Scripts and Automation: DAC Test Application

dScope Series III automation to make specialised measurements of Digital to Analogue Converters and Sound Card outputs (Beta version)

The DAC tests script aims to simplify some of the more complex tests that can be performed on devices with digital input(s) and analogue outputs (including Windows Sound cards being used for playback). It provides a user interface for selecting the different tests and running them, and provides a means of HTML report generation per test.

Screen shot of DAC script interface

In addition to a range of conventional tests, specialised tests include:

JTest
Jitter attenuation vs frequency
Inferred Jitter
Imaging, interference and modulation tests

There is currently no separate help file, but each test contains a help page in the configuration to describe what the test is doing. This is accessible from the test interface using the "help/info" button.

To install the test, download the zip, unzip into an empty folder on the computer where dScope is installed and double click "Install Test Files.vbs" - this will copy the files to the correct locations within the dScope folder structure. From dScope you can then run the script "DAC Tests.dss" which will provide the user interface for the rest of the tests. This requires dScope Version 1.40e or later.

This application is largely complete, but there are some known issues. Most significant is that the reporting is incomplete and doesn't fully report the test conditions (eg, measurement bandwidth etc.). There is also a known issue with 1.40e where the presence of FFT detector calculations can overwrite sweep trace settings on configuration load and the trace X axis scales may be inappropriate for some sweeps. This is fixed in later versions which will be available on the downloads page.

Resource Type: Scripts and Automation (File Download)
Download Link (https:): DAC_Tests_B1.zip
Size: 4.3 MiB
Date 2012-03-29

Relevant Products:

dScope Series III
Analogue & Digital Audio Test System