Have you seen the average cost of an oscilloscope? While there are many kits and DIY solutions on the market, the truth is that most advanced models carry a prohibitive price tag. Fortunately, things like PicBerry exist—a final project by three students at Cornell University. PicBerry uses a hybrid configuration that combines a Raspberry Pi 3 with a PIC32 microcontroller, enabling it to act as an oscilloscope and function generator at the same time.
Sooner or later, every electronics enthusiast wants an oscilloscope on their workbench. It is a device that helps (among other things) detect problems, understand the operation of components that were not properly documented, and carry out alignment processes, something very important for those who enjoy restoring radios and televisions. Thanks to digitalization, computers have managed to absorb a good part of the functions in a traditional oscilloscope, which in turn gave rise to lower-cost alternatives that connect via USB. However, anyone wanting a more or less dedicated device must think of at least 300 euros, unless…
… you follow the PicBerry route. A Raspberry Pi 3, a PIC32 microcontroller, an MCP4822 DAC, a potentiometer, a serial-USB cable, a MicroStick II module, several wires, and a breadboard. In other words, less than $60 in parts to combine an oscilloscope and a function generator. PicBerry is a creation of Advitya Khanna, Jeff Witz, and Danna Ma, three students under the wing of Cornell University. The Raspberry Pi 3 handles all the graphical and general interface aspects, while the PIC32 (via SPI) does the heavy lifting of real-time measurements, with updates every 0.5 ms—an interval short enough to provide an acceptable experience.
Needless to say, PicBerry can be optimized in different ways (the students themselves admit it), but the priority was portability and low cost. All project material is available on the official page, including diagrams and code.
