Ecscope
Made by mamin27 / Home Automation / Sensors / IoT
About the project
The hardware and software used to measure current and voltage in electronic circuits. It could be used as an easy and cheap tool to investigate your PCB and find issues. The next advantage of the project is the remote management of it through the internet. Added software is used, like an easy oscilloscope GUI.
Project info
Difficulty: Expert
Platforms: Raspberry Pi, Linux Arm
Estimated time: 1 hour
License: GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 or later (LGPL3+)
Items used in this project
Hardware components
Software apps and online services
Hand tools and fabrication machines
Story
From beginning:
Project was created in time when I needed to fix my hardware issues at my PCB designing work and for fixing damaged electric gadget (smoke sensor). In that time I tried to explore my hobby hardware projects with focusing for I2C network sensors. I have got for testing Adafruit ina260 sensor board and I planned to add Texas Instruments Chip INA260 into my python library ecomet-i2c-sensors. After playing with chip I decided to build ina260 driver for bulk sample measurement. Then design continues with creating oscilloscope like hardware and software. However this measurement couldn't be compared with bug fixing with real oscilloscope still could be usable for common electric gadgets at market. A lot of electric enthusiastic would like to work with cheep and easy managed tool that could find issues in their hardware.
Path to software:
First version was designed only with python command line software that use my python library and collect measurements. That limitation decided to design GUI application that will manage hardware with INA260. I used old software project from David E.Dirkse for trigonometric function generator as source of my GUI (free pascal). Almost half year of revers engineering and rebuilding of software went to the first beta version of software that is GUI for prepared hardware board.
Path to hardware:
First hardware board was designed in 1Q 2022. [UI PCB] The prototype contains except the INA260 chip also buttons and display. During a design of software was also hardware re-designed and buttons and display was excluded as useless. Finalizing software features of GUI and testing of hardware prototype lead to the next board with reduction of all unnecessary and adding more connection parts and global massive GND (ground) port. I know that my design will be different as it is done at common oscilloscope producers and oscilloscope cinch connectors was replaced with SMD IC Test Hooks and banana plug cable for the ground. For old school Guys there are still classic Screw Terminal block connectors. Last final PCB was developed during September 2022.
Connection:
Current software and hardware is designed for connection with GPIO board of Raspberry PI. It was successfully tested with version 3B+, 4B+. In near future will be tested at Pi Zero 2W.
If you want to order the I2C hat here is example grove-base-hat-for-raspberry-pi-zero. My hardware could have three types of I2C connectors.
- qwiic I2C connector (max 30 cm length)
- I2C 4pin small connector Seed GROVE, CONNECTOR (max 30 cm length)
- eComet proprietary connector 5pin big connector, AMP - TE CONNECTIVITY, 5-103673-4, 104257-4 (max 2m length)
Schematics, diagrams and documents
CAD, enclosures and custom parts
Code
Credits
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