1) What tools do I need to develop my own programs on the XScope?
Besides the power supply, you need an external programmer, such as the AVR ISP 2, or a debugger, such as the AVR JTAGICE mkII or the AVR ONE!.

Software Tools:

• Integrated Development Environment:Atmel Studio 6
• C Compiler, included in the WinAVR package: WinAVR at sourceforge

2) Can the waveform generator and the oscilloscope run simultaneously?
Yes, the waveform generator runs on the background. (The AWG uses the DMA, so it doesn't need any CPU intervention).

3) How do I power the XScope?
The device can be powered thru the micro USB port. Alternatively, the device can be powered by connecting a 5V power supply on the 5V pin. Do not connect a 5V power supply and the USB at the same time.

4) Can I connect the XScope to the computer to control the oscilloscope and get the data?
Yes, you can use the XScopes PC Interface. A UART to USB cable is required for hardware 1.4 and 1.5.

5) Can I connect the XScope to the computer using the USB for firmware updates?
Yes, the device has a USB bootloader. You need the FLIP application.
Old hardware 1.4 and 1.5 cannot do USB firmware upgrades.

6) How much power can the XScope supply?
The XScope can also power external devices. This is the maximum current on each voltage:

+5V: Will be the same as the power source minus 60mA.
-5V: Approximately 50mA, but this subtracts from the available current on the +5V line.
+3.3V: Approximately 200mA, but this subtracts from the available current on the +5V line.

7) What is the maximum frequency that I can measure with the XScope?
The analog bandwidth is set at 200kHz. However, you can still measure frequencies up to almost Nyquist/2, i.e. 1MHz. The FFT analysis will be particularly useful to measure high frequencies.

8) Can I measure voltages above 20V?
The portable XScopes can use a 3.5mm to BNC adapter, and then you could use a standard 10:1 probe. On the non-portable devices, you can add a 9Mohm resistor in series to the input. Since the input impedance of the device is 1Mohm, the voltage will is divided by 10 (This is the equivalent of using a 10:1 probe).

9) Are the logic inputs 5V tolerant?
Only on the Portable devices. On the non-portable variants, the logic inputs are not 5V tolerant. An easy solution would be to place a 3K resistor in series with the 5V signal, this will work for signals with a frequency lower than 200kHz. Another solution would be to use a voltage translator chip, such as the 74LVC245.

10) The source code says "evaluation version", can I get the full version?
The full source code is currently not open. The evaluation source code does not contain the MSO application, but the source code provided can be used as a template for your own programs. The HEX file does contain the full version of the oscilloscope, so you can always program back the original firmware..

11) I tried updating the firmware using the USB bootloader. It didn't work and now the device does not start?
The bootloader should still be functional. Try resetting the computer and try the procedure again, step by step.

12) How does the XScope compare to other digital oscilloscopes?
You can check this comparison table.