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

[somlioy]

Tried to capture the highpitch noise from the backlight with my mobilephone;

[kaz911]

I have actually had an email chat with Owon - and I told them to listen to you guys here :-)

I'm very close to putting in an order for the SDS8202 with LAN and maybe battery option - if we can get the "travel allowance document" for the battery sorted. :-)

[aghp]

I have actually had an email chat with Owon - and I told them to listen to you guys here :-)

I'm very close to putting in an order for the SDS8202 with LAN and maybe battery option - if we can get the "travel allowance document" for the battery sorted. :-)

http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dangerous_goods/Documents/LithiumBattery_PassengerFlyer.jpg

Where it need "travel allowance document"

Separate (spare) battery can take to inside "carry-on package"  they can not insert "checked package".

Battery assembled inside  oscilloscope, this oscilloscope can insert "checked package" and/or "carry-on package".

It is classified as chargeable Lithium polymer battery (LiCoO2) and power rating is <100Wh (they are looked as capacity Wh and Owon SDS batteries are 60Wh (7,4V 8000mAh with control circuits.)

I have travel around and never get problems with any litium batteries if batteries are inserted to equipment. (eg camera, video camera, laptop, oscilloscope. No one have never ask any kind of documents. But not any experience specially with Owon.

When Owon batteries travel in fly cargo (example TNT/DHL/FeDex etc)  there is always battery safety informations sheets included from battery manufacturer who is:

Hangzhou Wanma High-Energy Battery Co.,Ltd.
Sales Centre: 118# Linban Road,HangZhou,China P.C.? 310022 E-mail: sales@wanmabattery.com 
Tel? 86-571-88368608?English language available) 86-571-88368618 Fax? 86-571-88368922 


But if you send separate cells, it may be sometimes difficult dependent of cell type and amount.
Limits and requirements can read IATA rules book.
Well of course there may be some countries what want follow more rules than IATA.

But als I'm interested how Owon answer and also if there is some new rules or other info related to travel and Owon battery.

Also this Aktakom ADS-2111M (rebranded Owon) use exactly same battery. So also www.tmatlantic.com may have this battery information allready.

[kaz911]

Items containing batteries coming out of China needs a UN38.3 test report says my shipping agent. That does not matter if it is a mobile phone or any other device with a battery.

Some manufactures might "forget" that the item contains a battery and ship it anyway.

But a SDS 8201 with LAN, SVGA and Battery - cant wait - even though I really want an Agilent MSOX 3014/3024... But the st***d dealer here have horrible prices so I will NOT buy from them. So an interim SDS8202 will have to do until I find a good offer for the Agilent.

[aghp]

I know that DHL Express (air cargo) have never meet problem with these batteries in my experience.
All times Owon send batteries they include Hangzhou Wanma company copy of: Material Safety Data Sheet.
I can quarantee that if your shipper know what they are doing, there is not any problem for ship these batteries out from China by Air cargo... and also... most shippers go first To Hong Kong and from HK around the word. There is so also 2 security and Customs check.

I have order these "more than once" and really more than single battery from Owon.

And oscilloscopes do not contain battery but afaik they are separately packaged inside same carton (I have not asked if they can send so that battery is allready assembled but  then they still need include this empty battery block what you can install if not use battery.

(better that they send separated from oscilloscope but in same carton, so customs officers and/or  security officers can check these as they want becouse Battery reads in packing list and invoice. If they are inside oscilloscope then maybe some stupid security people want take them out for check and if they do not want do this (need work and may scratch you scope  then maybe problem)

There are lot of Owon oscilloscopes and batteries around of world and all they have travelled  out from China with some DHL or equivalent and mostly air cargo.

You do not trust Owon that they can ship these? 

Believe me, they know what they are doing. They are not as "grey" ebayboys

There is no any problem. Automatically they include this safety datasheet. They are not stupid. Also They know what China safety checks need.

Hangzhou Wanma Material Safety data Sheet is totally 3 sides. It is included to shipping papers.  And always they have traveled without any problems.  And there is also this chapter:

Transport information:

Polymer Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries are regulated during shipment by Dept. of Transportation (USDOT) and United Nation's (International) requirements. Batteries tested and found in compliance with UN Chapter 38.3 requirements may be shipped without designations as "Class 9" hazardous material if all other marking, labeling, packaking, and unit volumes are met. For specific details, please visit: http://www.wanmabattery.com
the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 45th Edition, dangerous Goods Transportation, or 49 CFR Transportation regulations for further details to your shipping situation.

So, you can see these kind of things they really know and have thinked.

[kaz911]

I do know Owon can ship via DHL. My other shipper is just about 1/2 price compared to DHL Express. So I'm going the DHL route.

