A few weeks ago, we hosted our OpenScope MZ edition Digilent Live! In this session, we joined Larissa and the OpenScope MZ as she conducted a visual walkthrough of the getting started guide. Over the course of the segment, we went through the unboxing process, toured inside the hardware, and got the device up and running to take our first measurement!
Along the way, Larissa highlighted some of the awesome features of the OpenScope MZ, such as its small form factor and its ability to be controlled using a computer or even a mobile device. We also explored WaveForms Live and touched on it’s powerful capabilities.
During the Live session we also got a chance to show off our new laser cut and 3D printed cases, and give some application examples. For example, if you are doing a project that involves audio, the OpenScope MZ is a fantastic fit for most anything you may want to do or visualize.
Finally, wrapped up the session with a brief Q+A, in which one user brought up a simple but important query- For someone who may not be as familiar with electronics, what exactly is the OpenScope MZ? Larissa addressed this with a aptly-placed fishing metaphor:
“This instrumentation device allows you to see signals traveling through a particular device. If you are familiar with multimeters, its like a multimeter but it can capture a lot faster signals, things we otherwise cannot see. Imagine you want to hunt for fish. Similar to electronics, you cannot see the fish and likewise you cannot see electric signals. So if you want fish and your on a boat you need something that allows you to look under the surface- instrumentation allows you to look under the surface with electronics. “
Stay tuned for our next edition of Digilent Live, in which Kaitlyn will be providing an instrumentation overview! And if you have any questions that you did not get a chance to ask in our last Live session please feel free to speak up in the comments below or find us on social media!
Can you direct comparisons between the OpenScope MZ using Waveforms Live and the Analog Discovery 2 using Waveforms 2015? Currently, I don’t see any advantage to the OpenScope MZ other than a slightly lower price.
We do not have a direct comparison reference yet, however if you check out https://blog.digilentinc.com/browser-based-and-open-source-waveforms-live/ you can find descriptions of and documentation regarding WaveForms Live that will hopefully clear up any confusion!