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Description:
The Understanding Signals Parts and Text kit adds a 144 page student guide and many electronic components to the Parallax USB Oscilloscope for only $20.00 over the price of the scope alone. Learn how to generate, view and measure a variety of wave forms. Each activity includes a BASIC Stamp-controlled example circuit and code, directions for configuring the oscilloscope and placing the probes, and screen-captures of the Parallax USB Software interface displaying the signal. Educational customers may purchase the Understanding Signals Parts and Texts in 10-packs and 20-packs .
A Board of Education with a BASIC Stamp 2 or a HomeWork Board is needed to run the experiments in this kit.
The Understanding Signals Kit Includes the Following:
- Parallax USB Oscilloscope
- Parallax Digital Oscilloscope Software CD-ROM (download and evaluate for free below)
- (3) pairs of probes
- USB cable
- 144-page Understanding Signals printed text (download and evaluate for free below)
- Understanding Signals Parts Kit
Additional benefits: 14-day return for refund and 90-day workmanship warranty; free Parallax technical support by e-mail and phone; free software upgrades.
The Understanding Signals Tutorial
The Understanding Signals text provides an excellent introduction to using the Parallax USB Oscilloscope. Each activity includes a BASIC Stamp-controlled example circuit and code, directions for configuring the oscilloscope and placing the probes, and screen-captures of the Parallax USB Software interface displaying the signals. Topics include:
- Analog inputs from photoresistors and A/D converters
- RC-time in resistor-capacitor networks
- Asynchronous serial communication between the PC and a BASIC Stamp module
- Synchronous serial communication between a BASIC Stamp and ADC0831 A/D converter
- Single and dual sine waves
- Servo pulse signals over an entire range of motion
- Pulse width modulation with infrared
- Decoding of handheld infrared remote control signals
- Voltage amplification and inversion with DC offset with an op-amp
- All electronic components needed are included in the Understanding Signals Parts and Text kit.
- BASIC Stamp 2 source code for the experiments in the book is available for free download below.
A Board of Education with a BASIC Stamp 2 or a HomeWork Board is needed to run the experiments in this kit, but are not required to use the oscilloscope.
About the Parallax USB Oscilloscope
This small, portable, two-channel digital oscilloscope has a powder-coated aluminum case and three pairs of probes. The hardware connects to your PC with the included USB cable for both data transfer and power, so no external power supply is needed. All oscilloscope controls are managed through a point-and-click PC software interface. 3 easy-to-use cursor functions measure acquired signals, with the option to snap to the waveform. The cursors operate in zoom mode, allowing close viewing and precise measuring of signals. Other classic scope features include variable trigger voltage, external triggering, waveform measurements (min, max, frequency, period), and four FFT function options. The ability to save customized setups and quality bitmap screen captures are standard in the software.
Oscilloscope Specifications
- 2 Channels - view 2 signals at once
- 1 million samples per second maximum sample rate with one channel
- 500, 000 samples per second sample rate with 2 channels
- View sine waves up to 60 kHz
- View square waves up to 100 kHz
- 4 FFT functions: Black-Harris, Hamming, Rectangular, Hanning
- 20 Vpp maximum input for channel 1 and channel 2
- 200 kHz bandwidth
- 8-Bit vertical resolution
- External trigger source: TTL rising edge, 5 V TTL maximum input
- Trigger on rising or falling edge at any voltage
- Variable trigger voltage on channels 1 and 2
- Horizontal trigger position settings at 10%, 50%, and 90%.
- Auto and normal trigger modes
- Vertical, horizontal, and paired cursor functions
- Zoom feature with active cursors
- Built-in screen-capture bitmap function
- 1X probes included
- USB 1.1 for data and power supply - no other power supply needed.
- Size: 5'' x 2.25" x 1.5" (excluding cable and probes)
- Weight: 8 ounces
System Requirements
Minimum ** configuration:
- Windows 98 or higher operating system *
- Pentium 233 MHz processor
- 32 MB of RAM
- At least 15 MB of free disk space
- Graphics card able to display an 800 X 600 resolution at 16-bit color depth.
- HTML Viewer
- Mouse or similar pointing device
Recommended ** configuration:
- Windows XP
- Pentium II 450 MHz processor
- 64 MB of RAM
- 20 MB free disk space
- Graphics card able to display a 1024 X 798 or higher resolution at 32-bit color depth.
- HTML Viewer
- Mouse or similar pointing device
* - Windows 95 and NT are not supported, Windows XP is recommended.
** - Performance is based on CPU speed.
The Parallax USB Oscilloscope and Stamps in Class
Our decision to integrate this scope into our educational program came about from our technicians using it at their desks, educators ordering several for their classes and requesting supporting tutorials, and general strong popularity among the BASIC Stamp community. The activities in Understanding Signals focus on waveforms common to circuits in other Stamps in Class guides, making this a perfect companion kit to enhance understanding of other Stamps in Class activity. Educators have requested for most of our Stamps in Class texts that we do not make the source code available for download since students learn programming quicker when they type the code themselves. Because the Understanding Signals text focuses on viewing, capturing and measuring signals instead of PBASIC programming, we have made the source code available for download. See below for a link. |
