REVIEW - Rigol DS2072 - First Impressions of the DS2000 series from Rigol

[Spike101]

I'm not Marmad, but I'll answer anyway...pardon me Marmad. The max number I read in this thread is 5 measurements, which is one more than the Agilent DSOX2000 series.

Yes, you can have up to 5 measurements at the bottom of the screen at once, optionally with statistics (min, max, avg).
If you enable "Display all" you get all 20 measurements (no statistics) at once in the middle of the screen (20 per channel, so you can display up to 60, if you enable CH1, CH2 and MATH at the same time).

For most of the measurements (at most one at a time of course), you can also enable automatic cursors, that show the relevant points of the measurement on the waveform (e.g. the 10% and 90% mark for the rise time...)

[marmad]

Ok, the very last in my current series of tables 

The waveform update rate of the DS2000 @ 14kPts (single / dual channel - vectors / dots) - tested using a 1MHz sine wave input to channel 1.

What's interesting to note are the following:

1) Rigol has really precisely tuned their design so that the DSO can hit ~50k wfrm/s @ 20ns with a single channel (for the specs and comparisons to DSOX2000 series), but it can't maintain that rate at all with two channels - even though the wfrm/s rates of every other time base setting are fairly similar between single or dual channel.

2) If you are using both channels and want the fastest wfrm/s rate possible, use the 50ns setting instead (using dots, it's the third fastest update rate of the DSO).

3) Dual channel dot mode gives the fastest update rate (faster then single channel vector OR dot mode) at 4 different time base settings.

4) Dual channel dot mode is faster then single channel vector mode at 6 other time base settings.

[Hydrawerk]

Thank you. But what's with the 10ns? Anyway, this DS2000 scope is still better than Hameg HMO, LeCroy Wavejet, Tek DPO2000 or even TDS3000. 

[marmad]

My last table - really, I promise! 

Rigol DS2000 series acquisition times when using the full 56MPts sample length:

Note: If you do a single-shot with 56MPts @ 1000s time base setting - it will take 7hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds to complete - grabbing a sample every 0.5ms!

[MrsR]

LOL I'm not the only one that thinks so.

It really annoys me because I use Atmel micros a lot and until recently my company only seemed to be able to order stuff from them and RS (who are possibly even worse, but at least tend to deliver in the morning instead of at 4:30 - "next day" my arse). Their range is pathetic and they used to want £7 for a single part that Mouser were doing for £1.50. Even now Atmel will sell you a debugger for $99 while Farnell want £175 for it.

Have to agree Element14 (FARNELL)  2 years ago wanted $58 plus cents for 1 ATMEGA48V and I found a firm who supplied 100 including freight for less. The other thing that bugs me are SMD resistors 0402 pkg & 603s after searching for half an hour finding prices as low as 2 cents you finally find the higher wattage one and the price is $1 to $2 each min order 10 place it in the cart and there's a minimum of 2000 s__t you say and start the circus again RS is nearly as bad but they put available in 5 to 6 wotking days and after ordering it's on back order 3months, wish they would the length of time before placing the order Who gets their ass kicked for the order spread all over the place yeah! the person ordering not the supplier.

THANKS MY RANT FOR THE WEEK
Rachael
PS Why is RIGOLS 2000 Series model 200MHz Min. Time 2.5ns  and the others 5ns wonder if you can trick the 70MHz to 2.5 HEY MARMAD any ideas.  thats todays as I was trying to find the rise time problem on a job this morning.  GOOD SCOPE THOUGH in thanks to DAVE for the recomendation

[olsenn]

Rigol is coming out with a DS1000Z series DSO now as well, which I imagine is replacing the DS1000E series. It has 4 channels (which is awesome), 70/100MHz and 30k waveforms/sec, and 12/24M memory points

[Jean]

