Introduction: How to Install WaveForms 2015 in Linux

WaveForms 2015 is a piece of software developed by Digilent intended for use with the Analog Discovery 2, Analog Discovery, EE Board, or Analog Discovery 2 NI Edition.

To see what comes in the box when you purchase an AD2 check out this unboxing.

It provides the User Interface for a 2 Channel Oscilloscope, Logic Analyzer, Arbitrary Waveform Generator, Digital I/O and more. WaveForms 2015 is free to download, and Mac (Apple), Windows, and Linux compatible. This guide will go through installation of the software on Linux after downloading it from the website.

I'm using Fedora 21 and an Analog Discovery 2.

Step 1: Download WaveForms

Download the correct installation file for WaveForms depending on your distribution of Linux. The second image in this step shows which files are for which distributions.

Since I am using a 64 bit machine with Fedora, I will use the 64 bit RPM file.

Step 2: Download Adept

Download the correct version of Adept. The link for Adept downloads is located on the WaveForms 2015 page as seen in the previous step.

Make sure the version of the Adept install file is the same as WaveForms. I used the 64 bit RPM for WaveForms so I will use the 64 bit RPM for Adept.

Step 3: Open the Adept File

Open the file you downloaded for Adept in the previous step.

Step 4: Click Install

Click Install on the window that pops up.

Step 5: Open the WaveForms File

Open the file you downloaded to install WaveForms.

Step 6: Click Install

Click Install in the window that pops up.

Step 7: Open WaveForms

Go to your Applications and open WaveForms.

Step 8: No Device

If you don't have an Analog Discovery 2 plugged in a window will pop up warning that no device was detected. That's okay.

Step 9: Run Demo Mode

The device manager will now open. Click on demo mode, and click select.

Step 10: Demo Mode Oscilloscope

If you don't have an Analog Discovery 2 yet that's okay. You can still run WaveForms 2015 in demo mode, so that you can get a feel for it.

Here is a shot of the demo oscilloscope displaying a sine and square wave.

Step 11: Plug in Analog Discovery 2

If you plug in the Analog Discovery 2 a window will pop up indicating that it was detected. Hit okay, and you are now connected.

Step 12: Device Manager

If you open the device manager, or you have the Analog Discovery 2 plugged in when WaveForms is opened, this window will appear. You select the Analog Discovery 2 just as you did for demo mode.

Now you are connected and good to go!

Now that you have WaveForms 2015 you can move onto calibrating your device.

Makerspace Contest

Participated in the
Makerspace Contest