amahpour/analog-discovery-mcp-server

Analog Discovery 2 MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for controlling the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 device. This server provides tools to interact with the Analog Discovery 2's oscilloscope, waveform generator, and other functions through the MCP protocol.

Features

• Device Management: List, connect, and disconnect Analog Discovery 2 devices
• Oscilloscope: Capture analog waveforms from channels 0 and 1
• Waveform Generator: Generate various waveforms (sine, square, triangle, ramp, DC) on output channels
• Device Information: Get version and device details

Prerequisites

1. Install WaveForms SDK

Before using this MCP server, you must install the WaveForms SDK from Digilent:

1. Download WaveForms from Digilent's website
2. Install WaveForms.app to /Applications/
3. CRITICAL for macOS: Copy dwf.framework to the system frameworks directory:

   sudo cp -R /Applications/WaveForms.app/Contents/Frameworks/dwf.framework /Library/Frameworks/
   

   This step is required for the SDK to properly enumerate devices. Without it, you may encounter ERC 3090 errors.
4. Ensure the Analog Discovery 2 is connected via USB

2. Python Requirements

• Python 3.11 or later
• pip package manager

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository:

cd analog-discovery-msp-server

2. Install Python dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Verify the installation:

python server.py

The server will start and wait for MCP client connections via stdio.

MCP Server Configuration

To use this server with an MCP client (like Claude Desktop), add it to your MCP configuration file.

For Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "analog-discovery-2": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/analog-discovery-msp-server/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

For Other MCP Clients

The server uses FastMCP and communicates via stdio using the MCP protocol. Configure your client to run:

python /path/to/server.py

Available Tools

list_devices

List all available Analog Discovery 2 devices connected to the system.

Parameters: None

Example:

{
  "tool": "list_devices"
}

connect_device

Connect to an Analog Discovery 2 device.

Parameters:

• device_name (string, optional): Device name filter (None for first available, "Analog Discovery 2" for specific)

Example:

{
  "tool": "connect_device",
  "arguments": {
    "device_name": "Analog Discovery 2"
  }
}

disconnect_device

Disconnect from the current device.

Parameters: None

get_device_info

Get information about the currently connected device.

Parameters: None

capture_waveform

Capture an analog waveform from a channel (oscilloscope function).

Parameters:

• channel (integer, required): Channel number (1 or 2)
• sampling_frequency (number, optional): Sampling frequency in Hz (default: 20MHz)
• buffer_size (integer, optional): Buffer size in samples (0 = maximum, default: 0)
• offset (number, optional): Channel offset in volts (default: 0.0)
• amplitude_range (number, optional): Channel range in volts (default: 5.0)

Example:

{
  "tool": "capture_waveform",
  "arguments": {
    "channel": 1,
    "sampling_frequency": 1000000,
    "buffer_size": 4096,
    "offset": 0.0,
    "amplitude_range": 5.0
  }
}

generate_waveform

Generate a waveform on a channel (waveform generator function).

Parameters:

• channel (integer, required): Channel number (1 or 2)
• function (string, required): Waveform type: "sine", "square", "triangle", "ramp_up", "ramp_down", "dc", "noise", "pulse", or "trapezium"
• frequency (number, required): Frequency in Hz
• amplitude (number, required): Amplitude in volts
• offset (number, optional): DC offset in volts (default: 0.0)

Example:

{
  "tool": "generate_waveform",
  "arguments": {
    "channel": 1,
    "function": "sine",
    "frequency": 1000,
    "amplitude": 2.5,
    "offset": 0.0
  }
}

stop_waveform

Stop waveform generation on a channel.

Parameters:

• channel (integer, required): Channel number (1 or 2)

Example:

{
  "tool": "stop_waveform",
  "arguments": {
    "channel": 1
  }
}

Usage Examples

Basic Workflow

1. List available devices:

   list_devices
   

2. Connect to device:

   connect_device
   

   or with explicit device name:

   connect_device {"device_name": "Analog Discovery 2"}
   

3. Capture a waveform:

   capture_waveform {"channel": 1, "sampling_frequency": 20000000}
   

4. Generate a sine wave:

   generate_waveform {"channel": 1, "function": "sine", "frequency": 1000, "amplitude": 2.5}
   

5. Stop waveform generation:

   stop_waveform {"channel": 1}
   

6. Disconnect:

   disconnect_device
   

Troubleshooting

"No Analog Discovery devices found" or ERC 3090 error (macOS)

This is the most common issue on macOS. The error "Adept NOK dmgrEnumDevicesEx ERC: 3090" indicates the SDK cannot enumerate devices.

Solution: Ensure dwf.framework is copied to /Library/Frameworks/:

sudo cp -R /Applications/WaveForms.app/Contents/Frameworks/dwf.framework /Library/Frameworks/

Additional checks:

• Ensure the Analog Discovery 2 is connected via USB
• Verify dwf.framework exists: ls -la /Library/Frameworks/dwf.framework
• Check USB permissions on macOS (System Settings > Privacy & Security > USB Access)
• Ensure Terminal/Python has USB access permissions
• Try unplugging and replugging the device after copying the framework

"WF_SDK not found" or import errors

• Ensure WaveForms SDK is installed (download from Digilent website)
• Ensure WF_SDK folder is in the project directory (included in this repository)
• The PYTHONPATH environment variable should include the project directory (set automatically in .cursor/mcp.json)

"fastmcp package not found"

• Install dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt

Import errors

• Verify Python version is 3.11 or later: python --version
• Reinstall dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt --force-reinstall

Device connection issues

• Make sure only one process is accessing the device at a time
• Close WaveForms application if it's running (it has exclusive access to the device)
• Try disconnecting and reconnecting the device
• Restart your Mac if USB permissions seem stuck

Testing Installation

Run the test script to verify everything is working:

python3 test_device.py

This will test device connection, oscilloscope capture, and waveform generation.

Technical Details

• Framework: FastMCP (Pythonic MCP server framework)
• Protocol: MCP (Model Context Protocol) over stdio
• Python Library: Uses WF_SDK wrapper from Digilent's official WaveForms SDK Getting Started examples
• Device: Digilent Analog Discovery 2
• Supported Functions: Analog input (oscilloscope), analog output (waveform generator)
• Note: Channels are 1-indexed (1-2) as per WF_SDK convention

License

This project is provided as-is for use with the Analog Discovery 2 device.

Testing

A test script is included to verify your installation:

python3 test_device.py

This will test:

• Device connection
• Oscilloscope waveform capture
• Waveform generator

Resources

• Digilent Analog Discovery 2
• WaveForms SDK Documentation
• MCP Documentation
• - Detailed macOS troubleshooting guide