XScopes PC Interface


Mac OS	Ubuntu / Debian	Fedora / RPM	Windows	WinUSB Driver	Code	Forums

This software is used to interface to Gabotronics' line of oscilloscopes (Xprotolab / Xminilab). The PC interface has been rewritten in the Qt framefork so it can be multiplatform. This is the FIRST RELEASE of the software, meaning that it may have many bugs. Please report bugs in GitHub.

This application is open source, so everyone is encouraged to improve it.

For Windows, you will need to install the WinUSB drivers using the ZADIG tool.

XScopes QT program

For USB connectivity, you will need:

USB capable device, such as the Xminilab HW 2.0, or Xprotolab HW 1.7.
Update the the device with the latest firmware.
Connect the USB device and install the USB Driver. I currently don't have a digital signature from a certificate authority, so you will get a big red warning when installing the driver. Trust me, the driver is just WINUSB with my own .inf file.

This application is open source, so that anyone can port it to another OS, or perhaps just use the source for a similar project.

Thanks to Murray Lindeblom for his contribution on the WINUSB drivers.

Thanks to Scott McCain for his contribution for a modern UI remake of the .NET application.

Comments

carlos1w

Please make one for MAC too! Thanks!!!

Thursday 21 April 2011, 12:46

carlos1w

Just tried and the application opens (win xp), but does not do anything (just as you said). Do you know when this will be working? When it does, please email us. Thank you for a wonderful little oscilloscope!

Thursday 28 April 2011, 16:10

dak664

That link above is for net framework 2.0; the program reports it needs .NET 4.something. Here is the correct link:
http://www.microsoft.com/net/download.aspx

Works on my XP after getting over some initial strangeness probably due to changing too many controls too fast. Updates surprising fast, 1 per second for dual channel display. I connected through my own level shifters to serial COM1, don't have a UART USB cable.

Saturday 02 July 2011, 12:49

fitimollas

MAC OS?

Monday 12 December 2011, 10:39

Koen_Schram

Doesn't seem to work under Wine. Is there a Linux version available ? Java ?

Friday 25 May 2012, 03:30

wiebel

it's .net maybe you should try mono

Wednesday 03 October 2012, 21:16

Koen_Schram

I did try mono but was not able to get it to work. Even getting the USB communication getting to work in Linux is not documented.

Saturday 06 October 2012, 03:47

Koen_Schram

In the mean time, things did evolve. I can pull the application from github, compile it, apply the usbfix.sh patch... But it's still not possible to connect the device to the application. When opening the options tab and click on connect, nothing seems to happen and a line with "cannot open device" is printed on the command line.

Sunday 13 April 2014, 00:43

Koen_Schram

It's working under Fedora 20.
I didn't realize that I was still using old firmware without USB support. So I had to upgrade the firmware.
According to "http://www.stderr.nl/?-tags=" I had to manually install version 6.1 of avrdude (previous versions) (including some dev libraries) and upgraded the firmware :
/usr/local/src/avrdude-6.1/avrdude -c flip2 -p x32a4u -U application:w:xminilab.hex:i
/usr/local/src/avrdude-6.1/avrdude -c flip2 -p x32a4u -U eep:w:xminilab.eep:i

Tuesday 13 May 2014, 10:24

matthias63

Hello, I have windows vista and I don't know how install the USB driver. Please, can someone help me ?

Tuesday 10 July 2012, 05:35

carlos1w

Hi Gabo. Nice job with the new devices (thank you, I did get the ones updated). Trying to install the usb driver while on Win7 I get "invalid parameter". Any idea?

Friday 26 October 2012, 13:58

slab

Hello! My lab recently ordered your XMEGA Xprotolab -- the version. We are very excited to use it.

I am having trouble connecting it to my computer. I downloaded the latest Windows Net 4 program. The PC user interface works as well. However, when I use a microusb to connect the protolab to the computer and press "connect" on the PC user interface, it doesn't seem to connect and gives "error" in the firmware box below. Do you have any suggestions? I really want this to work because of how good of a device this is!

