Kickstarter: USB powered 4-channel signal generator - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ChrisW
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 09:41:54 am
content: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/333918172/usb-powered-4-channel-signal-generator?ref=categoryInteresting what you can do with USB.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 09:48:03 am
content: And he doesn't even tell us which DAC it uses. ..

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 10:49:35 am
content: One from AD.......

author: HardBoot
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 01:11:53 pm
content: A much better product than the last... but..."Prototype enclosure with non-functional electronics." That looks like a completed PCB to me, unless they botched the design too badly to fix it by hand.Why are almost all kickstarter things completed things looking for donations - TO FUND WHAT? IT'S FINISHED.Kicksterter is really fucked in in another way, the extraordinary way things get promoted, it's either someone wealthy who's marketed something heavily, or it's some who's been made a favourite, lots of good things get nothing while scam products get over 500k.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 02:31:14 pm
content: $300 for one, shipment in March next year if everything will went according to plan. USB not isolated, no proper output connectors, output impedance not specified. But a shiny acrylic enclosure, that'll get scratched faster on the bench than you can say 50 Ohms. Now, why would you want to buy one?

author: HardBoot
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 02:43:52 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on August 25, 2012, 02:31:14 pmHoly crap, didn't notice how much it cost.Looking at all of the crap kickstarter projects makes me want to put up one of my home projects and see how many people give me money, if it was a hit I'd just give the money to MSF/Doctors Without Borders since I don't actually need it for the thing anyways.There isn't really any cost to developing a small piece of hardware and even getting it manufactured.One of the kickstarters.... $500'000 for 6 red LEDs on a sleeping mask... I shit you not.

author: 8086
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 03:49:03 pm
content: Quote from: HardBoot on August 25, 2012, 01:11:53 pmProduction.But yes, there is a lot of shit on kickstarter. What annoys me most is that Engadget has a weekly(?) article focusing on a particular kickstarter. So that one (usually some arduino or hipster photography shit) gets a bazillion dollars and some good ones are ignored. But then, that is just the way of the world, I suppose.

author: HardBoot
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 05:48:33 pm
content: Quote from: 8086 on August 25, 2012, 03:49:03 pmYa it's almost 100% a case of big fish picking favourites, there's no relation to how good something actually is.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2012, 06:55:52 pm
content: TBH, I can't see the point of having four channels. Most of the time you want to inject a signal into a system to test things like filter performance, distortion, etc. Then you'd be using one channel. If you used audio, you might need stereo, but four channels? My ideal sig gen would be <$100, have a minimum a 5Vp-p swing (ideally 10Vp-p upwards), be earth referenced (through USB or external plug pack), and be capable of sine - anything extra like arbitrary is a bonus.They need some RAM on that design so they can load arb waveforms in.

author: maiakaat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2013, 07:15:02 pm
content: Quote from: tom66 on August 25, 2012, 06:55:52 pmDigital signals (thats 3 for SPI alone)Triangle waves for testing ADC's (I think)Sweep for testing frequency responseSequences for digital signalsSquare/Pulses with fast rise times for testing bandwidth and product rise times/LatenciesFor Digital electronics Sine waves are probably the least useful, and 2 channels quickly becomes insufficient for quickly testing and working with designs.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2013, 08:45:37 pm
content: I can't see the point replying to an 8 month old post about a product that died 8 months ago.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2013, 08:49:12 pm
content: Digital signals could be generated by an 8 way digital output port, you can use just two analog for the rest.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2013, 01:19:40 am
content: Quote from: Rufus on May 07, 2013, 08:45:37 pm+1