I'm thinking about adding an Oscilloscope to my bench as I dive deeper into building audio amplifier and power supplies. I have no idea how much I'll be using it. Amazon offers a scope with built in signal generator for under $200. Specs below. Would this serve a home hobbiest well? How about these little handheld scopes that sell for around $50...Waste of money? Will the built in signal generator be enough or should I add a signal generator to the cart?
* Number of channels：2 channels
* Maximum real time sampling rate: 1GSa/s
* Vertical sensitivity: 50 mV/div ~ 500 V/div
* Horizontal time base range: 50S/div ~ 10nS/div
* Maximum test voltage: 40 V (1X probe), 400 V (10X probe)
* Storage depth: 240Kbit
* Input resistance: 1MΩ
* ADC precision: 8bits
* Coupling mode: AC/DC
* Trigger mode: Single, Normal, Auto
* Trigger edge: Rising edge/Falling edge
* External trigger voltage 0 – 40 V
* Extension ports：USB picture export
https://www.amazon.com/Oscilloscope...e&qid=1646224765&sprefix=oscill,aps,88&sr=8-6
Function
* Analog band width: 100MHz * 2* Number of channels：2 channels
* Maximum real time sampling rate: 1GSa/s
* Vertical sensitivity: 50 mV/div ~ 500 V/div
* Horizontal time base range: 50S/div ~ 10nS/div
* Maximum test voltage: 40 V (1X probe), 400 V (10X probe)
* Storage depth: 240Kbit
* Input resistance: 1MΩ
* ADC precision: 8bits
* Coupling mode: AC/DC
* Trigger mode: Single, Normal, Auto
* Trigger edge: Rising edge/Falling edge
* External trigger voltage 0 – 40 V
* Extension ports：USB picture export
https://www.amazon.com/Oscilloscope...e&qid=1646224765&sprefix=oscill,aps,88&sr=8-6
You may be happy in the long run with a PC oscilloscope. Not me, though. I know nothing about the 'scope you listed. It might be fine for audio. That built-in signal generator looks like it's pretty limiting.
I was thinking along your lines until I realized I'd rather have equipment that I wouldn't have to replace quickly. It's a lot more money, but I think reasonable performance and the reduction in headaches are worth it. I ended up buying what so many others have, which is a Rigol 'scope and function generator. Then I cheaped out on a power supply, which I regret.
One more thing: Though I have Amazon Prime and I use it frequently, I much prefer Tequipment.net for these kind of purchases. But their cheapest digital 'scope is a Siglent for $259 + shipping.
One last thing: I think the reviews on the tequipment site are better and more reliable than the notoriously flaky Amazon reviews.
I was thinking along your lines until I realized I'd rather have equipment that I wouldn't have to replace quickly. It's a lot more money, but I think reasonable performance and the reduction in headaches are worth it. I ended up buying what so many others have, which is a Rigol 'scope and function generator. Then I cheaped out on a power supply, which I regret.
One more thing: Though I have Amazon Prime and I use it frequently, I much prefer Tequipment.net for these kind of purchases. But their cheapest digital 'scope is a Siglent for $259 + shipping.
One last thing: I think the reviews on the tequipment site are better and more reliable than the notoriously flaky Amazon reviews.
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This is a very budget 'scope, so there will be shortcomings - I'd look at the various reviews out there before making the decision.
Its definitely marketed at hobbiest and educational market at that low cost.
Its definitely marketed at hobbiest and educational market at that low cost.
In 50 words or less, can you tell me what I get in the Hantek DSO2D15 for another $100 over the scope I listed? I appreciate it!
Repeatability of measurements, lower noise, faster rearming trigger, higher input sensibility and higher reliability.
This you can expect for a better osciloscope, not necessary form Hantek or Rigol, but from a much better osciloscope. Hantek, Rigol and other similarly osciloscope are mostly the same.
At home I have a ~500E digital osciloscope (~10 years ago) and I use at job oscilloscopes between 10KEuro and over 100KEuro oscilloscopes. The differences are huge. The home oscilloscopes has recovered its investment in less than a year, only from servicing even if I don't do it too often.
It's like with the cars. You can buy a cheap car with only 2-3 euroncap stars or a more expensive one with 5 euroncap stars. You don't need them until you have a car accident and escape without serious injuries just because you had a more expensive car.
For this budget I'd look into getting a used analog scope.
FWI, I got a siglent SDS1104X-E last week, which is 4-channel and can also do bode plots.
Saying that, I haven't really used it because there was a "problem" with the fan (wasn't plugged in) so I sent it back, haha.
Tomorrow it should arrive back to me.
FWI, I got a siglent SDS1104X-E last week, which is 4-channel and can also do bode plots.
Saying that, I haven't really used it because there was a "problem" with the fan (wasn't plugged in) so I sent it back, haha.
Tomorrow it should arrive back to me.
Thank you......Not a fan of buying used. Especially electronics that I know nothing about. I think I'm going to order that $190 scope to play with. If I then get serious I'll sell it and buy better. This is what I did with all my welding equipment.
Hi,
50mV/div minimum sensitivity!!
How do You expect to see small (audio) signals at all?
I'd regard that figure just short of ridicolous for a benchtop device.
It hints towards a quite noisy frontend.
Wouldn't wonder when the ENOB settles around 4 or even less.
At that price point there can't be any budget for a decently powerful hardware to shuffle all the data around.
So it will probabely have a slow non-fluent GUI.
Typically the integrated signal generators are quite limited in signal fidelity and max. amplitude.
And what about the software/firmware?
Will You ever get the chance to downlad a halfways working firmware?
Or will the firmware remain just a huge pile of bugs and annoyance?
Honestly, in the face of dramatic climate change .... can You still afford to waste earth's precious ressources by buying electronic waste that camouflages as oscilloscope?
