• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Homemade Circuit Projects

Get free circuit help 24/7

Circuits for Beginners | Basic Circuits | LED Driver | Hobby Circuits | Transistor Circuits

New-Projects | Privacy Policy | About us | Contact | Disclaimer | Copyright

Home » Meters and Testers » Use your PC like an Oscilloscope

Use your PC like an Oscilloscope

Last Updated on February 23, 2022 by Swagatam 5 Comments

As an electronics enthusiast or a hobbyist, you probably yearn for an oscilloscope to check out those elusive waveforms in your amplifier or radio. However, the cost deters you. A reasonably good oscilloscope will set you back by several hundred dollars, unless you buy a pre-owned piece or get one at the flea market.

However, there is hope yet. As you probably own a PC, all the hardware needed to display waveforms is already available to you.

Using PC Like an Oscilloscope

What you now require is software that will enable your PC to work as an oscilloscope; you can purchase this from Zelscope. If you own a PC with a fast processor, about 1GB RAM, about 1MB of free Hard disk space, and at least one 32-bit sound card, you are set up for converting your PC into an oscilloscope. You can even use your PC as a Spectrum Analyzer.

Some additional front-end hardware will be required to attach the oscilloscope probes and feed the test signal into the PC.

You can build your own following the instructions on the Zelscope site, or buy the front-end ready-made. Ordinary RG-58 coaxial cables can be used to make up the probes.

The probe end of the coaxial cable can have crocodile clips, while the end of the coaxial cable that connects to the front-end electronics could be terminated by a BNC.

There is a lot you can do with such a simple arrangement. You get up to two traces with a bandwidth of 10Hz to 20KHz, a sampling rate of 11KHz to 44KHz and an 8- to 16-bit acquisition (it all depends on your sound card).

The time base is from 5Sec to 10uSec with adjustable triggers, two independent cursors, direct frequency readout and time and voltage difference readouts.

The Zelscope-and-PC combination as a low-cost oscilloscope can help adjust audio circuits, take measurements in physics experiments, tune musical instruments, troubleshoot digital circuits, and do many other things. One limitation is that you cannot sense or display DC waveforms, since the sound card of the PC is capacitively coupled.

The spectrum analyzer mode can display amplitude and/or phase.

Apart from the display of waveforms, you can save screenshots, copy-paste functions for data files, save visible traces as text files and make printouts.

Your PC can now be used as a data logger as well. What if you are not satisfied with just an oscilloscope or spectrum analyzer in your arsenal?

Maybe you like to add a waveform generator and a ZRLC meter as well - for which you will need the Visual Analyzer. For those who are looking for something more professional, and willing to spend, Pico has a plethora of similar gadgets.

You'll also like:

  • 1.  Make this Amplifier Power Meter Circuit
  • 2.  Stud Finder Circuit – Find Hidden Metals Inside Walls
  • 3.  Digital Capacitance Meter Circuit Using Arduino
  • 4.  LED Brightness and Efficiency Tester Circuit
  • 5.  Simple Crystal Tester Circuit
  • 6.  Test Static Electricity with this Electrometer Circuit

About Swagatam

I am an electronic engineer (dipIETE ), hobbyist, inventor, schematic/PCB designer, manufacturer. I am also the founder of the website: https://www.homemade-circuits.com/, where I love sharing my innovative circuit ideas and tutorials.
If you have any circuit related query, you may interact through comments, I'll be most happy to help!

Subscribe2


 

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Your Comments are too Valuable! But please see that they are related to the above article, and are not off-topic! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Abu-Hafss says

    Hi Swagatam

    I am planning to buy a used analog oscilloscope.
    Can you guide me what to check/how to check if the unit is fully working and it is trouble free.

    Reply
    • Swagatam says

      Hi Abu-Hafss,

      Although my last use of oscilloscope was way back in 2001, after that I got busy with my manufacturing job, i'll try to recollect my memories and assist you as far as possible.

      Reply
  2. Dayo says

    Hi Swagtagam, I used zelscope as described here, but I didn’t get the sinusoidal waveform with the utility supply, it is like triangle wave when I put the wave sequence on hold.

    Reply
    • Swag says

      Hi Dayo, sorry I cannot troubleshoot it since I have not tried it yet…I would recommend buying any basic smallest oscilloscope, instead of relying on other forms of alternative.

      Reply
  3. Theodore Leber says

    Are there any USB PC type scope kits out there that do not use the sound card. I work mostly wit digital logic so square waves are important to me.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • 3-Phase Power (15)
  • 324 IC Circuits (19)
  • 4017 IC Circuits (53)
  • 4060 IC Circuits (25)
  • 555 IC Circuits (98)
  • 741 IC Circuits (19)
  • Amplifiers (58)
  • Arduino Engineering Projects (82)
  • Audio Projects (94)
  • Battery Chargers (82)
  • Car and Motorcycle (94)
  • Datasheets (46)
  • Decorative Lighting (Diwali, Christmas) (33)
  • DIY LED Projects (89)
  • Electronic Components (97)
  • Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory (35)
  • Electronics Tutorial (109)
  • Fish Aquarium (5)
  • Free Energy (35)
  • Fun Projects (11)
  • GSM Projects (9)
  • Health Related (18)
  • Heater Controllers (28)
  • Home Electrical Circuits (101)
  • How to Articles (20)
  • Incubator Related (6)
  • Industrial Electronics (28)
  • Infrared (IR) (40)
  • Inverter Circuits (98)
  • Laser Projects (12)
  • LM317/LM338 (21)
  • LM3915 IC (25)
  • Meters and Testers (63)
  • Mini Projects (171)
  • Motor Controller (66)
  • MPPT (7)
  • Oscillator Circuits (24)
  • PIR (Passive Infrared) (8)
  • Power Electronics (33)
  • Power Supply Circuits (74)
  • Radio Circuits (9)
  • Remote Control (47)
  • Security and Alarm (61)
  • Sensors and Detectors (116)
  • SG3525 IC (5)
  • Simple Circuits (74)
  • SMPS (29)
  • Solar Controllers (61)
  • Timer and Delay Relay (54)
  • TL494 IC (5)
  • Transformerless Power Supply (8)
  • Transmitter Circuits (40)
  • Ultrasonic Projects (14)
  • Water Level Controller (45)

Circuit Calculators

  • AWG to Millimeter Converter
  • Battery Back up Time Calculator
  • Capacitance Reactance Calculator
  • IC 555 Astable Calculator
  • IC 555 Monostable Calculator
  • Inductance Calculator
  • LC Resonance Calculator
  • LM317, LM338, LM396 Calculator
  • Ohm’s Law Calculator
  • Phase Angle Phase Shift Calculator
  • Power Factor (PF) Calculator
  • Reactance Calculator
  • Small Signal Transistor(BJT) and Diode Quick Datasheet
  • Transistor Astable Calculator
  • Transistor base Resistor Calculator
  • Voltage Divider Calculator
  • Wire Current Calculator
  • Zener Diode Calculator

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
My Facebook-Page
Quora

© 2022 · Swagatam Innovations

We use cookies on our website to give you the best experience.
Cookie settingsAccept All
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Please visit the Privacy Policy Page for more info.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT