Winners Announcement: Ben Heck's Raspberry Pi Bitscope Mod!

tariq.ahmad — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 13:41:15 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by tariq.ahmad on 10/10/2017 1:41:15 PM

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Winners Announcement	Congratulations to guillaume9433 you are the winner of Ben Heck's Raspberry Pi Bitscope Mod! His DIY Test Equipment idea was a 0-24V 8A -5V +5V 2A Power Supply Made with Affordable Adjust DC-DC Converters. He's replacing an oscilloscope he can no longer use with Ben Heck's Raspberry Pi Bitscope Mod!
Winning Entry	guillaume9433 writes: Hello , the first test equipment is the power suply . yes without energy, nothings to test. So my DIY test equipment is a power suply 0-24v 8A -5v +5v 2A made with afordable adjust dc-dc converters. later i will post in DIY Test Equipment section schematic, charge tests and improvements. An other thing, for test this i use a monstous fat and old scope (find at the botton of shed): It isn't possible to use this again, my wife don't love this living room embleshiment, so bitescope would be a great substitude
Highlights	gramboymicro writes: I know this is several paragraphs long AND a picture, but it is a very in-depth analysis of my idea. So, there are a lot of ideas for test equipment that I have. A Linux-based tablet similar to that of Microsoft's Surface Pro series? No, too casual. A Raspberry Pi-based clone of the GPD Win? Sounds cool. With almost the exact same functions? Oh no. Too unoriginal. Maybe we could redesign the clam shell idea for an RPi3 Portable and make it something great. So we could keep the clam shell design and handheld form factor. But how original can we make it? Well, let's look at the inspiration, the GPD Win. IT has a clam shell design, a game-pad and keyboard and several built-in input methods. Multiple Input Methods. That's what this idea is based around. So lets think. Right now, it sounds like a fancy DS with an RPi3 inside. Another inspiration that came up (came up RIGHT HERE when writing this) could be the Nintendo Switch, and the versatility of it, and how there is the potential for so many accessories. But then we have to still think about multiple input methods. The Switch's JoyCons come on and off, being able to be removed. And when removed, they can still be used as input devices, wireless or not. There's an idea. Attachable input methods that can be used wireless or through a direct connection. An Idea could be there is the camera, screen and speakers in the top-half, and in the bottom there is an open space for accessories. In the open space- at the bottom, there would be the 4 USB ports from the RPi3. Those could be used for accessories. Also in this open space, closer to the top, there would be standoffs where the wireless accessories could clip on. These accessories could include a trackpad, keyboard, game controller, and more. And Heck, why not place he GPIO header in the open space, by the USB ports. That way specially designed accessories could attach to the GPIO header, and those could be more Test-Oriented. Like LEDs, and other things. And the USB ports could be there to use Wireless accessories too. And while we're at it, make a space at the top of this space, a cut-out so you could have your accessory, say, a game controller, and a USB-wired connection, say, a keyboard, and have the wire run out from under. Summary? Have a 3DS-esque Linux-based RPi3 Portable, with an area on the bottom to clip on accessories like track pads, keyboards, game controllers, and the GPIO Header available for LED indicators or other GPIO-based addons. Also, you can use the clip-on accessory, and still use another wireless input device in the hidden USB ports underneath the clip-on accessory. But how could it be used? Server Maintenance, Testing Linux applications, RPi Project Parts, like LED Indicators, Power Buttons, and maybe even some of the things on the Bitscope, and much, much more. It is just an RPi3 in a fancy case, so the application is only limited by how you use it. gpolder writes: As a radio ham I would rather like to have kind of a spectrum analyser. Unfortunately these are real expensive. Now with the advent of software defined radio there are cheaper ways to monitor the output spectrum