This is Newsletter #7 of the Open Instrumentation Project.

The OIP makes open-source Tcl/Tk software and economical high-
technology
instrumentation hardware for students, hobbiests, engineers and
scientists.
The software and hardware run under Linux, Windows and Mac operating
systems. Current instruments include oscilloscope (with spectrum
analysis),
arbitrary/function waveform generator and Bode Plot network analyser.

Details of the project, hardware and software are at
http://www.syscompdesign.com

Our contact email is: syscomp-support@magma.ca

-- NEWS --

1. Education Resources Page, Pulse Oximeter Paper
-------------------------------------------------
We have added an 'Education Resources' section to the Syscomp web
site. This
now has 8 project documents for a variety of design exercises ranging
from
very simple to advanced. The most recent addition is a 'guided design'
document for a Pulse Oximeter, a non-invasive biomedical instrument
for
measuring blood oxygen level. We see guided design as intermediate in
level
between a structured design exercise and a completely open-ended
design. The
document provides hints and references while providing for flexibility
in
student designs.

2. New Application Note
-----------------------
Our application note 'Low-Cost Curve Tracer uses PC-Based Scope' is
now on
the web site. This paper describes how to create a curve tracer using
the XY
plotting facility of the DSO-101 USB oscilloscope and some simple
external
circuitry. An edited version is published in the February 2008 issue
of Nuts
and Volts magazine.

3. Vista Supported
------------------
We have tested the instrument Tcl/Tk software under the Microsoft
Vista
operating system and it runs correctly. However, we had some problems
with
Vista itself and continue to prefer Microsoft XP. In addition, we've
recently tried Ubuntu Linux and were impressed.

4. Scope Software Update
------------------------
The DSO-101 oscilloscope software can now repeatedly dump waveform
data to
disk at a user-specified interval. The data is in csv format, which
can be
imported into a spreadsheet.

Version 1.8 of the oscilloscope software has this feature and is
available
on the Syscomp web site at:
http://www.syscompdesign.com/download.htm
Source code is available from Sourceforge:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/oip

5. Arbitrary Waveform Drawing Software
--------------------------------------
The WGM-101 Waveform Generator can load and output an arbitrary
waveform of
256 8-bit points. A computer program can be used to generate an
arbitrary
waveform that can be described by an algorithm, but other types of
waveforms
have been more difficult to create. John Foster has now contributed
Wavemaker, a very nice Tcl/Tk program for drawing arbitrary waveforms.
It's available for download at:
http://www.syscompdesign.com/download.htm

We've used Wavemaker to create biological ECG, EMG and EEG waveforms,
which can be seen at:
http://www.syscompdesign.com/waveform.htm.

These waveforms were created by finding an example on the web, loading
it
into Wavemaker as a template, and then tracing by hand.

Once an arbitrary waveform is loaded into the generator, it can be
produced
at any frequency, amplitude and offset within the generator range.

