USB function generators?
in [Design]
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From: Joerg on 10 May 2010 12:05 JosephKK wrote: > On Fri, 07 May 2010 14:13:49 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> > wrote: > >> Gents, >> >> Unless it rains on Sunday and I have some time I might just junk this >> dreaded Wavetek Model 23 generator. Looked around for USB-based >> generators and found a nice li'l scope/gen combo: >> >> http://www.allspectrum.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2778 >> >> Not a lot of info, seems it has no galvanic isolation from the computer >> like some others <knuckles turning white ...>. However, unlike many >> others it does go down to 5 millihertz so can be used in machine, stress >> and vibration testing which I need to do at times. >> >> What do thee think? > > I think it is overpriced and underpowered. Overpriced? I've seen it on sale as low as $200. What alternatives are there, other than a big vintage box? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: miso on 10 May 2010 18:18 On May 9, 6:34 am, Joerg <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > m...(a)sushi.com wrote: > > On May 8, 4:16 pm, n...(a)puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel) wrote: > >> "m...(a)sushi.com" <m...(a)sushi.com> wrote: > >>> On May 7, 2:13=A0pm, Joerg <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > >>>> Gents, > >>>> Unless it rains on Sunday and I have some time I might just junk this > >>>> dreaded Wavetek Model 23 generator. Looked around for USB-based > >>>> generators and found a nice li'l scope/gen combo: > >>>>http://www.allspectrum.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3D2778 > >>>> Not a lot of info, seems it has no galvanic isolation from the computer > >>>> like some others <knuckles turning white ...>. However, unlike many > >>>> others it does go down to 5 millihertz so can be used in machine, stress > >>>> and vibration testing which I need to do at times. > >>>> What do thee think? > >>>> -- > >>>> Regards, Joerg > >>>>http://www.analogconsultants.com/ > >>>> "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. > >>>> Use another domain or send PM. > >>> USB is always a driver hassle. I try to buy USB devices that also work > >>> in Linux, so if the company goes bust, you can at least run the box > >>> under linux. > >>> $300 would get you a nice function generator at a ham swap meet. My > >>> PM5191 was $125 in a freakin' store (RA Surplus, now defunct) years > >>> ago. You can't get much money for low bandwidth generators these days.. > >> Well... a good HP3314A still sells for a couple of hundred. More > >> recent Agilent generators fetch even more. AFAIK those are USB and/or > >> ethernet controllable. > > >> -- > >> Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply > >> indicates you are not using the right tools... > >> nico(a)nctdevpuntnl (punt=.) > >> -------------------------------------------------------------- > > > The HP3314A has a control panel, so it's not like you are buying a > > black box USB device from a Chinese company that won't exist in a few > > years. Black boxes can become bricks if the drivers are history. ... > > How do drivers become history? With all my black boxes they came with > the box. Ok, I do not change operating systems at every whim some guys > in Redmond might publish. If a "new and improved" OS is not backwards > compatible with my legacy stuff I won't buy, I'll stay with the old OS. > > > ... Think > > about all the ISA controlled items that have become bricks. ISA GPIB > > boards are valueable only for their trade in value with Nation > > Instruments. Anybody need a scsi drive? Now ethernet is another story. > > It doesn't need drivers. > > Huh? You can buy plenty of brand new PCs with numerous ISA slots. > Regular quality or industrial stuff. And I'd venture to say that you > will find a similar selection 10 years from now. > > > I've seen the similar Fluke or Tek function generator that cuts out at > > 11Mhz go for about $200. I think Joerg's issue is a lack of local > > geeks. ;-) In the bay area, these items are very common on the used > > market. Probably LA as well. > > Yup, out here there's abosultely nothing going on of what you have in > the Bay Area in terms of electronics stores. IOW, out here there are > none left. > > -- > Regards, Joerg > > http://www.analogconsultants.com/ > > "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. > Use another domain or send PM. Drivers become history as the OS progresses. Or are you using your drivers from Windows for Workgroups while on Win 7? ;-) I still stick with the claim that the only black box that will live forever (or forever enough) is one using ethernet. I've got three perfectly usable ethernet appliances, one of which is at least 8 years old (forever in computer time). It's only 10mbps, but it is a linux bases print server that really don't need upgrading. Well, maybe when I go 10Gbps, I'll replace it. The other boxes are only 100mbps, but fine for the purpose. You put all the slow stuff on one router to act as a funnel to keep them from slowing down the fast ethernet.
From: Joel Koltner on 10 May 2010 18:29 <miso(a)sushi.com> wrote in message news:21cf5975-716a-469a-99e3-4712b4805310(a)r21g2000prr.googlegroups.com... >I still stick with the claim that the only black box that will live >forever (or forever enough) is one using ethernet. I'd be willing to bet a fair amount on anything with an RS-232 serial port too...
