Need advice selecting a product ... please!

Which product is right for your exact requirements
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Johnnie Eisenhower
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Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 12:47 pm

Need advice selecting a product ... please!

Post by Johnnie Eisenhower »

Hello guys.

I'm a former electronics man (now retired) and want to get back into 'dabbling' again!

I have an old (but absolutely OK) Packard Bell notebook that I run a soundcard scope on. But this senario is utter rubbish!! So I wondered about a Pico USB product.

My current and expected area of interest lays in the audio spectrum (or just beyond) and, in the main, with electric guitar pickups and the like.

I need a scope to give me good-enough quality with noise free operation so there's none of the noise and spikes and so on of the soundcard system, when used with the Packard Bell. (Spectrum analysis might be useful as might data logging, but certainly not essential.)

All advice gratefully accepted.

Thanks.

John

ziko
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Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:03 am
Location: St Neots

Re: Need advice selecting a product ... please!

Post by ziko »

Hi John,

Not sure about how it would compare as soundcards usually have a high resolution, sample rate is usually low compared to a scope though.

I have a guitar myself with a pickup on it, I will pluck some strings and show you the waveforms with a number of scopes just to show what they look like and then you can see if it is fit for purpose.

Regards

Ziko
Ziko

Technical Specialist

Johnnie Eisenhower
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Posts: 0
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 12:47 pm

Re: Need advice selecting a product ... please!

Post by Johnnie Eisenhower »

Hello Ziko, and thanks.

The trouble I have with this laptop / nootebook is electrical noise and a lack of frequency response (it is, afterall, a lower end machine that's at least 10 years old).

In addition I have to use the switching PSU cos the battery's had it: the PSU generates loads of noise! I need to go down to 20 Hz but the sound chip clearly won't. There's all sorts of unwanted noise on the signal returns vs mains earth, etc, etc. If it was a desktop machine in a shielded case with a good sound card, etc, things may well be fine.

I suspected that by taking this basic sound 'card' from the equation and, in effect, replacing it with a USB system, all may be well. That was my path of thought in considering a pico product. But in the end I don't have to retain the laptop. I could buy a scope but id sooner use good but old gear if it were possible!

Wisdom appreciated.

John

ziko
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Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:03 am
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Re: Need advice selecting a product ... please!

Post by ziko »

Hi John,

Sorry for the delay, was waiting on an order for a BNC to 3.5mm Jack so I can connect a BNC cable to my guitar pickup. The results are nor amazing as I am using a guitar pickup that I bought for my acoustic guitar.

I have 3 images, one using the 2205 (8 bits), 4227 (12 bits) and 4262 (16 bits).

2205 Oscilloscope :
2205 8 bit Scope E 82Hz
2205 8 bit Scope E 82Hz
4227 Oscilloscope :
4227 12 bit Scope E 82Hz
4227 12 bit Scope E 82Hz
4262 Oscilloscope :
4262 16 bit Scope E 82Hz
4262 16 bit Scope E 82Hz
Not that easy to do, as the signal is low frequency and that the pickup has a lot of noise on it as well, seems to pick up 50 Hz.

Hope this helps.
Ziko

Technical Specialist

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