Tuesday 29 January 2013, 07:33

jody

HI Gabo,

Amazing unit ! could you please let us know when the next version of pc software is going to be availible? really got a big project and need the logic analizer to interface with my PC

Friday 04 October 2013, 02:03

evanvenn

Can I use the application to show the I2C display? Can I download the data?

Friday 11 October 2013, 02:37

ganzziani

I am currently working on the PC application and there will be an update in about a month.

Friday 11 October 2013, 04:15

jdinsmore

You might consider offering the cable to connect from the XprotoLab portable to a phone or tablet, like this USB OTG CABLE - FEMALE A TO MICRO A (some tablets might use mini instead)

http://www.jayconsystems.com/usb-otg-cable-female-a-to-micro-a-5.html

Saturday 12 October 2013, 10:28

jody

Hi Ganzziani

Any news on on the pc interface software update?

Best Regards

Jody

Monday 11 November 2013, 23:03

ganzziani

Hi Jody. I'm halfway there. The code is available here: https://github.com/ganzziani/xscopes-qt You can compile it with QT. I should be distributing executables in a few weeks.

Tuesday 12 November 2013, 12:51

jody

Hi ganzziani

Could you give us an update on the PC Software update?

Best Regards

Jody

Tuesday 03 December 2013, 00:45

ganzziani

Here it is. Rev 1.0.0.1. Linux and Mac binaries to be created soon.

Thursday 05 December 2013, 16:54

ed3203

Hi, having a little trouble thought I would share:
Updated xmega xprotolab to v2.25 firmware via usb AVR flip program. Installed (i think correctly via zadig software) the usb driver to connect via microusb to win7 64 machine. Xprotolab shows in device manager under universal serial bus devices as XScope, it does not seem to have an associated COM port listed in properties.
Load the compiled .net interface, clicked options tab and couldn't connect as no com port associated with XScope. I suspect I haven't installed the correct driver. Any recommendations?
Thanks,
Ed

Friday 24 January 2014, 03:00

ganzziani

The .NET interface is old. Did you try the QT interface? Downloads are at the top of this page.

Friday 24 January 2014, 03:07

ed3203

Amazing, thankyou very much, everything working. I will spread the good word, great product. :)

Friday 24 January 2014, 04:38

rootScript

Hello, Are the MAC binaries available please?
I cannot find a download link on this page.

Sunday 09 February 2014, 01:29

jdinsmore

The binary does not seem to work on Ubuntu Linux; please find a Linux expert and fill in the gaps; this could be an amazingly popular product at your prices; but without functioning code it is useless for Linux people. Even better, make it work with the Raspberry Pi and you will sell a million of them!

Sunday 13 April 2014, 04:44

ganzziani

Can you describe the problem in the forums?

Sunday 13 April 2014, 05:01

jdinsmore

Sorry-I did not install it properly. In case anyone else has trouble; please note how to do in Ubuntu Linux:
extract compressed download
navigate to extracted folder
double-click the appropriate .deb file to install
type command line $sudo sh usbfix.sh (followed by your user name)
it works, it works it works! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Sunday 13 April 2014, 05:03

NeilAHiggins

I am having trouble installing the interface on Ubuntu12.04.4LTS. The Debian installer insists that I have a broken dependency with usblib "usblib-1.0-0 (>=2:1.0.12-2)." I have updated usblib using Synaptic and have also built it from the usblib site, but still no joy. I don't know how to check the installed version - but it should be ok. Any ideas? TIA. Neil

Monday 21 April 2014, 02:08

ganzziani

Can you describe the problem in the forums?

Monday 21 April 2014, 06:22

adnan

You should uninstall all usblib related packages using synaptic and then try reinstalling the xscope. Xscope deb package will automatically then download and install the correct packages.

