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walters
Joined: 05 Jun 2005
Posts: 496
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 08 May 2008 17:21 Laptop computer for oscillscope and function generator |
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How can i use my laptop PC windows VISA computer to be like a oscilloscope? or Logic analyzer or spectrum analyzer?
Where can i get free wavefiles that sweep frequencys? different wavefile duty cycles to adjust ?
Free software function generator for computers?
Instead of buying a pricey arbitrary function generator that has noise wavefiles? RF wavefiles? modulation wavefiles? TV signal wavefiles? Video signal wavefiles?
Or just free software programs that have TV and video RGB signals?
Then i can use my laptop as a arbitrary function generator by using the audio output
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kiprono
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 243
Helped: 15
Location: Nairobi
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| 08 May 2008 19:33 Re: Laptop computer for oscillscope and function generator |
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If you are using simulated signals on the computer then you can use software such as Matlab and LabView. Most of the free software have limited functionality.
If you are to acquire external signals you need a data acquisition card which usually comes with the software you require.
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FvM
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 2686
Helped: 439
Location: Bochum, Germany
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| 08 May 2008 20:16 Re: Laptop computer for oscillscope and function generator |
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I would expect that most of the functionality you suggest for signal gneration and acquisition with a sound card is already present in software from GNU and open source community. E. g. I know that free sound recording and processing software exists, it probably could do a lot of these things. Also octave as a free Matlab replacement can basically achieve all kinds of signal processing, I guess there should be an interface from octave files to sound card drivers or sound processing software.
Higher frequency signal generation and acquisition requires special hardware. I know of commercial USB adapters, also hobby circuits most likely can be found at the internet. If it doesn't exist and you can give a meaningful specification, you can find other guys at EDAboard that are motivated to make a project design.
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js0p
Joined: 10 Apr 2008
Posts: 14
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| 10 May 2008 22:16 Re: Laptop computer for oscillscope and function generator |
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If your PC have not installed any instrumentation card, you can use just the soundcard.
A very powerful and commonly used program is Virtins Sound Card MultiInstrument (you can download it at p2p networks). It can be used as function generator, oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer and more (in audio band, of course).
If you need to work at higher frequencies, a cheap solution is to purchase a PC-bases USB oscilloscope (I have this one http://cgi.ebay.com/100MSa-s-40M-PC-based-digital-storage-oscilloscope_W0QQitemZ160238876993QQihZ006QQcategoryZ104247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem,
and it works fine). It has a spectrum analyzer and can be programmed with an API.
I hope this help you. Regards.
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mowgli
Joined: 05 Apr 2002
Posts: 123
Helped: 16
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| 11 May 2008 10:30 Re: Laptop computer for oscillscope and function generator |
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A powerful tool to verify audio quality using the sound-card line in as input is Rightmark audio analyzer.
You can download it for free from the link below
http://audio.rightmark.org/index_new.shtml
Regards
Mowgli
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