of our home brew equipment. I found a very nice idea at adafruit (https://learn.adafruit.com/freq-show-raspberry-pi-rtl-sdr-scanner/overview ) where a SDR-RTL TV dongle is used to display the spectrum between 25 and 1800 MHz. I replicated that design using a Raspberry Pi with 7 inch display (like Ben used in the Bitscope project) in a Smart Pi Touch case. Here is a video of my project: www.youtube.com/watch It would be great though, to enhance this design with: an upconverter to cover the lower frequency bands (qrp-gaijin: RTL-SDR upconversion with diode-ring mixer: part 2). shielding the dongle to protect it from interference. adding BNC and/or N connectors. add selectable input attenuation (50 ohm). put everything in a nice case like Ben did for the bitscope project. I'm really sure that Ben is able to create a great project out of this idea. keuninckx writes: So, using an Arduino, current clamps and some electronic parts, develop a device that can limit the current that's flowing into the grid coming from a grid-connected-inverter that is powered by solar batteries. The limiter should control an electronic potentiometer. Make it work for three phase grid. Each phase should be controlled independently. Also measure the power, generated from solar panels/ batteries, the power used to charge the batteries, the power sent to the grid from the solar panels, the power used from the grid, in a three phase system. With possibility to log the data and send the data to a website to visualize the data. All built around an Arduino or similar. Make it cheap to build but accurate and safe. Also use the weather forecast to do stuff like defining when to charge the batteries with a generator. So it is possible to go off-grid. Workshopshed writes: How about a servo and dc motor tester? For field testing motors or for understanding unknown motors Servos How much current is drawn by a servo Which wire is which? Control to vary the angle Control to vary the PWM frequency? Pins to connect the servo DC motor For a dc motor also the current is useful Control to try different voltages Speed and direction controls? Connectors screw terminals or a selection of standard RC connectors For my purposes power via a mains adapter would be good but I suspect for the RC and Robot crowd would prefer battery power. Bonus feature: USB control for long term testing with data logging dirtyelf writes: i have been working and interested in optics for a while now. the laser harp you made was one of my favorite projects, becasuse... well, lasers! i believe that optics and light in general is the way of the future. light computers will hopefully soon become a thing that everyone can own. ive recently designed multiple light spectrometers, which are essentially an oscilloscope for light, and thought that would be an excellent project for ben and the gang to tackle. the units i work with are probably a bit beyond the scope (see what i did there?) of the show, but i went and taught 3rd graders how to make a simple spectrometer out of a CD and cardboard. i think if you fell somewhere between a 3rd grader's spectrometer and a professional unit that would be awesome! i design the mechanicals for systems like this and have always wanted to learn more about the electronics behind them. it would be great so see ben design the electronic circuit needed to drive a detector, or photodiodes as well has have a scope for my own probing at home! here is a great resource: https://publiclab.org/tag/spectrometer the cardboard spectrometers on there are very similar to the ones we built with the kids pro tip: make sure you allow for focus adjustments if you intend to include lenses in your spectrometer, this way you can optimize the performance of your spectrometer! sherbieny writes: Posted my DYI project: Raspberry PI - Ohmmeter ohiocomputerguy writes: This build is amazing. Would fit in perfectly with my idea for portable workbench. The workbench includes a custom benchtop power supply, a fitted space for the pi-bitscope, portable soldering iron, breadboard, custom helping hands and an assortment of passive components as well as a handy fold down magnifying glass. Basicly an entire workstation in a 14" wooden box to take with you on road. The attached photo is a mock up of what I have envisioned it to be.

