Curve Tracer

GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Marik

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 3, 2004
Messages
1,743
Location
Salt Lake City
Hey folks,

Just found this one and wanted to pass along:

http://www.circuit-ed.com/CT100.htm

For tube lovers would be no problem to mod for tube tracing.

Best, M
 
Cool.
For tubes, a higher swept B+ circuit and maybe some higher ramp steps.
The current ramp for BJT's can be transposed to a voltage ramp thru a resistor to ground across the current ramp (step-gen).

Looks promising!
 
Not sure if this one's ever been posted here:

http://www.arrl.org/qex/2006/07/qx7steber.pdf
 
[quote author="Crusty2"]Not sure if this one's ever been posted here:

http://www.arrl.org/qex/2006/07/qx7steber.pdf[/quote]

Hey that's interesting... :thumb: hadn't seen it before.

Got a 577 as well but that takes too much space to have it on the bench fulltime.
By the time I've pulled the Tek from storage I might have built the PC-testcircuit.
I guess that while obviously this PC-version can't go where the Tek can, it could still get the job done for not too critical stuff.
OK, some further pdf reading ahead.

Crusty, are you using it ? What are your experiences ?

Bye,

Peter
 
[quote author="rafafredd"]yes, it seems it´s been posted before.[/quote]
Cool :thumb: Am curious to peoples experiences since it sounds too simple to be true. Then again, it's simple to try, so I'll give it a shot (but when ... :wink: ). Obviously I don't expect it to replace a 'real' CT; soundcard is obviously limited w.r.t. levels.

Where do we get the software for this?
See Note 3 on the last page of the pdf for the download-link.
 
[quote author="clintrubber"][quote author="Crusty2"]Not sure if this one's ever been posted here:

http://www.arrl.org/qex/2006/07/qx7steber.pdf[/quote]

Hey that's interesting... :thumb: hadn't seen it before.

Got a 577 as well but that takes too much space to have it on the bench fulltime.
By the time I've pulled the Tek from storage I might have built the PC-testcircuit.
I guess that while obviously this PC-version can't go where the Tek can, it could still get the job done for not too critical stuff.
OK, some further pdf reading ahead.

Crusty, are you using it ? What are your experiences ?

Bye,

Peter[/quote]

Sorry sir, I never did get it working. I built the circuit out on a breadboard but never could get my laptop's audio card working with the software. Thanks for the reminder though, I should try it on my new system...
 
[quote author="Larrchild"]So much work to convert a non-dc response sound card input to read dc.
There are many PCI and USB data acquisition cards that will give you many channels of I/O for cheap.[/quote]

True. But when you look at the whole deal from a users point of view: slam a few opamps on a PCB, download the free software & get going, could that be bettered by the other route ?

Regards,

Peter
 
Something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-I%2FO-Data-Acquisition-Control-+-Standalone-Operation_W0QQitemZ190237219497QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL0807161032a5517

...would be more flexible for future projects, is cheap and will probably work with any of the curve tracer apps out there I have seen. So, the audio card mod is fine, but it is a purpose-built device. Buying one of these USB pods and running different apps will get you addicted to virtual test gear, lol.
I use a pci card but I took all my older test gear and gave it computer interfaces.
 
[quote author="Larrchild"]Something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-I%2FO-Data-Acquisition-Control-+-Standalone-Operation_W0QQitemZ190237219497QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL0807161032a5517

...would be more flexible for future projects, is cheap and will probably work with any of the curve tracer apps out there I have seen. So, the audio card mod is fine, but it is a purpose-built device. Buying one of these USB pods and running different apps will get you addicted to virtual test gear, lol.
I use a pci card but I took all my older test gear and gave it computer interfaces.[/quote]
There's sure something to be said for that route, especially if you're 'doing' more than one or two.
Had a look at something like that to replace/use the X/Y-plot-functionality of an old HP audio analyzer. I forgot what the showstopper then was.

Alternative is to use HP-IB (/GP-IB) for the boxes that have it, I have the hardware (but not the justification/inclination of setting up / writing drivers / debugging etc).
A colleague has that knowledge & spirit, but no applications :oops:

Regards,

Peter
 
Back
Top