Electronics Explorer Board to Analog Discovery Studio Migration Guide

Welcome to the Migration Guide for the Analog Discovery Studio! This guide is intended to assist in the migration from the recently retired Electronics Explorer Board to the new Analog Discovery Studio. See below for the list of topics included in this guide.

The Analog Discovery Studio

The Analog Discovery Studio provides the same unique user experience as the Electronics Explorer (EE) Board, while providing educators and students with improved performance, more durable mechanical design, and additional features designed specifically with education in mind. The Analog Discovery Studio uses Digilent’s test and measurement software, WaveForms, so the transition from Analog Discovery or EE Board has been made as seamless as possible. Compared to the EE Board, Analog Discovery Studio provides greater voltage output in the Power Supply instrument, as well as faster sampling rates on the Oscilloscope and Waveform Generator. Additionally, Analog Discovery Studio introduces Canvases, which provide the same unique physical interface as the EE Board, but are removable. Unlike the EE Board, if the breadboards on the Analog Discovery Studio get damaged the Canvas is removable and can be replaced. This also provides the opportunity for labs to provide multiple Canvases, or students to own their own Canvases for conveniently bringing projects in and out of lab.

New Features:

  • ± 12V Fixed Power Supply
  • Canvases: removable and replaceable breadboard or protoboard workspace
  • Oscilloscope and Waveform Generator can be accessed via BNC or MTE cables (includes female-to-male breadboard wires)
  • Oscilloscope and Waveform Generator sample rates increased to 100 MS/s
  • Variable +/-5V and Fixed 5V, 3.3V, and ± 12V supplies can be switched onto the power access pins (with Breadboard Canvas)
  • Oscilloscope bandwidth up to 30MHz with BNC cables
  • Function generator bandwidth up to 8MHz
  • 16 digital IO channels
  • USB port for powering Cmods or other devices
  • Improved mechanical design and connector durability
  • All non-replaceable pins are MTE connectors for increased durability


Figure 1. Analog Discovery Studio

Introducing Canvases:

Canvases provide the ability to quickly swap, remove, or replace the breadboardable workspace on the Analog Discovery Studio. Students using the Analog Discovery Studio in the lab can remove the entire Canvas to take their projects home with minimal disassembly, and if they have an Analog Discovery at home, they can continue to work on their projects outside of the lab. A single Analog Discovery Studio unit in the lab can serve as a workstation for several students as they do their work on their Canvases and use the Analog Discovery Studio to test their circuits when they’re ready. Digilent offers a Breadboard Canvas and a Blank Canvas.

A single Breadboard Canvas is included as part of the Analog Discovery Studio base kit and can also be ordered separately. The Breadboard Canvas features 2 standard breadboards with 3 power rails and integrated I/O capabilities. The I/O includes 2 push buttons, 2 switches, and 3 LEDs (red, yellow, green). All I/O and power signals are accessed via 2 mini breadboards mounted on the Canvas. The Canvas also features power supply switches and indicator LEDs.

Figure 2. Breadboard Canvas

The Blank Canvas has a prototyping surface wired into rows and 3 power rails like a breadboard. The power supply outputs from the Analog Discovery Studio are routed to a set of copper pads. It ships with a mini-breadboard that provides a breadboard interface for the power outputs, which can be soldered on if desired. Additionally, breakouts are provided for common types of surface mount components. The supported package types are SC89, SC70, SOT3, SOT89, SOT223, SOT23-6, MSOP8, DFN10, SOIC8/SO8, TTSOP16, SOIC16, and QFN32/TQFP32. Optionally, breadboards can be affixed to the Blank Canvas using the sticky backing they come with. Once the breadboard is affixed, it can’t be removed.

