This blog posting will consider the initial set-up procedure for the hardware and software, while also evaluating the support and documentation provided.
Obtaining Software
To actually run the ADP3450, you will need to download the WaveForms software from Digilent’s website. The software is free and can be run without a hardware device with virtual demonstration devices.
In order to download the software, you need to fill in a form where they collect your e-mail address, the Digilent devices you are using, where you purchased the device from, how often you tend to purchase test equipment, what you will be using it for and the operating system you use. I find this to be an unnecessary hurdle which only appears to have recently been added to the website.
The software is available for Windows (32-bit and 64-bit), Mac OS X, Linux (deb or rpm, 32-bit and 64-bit, x86 or ARM) making it almost universally compatible. For Linux users, they need to also download and install the Adept Runtime before installing the WaveForms software, which also requires filling in a form.
The versions available on the website are the latest stable versions, but it seems WaveForms is constantly being developed and the beta version from their forums may actually be more appropriate as it may have some improvements (e.g. I noted a problem with corrupted oscilloscope samples running in Ethernet Standard mode which was corrected in the beta but not in the current stable version). The beta version is not built for as many platforms as the standard version is.
Software Setup
Setting up the software under Windows is extremely straightforward once the package has been downloaded.
It is a matter of running the installer package with administrative privileges and following the prompts.
Setting up the software under Linux is a little more complicated, but the below procedure can be used across all Debian-based Linux distributions including Ubuntu and Raspberry Pi OS.
The dpkg command is used to install the Adept Runtime and the WaveForms software. An error may occur when there are dependency problems which requires invoking sudo apt --fix-broken install to download any dependencies and install them. After this, WaveForms should be ready to use.
Unfortunately, I do not own any Mac OS X devices, so I did not evaluate the software under Mac OS X.
Hardware Setup
For the most part, getting started with the hardware is almost plug-and-play. The ADP3450 requires external power to function, thus the 19V adapter needs to be plugged into power and into the barrel jack in the rear. The power switch on the left-hand side must be switched into the on position to allow the unit to power up.
By default, for security reasons, the unit is configured to boot into USB Standard mode, which means that even if Ethernet is connected, the unit will not be reachable or configurable over Ethernet. As a result, it is a requirement that you connect the unit via USB cable to a computer to configure the modes and security settings.
A successful USB connection is indicated by the addition of a USB Serial Port with the FTDI driver, operating with a VID of 0403 and a PID of 6001. Once this is established, then the WaveForms software can be used to complete configuration.
Other hardware set-up tasks include unpacking any supplied probes and applying probe rings to them to ensure each probe is matched to a particular channel. This is particularly important as the 10X attenuation setting will require properly adjusted compensation to produce accurate read-outs without significant under or overshoot.
Unfortunately, it seems the ADP3450 does not have a dedicated probe compensation terminal unlike most oscilloscopes. I used another oscilloscope to generate the probe compensation waveform for alignment, however, the integrated wavegen in the ADP3450 could also suffice. I would not advise poking the probes into the BNC socket, however – perhaps having a special terminal or fixture provided for probe compensation would be an improvement.
Software Configuration
The software configuration can begin once the WaveForms software is launched. By default, you have the option to scan for devices and list them for connection.
However, straight out of the factory, the ADP3450 does not have the most up-to-date software on it. By clicking the Update Device button, it is possible to update the firmware on the device – note that this is separate to updating the Linux Mode image (which is covered in a later chapter). This menu allows you to select from multiple devices if you have several, but also lets you configure the memory configuration between the two supported splits – the latter configuration prioritising the scope at the cost of all other instruments.
Perhaps the most important configuration option is the Boot Mode.
By default, the Standard boot mode is selected which is intended for use when you wish to have the device be used with WaveForms over USB or Ethernet without any fancy on-board processing features. The Network Settings dialogue must be configured if you wish for the unit to be used over Ethernet, allowing the selection of IP and DNS settings if DHCP is not desired. The same settings can be used for Linux Mode as well.
The Linux Mode is a key differentiator, allowing the unit to work independently of the host PC. This is covered in a later chapter, but can be enabled through this dialog. The remainder of the modes are considered advanced modes and are used for recovery purposes.
The Users configuration allows for configuring user accounts for Linux operating mode for security, to avoid others from connecting to your ADP3450 on the network and for data encryption. Unfortunately, it is not available in Standard mode, and I had difficulty getting it to work even with a defined user and the correct password, I was told the password was incorrect. Perhaps the password was too long or had special characters causing issues, I’m not sure.
The frequency selection menu is important as it sets the reference clock for the ADCs and DACs. All of the rates are derived from this reference clock which defaults to 100MHz, which gives nice “round” divided time intervals, however, does not achieve the maximum possible sampling rate. In order to achieve the maximum 125MSPS rate printed on the box, the frequency must be changed to 125MHz.