My other shipper (Aramex) has a "ShopAndShip" system so I have a real local address in the UK, US and in China... :-) Everything sent there get's forwarded to my UAE address. :-)  And Aramex are cheaper on "single items".

From the US i use MyUS.com - but they are getting real bad. They used to be perfect but now they have turned in to a heavy elephant with lousy response times and now little thing costs money.

anyway - did not want to sidetrack the discussion. :-)

[0xdeadbeef]

I'm very close to putting in an order for the SDS8202 with LAN and maybe battery option

I hope you are aware of the limitations of the 2GS/s range that we discussed in this thread some time ago...

[kaz911]

I'm very close to putting in an order for the SDS8202 with LAN and maybe battery option

I hope you are aware of the limitations of the 2GS/s range that we discussed in this thread some time ago...

Yes I know. But I am in the UAE :-) and to get best resale value here it needs to be big.... :-) anyway not often I need more than 100MHz or 10k pts anyway. Just a good test scope to start with. It is not $100 that changes the picture.

[blueflash]

If You are interrested in You can find some more tests about my new SDS8102 and detailed pictures from the inner parts here:

http://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/238863#2425297

My version is 2.0 and my official dealer (for germany) promised me to get some fresh firmware from OWON. So I'm waiting for that because I detected a bug which wasn't reported before (or I didn't find it).

My pulse width trigger isn't working in any way. Con anyone here confirm the problem? I tried pulses from 6ms width to 40ns width but it doesn't work.

[rf-loop]

There are also some other kind of trigger bug(s) and maybe even more severe. (I have heard...    )They are now working in Owon for fix  8102 and 8202 and later get ready FW update.

[kaz911]

My version is 2.0 and my official dealer (for germany) promised me to get some fresh firmware from OWON. So I'm waiting for that because I detected a bug which wasn't reported before (or I didn't find it).

thanks for the info  - i just received my 8202V with LAN straight from Owon  and it says V1.3? (Utility/Function/Config/About)  - is that where yours says v2?

Keep us posted on firmware updates. :-)

[Nermash]

Very nice review Blueflash, I wish it was available in english, google translate does not do it justice.

Regarding the pulse width trigger issue, I think it is a bug. I have a SDS7102 and IIRC it is the same, but if I choose negative polarity it triggers on positive pulse, and vice versa. I even reported this to Owon, but received only typical response "thank you, please give us your serial no bla bla".

BTW, Blueflash is famous developer of open source firmware for Welec 2000 series of oscilloscope. HW of the scope is below average, but his firmware kept it alive and kicking for the past 3-4 years!

[blueflash]

Correct - version can be seen on the attached picture (was't easy to make it  )

How did You get a device with LAN - lucky bastard...   

My official dealer didn't offer any LAN option for any device.

[blueflash]

p.s. reached my DSO on last Friday. The dealer said it was delivered the week before ( around 9. of Nov)

If Firmware is available I will post it here.

[kaz911]

p.s. reached my DSO on last Friday. The dealer said it was delivered the week before ( around 9. of Nov)

If Firmware is available I will post it here.

I got mine straight of the factory since there are no dealers where I am. But i'll ask why i have a version 1.3 firmware. Maybe mine is an old HW version (Got it with Battery, LAN SVGA etc and carry bag) - quite impressive kit to be honest. Much better quality than I expected. Right now i had it only for a few hours... :-) And so far Owon has been very responsive and professional.

/Kasper

[rf-loop]

7102, 8102 and 8202 FW numbers are not comparable.
Example (I know only this situation with these individual units)
8202V  V1.1.1  is new and seems be functional exactly same as 8102V  V2.1.1V
Inside one week Owon headoffice tell this 8202 FW is new and not need update. (and people who tell it was not people who are normally answering thousends of emails)
(both these FW have virtual keyboard for naming stored files (this virtual keyboard I hope they do more clever or later add touch function to display.)


Imho, it is also possible that example LAN option model have different FW and same about RS232 model without VGA. This I do not know, only littlebit suspect.

Why Owon ask serial number. Of course they ask.  There may be small differencies in HW versions and so on.
Also mostly to customer shared FW updates are locked to serial number. This is why they ask it.
And it is well protected. This is not as Hantek who keep doors and windows fully open.

(also you can see other name these same oscilloscope. Aktakom is one and there are also others. So Owon need also protect they product also just becouse they walk they own roads and do not copycat products as most of chinese)

Also I know Owon is working with new FW agen for fix some problems but also they do not want give changelog or even FW version log and not "known bug" list.

