Analog Discovery 2 - Unboxing

Purchasing a new product can be a daunting task, especially if you want to make sure that you're getting exactly what you're looking for. To alleviate the anxiety, we've created an unboxing experience for the Analog Discovery 2 to showcase all of the features while also providing a quick getting started guide.


Step 1: Navigate to the WaveForms Page

The first thing we're going to do is navigate to the WaveForms page and get it downloaded. WaveForms is the free software that was created for use with the Analog Discovery 2 and is Mac, Linux, and Windows compatible.

If you don't have an Analog Discovery 2 yet, you can still download WaveForms and run it in demo mode to get a feel for the tools and interface. If you would like to skip straight to the unboxing description, jump down to Step 4!

Head on over to Digilent's WaveForms product page to get started!


Step 2: WaveForms Reference Page

Now that we've navigated to the WaveForms product page, click on the “Download Here” button within the description. This will take you to the reference center where you can read through the manual, get technical support, and select the proper files for download.

Download button within product description


Step 3: Download the Correct Version

In this step, locate the section labeled “Latest Downloads” on the right-hand side of the page.

 Latest downloads.

Here you will find a list of downloadable files specific for certain operating systems. Select the appropriate file for your needs and begin the download! We cover the WaveForms installation process in another tutorial series, which can be found here.


Step 4: Unboxing

While the file from the previous step is downloading, we'll go ahead and start the unboxing for the Analog Discovery 2.

The Analog Discovery 2 comes in a plastic project box with a cardboard wrap keeping it secure.

Analog Discovery 2 box.

On the back of the cardboard wrap is a brief description of the Analog Discovery 2 and what it can do for you. You can also see some of the product specifications beneath the wrap inside of the box. These specifications can also be found on the Analog Discovery 2 product page as well as the reference manual.

Back of box.

Go ahead and remove the cardboard wrap from the box (feel free to keep it or recycle!).

Remove wrap.

Now that you've removed the cardboard wrap, you can see the Analog Discovery 2 nestled safely within the project box and the surrounding support material.

Box without wrap.

Open the project box, which is a fantastic project container, and open up the top cardboard compartment. Here you will find all of the accessories that ship with the Analog Discovery 2.

Open up the top cardboard compartment.

The accessories include a ferrite cable snap-on, a 5-pack of 6-pin male headers, a USB to micro-B cable, and one 2×15 (30-pin) flywire connector that provides access to the oscilloscope, voltage sources, waveform generators, triggers, digital I/O, and ground connections

Accessories.

Now we'll go ahead and take the Analog Discovery 2 out of the box.

Removing the Analog Discovery 2 from the project box.

At this point, we recommend that you go ahead and dispose of the cardboard packaging material as it is not meant to last and takes up valuable space within the project box; however, you may keep it there if you wish!

Empty cardboard compartments.

You will notice that there is a pin diagram for the Analog Discovery 2 behind the cardboard compartments. This shows you which pins go to the oscilloscope, waveform generator, digital I/O, and triggers.

Pin diagram.

On the back of the card is a list of the tools included in WaveForms.

WaveForms features.