LeCroy Factory Tour & Interviews

[KF5OBS]

Hey guys!

I'll visit the Teledyne LeCroy factory in Chestnut Ridge, New York starting tomorrow for 3 days total to shoot some videos and pictures for my blog. While there I will interview Pete Pupalaikis, Vice President Technology Development, and Roger Delbue, Vice President Oscilloscope Engineering. Do you guys have any questions for me to ask them?

Also, on the third day I will get to play with the new 100 GHz scope and will chat with the product managers about the scope. Any questions for that?

Anything else you may want to see, let me know.

[Bud]

I would like to ask a question that bothers me for a long time

- why their scopes are so ugly looking

I am dead serious.


Thank you

[tautech]

Ask them about their relationship with Siglent and what the future holds for it?
Are there any new models under development with Siglent?
Are they happy with the quality of hardware from Siglent?

Good luck with filming and photos, there may be some areas they will not permit video and photos.

Post some links for us later. 

[KF5OBS]

Here are some pictures: https://baltic-lab.com/2014/12/teledyne-lecroy-factory-tour-day-1-post-1/

Will post a lot more over the next few days, we're just getting started...

I'm still looking for interview questions by the way.

[dannyf]

I would ask them for the (long/longer-term) trends in scope technology.

One I am particularly interested is the emergency of "smart" scopes: where the data acquisition is separate from data processing and display. A common interface between the two would allow for the utilization of inexpensive display units (PC, laptop or tablet/phone) or easily upgradable acquisition units.

I know of folks working on this but would be interesting to see their take.

[electr_peter]

What near and distant future scope technology will be? Any significant advances in sampling rates, acquisition types, bandwidth, memory...?

Ask about their higher end and higher BW scopes. Will these extra high BW technologies will come to general scope users or will be left for niche applications?

How does Lecroy see current test equipment market? How do their react to cheaper and more capable lower end scopes (offered by Rigol and others)? Will they have something similar to Tektronix MDO4000 (correlated time and frequency analysis)?

What is Lecroy take on oscilloscope form factor for general user - will they continue to make standalone scopes (PC+scope front end + all extras) or move more to modular equipment side (meaning scope would be add on module for a PC)?

[nctnico]

I would ask them for the (long/longer-term) trends in scope technology.

One I am particularly interested is the emergency of "smart" scopes: where the data acquisition is separate from data processing and display. A common interface between the two would allow for the utilization of inexpensive display units (PC, laptop or tablet/phone) or easily upgradable acquisition units.

I know of folks working on this but would be interesting to see their take.

That sounds like the good old USB oscilloscope to me. So far nothing beats a unit with dedicated knobs.
What would interest me is having a web interface to access the oscilloscope without having to install a crummy software package.

[Jane]

Here are some pictures: https://jaunty-electronics.com/blog/2014/12/teledyne-lecroy-factory-tour-day-1-post-1/

Can you please describe each picture?

[KF5OBS]

Here are some pictures: https://jaunty-electronics.com/blog/2014/12/teledyne-lecroy-factory-tour-day-1-post-1/

Can you please describe each picture?

I will when I actually get time to edit and write articles. I'm at the LeCroy Headquarter since yesterday and I'll stay here for a couple of days shooting pictures and video. They don't give me much downtime and footage needs to go through an approval process (ITAR).

[free_electron]

i can send you a list of questions ...
- why the Z7i series sounds like a hoover vacuum when it starts acquiring full throttle
- why the removable front panel is so flimsy it falls out of the scope , has bad contacts and the likes causing it to lock up.
- why the need for the endless calibrating -triggering-acquiring loop...
- why they use total crap plastic for their knobs that becomes hard over time and splits down the middle so the buttons fall off
- if they have fixed the synch problems on their 32 channel logic pod yet ( turn of channel ,turn back on and the time lock is gone and the data is corrupted )
- why the software on the 7000 series locks up if you spin the timebase button too fast ( scope software freezes up  , including windows only a hard power cycle can recover )
- why their probe tips are so damn fragile the pogo's break off , or stay put inside ( and they ain't the PMK probes )

and there's some more humdingers where this list came from.

