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Parralax Oscilliscope

HarryHarry Posts: 9
edited 2006-10-24 16:56 in BASIC Stamp
I have just started tinkering w/ the "Understanding Signals" project book and oscilliscope.· Unfortunately I cannot even get past the first or second ·exercises.· My laptop recognizes the oscilliscope, I have input the BASIC program and downloaded it to the stamp (Homework Board) successfully, but no signal is recognized by the oscilliscope.· I feel I have done my due diligence in re-checking the the connections, settings and BASIC input,·does anybody have any ideas regarding troubleshooting this crazy thing?

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2006-03-20 19:21
    You will need to be very explicit and complete about describing what you have tried. In particular, what have you connected to what and what happened when you did?
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-03-20 19:25
    In the software do you get the "green light" indicating the scope was found by the software?· Where do you have the leads connected to, and did you calibrate the probes?

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
    csavage@parallax.com
  • Bill PlanoBill Plano Posts: 14
    edited 2006-03-21 02:20
    Harry:

    I had a similar problem.· I had to close the Optoscope software, then load the Basic Stamp software.· Once I got the computer to recognize the Basic Stamp, I re-opened the Optoscope software and it worked fine.· Make sure you do not have your PDA software active, this causes real problems.

    Bill
  • HarryHarry Posts: 9
    edited 2006-03-21 20:08
    Thank you for your responses.·

    Mr. Savage,
    Yes, I do have the "green light" indicating that the·software has recognized the scope. Yes, I have calibrated the l probes.

    Mr. Green/Mr. Savage,
    I am stuck on the first exercise in the "Understanding Signals" book.· I have entered the BASIC code and downloaded it to the stamp. I have the black lead connected to the Vss and the blue lead connected to pin 14.·

    Mr. Plano,
    I will make sure my pda software is not active.· So you load the code on to the stamp, then close the stamp software and start up the Optascope software to get a reading?

    Thank you

    Harry
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-03-21 21:02
    Harry,

    ·· Are you running the BASIC Stamp Program that is part of that Activity?· If you plug the Blue lead from P14 into Vdd do you see the line on the Scope go up?

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
    csavage@parallax.com
  • HarryHarry Posts: 9
    edited 2006-03-22 21:24
    I'll try that, thank you...
  • HarryHarry Posts: 9
    edited 2006-04-11 18:20
    Chris Savage,

    I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but, life gets in the way. I tried connecting the blue lead directly to the Vdd on the homework board but still had no detected signal on the screen.

    I recently moved and my stuff just got here so I'll dig out my multimeter and tell you what voltage I get from the Vdd & pin 14.
  • SSteveSSteve Posts: 808
    edited 2006-04-12 07:36
    Harry said...
    I tried connecting the blue lead directly to the Vdd on the homework board but still had no detected signal on the screen.
    You connected the black lead to Vss also, right?

    If you're just trying to test for a constant voltage, make sure the Trigger Mode is set to Auto and Run/Stop Mode is set to Continuous. Then click the Run/Stop button. Do you get a blue line on the screen at all?

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    OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows
  • HarryHarry Posts: 9
    edited 2006-04-12 18:46
    Yes, I connected the blue lead to the Vdd and the black lead to the Vss, still no signal, no blue line at all. I'll go back and recheck the trigger mode and the stop mode.

    Thanks

    Harry
  • SSteveSSteve Posts: 808
    edited 2006-04-12 18:53
    You should get the blue line even if the probes aren't connected. You should concentrate on at least getting the blue line before you bother trying to measure a signal.

    In the vertical scale section (the lower-right corner of the window) what color is the "led" next to the blue CH1 button? If it's black, you haven't enabled CH1 and you'll see nothing. Click the CH1 button to make the led green.

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    OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows
  • dechief micheldechief michel Posts: 75
    edited 2006-04-12 21:02
    Hy everibody,
    i post this just to say than parallax scope is very great for is price exepting from my own experience than eatch time i turn a session on i need to switch my "single acquisiion-continous acquisitions" several time up and down before he starting to plot.
    Maybe it's a little help for you?
    Michel

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    Regards from Belgium,
    Michel Dechief.
    Engineer and professor at Brussel's university (artificial intelligency)
  • HarryHarry Posts: 9
    edited 2006-04-14 00:01
    Thank you again for your time, I'll check the ch 1 button "led" and I'll also try switching my aquisition button up and down to see what happens.

    Danke, auf wietersehen
  • NewzedNewzed Posts: 2,503
    edited 2006-04-14 00:06
    Harry, that's wiedersehen.

    Sid
  • NateNate Posts: 154
    edited 2006-04-14 01:05
    Well, its also "Parallax Oscilloscope", but who's counting.....

    Nate
  • SSteveSSteve Posts: 808
    edited 2006-04-15 03:49
    Any luck, Harry?

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    OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows
  • HarryHarry Posts: 9
    edited 2006-04-18 03:03
    Negative, I probably will not have time to mess with it until the week end.

    Thanks
  • BaerBaer Posts: 4
    edited 2006-10-23 12:26
    Does anyone have any hardware info on the 'scope?

    It is a handy little thing to take along on service calls, using the laptop I need anyway. I would like to design some probes for AC and higher voltages. Input impedance and capacitance would help.

    Post Edited (Baer) : 10/24/2006 11:37:56 AM GMT
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-10-24 16:56
    Baer,

    The·scope·input impedance is 1M, so if you wanted to create a 10X probe you would put a 10M resistor in series with your input. Capacitance should be around 10pF. I hope this helps. Take care.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
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