Announcing free firmware update - version 1.1 adds SPI and I2C protocol analysis

[JoeFriedchicken]

VirtualBench 1.1 is now available as a free firmware update and is packed full of new features, performance enhancements, and bug fixes. New additions include:

Windows application changes

• Added digital buses. Group mixed-signal oscilloscope digital channels into buses.
• Added protocol analyzer. Decode SPI, I2C, and parallel protocols with the mixed-signal oscilloscope.
• Added custom digital thresholds. Configure logic thresholds for mixed-signal oscilloscope digital channels.
• Added division function to the mixed-signal oscilloscope math channel.
• Fixed several documentation inaccuracies.
• Fixed application crash when launched from Windows guest accounts (ID 478850).
• Fixed application hang when resuming from sleep (ID 438124).
• Fixed missing units, dB reference, and f0 in exported FFT data (ID 455787).
• Stopped instruments when a screenshot or data is saved (ID 437632).
• Added missing tooltips (ID 489543).
• Fixed missing pulses at high frequencies and low duty cycles for square waves (ID 474534).
• Fixed glitch when changing between square and sine waveforms (ID 460783).

Device API changes

• Added C API.
• Added serial protocol mastering. Master SPI and I2C protocols with the digital I/O.
• Added 20MHz Bandwidth limit filter. Remove unwanted high frequency noise from your signal.
• Added PowerFreq and FGEN Start terminals to LabVIEW IO control (ID 425355).

You can upgrade now from the Windows application by choosing Search for Firmware Update from the File menu.

The Windows installers for automation support (LabVIEW and C APIs) are pending and will be available on ni.com/updates. Search for VirtualBench.

[JoeFriedchicken]

The Windows installers are now available on ni.com/updates:

Driver -- includes LabVIEW API, C API, desktop application, documentation

http://www.ni.com/download/ni-virtualbench-driver-1.1.1/5116/en/

Runtime -- includes just the runtime files for deployed automation support

http://www.ni.com/download/ni-virtualbench-runtime-1.1.1/5117/en/

Application -- includes desktop application and documentation

http://www.ni.com/download/ni-virtualbench-application-1.1.1/5118/en/

[JoeFriedchicken]

VirtualBench 1.1 for iOS is now available: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virtualbench/id896797834

iOS application changes

• New Languages. Support for French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese
• Numeric Sweep Control. Swipe to scroll through numeric values in addition to using the keyboard input.
• Oscilloscope Math Functions. Perform add, subtract, multiply, and divide operations on two analog oscilloscope channels.
• Oscilloscope FFT Function. View analog oscilloscope channels in the frequency domain.
• Oscilloscope Averaging Mode. Reduce noise in repetitive signals with the averaging acquisition mode.

[JoeFriedchicken]

Preview the new features:

Windows application (http://www.ni.com/download/ni-virtualbench-driver-1.1.1/5116/en/)

 

iOS application (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virtualbench/id896797834)

 

[W.Nijs]

Whow... Only missing standard serial (ASCII) protocal for two channels (to test uart communication in two directions), seems to me that this is not as difficult as i2c.

Regards...

[WilliamEarle]

Thanks for your input! UART decode is on our radar, and we welcome customer input to help us determine what features to work on next.

Regards,

William Earle

Software Engineer

NI R&D

[W.Nijs]

I have not tested the protocal analysis yet (weekend job), but some (statistical) information how the protocal is implemented (baudrate, clockrate, %error from the standard etc.) would be verry nice.

Regards...

[WilliamEarle]

I'm not sure I follow your question. For SPI and I2C, the accuracy depends on the MSO digital sample rate, and the rate of your input signal. The digital lines on the MSO can sample at 1GHz, and have 100MHz of bandwidth.

The full data sheet for VirtualBench is here:

http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/371527c.pdf

[PPerrault]

Hi there,

Am I correct in assuming that I need to have Labview installed in order to use the SPI/I2C mastering?  It seems like this could be very easily added to the VirtualBench desktop software.  This would make the VirtualBench a MUCH more useful device (and would allow me to throw out my USB-based Aardvark from TotalPhase which has a 3.3V limitation).

Thanks,

-Paul

[bstreiff]

SPI/I2C mastering is available in both the LabVIEW API and C API. It is not supported in the VirtualBench application software at this time.