Impact of Microcontroller Architecture on Oscilloscope Performance: A Study of ESP32 vs. STM32

Microcontrollers are incredibly important in engineering education, as students often work with tools like oscilloscopes and multimeters. While traditional oscilloscopes are crucial, they can be quite pricey and not easily accessible for many learners. This research looks into the possibility of using microcontrollers to create a budget-friendly, fully functional oscilloscope that’s perfect for educational use. We specifically focus on comparing two popular microcontrollers—ESP32 and STM32—examining how they affect oscilloscope performance in terms of latency and signal quality. The study assesses key factors such as ADC sampling rate, processing speed, response time, noise levels, and data handling abilities to find the best microcontroller for real-time signal capture and display. We take a systematic experimental approach, testing both microcontrollers with the same signal inputs and measuring their performance under different conditions. The results of this study will help in choosing the best microcontroller for a cost-effective, accessible, and reliable oscilloscope that students can easily use.