Visual Analyser Project ( current v. 25 Silvia edition  )

Sillanum Soft and the author of VA

    My name is Alfredo Accattatis; I love electronics and software, and I have been working for years in commercial companies as software/firmware engineer and software designer. I've been writing programs for embedded systems (with DSP and MICROCONTROLLERS), for PC, for Avionic Computers and even for Mainframes, using C, C++, Pascal, Ada, REXX, Matlab and assembly. I starting write VA during my free time just for fun and using (also) my DSP experience. The program was and is completely FREE.

   I've been collaborating with the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" from 2006 in the "Signal and image Measurements and Processing" group, as Ph.D. student. Below the logo of the group.

    A special thanks to the Professor Roberto Lojacono and Marcello Salmeri for appreciating my qualities and  let me collaborate with them!

    Currently, I am a contract professor for the Fundamentals of Computer Science course in the Energetics/Mechanical Engineering degree program (a special thanks to Professor Tucci), and I have been doing this for over a decade. I have written numerous textbooks, and alongside all of this, I have dedicated myself to studying climate change issues (I have published a book on Amazon) and off-grid photovoltaic systems, developing specific software. However, we will discuss all of this in dedicated sections. 

   Lastly, why the name 'Sillanum Soft'? Simply put, this is the name I would have chosen for a software company of my own; Sillanum is the Latin name for a town called Scigliano. It’s a place I love to return to often. Although it’s not my hometown in the strict sense, and I’ve never actually lived there, I feel a deep connection to it. 

Why VA?

    Many people do not have the money to buy an expensive Oscilloscope or a Spectrum Analyzer. Or simply they do not want to invest money for something they will use rarely. Nevertheless many people love to build and test audio amplifiers or other kinds of simple circuits (oscillators, filters, etc); or simply they need monitoring some particular signal (an output of a sensor), and are only interested in the range of audio frequencies . A lot of musicians, for example, need a spectrum analyzer with an octave band analysis tool embedded.

    So, a good sound card could be all the hardware they need—together with their PC, which provides a lot of available hardware at no additional cost. A recent sound card with a sampling frequency of 96 or even 192 kHz allows signals with frequencies up to 96 kHz to be managed (well beyond audio frequencies), transforming VA into a powerful set of instruments for general electronics and other applications. VA is useful anywhere a true oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, frequency meter, voltmeter, function generator, and even a distortion meter (THD, THD+n) are needed. For example, when tuning a Class B power amplifier, you need a spectrum analyzer (or a THD meter) to minimize crossover distortion. A powerful ZRLC meter has now been introduced.

    The idea of using a PC's sound card is not new (there are many programs like VA), but I aimed to create software specifically designed for analyzing audio circuits for electronics enthusiasts. I believe VA is probably less 'flashy' than others (fewer windows and frills) but full of substance and even includes many original ideas.

    VA is a software "under construction", and in continuous evolution. Thanks to the feedback of a lot of people all over the world, and ... why not...my pure passion!
 

The future

    Many reflections over the years spent improving and fixing VA led me to the crucial decision not to create a commercial version of VA. In other words, to keep enhancing VA as freeware. Numerous new features have been added, and many bugs have been fixed since version 10.0, which likely would have been the first commercial release. So, please continue using VA, and thank you for supporting me with your feedback and—at times—your donations.

  After a long time, a new version of VA is ready, featuring a new installer and numerous new features. The next goals are a new website and a comprehensive manual.

The signature at the bottom of this page is the work of Marcello; it can be read in both directions and contains the first and last name of the undersigned! 

Latest VA reviews, articles:

Send an e-mail to  alfredo[at]accattatis.org for questions and/or suggestions about the web site. The webmaster is Alfredo Accattatis.
Last modified: 21-oct-2024