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Question around sound card curve tracer for William Kroyer
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Gaurav Verma
Hi William
In a previous post you discussed about a sound card based curve tracer. I would request you to share information about the same. I am looking for the following information 1) Is it a circuit you made yourself or did you buy it 2) What is the software for it. I would request you to share the information around it with me. Thanks Regards Gaurav |
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It's a fairly simple circuit. If you do a google search you should be able to find a few schematics for curve tracers that utilize an oscilloscopes X-Y function. At it's most basic you just need a 10v transformer, a few resistors, probes, and some BNC connectors like this one: . I'm planning on doing a little bit more of an elegant version that would use the PCs soundcard as the X-Y scope leaving my o-scope free. I've got a preliminary schematic using CMOS logic for control but it still needs some work and I'll probably use a PIC in the final product instead: .
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----- Original Message -----
From: Gaurav Verma To: Electronics_101@... Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 9:18 PM Subject: [Electronics_101] Question around sound card curve tracer for William Kroyer Hi William In a previous post you discussed about a sound card based curve tracer. I would request you to share information about the same. I am looking for the following information 1) Is it a circuit you made yourself or did you buy it 2) What is the software for it. I would request you to share the information around it with me. Thanks Regards Gaurav |
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Roy J. Tellason
On Saturday 07 October 2006 09:18 pm, Gaurav Verma wrote:
Hi WilliamThere was some discussion on curve tracers in here a while back. I forget which kind were being talked about. There are basically two kinds... One is the sort that will display useful curves for characterizing a semiconductor device. I have one of those, a B&K, though it has some limitations like only dealing with depletion-mode FETs and only going to 100V maximum. The other kind is more general, for getting an idea of what the characteristics are of many different kinds of components, and I know there are some circuits of that sort out there on the 'net as well. Which are you looking to do? -- Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters" - Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James M Dakin |
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Gaurav Verma
Hi
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I had made a circuit some time back for curve tracer, but it fed into a scope. The circuit was also verified by the group. The problem is that though I would get the look of the curve the values in the graph did not have ay number assigned to it. Thus it will be nice to have a curve tracer which would be computer controlled in its plot. Gaurav On 10/7/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason@...> wrote:
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Yeah I figure with the soundcard o-scope software I could probably get some somewhat decent readings but really that's not my goal. I'm more or less just looking to use mine for reference. ie spotting bad/leaky caps, diodes, and transistors. The nice thing about doing it with a PC is that I could take screen captures of good signatures for various components and use them for comparison against a suspected bad one.
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----- Original Message -----
From: Gaurav Verma To: Electronics_101@... Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 7:01 AM Subject: Re: [Electronics_101] Question around sound card curve tracer for William Kroyer Hi I had made a circuit some time back for curve tracer, but it fed into a scope. The circuit was also verified by the group. The problem is that though I would get the look of the curve the values in the graph did not have ay number assigned to it. Thus it will be nice to have a curve tracer which would be computer controlled in its plot. Gaurav On 10/7/06, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason@...> wrote: > > On Saturday 07 October 2006 09:18 pm, Gaurav Verma wrote: > > Hi William > > > > In a previous post you discussed about a sound card based curve tracer. > I > > would request you to share information about the same. > > I am looking for the following information > > > > 1) Is it a circuit you made yourself or did you buy it > > 2) What is the software for it. > > > > I would request you to share the information around it with me. > > There was some discussion on curve tracers in here a while back. I forget > which kind were being talked about. There are basically two kinds... > > One is the sort that will display useful curves for characterizing a > semiconductor device. I have one of those, a B&K, though it has some > limitations like only dealing with depletion-mode FETs and only going to > 100V > maximum. > > The other kind is more general, for getting an idea of what the > characteristics are of many different kinds of components, and I know > there > are some circuits of that sort out there on the 'net as well. > > Which are you looking to do? > > -- > Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and > ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can > be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters" > - > Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. > --James > M Dakin > > > |
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I haven't been able to find any. That's one reason for my curve tracer project. I was thinking that if it works well with the soundcard then I might look into offering it as a kit for hobbyists, possibly as a USB device. I imagine for the casual hobbyist that only needs very basic equipement it might just be easier to have some small, stackable "pucks" that can be daisy chained and interface to a PC via USB. That way storage and other "bells and whistles" could be added via software.