Hello group,
I just received my DS2072 yesterday and I am very pleased so far. Since I am currently working on a project involving a shared SPI bus (ADC + TFT screen driven by an Arduino), I have tried the SPI triggering capabilities plus the decoding function, which are very useful, in addition to look very nice. In any case it works quite well.
I was hesitating between this model and a Hameg HMO 1xxx or 2xxx (I have been using Hameg for many years, my old 203-5 is still working well, moreover there is a special offer running up to October 2013, giving the decode option for free when buying a new scope), and I finally went for the Rigol, helped in my choice by the videos (EEV among others) and all the helpful comments on this forums, so thxs guys
If I had to find a flaw, I would say the fan is too noisy for my taste, I will probably have a look inside later to check if I can make things quieter. Except this, it is a very nice device that I am discovering with pleasure, I only wish the trial options time were not decreasing so fast :/
Returning to the scope now, I think I am getting addicted! ++
 

[Hydrawerk]

Well, It's quite feature rich.

[marmad]

Hello group,
I just received my DS2072 yesterday and I am very pleased so far. Since I am currently working on a project involving a shared SPI bus (ADC + TFT screen driven by an Arduino), I have tried the SPI triggering capabilities plus the decoding function, which are very useful, in addition to look very nice. In any case it works quite well.
I was hesitating between this model and a Hameg HMO 1xxx or 2xxx (I have been using Hameg for many years, my old 203-5 is still working well, moreover there is a special offer running up to October 2013, giving the decode option for free when buying a new scope), and I finally went for the Rigol, helped in my choice by the videos (EEV among others) and all the helpful comments on this forums, so thxs guys
If I had to find a flaw, I would say the fan is too noisy for my taste, I will probably have a look inside later to check if I can make things quieter. Except this, it is a very nice device that I am discovering with pleasure, I only wish the trial options time were not decreasing so fast :/
Returning to the scope now, I think I am getting addicted! ++

Welcome Jean! Yes, it's a fun DSO to play with - especially the segment record and record open (history) feature.    I don't mind the fan because my lab has other fans making more noise than the Rigol - but if you plan to open it to change (or alter) the fan, be sure to watch .

Also, be sure to download my software for the DS2000 here.

And don't worry about the trial options - we owners have figured out a simple method to reset them - just send me or another regular user here a PM when your time is close to ending 

[Jean]

Welcome Jean! Yes, it's a fun DSO to play with - especially the segment record and record open (history) feature.    I don't mind the fan because my lab has other fans making more noise than the Rigol - but if you plan to open it to change (or alter) the fan, be sure to watch .

Also, be sure to download my software for the DS2000 here.

And don't worry about the trial options - we owners have figured out a simple method to reset them - just send me or another regular user here a PM when your time is close to ending 

Hi Marmad, thanks for your wishes, the links and the useful tips

I will not open it right now, since it's brand new, but I admit it's tempting : I use it in a very quiet room, the computer near is almost completely silent (big fans with very low rpm), the only sound I barely hear  is the 50Hz through the PC speakers! so it makes a big difference when the Rigol is turned on, even if it isn't actually that loud. After all, "loud" is subjective and I have heard here and there people saying the 2072 is much more quiet than the 1052/1102 are, so it is also a matter of perception.

For now, next step is  connecting the scope to the computer, and installing the suitable software, including yours; a lot of pleasant time in perspective!

[marmad]

A post for new or prospective owners of the DS2000 wondering about 'restarting' trial options.

[monster]

Hi there,

wow, if I'd only had a look at this thread earlier ... I'm an EE student from Austria in his hopefully last year To be independant from my universities lab, I made myself a present in february, a DS2202. My father wanted to have his old Tek 468 back one day anyway ...
Not knowing too much about the internal construction of the scopes, I got the 200MHz variant, since I started working on my master thesis involving deserialization of a 125Mbit/s stream (nope, not ethernet) travelling over 100m of a 75Ohm coax cable. I simply wanted to have a chance to look at the signals I work on in the time domain to see why it's not working Oh, and by the way, the DS2202 does a pretty good job in this setup (using a BNC T-adaptor with 75Ohm termination on one side), just in case this helps someone.

