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

[Teneyes]

Here are displays of 100MHz on chan 1 , using Dots and different trigger sources ,all in Auto mode:.
   1st   Triggered on channel 1
   2nd   Triggered on Ext, NO input
   3rd   Triggered on Ext with Delay
   4rd   Triggered on channel 2
Question ,
 Am I understanding that the Auto start (for EXT)  is sync'd to the trigger display point?
but Chan 2 is not.

[ted572]

DS2000 Oscilloscope - 121 VAC Power Consumption:

Measurements are considered approximate due to uncertainty of measurement equipment accuracy, although should be very useful as general figure of merit.

Standby Mode (AC plugged in, OFF)
   W    0.5
   VA     7
   A      0.06
   PF    0.15

Operating Mode (Power ON)
   W     26
   VA   28
   A      0.23
   PF    0.94

[marmad]

In response to the question of the jitter present in the Delayed Sweep mode (and whether it was a bug), a Rigol rep. wrote:

"I'm afraid it is universal "issues" of system, when the sampling rate down to 1GSa/s, it will be like that. As the matter of fact, the jitter remains in both main and zoom wave, but it's too small to see it in main windows."

...and included an image from an Agilent X-3000 exhibiting the same behavior:

[marmad]

Rigol has changed the structure of unit settings stored in FRAM memory in the newest FW version, so owners of non-A model DS2000's should follow these steps when upgrading to try to avoid potential 'hanging' issues:

1) Before upgrading - set Utility->System->Power On to 'Default'.
2) Upgrade via boot method.
3) During the first boot up after upgrade, hold in left-menu F6 (sixth gray button) during the boot to reset FRAM settings.

Please post any changes (improvements, bug-fixes, new bugs, etc) noticed here - and I will update the bug list as necessary.

Edit: New firmware available at Rapidshare link in Firmware post at the beginning of this thread.

[marmad]

If using new FW 02.01.00.03, I strongly advise against loading WFM files created under a different FW version.

Doing so (at least on my DSO) immediately changes the language to Chinese - and then hangs before finishing loading of the file. A reboot will get you out of the hang, but many things will be screwed-up, and if you then, for example, go to Measure->Display All->On - you will hang the DSO permanently - unable to exit the hang even with a reboot - requiring a downgrade to older FW to restore it to working function.

[marmad]

I have to say: so far I'm rather disappointed with Rigol's latest firmware release (after waiting 6 months).

I haven't seen any new features added (most disappointedly: no change to the lame External Trigger) -  although I have found at least one minor bug fix so far (see next post) - and perhaps more to come with further tests.

So far, the only UI thing I've noticed that's different is the way they display the Options Installed table - slightly smaller and more condensed (room for more entries):

[marmad]

It seems Rigol has definitely done some work on the intensity-grading in the Zoom window of Delayed Sweep in the latest FW release. It was often too light - much lighter than when just stopping the DSO and zooming in by shortening the time base - which forced you to crank up the intensity all the way some times.

Here is a screen image I made documenting part of the problem for them (via Drieg) back in June using FW 01.01.00.02 - with the intensity setting around 30%:




Here are the exact same signals and settings (including 30% intensity setting) using the latest FW 02.01.00.03:

[rbola35618]

Marmad,

The intensity grading looks much better in the new DS1104 scope. I am presently evaluating both DS2202 and the DS1104Z side by side along with my agilent DSX3000. The best intensity grading is won by the Agilent with the DS1104 a close second and the DS2000 last. That was one of my complains in evaluating the DS4000 series in that the display was in certain conditions too dim.

[Galaxyrise]

It seems Rigol has definitely done some work on the intensity-grading in the Zoom window of Delayed Sweep in the latest FW release.

Ooo, did they fix high res in roll mode? It had the same problem.

[marmad]

The intensity grading looks much better in the new DS1104 scope... The best intensity grading is won by the Agilent with the DS1104 a close second and the DS2000 last.

This would be a purely subjective opinion - it sounds like you prefer intensity-grading with a narrower band. Both the Agilent and the DS1000Z have <=64 levels, while the DS2000/4000 have up to 256 levels.

I like the intensity-grading on the DS2000 fine - more than what I've seen in videos for the Agilent X-Series and DS1000Z. The main problem, IMO, was the implementation of it when in Delayed Sweep mode - and it appears that Rigol might have finally corrected that issue.

[marmad]

Ooo, did they fix high res in roll mode? It had the same problem.

I just checked - and since I never noticed that before, I'm not sure. It seems OK to me: switching in and out of High Res appears to be the same intensity - but you'd be able to tell better than me (using whatever conditions you used before).

But honestly, I can't imagine often needing that combination of features. When in Roll mode and IF using High Res, your -3 dB bandwidths are approximately the following:

200ms = 343Hz
500ms = 171Hz
1s    = 68.6Hz
2s    = 34.3Hz
5s    = 17.1Hz
10s   = 6.8Hz
20s   = 3.4Hz
50s   = 1.7Hz
100s  = 0.68Hz
200s  = 0.34Hz
500s  = 0.17Hz
1000s = 0.06Hz

[Electro Fan]

I'm not sure if this helps sort anything out, but here are 2 images from the DS1000Z and some from the DS2000 showing an attempt at comparing intensity grading.  These were from a BK Precision function generator producing some modulated signals.

