.com/i...

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  3. Re:It's all junk by retchdog · · Score: 3, Interesting

    what the fuck does the lack of a quality $50 oscilloscope have to do with "truth"?

    you're right in a round-about way; "China and Walmart" got everyone used to paying almost nothing for a bunch of shiny shit, so when you actually have to pay $$ for something useful or quality it feels like an outrage for no directly-relevant reason.

    --
    "They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
  4. OWON makes a line (VDS) that looks decent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They have ethernet and USB - amazon.com
    Also, ask these questions on eevblog forums. Slashdot is not great at hardware.
    small review/discussion

    ie., over half of the nitwits posting so far are recommending logic analyzers. Please stop. There are also cheap JTAG programming solutions, power supplies, etc. Don't start recommending wrenches when someone asks you for a screwdriver.

  5. Analog Discovery by Digilent Inc. by agupta_25 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have been using the Analog Discovery for an embedded systems class I recently completed. The regular price is $239 but the student edition is only $99. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket, but powerful enough to replace a stack of lab equipment. It is driven by the free WaveForms software and lets you build and test analog and digital circuits in virtually any environment, in or out of the lab. Here is the link:

    http://www.digilentinc.com/Pro...

    2-Channel Oscilloscope
    2-Channel Waveform Generator
    16-Channel Logic Analyzer
    16-Channel Digital Pattern Generator
    ±5VDC Power Supplies
    Spectrum Analyzer
    Network Analyzer
    Voltmeter
    Digital I/O
    Now supported by MATLAB / MATLAB student edition.