[EEVblog]

Do they just simply rebadge Siglent gear, or do they actually help Siglent with R&D and manufacturing resources and/or talent?
If it's the latter, do they realise what a "monster" Agilent/Keysight created doing the same thing with Rigol?

[mikeselectricstuff]

How on earth did some  Health & Safety jobsworth decide it was necessary for everyone to wear safety glasses in an environment like this?

[Yansi]

I've also noticed that. Maybe they are too much scared of an electrolytic cap shooting in ur face. But really no idea 

[HighVoltage]

I bought a Lecroy WaveJet 354 (4 Channel, 500 MHz, 2 GS/s)
After testing it for only a few days, I returned it to the store because:

1. It was so loud from the fan, it was impossible for me to concentrate next to it.
2. turning the knobs, one must develop a real good feeling for them, otherwise they just jump many steps ahead
3. Activating FFT made everything else lag so much, when all 4 channels were turned on, it was no fun using FFT at all.

May be you can ask them, if they would fix these annoying things in the future.
I really liked the small size of the housing.

May be I will consider buying a Lecroy scope again in the future.
I am buying about 20 to 30 Scopes per year for the integration in to test stands that I am building for customers.
 

[Zero999]

How on earth did some  Health & Safety jobsworth decide it was necessary for everyone to wear safety glasses in an environment like this?

WTF? There are similar policies where I work but that's around CNC and lathes and I thought it was over the top, as it applied even if you're well away from the machinery. Fortunately no one really cares. Occasionally I'm reminded by a manager if I'm not wearing them (which most of the time) but it's never a strong or formal reprimand so I take it quite lightly.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I've worked in an environment where I've been sitting at a desk using a laptop, but required to wear boots, high-vis, hard-hat, glasses and gloves.
It's more about ass-covering than anything else.

[BillyD]

Cool. Looking forward to seeing more pics + reading about it.

And hope this thread doesn't get swamped in a critique of camera angles, focus, lighting, interview techniques, etc etc etc as can sometimes happen around here!

[fcb]

Anymore postings regarding this visit.  I liked the pix on KF5OBS's site, couldn't find any videos re: tour, or interviews.

[free_electron]

I've worked in an environment where I've been sitting at a desk using a laptop, but required to wear boots, high-vis, hard-hat, glasses and gloves.
It's more about ass-covering than anything else.

Im going to start a company where shorts, hawaiian shirts, flipflops and tin foil hats are mandatory. Two drink minimum before you are even allowed to do anything. Work is over when we light up the bbq pit around 4pm..

[German_EE]

I'll start on Monday.

[TopLoser]

I've worked in an environment where I've been sitting at a desk using a laptop, but required to wear boots, high-vis, hard-hat, glasses and gloves.
It's more about ass-covering than anything else.

I had the 'pleasure' of working for DuPont in Holland for a year. One of the most safety conscious companies around, 10 years without a lost time accident etc etc. If you were caught on site with a knife of any kind you were banned for life, try carrying a cardboard box without leather gloves on and you were reprimanded, climbing stairs you were required to have at least one hand holding a banister at all times (you had to take a lift if you had one of those deadly cardboard boxes to carry).

To measure a voltage in a control cabinet you had to lock power off, unlock panel door, connect meter, lock door, unlock power and turn it on. You could then observe the voltage reading though the polycarb panels in the control cab doors. Want to measure something else, repeat ad nauseum....

Soldering a D-connector required a bloke with a fire extinguisher standing by, full face mask, leather gloves, overalls.

In the end I ended up taking a van over. inside with the doors shut we did what the f**k we wanted. Grinding, cutting, welding, spilling as much blood and burning as much flesh as we could bear.

At the end of the job I reversed the van at speed into a big sign that said "SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT". Oh dear, I'm not allowed back there again haha

[German_EE]

Regarding the eyewear, this is the USA where power workers have to wear hard hats when working in the middle of the highway and safety rules are enforced with an almost religious zeal. The reason of course is lawyers, should some poor unfortunate have a minor accident the attorneys will descend from the sky like vultures and damages will run into the millions.

[mikeselectricstuff]

If you were caught on site with a knife of any kind you were banned for life,

Any particular reason for that one? Injury or risk of puncturing something?

[TopLoser]

If you were caught on site with a knife of any kind you were banned for life,

Any particular reason for that one? Injury or risk of puncturing something?

