Digilent uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our websites. By using our site you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More You are here:: Digilent Documentation / Reference / Instrumentation / Analog Discovery Studio / Analog Discovery Studio Reference Manual Got it! Analog Discovery Studio Reference Manual The Analog Discovery Studio equipped with 13 test and measurement instruments providing the functionality of an entire benchtop worth of equipment in one device.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' Oscilloscope instrument to capture analog input data via the analog input (“Scope”) channels, using either BNC cables or MTE cables. When this instrument is used, the Analog Discovery Studio's analog input channels act as a two-channel, 14-bit, 100 MS/s oscilloscope. When used with BNC cables, the oscilloscope channels are single-ended, however, the circuit under test must still share a common ground with the Analog Discovery Studio.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' Waveform Generator instrument to output analog voltage waves via either BNC cables or MTE cables. The Waveform Generator converts 14-bit digital samples to analog at a rate of up to 100 MS/s on each of two channels. When the Waveform Generator instrument is used, the Analog Discovery Studio's analog output channels act as an Arbitrary Waveform Generator.
The Analog Discovery Studio has a variety of different power supply rails that are can be used to power circuits under test. The V+ and V- rails are variable, while the rest are fixed. The fixed rails are summarized in the table below: Label Voltage Maximum Current +12V 12V +/-5% 0.2A -12V -12V +/-5% 0.2A 5.0V 5V +/-5% 1.0A 3.3V 3.3V +/-5% 1.0A Note: The 3.3V and 5.0V power supply rails are only available from pins located on the Canvas.
The Analog Discovery Studio's analog input pins can be used with WaveForms' Voltmeter instrument to act as a simple voltmeter. DC voltages, AC RMS voltages, and True RMS voltages can be viewed for each of the two Scope channels. Since the Analog Discovery Studio's analog input channels are shared, the Voltmeter instrument cannot be used at the same time as the Oscilloscope, Data Logger, Spectrum Analyzer, Network Analyzer, or Impedance Analyzer instruments.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' “Logger” instrument in order to capture large buffers of analog input data on the Scope pins. The Data Logger can capture buffers of data at update rates of up to 10 samples per second. The maximum duration of a log is dependent on the update rate, but at the extreme, can run for over a thousand hours.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' “Logic” instrument to act as a Logic Analyzer. When used this way, the 16 digital input/output channels are configured to capture high/low logic states on connected pins at a sample rate of up to 100 MS/s. These channels are capable of interfacing with 3.3V and 1.8V logic signals, and are tolerant to voltages of up to 5V. Individual input/output channels can be grouped as buses and protocols.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' “Patterns” instrument to generate logic signal sequences on the digital input/output pins. The pins can be configured to be push/pull, open drain, open source, or three-state logic. The logic high output voltage level is 3.3V. Sample rates can go as high as 100 MS/s.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' Static I/O instrument to emulate a variety of user input/output devices on the digital input/output pins. Virtual LEDs, buttons, switches, sliders, and displays can be assigned to specific digital I/O pins, and interacted with within the WaveForms user interface. The Analog Discovery Studio's digital input/output channels use a 3.3V logic standard for output, and can accept either 1.8V or 3.3V logic signals as inputs.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' “Spectrum” instrument to view the power of frequencydomain components of analog signals captured on the analog input channels. Signals with minimum/maximum frequencies between 0 Hz and 50Mhz can be plotted in units of peak voltage, RMS voltage, and various voltage level ratio units.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' “Network” instrument to view the amplitude and phase response of a circuit under test. Nichols and Nyquist plots can also be viewed with this instrument. Frequency sweeps can be performed in ranges between 1 mHz and 10 MHz with up to 10k samples per decade. The wave used for the sweep can be customized, and uses the same resources as the Waveform Generator instrument.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' “Impedance” instrument to view a wide variety of frequency response characteristics of a circuit under test. Input, Phase, Voltage, Current, Impedance, Admittance, Inductance, Factor, and Nyquist plots are all available. In addition, Custom plots can be used to present the results of a wide variety of different mathematical operations on buffered data.
The Analog Discovery Studio can be used with WaveForms' “Protocol” instrument to work with common communications protocols. UART, SPI, I2C, and CAN transactions can be received, transmitted, and/or spied upon by the Analog Discovery Studio using any of the 16 digital input/output channels at a sample rate of 100 MS/s. Custom scripts can be written within the Protocol Analyzer instrument to generate sequences of SPI or I2C transactions.
Each of WaveForms' instruments can be controlled through scripts within the WaveForms application itself. WaveForms' “Script” instrument allows the user to write and run javascript code that can control the rest of the application through an extensive API. This allows the user to configure and run many instruments at the same time, in an easily repeatable way. A variety of code examples are available in the application to aid in learning to write WaveForms scripts.