Monday 21 April 2014, 09:46

NeilAHiggins

The behaviour is as I described in quotes - except that I had typed "usblib" instead of "libusb". In other words (my interpretation) the deb package installer thinks I have an outdated version of the libusb library. I am reluctant to just remove the existing libusb 1.0 because -lots- of other things depend on it - they would be removed as well.

Monday 21 April 2014, 11:55

adnan

If you don't want to upgrade your libusb you can simply extract the xscope debian package and run the binary in the bin directory of extracted folder. Make sure you run usbfix.sh bash script to fix usb permissions to allow running the binary without root.

Tuesday 22 April 2014, 10:20

barasax

Has anyone managed to get a MAC version of the interface software up and running yet. I'd be eternally grateful if someone could upload a binary.
Cheers
Kevin

Wednesday 23 April 2014, 04:25

42_red_herrings

I got Xscopes working on my Macs. A standalone app is here: http://s3.sdfeu.org/xscope.app.zip . It's working for me on Mavericks and Mountain Lion; I did by best to include all the necessary libraries into the app, but I may have missed something, so let me know if the app doesn't work.

If anyone wants to compile it themselves, here's what I did:
1) get homebrew http://brew.sh/ and Apple's developer tools (homebrew should give you instructions if you don't have them)
2) install qt and libusb: brew install qt libusb
3) get xscopes' sources: git clone https://github.com/ganzziani/xscopes-qt.git
4) change into the cloned dir: cd xscopes-qt
5) fix linking info: edit 'XprotolabInterface.pro', find the line which looks like "unix:!macx:!symbian: LIBS += -lusb-1.0" (near the end) and delete ":!macx", so that it looks like "unix:!symbian: LIBS += -lusb-1.0"
6) compile: qmake && make
7) now you should have a newly created 'xscope.app' in your directory. Note that it links to brew's qt and libusb, so it will only work on your computer. To make it really 'standalone', there's more fiddling required to get the libraries into the app itself.

Cheers!

Tuesday 29 April 2014, 00:48

ganzziani

Thanks! I'll add a link to this on the top of the page.

Tuesday 29 April 2014, 22:22

barasax

Your binary didn't work for me (don't know why for sure but I am still on Snow Leopard, 10.6.8). The build instructions were however perfect. Making qt took a couple of hours but it all went smoothly and I'm now up and running. Many thanks.

Thursday 01 May 2014, 10:36

42_red_herrings

@barasax: Sorry to hear the app didn't work. I don't have access to anything older than Mountain Lion, so I can't test on older systems. [My impression is that there have been some changes/updates to the basic system libraries that the app and qt link to (not backwards compatible) since Snow Leopard.]

@ganzziani: Thanks for including the app on top! Feel free to let me know if you'd get some issues with that reported, and also if you'd want me to compile newer versions.

Sunday 04 May 2014, 23:56

CharlesHaynes

Fabulous work! Thanks so much. Works a treat.

Noticed one small problem with the UI - in Oscilliscope mode, under "Vertical" the tabs for "FFT" and "REF" are clipped on my machine (Macbook Pro 13" Retina 2014)

Screenshot: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_oayye0KbyZSkdzMFZBVXVmZ0k/edit?usp=sharing

Friday 20 June 2014, 11:41

CharlesHaynes

Forgot to add, I'm downloading the source now, I'll take a look. I suspect a Qt issue.

Thanks again!

Friday 20 June 2014, 11:42

mrh1

Hi ganzziani

I have successfully been using my Xminilab with your interface on a laptop running Windows 8.1 - it really works extremely well, thanks! However, I am now trying to install the interface on a second laptop running Windows 7. I have used the Zadig tool to install the driver and this appears to work but it shows up in Device Manager as "Xscope" under USB devices. The problem is that the interface is looking to connect to a COM port which is different. I did not have this problem on my other machine and I am now at a loss as to how to proceed. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Tuesday 29 April 2014, 10:31

mrh1

Apologies

Just realised the query above should have been posted on the appropriate forum. I will repost there.

