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OscilloPhone: Use your Smartphone as an Oscilloscope / Signal Generator

by loboat on August 21, 2015

Table of Contents

OscilloPhone: Use your Smartphone as an Oscilloscope / Signal Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: OscilloPhone: Use your Smartphone as an Oscilloscope / Signal Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Why those electronic devices are so important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Parts, Tools, & Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 3: Downloading the Signal Generator app . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 4: Downloading the Oscilloscope app . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 5: The electronic circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 6: Populating the stripboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 7: Making the cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Step 8: Preparing the box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Step 9: Drilling the holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Step 10: Cutting the wooden parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Step 11: Finalize the box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Step 12: Making the phone stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Step 13: See the result works! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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 Author:loboat
Pasionate Maker, I am a french student who study electronics engineering near to Paris. I love making stuff by myself and share my projects with everyone.

Intro: OscilloPhone: Use your Smartphone as an Oscilloscope / Signal Generator

Oscilloscopes and Signal Generators are two essential electronics devices to create and test electronic circuits. Unfortunately, these devices are very expensives for
students starting electronics, or makers who want use electronic circuits in their creations just once...

The idea of my project is to rethink your smartphone as a portable, powerful and secured platform, able to simulate an oscilloscope and a signal generator for your
electronic circuits.
Here, your phone isn't just an accessorize or an ordinairy remote control : it becomes the center of the project, and a tool to help you create better things in the future.

Step 1: Why those electronic devices are so important?

Those devices are very important for an engineer on the go or any maker who wants to build electronic circuits. They are the only way to test that your electronic circuit
operates as well as you want with electronic signals.

The Signal Generator :

"Signal generators, also known variously as function generators or waveform generators, are electronic devices that generate repeating or non-repeating electronic
signals. They are generally used in designing, testing, troubleshooting and repairing electronic or electroacoustic devices." - definition of signal generator by Wikipedia

As the Wikipedia definition says, a signal generator is used to generate various electronic signals into electronic devices.
On the Signal Generator, you can choose the kind of signal you want (sine wave is the most common waveform but sawtooth, square and triangular waves are commonly
available), his amplitude in volts or percent, and his frequency.

http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
The Oscilloscope :

"An oscilloscope, previously called an oscillograph, is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages. Oscilloscopes are
used to observe the change of an electrical signalled time." - definition of oscilloscope by Wikipedia

More famous than the signal generator, the oscilloscope can in effect allows observation of electrical signals over time. It's a kind of voltmeter for varying and non-varying
signals with a screen for the visualization. On the oscilloscope screen, you can observe the form, the amplitude and the frequency of the signal studied.

How to use these devices :

Now that we know what these devices are and what they can do, how to use them?
Instead to try to explain this with a long and boring paragraph, I'll use an example of a circuit that need to be tested.
Let's test the circuit called "non-inverting amplifier" : here, this circuit must amplify twice the input voltage. To check if it operates correctly, a sine wave is generated on
the circuit input with the signal generator. Then, the output signal of the circuit is connected to the oscilloscope, measured and displayed on the oscilloscope screen.
If the circuit operates correctly, the output signal shall be sinusoidal and has the same frequency as the input signal generated by the waveform generator. The output
signal shall be amplified twice compared to the input.

Conclusion : for testing an electronic circuit, an electronic signal is generated on the circuit input by the signal generator. The output signal of the circuit is measured by
the oscilloscope and if it meets the requirements, then the circuit operates correctly.
By this manipulation, we visualize the impact that the electronic circuit has on the input signals.

Step 2: Parts, Tools, & Skills

Here are the materials, tools and skills that you will need for this project.