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Winners Announcement

Congratulations to guillaume9433 you are the winner of Ben Heck's Raspberry Pi Bitscope Mod!

His DIY Test Equipment idea was a 0-24V 8A -5V +5V 2A Power Supply Made with Affordable Adjust DC-DC Converters.

He's replacing an oscilloscope he can no longer use with Ben Heck's Raspberry Pi Bitscope Mod!

Winning Entry

guillaume9433 writes:

Hello , the first test equipment is the power suply . yes without energy, nothings to test.

So my DIY test equipment is a power suply 0-24v 8A -5v +5v 2A made with afordable adjust dc-dc converters.

later i will post in DIY Test Equipment section schematic, charge tests and improvements.

An other thing, for test this i use a monstous fat and old scope (find at the botton of shed):

It isn't possible to use this again, my wife don't love this living room embleshiment, so bitescope would be a great substitude

Highlights

gramboymicro writes:

I know this is several paragraphs long AND a picture, but it is a very in-depth analysis of my idea.

So, there are a lot of ideas for test equipment that I have. A Linux-based tablet similar to that of Microsoft's Surface Pro series? No, too casual. A Raspberry Pi-based clone of the GPD Win? Sounds cool. With almost the exact same functions? Oh no. Too unoriginal. Maybe we could redesign the clam shell idea for an RPi3 Portable and make it something great.

So we could keep the clam shell design and handheld form factor. But how original can we make it? Well, let's look at the inspiration, the GPD Win. IT has a clam shell design, a game-pad and keyboard and several built-in input methods. Multiple Input Methods. That's what this idea is based around. So lets think. Right now, it sounds like a fancy DS with an RPi3 inside. Another inspiration that came up (came up RIGHT HERE when writing this) could be the Nintendo Switch, and the versatility of it, and how there is the potential for so many accessories. But then we have to still think about multiple input methods.

The Switch's JoyCons come on and off, being able to be removed. And when removed, they can still be used as input devices, wireless or not. There's an idea. Attachable input methods that can be used wireless or through a direct connection. An Idea could be there is the camera, screen and speakers in the top-half, and in the bottom there is an open space for accessories. In the open space- at the bottom, there would be the 4 USB ports from the RPi3. Those could be used for accessories. Also in this open space, closer to the top, there would be standoffs where the wireless accessories could clip on. These accessories could include a trackpad, keyboard, game controller, and more. And Heck, why not place he GPIO header in the open space, by the USB ports. That way specially designed accessories could attach to the GPIO header, and those could be more Test-Oriented. Like LEDs, and other things. And the USB ports could be there to use Wireless accessories too. And while we're at it, make a space at the top of this space, a cut-out so you could have your accessory, say, a game controller, and a USB-wired connection, say, a keyboard, and have the wire run out from under.

Summary? Have a 3DS-esque Linux-based RPi3 Portable, with an area on the bottom to clip on accessories like track pads, keyboards, game controllers, and the GPIO Header available for LED indicators or other GPIO-based addons. Also, you can use the clip-on accessory, and still use another wireless input device in the hidden USB ports underneath the clip-on accessory.

But how could it be used? Server Maintenance, Testing Linux applications, RPi Project Parts, like LED Indicators, Power Buttons, and maybe even some of the things on the Bitscope, and much, much more. It is just an RPi3 in a fancy case, so the application is only limited by how you use it.

gpolder writes:

As a radio ham I would rather like to have kind of a spectrum analyser. Unfortunately these are real expensive. Now with the advent of software defined radio there are cheaper ways to monitor the output spectrum of our home brew equipment.

I found a very nice idea at adafruit (https://learn.adafruit.com/freq-show-raspberry-pi-rtl-sdr-scanner/overview ) where a SDR-RTL TV dongle is used to display the spectrum between 25 and 1800 MHz.

I replicated that design using a Raspberry Pi with 7 inch display (like Ben used in the Bitscope project) in a Smart Pi Touch case. Here is a video of my project:

www.youtube.com/watch

It would be great though, to enhance this design with:

an upconverter to cover the lower frequency bands (qrp-gaijin: RTL-SDR upconversion with diode-ring mixer: part 2).
shielding the dongle to protect it from interference.
adding BNC and/or N connectors.
add selectable input attenuation (50 ohm).
put everything in a nice case like Ben did for the bitscope project.

