[sdiy] PC based oscilloscopes

[Tim Stinchcombe]

Hi list,
	Apologies for the slightly off-topic nature of the post, but I'm
hoping one or two out there may be able to offer an opinion.

I have recently become increasingly frustrated at the inability to get a
hardcopy from my scope, and so I have just spent the last few hours trawling
the web for PC-based/software oscilloscopes - it would be really nice to be
able to peruse waveforms of my latest problem 'offline', and also embed
traces in documents etc. There is quite a lot out there: some use the
parallel port, others a PCI slot, still others USB; quite a lot of
schematics and downloadable sw for DIY; kits for self-assembly; and the
inevitable vast range of prices, from less than $100 to well over $10,000.
And of course new things like bit resolution to think about now, as well as
bandwidth/sample rate etc.

Does anyone have experience of/recommend any particular brand? Anything to
steer well clear of? Are there any advantages in going for parallel
port/PCI/USB? Or do I just take pot-luck - 'you pays yer money and takes yer
choice'? 

Any input/views appreciated.

Tim

(Or maybe someone has a scope camera and a lifetimes supply of Polaroid film
going cheap? ;-) )
__________________________________________________________
Tim Stinchcombe 

Cheltenham, Glos, UK
email: tim102 at tstinchcombe.freeserve.co.uk