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Voltage Tracker for Oscilloscope
Slow-timebase measurements on your oscilloscope using an Arduino shield
Suppose you want to measure a slowly-varying voltage from a sensor, or perhaps plot the discharge curve of a battery. Is it really necessary to sit there and note down a reading from the multimeter every so many seconds or minutes? It is less tedious and much more elegant to use this Arduino-based unit connected to your oscilloscope.Two questions motivated Kurt Schuster at the beginning of this project: ‘is my battery any good?’ and ‘is this charger charging my battery correctly?’.
Gerber file
CAM/CAD data for the PCB referred to in this article is available as a Gerber file. Elektor GREEN and GOLD members can exclusively download these files for free as part of their membership. Gerber files allow a PCB to be produced on an appropriate device available locally, or through an online PCB manufacturing service.
Elektor recommends the Elektor PCB Service service from its business partner Eurocircuits or AISLER as the best services for its own prototypes and volume production.
The use of our Gerber files is provided under a modified Creative Commons license. Creative Commons offers authors, scientists, educators and other creatives the freedom to handle their copyright in a more free way without losing their ownership.
PCB
Component list
Component List
Resistors
R1,R5 = 1kOhm 5%, 0.25W
R2,R3,R4 = 5.11kOhm 1%, 0.25W, metal film
Capacitors
C1–C7,C9,C11 = 100nF 50V, X7R, 0.2’’ pitch
C8,C10,C12 = 100µF 25V, radial, 0.1’’ pitch
Semiconductors
D1,D2 = 1N4148
LED1 = red, 3mm
IC1 = DAC0808LCN, DIP16
IC2 = MCP601-I/P, DIP8
IC3 = ICL7660CPAZ, DIP8
Miscellaneous
K1, K2 = 8-pin pinheader
K3 = 2-pin pinheader
K7,K8 = BNC socket, PCB mount, right angled
K5 = 6-pin pinheader
K6 = 36-pin (2x18) pinheader
S1–S4 = pushbutton, 6x6 mm, PCB mount
IC sockets for IC1,IC2,IC3
Two coax cables with BNC plugs
PCB # 150422-1 from Elektor Store
Arduino Mega, # 140566-93 from Elektor Store
Caution: all pinheaders to be mounted at PCB underside
Resistors
R1,R5 = 1kOhm 5%, 0.25W
R2,R3,R4 = 5.11kOhm 1%, 0.25W, metal film
Capacitors
C1–C7,C9,C11 = 100nF 50V, X7R, 0.2’’ pitch
C8,C10,C12 = 100µF 25V, radial, 0.1’’ pitch
Semiconductors
D1,D2 = 1N4148
LED1 = red, 3mm
IC1 = DAC0808LCN, DIP16
IC2 = MCP601-I/P, DIP8
IC3 = ICL7660CPAZ, DIP8
Miscellaneous
K1, K2 = 8-pin pinheader
K3 = 2-pin pinheader
K7,K8 = BNC socket, PCB mount, right angled
K5 = 6-pin pinheader
K6 = 36-pin (2x18) pinheader
S1–S4 = pushbutton, 6x6 mm, PCB mount
IC sockets for IC1,IC2,IC3
Two coax cables with BNC plugs
PCB # 150422-1 from Elektor Store
Arduino Mega, # 140566-93 from Elektor Store
Caution: all pinheaders to be mounted at PCB underside
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