PARTS:

(1x) Phone with an internet connection

(1x) Old CD Driver (for the box)
(1x) 30 x 30 cm Wood Plank
(1x) 10 x 4.5 cm Stripboard
(1x) Heat Sink
(1x) 12V Power Plug
(1x) Switch
(1x) SPDT Switch
(30 cm long) 4 Wires Cable
(1.50 m long) Electrical Wires
(1x) 3.5 mm Bipolar LED
(3x) 4 mm Black Banana Sockets
(3x) 4 mm Red Banana Sockets
(4x) Male Jack Connector (TRRS)
(2x) Female Jack Connector (TRRS)
(3x) Potentiometer Knobs
(1x) Quadruple OP Amplifier (LM324) or (4x) Single OP Amplifiers
(1x) +8V Voltage Regulator (7808)
(1x) -8V Voltage Regulator (7908)
(1x) Power NPN Transistor (D44H11)
(1x) Power PNP Transistor (D45H11)
(1x) 1M? Potentiometer
(2x) 100k? Potentiometers
http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
 (1x) 330k? Resistor
(x1) 100k? Resistor
(x1) 33k? Resistor
(4x) 10k? Resistors
(x1) 3.3k? Resistor
(1x) 1.5k? Resistor
(1x) 100? Resistor
(1x) 22µF Capacitor
(2x) 10µF Capacitors
(1x) 4.7µF Capacitor
(1x) 1µF Capacitor

TOOLS:

soldering iron and solder wire

saw
cutter
flat pliers
cutting pliers
screwdriver
ruler
drill
duct tape
glue gun and glue sticks

SKILLS:
basic soldering skills
basic woodworking skills

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http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
Step 3: Downloading the Signal Generator app
Before putting on the soldering iron and starting assembly, download the applications to your phone. Check the compatibility of these apps on your phone is the first step
of this project.

It just takes a few minutes, and can give you the motivation and conviction to make the project if you hesitate.

Note: I have an Android phone and I used for this project Android apps from the Google Play Store. There are similar applications for Apple users, but I haven't tested
them yet.

The Signal Generator app:

To generate various waveforms with your phone, you'll need an application that generate a sound (a signal) to the audio output of your phone. Hopefully, many apps can
do this job!

For Android devices:

Function Generator (free)
Waveform Generator

For Apple devices:

Audio Function Generator
Signal Generator

The signals generated by these apps go directly to the audio output of the phone : to the phone speaker if there isn't headphones plugged, or to the jack output if the
phone detects headphones.
I wanted an electronic signal (not a sound) in exit of the phone, so I decided to use the jack output. So, the electronic signal comes out the phone by the jack output and
goes to the electronic circuit with a jack cable.

The signal generator application chosen for this project (Function Generator) takes advantage of the smartphone stereo output : the first channel of the signal generator is
connected to the left audio side, and the second one is connected to the right audio side.
So, you dispose of 2 separated signal channels (left and right) using the single audio output of your phone!

http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
Step 4: Downloading the Oscilloscope app
As for the Signal Generator applications, I haven't tested the Oscilloscope ones for Apple devices yet.

The Oscilloscope app:

To visualize an electronical signal on your phone, you'll need an application able to receive and display the waveform of the sound (the signal). Some apps have been
created for this purpose, here is a list of them.

For Android devices:

Oscilloscope Pro
Oscilloscope (free)

For Apple devices:

Oscilloscope
Physics Oscilloscope (free)

These apps allow you to visualize the signal coming from the mic input.

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Step 5: The electronic circuit
The Electronic Circuit of this project is composed of 4 parts:

1. The power supply circuit

2. The Oscilloscope input circuit
3. The first output circuit of the Signal Generator
4. The second output circuit of the Signal Generator

The power supply circuit

To support and process sinusoidal signals, the OP Amplifiers in the system need to be supplied with asymmetric voltages. The entire project is supplied with 12V, which
is converted to + 8V and -8V by the 7808 positive voltage regulator and the 7908 negative voltage regulator.

The capacitors C1, C2 and C3 are used to avoid voltage drops when a high current is requested from an output.

The Oscilloscope input circuit

The actual Oscilloscope input circuit is a slightly modified version of the chipstein's circuit in his "Preamplifier for Smartphone Oscilloscopes", where I changed a few of
the resistor and the capacitors values.
The first output circuit of the Signal Generator

The first output circuit of the Signal Generator use a potentiometer to amplify the signal coming out the phone audio output, up to 11 times. The OP Amplifier isn't able to
provide high current output of this assembly. It is therefore intended to provide a signal to a small circuit.

