Miniscope v3 followup

Here’s a few followup comments to the miniscope oscillocope app support for the Bus Pirate.

First a correction. Miniscope source is available under the GPL now, we got it wrong:

Actually source code is available, take a look inside i.e. miniscope_v3_0_0_21.7z and bus_pirate_dll_20101016.7z 7-zip archives. It may be ugly but it’s quite mature and dll interface is so far backward-compatible.

Miniscope was built with Turbo C++ 2006 Explorer and this might be some problem as this IDE is not available anymore (few years ago license was free), but adding another device does not require modifications. Bus_pirate.dll was built with Code::Blocks 10.05/MinGW 4.4.1 (bundled) and should be easy to rebuilt.

Can open source solve your problems and make the world a slightly better place?

Following the instructions above it is simple and straightforward. I am a newbie when it comes to compiling, but was able to figure out how to get the BPv3 to read an RSSI issue that has been dogging me for weeks. I couldn’t justify a USB scope for what I do and sound card scopes do not read DC. This app solved a month-long issue that my DMM would never see –in minutes. So impressed by the utility, I went looking for a Pay-Pal contribution link.

Open Source Control Systems has the Bus Pirate

Open Source Control Systems is the newest Bus Pirate distributor, pick one up here. They also carry other well-known open hardware projects like the BrewTroller.

Thank you to Open Source Control Systems for supporting the Bus Pirate! If you’d like to be a Bus Pirate distributor please drop us a line.

Comments: Seeed Studio’s outstanding service

Seeed Studio goes above and beyond to make our projects a success. Thanks guys!

The two LCD adapters v2 I received from Seeed about 2 weeks ago were missing the the cables, too. I never reported this to Seeed.

To my surprise a little box with 2 connector cables from Seeed was in my mail today! :)

To me this is an other display of Seeed’s outstanding service – so some things went wrong with orders over time, Seeed always made up for it to my full satisfaction! :)

Get an LCD adapter for $9.

Bus Pirate: Miniscope v3

miniscope is a free PC oscilloscope application that now supports the Bus Pirate via a DLL plugin. It’s intended to be GPL, but it looks like the source isn’t yet available.

That’s the second o-scope software for the new Bus Pirate continuous ADC binary command. We’ve also requested Bus Pirate support in a third, the Xoscillo oscilloscope project.

Via the forum.

Free PCB Sunday: Bus Pirate v3 prototype

We go through a lot of prototype PCBs, and end up with lots of extras that we’ll never use. Every Sunday we give away a few PCBs from one of our past or future projects, or a related prototype. Our PCBs are made through Seeed Studio’s Fusion board service.

This week we’re giving an updated Bus Pirate v3 PCB. These PCBs were intended to follow the current v3b production. They incorporate a centered, shrouded SMD header. We had hoped that eliminating all thought-hole parts would make the Bus Pirate cheaper and faster to produce. Unfortunately the SMD header was difficult to find and more expensive than expected, so the through-hole header remains. Just ask for a PCB in the comments.

Continue reading “Free PCB Sunday: Bus Pirate v3 prototype”

Week in (p)review: October 17, 2010

Here’s some highlights from the past two weeks, in case you missed them:

This week should have some fun stuff too:

Bus Pirate: Wii Motion Plus demo

jjshortcut interfaced the Wii Motion Plus controller with the Bus Pirate.

I did some development with my bus pirate and now I’m able to read my Wii motion plus with my Bus Pirate over I2C

What are you hacking? Let us know via the contact form.

Get a Bus Pirate for $30, including worldwide shipping at Seeed Studio. Adafruit also has the Bus Pirate and probe cables in stock and ready to ship.

EAGLE open XML format for schematics, PCBs

CadSoft is developing new open, XML-based file formats for the Eagle schematic and PCB editor. This means easier version control, something we gripped about earlier today, and better interoperability among CAD applications.

The CadSoft EAGLE development team is developing a new format for schematic, layout and parts libraries that is XML, this means every object and line will be written out in text description.

This will be a fully documented format and also of course a converter for old CadSoft EAGLE binary-type formats

You won’t have to worry about binary file corruption, you will be able to hand-edit or generate schematics and layouts and of course the magic of version-control (such as github) will be easier than ever with real text ‘diff’s!

Discussion is happening here, thanks Folknology!

Via Adafruit.

How-to: Export parts from Eagle libraries

The Dangerous Prototypes Eagle parts library has most of the parts used in our projects. It’s got just about everything we use on a daily basis.  We keep it in SVN so everyone has the latest version.

Eagle stores footprints in a binary file, so SVN can’t merge differences if two people make changes at the same time. Lately we’ve lost a bunch of parts from conflicting updates.

To end the agony of lost parts, Sjaak whipped up a library export program. It exports all the parts in an Eagle library to individual script files. These scripts are text files that can be committed to SVN without fear of overwriting someone’s updates. A second program assembles the individual parts back into a library.

Download links and instructions.

Flash ADCs, USB battery chargers

rsdio tipped us to some interesting parts and application notes. First up is a tutorial on fast parallel analog to digital converters:

Flash analog-to-digital converters, also known as parallel ADCs, are the fastest way to convert an analog signal to a digital signal. Flash ADCs are ideal for applications requiring very large bandwidth, but they consume more power than other ADC architectures and are generally limited to 8-bit resolution. This tutorial will discuss flash converters and compare them with other converter types.

Lots of projects draw power from the USB port, but few include rechargeable batteries. The MAX8895 might make that much easier:

…the MAX8895 [is] a linear battery charger for Bluetooth headsets and portable devices that is compatible with the USB Battery Charging Specification, Revision 1.1. The MAX8895 is uniquely equipped with automatic adapter detection for distinguishing between USB devices, USB chargers, and dedicated chargers. It also integrates a USB enumeration function that automatically negotiates with the USB host to optimize charging current without processor intervention. This capability eliminates the need for a separate microcontroller and system software, thus providing the industry’s only stand-alone charging solution.

Neat chip, but we’ll probably wait for a breakout board. The tiny WLP package doesn’t sound like something we can hand-solder.

Bus Pirate v4 hardware self-test

Bus Pirate v4 just passed the hardware self-test. A test firmware will be available soon.

So far we’ve implemented:

  • USB connection
  • Main IO pins
  • Hardware I2C
  • On-board EEPROM, with I2C edit mode
  • v4 hardware self-test
  • Function button
  • Extra axillary pins
  • New LEDs

Next we’re going to address a bug in the pull-up voltage select circuit. Follow our progress in the forum.

Logic Sniffer 101 overview

There’s a new Logic Sniffer 101 overview on the wiki. You’ll learn about:

  • The three main operating modes
  • What the LED indicators mean
  • The pin numbering scheme

You can order the Logic Sniffer at Seeed Studio for $45, including worldwide shipping. Don’t forget that Seeed now has probe cables for $6 each. You need two cables to use all 16 buffered channels.