I'm really sure that Ben is able to create a great project out of this idea.

keuninckx writes:

So, using an Arduino, current clamps and some electronic parts, develop a device that can limit the current that's flowing into the grid coming from a grid-connected-inverter that is powered by solar batteries. The limiter should control an electronic potentiometer. Make it work for three phase grid. Each phase should be controlled independently. Also measure the power, generated from solar panels/ batteries, the power used to charge the batteries, the power sent to the grid from the solar panels, the power used from the grid, in a three phase system. With possibility to log the data and send the data to a website to visualize the data. All built around an Arduino or similar. Make it cheap to build but accurate and safe. Also use the weather forecast to do stuff like defining when to charge the batteries with a generator. So it is possible to go off-grid.

Workshopshed writes:

How about a servo and dc motor tester? For field testing motors or for understanding unknown motors

Servos

How much current is drawn by a servo
Which wire is which?
Control to vary the angle
Control to vary the PWM frequency?
Pins to connect the servo

DC motor

For a dc motor also the current is useful
Control to try different voltages
Speed and direction controls?
Connectors screw terminals or a selection of standard RC connectors

For my purposes power via a mains adapter would be good but I suspect for the RC and Robot crowd would prefer battery power.

Bonus feature: USB control for long term testing with data logging

dirtyelf writes:

i have been working and interested in optics for a while now. the laser harp you made was one of my favorite projects, becasuse... well, lasers! i believe that optics and light in general is the way of the future. light computers will hopefully soon become a thing that everyone can own. ive recently designed multiple light spectrometers, which are essentially an oscilloscope for light, and thought that would be an excellent project for ben and the gang to tackle. the units i work with are probably a bit beyond the scope (see what i did there?) of the show, but i went and taught 3rd graders how to make a simple spectrometer out of a CD and cardboard. i think if you fell somewhere between a 3rd grader's spectrometer and a professional unit that would be awesome! i design the mechanicals for systems like this and have always wanted to learn more about the electronics behind them. it would be great so see ben design the electronic circuit needed to drive a detector, or photodiodes as well has have a scope for my own probing at home!

here is a great resource: https://publiclab.org/tag/spectrometer the cardboard spectrometers on there are very similar to the ones we built with the kids

pro tip: make sure you allow for focus adjustments if you intend to include lenses in your spectrometer, this way you can optimize the performance of your spectrometer!

sherbieny writes:

Posted my DYI project:

Raspberry PI - Ohmmeter

ohiocomputerguy writes:

This build is amazing. Would fit in perfectly with my idea for portable workbench. The workbench includes a custom benchtop power supply, a fitted space for the pi-bitscope, portable soldering iron, breadboard, custom helping hands and an assortment of passive components as well as a handy fold down magnifying glass. Basicly an entire workstation in a 14" wooden box to take with you on road. The attached photo is a mock up of what I have envisioned it to be.

Propose an Idea for Test Equipment that you can Build Yourself for a Chance to Win!

Comment Below for a Chance to Win and Win Again by Submitting Your Finished Build on Project14!

www.youtube.com/watch

Ben and Karen announce the latest giveaway. Give your DIY Test Equipment ideas in the comments below for a chance to win Ben's Raspberry Pi Bitscope Mod!

How to Win Ben's Raspberry Pi Bitscope Mod

Come up with a great idea for DIY Test Equipment that you can build yourself. It's not expensive to build your own test equipment
If you wow us with your idea you get something cool Ben made.
You just need to comment below for a chance to win but here is the judging criteria:
- Demonstrate enthusiasm for the product being offered
- Facilitate discussion through constructive discourse
- Contribute to the discussion in a unique or interesting way
- Leverage experience to offer insight into the topic being explored
- Demonstrates knowledge and mastery of the topic
- Presents compelling case for being deserving of prize
Images, Video, and Text are all welcomed forms of submission and you're flexible with how you want to express your idea

Ways You Can Win

- Wow us with your DIY Test Equipment project proposal!
- Shoot some video or pictures of the project or parts you'll be using
- List the parts that you are using and tell us how you plan to use them in your finished build
- Comment the entire project you are working on in the comments below and comment more as you go along
- Give us schematics and convince us you actually want to build this thing!

