• EspoTek Labrador

A small, portable, USB-connected electronics lab-on-a-board that includes an oscilloscope, waveform generator, power supply, logic analyzer, and multimeter.

Introducing the Labrador !!
 
On-board is a complete arsenal of electronic engineering instruments: an oscilloscope, function generator, power supply, logic analyzer and multimeter. Yet, it’s as small as a flash drive and costs as much as a single Arduino shield.
 
 
 
A. Power Supply Outlets
B. Digital Output
C. Function Generator Outputs
D. Oscilloscope/Multimeter Inputs
E. Logic Analyzer Inputs
 
Electronics made accessible
 
These instruments are vital, and no professional engineer can practice their craft without them. Yet, until now, each instrument can cost hundreds of dollars, they are so bulky they require their own dedicated bench, and they are covered with so many knobs and dials that even experienced users are sometimes baffled.
 
The EspoTek Labrador changes all that by creating a new kind of lab. It has all the same instruments, but it’s different in three important ways. The Labrador is:
 
more affordable
much smaller
far easier to use
 
It’s an electronics lab you can slip into your pocket that costs a fraction of regular bench-top tools. So now, grad students living on lentils and rice, inventors working from a postage stamp-sized apartment, and the next generation of makers from every country on Earth can have access to all of the tools of the trade. Let’s take a detailed look at how the Labrador achieves this.
 
It’s easy to use
 
The EspoTek Labrador plugs directly into a solder-less breadboard and connects to any Windows, Mac, or Linux computer via microUSB. A custom software interface lets you see and interact with your waveforms on-screen. Careful planning and a lot of work has been put into making the interface intuitive for those new to electronics, while keeping it powerful for those familiar with the instruments. Experienced engineers, don’t fear - you can do things like manually adjust the ADC gain and UART parameters. These kinds of function have just been moved away from the main screen, keeping things clean and simple for newer users.
 
 
 
It’s affordable
 
From day one, the goal of the Labrador project has been to produce a tool that everyone could afford, from an unpaid intern in San Francisco to a high school student in São Paulo. Multiple revisions have been made over the past year and a half, with every component being carefully selected to deliver performance and reliability while keeping costs down. Whole designs have been scrapped and components ripped off of live boards, and the net result speaks for itself. Labrador is the most affordable electronics lab in the world.
 
It’s very, very small
 
Labrador is tiny. The current prototype measures up at 31mm x 38mm x 23mm and weighs just 10g. The next prototype will be even smaller. Suffice to say, Labrador doesn’t eat up your apartment’s precious storage space and can be taken with you anywhere you go. Debugging robots on the train, anyone?
 
It’s fully Open Source
 
All software is licenced under the GPL, and all hardware under Creative Commons. This makes it possible for you to improve or extend your Labrador in any way you want - and then share this with the growing open source community.
 
 
 
Labrador is for makers.
Labrador takes the instruments that professional engineers use every day and makes them accessible to everyone. This includes makers. Below are a few of the ways that makers can take advantage of these tools.
 
Debug
Debugging a circuit without a scope can be a nightmare. There’s no way of seeing what’s going on. It is not fun. It is not challenging. It’s just frustrating. The EspoTek Labrador fixes this. As a low-cost, portable, easy-to-use oscilloscope, Labrador lets you see what’s going on at any point in your circuit. This makes fast, effective debugging possible without a four-year degree and $500 of equipment. Makers can spend more time making and less time plugging wires into random holes and hoping it works.
 
Experiment
It’s possible to understand how any electronic component or circuit works, as long as you have two tools: a signal generator and an oscilloscope. The EspoTek Labrador provides both of these in a single package, letting you run experiments on real hardware. The results may surprise you!
 
Labrador is for students.
If you’ve been studying engineering for more than about 6 weeks, you already know just how useful a lab bench is. This is how useful a $25, portable, all-in-one lab bench is.
 
Work when you’re out of the lab
Labrador is a lab for when you’re out of the lab. You can work on your projects wherever you are: on the bus, in your dorm room, or stuck in a lecture on weaving imagery in medieval German literature. Of course, Labrador isn’t the first product to offer a portable version of a lab instrument, but it is the first that ships to every country on Earth for $25, weighs just 10g, and comes with a full suite of tools on-board.
 
Gain experience
Being able to work independently on projects in your spare time will give you all kinds of experience that you just can’t get in a classroom - the type of hands-on problem solving experience that employers look for. If you spend your summer break building a robot and then bring that robot to a couple of interviews, you will have no trouble finding a job. If you give up because you lack access to debugging tools and instead bring along your 2200 CP Charizard, job hunting will be more challenging.
 
A fraction of the cost of a degree
An engineering degree at MIT costs roughly US$200,000. Labrador is $25. You don’t need to be an engineer to see the value in that. As a bonus, you could use Labrador to help you study for your degree at MIT.
 
Technical Specifications
Please note that these specifications represent the typical performance of the current prototypes and may be subject to some slight changes in future.
 