EF

(Not sure why the DS2 images open from a browser and the DS1Z don't, but the DS1Z images do seem to open in Microsoft Office Picture Manager.)

[marmad]

I'm not sure if this helps sort anything out, but here are 2 images from the DS1000Z and 2 from the DS2000 showing an attempt at comparing intensity grading.

I don't know how the DS1000Z functions, but the DS2000 get's a wider range of grades as you turn the intensity down - although many of those grades are dark grades. The brighter the overall intensity is - the less grades the DS2000 uses to reproduce the waveforms. I think 30-40% is probably the best trade-off.

[Electro Fan]

I posted 4 more above at 0, 20, 40, and 60% intensity for comparison

[Electro Fan]

Here are some intensity graded images DS1104Z and a DS2072, along with an image from a Tektronix analog scope
- not sure why the DSOs don't look a little better?
---
I added 1 more with the DS1104Z cranked up on the intensity to 71%; maybe better?
---
also added 1 more showing DS2000 being fed by function generator with signal slightly less modulated; there is a point at which as more modulation is added the waveform becomes visibly more "striated" (and less striated as modulate is decreased)

[Galaxyrise]

But honestly, I can't imagine often needing that combination of features.

I've been using roll+high res as an approximation of a DMM trend plot, so I'm not after much in the way of bandwidth, hehe.

[Radardude]

Here are some intensity graded images DS1104Z and a DS2072, along with an image from a Tektronix analog scope
- not sure why the DSOs don't look a little better?
---
I added 1 more with the DS1104Z cranked up on the intensity to 71%; maybe better?
---
also added 1 more showing DS2000 being fed by function generator with signal slightly less modulated; there is a point at which as more modulation is added the waveform becomes visibly more "striated" (and less striated as modulate is decreased)

If you look at the DS1000 first rise of the modulated signal compare to the DS2000 you will notice that the higher sample rate of DS2000 is capture more information from the signal. Therefore the intensity grading of both waveforms can't be compare equally.

[marmad]

If you look at the DS1000 first rise of the modulated signal compare to the DS2000 you will notice that the higher sample rate of DS2000 is capture more information from the signal. Therefore the intensity grading of both waveforms can't be compare equally.

That's the problem with trying to compare intensity-grading between DSOs. Ideally, you'd compare images when they are capturing at similar wfrm/s rates.

[EV]

Rigol seems to advertise lower over shoot for DS2000A. There is however no measurement. Maybe it looks lower. Look at pictures. For DS2000 it is about 8 % measured by my scope.

Maybe, I don't know. The over shoot with Rigot is also quite big. It should be under 3 %. Maybe the adaption with 50 Ohm feed through terminator is not very good.

[Mark_O]

Here are some intensity graded images DS1104Z and a DS2072, along with an image from a Tektronix analog scope
- not sure why the DSOs don't look a little better?

Because the analog scope intensity is infinitely variable, while the DSOs are quantized.  And they burn up some of those levels in the Brightness bias.

In spite of that limitation, I'd say they look pretty good.  Certainly better than my old DS1102CD.

[XaS]

Hi all!

I just noticed that selecting "Inverted" in the storage menu doesn't have any effect on saved PNGs. Or BMPs or JPEGs as well. I expect the saved pictures to have inverted colours (or even better, leave the colours and just change black to white and vice-versa)...

(I use SW 00.01.01.00.02 on HW 1.0.1.0.0 in a DS2072)

XaS

[Hydrawerk]

It works on my Agilent scope... Here. But i find it little useful. You can always process the image in your PC.

[marmad]

I just noticed that selecting "Inverted" in the storage menu doesn't have any effect on saved PNGs. Or BMPs or JPEGs as well. I expect the saved pictures to have inverted colours (or even better, leave the colours and just change black to white and vice-versa)...

Well, I don't know for sure if it works with FW.01.01.00.02 (never tried it) - but it certainly works for FW 02.01.00.03. Did you see the image I posted on the previous page of this thread?



One thing to remember: there are two different menus where you can chose image parameters like screen/wave region, color/gray scale, inverted, header/footer, etc:
1) Storage Menu - in which case the set parameters only affect the files you Save via the Storage Menu's Save menu item.
2) Utility / Print Setup Menu - in which case the set parameters only affect the files you Save via the Print button (either to USB storage device or PictBridge printer).

[marmad]

Could someone that has the necessary gear please check if the following two bugs are still present in FW v.02.01.00.03?

1) Bus decoding does not decode the full ASCII set. Missing characters:[ . , : ; - _ ! " § $ % & / ( ) = ? ] - everything between square brackets (except spaces).

2) When the RS-232 baud rate is set to AUTO 57600, it is incorrect. When set to USER 57600, it operates correctly.

[XaS]

Thanks marmad for your reply. As a matter of fact, the invert works on 01.01.00.02 when set in Utility/Print Setup (I use the QuickPrint button only). I just didn't destinguish between the two settings for Quick Print and regular Save. However, the settings in regular Save do have an effect on QuickPrint. The file type (PNG, BMP etc.) you set there is also used for QuickPrint.

XaS