REVIEW - Owon SDS7102 - A look at the SDS series from Owon

[rf-loop]

4. MXT2002  2x500M/1x1000M ADC  (ADC08D500  clone)

Is there any documentation available? I've found only two links, both on Chinese and both have quite a bit useful information:
http://www.mxtronics.com/NewsInfo.aspx?titleID=301
http://www.spacechina.com/n25/n144/n206/n216/c190964/content.html

Also on the photo you posted here it seems that the ADC package is brown. Is it just a uncommon compound color or something else?

Here you can find RuiFeng

tiny datasheet pdf here

Functionally it is afaik same as common known ADC08D500.
Some specs just littlebit better in original but...
Price difference may be ... just more than big.

Package is nearly same. (not exactly direct pin-pin becouse RuiFeng have added some N.C. pins to corners.

Color: Chip is black.

[T4P]

Guys ... The SDS7102 is also ADS1102 .... Uni-T DSO4202B, Hantek DSO5202B, Le Croy WaveAce212, B&K 2542, Tektronix TDS1012B

[kaz911]

Guys ... The SDS7102 is also ADS1102 .... Uni-T DSO4202B, Hantek DSO5202B, Le Croy WaveAce212, B&K 2542, Tektronix TDS1012B

Hi Dave - the SDS7102 is NOT equal to the ADS1102 and the other above??

[T4P]

Guys ... The SDS7102 is also ADS1102 .... Uni-T DSO4202B, Hantek DSO5202B, Le Croy WaveAce212, B&K 2542, Tektronix TDS1012B

Hi Dave - the SDS7102 is NOT equal to the ADS1102 and the other above??

Same screen size . ADS1102CAL .
http://www.epinions.com/content_578790395524?sb=1

[marmad]

Same screen size . ADS1102CAL .

Seriously? You pop into a thread 41 pages long to let us - the people here using and discussing the (relatively) new SDS7102 - that it's the same scope produced by many others?

No offense, Dave, but you don't know what you're talking about.  Firstly, the Owon SDS7102 screen size is 8" (800x600) - by far the largest in any sub $500 scope - and not at ALL the same screen as the ADS1102.  Secondly.... geez.... just read the thread already.

[marmad]

Also, Dave, just to clarify further before Tinhead jumps in and tears into you... although both the ADS1102CAL and the Hantek DSO5202B both have a 7" screen, the Atten scope's resolution is 480x234 pixels, while the Hantek's is 800x480 - a WORLD of difference.  So even the other scopes (aside from the Owon) which you mentioned as equivalents are NOT equivalent.

[saturation]

I would second marmad on his comments.  Appreciate your enthusiasm Dave.S but your comments are premature.  A comment by another user at the link you posted already wrote of serious issues with the Atten that the reviewer cannot confirm as he has never tested his Atten beyond 200 kHz.  What he has confirmed already suggests subtle distortions with the FFT implementation.

http://www.epinions.com/content_578790395524/show_~allcom?sb=1

Also, Dave, just to clarify further before Tinhead jumps in and tears into you... although both the ADS1102CAL and the Hantek DSO5202B both have a 7" screen, the Atten scope's resolution is 480x234 pixels, while the Hantek's is 800x480 - a WORLD of difference.  So even the other scopes (aside from the Owon) which you mentioned as equivalents are NOT equivalent.

[marmad]

Saturation - I envy your ability to ascribe the positive motive of enthusiasm    ... and I do mean that sincerely.

[BravoV]

What a coincidence, damn, another bump into his crap post again here, seems like he dumps his crap almost everywhere in this forum.   

Just check this out HERE or HERE too , its just unbelievable. 

[marmad]

What a coincidence, damn, another bump into his crap post again here, seems like he dumps his crap almost everywhere in this forum.

I did notice that Dave S. joined the forum just a month and a half ago - and has been posting at a frequency of over 9 posts per day since.  But, as saturation pointed out, enthusiasm is a good thing to have (especially here).

But Dave, you should perhaps scan the thread a bit before posting information that is obviously wrong.  For example, it doesn't take much research to see that the SDS7102 is nothing like the Atten ADS1102CAL - different screen; different ADC configuration; etc.  I don't know if you own an Atten (I think you do) - so please don't take offense - but the SDS7102 is a much superior scope (although, granted, costing more money).

[T4P]

It's according to that guy 
And yes i know the Owon has 800x480 reso , i'm just directly quoting HIM .

[aghp]

Guys ... The SDS7102 is also ADS1102 .... Uni-T DSO4202B, Hantek DSO5202B, Le Croy WaveAce212, B&K 2542, Tektronix TDS1012B

Dave.S:

Maybe you have find this "information" somewhere internet?
Do you believe all what you can read in internet without any criticism?

Maybe you have read this stupid lie. Someone keep trutht away from his upstair.

Perhaps you find it here (1) : http://www.epinions.com/content_578790395524?sb=1
or some other source becouse spread on the Internet as a pandemic just becouse peoples (just as example you) . spread without the  source criticism and maybe even so that did not even know what they are talking about.

Quoted from (1):

Atten appears to also make this DSO branded as the Owon 7102T, the Uni-T DSO4202B, the Hantek DSO5202B, the Le Croy WaveAce212, and the B&K 2542.

It seems that Atten have selected this way for AD? If so, very pity. Maybe it is better first learn how to self design oscilloscopes and not only copycat others. I have wait Atten first self designed model but... maybe I need continue waiting - forever.

This - "The SDS7102 is also ADS1102" - is exactly big lie. Where is truth, why spread it here? Dave.S: Why?

Also what you do, you add more lie to original lie. There read: Owon 7102T. <<--- WHAT hell is this? Only Owon 7102T is PDS7102T what have nothing to do with SmartDS series SDS7102 !

Atten have nothing to do with Owon.  If some Atten people walk to inside Owon factory maybe security peoples kick her out faster than he finds it.

Aktakom some models are well known rebranded Owon!

Also other companies can rebrand Owon. There is all ready possible order own front panel labels and there is free place for OEM data in memory, (example for start up screen)


-aghp



ps. Kind note to Dave.S: If you really want spread lies and disinformation, please open your own thread for these purposes. Do not pollute serious informative threads.

[T4P]

I was directly quoting him
out of humour .

[BravoV]

Just don't take him too seriously, he is a clown, check this out -> HERE and read his responses there as well, just can't believe it.

About spreading blatant lies, if he keeps doing this, this should be enough warrant to get booted from this forum, worst than spammer. 

[marmad]

I was directly quoting him
out of humour .

If that was true then you went about it the wrong way; it's impossible to infer intent in text without more evidence. If you had written it this way:

Guys ... The SDS7102 is also ADS1102 .... Uni-T DSO4202B, Hantek DSO5202B, Le Croy WaveAce212, B&K 2542, Tektronix TDS1012B    http://www.epinions.com/content_578790395524?sb=1

...then it would have been understood as humor.

[tinhead]

It's according to that guy 
i'm just directly quoting HIM .

stop quoting start thinking (or actually use search function in this forum and compare by yourself just the pictures of mainboard).

The problem with quoting reviews like this http://www.epinions.com/content_578790395524?sb=1
is that they made by an idiot* and not usefull at all.

Why idiot? Well only idiot will compare front panel pictures

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/581243391pwaPvH?vhost=home-and-garden

and come to conclusion they equal. You can accept such statement from anybody but not
from "electrical engineer" (which he is as stated in job description).


* - sorry but i have to call such ppl by name, that's the only way to stop them from posting bullshit

[marmad]

Hi tinhead 

You can accept such statement from anybody but not from "electrical engineer" (which he is as stated in job description).

Yes, very odd indeed.  It seems strange that he's not aware of eevblog and all the discussion here of Atten, Owon, Hantek, clones, etc, etc.

@Dave S.

If your intentions here (and in other threads) are just to inject some humor and/or fun, you have to be a bit careful - or you will become known as a troll, which is generally undesirable - unless that's what you want.

[T4P]

Indeed . Didn't read the T . Subtle i guess , my fault . 

[marmad]

To any users (or sellers) of the SDS7102 with the newest firmware:

I notice that Owon has been fixing some of their bugs in their updated firmwares, but I wonder if they have also been adding/fixing new/missing features as well.  Could someone please let me know if any of the following 'features', which I listed earlier in my review (in ascending order of importance), have perhaps been added?

1) Show all measurements at once.

2) Linear interpolation of points or just the ability to turn off sin(x)/x.

3) Equivalent time sampling.

4) A SCPI command set or just improved data-exporting ability.

5) Coarse/fine adjust of volts/div.

6) Split-screen window for FFT or zoom.

7) A way to mark, search easily, or just jump through long wave records.

Thanks for any help.

[testingguy]

marmad,
I just ordered a 7102 from Saelig which should be here mid next week. I asked them to make sure I get the latest S/N unit they have--they said all their stock was the latest.

I'll check your feature list when I get it.

Thanks by the way for all your review work. Awesome.

[mAJORD]

Sorry If I've missed it , but the buttons to the right of the LCD.. is it possible to press these without bracing the unit? It seems like being membrane switches you have to hold the unit with the back of your hand in your vids to stop it moving or falling over. Could be annoying

[DavidMenting]

Sorry If I've missed it , but the buttons to the right of the LCD.. is it possible to press these without bracing the unit? It seems like being membrane switches you have to hold the unit with the back of your hand in your vids to stop it moving or falling over. Could be annoying

Yes, it's possible, but only just. I like to hold the top of the unit with my hand and press the buttons with my thumb.

