Author Topic: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator  (Read 9609 times)

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Offline ChrisWTopic starter

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Offline T4P

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2012, 09:48:03 am »
And he doesn't even tell us which DAC it uses. ..  :-\
 

Offline SeanB

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2012, 10:49:35 am »
One from AD.......
 

Offline HardBoot

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2012, 01:11:53 pm »
A much better product than the last... but...
"Prototype enclosure with non-functional electronics." That looks like a completed PCB to me, unless they botched the design too badly to fix it by hand.

Why are almost all kickstarter things completed things looking for donations - TO FUND WHAT? IT'S FINISHED.

Kicksterter is really fucked in in another way, the extraordinary way things get promoted, it's either someone wealthy who's marketed something heavily, or it's some who's been made a favourite, lots of good things get nothing while scam products get over 500k.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2012, 01:24:02 pm by HardBoot »
 

Offline Bored@Work

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2012, 02:31:14 pm »
$300 for one, shipment in March next year if everything will went according to plan. USB not isolated, no proper output connectors, output impedance not specified. But a shiny acrylic enclosure, that'll get scratched faster on the bench than you can say 50 Ohms. Now, why would you want to buy one?
I delete PMs unread. If you have something to say, say it in public.
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Offline HardBoot

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2012, 02:43:52 pm »
$300 for one, shipment in March next year if everything will went according to plan. USB not isolated, no proper output connectors, output impedance not specified. But a shiny acrylic enclosure, that'll get scratched faster on the bench than you can say 50 Ohms. Now, why would you want to buy one?
Holy crap, didn't notice how much it cost.

Looking at all of the crap kickstarter projects makes me want to put up one of my home projects and see how many people give me money, if it was a hit I'd just give the money to MSF/Doctors Without Borders since I don't actually need it for the thing anyways.
There isn't really any cost to developing a small piece of hardware and even getting it manufactured.

One of the kickstarters.... $500'000 for 6 red LEDs on a sleeping mask... I shit you not.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2012, 02:47:44 pm by HardBoot »
 

Offline 8086

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2012, 03:49:03 pm »
Why are almost all kickstarter things completed things looking for donations - TO FUND WHAT? IT'S FINISHED.

Production.

But yes, there is a lot of shit on kickstarter. What annoys me most is that Engadget has a weekly(?) article focusing on a particular kickstarter. So that one (usually some arduino or hipster photography shit) gets a bazillion dollars and some good ones are ignored. But then, that is just the way of the world, I suppose.
 

Offline HardBoot

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2012, 05:48:33 pm »
Why are almost all kickstarter things completed things looking for donations - TO FUND WHAT? IT'S FINISHED.
Production.
But yes, there is a lot of shit on kickstarter. What annoys me most is that Engadget has a weekly(?) article focusing on a particular kickstarter. So that one (usually some arduino or hipster photography shit) gets a bazillion dollars and some good ones are ignored. But then, that is just the way of the world, I suppose.
Ya it's almost 100% a case of big fish picking favourites, there's no relation to how good something actually is.
 

Offline tom66

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2012, 06:55:52 pm »
TBH, I can't see the point of having four channels. Most of the time you want to inject a signal into a system to test things like filter performance, distortion, etc. Then you'd be using one channel. If you used audio, you might need stereo, but four channels? My ideal sig gen would be <$100, have a minimum a 5Vp-p swing (ideally 10Vp-p upwards), be earth referenced (through USB or external plug pack), and be capable of sine - anything extra like arbitrary is a bonus.

They need some RAM on that design so they can load arb waveforms in.
 

Offline maiakaat

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2013, 07:15:02 pm »
TBH, I can't see the point of having four channels. Most of the time you want to inject a signal into a system to test things like filter performance, distortion, etc. Then you'd be using one channel. If you used audio, you might need stereo, but four channels? My ideal sig gen would be <$100, have a minimum a 5Vp-p swing (ideally 10Vp-p upwards), be earth referenced (through USB or external plug pack), and be capable of sine - anything extra like arbitrary is a bonus.

They need some RAM on that design so they can load arb waveforms in.

Digital signals (thats 3 for SPI alone)
Triangle waves for testing ADC's (I think)
Sweep for testing frequency response
Sequences for digital signals
Square/Pulses with fast rise times for testing bandwidth and product rise times/Latencies

For Digital electronics Sine waves are probably the least useful, and 2 channels quickly becomes insufficient for quickly testing and working with designs.
 

Offline Rufus

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2013, 08:45:37 pm »
I can't see the point replying to an 8 month old post about a product that died 8 months ago.
 

Offline tom66

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2013, 08:49:12 pm »
Digital signals could be generated by an 8 way digital output port, you can use just two analog for the rest.
 

Offline Skimask

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Re: Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2013, 01:19:40 am »
I can't see the point replying to an 8 month old post about a product that died 8 months ago.
+1
I didn't take it apart.
I turned it on.

The only stupid question is, well, most of them...

Save a fuse...Blow an electrician.
 


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