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----- Original Message -----
From: Gaurav Verma To: Electronics_101@... Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 4:55 PM Subject: Re: [Electronics_101] Question around sound card curve tracer for William Kroyer Hi Just the way we have PC based scopes are there any PC based curve tracers available that one may purchase for there work ? I have been unable to find something I would like. Anny suggessions will be welcome. Gaurav |
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Bob Hyland-PMP
--- In Electronics_101@..., "Gaurav Verma"
<gaurav.verma.mca@...> wrote: I may have missed part of this discussion. However, curve tracers are straight forward to make if you have a 2 input scope with X-Y mode. Many of the sound card O-Scope software can do X-Y. Certainly all the PC Scopes I have seen do. Anyway, here is a full project to do just what I think you are trying to do for less than $2 ("A Low Cost Automatic Curve Tracer"): Here is a generic Curve Tracer circuit for use with any X-Y scope: Bob H. |
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The first one from QST is actually a bit more along the lines of what I am looking to make, though I'm looking for something a bit more "elegant" with 2 channels, multiple ranges, and an ability to automatically alternate between channels or sweep through the ranges to assist in testing. Think "poor mans Huntron". Either of those would probably suite Gaurav, the original poster well though.
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One thing that amazed me about curve tracers once I discovered them is that they are so simple to make and so usefull once you know how to use one. No one ever even mentioned a curve tracer, let alone taught them durring any of my training. But then again there isn't all that much component level trouble shooting anymore. Everything is modular, insanely tiny, or potted to prevent repair. ----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Hyland-PMP To: Electronics_101@... Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 12:17 AM Subject: [Electronics_101] Re: Question around sound card curve tracer for William Kroyer --- In Electronics_101@..., "Gaurav Verma" <gaurav.verma.mca@...> wrote: > > Hi > Just the way we have PC based scopes are there any PC based curve > tracers available that one may purchase for there work? > > I have been unable to find something I would like. Anny > suggessions will be welcome. > Gaurav I may have missed part of this discussion. However, curve tracers are straight forward to make if you have a 2 input scope with X-Y mode. Many of the sound card O-Scope software can do X-Y. Certainly all the PC Scopes I have seen do. Anyway, here is a full project to do just what I think you are trying to do for less than $2 ("A Low Cost Automatic Curve Tracer"): Here is a generic Curve Tracer circuit for use with any X-Y scope: Bob H. |
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Gaurav Verma
Hi
Bob Thanks for the links. William I hope your setup works and I wil be the first one to make it then. I agree they are simple to make. I had tried making a curve tracer some time back and it works fine but as I had said in a prevous email, it only plots the curve shape and dosent give me any values on the graph, which makes it worthless for any serious work. Gaurav On 10/8/06, william.kroyer@... < william.kroyer@...> wrote:
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I'm starting to think that those of using the Links section are few
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and far between. I'd posted a PC sound card based curve tracer months ago in the Links under "Oscilloscopes and Spectrum Analyzers - Computer based". Here's one: Low Cost Automatic Curve Tracer Uses sound card and minimal circuit, displays on your computer. It requires a duplex sound card, ie, one that can output while recording, but those aren't very difficult or expensive to find. Please, please, if you have links for things like this, add them to the Links page. If you don't see an apropriate folder, you can just put it in the main Links page and I or one of the other Moderators will move it to the best spot (or create a folder). Steve Greenfield ----- Original Message -----tracer for William Kroyer tracers available that one may purchase for there work ?suggessions will be welcome. |
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Well, this discussion started as an offshoot of another in reference to the project I have going, which is not linked to in the links section. Secondly, someone else has already reference to that project from the link section, so fear not, the link section is gettting used. Also, I believe Gaurav may be a new list member like myself, and like me he may not have found his way to the links section yet. A little patience goes a long way. However, I used to administrate a discussion board so I do realize it can be a bit frustrating when new posters don't always find thier way to group references, links, etc which is especially true with e-mail listings.
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----- Original Message -----
From: Steve To: Electronics_101@... Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 5:24 PM Subject: [Electronics_101] Re: Question around sound card curve tracer for William Kroyer I'm starting to think that those of using the Links section are few and far between. I'd posted a PC sound card based curve tracer months ago in the Links under "Oscilloscopes and Spectrum Analyzers - Computer based". Here's one: Low Cost Automatic Curve Tracer Uses sound card and minimal circuit, displays on your computer. It requires a duplex sound card, ie, one that can output while recording, but those aren't very difficult or expensive to find. Please, please, if you have links for things like this, add them to the Links page. If you don't see an apropriate folder, you can just put it in the main Links page and I or one of the other Moderators will move it to the best spot (or create a folder). Steve Greenfield > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Gaurav Verma > To: Electronics_101@... > Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 4:55 PM > Subject: Re: [Electronics_101] Question around sound card curve tracer for William Kroyer > > > Hi > Just the way we have PC based scopes are there any PC based curve tracers > available that one may purchase for there work ? > > I have been unable to find something I would like. Anny suggessions will be > welcome. > Gaurav > |
Steven AE7HD
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