Any good alternative to the Digilent Analog Discovery that I should know about?

[PhilippeASP]

Hello, long time viewer of Dave's videos, first time poster on the forums.

I’m in a pre-engineering college course that focuses primarily on electronics and photonics, and some of my teachers have recommended (strongly hinted really) that we should all get ourselves a pocket oscilloscope.  My teacher has mentioned the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 on more than one occasion.  The department doesn’t have the budget the gift each student with one, even with the student discount, so they want us to buy it out of our own pocket.

I actually agree with them, but I feel that for the price I can probably find a reasonably portable oscilloscope with superior specs that I could still fit in my bag and take with me to class.  One thing that the AD2 has that’s really interesting for us is it’s ability to do quick screen-captures from the PC capturing the data.  In our lab raports we regularly have to take dozens of screengrabs, and with a regular scope we have to use our phone cameras then transfer them over to the PC, which gets very tedious.  If I don’t buy the AD2, I’m going to want an oscilloscope that’s able to just as easily send the waveform and it’s characteristics over to a PC.  Preferably over something simple like USB.  So any scope that needs a special connector card, or has messy drivers, won’t work for me.  It would end up being too similar to the ones we have in class already, and so there wouldn't be much point in getting one.

I am leaning towards the AD2 after having seen Dave’s review of the thing.  I don’t think that we’re going to be doing any fourier transform or network analysis in my school program, but they look like fun features.  I just want to make sure I’m not missing out on some obvious deal to be had somewhere, where I might be able to get an obviously superior scope for ~250$ that has easy USB connectivity.

References:
Dave's review,
The product in question, http://store.digilentinc.com/analog-discovery-2-100msps-usb-oscilloscope-logic-analyzer-and-variable-power-supply/

EDIT:
Fixing corporate nomenclature mess-up.

[tggzzz]

I like my Discovery 1, and think it is unbeatable value for money since you really need more than a just a scope - e.g. a signal source and digital domain tools.

It is a great complement to my main scope, a Tek 485  

[boffin]

I like my Discovery 1, and think it is unbeatable value for money since you really need more than a just a scope - e.g. a signal source and digital domain tools.

It is a great complement to my main scope, a Tek 485  

Agreed, it's a great device.  Also, as a student the OP should be able to get one for a screaming good deal.

If he doesn't qualify for the student rate, there's often EE students at USask selling their lab ones cheap on Kijiji.  That's where/how I got mine (for C$100)

All that being said, if Dave picks me for the R&S scope, I promised to give away my AD plus my Philips scope, so all you need to do is cheer that I should win, and hope that Dave agrees that you're worthy to get one or the other.

[rstofer]

You're not seeing the big picture of the Digilent AD2.

It works as a PC based scope, sure.  But it also has 2 channels of arbitrary waveform generation, 2 adjustable power supplies, digital inputs and outputs plus a logic analyzer function.  In addition it has a network analyzer suitable for sweeping frequency into some kind of circuit and getting back a Bode' plot.  Why wouldn't you eventually do FFTs, the AD2 is up for it with the Spectrum Analyzer.

You should really read the documentation to get an idea of just what this thing is capable of.  Sure, it has bandwidth limitations and voltage input limitations but it is a terrific piece of gear.  I have both incantations of the AD and I also have the Digital Discovery.  No, they're not my only test equipment but they are quite often used.

Buy it with the entire kit so you get probes and the BNC interface card.  You will really like using 10x probes so you don't over-volt the AD2.  Word to the wise:  RTFM!

Download the free software and play with the gadgets.  There is a demo mode that should be entertaining.

[alm]

A product that you might consider an alternative to the analog discovery is the ADALM1000 (formerly Nonolith CEE). This is also a fairly low spec educational tool, but more like a source measure unit. It can act as a voltage and current source and then measure both voltage and current with decent resolution. Also has a very low bandwidth scope. Useful for plotting I-V curves.

[Neganur]

That ADALM1000 looks interesting, 32€ on Digi-Key (excl. VAT) is pretty well priced too.
Two 16bit 100kSa A/D channels (each with simultaneous voltage and current measurement since it's two 4-ch ADC ICs) and at least one 16 bit 100kSa D/A.

Not sure about the data above, AD lists the components used but I can't seem to find a spec sheet.

[alm]

They indeed treat it more like an evaluation board than a finished product. Information is scattered around. This brochure is the closest thing to a data sheet, but it is very light on details. Some of it can be found on the Wiki, for example here.

You can find more information (including schematics) for the Nonolith labs CEE, which was the predecessor to the ADALM1000 before they were acquired by AD.

There are two channels that can act as either voltage or current source, and you can measure voltage or current on each channel (possibly both at the same time). Plus some fixed power supplies.

[rstofer]

Videos and such for the ADALM1000:
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/analog-devices-inc/ADALM1000/ADALM1000-ND/5125378

[RoGeorge]

Analog Discovery is not made by Agilent. It is made by Digilent a branch of National Instruments. National Instruments and Agilent are direct competitors. Also, Agilent (former Hewlett-Packard) changed it's name a few years ago, AFAIK it is now named Keysight.

So, don't ask HP/Agilent/Keysight to sell you Analog Discovery, that will be awkward. 

[Cliff Matthews]

Didn't Agilent just buy Digilent?
That 1st post title seemed like trolling to me.. 

[PhilippeASP]

@alm
Hmm, that does look really interesting.  And a real bargain price.  Thanks, I'll check it out in more detail.

@RoGeorge & Cliff
Not sure what you mean, the title clearly says Digilent!  ((Jedi mind trick, you saw nothing))

@Everyone else
Thanks for the advice.  As I suspected, the AD2 is probably the way to go.  I just wanted to make sure with second, third and fourth opinions from people on the forum.

[tggzzz]

@alm
@RoGeorge & Cliff
Not sure what you mean, the title clearly says Digilent!  ((Jedi mind trick, you saw nothing))

Superheroes also look at this thread's (unchanged) URL

[RoGeorge]

To do the mind trick, change all the "Re: Any good alternative to the Agilent Analog Discovery 2 that I should know about?" you must.