@marmad: thanks for your great review. It pushed me to buy the SDS7102 and I'm happy so far. I'm still learning how to use the DSO so I'm probably not the right one to answer your questions, but by looking around in the menus I'll try:

1. There is a button in the Measure menu labeled 'Show All'. It shows all applicable measurements at the time of the button press (ie. it doesn't update while the window is displayed)

2 - 4. I'll leave these questions to someone with more oscilloscope experience. I couldn't find any settings related to this in the menu.

5. Coarse/fine adjust of V/div: nope.

6. Nope

7. Nope

So, one down, six to go. Especially the split screen and a smart way to browse the capture memory would be very nice.

[0xdeadbeef]

Honestly, though I didn't test excessively, my impression was that the updated firmware contains only bugfixes (crash in FFT, trigger on period), but there are no new/improved features except the virtual keyboard. E.g. there is definitely no windowed view for zoom mode (just main/set/zoom, which is ok, but a little inconvenient). Also the "show all" measurement window is still opaque and there are no statistics (mean/min/max/sdev) available for measurements. No triggering on both edges either, the dot mode is nonsense as it doesn't show the sample points etc.

For the moment, the Owon SDS line is still pretty interesting in this price range due to the large screen, large (semi-)fullspeed memory and generally good hardware design. But unfortunately, Owon missed the chance to considerably improve the software side of the SDS line in the last months to get a really outstanding product while the other manufacturers update their product lines.

So it will be interesting to see how the SDS line can hold up against the Rigol DS2000 when it becomes available in three or four months.

[marmad]

So it will be interesting to see how the SDS line can hold up against the Rigol DS2000 when it becomes available in three or four months.

True, although judging by the published specs of the DS2000 (waveform capture rates up to 50k wfms/s), I suspect it will be closer in price to the Agilent 2000 X series than the Owon SDS line.

I wish more Chinese manufacturers would try to create scopes in the $500 - 750 midrange - of good design and build quality (like the Owon SDS7102) with large LCD screens, good connectivity, and a reasonable level of firmware features.

[rf-loop]

Before update there was 2kSa/s maximum samplerate in scan mode. Now it is 5MSa/s.

"Repetitive" (some times called littlebit loosy as Equal-Time) mode is not very interesting feature in scope what have 1GSa/s (or 500MSa/s) what is classified as 100MHz oscilloscope.  In history it was meaningfull. Example in 100MHz oscilloscope what have 10MSa/s maximum samplerate. Of course it need repetitive sampling for continuous signals, but this kind of oscilloscope is only <2-4MHz oscilloscope if talking single shot)  Mostly but not always this Egu-Time is more like "feature of the ad men". 
If look 100MHz oscilloscope what have 1GSa/s samplerate it is nearly so that there is misunderstooding if want this repetitive sampling mode. Yes in some rare cases if it is well done it may give something but veru marginal. Sometimes it make situation only more bad.   

Owon have so wide front end that it may be very easy 250MHz oscilloscope (for 2 channels together) if there is implemented good repetitive mode. But why, it is 100MHz oscilloscope what reads in front panel, and it is 200MHz 1 channel and 150MHz 2 channel oscilloscope if look test data (but this is not quarateed by owon, it is only measured and true as long as they change something)

If I hope some real advantage to this scope, it is user adjustable hardware done adjustable brick wall filter in analog front end.

And variable (fine step) for V/div.

Windowed zoom... hmm nice for play, but not really needes for real working and just becouse this not windoved zoom is implemented so that it is very fast use.

In stop mode it is easy to go around long capture, just zoom out, horz position shift and zoom in. But if there is settable mark points and posibility to jump marks..    of course there is many things what are nice.

It store only .bin files but they can translate easy to .csv or .xls 

Sin(x)/x  it use this only with fastest timebases. Can no on/off.
But if have time and want "play". Becouse it have deep fast memory, it keeps 1GSa/s up to very low sampleartes. So it can look with lower speed, stop and zoom in. There is just lines between samples or only sampled dots. But this is just playing.

If afraid Sin(x)/x it is good to stay away from example Rigol what have been wrong implemented Sinx/x and it is better call it as some kind of "smooth".

I think here is nothing wrong:
http://i.cmpnet.com/planetanalog/2009/02/Sin(x)x_Agilent.pdf

In signal quality Owon is good but FW have not so much features but all essentials for normal real working. (in this price class).
Most important  is capturing quality. If we have garbage in oscilloscope generator, what to analyze?
But yes, if Owon have all Hantek or equal features in FW (without tons on bugs and better implemented ) and Owon HW, well... I want it and also price can be higher.