Because buying too cheap means buying twice.
jauu
Calvin
50mV/div minimum sensitivity!!
How do You expect to see small (audio) signals at all?
I'd regard that figure just short of ridicolous for a benchtop device.
It hints towards a quite noisy frontend.
Wouldn't wonder when the ENOB settles around 4 or even less.
At that price point there can't be any budget for a decently powerful hardware to shuffle all the data around.
So it will probabely have a slow non-fluent GUI.
Typically the integrated signal generators are quite limited in signal fidelity and max. amplitude.
And what about the software/firmware?
Will You ever get the chance to downlad a halfways working firmware?
Or will the firmware remain just a huge pile of bugs and annoyance?
Honestly, in the face of dramatic climate change .... can You still afford to waste earth's precious ressources by buying electronic waste that camouflages as oscilloscope?
Because buying too cheap means buying twice.
jauu
Calvin
I really wouldn't recommend buying this scope for what you need but it's your call.
From what I see until now, people ask for a recommendation to buy something, other people made some recommendation but finally the questioner buy what he originally intended even though everyone told him not to buy that thing but something else.
Almost everyone who asks, asks because they want a confirmation that they made the right choice, not because they want to make the best choice.
Almost everyone who asks, asks because they want a confirmation that they made the right choice, not because they want to make the best choice.
Get the $30 'scope. Play with it a LOT. Always remember that no 'scope shows everything, and a $30 less than others, but any 'scope is better than no 'scope.
When you figure out what "more" you need, you will be able to shop wisely.
When you figure out what "more" you need, you will be able to shop wisely.
If you can find it a scope with 12 bit vertical resolution for a better FFT.
8 bits gets only 48 db, not enough for even ordinary audio apps.
If it comes with less band width, audio is audio.
Even 10 MHz is plenty.
8 bits gets only 48 db, not enough for even ordinary audio apps.
If it comes with less band width, audio is audio.
Even 10 MHz is plenty.
No scope can compare with today's audio interfaces. A decent 12-bit scope would cost a fortune. There are some cheaper 12-bit ones but it's more like a marketing thing because the frontend is too noisy.
Siglent already released a 12-bit scope but only in China at the moment. It's expected to hit the western market sometime in the summer and the price would probably be in the 2k region, which is very reasonable for a good 12-bit scope.
But again, if you need FFT, simply use an audio interface and some good software.
Just found out about this device. If my #1 interest is audio equipment, this might be an option...
https://digilent.com/shop/analog-discovery-2-pro-bundle/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Analog+Discovery+2
https://digilent.com/shop/analog-discovery-2-pro-bundle/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Analog+Discovery+2
The analog discovery is a pretty neat little box for what it does. From an audio perspective, there are certainly some things to like. The biggest issues I have with it are as follows:
1) As university EE programs have moved online during the pandemic, AD2s have become almost unobtanium.
2) The UI is all done through the host computer. That makes saving screenshots easy, but it also means that you're using your mouse to change vertical sensitivity, which is a real PITA.
3) Unless you get the educational price, it's pretty pricey. Even then, last I saw they were $280.
On the other hand, the spectrum analyzer in it is pretty slick for lower bandwidth stuff (it's not an RF spectrum analyzer).
I have a Siglent SDS1202X-E, and I consider it to be excellent for what it costs. That said, I also have an old HP 54645A which sees more use than the Siglent - it's got a simpler user interface, which for general purpose stuff is nice.
Siglent and Rigol have some good options in the $300 range if you're okay with 50 MHz (maybe it's 100 MHz, I don't remember) bandwidth and two channels. They're decent, well-behaved scopes.
My last suggestion will get some pushback from other engineers. I actually quite like the old Tektronix TDS210s, TDS220s and TDS224s, and now and then I see them for $50 to $150 at surplus. True, their specs are nothing to write home about, but their user interface is pretty good - they don't have quite as many layers of menus to navigate through, and I really don't mind the monochrome screen.
1) As university EE programs have moved online during the pandemic, AD2s have become almost unobtanium.
2) The UI is all done through the host computer. That makes saving screenshots easy, but it also means that you're using your mouse to change vertical sensitivity, which is a real PITA.
3) Unless you get the educational price, it's pretty pricey. Even then, last I saw they were $280.
On the other hand, the spectrum analyzer in it is pretty slick for lower bandwidth stuff (it's not an RF spectrum analyzer).
I have a Siglent SDS1202X-E, and I consider it to be excellent for what it costs. That said, I also have an old HP 54645A which sees more use than the Siglent - it's got a simpler user interface, which for general purpose stuff is nice.
Siglent and Rigol have some good options in the $300 range if you're okay with 50 MHz (maybe it's 100 MHz, I don't remember) bandwidth and two channels. They're decent, well-behaved scopes.
My last suggestion will get some pushback from other engineers. I actually quite like the old Tektronix TDS210s, TDS220s and TDS224s, and now and then I see them for $50 to $150 at surplus. True, their specs are nothing to write home about, but their user interface is pretty good - they don't have quite as many layers of menus to navigate through, and I really don't mind the monochrome screen.
I think the main thing the slightly more expensive scopes will get you is memory depth. From the looks of it, 240Kbit is probably 30K 8 bit samples and in 2 channel mode just 15K samples. That may sound like a lot but if you do a capture at 1GSample that is only 15uS of data. I ended up with the Rigol 2 channel 200MHz(not sure I believe that). It does have 24Mpt memory, which so far has been plenty even for capturing I2C command sequences. Not perfect but was a nice compromise for me. I've used it quite alot from audio to I2C and SPI work in the last year I've had it. I am just thankful you can buy them for really peanuts compared to the last time I used scopes in the early 80's. Its nice having a scope again, feels like an old friend.