From: Joerg on 10 May 2010 19:18 miso(a)sushi.com wrote: > On May 9, 6:34 am, Joerg <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >> m...(a)sushi.com wrote: >>> On May 8, 4:16 pm, n...(a)puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel) wrote: >>>> "m...(a)sushi.com" <m...(a)sushi.com> wrote: >>>>> On May 7, 2:13=A0pm, Joerg <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >>>>>> Gents, >>>>>> Unless it rains on Sunday and I have some time I might just junk this >>>>>> dreaded Wavetek Model 23 generator. Looked around for USB-based >>>>>> generators and found a nice li'l scope/gen combo: >>>>>> http://www.allspectrum.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3D2778 >>>>>> Not a lot of info, seems it has no galvanic isolation from the computer >>>>>> like some others <knuckles turning white ...>. However, unlike many >>>>>> others it does go down to 5 millihertz so can be used in machine, stress >>>>>> and vibration testing which I need to do at times. >>>>>> What do thee think? >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Regards, Joerg >>>>>> http://www.analogconsultants.com/ >>>>>> "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. >>>>>> Use another domain or send PM. >>>>> USB is always a driver hassle. I try to buy USB devices that also work >>>>> in Linux, so if the company goes bust, you can at least run the box >>>>> under linux. >>>>> $300 would get you a nice function generator at a ham swap meet. My >>>>> PM5191 was $125 in a freakin' store (RA Surplus, now defunct) years >>>>> ago. You can't get much money for low bandwidth generators these days. >>>> Well... a good HP3314A still sells for a couple of hundred. More >>>> recent Agilent generators fetch even more. AFAIK those are USB and/or >>>> ethernet controllable. >>>> -- >>>> Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply >>>> indicates you are not using the right tools... >>>> nico(a)nctdevpuntnl (punt=.) >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------- >>> The HP3314A has a control panel, so it's not like you are buying a >>> black box USB device from a Chinese company that won't exist in a few >>> years. Black boxes can become bricks if the drivers are history. ... >> How do drivers become history? With all my black boxes they came with >> the box. Ok, I do not change operating systems at every whim some guys >> in Redmond might publish. If a "new and improved" OS is not backwards >> compatible with my legacy stuff I won't buy, I'll stay with the old OS. >> >>> ... Think >>> about all the ISA controlled items that have become bricks. ISA GPIB >>> boards are valueable only for their trade in value with Nation >>> Instruments. Anybody need a scsi drive? Now ethernet is another story. >>> It doesn't need drivers. >> Huh? You can buy plenty of brand new PCs with numerous ISA slots. >> Regular quality or industrial stuff. And I'd venture to say that you >> will find a similar selection 10 years from now. >> >>> I've seen the similar Fluke or Tek function generator that cuts out at >>> 11Mhz go for about $200. I think Joerg's issue is a lack of local >>> geeks. ;-) In the bay area, these items are very common on the used >>> market. Probably LA as well. >> Yup, out here there's abosultely nothing going on of what you have in >> the Bay Area in terms of electronics stores. IOW, out here there are >> none left. >> >> -- >> Regards, Joerg >> >> http://www.analogconsultants.com/ >> >> "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. >> Use another domain or send PM. > > Drivers become history as the OS progresses. Or are you using your > drivers from Windows for Workgroups while on Win 7? ;-) > Close: Until about 2005 I used a Logitech ScanMan on an NT machine. Only seasoned computer users will remember it. It's the one on the right in the picture: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Handscanner_01.jpg AFAIR WfW wasn't even out when I bought this and the software came on floppies. Luckily I had made sure that the NT box could handle 5-1/4" .... phzzzzzt ... done ... worked. Until its wheels fell off. > I still stick with the claim that the only black box that will live > forever (or forever enough) is one using ethernet. I've got three > perfectly usable ethernet appliances, one of which is at least 8 years > old (forever in computer time). It's only 10mbps, but it is a linux > bases print server that really don't need upgrading. Well, maybe when > I go 10Gbps, I'll replace it. The other boxes are only 100mbps, but > fine for the purpose. You put all the slow stuff on one router to act > as a funnel to keep them from slowing down the fast ethernet. > Or, as Joel wrote, RS232. That bus is also forever and that's also what the ScanMan device above utilized. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joop on 10 May 2010 20:32
On Sun, 09 May 2010 06:34:02 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > >How do drivers become history? With all my black boxes they came with >the box. Ok, I do not change operating systems at every whim some guys >in Redmond might publish. If a "new and improved" OS is not backwards >compatible with my legacy stuff I won't buy, I'll stay with the old OS. > If you are not afraid of outdated software, I bought this on eBay when the price was 175 USD: http://www.fastsampling.com/index.php seller: http://myworld.ebay.nl/sumamala Software could be improved. But the USB is isolated (external 12V required). For that price I imagine it can be used on plenty occasions before I switch to an unsupported OS. Cheers, Joop |