[blueflash]

Yes, seems You are right. But even my dealer who is "only official dealer in germany" did not know that there are differences in firmware versions. Hope he will get the right version for my device.

Btw - my device is a VGA-Out version too and I didn't find a RS232 preparation on the board. Only for the LAN connection. So there must be different mainboard layouts for the versions with RS232 and VGA. Strange concept...

Also the firmware concept, for they have to compile every firmware separately for every owner?

[blueflash]

@Nermash

I'm sorry that the postings are available only in german. If wished I could make an english version about the changes/optimizations I made in the DSO.

[kaz911]

I have 8202V with LAN Firmware 1.3 - and I have virtual onscreen keyboard. But I found a bug trying to save IMAGE to memory stick - the scope just froze.  I can replicate it - happens on first or 2nd image capture. (SAVE/IMAGE/(virtual keyboard)/ENTER)  - one or 2 images and that's it.

[kaz911]

@Nermash

I'm sorry that the postings are available only in german. If wished I could make an english version about the changes/optimizations I made in the DSO.

i for one would love that.. I do read german but NOT that technical german :-) ..

[blueflash]

Ok, I will work on it. maybe it is available tomorrow as pdf

My version does save the screenshots - but not on every USB-stick! The 16GByte Stick freezes the device,
the 2GByte Stick lets appear a popup which informs me that only fat32 is accepted but my 8GByte stick works.

[0xdeadbeef]

Ok, I will work on it. maybe it is available tomorrow as pdf

My version does save the screenshots - but not on every USB-stick! The 16GByte Stick freezes the device,
the 2GByte Stick lets appear a popup which informs me that only fat32 is accepted but my 8GByte stick works.

If you read a little through this thread you'll find that only 4k cluster sizes are supported. As Windows usually uses larger cluster sizes for 16GB and some 8GB sticks come with larger cluster sizes as well, you need to reformat them with 4k clusters. Owon is aware of it, but they don't intend to change it (and want to document it instead).
BTW: is it known if the versions with/without VGA connector share the same firmware?
BTW2: Präzitronic also promised me to supply me with a new firmware and nothing happened in one month. Then again, I got one from Owon directly, but it didn't really fix anything.
BTW3: also mentioned before here, but updating the firmware doesn't change the firmware revision string. This was also confirmed by Owon. So indeed the string displayed in the About dialog seems to be more or less random and has nothing to do with the real revision.

[blueflash]

Oh thanks for the information. I tried to read most of this thread but indeed it is very long now and due to this I overread some items I guess. But it is good to know that reformatting can solve the problem.

So You bought Your DSO at the same dealer as me - interesting! I will try to get on their nerves with phoning every second day - maybe this will motivate them to do something. Otherwise I will exterminate them in the german blog...     

If the version string doesn't show the version, what does it show??? What is it for?? That's no good way in the world of internet communication to make Your product a good thing to buy.

[0xdeadbeef]

So You bought Your DSO at the same dealer as me - interesting! I will try to get on their nerves with phoning every second day - maybe this will motivate them to do something. Otherwise I will exterminate them in the german blog...     

I don't wanna be unfair. They replied after one week and said there were still trying, but then they seem to have forgotten about me. Also I got a 100€ refund as I complained that the record length limitation at 2GS/s was not documented and I wanted to swap into a 7102. So I kept the 8102 for more or less the price of a 7102. Still the 8102 seems to be a little buggier than the 7102, but yeah well. So I can't really complain. Mainly it's Owon's fault with their crazy update policy.

If the version string doesn't show the version, what does it show??? What is it for?? That's no good way in the world of internet communication to make Your product a good thing to buy.

Well, tinman/tinhead confirmed that the application updates don't contain the text files at all, where e.g. the version string is located.

Why the Owon guys decided that this would make sense is another question. Why do they use "v" instead of "V" for Volts? What is the "dots" mode for if it doesn't display the sample points? Why didn't they implement triggering on both edges? Why doesn't the "Copy" button use the settings defined in the "save" menu? Why isn't it possible to store both channel datas at once? Why do they encode the firmware, but decode it before sending it to the scope with a public key that's also called like this? Why do they hide the firmware updated from their customers?

Maxbe they are not the brightest, maybe they just don't care. Probably a mixture of both.

[blueflash]

As promised yesterday here the manual for the changes I made and the original service manual. For this blog does not allow files bigger than 1MB I posted them in the german thread. You are welcome to download it from there.

http://www.mikrocontroller.net/attachment/126522/SDS_Series_Oscilloscopes_Service_Manual_v1_0.pdf


http://www.mikrocontroller.net/attachment/126966/OWON_SDS_Series_-_Optimizing_Hardware_EN.pdf