Figure 3. Blank Canvas

Feature Comparison

Electronics Explorer Board Analog Discovery Studio
4-channel, 40MS/s, 100MHz, Oscilloscope 2-channel, 100MS/s, 30MHz (BNC), 9MHz (MTE), Oscilloscope
2-channel , 40MS/s, 20MHz, Arbitrary Waveform Generator 2-channel, 100MS/s, 8MHz, Arbitrary Waveform Generator
2 Channel, ± 9V, 1.5 A, Variable Power Supply 2-channel, ± 5V, 700mA, Variable Power Supply
N/A 2-channel, ± 12V, 200mA, Fixed Power Supply
1 Channel, 3.3/5V, 2A, Fixed Power Supply 1-channel, 3.3V/5V, 1A, Fixed Power Supply
4-channel voltmeter 2-channel voltmeter (shared with the Oscilloscope)
2 programmable reference voltages N/A
N/A Removable breadboard inteface
Exposed PCB back Durable plastic enclosure
N/A 3.5mm headphone jack
N/A USB port

Software Enabled Instruments

Using Digilent’s free application WaveForms, users can access the following instruments in the Analog Discovery Studio: oscilloscope, waveform generator, logic analyzer, pattern generator, digital I/O, power supplies, network analyzer, spectrum analyzer, impedance analyzer, protocol analyzer, data logger and voltmeter. WaveForms is Mac, Windows, and Linux compatible.

Oscilloscope:

The 2-channel oscilloscope offers data collection, triggering, viewing, and mathematical analysis functionalities. It can display reference channels for comparing acquired data to expected data, plot FFTs, generate XY plots, and many other features found in a benchtop oscilloscope.

Figure 4. Oscilloscope screen

Waveform Generator:

The waveform generator can produce predefined waveforms such as sine, triangle, and square waves, along with random or user-defined waveforms. The instrument also has the capability to perform frequency sweeps and AM or FM modulated outputs.

Figure 5. Waveform generator screen

Logic Analyzer:

The Logic Analyzer simultaneously records up to 16 digital signals, and displays them as individual signals, parallel buses, or decoded into serial data bytes on SPI, I2C, CAN, UART, I2S, or 1-wire buses. Custom interpreters can also be written in JavaScript.

Figure 6. Logic analyzer screen

Pattern Generator:

The Pattern Generator drives individual digital signals or buses of up to 16 channels. It can generate predefined patterns, custom bit sequences, or clock signals.

Figure 7. Pattern generator screen

Digital Inputs and Outputs

16 digital I/Os can be configured as virtual I/O devices like push buttons, slide switches, and LEDs that are viewed and connected to the Digital I/O pins.

Figure 8. Digital I/O screen

Power Supplies:

The Power Supply controls the positive and negative 5V variable supplies. Each rail produces 1 to 5VDC with 100mV increments and 10mV accuracy.

Figure 9. Power supply screen

Network Analyzer:

The Network Analyzer performs a sinewave frequency sweep with a user-defined range up to 10MHz using the waveform generator outputs and measures the circuit response using the oscilloscope inputs. It can display Bode, Nychols, and Nyquist plots.

Figure 10. Network analyzer screen

Spectrum Analyzer:

The spectrum analyzer performs a real-time FFT or CZT algorithm on oscilloscope data and displays the resulting frequency-domain data (power spectrum) along with the captured time-domain signal.

Figure 11. Spectrum analyzer screen

Impedance Analyzer:

The Impedance Analyzer can be used to analyze capacitive and inductive elements using the oscilloscope and waveform generator. The Impedance Analyzer can be used as a meter to display impedance values or as an analyzer from a start to stop frequency in a specified number of steps.

Figure 12. Impedance analyzer screen

Protocol Analyzer:

The Protocol Analyzer can send and recieve data over UART, SPI, I2C, and CAN protocols in order to test devices that use these protocols.

Figure 13. Protocol analyzer screen

Data Logger:

The data logger uses the oscilloscope channels to capture DC, True RMS, and AC RMS values.

Figure 14. Data logger screen

Voltmeter:

Two independent, auto-ranging voltmeters can measure and display DC and AC (RMS and True RMS) signals, using differential or single-ended measurements.

Figure 15. Voltmeter screen