New Tektronix TBS2000 oscilloscopes

[mikeselectricstuff]

1400 Euros for 70Mhz, 2-channel 'scope with very basic features... and people are salivating?

Just because it says "Tektronix" on it?

I don't get it. 

It's all in the name - maybe if Keysight were still called Hewlett Packard, more people would realise that Tek haven't been "the scope guys" for many years.

[Jay_Diddy_B]

Hi group,

Information include the comparisons with other scopes and the service manual is now on the Tektronix website.

Link: http://www.tek.com/search/apachesolr_search/tbs2000

It seems the big thing that they are pushing in the comparisons are:

1) 20M point of record length

2) Wireless connectivity, through a dongle stuck in the back

3) The educational aspects.

4) Faster time base 2ns with 500 MS/s

5) Bigger screen

6) The VXI probe interface. I don't know why you need active probes on an entry level 'scope.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

[tautech]

1400 Euros for 70Mhz, 2-channel 'scope with very basic features... and people are salivating?

Just because it says "Tektronix" on it?

I don't get it. 

Yep, and the RMS measurements can probably be trusted too. 

[Fungus]

Information include the comparisons with other scopes and the service manual is now on the Tektronix website.

I love how the comparisons turn lack of measurements into a feature:

Tek: Automatic measurements can be categorized and laid out in one page for straight-forward selection (win!)

Other: Automatic measurements are selected from a long list. You are not able to see them all at once (lose!)

[mikeselectricstuff]

So definitely no intensity display then - pathetic, just pathetic. 20M record length is pretty pointless without it.
If that's the best Tek can do years after what KS and Rigol have been doing, it looks like they've pretty much given up trying. I'd be highly surprised if this wasn't a re-badge job from one of the Chinese companies.

[Fungus]

1400 Euros for 70Mhz, 2-channel 'scope with very basic features... and people are salivating?

Just because it says "Tektronix" on it?

I don't get it. 

Yep, and the RMS measurements can probably be trusted too. 

The question is: Does it even have RMS...?

[nctnico]

Hi group,

Information include the comparisons with other scopes and the service manual is now on the Tektronix website.

Link: http://www.tek.com/search/apachesolr_search/tbs2000

It is interesting to see Tektronix made comparison sheets for scopes from Hameg, Rigol, GW Instek, Lecroy and Keysight but no Siglent.

[rf-loop]

Hi group,

Information include the comparisons with other scopes and the service manual is now on the Tektronix website.
. Sad because they have loosed road.
Link: http://www.tek.com/search/apachesolr_search/tbs2000

It seems the big thing that they are pushing in the comparisons are:

1) 20M point of record length

2) Wireless connectivity, through a dongle stuck in the back

3) The educational aspects.

4) Faster time base 2ns with 500 MS/s

5) Bigger screen

6) The VXI probe interface. I don't know why you need active probes on an entry level 'scope.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

This compare what they show is really weird.

They compare new TBS2000  to WaveAce 2000 (Siglent SDS1000CFL) - congratulations, well done. This is one sign what show how Tektronix is drifting...

Siglent have launched this WaveAce 2000 aka Siglent SDS1000CFL year 2010. Originally  launched 2009 as SDS1000CF  (small TFT) and soon later, 2010  model SDS1000CFL (7" TFT). Very relevant compare. 

But, it must be in same ballpark and comparable  because big name Tektronix compare they new oscilloscope to this. Or how this need understand.      

[mikeselectricstuff]

Found a UK website that have published lots of info on the new Tek TBS2000 - http://www.sjelectronics.co.uk/new-tektronix-tbs2000-series-digital-storage-oscilloscopes/

Low cost, and specs look pretty good.

Spot the Tek Troll.

[mikeselectricstuff]

So the 4-channel version is three times the cost of the Rigol 1074Z and no intensity display. What planet are these people on?

[Fungus]

Found a UK website that have published lots of info on the new Tek TBS2000 - http://www.sjelectronics.co.uk/new-tektronix-tbs2000-series-digital-storage-oscilloscopes/

Low cost, and specs look pretty good.

Scope-Angel's first ever post on the forum is a Tek advert?

Sniff, sniff. I smell something...

[rf-loop]

So the 4-channel version is three times the cost of the Rigol 1074Z and no intensity display. What planet are these people on?

Imo 10x4Z Rigol do not have all channel on 1GSa/s and not all channel on 20M for every channel. Or are there agen some new hack?

But other ways TBS2000 looks more like students class room version.

But still I believe Tektronix is capable of design scope so that even so simple thing as Sin(x)/x is not joke what Rigol have now exercised nearly 10 year but still it looks like they do not even know what it is.

[Fungus]

Main features as far as I can tell:

* Courseware – Lab exercises may be downloaded for free and may be loaded and viewed on the oscilloscope

* Has an extra USB port on the back for a WiFi dongle (presumably for downloading the Courseware...)

