In my previous thread, i had occupied with the Silanum Software Visual Analyser (which used from many members as i know) and an oscilloscope-spectrum analyser kit named LX.1690 created from the magazine Nuova Elettronica concretely for using with the Visual Analyser. Both the software and the kit have origin from Italy. From curiosity i bought the main kit and two auxiliary kits (one calibrator for the sound card and one bandpass filter) and thus i paid 130Euros + 35Euros! shipping. The shipping cost it is very expensive and i don't want to express my oppinion. For experienced persons it is obvious.
Anyway, my conclusions after examining this kit, are that is intended probably for use with notebook PCs because usually they don't offer more than one phone output and one mic/line input from its build in sound card. Maybe some very expensive laptops they offer more valuable sound card, i don't know.
This kit is just fine for such cases, because it offers a sampling rate of 44100 Ks/s and a ADC/DAC of 16 bit stereo. It is easy to construct each one by alone if he has the possibility to solder a SSOP device the T.I. PCM2902 which except the double ADC inputs and DAC outputs incorporates ready a USB 1.1 interface (when connected in PC it recognized as USB Audio Codec Device and thus can be used also for music play by the Win media player for example). This chip costs about 10Euros. You can download the full article with schematics and instructions to build this kit from the site of Silanum Software.
In conclusion this kit it is for fun for my demands.
Now about the Visual Analyser of Silanum Software. It is a deficient program, with very narrow band and very coarse especialy in the region from 3KHz and below. Also i discovered that for the bad measurements the main responsible it is its medium to bad quality wave generator. Take into account that the same it is in effect also for the "RMAA"
I tried these all in my workstation PC which revealed all the shortcomings of these systems. And finally i suppose that i will use the kit LX.1690 for music play only or to offer as a gift in anyone want this and he is disposed to paid the postage cost.
Now i am turning back in the begining to find a usefull software. From my research i have located at least two powerfull softwares which also use the PC sound card for making a lot of measurements. The one it is the "SpectraRTA" of Sound Technology Inc. and the second it is the "Multi Instrument Pro-3" of Virtins Technology.
I have compared the two softwares, and proved that the SpectraRTA it is a little more powerfull from the Multi Instrument Pro3. From the other hand the SpectraRTA has a big disantvantage it runs only up to 32-bit operating systems (WinXP for example). On the contrary, the Multi Instrument Pro3 it runs and in 64-bit O.S. (WinXP x64 for example).
Let me now to explain the situation in which i am found this moment. I have for 2 years a P4 3,2GHz P.C. and because i had problems of hung-ups and loss of data when i used my CAD software EDWinXP 1.50 (especialy in the case of Spice simulation) i asked from Visionics an advice to solve this problem. Then, they suggested me to build up a 64bit compatible PC and to install a 64bit O.S. such as WinXP x64, to run my application without problem. Their suggestion indeed proved later absolutelly right. Accordingly, i was builded a powerfull PC (C2D E6850 3GHz, 8Gb DDRAM, MB Intel DQ35JO) so as to be a workstation. In this PC also i was removed my SB X-Fi Platinum from the old P4 P.C. In this 64bit whole system, the X-Fi has a great behaviour in comparison when it was in my old PC. And proved that it takes great assistance from the power of CPU, from the O.S. of 64bit (we must know that the big difference between the 32bit and the 64bit O.S. it is that the second can use all the DDRAM memory which is installed in the PC and thus in my case during the execution of complex program routines, never used a part of HD drive from the swap file of Windows because the big size of memory allows the execution "on the fly"). I have instaled in my 64bit system a trial version of Multi Instrument Pro-3 and his wave generator can produce great waveforms because i can place without problem the X-Fi in a sampling rate of 96000 (i tried also the 192000 and it works in the 8bit mono mode!) and in 24bit (mono mode) and there is not problem! Thus can produce perfect shaped square waves (my great demand from the begining) eliminating thus any addition of IM distortion on the measured signal.
Well, from yesterday after the trials i can confirm that: In a whole 64bit system a sound card can be used for the data aquisition from a DUT in a good Real Time Analyser software and we can get very accurate measurements.
As for the cost?
1) C2D E6850: 225 Euro
2) 8 GB DDRAM: 170 Euro
3) MB Intel DQ35JO: 115Euro
4) SB X-Fi Platinum: 160Euro
5) WinXP x64: 115Euro
SUM: 785Euro
The Multi Instrument Pro-3 costs 200USD
Thus, by upgrading a PC in 64bit and by installing the Virtins Technology software, with a total cost of 930Euros approximatelly we can get proffessional grade measurements. Also we have a powerfull P.C. for our other works.
I don't know the cost of SpectraRTA 1.32 because this offered only by email from Sound Technology and after a request for this.
In this subject have any of you a suggestion? There is a real quandary (dilemma) here: The most powerfull SpectraRTA 1.32 in a less trust system of 32bit, or the less powerfull Multi Instrument Pro-3 in a powerfull and stable 64bit system which can tire to death the capabilities of any sound card?
Your comments or your experience will be precious to me and to EVERYONE else which is confused and "draged here and there" from the "smart" and "free" solutions proposed from many people here or out of the forum. I ask from you, in a counterbalance to mine time-consuming, the tiring attempts, the spiritual and the money cost, some serious comments, responsible answeers and suggestions. The conclusion of course it is that; you may pay to get something good without a prohibitive cost.
What do you propose to us authorities of this forum?
Fotios
Anyway, my conclusions after examining this kit, are that is intended probably for use with notebook PCs because usually they don't offer more than one phone output and one mic/line input from its build in sound card. Maybe some very expensive laptops they offer more valuable sound card, i don't know.
This kit is just fine for such cases, because it offers a sampling rate of 44100 Ks/s and a ADC/DAC of 16 bit stereo. It is easy to construct each one by alone if he has the possibility to solder a SSOP device the T.I. PCM2902 which except the double ADC inputs and DAC outputs incorporates ready a USB 1.1 interface (when connected in PC it recognized as USB Audio Codec Device and thus can be used also for music play by the Win media player for example). This chip costs about 10Euros. You can download the full article with schematics and instructions to build this kit from the site of Silanum Software.
In conclusion this kit it is for fun for my demands.
Now about the Visual Analyser of Silanum Software. It is a deficient program, with very narrow band and very coarse especialy in the region from 3KHz and below. Also i discovered that for the bad measurements the main responsible it is its medium to bad quality wave generator. Take into account that the same it is in effect also for the "RMAA"
I tried these all in my workstation PC which revealed all the shortcomings of these systems. And finally i suppose that i will use the kit LX.1690 for music play only or to offer as a gift in anyone want this and he is disposed to paid the postage cost.
Now i am turning back in the begining to find a usefull software. From my research i have located at least two powerfull softwares which also use the PC sound card for making a lot of measurements. The one it is the "SpectraRTA" of Sound Technology Inc. and the second it is the "Multi Instrument Pro-3" of Virtins Technology.
I have compared the two softwares, and proved that the SpectraRTA it is a little more powerfull from the Multi Instrument Pro3. From the other hand the SpectraRTA has a big disantvantage it runs only up to 32-bit operating systems (WinXP for example). On the contrary, the Multi Instrument Pro3 it runs and in 64-bit O.S. (WinXP x64 for example).
Let me now to explain the situation in which i am found this moment. I have for 2 years a P4 3,2GHz P.C. and because i had problems of hung-ups and loss of data when i used my CAD software EDWinXP 1.50 (especialy in the case of Spice simulation) i asked from Visionics an advice to solve this problem. Then, they suggested me to build up a 64bit compatible PC and to install a 64bit O.S. such as WinXP x64, to run my application without problem. Their suggestion indeed proved later absolutelly right. Accordingly, i was builded a powerfull PC (C2D E6850 3GHz, 8Gb DDRAM, MB Intel DQ35JO) so as to be a workstation. In this PC also i was removed my SB X-Fi Platinum from the old P4 P.C. In this 64bit whole system, the X-Fi has a great behaviour in comparison when it was in my old PC. And proved that it takes great assistance from the power of CPU, from the O.S. of 64bit (we must know that the big difference between the 32bit and the 64bit O.S. it is that the second can use all the DDRAM memory which is installed in the PC and thus in my case during the execution of complex program routines, never used a part of HD drive from the swap file of Windows because the big size of memory allows the execution "on the fly"). I have instaled in my 64bit system a trial version of Multi Instrument Pro-3 and his wave generator can produce great waveforms because i can place without problem the X-Fi in a sampling rate of 96000 (i tried also the 192000 and it works in the 8bit mono mode!) and in 24bit (mono mode) and there is not problem! Thus can produce perfect shaped square waves (my great demand from the begining) eliminating thus any addition of IM distortion on the measured signal.
Well, from yesterday after the trials i can confirm that: In a whole 64bit system a sound card can be used for the data aquisition from a DUT in a good Real Time Analyser software and we can get very accurate measurements.
As for the cost?
1) C2D E6850: 225 Euro
2) 8 GB DDRAM: 170 Euro
3) MB Intel DQ35JO: 115Euro
4) SB X-Fi Platinum: 160Euro
5) WinXP x64: 115Euro
SUM: 785Euro
The Multi Instrument Pro-3 costs 200USD
Thus, by upgrading a PC in 64bit and by installing the Virtins Technology software, with a total cost of 930Euros approximatelly we can get proffessional grade measurements. Also we have a powerfull P.C. for our other works.
I don't know the cost of SpectraRTA 1.32 because this offered only by email from Sound Technology and after a request for this.
In this subject have any of you a suggestion? There is a real quandary (dilemma) here: The most powerfull SpectraRTA 1.32 in a less trust system of 32bit, or the less powerfull Multi Instrument Pro-3 in a powerfull and stable 64bit system which can tire to death the capabilities of any sound card?
Your comments or your experience will be precious to me and to EVERYONE else which is confused and "draged here and there" from the "smart" and "free" solutions proposed from many people here or out of the forum. I ask from you, in a counterbalance to mine time-consuming, the tiring attempts, the spiritual and the money cost, some serious comments, responsible answeers and suggestions. The conclusion of course it is that; you may pay to get something good without a prohibitive cost.
What do you propose to us authorities of this forum?
Fotios
