A good digital oscilloscope?

D

DA 16 years ago

Hi all,

I think I'm going to try and treat myself to an oscilloscope this Christmas. I've managed to go without one for the last 15 years or so and, frankly, did not have a burning need or even much space for it. I do some digital design (PIC based mostly) - LED, motor controls and such and every once in a while I wish I has something to look at the signal with.

So, I've looked around and saw this name come up often: Rigol DS1102E

100MHz Digital Storage Oscilloscope. There is also a 50MHz version which is what I think I need. There has not been any need for me to look at
100MHz signals in a long time. I am not at all proficient with oscilloscopes and have never used a digital one. Last one I used had a round green screen :) which hints at how long ago that was... So flat(er) learning curve would be important for me.

Are there people here using this brand? Are they any good for use in digital designs and, most importantly for me at this point, easy to learn?

I guess, Rigol may not be the only ones making digital oscilloscopes these days. What other brands/models should I also look at?

Thanks for your suggestions!

------------------------------------- /_/ ((@v@)) ():::() VV-VV

##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via

formatting link

Electronics Enthusiasts' Community of the Net Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - sci.electronics.design - 359995 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------##

Vote

N

Nico Coesel 16 years ago

Also look at Owon (low end Tektronix)

Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply indicates you are not using the right tools... "If it doesn\'t fit, use a bigger hammer!" --------------------------------------------------------------

Vote

K

krw 16 years ago

If you need to look at digital signals above 10-20MHz, you really should buy a scope with more than a 100MHz bandwidth. I didn't think I would waste my time with a (new) scope with less than a 300MHz bandwidth. We have two Tek's at work and I try like hell to not use the 100MHz model.

Half of the scope is the probe. Make sure you don't chince here.

As far as operation, a scope is a scope unless it's Windoze based. Features may be easier on one than another but the essential controls are all pretty much the same.

Nope, I do Tek's. Right about now, Ebay is your friend.

Vote

T

Tim Wescott 16 years ago

For embedded software work, channel count is more important than speed. Unless you're debugging boards with really fast processors a 100MHz scope is enough.

Because I could justify it by the job it was bought for, I have an Agilent mixed-signal scope, the one with a couple of scope channels and

16 logic analyzer channels. It is _way cool_ for mixed signals into a processor, but someone who needed a good logic analyzer would sneer at it, as would someone who needed a really good, really fast analog scope.

www.wescottdesign.com

Vote

R

Reinhard Zwirner 16 years ago

DA schrieb:

[...]

Dave Jones' EEVblog #37

HTH

Reinhard

Vote

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

Go for 100 MHz. That's the minimum for dealing with digital logic these days.

John

Vote

J

Joerg 16 years ago

Instek is another brand. Got the GDS-2204, love it. Bought a lower end one for a client, they like it as well. Mostly because they don't nickel and dime you for the PC-support SW, it's a free download.

As John wrote, go for higher bandwidth. I'd rather have a high bandwidth and only two channels rather than mediocre BW and four channels.

Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.

Vote

J

Jim Yanik 16 years ago

krw wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Just an FYI on Tektronix; they are planning to move production from Beaverton,Oregon to China.

More US jobs lost.

Also,Danaher,owner of Fluke,now owns TEK. On their website is the notice about moving production.

Jim Yanik jyanik at localnet dot com

Vote

G

George Herold 16 years ago

Hmm, we bought a cheap owon, (Shipped off to live in Europe for trade shows.) I wasn't impressed. The Rigol sounds better, But I've never used one.... Xmas is here and I did get a bonus this year???

George H.

Nico Coesel wrote:

Vote

G

George Herold 16 years ago

Speaking of TEK, I hate the interface on their new low-end 'scopes. You turn the voltage or time base knob and the first click does nothing! It's like you have to wake the 'scope up first and then it will pay attention.

George H.

Vote

N

Nico Coesel 16 years ago

There is not much use looking at any signal over 100MHz with a normal probe even if it is specified for 200MHz or more. The input capacitance of the probe (even in 1:10 mode) is loading signals over

100MHz way too much.

Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply indicates you are not using the right tools... "If it doesn\'t fit, use a bigger hammer!" --------------------------------------------------------------

Vote

N

Nico Coesel 16 years ago

I agree. I have a seperate logic analyzer, digital storage scope and a high frequency analog scope. All have their proper uses. I have been using older Agilent mixed signal oscilloscopes (5xxxx series) but I wasn't impressed by the trigger possibilities.

Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply indicates you are not using the right tools... "If it doesn\'t fit, use a bigger hammer!" --------------------------------------------------------------

Vote

K

krw 16 years ago

They haven't moved eBay to China yet.

Vote

D

David L. Jones 16 years ago

,

?

e

As someone else mentioned, see my blog for a review and a tear down of the Rigol DS1052E. As far as bang-per-buck goes, the Rigol DS1052E cannot be beat, it is now under US$400.

There is much talk about it on the EEVblog forum also.

Dave.

formatting link

Vote

R

Rich Webb 16 years ago

[snippety snip]

Oh, and thanks for adding the explanation of a "crow probe." I did google a bit and discovered that "crows are predominately right-handed in their production of tools" [Britannica] but that didn't seem to fit the circumstances. CRO got it. ;-)

Rich Webb Norfolk, VA

Vote

J

Jamie 16 years ago

Active Fet probes? I got a nice set for the 350mhz tek scope..

Vote

D

David L. Jones 16 years ago

And yes, we still say it for non CRT scopes too!

And remember too, it's "sole-der", not "sodder" :-P

Dave.

Vote

T

Tim Williams 16 years ago

I never was too impressed with digital scopes. None of them have nearly enough buttons, so you spend all your time wading through menus. The Rigol I've used (don't remember the number) has awful menus, they are not always quite what they say they are, and they take forever to go away.

Some digital scopes have better refresh than others. The HP (Agilent??)

54622D's in all the labs at school here work fairly well, though at least two button presses are required to reach any given menu option. Refresh is okay, though still chunky on slower sweeps (>1ms/div).

My impression of the cheapass Tek TDS's (the thin rectangular ones) is similar to the Rigol.

I'm most familiar with my Tek 475, but it would be nice to have storage, single sweep* and averaging. One of those intermediate scopes, the ones with analog AND digital, they're perfect for everything.

*Just because it's an analog scope doesn't mean you don't get storage or single sweep type readings, it just means it takes more setup. This photograph was taken with a 10 second exposure, capturing three photoflash discharges:

formatting link

Tim

-- Deep Friar: a very philosophical monk. Website:

formatting link

Vote

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

I like my TDS2012. I rarely use an analog scope any more.

John

Vote

J

JW 16 years ago

I'll sell you a Tektronix 500MHz 1GSa/S TDS540 for $800 + shipping. :)

Vote

A good digital oscilloscope?

Join the Discussion

Didn't find your answer?