If I'd only knew about the real bandwidth of the DS2000 series, I'd probably chosen the DS2072 and saved a few bucks. Though having the 2ns timebase 'natively' is not the worst that can happen. Since I got the DS2202 from Batronix in Germany, they were also the ones that supplied me with the 00.00.01.00.05 firmware update (mine came with 00.00.01.00.02), and a second trial license code after my "keen attempt to run the self cal" to minimize the offset on channel one during low amplitude measurements.

When I found out about the existence of the amazing RUU software, I was really overwhelmed, not just because I'm quite concerned about the durability of the USB port over time, it adds quite some value to the scope itself. And even if it takes longer to transfer the screen data over SCPI, I tend to network everything via Ethernet, and let scripts do the rest. Sooner or later it just makes sense.

Ok, but enough of that, I do have a question about the FFT under the math menu. I was playing around with an AES3 stream (very similar to S/PDIF, a digital audio stream) and tried to do some spectral analysis as I had EMI issues with a driver interface I built a few weeks ago. While debugging the interface using a DIY h-field probe, the FFT function was really useful. Of course it's no comparison to a real spectrum analyser, but if manage to get decent levels into the scope it seems to work pretty well below 500MHz when some averaging is applied before running the math.
The only thing that puzzles me, how on earth does Rigol calculate the spectrum between one and ten GHz from a 2GS/s stream? I thought the math function would derive its output only from the existing samples and I don't think anything in the DS2202 is going faster than 2GS/s. Since I have no possibilities to generate known spectra in the GHz range, I can't verify whether they just claim to be able to do so. Has anyone with the appropriate equipment ever verified whether the spectrum above 1GHz in FFT mode is just a mathematical interpolation residual? If so, why do they do it?

Greetings from Graz,

Daniel

PS: Let me second that comment of Jean about the noise coming from the cooling fan. Honestly, I can't understand why a system below 50 watts of thermal power dissipation needs a fan that loud. Of course, 'loud' is relative, as marmad already stated, but I believe they could have built something at least 10dB softer. At my desk the Rigol is by far the loudest thing, so probably the first modification will be a different fan

[IanJ]

Hi all,

Have made my mind up and am going to buy the Rigol DS2102......I'm in the UK and can only really see the Rigol UK site as an option to buy..........but I also notice that I can buy via Ebay.

Rigol-uk.co.uk = £835 + vat = £1002 total
Ebay (shipped from China) = £849 total

Apart from Ebay, is there any other options to avoid rip-off-britain prices.......possibly one of Dave's sponsor sites.
I don't mind having top-notch support, I just want a fair deal.

Thanks,

Ian.

UPDATE: Have bought the DS2072.

[marmad]

Apart from Ebay, is there any other options to avoid rip-off-britain prices.......possibly one of Dave's sponsor sites.
I don't mind having top-notch support, I just want a fair deal.

UPDATE: Have bought the DS2072.

Well, Ian - if you had waited a little bit before buying (I just now saw your message), I might have been able to steer you to a much better deal/price.

Edit: At the very least, there is always Batronix in Germany: DS2072 = €710 + VAT (or NO VAT if you have a number) + free shipping in EU + 30 days trial period. But I know of an even better deal that's often possible 

[IanJ]

Apart from Ebay, is there any other options to avoid rip-off-britain prices.......possibly one of Dave's sponsor sites.
I don't mind having top-notch support, I just want a fair deal.

UPDATE: Have bought the DS2072.

Well, Ian - if you had waited a little bit before buying (I just now saw your message), I might have been able to steer you to a much better deal/price.

I never bought the 2102 as I had priced up, I bought the 2072.......a helluva lot cheaper.

[marmad]

I never bought the 2102 as I had priced up, I bought the 2072.......a helluva lot cheaper.

Still, there were better deals to be had - you didn't wait long enough after your original post. Something is screwy with the Forum notification system today; I'm not getting notified of posts for a LONG time.

