Is there some way to detect a 3-5volt say khz clock using an ordinary
instrument(no osciloscope)

<j...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c...@s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> Is there some way to detect a 3-5volt say khz clock using an ordinary
> instrument(no osciloscope)

A crystal earpiece, assuming voltages not more than 50 volt.
A much underestimated piece of diagnostic test gear.


--
General electronic repairs, most things repaired, other than TVs and PCs
http://www.divdev.fsnet.co.uk/repairs.htm

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England

On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:15:26 -0700 (PDT), "j...@hotmail.com"
<j...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Is there some way to detect a 3-5volt say khz clock using an ordinary
>instrument(no osciloscope)

---
AC or DC voltmeter.

JF

<j...@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:c...@s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> Is there some way to detect a 3-5volt say khz clock using an ordinary
> instrument(no osciloscope)


With a multimeter that measures frequency.



Gareth. 

On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:15:26 -0700 (PDT), "j...@hotmail.com"
<j...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Is there some way to detect a 3-5volt say khz clock using an ordinary
>instrument(no osciloscope)

You can use your computer's sound card.   You can add a voltage
divider to insure the sound card Line input is getting less than about
3 Vpp, if you want to make sure you don't clip its input.  (The input
can handle 5V without damage, but the wave will be clipped.)  If you
want to avoid loading the clock output with the sound card input
(which can be in the 2K to 47K range), you can use big resistors for
the divider.  Don't worry about dividing it down too low... the sound
card has 16 bits of resolution, so you'll be able to see
sub-millivolts easily.

SHAMELESS PLUG:  You can try my Daqarta software for free.
It has calibration options so you can use it as a real scope (as well
as spectrum analyzer, frequency counter, voltmeter, sound level meter,
signal generator, etc, etc).  If you decide not to buy (US$29.00)
after the trial expires, the inputs stop working but the signal
generator keeps working FREE forever, along with file analysis, etc.

I'll be glad to answer any questions.

Best regards,


Bob Masta
 
              DAQARTA  v4.00
   Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
             www.daqarta.com
Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, Sound Level Meter
           FREE Signal Generator
        Science with your sound card!

"j...@hotmail.com" <j...@hotmail.com> wrote in news:ce59ac53-6740-
4...@s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:

> Is there some way to detect a 3-5volt say khz clock using an ordinary
> instrument(no osciloscope)

With a few ICs and LEDs you can build a logic probe with pulse detection.

http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/DesignOffice/mdp/electric_web/Exper/EXP_7.html
has several interesting circuits, easy to build.

and for a 'delux' device
http://members.cox.net/berniekm/super.html





-- 
bz    	73 de N5BZ k

please pardon my infinite ignorance, the set-of-things-I-do-not-know is an 
infinite set.

bz+s...@ch100-5.chem.lsu.edu   remove ch100-5 to avoid spam trap

Might I point out that an oscilloscope _is_ an "ordinary instrument"? At
least, in my sense of the word "ordinary" -- it's ordinarily found in any
electronics shop.

I work at Microsoft Hardware, and there has been a total switchover to
multi-color LCD 'scopes. The cheaper ones are not _horribly_ expensive.

The obvious choice, as Mr Cook says, is a crystal earpiece.

With one of those, the OP won't even need to make 2 connections;
just touching the tip of the jack plug on the conductor that's
oscillating at a few kHz and a few volts will be enough to make
it faintly audible with careful listening.


Martin

Fleetie wrote:
> The obvious choice, as Mr Cook says, is a crystal earpiece.
> 
> With one of those, the OP won't even need to make 2 connections;
> just touching the tip of the jack plug on the conductor that's
> oscillating at a few kHz and a few volts will be enough to make
> it faintly audible with careful listening.
> 

One of the most useful bit of kit in my toolbox is a device I made 
myself some 35 or so years ago. It`s a crystal earpiece with one wire 
terminated in a croc clip and the other in a probe made from an old 
ballpoint pen and a brass nail, there`s a capacitor in series to provide 
DC blocking.
With this simple device I can trace audio through a circuit- from the 
output of a crystal pick-up to several hundreds watts, I can detect 
digital pulses, hear hum on a DC supply, etc. etc.

Ron(UK)

j...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Is there some way to detect a 3-5volt say khz clock using an ordinary
> instrument(no osciloscope)
Buy a meter with freq. range. A lot of them are
equipped with that.
Mine(78Euro Extech)has Farad/Hertz/Farenheit/Celcius as
bonus ranges, temp is done with a termocouple.