Siglent SDS2000X Plus

[tautech]

Hi Rob,

I know this sheet - Except the mentioned probes before, the maximum bandwith of the others are 300Mhz.
I would like to have at least 350Mhz probes for my (now)350(500)Mhz scope.
But when there are no alternatives, I´ll go for the 300Mhz versions from siglent.
(Already looked around, there are some "cheap" so claimed 500Mhz probes on the market, but they´re looking suspicious to me)

You want 10x fixed or switchables ?

[2N3055]

Probes….
Want to exchange the super-cheap ones which comes with the sds2104X+.
Do anyone have a advice for priceworthy and usable passive probes, bandwith 350Mhz/500Mhz ?
The Siglent SP2035A 350Mhz probe cost 159€ excl. VAT - One piece...
The 500Mhz Version cost 199€ excl. VAT.
Including VAT, 4pcs costs 947€, the 350Mhz Version 756€...way too much for a 1400€ scope.
So I´m looking for alternatives which will cost not more than 100€/each.

The *****A probes are autosense capable models I believe and not supported in SDS2kX Plus models.
Other possibilities are listed here:
https://int.siglent.com/u_file/document/Probe-Datasheet-V2.0E201912.pdf

I have Testec TT-HF-212, 300 MHz, very decent quality. I use it with my MSOx3104T, instead of expensive 500MHz probes that come with the scope. Not much difference. I don't trust passive probes over 200-300 MHz anyways..

[Martin72]

You want 10x fixed or switchables ?

Fixed.

The *****A probes are autosense capable models I believe and not supported in SDS2kX Plus models.

Not supported ?
The SDS2K+ got autosense inputs, so I expect it should works with every autosensing probe.
Will test it next week, by taking a autosense-probe from work.

@Sinisa:

Yes, testec I know, we got some of them at work, also MC-Connect aka Staeubli.

[tautech]

You want 10x fixed or switchables ?

Fixed.

The *****A probes are autosense capable models I believe and not supported in SDS2kX Plus models.

Not supported ?

Sorry brain fart. 

OK I'll have a look at what's available from another supplier and come back with some model #'s....but later as busy ATM.

[Martin72]

At siglent.eu I´ve found this one:

https://www.siglent.eu/product/1255135/p6500-500mhz-passive-probe

But it seems, this is really crappy, having only 100Mhz bw ( didn´t find the vote yet, someone placed in eBay)

[drwho9437]

Probes….
Want to exchange the super-cheap ones which comes with the sds2104X+.
Do anyone have a advice for priceworthy and usable passive probes, bandwith 350Mhz/500Mhz ?
The Siglent SP2035A 350Mhz probe cost 159€ excl. VAT - One piece...
The 500Mhz Version cost 199€ excl. VAT.
Including VAT, 4pcs costs 947€, the 350Mhz Version 756€...way too much for a 1400€ scope.
So I´m looking for alternatives which will cost not more than 100€/each.

Just pick up some used ones off eBay or similar. You normally can get 500 MHz top brand probes for 50 dollars. Which is 1/6 to 1/3 of the new price of the same models. Make sure you see a photo of the tip or ask though.

[twizla]

Martin72, i also looked for fixed 10x probes. I tried P6500 which are said to have very good price/performance. Basically a copy of Tektronix. I compared them with Tektronix P6139B. P6139B is perfect for me, the frequency response is flat to 500MHz.

P6500 have a peak arround 250MHz, they are definitely worth the money (below 50€ i think). But to me they degrade the performance of this great scope. Some say these can be fine-tuned to improve the performance. I had them for testing, tuning would need to remove the self-adhesive label, so i did sent them back.

On eBay one can get P6139B for 100 to 150€ /pcs, especially if you buy a set of 4. There is also the previous model P6139A, some prefere the mechanical construction of this older one.

The compensation range of both P6500 and P6139B match this scope input capacitance.

Autosensing of SDS2000X+ is compatible with Tekprobe1 interface of above probes, so you get automatic 10x switching.

My SDS2000X+ has a autosensing bug: it does not update probe status after power off/on, if probe disconnected during power off

[nctnico]

Just pick up some used ones off eBay or similar. You normally can get 500 MHz top brand probes for 50 dollars.

I strongly recommend against buying used generic probes. Nobody sells their good probes. Special probes like low-Z, active and current probes are a different story (which can be a hit & miss too). Remember generic probes are consumables. There are many reputable brands which sell good probes for decent prices so there is no need to make do with someone else's junk.

[Martin72]

I tried P6500 which are said to have very good price/performance.

As I mentioned before, someone has done a vote with tests in eBay with poor results - It got 100Mhz at -3dB, with some additional adjustments he could took it a little bit above 100Mhz.
Will search for this.

Nobody sells their good probes.

Exception: Vendors of used equipments in general.

[NoisyBoy]

Hey Martin72, for 500Mhz, my go-to probe is the Keysight N2873A, very good for probing around.

https://www.keysight.com/en/pd-1661717-pn-N2873A/passive-probe-101-500-mhz-13-m?nid=-32557.898995&cc=US&lc=eng

Price is on the higher side if you buy it as an accessory separately, but it is something you could keep with you as you upgrade scopes.  I do not trust no-name probes, you just don’t know what you get and what the real spec is, last thing I need is unexpected measurement error due to cheap probes in the middle of a project.

I also agree with nctnico to avoid used probes, you just don’t know what you get from the pictures, most sellers also do not guarantee performance.

[tautech]

The high end P**** probes I would have no issues with as Pioneer have been in the probe business for decades.

