24 responses to “EEVblog #149 – Agilent Infiniivision 3000 X Series Oscilloscope Review”

• Martin February 25th, 2011 at 17:25

  What’s that nagging about the missing ground coupling? Isn’t that an thing which you don’t need anymore, since you can zero your y offset by reading a number on the display? Please explain!

  Reply

  • EEVblog February 25th, 2011 at 17:39

    Really just an old habit thing. I prefer a nice grounded line across the screen when adjusting my zero level than the small ground symbol next to the display.

    Reply

• Thomas Seiler February 26th, 2011 at 05:07

  Question: Is the frequency measurement on the X3000 Series a proper, hardware based counter, or is it again done in software?

  Thanks for the great review…

  Reply

  • EEVblog February 26th, 2011 at 08:58

    I have been told it is proper hardware counter, but in my hast forgot to check it, and no longer have the unit to check.

    Reply

    • Leo Bodnar April 4th, 2011 at 02:45

      I have just tested the the frequency counter on the 4ch 200MHz 3000 X series MSO.
      It behaves exactly the same as the one on the 2000 X review video.

      I have set up wavegen to 20MHz and started to slow down the scope horizontal sweep rate. The FREQ counter went from 20.00+-0.02MHz to 20+-1MHz precision and then just gave up with “no edges.”

      I also have “Quick Action” buttons configured to bring “All measurements”. When I hit it on 20MHz with slow scan rate it just say for frequency “>14MHz.” So don’t hold your breath.

      At least the screen does not alias and stays one fuzzy yellow band

      Essentially, apart from performance and some artificial limitations in lower class scope the hardware and firmware are the same between 2000 and 3000 so the “side” function like frequency counter should [not] work in identical way.

      Hope this helps
      Cheers
      Leo

      Reply

      • Leo Bodnar April 5th, 2011 at 11:25

        Aha! Eureka!

        When issue a command via VISA interface I get very accurate frequency measurement independent of what is going on the screen.

        -> :SYSTEM:PRODUCTION:TFREQUENCY? 1
        <- +1.00119132E+003

        So WHY would this precision hardware frequency measurement not be used for UI display?!

        Reply

• Phil Hobbs February 26th, 2011 at 14:55

  Hey, Dave,

  Great review. It looks like your blog from last April 1 is coming true, though, right?

  Cheers

  Phil H

  Reply

• flimss February 26th, 2011 at 19:26

  Nice review, Dave! Always enjoy watching your take on electronics.

  By the way, just wondering what watch are you wearing at around 3.55 mins into the video? The band looks nice.

  Reply

• Brian February 27th, 2011 at 08:44

  I have enjoyed these reviews but what I haven’t liked is the quoting of the base price when they gave you the best of the 2000/3000 for each. “3000 dollar scope”… This one is 11,590 which isn’t an amazing deal for what it does if you ask me.

  Reply

  • Brian February 27th, 2011 at 08:51

    Nevermind you got to it at the end.

    Reply

  • EEVblog February 27th, 2011 at 21:53

    They have to give me the fully optioned unit to review, or how am I to try out all the options?
    I HAVE to mention the base price, because a lot of people may very well like to buy the base model unit, and they are indeed very attractive price points.
    I can’t spoon feed everyone on every possible price/feature combination vs every competitors price/feature combination.
    I’d like to think people have the intelligence to figure out what is best for themselves?

    Reply

• C23 March 2nd, 2011 at 10:22

  Did you see the Yokogawa DL9000 video on youtube?

  “Yokogawa DL9000 vs Agilent 6000″ : I just discovered the 2000/3000X series with your blog, but I was amazed by some features of the Yokogawa.

  The only thing is that I don’t the price of the Yokogawa.

