I don't know if a scope would help me or not, but for example I want to =
understand how this sonar receiver I have works.  From what I can see =
from circuits, it is like a microphone that is sensitive to 40KHz.  I =
think it works sort of like a generator, in that there is a magnet in a =
coil and when the sound vibrations cause the magnet to move around and =
thus produce an electric current. =20

Now I think, but I'm not sure, that the current is too small for me to =
read by the AD pins on my PIC.  (this true?)  So I have to amplify by =
sending it through a couple of op-amps.  From here, I think, I can =
either measure the voltage with my PIC A/D or I can build some circuitry =
that produces a logical output.

From the + side of the receiver there always seems to be a capacitor and =
resistor before going to the op-amp.  This I cannot seem to understand.

So I have been thinking I could understand this and things like it with =
some sort of scope.

-----Original Message-----
From: pic microcontroller discussion list =
[mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Tom
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 18:28
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [EE:] recommendations for PC ocscilloscope (was: what is a =
logic analyzer?)

Here's another opinion on necessary scope bandwidth.

For beginners with PICs, *any* speed should work fine *99%* of the time. =
Why?

Because the typical use for scopes are far more often "is there any =
signal
present at all" rather than "are the rise times of this pulse less than =
10nS?"

Yes, there *are* applications for high speed scopes but PIC beginners
seldom encounter them. Especially those who also are electronic =
beginners.

A 10MHz scope will tell you:
        a) do I have 5 volts on the pins where it should be?
        b) is my crystal oscillating?
        c) is my port pin toggling?
        d) is there any data coming in on the serial port line?
        e) what baud rate is that signal?
        f) etc.

A 1GHz scope will tell you all the same things for a lot more money.

Just my opinion...
Good luck!
Tom

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