Development of Virtual Oscilloscope using JavaTM programming language

Abstract

This project is to develop a virtual oscilloscope that contains a data acquisition system and a dedicated Graphical User Interface (GUI) software application using JAVATM Programming Language. By integrated data acquisition hardware to PC through Parallel Port interfacing, the cost of an oscilloscope may reduce. It starts with a signal probe and voltage divider feeding an amplifier, then to analog-to-digital converter and feeds to first-in-first-out memory buffer. The output of first-in-first-out memory buffer multiplexed into two four-bit data and input to PC through parallel port sequentially. While the dedicated JAVATM Programming Language based software application for management and processes the associated functions and tasks (port configuration, timer programming, handshaking with hardware, data acquisition and processing of data). The GUI software application provide medium for signal representation. Except from real-time display of the analog signals, the GUI also allows demonstration of common oscilloscope tasks like time-scale and voltage-scale changes. Results showed that the data acquisition hardware unable to work properly as expected but the GUI software application able to function perfectly with displaying noise signal inputting from data acquisition hardware. The JAVATM Programming Language based GUI software application able to interface with plug-in hardware successfully and acquire data from it through Parallel Port. The four-bit data converted to byte data and display as signal in the GUI of software application.