Electronics > Beginners

Rigol DS1054Z - Successor after ~5 years?

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bd139:
Yes totally agree.

I recently needed a two channel AWG and my other digital scope snuffed it inconveniently. I sat and thought about an MSO5000 but the basic entry level 70MHz model here is £882 after tax etc. I did a side by side comparison of it and some other off the shelf kit and came to the conclusion it wasn't worth it even if you crack it with all the options. Firstly I don't actually need a 300MHz scope (and if I do which is rare I've got a Tek 250MHz 475A floating around so meh). Secondly the AWG performance is rubbish compared to their much older standalone DG1022Z. Thirdly it's buggy and the software still sucks. Fourthly I don't want to do any logic analysis past some basic serial debugging on a scope - I'd rather use something with a better interface. Fifthly, there's a hell of a lot of investment to lose at once if it goes bang.

Really when you spend £882 you're getting a 70MHz 2 channel DSO with no options. If you're not going to crack it, you could do way better.

Ergo I spent £738 on a DS1054Z and DG1022Z. Old, reliable, known quantities. Due to Rigol's offers at the moment, you get ALL options free on the DS1054Z other than bandwidth at the moment and our local reseller doesn't sell the bandwidth upgrade because they know someone is going to just hit riglol. Incidentally I haven't cracked mine yet. I just want to see if I can make do with 50MHz Rigol until I need anything more and so far so good.

I still think at this point the DS1054Z is the best deal out there. The siglent equivalent is more expensive. The keysight equivalent is significantly more expensive. Other cheaper units are inferior. It's literally the sweet spot they have there. It's not perfect but it's an excellent compromise.

Another thing to note with Rigol. A lot of the newer things they are bringing out are inferior to the older ones. For example if you compare the new line of AWGs they are selling to the older DG1000Z series, they are inferior. The interface is poor and the specifications are worse than the older units. I suspect that this may be carried on if there is a DS1054Z replacement any time soon.

This might be the pinnacle of cheap scopes and I wonder how long it'll last.

bitseeker:
Very interesting survey of recent Rigol "progress" there, bd. I also don't find their new stuff all that compelling, neither from a spec nor a design point of view. Although I wish the responsiveness of the DS1054Z was better (who doesn't), it's still hard to beat for a wallet-friendly, general-purpose scope. And thank goodness the spelling errors have been fixed. Finally! It only took a few years. :palm:

If the Siglent SDS1104X-E had been out when I was in the market for the DS1054Z, I might have spent the extra dollars. It's really just a matter of budget, which one to get between them.

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