Oscilloscope freeware

[Gilles C]

I won't have access to a scope in a few weeks, so I started to try again a few oscilloscope programs, and I found this one which is free and good.

http://www.sillanumsoft.com/

I have a few others that I will also test, some free, some not, but that one looks like a winner.

A few others, for those interested:

ftp://ftp.sac.sk/pub/sac/sound/oszi090a.zip

http://www.mitedu.freeserve.co.uk/Prac/winscope.htm

http://www.electronics-lab.com/downloads/pc/002/index.html

http://www.dsp4swls.de/oszi/oscieng.html

http://www.sac.sk/files.php?d=11&l=O

http://www.geocities.com/lptscope/

http://www.zelscope.com/index.html

http://www.mdsp.smartelectronix.com/ffttools/

http://www.oscilloscope-lib.com/

http://www.virtins.com/page2.html#Oscilloscope

I could also consider building this buffer:

http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/hardware/pictures.html

http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/hardware/hardware.html

Or just using this hardware:

http://www.electronic-engineering.ch/radiocontrol/circuits/osziconn/connect.html


Gilles

[mdh]

I could also consider building this buffer:

http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/hardware/pictures.html

http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/hardware/hardware.html

I actually designed and built a pcb for that buffer a few weeks ago, but haven't had a chance to test it yet, so my layout isn't verified. If anyone is interested, I can make it available in its current form, but I'd prefer to wait until I've had a chance to test it and make a couple minor changes to the pcb.

[GibsonGM]

I use the program in your first link, Visual Analyzer 8.  Can't believe how good it is, and free!!  It has the scope (2 trace; I use a stereo cable for input with L & R as separate leads).   Also included is a function generator, good for making sine waves at diff. freq's to test filters, etc. I output them and recorded 5 mins. of all different freqs.  Then you can run them into a pedal, and use the scope to see how the input is changing.   Spectrum analyzer is also useful, too! 

[Gilles C]

Thanks for the come back guys, I checked most if not all of these program after my post, and I came back to Visual Analyser.

So we agree here about the program.

I tried the Function Generator and indeed it works well with it.

Tonight is my last day at work before a month vacation, and I will calibrate the program with a real Scope and a Funct Gen we have here at work. Then I'll be able to use a Function Generator I built from a kit to do my tests.

As I said, I will also build the buffer board when I have time, so I'm glad to know that someone else decided to try it. I will make my own layout, but if you have any suggestion about something that could be changed, I'm interested to learn about it.

Gilles

[Seljer]

I downloaded Oszi a while ago and used it for the first time today. I made the quick and dirty oscillator from Geofex and was testing out to see how good the signal was (which it was a nice sinewave except for the top being a bit clipped....though I didn't use the exact part values in one place). Works well though the program crashed :-/

[Gilles C]

That's the problem sometimes with older programs made for Win 9x.

The only problem I had with Oszi was that the Scope screen went blank when I started a Signal Generator on top of it to test the Oscilloscope.

Gilles

[Hiwatt25]

I'd like to download this and try to use it (though I have no scope experience) but what do you use for probes?  I mean how does the information you measure get into and out of your computer?  Is there a hardware interface that you have to buy?

thanks!

[GibsonGM]

I use Visual Analyzer 8.  I think it's at one of the links above. I can't say enough about it!
 
To input, I made a box that connects to my soundcard.  Has a 1/8" and 1/4" input jack (stereo, I also run the mic in thru here for cheesy recording).  I hooked up a stereo jack to 3 wires...left, right, ground.   Between each wire & the jack is a .22uf cap just for DC isolation.  I plan to build the buffer later and use that in between since these caps will affect readings, but no big deal for now.   

You plug the stereo cable into the box going to soundcard, and the jack goes on the other end.  Connect ground wire to ckt ground, and use the probes on input/output of the ckt under test to see what's going on.  I usually leave one jumped to the input and trace the output.  If your computer is slow or you don't care, you can also just set this up in mono, using 1 ground and 1 'probe'.

You can get much more advanced with this (could buy a whole kit to set this up, $$$), sure, but this works for me since i just want to see waveforms.  A DMM gives me true voltages, etc. so calibration isn't a big deal.  This'll get you started.  Good luck, it opened doors for me to see what actually happens inside ckts!    

[amz-fx]

Oszi scope is on this page:

http://www.muzique.com/schem/tips.htm

regards, Jack

[markusw]

I'm using Visual Analyzer 8 for quite some time now and I think it's a terrific software. The spectrum analyzer is of great help too! Another cool feature: you can choose the sound card you want to use e.g. I'm using it with my Tascam USB interface. You can even run the signal generator through your soundblaster and use the inputs of a USB interface

Markus

[Nikolay]

Another 2 hardware DIY scopes
http://www.mindbend.ro/eoscope/eoscope_en.htm
http://jonw0224.tripod.com/ppmscope.html

[Gilles C]

I like the second one.

Gilles

[the dude]

is there a program like visual analyser for Mac?

[zpyder]

bitchin!!!!!1

zpyder

[GFR]

I liked http://www.geocities.com/lptscope/ because it doesn´t use the sound card (you need some extra hardware). With the sound card there´s no way to measure down to DC, or to check LFOs and VLFOs. Reading DC may not seem something special but it's useful for data logging purposes, for example if you want to test the charging and discharging cycles of batteries. Being able to check LFOs has obvious uses.

I also liked the link http://www.mdsp.smartelectronix.com/ffttools/ because of the many interesting VST plugins in that site, fft tools, duck reverb, duck delay. Cool. Way cool.

I've thought of building a VCO, or an AM or PWM modulator, so that I could measure low frequencies with the sound card. The demodulation would have to be made in software.

[Plectrum]

I've been using this:

http://www.sonicspot.com/wavetools/wavetools.html

For a while... It's a suite with some nice toys. Only drawback is, it's VB, so may not be as efficient as some.

Grant

[Gilles C]

ptscope is also what I would like to use when I have time to build thr interface, but I liked the simplicity of this last series of tools.

Thanks.

Yesterday, I remembered I have a CRTdisplay that only has the the XYZ axis inputs. It's from some old equipment we had at work. If I could find a circuit to convert this into a scope it would be perfect.

Added: While searching for some hardware I found this other one. Interesting... $49.00 for the hardware. Software free.

http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/Code/2003/Oct/OscilloscopeDotNet.asp

Gilles

[boyersdad]

I just built this buffer as well, planning on PC pannel mounting, and now I'm just trying to find the best way to get -12 to it. You can get -12 off the ATX header, but I'd rather not have to run a wire up from there if possible. Ideas?

I could also consider building this buffer:

http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/hardware/pictures.html

http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/hardware/hardware.html

I actually designed and built a pcb for that buffer a few weeks ago, but haven't had a chance to test it yet, so my layout isn't verified. If anyone is interested, I can make it available in its current form, but I'd prefer to wait until I've had a chance to test it and make a couple minor changes to the pcb.

[Tubebass]

Hey Gilles, would that display be from the old NEC single-line OCR?
Also, what function generator kit did you build?

[boyersdad]

Also, am I crazy or are Vcc+ and Vcc - not connected?