Tuesday 29 April 2014, 10:47

profor

Hello,
the same issue as mrh on W7 64bit, shows Xscope under device manager and no additional COM port.

Sunday 24 August 2014, 13:39

ganzziani

The device will not show up as a COM port.

Monday 25 August 2014, 15:13

psensini

Hi Ganzziani,
I put Xmega/Xprotolab in a box, soldering standard switches to the micros on the PCB, making some circuital extensions and, at the end, it all works on the mini Oled. I wasºtrying to connect to the windows application. Firmware is 2.25, app is the last Qt one, I tried with all drivers you put on your site and with the last version of Zadig. The tests were made on a seven 64 bit and on a XP 32 bit computer... always the same result: unknown device. And obviously Qt app remains waiting for a com port in the option tab without being able to connect. Is it possible that I exchanged data wires on the usb connection? Indeed I soldered also this one to make possible the boxing and, as long as I know, data wires are not ordered wires. Are they? Am I wrong? I need the scope to work on I2C buses and also as a sniffer but using the Oled it's impossible. May you help me? Could it be a problem of wire??

Thx in advance for your patient and I excuse myself if these question had to be posted in the forum area... sincerely I don't know.

Sunday 31 August 2014, 07:23

ganzziani

So you bought the kit to build yourself? Can you please post on the forums some pictures? Have you tried the Zadig XP drivers?

Monday 01 September 2014, 17:15

adrian

Hola que bueno el upgrade de la nueva interface para windows, encontre un pequeño error, en los cursores verticales, para un AT=18.75 seg el 1/AT=53.33 hz, esto esta equivocado!, debe dar 5,333 hz, es una pequeña correccion en el programa.
Gracias por todo!

Monday 01 December 2014, 12:47

greenman711

I am having nothing but trouble with the interface running under XP, tried different computer but is the same. Will act ok sometimes for a while then if you change a tab and come back the display is missing or off the top or switched to another channel. The markers are gone or misplaced. Anyway to clear it you have to shut the interface down and restart and it will be back where it should be. So the board did not change?? Any Ideas would be appreciated. I want this to work for me, I have never had it run long enough to sniff with it.

Monday 02 March 2015, 07:16

ganzziani

Hi! What version of the software are you running?
Another option, if you have time, perhaps you could install Qt and compile the code on your computer.

Tuesday 03 March 2015, 14:37

jdinsmore

I noticed that your interface SW download for Linux / Ubuntu is very different than that of a year ago. Lucky I saved the old download because it still works on my new computer; the new download does not have a .deb install package, so I do not know what to do to install it. Any guidance?

Thanks

James

Friday 04 September 2015, 08:32

jakee

Having same problem. I'm just looking to run a precompiled version of the software and can't seem to find a single working solution for the Linux/Ubuntu platform. Can you direct me to the old software package so I can at least use that?

Monday 18 January 2016, 17:21

patbob

In case anyone is interested, I got xscopes (v1.1.0.0) and the driver to run on Win 8.1 32-bit, but not without a few minor hiccups:
* The USB driver linked from the gabotronics site (v2.0.1.162) wouldn't install under Win 8.1. I had to go to zadig.akeo.ie to get the vista-and-later driver (v2.1.2), then run the installer twice -- once to install the WCID driver, then again to install the "driver". Until both were done, it didn't show up as an xscopes USB device.
* XScopes application installed just fine, but said MSVCP100.dll was missing when run. That's from the MS Visual C++ 2010 redistributable package, so a quick trip to microsoft.com to get and install that allowed xscopes to run.
Success :D

Friday 08 January 2016, 17:03

cems

How do i get this to work on windows 10? I can't get the Zadig tool to install. the xscopse software loads but the result is unresponsive.

Tuesday 06 September 2016, 18:21

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Last Updated on Monday, 03 November 2014 21:23

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XScopes PC Interface

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