[Pinkus]

Hi all,

Have made my mind up and am going to buy the Rigol DS2102......I'm in the UK and can only really see the Rigol UK site as an option to buy..........but I also notice that I can buy via Ebay.

Rigol-uk.co.uk = £835 + vat = £1002 total
Ebay (shipped from China) = £849 total
UPDATE: Have bought the DS2072.

Be aware, this can be a trap: I do not know how it works in the UK, but I am pretty sure, you will have to pay import VAT when the package arrives in the UK (this is the fact in all European countries). As it will be held at customs (pretty large and heavy box) you will then pay 849 Pounds to China plus import VAT (same as regular VAT) plus customs (3% or so) to the UK. Thus: China is not cheaper than UK.
And then: do you think you can deal with the Chinese dealer about the three year warranty? Rigol Europe will probably decline any warranty as you did not buy a European model (I bet they recognize this on the serial number).
Peter

[Bored@Work]

you will then pay 849 Pounds to China plus import VAT (same as regular VAT) plus customs (3% or so) to the UK.

VAT yes, customs would be a surprise. There happens to be no customs on importing oscilloscopes into the EU.

Depending on the circumstances there can be other costs which might or might not apply. E.g. cost for currency conversion. Fee  for processing the VAT. And a classic, the ripoff fee carriers like to charge for the import paperwork.

[Chet T16]

Edit: At the very least, there is always Batronix in Germany: DS2072 = €710 + VAT (or NO VAT if you have a number) + free shipping in EU + 30 days trial period. But I know of an even better deal that's often possible 

Where has a better deal? I'm looking at getting one and getting it from Batronix seems like the best so far. I have a VAT number.

[marmad]

Where has a better deal? I'm looking at getting one and getting it from Batronix seems like the best so far. I have a VAT number.

Check your PMs.

[van-c]

I've been reading this thread with great enthusiasm and decided to join the forum.  I first found out about the DS2072 from Dave's blog and have decided to pull the trigger on one.  I'd prefer to purchase from a US distributor if I can find one who has any in stock.

I sent a request for quote to TEquipment on Saturday but probably won't get a response until at least Monday.  But from what I've been seeing on this group, nobody in the US has had any in stock for quite a while.

If someone in the group has a suggestion for a reputable US supplier, or even a supplier outside the US who can ship here for a reasonable price and lead time, please let me know.

I really am enjoying this discussion group.

--Van 

[XaS]

Hi everyone!

As long as so many people are introducing...  I'm a engineer student from Switzerland and was looking for a decent DSO in a good price range and found this forum and all the awesome videos from the blog. So about two months ago I went for a DS2072 after having a look at the Owon ones. And I'm, like many of you, very pleased with the scope. Especially with the build quality. I'm still learning how to get the most out of this scope and eagerly follow this topic with all its information.

For all the "many" people out there looking for the scope in Switzerland, I got mine from Maxdata (http://electronic.maxdata.ch/oszilloskope-rigol/new---ds2000/index.php), the Swiss distributor of Rigol. If you ask politely they will even give you a small students discount. It won't be the absolutely cheapest way to get one, but as you will know taxes are a pain in the a** here in CH when ordering from abroad.

Thanks for all your work, I'll be happy to contribute as soon as I will see a way how  I can catch up to your level. 

XaS

[Spike101]

Regarding Batronix:
They currently have a deal for readers of the "Elektor" magacine (only until June 10, so you have to be quick decided.. ), where you can get the DS2072 for 799EUR incl. VAT and delivery in the EU (they also have deals for the 100Mhz and 200Mhz versions).
See http://www.batronix.com/versand/aktionen/Elektor-Sonderaktion.html for details. Not sure, if you need a subscription to the magacine to get the deal though..

[nack]

Where has a better deal? I'm looking at getting one and getting it from Batronix seems like the best so far. I have a VAT number.

Check your PMs.

Marmad can you inform me about this too? I also have a VAT number if that would matter. Thanks

[marmad]

Marmad can you inform me about this too? I also have a VAT number if that would matter. Thanks

Done