Using an oscilloscope as a pulse-height analyzer?

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Drabadum2013-01-16 22:00:45

Electronics

Drabadum, 2013-01-16 22:00:45

There is a device that produces about 10 pulses per second with a duration of one to several tens of microseconds of various amplitudes (usually from 0.5 to 1.5 volts). The impulses appear at random times. It is necessary to obtain a histogram of the distribution of pulses by amplitude, or (better) a file with the amplitudes of the pulses in the order in which they appear.
Before me, such work was done with a LeCroy oscilloscope, which wrote data to a floppy disk. This device is no longer available.
I made an analyzer on Arduino, but it simply does not have time to digitize such short pulses. If interested, I can write a post about it, but there is nothing special.
So, is it possible to record the histogram or the amplitudes of the described pulses (about 10,000 pieces are needed) to a file using an inexpensive digital oscilloscope, for example,AKIP-4115 ? It is desirable to keep the budget up to 500 euros. I will also be glad to offer other methods of measurement.

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3 answer(s)

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slpdmn, 2013-01-17
@slpdmn

For 500 euros you can buy a super cool portable oscilloscope. For example here . Almost all have a USB output and a set of drivers. Alternatively, there are many schemes for using the input of a sound card as an oscilloscope. There is plenty of sensitivity and speed for your signal.
And yet - you are doing something wrong, pulses with a frequency of 10 Hz can be digitized with a microcalculator with a processor frequency of 1 kHz. Arduino should make it easy.

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slpdmn, 2013-01-17
@slpdmn

Among the oscilloscopes proposed by reference, there are several with a bandwidth of up to 200 MHz. The neighbor has a two-beam one with memory and a USB output for $ 500. just a box with a USB output, they are much cheaper without a screen. According to the link I gave, they are also there.
And on the second question - what is the duty cycle? Pulses can be elementary integrated if the duty cycle allows. Those. diode -> conder -> meter. The discharge time is determined by the duty cycle. (an oscilloscope is of course more versatile, but the cheapness of such a solution is quite an argument)

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Drabadum, 2013-01-17
@Drabadum

Okay, to hell with her, with the price. The money is still not mine, but observatories. I formulate the question briefly:
Can an oscilloscope with a USB port digitize a signal and save it to a file? File like <1 value> <2 value>… <N value>.