Digilent Analog Discovery 2
The Digilent Analog Discovery 2 is a USB oscilloscope, waveform generator, logic analyzer and power supply in one small box, with two 14-bit differential scope inputs at 100 MS/s, two 14-bit AWG outputs and 16 digital lines. Digilent has retired it in favor of the Analog Discovery 3, but many remain in university labs and on engineers’ desks.
Specifications
| Analog inputs | 22 differential scope channels |
| Resolution | 14-bit |
| Max sample rate | 200 MS/s100 MS/s per channel, both channels simultaneous; Scope Record mode streams at about 1 MS/s |
| Input ranges | ±25 V |
| Input modes | differential |
| Analog outputs | 2 × 14-bit |
| Digital I/O | 16 |
| Isolation | No |
| Interfaces | USB |
Vendor driver by OS
| Driver | WaveForms SDK |
| Windows | Yes |
| macOS | Yes |
| Linux | Yes |
Vendor software
| WaveForms | Windows, macOS, LinuxFree. Scope (with Record mode), Wavegen, Logic, Logger, Spectrum, Network, Script and more; macOS build is Universal (Intel and Apple Silicon), macOS 12 or later |
| WaveForms SDK | Windows, macOS, LinuxFree. C library with examples, installed with WaveForms |
Analog Discovery 2 status
Digilent’s store lists the Analog Discovery 2 as retired and no longer available, and recommends the Analog Discovery 3. The WaveForms SDK documentation still lists it as a supported device, marked legacy, and current WaveForms releases continue to run it.
Using the Analog Discovery 2 on macOS, Windows and Linux
WaveForms 3.25.1 (March 2026) runs the AD2 on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 12 or later as a Universal build, on Windows with x86 and ARM64 installers, and on amd64 and arm64 Linux through .deb and .rpm packages, including Raspberry Pi 5. The WaveForms SDK installs alongside it, and on a Mac it lives inside WaveForms.app. One install includes every instrument (Scope, Wavegen, Logic, Patterns, Spectrum, Network, Impedance, Protocol, Supplies, Script and the Logger, which saves data on each acquisition in the Scope, Logic and Spectrum instruments). DAQAtlas, which is in development, reads the AD2 through that SDK, so WaveForms has to be installed first.
Data logging limits on the AD2
The scope runs at 100 MS/s per channel into an onboard buffer of up to 16k samples per channel, which covers fast triggered captures. For longer recordings, Scope Record mode streams to the PC. Digilent staff on its forum put the usable ceiling at about 1 MS/s and note that the application caps a recording at 16M samples to stay responsive, recommending the SDK for longer runs. The Analog Discovery data logging on a Mac article covers the WaveForms side in more detail. The inputs are differential with a ±25 V input range, the AWG outputs are ±5 V at 100 MS/s, and the 16 digital lines are 3.3 V CMOS at 100 MS/s. The programmable supplies cover 0.5 to 5 V and -0.5 to -5 V, limited to 500 mW total on USB power and 2.1 W per supply with the auxiliary input.
Questions
Does the Analog Discovery 2 work on an M1 or M2 Mac?
Yes. Current WaveForms releases are a Universal build for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 12 or later, and they still support the AD2.
Is the Analog Discovery 2 discontinued?
Yes. Digilent lists it as retired and recommends the Analog Discovery 3.
How fast can the Analog Discovery 2 log continuously?
Digilent staff put Scope Record mode at about 1 MS/s; faster rates only work into the onboard buffer of up to 16k samples per channel.
Specifications and prices are taken from the vendor’s published pages at the time of writing and can change. Check the vendor before you buy. Sources: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6