Descripción de 11 Laser Communicator - Using USB for the power, and Oscilloscope Adjustment:

The USB cable was from the store "Dollar Tree" for $1. It's used for the testing of the system, but I guess it would be best to have a USB jack on the laser system itself, for convenience if someone else is going to use the laser system. How long will your power cord and receiver need to be, that is the laser and/or receiver may be some distance from the computer, and you need to take that into consideration. While your at the store, get some more usb cords to connect together, or something like cheap speaker wire (50 to 100ft perhaps). The oscilloscope display you see on the computer screen is from an oscilloscope program that you can get from the internet, and I will give the link below. Note, the "soundcard oscilloscopes" are only useful for audio frequencies since the input is from the computers soundcard which only works with with audio/"low" frequencies, say below 20,000 hz. (or 20khz). You don't have to have an oscilloscope - you can use your "ear" and adjust things that way, but it's good to have both a visual and hearing for the adjustments. The input signal for the soundcard and oscilloscope program is from the solarpanel receiver of the laser communication system that is connected to the computers microphone input on the soundcard. If you work with audio signals/amplifiers, you will need some form of an oscilloscope eventually. There are several soundcard oscsilloscopes and in the video I use what could be the best one available and I recomend it (it also has a great "(wave/waveform) function generator" to make signals at a certain frequency desired, etc. Note, the tones heard/shown in the video were made with a different audio recorder/editor program, though the results would probably be the same), and I am using it for an educational / non-commercial purpose for this video; actually I do not even discuss the oscilloscope, but only the waveforms shown, which any oscilloscope program can probably do. Please respect the company and purchase the program if you do any work with it: http://www.zeitnitz.de/Christian/scope_en Don't forget, the need for an isolation circuit from the circuit/signal being tested and the soundcard to prevent damage to the soundcard. Since we are only using a low voltage signal from the solarpanel (which is isolated from the rest of the laser commuicator circuit), no isolation circuit seems to be needed (hence the laser system has additional use for audio/oscilloscope work, besides the transmission of audio for pure enjoyment). Interesting side note: You can shine different LED flashlights steadilly at the solarpanel receiver and see if they produce a waveform on the oscilloscope's display. Some LED flashlights have a waveform, and some not so much. The channel MakeMagazine has a quick video about oscilloscopes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxZWcku_Sw0