What is DIY Test Equipment

Electronic test equipment is used to create and capture responses from electronic devices under test (DUTs). Before you can do serious work on electronics systems you need the right test equipment. Depending on what type of equipment you are using this can be expensive. Oscilloscopes for instance can run you several thousands of dollars.

Luckily, you don't have to spend several thousands of dollars to get your own DIY oscilloscope. This giveaway challenges you to either come up with your own piece of DIY Test Equipment (to win you must use the comments below to propose your own idea), or to follow along with Ben and DIY your own Raspberry Pi BitScope Mod Oscilloscope.

There's something in this for electronics enthusiasts of all types.

If you're a novice this is an opportunity to get started on an projects while growing your appreciation of how electronics work
If you're a Maker Pro, is that you can tailor your test equipment to your needs, at a fraction of the cost of more expensive equipment.

Examples of DIY Test Equipment

Examples of DIY test equipment include oscilloscopes, function generators, audio impedance meters, capacitance meters, AC/DC LED Indicators, 555 Timer IC Tester, digital frequency counters, digital pressure guage, MOSFET tester, wire tracers, tachnometers, mains power line sniffer, and digital voltmeters.

Replicate This Build

Bitscope Mod Episode

If you want to replicate this build or do your own creative version of this (with the latest parts) you can find everything you need to know here:

Replicate this Build!

Win Again by Submitting Your Finished Build on Project14!

About Project14: Project14: Monthly Project Competitions About You!

Come up With Ideas for Project Competitions for free e14 Swag: Project14 | You Decide the Next Monthly Project Competition!

Earn a $100 Shopping Cart with Your Finished Project: DIY Test Equipment

Highlights:

You may have noticed some DIY Test Equipment projects popping up on the community recently. That's because DIY Test Equipment, an idea dougw came up with, is the project competition you came up with for Project14.

Project entries include a tachometer named Cyclops-1000: An Electronic Eye for Rotational Speed Measurement and Building a Fluxgate Magnetometer based Current Probe from shabaz ;
Vintage 555 - A general-purpose button debouncer , 3D Printer Filament Automatic Dispenser for Arduino - #1 Design and Hardware , 3D Printer Filament Automatic Dispenser for Arduino - #2 Connection and Software from balearicdynamics
Multi-Ref Mk. II by hlipka a test equipment tool for testing test equipment, DIY Test Equipment: Ears and Tears 2020 (A Logic Probe) from koudelad
Process Duration Timer (Final Chapter) Assembly and Testing by jw0752
DIY Test Equipment: The Di-o-Matic, a Simple Diode Tester [Arduino] by jc2048
Arduino oscilloscope - DIY entry device by idanre1 .

Visit DIY Test Equipment to come up with ideas based on what other community members have done so far over the past month on Project14!

Three Steps to Win and Win Again!

Directions:

Step 1: Log in or register on element14, it's easy and free.

Step 2: Post in the comments section below.

Videos, pictures and text are all welcomed forms of submission.

Step 3: Visit DIY Test Equipment and submit your complete entry at Submit your completed DIY Project to Win Again! 3 First Place Winners will Earn a $100 Shopping Cart!

We will accept entries until 3:00pm CDT September 25th, 2017 and Ben and Karen will announce the winner on YouTube after all entries have been carefully considered!

If you need something to do between now and then make sure to check out what is happening This week on element14 Community, or watch more Ben at element14.com/TBHS.

In the Comments Below: Propose Your Idea for DIY Test Equipment!

The most promising Idea for DIY Test Equipment Wins Ben Heck's Raspberry Pi BitScope Mod!

Attachments:

community.element14.com/.../Giveaway_5F00_TC_5F00_Raspberry_5F00_Pi_5F00_BitScope_5F00_Mod.pdf

Giveaway_TC_Raspberry_Pi_BitScope_Mod.pdf

Tags: tachometer, ben heck giveaways, diode tester, past_contest, oscilloscope, raspberry pi, bitscope, magnetometer, diy oscilloscope, bitscope mod giveaway, project14, diy test equipment