Josh Koffman wrote:
>
> I really want one of these: http://www.jwardell.com/about/seniorproj/ .
> Seems ideal for me for so many applications. Also begging to be open

Really?? There is no mention of it's speed or resolution.
It appears to be nothing more than a PIC, a Maxim RS232 driver and a 5V
regulator. Assuming that it's using a serial port (it would have to
to talk to the Palm), it can't have much of a sample rate. I suppose
if you're only looking at audio signals it might be useful.

> sourced...a $25 scope would help so many people out (ok, ok I know you

A -real- dirt cheap scope would be far more useful since this
unit appears to have minimal gain and sample rate options.

> gotta pay for the Palm too). Unfortunately every time I check with one
> of the guys who designed it, he tells me that Syracuse University is
> still pulling an intellectual property thing, and that he can't give me

More likely HE is pulling the IP thing. You'll note that the web pages
talk about 'Product', and the his Powerpoint presentation is missing
(so that the chip's can't be easily identified). He's probably looking
at selling it if there was enough interest.

> any more information bout it. Now since all the guys have graduated, he
> says the project is pretty much dead. Does anyone know how to get around
> intellectual property crap like this? Seems like the university is

Do it for yourself. There are quite a number of app notes and
Circuit Cellar projects that describe in detail how to do this
sort of thing. The only novel part is using the Palm as a data
buffer. Big deal.

> limiting education, not helping it along. Any ideas? Did I mention I
> really really want one? :)

Look at Elecktor? (Everday Electronics?) web site for the
"Gameboy Scope". A used gameboy is dirt cheap, and the project used
a common ADC chip interfaced as a cartridge. You had to buy
the ROM from the magazine publisher (so they could milk the project
for every penny) so I didn't look too closely. If memory serves, the
PICLIST archive had a long thread about the morality of this
'restriction' on the author early last year.


A fast A/D, a bit of multiplexed RAM, and some software is all it
takes. Large static RAM is cheap and easy to interface to a PC parallel
port.

There are LOTS of these sort of projects out there, and most are
open source already. Why waste time on THIS project?

Robert

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