The software’s oscilloscope instrument contains so-called Math channels, which perform the calculations and plot the result alongside the measurements. Sometimes, however, like in the case of the power-measurement example, it is not even necessary to create a script. Additionally, the WaveForms application includes a script editor tool, which allows custom programming of the instruments in JavaScript. This way users can capture, record, analyze, document, and generate mixed-signals and mixed-domain signals.
WaveForms comes with twelve built-in software instruments, like an oscilloscope, a pattern- and a waveform-generator (which, for example, could create the test signal for our power measurement), a controllable power supply, I/Os, logic-, spectrum-, network-, impedance- and protocol-analyzers, as well as a voltmeter and a data logger. This software, refined by over 10 years of customer feedback, provides a user experience with the look-and-feel of traditional benchtop applications and is compatible to the macOS, Windows, and Linux operating systems. It connects to a host computer through one of its four high-speed USB 2.0 ports or through its Ethernet interface, and it is controlled by the free WaveForms software from Digilent running on the host.
Credit: DigilentĪnalog Discovery Pro is smaller and lighter than a laptop and has no built-in user-interface.
Like waveform generator or analyzers and can be Pro from Digilent come with multiple instruments In the end, this means that some computations have to be done to get the power reading.įigure 2: Oscilloscopes like the Analog Discovery A second measurement taking the voltage drop over the shunt resistor is necessary.
It is not possible to read the voltage drop over the load directly. You also have into account that the channels of most oscilloscopes are single ended, and all measurements therefore must be referred to ground. So, a shunt resistor must be used to obtain the current passing through the circuit, allowing for the computation of the power consumed (Figure 1). Just as a simple example: You want to quantify the power of a certain block in your circuitry, and you are also interested in the waveform originating from these calculations, not only in the absolute values.īut most oscilloscopes only measure voltages, the current, and therefore the power cannot be measured directly. But occasionally, it is necessary to document the obtained data or to process the signals further. If the instrument can also work as a waveform generator and can do some mathematical calculations on the signals acquired, or allows automated tests, even better.įor many measurement tasks that designers face in their daily work, oscilloscopes are an excellent choice as they offer many ways to achieve good results. Oscilloscopes are the tool of choice for every engineer when it comes to measurements.