Specs at a Glance:
Oscilloscope (2 channel, 750ksps)
Arbitrary Waveform Generator (2 channel, 1MSPS)
Power Supply (4.5 to 15V, 1.5W max, closed-loop)
Logic Analyzer (2 channel, 3MSPS per channel, with serial decoding)
Multimeter (V/I/R/C)
Software compatible with Windows, OSX, and Linux
 
Full specs
 

Oscilloscope

Sample Rate

750ksps (shared)

 

Bits per Sample

8, 12¹

 

Bandwidth

~100kHz²

 

Input Voltage Range

-20V to +20V

 

Input Impedance

1 MΩ

 

No. of Channels

2

 

Coupling

AC/DC

Arbitrary Waveform Generator

Waveform types

Sin, Square, Triangle, Sawtooth, Arbitrary

 

Sample Rate

1Msps

 

Sample Depth

64 samples (CH1), 1500 samples (CH2)

 

Output voltage range

0.15V to 9.5V

 

Bits per Sample

8

 

Max. Current

10mA³

 

Output Resistance

50Ω

 

No. of Channels

2

Variable Power Supply

Voltage Range

4.5V to 15V

 

Max. Power

~1.5W

 

No. of Outputs

1

 

Source Impedance

Negligible⁴

 

Ripple Voltage

+-300mV%@10V 10mA, +-700mV%@10V 100mA

Logic Analyzer

Sample Rate

3Msps per channel

 

Supported voltage

3.3V, 5V, 12V

 

No. of Channels

2

Digital Output

Voltage

3.3V

 

Source Impedance

50Ω

Multimeter

Input Impedance

1MΩ

 

Measured Parameters

V, I, R, C

 

Voltage Range

-20V to +20V

 

Current Range

100uA to 10A

 

Resistance Range

1 ohm to 100k

 

Capacitance Range

10pf to 1mf

 
¹ - 12-bit sampling is available at 375ksps, single-channel only. 
² - This figure is an approximate “maximum detectable frequency” dictated by the sample rate. 
³ - This figure is for source current. Current is sunk partially into the opamp driving the signal gen and partially into a 1k resistor. Thus, maximum sink current can be calculated by dividing the output voltage by 1k and adding 50µA. This configuration was chosen so that capacitive loads could be driven without significant nonlinearities. In simpler terms, this means that if you’re trying to drive current into the waveform generator through use of an external current source, then the maximum current that the waveform generator can handle is reduced. (This is not something that would be an issue for most people.) 
⁴ - The Power Supply is controlled by a closed-loop feedback loop that ensures the DC voltage across output remains constant. Thus, it has nonlinear elements, but can still be approximated by a Thévenin circuit with Vth = Vo and Rth = 0. 
⁵ - Multimeter ranges vary with reference resistor used.
 
Plans for the future
The software is in beta. Some features are missing, some bugs are present and this will all need to be cleaned up prior to launch. Six weeks of solid coding will be needed to finish this job to a high standard, plus another two to test. The Labrador hardware is already in its fifth revision, but even further refinement will be made before any units are shipped to the public. Specifically, a 3.3V output will be added, the inductor and diode will be shrunk down to SMD packages, and, if time permits, any stretch goals will need to be implemented. Extensive testing will also be undertaken, and if an error is found it will need to be removed. Testing is expected to take around 4 weeks.
 
Once the hardware has been thoroughly tested, and the software developed enough to facilitate testing, the boards will need to be manufactured. Quotes have already been sourced from several manufacturers, all with lead times of approximately 3-4 weeks.
 
Development will still continue while the campaign is live, so you can expect the first Labradors to start shipping by early December.
 
Risks and challenges
Multiple prototypes have been produced using low-cost parts, and quotes that detail the full cost of manufacturing have already been sourced. Labrador works and is feasible to produce. However, there is still a risk of the project being delayed. Bugs could be found during testing that take longer than expected to fix. Human error during the manufacturing process, on either side, could lead to the 3-4 week lead time being increased. Component sourcing issues could also arise, but are unlikely to hold up the project for months on end since all parts can be substituted. Backers will be notified of any issues that could cause delays.

 

Write a review

Please login or register to review

EspoTek Labrador

  • Brand: Crowd Supply
  • Product Code:CS-EspoTek-Labrador
  • Reward Points:41
  • Availability:Back-order
  • रo 4,134.00

  • Price in reward points:4134

  • 3 or more रo 4,101.00
  • 7 or more रo 3,670.00
  • 17 or more रo 3,465.00
  • 34 or more रo 3,377.00

Related Products

XMEGA Xminilab

XMEGA Xminilab

The Xminilab is a mixed signal oscilloscope with an arbitrary waveform generator in a DIP module. It..

रo 3,999.00 रo 5,850.00

Xminilab Portable

Xminilab Portable

This is the portable version of the Xminilab. The Xminilab Portable is a small mixed signal oscillos..

रo 4,999.00 रo 8,880.00

XM1584 Ultra-Small Size DC-DC Step-Down Power Supply Module

XM1584 Ultra-Small Size DC-DC Step-Down Power Supply Module

XM1584 Ultra-small size DC-DC step-down 3A adjustable power supply module. Features and Specific..

रo 81.00

ArduCam U6215 Cycle Square Wave Function Generator Module

ArduCam U6215 Cycle Square Wave Function Generator Module

Arducam U6215 full function signal generator is designed to generate electrical signals in different..

रo 1,198.00 रo 1,426.00

Tags: EspoTek, Labrador

The product is currently Out-of-Stock. Enter your email address below and we will notify you as soon as the product is available.

Name
Email
Phone
Comments