Others that are certainly worth considering are from Pintek Taiwan as they too have been building probes for years.
10x readout probes:
CP-3351R (350MHz)
CP-3501R/pro (500MHz)
CP-3601R (600MHz, Precision)

Some others from their selection:
http://www.pintek.com.tw/files/pintek/test_probe-front-951025.jpg

As always high BW passive probes and tuning their HF step response is problematic without an appropriate signal source.

[Martin72]

@NoisyBoy:
Thanks for your advice!

I also agree with nctnico to avoid used probes, you just don’t know what you get from the pictures, most sellers also do not guarantee performance.

Normally I would agree to him too, but...

What performance could be lost on a passive probe...
Apart from this, I wouldn´t buy used ones in eBay.
With simply reason, I want to buy fourth at the same time, not one for one in a month, year...

[maginnovision]

Stäubli also makes some decent probes(maybe they're rebranded, I can't say). I usually buy their 500MHz probes and they seem pretty decent and last a long while. The cables themselves are not very compliant but far from bad. With the 300MHz probes that came with my RTB2004 I got a rise time of 1.06ns, compared to the Stäubli which were 815ps.

[nctnico]

@NoisyBoy:

I also agree with nctnico to avoid used probes, you just don’t know what you get from the pictures, most sellers also do not guarantee performance.

Normally I would agree to him too, but...
What performance could be lost on a passive probe...

Not performance perse but broken wires, broken housings, bad tips, contact problems, etc. Everything you don't want in a probe.

[NoisyBoy]

Probes aside, congrats for owning a 500 MHz capable scope.

[stafil]

Probes aside, congrats for owning a 500 MHz capable scope.

Hack already in the making?

[tautech]

Probes aside, congrats for owning a 500 MHz capable scope.

Hack already in the making?

4 days after Martin got his and 10 days after worldwide release.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sds2000x-plus-coming/msg2887364/#msg2887364

[drwho9437]

Just pick up some used ones off eBay or similar. You normally can get 500 MHz top brand probes for 50 dollars.

I strongly recommend against buying used generic probes. Nobody sells their good probes. Special probes like low-Z, active and current probes are a different story (which can be a hit & miss too). Remember generic probes are consumables. There are many reputable brands which sell good probes for decent prices so there is no need to make do with someone else's junk.

Not true. There is always tons of surplus, companies go out of business constantly... You can throw your money away if you want though. I have gear worth 100K plus that I can tell you I didn't pay anything like full price for. Probes aren't special. Yes they can be DOA but when you can buy 6 for the price of 1 its not hard to win. They are pretty trivial to test for function.

[KeBeNe]

Hello,

i bought 4x Keysight N2843A (new, with luck 40$ per probe) on ebay, there is not much money from time to time.
These are fixed 500Mhz, 10x probes with 700ps rise time and are recognized by the SDS2000X+.

[stafil]

Probes aside, congrats for owning a 500 MHz capable scope.

Hack already in the making?

4 days after Martin got his and 10 days after worldwide release.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sds2000x-plus-coming/msg2887364/#msg2887364

But it's not public yet, right?

[Martin72]

Right.
@KeBeNe:
Hm...….

[nctnico]

Just pick up some used ones off eBay or similar. You normally can get 500 MHz top brand probes for 50 dollars.

I strongly recommend against buying used generic probes. Nobody sells their good probes. Special probes like low-Z, active and current probes are a different story (which can be a hit & miss too). Remember generic probes are consumables. There are many reputable brands which sell good probes for decent prices so there is no need to make do with someone else's junk.

Not true. There is always tons of surplus, companies go out of business constantly...

But those probes are new. You can probably get a nice deal on new probes from a liquidation or inventory sale. However, I was writing about used probes. Unless a probe comes in a sealed package I consider it broken. And probes are not so trivial to test. A broken wire or poor contact can act up in many strange ways. I've been down that road too many times. Where did my signal go?

[2N3055]

Just pick up some used ones off eBay or similar. You normally can get 500 MHz top brand probes for 50 dollars.

I strongly recommend against buying used generic probes. Nobody sells their good probes. Special probes like low-Z, active and current probes are a different story (which can be a hit & miss too). Remember generic probes are consumables. There are many reputable brands which sell good probes for decent prices so there is no need to make do with someone else's junk.

Not true. There is always tons of surplus, companies go out of business constantly...

But those probes are new. You can probably get a nice deal on new probes from a liquidation or inventory sale. However, I was writing about used probes. Unless a probe comes in a sealed package I consider it broken. And probes are not so trivial to test. A broken wire or poor contact can act up in many strange ways. I've been down that road too many times. Where did my signal go?

I agree with Nico on this one.. Top brand means nothing if you don't know the state of it. If you have capability to test and characterise them you can use any probe, even the cheapest ones if tested good..
Those cheap probes that come with Rigol DS1054Z had problematic 1x/10x switch that would go bad, but until they broke, signal wise they were very good and better than spec....

[Back2Volts]

Saelig. One day short of two months wait.

I wonder if they received a batch and have any left in stock.   I have been thinking about ordering one one, but I do not want to have an order hanging.   I asked for the forum discount code days back, but no one sent me a PM.

[Tom45]

I wonder if they received a batch and have any left in stock.   I have been thinking about ordering one one, but I do not want to have an order hanging.   I asked for the forum discount code days back, but no one sent me a PM.

On March 11 I ordered one from Saelig and so far no scope, and no word from Saelig on when it might arrive. When I placed the order they said late March for delivery.

So it is unlikely they have any stock on hand.