  Well, so maybe Agilent did not have the choice : they MUST develop a good product, because the others already did improve their own technlogy a lot…

  Reply

  • Malin (Tokyo/Japan) March 13th, 2011 at 14:45

    I am working in Japan and my company has Yokogawas. Yokogawa oscilloscopes are aimed at corporation buyers and their scopes start at USD 6,500(JPY 600,000). Agilent provides a line (InfiniiVision 2000/3000) for our homes and hobbies at affordable prices with specs that use to be seen on upper class scopes. My budget for a scope is JPY 300,000 and I am therefore planning to import an InfiniiVision DSO 3000 200MHz scope from the USA — not going to pay a USD 1,000 premium just by buying an Agilent in Japan. Agilent has a perverted price strategy in Japan and if the reseller won’t ship me an Agilent from the US, I am just going to give shit to Agilent and buy a 100 MHz Iwatsu (same class as Rigol) for JPY 110,000 = USD 125,000 instead.

    Reply

• Eraser March 2nd, 2011 at 17:42

  Hey!
  So Excited ! My Infiniivision 3000 X Series4 Channel scope is ordered. Thanks for the help figuring out what to get! After your review I decided to go Agilent…. It shows up Thursday !! WOOHOOO

  Reply

  • EEVblog March 3rd, 2011 at 21:10

    Wow, you got it quick, many people are saying a month or more waiting time. Agilent seriously under estimated the demand and were caught short of stock.

    Reply

    • Eraser March 4th, 2011 at 06:53

      What a beauty!, now to play!

      Reply

• Chris Carlen June 4th, 2011 at 08:46

  Hi: I have tons of Agilent scopes at work, and a new DSO3024X for personal use. I have a close relationship with Agilent about scopesm including now access to an engineer on the 3000X dev. team as well as the 3000X Marketing Manager, who are considering many of my suggestions on how to improve measurement and data analysis on these scopes.
  If anyone has issues with their scope, please email me so I can try to verify the problem and add it to my regular communications with Agilent.

  Reply

  • EEVblog June 7th, 2011 at 20:59

    Thanks for offering Chris. Good to see Agilent taking and acting on feedback.

    Reply

  • John July 14th, 2011 at 02:46

    Hi Chris:
    Since you have played extensively with this scope, I have to ask you a comparison question…
    How does it stack up, feature wise, IYO, againist the current crop of Tek 3000′s using roughly the same base line of 300MHZ bw, 4 analog, 16 digital.

    On a more subjective nature, useability and display resolution/size on the Agilent vs Tek?

    You can email me personally at jjhudak at gmail dot com

    TY
    John

    Reply

• Palo October 4th, 2011 at 07:19

  Hi Dave,

  have you seen video about wrong dynamic range of Agilent oscilloscope ?
  “(English Version)Dynamic Range of Digital Oscilloscope between Agilent DSOX2000 & GW GDS-3000″ + check the autors description below video

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMkdTcgzuZc

  What does it mean? (wrong cap. compensation of new probe , or ?…)

  PS: Perfect blog, perfect and helpful info, thank you for it

  Palo

  Reply

  • EEVblog October 5th, 2011 at 10:50

    I don’t get that on my Agilent 3000X scope. They don’t mention if the probe is properly compensated between scopes.

    Reply

• Stanford January 7th, 2012 at 03:02

  You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

  Reply

• Judith January 7th, 2012 at 05:32

  What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

  Reply

• Nooteboom.biz March 2nd, 2012 at 23:18

  I’ve ordered this scope two weeks ago and it’s at my desk for one week now!

  I used to work with second hand scopes like the 150 MHz analog PM3265 from Philips and the 300 MHz digital PM3323. I liked the analog over the digital one especially for catching glitches.

  But now with this scope, I wouldn’t even touch my older scopes. What an incredible scope and what a value for money! It’s not only the update rate which is superb, but the overall experience, whoohoo!

  Reply

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  [...] Agilent 3000x Infiniivision ~$3000 US starting [...]

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  Agilent is offering huge discounts on Oscilloscopes – plus trade in opportunities « hensleytech August 26th, 2011 at 05:11

  [...] These scopes get high marks with Dave.  Watch his video review of the 3000 scopes:  click here [...]