Peter Hiscocks
March, 2008

Peter.Hiscocks@gmail.com wrote:
> This is Newsletter #7 of the Open Instrumentation Project.
>
> The OIP makes open-source Tcl/Tk software and economical high-
> technology
> instrumentation hardware for students, hobbiests, engineers and
> scientists.
> The software and hardware run under Linux, Windows and Mac operating
> systems. Current instruments include oscilloscope (with spectrum
> analysis),
> arbitrary/function waveform generator and Bode Plot network analyser.
>
> Details of the project, hardware and software are at
> http://www.syscompdesign.com
>
> Our contact email is: syscomp-support@magma.ca
>
> -- NEWS --
>
> 1. Education Resources Page, Pulse Oximeter Paper
> -------------------------------------------------
> We have added an 'Education Resources' section to the Syscomp web
> site. This
> now has 8 project documents for a variety of design exercises ranging
> from
> very simple to advanced. The most recent addition is a 'guided design'
> document for a Pulse Oximeter, a non-invasive biomedical instrument
> for
> measuring blood oxygen level. We see guided design as intermediate in
> level
> between a structured design exercise and a completely open-ended
> design. The
> document provides hints and references while providing for flexibility
> in
> student designs.
>
> 2. New Application Note
> -----------------------
> Our application note 'Low-Cost Curve Tracer uses PC-Based Scope' is
> now on
> the web site. This paper describes how to create a curve tracer using
> the XY
> plotting facility of the DSO-101 USB oscilloscope and some simple
> external
> circuitry. An edited version is published in the February 2008 issue
> of Nuts
> and Volts magazine.
>
> 3. Vista Supported
> ------------------
> We have tested the instrument Tcl/Tk software under the Microsoft
> Vista
> operating system and it runs correctly. However, we had some problems
> with
> Vista itself and continue to prefer Microsoft XP. In addition, we've
> recently tried Ubuntu Linux and were impressed.
>
> 4. Scope Software Update
> ------------------------
> The DSO-101 oscilloscope software can now repeatedly dump waveform
> data to
> disk at a user-specified interval. The data is in csv format, which
> can be
> imported into a spreadsheet.
>
> Version 1.8 of the oscilloscope software has this feature and is
> available
> on the Syscomp web site at:
> http://www.syscompdesign.com/download.htm
> Source code is available from Sourceforge:
> https://sourceforge.net/projects/oip
>
> 5. Arbitrary Waveform Drawing Software
> --------------------------------------
> The WGM-101 Waveform Generator can load and output an arbitrary
> waveform of
> 256 8-bit points. A computer program can be used to generate an
> arbitrary
> waveform that can be described by an algorithm, but other types of
> waveforms
> have been more difficult to create. John Foster has now contributed
> Wavemaker, a very nice Tcl/Tk program for drawing arbitrary waveforms.
> It's available for download at:
> http://www.syscompdesign.com/download.htm
>
> We've used Wavemaker to create biological ECG, EMG and EEG waveforms,
> which can be seen at:
> http://www.syscompdesign.com/waveform.htm.
>
> These waveforms were created by finding an example on the web, loading
> it
> into Wavemaker as a template, and then tracing by hand.
>
> Once an arbitrary waveform is loaded into the generator, it can be
> produced
> at any frequency, amplitude and offset within the generator range.
>
> Peter Hiscocks
> March, 2008

Great idea and really good work, thanks, Peter...

FYI:

A basic oscilloscope can be had from fpga4fun.com for less than $100.

http://www.fpga4fun.com/Hands-on_Flashy.html

It supports 100MSPS, and it's rs-232 based. You need to build it yourself,
but it looks pretty simple.

Thanks,
Bob Monsen

<sky465nm@trline5.org> wrote in message news:fqjm88$gcr$1@aioe.org...
> In sci.electronics.design Bob Monsen <rcmonsen@gmail.com> wrote:
>>FYI:
>
>>A basic oscilloscope can be had from fpga4fun.com for less than $100.
>>http://www.fpga4fun.com/Hands-on_Flashy.html
>
>>It supports 100MSPS, and it's rs-232 based. You need to build it yourself,
>>but it looks pretty simple.
>
> Yes RS232 is superior over USB1..
>


I didn't say that. However, it is less than 1/2 the cost, and has a much
faster sample rate.

You can build a usb version as well, I think, but it's more expensive. Since
this is a basics group (I'm reading it there, anyway) I thought that some of
the hobby builders might have fun building and using it.

However, the link posted above seems like a good buy as well.

Regards,
Bob Monsen

On Mar 4, 2:42 am, "Peter.Hisco...@gmail.com"
<Peter.Hisco...@gmail.com> wrote:
> This is Newsletter #7 of the Open Instrumentation Project.
>
> The OIP makes open-source Tcl/Tk software and economical high-
> technology
> instrumentation hardware for students, hobbiests, engineers and
> scientists.
> The software and hardware run under Linux, Windows and Mac operating
> systems. Current instruments include oscilloscope (with spectrum
> analysis),
> arbitrary/function waveform generator and Bode Plot network analyser.
>
> Details of the project, hardware and software are atwww.syscompdesign.com

Doesn't look like the hardware is open source though?

Dave.