The second output circuit of the Signal Generator

The second output of the signal generator circuit uses the same circuit as above for the signal amplification. The waveform generated by the phone can be amplified up to
11 times using the AOP, the potentiometer and resistors. This circuit also includes a power stage (called push-pull), using two power transistors and voltages coming
from the voltage regulators. It therefore allows to feed important circuits up to 2A, like a loudspeaker, an audio amplifier, or even bigger...

http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
Step 6: Populating the stripboard
Start by soldering an IC carrier in the stripboard center.

Solder the resistors, capacitors, transistors and voltage regulators, while respecting the electronic schematic.

The switches, the LED, the potentiometers, the jack female connectors and the 12V power plug will be connected to the project enclosure. To connect them to the
stripboard, it is necessary to use electrical wires: cut as much electrical wires as required and use duct tape and pen to identify them.

Once the heat sink screwed on the voltage regulators and the transistors, it is very difficult to identify wires: now you understand why naming them is very helpful! ;)

Double check your wiring before going to the next step !

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http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
Step 7: Making the cables
In this project, the exchange of signals between the electronic circuit and the phone is incessant.

First, the signal generator simulated on the phone should be able to send waveforms to the right and left outputs of the stereo jack.

Then, the oscilloscope simulated on the phone must be able to receive an electrical signal using the microphone input of the phone.

The only way to make all these connections between the phone and the circuit is to use a 3.5 mm jack cable with 4 poles. Thus, the use of the oscilloscope or the signal
generator is done with a single cable.

To make this cable, start by cutting a 4 wires cable of 30 cm long. Then solder to each end a jack male connector, respecting the same wiring on each end.

This cable will be like an extension cable between two female jacks.

An extra cable can be made to use a second phone with this project.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
Step 8: Preparing the box
The project Oscillophone uses an old CD driver as box. Once the CD driver open and its contents removed, it is large enough to hold the electronic circuit and all the
connectors.

In addition, a metal box like this is extremely useful for this type of project: the electronic circuit maked for this project process with small electronic signals sensitive to
external electric and electromagnetic pollution. The metal box of the CD player surrounding the circuit acts as a Faraday cage, preventing the external disturbances to
change the shape of the signals.

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Step 9: Drilling the holes
The inside cover of the CD driver is lined with duct tape to prevent shorting with the bottom of the stripboard.

To arrange the potentiometer closer to the user, three holes are drilled on the top cover of the CD driver. Then, the potentiometers are inserted into the holes and secured
with rubber washers. The potentiometer to the left is the 1M? (for the oscilloscope) while the other two are the 100k? (for the signal generator).

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Step 10: Cutting the wooden parts
The front and the rear of the project box are made by cutting two strips of wood.

6 holes are drilled on the front face, then the banana sockets are implemented there.

A seventh hole is drilled above the connectors dedicated to the oscilloscope, to implement the warning led.

The rear face is pierced with 3 holes, 2 for female jacks and one for the 12V power plug.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/OscilloPhone-Use-your-Smartphone-as-an-Oscilloscop/
Step 11: Finalize the box
To finalize the box, all the wires of the electronic circuit are connected and soldered to their connectors (switches, potentiometers, banana sockets, female jack, led,
power plug ...), then stripboard and wood strips are glued to the box using the glue gun.

Finally, the top cover of the CD driver is screwed and potentiometers knobs are installed.

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Step 12: Making the phone stand
The last fabrication step is creating a stand for the phone. It consists of 3 pieces of wood glued together.

The assembly is then glued on the upper side of the CD driver using a glue gun.

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Step 13: See the result works!
To see the result works, connect the male jack cable to the phone and to the female jack of the circuit.

Try to connect a speaker to the power output of the signal generator, and generate a 300Hz signal on it ! ;)

Note: I will add new explications about the Oscillophone project as soon as I can !

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