Difference between revisions of "Software Oscilloscopes"

From TheAnalogThing
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To watch and measure the values and curves produced during an analog computation or simulation you need additional instruments. The Analog Thing contains a '''voltmeter''' as instrument to setup the coordinates or OP_TIME values. Depending on the mode of operation in '''REP''' with predefined operation time or '''OP''' with infinite operation this display may be useful for static or slow moving values only.
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What follows is a curated list of '''Software oscilloscopes''' (also abbreveated as '''Softscopes'''). While basically any modern digital [[Oscilloscope]] is formally a softscope, we want to discuss here only software running on commodity/consumer level hardware such as on
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To measure faster events or display signal curves the best tool is an '''oscilloscope'''. For longer operation times (REP, 0.1-10s) a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) is preferred rather than an analog oscilloscope with a cathode ray tube (CRT). These DSO did get cheaper in the last years but useful DSO's with minimum 2 channels and XY mode are in the price range of about 150-300 € up. XY mode is useful for many applications and allow a better view of complex signals than displaying them just over the time in Yt mode.
 
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There are low cost oscilloscope on the market as well in the range of 40-100 € as well but these come with missing features and have mostly only one channel to display like DSO 138 or missing XY mode like DS 212/213. This is only partly useful with analog computations or simulations and all theses cheap handhelds have only a very small display. Some low cost oscilloscopes come without a display and are connected to a computer as display by software. So what are the requirements to met with an oscilloscope for The Analog Thing ?
 
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==== Minimum requirements ====
 
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* analog oscilloscope with CRT display or software display while connected to computer
 
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* 2 channels minimum
 
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* XY display mode
 
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* 100 kHz bandwith
 
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=== Better requirements ===
 
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* 4 channels or separate trigger input
 
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* DSO type (digital storage)
 
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What follows is a curated list of '''Software oscilloscopes''' (also abbreveated as '''Softscopes'''). While basically any modern [[Oscilloscopes|digital storage oscillscope]] is formally a softscope, we want to discuss here only software running on commodity/consumer level hardware such as on
 
  
 
* Desktops and Laptops: Windows/Mac/Linux
 
* Desktops and Laptops: Windows/Mac/Linux
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For data aquisition, several techniques exist:
 
For data aquisition, several techniques exist:
  
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* [[Soundcard]] input for mono or stereo audio recording
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* [[Soundcard Oscilloscope|Soundcard]] input for mono or stereo audio recording
 
* ADCs on boards for analog to digital conversion, typically embedded within microcontrollers
 
* ADCs on boards for analog to digital conversion, typically embedded within microcontrollers
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== Soundcard based input ==
 
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[[Image:Jack.jpg|thumb|A chinch to stereo jack adapter cable]]
 
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In this case, the idea is that you connect your [[Analog Thing]] to your [[Soundcard]] input with a simple Chinch-to-jack adapter, such as depicted in the right. This allows to connect to the 3.5mm phone connector (German: ''Klinke'') which is still present in many notebooks, tablets, smartphones, also for some single board systems (unfortunately not [[Raspberry Pi]]). If your system does not have such an input, you may use a USB adapter (often referred to as ''USB sound card''). For a list of possible hardware, see the article about [[Soundcard]]s.
 
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Note that a single chinch socket has to pins: One for ground, one for the signal. This puts it on equal footing with a BNC connector or a ''mono'' phone connector. The adapter shown on the right joins two outputs together to a ''stereo'' sound signal.
 
  
 
=== List of software based oscilloscopes ===
 
=== List of software based oscilloscopes ===
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   File:Xoscope_Screenshot.png|link=Xoscope|[[Xoscope]] linux desktop oscilloscope
 
   File:Xoscope_Screenshot.png|link=Xoscope|[[Xoscope]] linux desktop oscilloscope
 
   File:Oscilloppoi1.png|link=Oscilloppoi|[[Oscilloppoi]] Mac OS X desktop oscilloscope
 
   File:Oscilloppoi1.png|link=Oscilloppoi|[[Oscilloppoi]] Mac OS X desktop oscilloscope
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  File:nanoscope.png|link=Nanoscope|[[Nanoscope]] open-source Linux/Mac/Win Python-based desktop oscilloscope
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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== Microcontroller/System on Chip based input ==
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== Data aquisition tools ==
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We will soon report additional solutions and projects for data aquisition based on barebone microcontroller boards with ADC shields to digitize the analog signals.
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Microcontroller/System on Chip based input:
 
* [[Arduino]] for data aquisition
 
* [[Arduino]] for data aquisition
 
* [[Teensy]] for data aquisition
 
* [[Teensy]] for data aquisition

Latest revision as of 19:16, 31 May 2022

What follows is a curated list of Software oscilloscopes (also abbreveated as Softscopes). While basically any modern digital Oscilloscope is formally a softscope, we want to discuss here only software running on commodity/consumer level hardware such as on

  • Desktops and Laptops: Windows/Mac/Linux
  • Mobile devices: tablets and smartphones
  • Embedded: System on chips and microcontrollers, such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino

For data aquisition, several techniques exist:

  • Soundcard input for mono or stereo audio recording
  • ADCs on boards for analog to digital conversion, typically embedded within microcontrollers

List of software based oscilloscopes

Data aquisition tools

We will soon report additional solutions and projects for data aquisition based on barebone microcontroller boards with ADC shields to digitize the analog signals.

Microcontroller/System on Chip based input:

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