What about using a sound card, with high resolution (24bit) and high sampling rate (192KHz)? Probably the cheaper you can find is the E-MU 0202.
About the software, there are many pc based oscilloscope ones, ranging from virtins (Virtins Technology: Turn a PC into Virtual Instrument - Home) to picoscope (which requires his own hardware PicoScope PC Oscilloscope and Data Acquisition Products from Pico Technology) to many others. Try googling "pc oscilloscope".
This one is interesting Visual Analyser 2011
But if he needs also higher frequencies, a sound card based oscilloscope won't be enough though
About the software, there are many pc based oscilloscope ones, ranging from virtins (Virtins Technology: Turn a PC into Virtual Instrument - Home) to picoscope (which requires his own hardware PicoScope PC Oscilloscope and Data Acquisition Products from Pico Technology) to many others. Try googling "pc oscilloscope".
This one is interesting Visual Analyser 2011
But if he needs also higher frequencies, a sound card based oscilloscope won't be enough though
if you know more about the signal properties and can accept PC display you may be able to use a ~ US$100 DAQ module
USB 12-Bit Multifunction Solutions from Measurement Computing
there are also standalone USB data loggers for even less
USB 12-Bit Multifunction Solutions from Measurement Computing
there are also standalone USB data loggers for even less
so you have just to remove those caps
unfortunantly this won't often work - soundcard ADC usually are single supply and have DC input bias requirement
also the ADC are mostly delta-sigma types with high-pass built in to their hardware digital filters
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I would think that demonstrating that the filter is at least -3dB at 15Hz and is dropping monotonically below that would be sufficient. Measuring lower than 10Hz with anything other than a DSO is going to be an exercise in frustration.. (Good data acquisition hardware to do this probably is out of budget, but who knows..) Truthfully a good true RMS multimeter may be as useful at these frequencies doing static measurements provided that it has usable response below 10Hz.
My PC based FFT set up is useless somewhat below 20Hz.. (Both comments in post #7 are true IMLE)
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Any decent analog scope with a AC/DC input switch can show right down to DC - if switched to DC. A real nasty cheapo may have internal AC coupling, so would be useless.
You can buy a good one new for maybe $500, or get a used HP or TEK scope for maybe around $100 that originally cost $10,000. One with a longer persistance screen would help seeing very LF signals.
Or spend maybe $1000 and get a low priced Chinese made Digital scope - that will do the job perfectly. There's a company that OEM for Agilent (HP), dunno the name.
Fitzing with sound cards etc will just become a hassle, IMO, at the very least cost a lot of time.
Regards, Allen
You can buy a good one new for maybe $500, or get a used HP or TEK scope for maybe around $100 that originally cost $10,000. One with a longer persistance screen would help seeing very LF signals.
Or spend maybe $1000 and get a low priced Chinese made Digital scope - that will do the job perfectly. There's a company that OEM for Agilent (HP), dunno the name.
Fitzing with sound cards etc will just become a hassle, IMO, at the very least cost a lot of time.
Regards, Allen
If looking at cheap DSOs, I recently purchased a Rigol DS1052E 50mHz model. It is cheaper than the 100mHz model ($400 vs $600), but is identical. All that is needed is a software hack to convert it to the 100mHz model, see here EEVblog #77 – Rigol DS1052E DS1102E Oscilloscope Hack Update @ EEVblog – Electronics Engineering Video Blog Podcast
Well, he told me he was saving up to buy an Agilent, but he asked me if I knew a cheaper option. Thanks to those who helped. I will send him a link to this thread, it would surely help to make up his mind. Long live diyAudio.
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A recommendation would depend on several factors.
1. What are you going to do with the signal?
Do you want it stored, for example?
2. What precision do you need?
3. What size screen do you want it displayed on?
Now, for close to the lowest cost Oscilloscope that will do the job for you without knowing the answers to the above,
try DealExtreme: $75.64 DS0201 2.8" LCD Pocket Mini Oscilloscope V1.5 Complete Kits
1. What are you going to do with the signal?
Do you want it stored, for example?
2. What precision do you need?
3. What size screen do you want it displayed on?
Now, for close to the lowest cost Oscilloscope that will do the job for you without knowing the answers to the above,
try DealExtreme: $75.64 DS0201 2.8" LCD Pocket Mini Oscilloscope V1.5 Complete Kits
A recommendation would depend on several factors.
1. What are you going to do with the signal?
Do you want it stored, for example?
2. What precision do you need?
3. What size screen do you want it displayed on?
Now, for close to the lowest cost Oscilloscope that will do the job for you without knowing the answers to the above,
try DealExtreme: $75.64 DS0201 2.8" LCD Pocket Mini Oscilloscope V1.5 Complete Kits
or
DealExtreme: $55.30 DS0201 2.8" LCD Pocket Mini Oscilloscope V1.5 Device (Micro SD/TF Card Slot)
1. What are you going to do with the signal?
Do you want it stored, for example?
2. What precision do you need?
3. What size screen do you want it displayed on?
Now, for close to the lowest cost Oscilloscope that will do the job for you without knowing the answers to the above,
try DealExtreme: $75.64 DS0201 2.8" LCD Pocket Mini Oscilloscope V1.5 Complete Kits
or
DealExtreme: $55.30 DS0201 2.8" LCD Pocket Mini Oscilloscope V1.5 Device (Micro SD/TF Card Slot)
I suppose that I should answer that by saying that I have lived through the time before solid state and today much prefer anything made from solid state to anything made from valves.
But I won't!
But audio circuitry somehow is different regarding tubes. One step forward then take 2 back. LOL
It depends on which direction to call "Forward" on this round planet.
I would prefer an oscilloscope with at least 19" TFT screen, so no reading glasses would be needed.
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