Difference between revisions of "Software Oscilloscopes"

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What follows is a curated list of '''Software oscilloscopes''' (also abbreveated as '''Softscopes'''). While basically any modern digital storage oscillscope is formally a softscope, we want to discuss here only software running on commodity/consumer level hardware such as on
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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
  
 
* 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:
  
* [[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
  
== Soundcard based input ==
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=== List of software based oscilloscopes ===
[[Image:Jack.jpg|thumb|A chinch to stereo jack adapter cable]]
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<gallery>
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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  File:Webscope_Screenshot.png|link=Web Oscilloscope|[[Web Oscilloscope|Browser based oscilloscopes]]
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  File:Win Softscope 1.png|link=Win Soundcard Oscilloscope|[[Win Soundcard Oscilloscope]]
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  File:Xoscope_Screenshot.png|link=Xoscope|[[Xoscope]] linux desktop oscilloscope
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  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
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</gallery>
  
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.
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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.
  
=== Web based oscilloscopes ===
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Microcontroller/System on Chip based input:
You can use https://anabrid.dev/webosci/ from any recent web browser. You may be prompted to give permit recording from your sound card. Make sure you connect to the correct input and ''not'' to your webcam microphone, for instance.
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* [[Arduino]] for data aquisition
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* [[Teensy]] for data aquisition
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* [[Raspberry]]
  
''Known limitations'': Older versions of Safari, Firefox and Chrome do not support the relevant Web standards. If this is the case for you, it may be best to look for an alternative.
 
  
Screenshot:
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[[Category:Software]]
 
 
[[File:Webscope Screenshot.png|500px]]
 
 
 
=== Native software oscilloscope for Linux: Xoscope ===
 
 
 
Xoscope is an advanced software oscilloscope for the Linux desktop, suitable for both notebook computers as well as the Raspberry Pi (Audio input). We have a detailed [[Xoscope|Installation guide for Xoscope on Linux]].
 
 
 
''Known limitations'': Cannot display xy-plots.
 
 
 
Screenshot:
 
 
 
[[File:Xoscope_Screenshot.png|500px]]
 

Latest revision as of 20:16, 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: