What Test Equipment Do You Have On Your Bench??

[gearheaddruid]

Zero, I have an extra National Instruments DAQ card for ISA. It will do 1.25 Msps as a scope. Look at the website
(www.natinst.com) and you will see some examples. This is the same card I am using on my bench. With the NI software it can be almost anything you could imagine. The software comes with a whole suite of test instruments already made. You just click on the list and instant dso, freq counter, dmm, signal generator, spectrum analyzer,ect. I have about $100 in this card if you would be interested. It orignally cost around $2000. There is a lot of DAQ pc stuff on Ebay at very cheap prices. NI now has a lot of competition. Also look up Tern. They have a nice assortment of external serial or usb DAQ items.
I used the pcmcia version of my NI card for capturing the sound of a gun firing through a silencer. A customer wanted to graph the differences made by modifying the sections in his silencer. You could replay the graph (amplitude across time) and see the hammer strike, the bullet exit the barrel, and the bullet hitting the sand and foam target 20 feet away. It worked out real well. The hammer was the loudest sound when he was done!
Regards, Steve

[jackinnj]

There is an updated version of Softwire available from the Measurement Computing website. They have put the FFT back into the math functions (it went AWOL between v4.00 and v5.10). This great program is "freeware" and mates up with various Measurement Computing USB modules.

here are the new math "forms"



here's the set of Mccdaq "forms" for Visual Basic.

[dhenryp]

Does anyone have experienece with the Velleman pcs 500 PC Based scope/spectrum analyzer? I'm debating whether to pick up an old HP 331a-334a distortion analyzer ($100-150) or go with a PC based data acquisition system. If not the Velleman, something else in the same price range (+-$300)?


I'll be using it to check distortion in amplifiers and op-amp based circuits (e.g. active crossovers). BTW: I already have a nice 150mz Tektronics oscilloscope so the primary interest would spectrum/distortion analyzer.

Thanks,

Denis

[jackinnj]

Originally posted by dhenryp
Does anyone have experienece with the Velleman pcs 500 PC Based scope/spectrum analyzer? I'm debating whether to pick up an old HP 331a-334a distortion analyzer ($100-150) or go with a PC based data acquisition system. If not the Velleman, something else in the same price range (+-$300)?


I'll be using it to check distortion in amplifiers and op-amp based circuits (e.g. active crossovers). BTW: I already have a nice 150mz Tektronics oscilloscope so the primary interest would spectrum/distortion analyzer.

Thanks,

Denis

You can probably purchase an HP339 in the vicinity of $300 -- and there seem to be combo units of Tektronix SG505/AA4084's in a TM503 case up for sale as well at around the same price point.

[lgreen]

I've got a Tek 465M portable scope, and a 3 bay Tek unit...trying to remember the numbers...I think its called a TM503 with 3 plugins- FG501 function gen; DM501 digital multimeter and PS501 power supply. All bought super cheap on line.

While they are in the garage, they sometimes make it into the house when the wife is away. Here is a fuzzy pic of a recent testing setup: Link to pic.

You also see a cheapie hand multimeter- invaluable.

And that's it.

[dhenryp]

I decided to go for a working HP331a on e-bay for $29(!). It may not be the best but it's no big loss if it is not.

[jackinnj]

Originally posted by dhenryp
I decided to go for a working HP331a on e-bay for $29(!). It may not be the best but it's no big loss if it is not.

good work ! the manual will probably cost you more.