* Accepts very expensive probes.

Conclusion: They've got their sights set on people who don't spend their own personal money on test gear.

[rf-loop]

Conclusion: They've got their sights set on people who don't spend their own personal money on test gear.

Exactly.

[pascal_sweden]

The older Tektronix DSO's looked nicer and more expensive.
The new TBS2000 series looks ugly IMO and it also looks a bit cheap.

The new Tektronix logo is a joke! It's so ugly! I wonder how many millions they paid a design agency for this.

If Tektronix compares their new scope with the Siglent SDS1000CFL, that means that their product manager not only has a weird taste in terms of design, it also means that he has no clue whatsoever about Rigol DS1054Z and Siglent SDS1000X.

The new TBS2000 series is certainly not the ducks guts!

Note that there are several universities in Belgium which use Rigol DS1052 and Rigol DS1000Z in their labs. And the last thing which they need is this TBS2000 rubbish.

Why is none of these big companies doing real innovation anymore?
If they want to take the lead, they should come up with a cheap and affordable 4-channel 100 MHz scope with a deep memory and where ALL 4 channels would be isolated. Many universities would buy these scopes for their Power Electronics labs. None of these big companies has real guts to pull of an affordable 4-channel isolated scope!

[robert_]

A good 4-ch isolated scope doesnt even need to be affordable, we would pay a whole lot for that kind of instrument, if it were to exist. Copy the user interface and frontend from Lecroy (since they do the least crappy ones at the moment), large benchtop form factor is perfectly good as it fits a large display, we dont care for portability.

The R&S RTH did look good on paper but did disappoint me pretty hard, lacking even basic features (and having surprisingly crappy CMRR).

[rf-loop]

Why is none of these big companies doing real innovation anymore?

There is no enough money available in low end segment(s). Nearly nothing.  There is no other than the only remaining desperate price competition where no one wins. Some famous compoanies may survive as long as some well known country goverment help some export companies which has been able to pull the right string.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Isolated inputs are a niche requirment, and would actually be a PITA for routine use, as you'd need to always connect the ground wires on every probe.
I doubt there is any significant market for a low-end scope with isolated inputs.

 

[nctnico]

A good 4-ch isolated scope doesnt even need to be affordable, we would pay a whole lot for that kind of instrument, if it were to exist. Copy the user interface and frontend from Lecroy (since they do the least crappy ones at the moment), large benchtop form factor is perfectly good as it fits a large display, we dont care for portability.

The R&S RTH did look good on paper but did disappoint me pretty hard, lacking even basic features (and having surprisingly crappy CMRR).

Keysight has some hand-held-ish scopes with isolated inputs. They are not cheap and not really portable but would be useful as a bench scope.

[nctnico]

So definitely no intensity display then - pathetic, just pathetic. 20M record length is pretty pointless without it.

It would surprise me if it doesn't have intensity display; maybe Tektronix deems that so standard they don't even mention it. After all they already had some form of persistence on the monochrome TDS500 series (early 90's).

[mikeselectricstuff]

So definitely no intensity display then - pathetic, just pathetic. 20M record length is pretty pointless without it.

It would surprise me if it doesn't have intensity display; maybe Tektronix deems that so standard they don't even mention it. After all they already had some form of persistence on the monochrome TDS500 series (early 90's).

No mention of it, or update rate and no sign of it in any of the images. One of the dealer pages does use the DPO acronym, another shows an update rate but not seen it in any of the Tek documents.
Text search for "intensity" in teh user manual only refers to backlight
And no mention anywhere of ANY decodes, option or otherwise

Considering how lame it looks you'd expect them to be pushing every possible feature.

[linearphase]

The update rate is 10000 times per second. The controls look lively in the demo. It DOES have variable persistence. See the spec sheet. VP is a DISPLAY mode, not an acquisition mode. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but the handle is normally flipped down when the scope is in use. Then it matches the case. But seriously do we choose a scope by how it looks?

Guys why do we beat equipment up before we know the facts? The website seems to be barely working I know but give it a chance.

[nctnico]

Considering how lame it looks you'd expect them to be pushing every possible feature.

I wouldn't call the scope itself lame. The way it looks is a result of the current test equipment design style (the Panda look). Let's just wait until the datasheet gets completed. Does Tektronix send scopes to Dave for a review?

IMHO the comparison charts Tektronix made are outright pathetic though. As if customers are stupid and can't compare those for themselves 

[pascal_sweden]

The Tektronix TPS2024B looks so much better! Moreover that one comes with 4 isolated channels!

[robert_]

The Tektronix TPS2024B looks so much better! Moreover that one comes with 4 isolated channels!

Yes, what a revolution in the scope industry with its enormous 2500 points of memory!