Just risk of injury. Even wire-strippers had to be specifically designed for the type of wire being stripped. Scissor were also a no-no, unless they were round ended and made out of rubber or some such nonsense.

[lapm]

Well it is ass covering, those overly expansive safety rules... I work at brewery. We cant even wear damn wristwatch because it could fall in bottle... Somehow they could not explain how my big wristwatch could squeeze in on hole that 15 mm in diameter...

And countless other that mostly makes no sense applied everywhere...

[dr.diesel]

lol, I wish I could give each viewer here a tour though the power plant, built in the late 60s.   

[LabSpokane]

You all need to come to 'Merica, where we excel at the absence of safety standards.  There are no shortage of businesses that are so dangerous, that OSHA (our H&S) just doesn't go in.  I've worked at places where normal production processes involved someone shouting "fire in the hole" and you ducked behind the first solid object you found because molten metal was about to go shooting around the plant.  If you got burned, it was your fault because you were slow or stupid. 

[nanofrog]

I've worked at places where normal production processes involved someone shouting "fire in the hole" and you ducked behind the first solid object you found because molten metal was about to go shooting around the plant.  If you got burned, it was your fault because you were slow or stupid.

Sounds like an interesting place/s to work (not bored to tears).   

[dr.diesel]

"fire in the hole"

Exactly!  At the plant, when starting 10,000HP motors, you hide behind a steel beam, cause they have a nasty habit of exploding.  Weekly, either something blows up, catches fire, 1000F steam leak, water/oil/asbestos everywhere.

Minor cuts etc are absolutely unavailable, safety record is quite good.  These places are not staffed by pansy ass city boys that don't know the difference between a Phillips and flat screwdriver (I have actually met people like this), but by farm boy/mechanics, many of which are degreed EEs that know how to burn rod.

A good job and an adventure each and every day.

[LabSpokane]

I've worked at places where normal production processes involved someone shouting "fire in the hole" and you ducked behind the first solid object you found because molten metal was about to go shooting around the plant.  If you got burned, it was your fault because you were slow or stupid.

Sounds like an interesting place/s to work (not bored to tears).   

Oh, they were. Then were the cases of pissed off employees tossing a can of coke into a pot of molten aluminum and blowing up part of the plant.  You didn't want to be anywhere near when that happened.

When I worked in those plants, I couldn't wait to get back in the office.  Now that I'm trapped in and office, I want to go back out the to plants. 

[aroby]

Then were the cases of pissed off employees tossing a can of coke into a pot of molten aluminum and blowing up part of the plant.  You didn't want to be anywhere near when that happened.

How does that work? Wouldn't the coke just vapourize?

[TSL]

How does that work? Wouldn't the coke just vapourize?

Yes violently, as an ex firey well acquainted with  BLEVE !!

Google it

cheers

Tim

[Zero999]

Tossing a can of pop into a fire will have exactly the same effect.


Don't do it.

[SeanB]

Molten aluminium is a quite reasonable catalyst. Add water and it is catalysed immediately to Hydrogen and Oxygen. With the sudden expansion of the water to superheated steam and the blast of a near stoichiometric hydrogen explosion it will probably be best observed from a distance. Also bad as typically the furnace will be enclosed, so the blast will have a very good ability to make some serious pressure inside before the pot disintegrates, shedding red hot lining all over, along with the incidental liberation of a ton or two of molten metal.

[German_EE]

It sounds like you had the same Chemistry teacher as me. Day one, first year Chemistry, he stood there with lots of bubbling bottles in the background and asked 'what is chemistry'? There was then a respectable explosion and a ball of flame that hit the ceiling, we were hooked 

[SeanB]

It sounds like you had the same Chemistry teacher as me. Day one, first year Chemistry, he stood there with lots of bubbling bottles in the background and asked 'what is chemistry'? There was then a respectable explosion and a ball of flame that hit the ceiling, we were hooked 

High school science teacher, who showed us how to make pressure sensitive explosives with NH3 and Iodine. We carpeted a corridor with it.........

Same teacher came around to the pool when we were at PT and tossed 2kg of Na metal into it. Took about 30 seconds for it to explode underwater. Smaller chunks just ran on the surface burning merrily.