Note the colored “band” that highlights the minimum and maximum peaks. The analog oscilloscope lets you see the portion of the waveform that's displayed on the screen. I started testing with a basic signal, a 1 kHz, ☒ V pk-pk sine wave generated by an old HP oscilloscope demo board.įigure 4. Clicking on the LabNation icon in the lower-left corner brings up a configuration menu, shown in Figure 4. The screen in Figure 3 shows the oscilloscope grid consuming the entire PC screen. The basic screen lets you view analog channel specifics by clicking on the ChA or ChB buttons as well as seeing system characteristics. The waveform shown is just stray 60 Hz AC, which the probe and cable picked up.įigure 3. After you clear the help menu by clicking somewhere outside of it, you'll see a screen something like that in Figure 3. When you start the software, it defaults to a light shaded screen, which you can change to a dark screen. The SmartScope has two analog channels with the ability to add more channels by adding more units through the micro-USB port. The heart of any multifunction oscilloscope is, well, the oscilloscope. Without the external mouse, you must use the keyboard to change voltage and time settings. When I started this evaluation, I was using the laptop's mouse pad. The software designers assumed you'd use an external mouse because to change those settings-you must use the scroll wheel. Take note of how to change voltage and time scales with a mouse. The help screen shows you how to operate the SmartScope's basic controls. If you need more help, you can view the manual online.įigure 2. I found myself referring to this screen several times during my tryout. You can invoke the help by pressing the F1 key. On initial startup, the SmartScope software displays a help menu ( Figure 2 ) that shows you how to control basic oscilloscope functions such as time and voltage scales, viewfinder, and waveform movement using touch, mouse, and keyboard operations. After that, the SmartScope software installed without a glitch. The SmartScope software attempted to download and install. LabNation requires that your Windows PC have Microsoft. The LabNation SmartScope comes with probes for analog and digital inputs.īefore connecting the SmartScope to my laptop PC, I downloaded the software and tried to install v4.1.2. You also get a mini-USB cable and a micro-USB cable.įigure 1. The box ( Figure 1 ) contains two 60-MHz analog oscilloscope probes, eight clip leads for the digital inputs, and a ten-line ribbon cable that lets you connect to the I/O connector. A 16-pin AUX I/O connector provides access to an external trigger input, the AWG (arbitrary waveform generator) output, eight logic inputs, and four general-purpose digital I/O lines. A micro-USB connector lets you attach a power bank should you need additional battery power in a portable application (the SmartScope is bus powered) and for synchronizing additional units when you need more channels. The opposite end contains a mini-USB connector that communicates with the host device. One end of the unit holds the usual BNC connectors for its two analog channels. The SmartScope comes in a solidly-built metal case that should act as a good EMI shield for both emissions and immunity. Over the next few pages, I'll show you how the SmartScope looks, feels, and works. Plus, many engineers would rather use a laptop computer for real work, anyway. I tried it on a Windows 7 laptop because I don’t have an Android device (using my wife's phone is out of the question) and to use iOS, you first have to “jailbreak” the device. Touted as an oscilloscope by and for makers, the SmartScope's claim to fame is its ability to operate under a wide range of operating systems: Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. With some improvements, it could make a worthy tool for your home bench or toolbox. The SmartScope from startup company LabNation may come in at the low end of that price range, but is has an array of features that go beyond just a basic oscilloscope. Unless you need the highest speed, you can probably find a USB oscilloscope to meet your need at prices from around $100 to several thousand dollars, depending on fspeed, bandwidth, and features. Over the last few years, USB oscilloscopes have certainly grown in usefulness and in popularity.
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