Thanks for your input Tom. I'll check this out and probably invest .
If you have the time and inclination would you explain: it won't do 'RF' (which is partly why I buy working modules)
Thanks,
Terry S
Hi, Terry. What I meant by the comment is that, at 50-100MHz, the scopes are inadequate to do today's radios (433MHz for the low freq I use and up to 5.2GHz for 802.11 upper bands). However, since I buy complete modules, already tested and ready to go, all I should have to worry about is the interface to these modules and these, so far, have stayed comfortably within the capabilities of my scope.
The scope I have been using is a Vellehman PC Oscilloscope PCSU1000 and I have probably had it for 10 years. Works well for me (has a few quirks but fewer than I do so I can't complain) and my only issue with it is that it requires my PC to use it. When my laptop ran Windows this wasn't too much of an issue, but now my laptops are linux (I don't think this scope has linux SW) and my PC is a honkin' big workstation...
There are standalone, portable, versions and this conversation has made me reconsider what I have...
Attached are two traces I took just this morning as I was measuring the current consumption of a mote. They show the mote waking up, drawing a residual amount of power (1mA/mV) for about 2seconds (the amount of time needed to sample the sensor) and then a big spike at the end where I transmit the sample (probably no more than 6mS long, but hefty, ~85mA, for about 3.3mS of it).
The 'immediately' trace is where I go to check for incoming messages immediately on waking up - this powers up the radio. The 'delayed' trace is where I don't touch the radio until the sample is ready to send. As you can see there is a significant difference in the power consumed (25.3mA vs 8.3mA) for the 2 second period. That change will significantly improve my overall battery life (gross calculation is 3.5 years vs 1.35years for AAA lithium) and makes the CR2032 as an option (if I'm willing to change the battery every 7 1/2 months).
If you have a scope you can do fun stuff like this!
Tom