Analog Discovery 3 Test and Measurement Device

Digilent’s Analog Discovery 3 is a digital oscilloscope, logic analyzer, waveform generator, pattern generator, and much more. Using the included waveforms software (supported by Windows, Mac, and Linux), the Analog Discovery 3 can be used in the lab, in the field, or even at home as any number of test instruments that users might have to buy separately on a traditional benchtop.

Like its predecessor, the Analog Discovery 3 is a portable USB-powered test and measurement device with an upgraded USB-C connection. It is lightweight and small enough to fit in a pocket or backpack, making it an exceptional companion for any engineer.

This iteration of the Analog Discovery digital oscilloscope also allows engineers access to two powerful features in waveforms, the finite impulse response (FIR) filter and the proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. Users can reduce the high-frequency noise that could affect the quality of their measurements by using optional FIR filters on oscilloscope input channels. The PID controller allows the control of a signal output based on the system's response.

The Analog Discovery 3 has access to all the adapters and accessories from its previous version. These accessories, like the transistor tester, impedance analyzer, and breadboard adapter, are available optionally.

WaveForms is the free software application for the Analog Discovery 3 and enables the use of the available analog and digital instruments. The user-friendly interface has the feel of traditional benchtop software. The hardware device communicates with WaveForms via a USB connection to the computer, allowing users to capture, record, analyze, and generate mixed signal and mixed domain waveforms. In addition to using instruments in the application, the waveform application has a script editor tool, which allows custom scripting of the instrument in JavaScript. WaveForms is designed to be run on a laptop or desktop computer and is Windows, Mac, and Linux compatible.

For even more customization potential, the waveforms software development kit (SDK) can be used to create custom applications and scripts in Python, C, and additional languages. The Analog Discovery 3 is also compatible with LabVIEW and the Digilent toolbox for compatibility with MathWorks' MATLAB data acquisition toolbox.

Analog Discovery 3 includes a free 30-day trial of EveryMeasure, a data storage and visualization platform, plus a one-year subscription to Multisim Live Premium, an online circuit simulator that lets users create, learn, and share circuits and electronics online.

An oscilloscope, waveform generator, power supplies, voltmeter, data logger, logic analyzer, pattern generator, static I/O, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, impedance analyzer, curve tracer, and protocol analyzer instruments are available in the WaveForms application.

The Analog Discovery 3 boasts a large buffer size, allowing more data to be sent through the waveform generator and received through the mixed channel (analog and digital) oscilloscope. It has an increased sampling rate of up to 125 MS/s on all channels and a more potent power supply (~800 mA). The larger buffers also offer increased performance with higher resolution AM/FM bands and AWG phase modulation, summation, and internal loopback.