Unlike some other instruments, it is possible to read the calibration data from the ADP3450 and perform calibration yourself with a trustworthy DMM using the wizard in the Calibration menu.
For testing, I am using the default factory calibration only, as the device should have a known-good calibration pre-loaded.
A number of other options are available to customise the UI, graphics displays and further configure the device.
The Speed Test button allows for checking the connection to the device.
Above are the results for USB and Ethernet, with Ethernet being faster.
Hardware status information is also available by clicking on the Status: OK button in the bottom toolbar.
The software itself has a tabbed interface with highly flexible views, with many sub-menus and feature icons. It is a little cluttered at first and takes some getting used to, but is exceptionally powerful. Multiple instruments can be invoked from the Welcome tab and used simultaneously – in this case a Wavegen and Scope are being used at the same time. Set-ups can be saved and recalled with data.
In using the software, I liked how the software looked and worked the same across Windows and Linux, especially on Linux targets running ARM which are not easy to find compatible USB-based test equipment for and on the ADP3450 itself when in Linux Mode (covered in a later chapter).
One thing I did notice with the unit in use is the loud clacking of the relays when the device is being initialised. It is very loud, prominent and distracting compared to other pieces of test equipment – perhaps not helped by its light weight and well-ventilated casing. Other than that, the unit is silent, as it is passively cooled.
Product Documentation
When it comes to documentation, there is only a quick start postcard supplied with the product, but information can be found from a number of places.
The first is the integrated Help tab within WaveForms which gives rather useful information about the architecture of the ADP3450 and is a general summary of the instruments and capabilities.
The Digilent Reference site online has a landing page for the Analog Discovery Pro which forms the core of the documentation for the product. There are reference manuals, specifications and a growing list of tutorials. While they are not available for download, they do print fairly well. Unfortunately, I did find that the references did contain some minor subtle ambiguities and occasional errors, with the quality of documentation feeling a bit more like a wiki that is still being constantly developed rather than a printed manual.
However, there is another source of information and support which is the Digilent Forums. In the forums, there is a specific sub-forum dedicated to Test and Measurement, under which a number of threads relevant to WaveForms and the Analog Discovery Pro can be found. There seem to be a number of very active employees who post and answer questions, while also building beta versions of the WaveForms software to resolve issues. So far I haven’t spotted any major issue that hasn’t been fixed by a beta version, and judging from the activity on the board, it seems the community is quite active and open about fixing or improving the software which is rare for test-equipment manufacturers.
Conclusion
Initial setup of the ADP3450 involves both software and hardware elements. The software must first be obtained from their website, which requires filling in a form that asks quite a number of questions. I feel this is a minor inconvenience, however, to their credit, the software is available for Windows (32/64-bit), Mac OS X and Linux (32/64-bit, x86/ARM, deb/rpm) making it one of the most widely compatible pieces of test equipment software I have seen. Installation on Windows is straightforward, while Linux requires installing Adept Runtime before WaveForms and then fixing missing dependencies.
Hardware set-up includes plugging in the power and turning on the unit. The probes have to be labelled for each channel and probe compensation should be trimmed. Unfortunately, this is where I noticed that the ADP3450 does not have a probe compensation terminal. While the AWG could potentially generate the necessary signal, it would be unwise to directly probe the BNC socket, so perhaps a fixture or a terminal would be a good addition.
Software configuration then follows, which includes updating the device firmware and then setting up the operating mode and memory buffer split which needs to be done over USB initially (as a security precaution). Standard USB or Ethernet allows for host operation of the instrument, while Linux mode (covered later) allows the instrument to operate independently. Network configuration, reference frequency and authentication configuration should also be completed as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t have as much luck getting authentication working, which apparently only works in Linux mode. Unlike some other devices, the configuration also allows for calibrating the device using a trustworthy DMM in case the factory calibration is not good enough. Various user interface, graphics and device options can be configured, while a speed test and status read-out serve as diagnostics.
The software itself is very powerful, but also can appear cluttered and intimidating at first. There are a number of icons for various features which may not be obvious at first, and layers of sub-menus with the ability to break windows into multiple views and run multiple instruments simultaneously in separate tabs. I appreciated the consistency of the software across platforms, which performed virtually identically. The unit itself was silent as it is passively cooled, with the exception of loud, distracting relay clicking upon initialisation at start-up.
Product documentation consists of the quick-start postcard provided with the device, help within WaveForms which provides an overview of the architecture and instruments in the ADP3450, the Digilent Reference which is akin to a “wiki” style website providing a reference manual, specifications and a growing list of tutorials for the device. I felt that the documentation was a bit lacking with some omissions, ambiguities and occasional errors. Finally, support can be found in the Digilent Forums where the Test and Measurement subforum has a number of very active employees that seem to be highly responsive to questions and also build beta-versions of WaveForms to resolve problems.
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This post is a part of the Digilent Analog Discovery Pro ADP3450 USB/Ethernet Mixed Signal Oscilloscope RoadTest Review.
