Rigol DS1202Z-E external trigger input defective or general problem?

• Rigol DS1202Z-E external trigger input defective or general problem?
  Posted by fts on 03 Dec, 2020 10:46
• Hi,
  
  I own an Rigol DS1202Z-E oscilloscope and I'm unable to get the trigger via EXT TRIG input to work. I wonder if this is a problem with my specific device or if this is a general problem with this oscilloscope.
  
  Is there anyone who owns this osci or has experience with it who can confirm whether this feature works?
  
  Firmware on my device: 00.06.02
  Board version: 0.0.1
  
  Thanks a lot!
• #1 Reply
  Posted by Fungus on 03 Dec, 2020 12:31
• If you've tried several different input signals then it could be defective.
  
  It should be as simple as selecting "EXT" as the trigger source.
  
  Try doing it by hand. Get a 9V battery and tap it with the probe. Do it in both orientations (positive and negative) with the horizontal timebase set to 1ms.
  
  (or on a 5V power supply)
  
• #2 Reply
  Posted by fts on 03 Dec, 2020 13:33
• I did the tests you suggested and it did not work. It is very likely that my unit is defective, but it would be great if someone could verify that for me using a different unit. I saw some post here in this forum that described a similar problem.
  
  
• #3 Reply
  Posted by fts on 04 Dec, 2020 09:43
• Is anyone willing to test this on their RIGOL DS1202Z-E?
• #4 Reply
  Posted by djmarkovitch on 05 Dec, 2020 03:49
• I have a DS1202Z-E and mine works on external trigger. Make sure the trigger mode is normal or single before connecting to the external trigger signal.
• #5 Reply
  Posted by alsetalokin4017 on 05 Dec, 2020 05:53
• The manual isn't all that helpful, either. This is pretty much all it says about External Trigger:
  
  

  Quote

  Trigger Source
  Press MENU  Source in the trigger control area (TRIGGER) on the front panel to
  select the desired trigger source. Analog channels CH1 and CH2, EXT (external
  trigger), or the AC Line can all be used as trigger source.
  Analog channel input:
  Signals input from analog channels CH1 and CH2 can all be used as trigger source.
  No matter whether the channel selected is enabled, the channel can work normally.
  External trigger input:
  The trigger signal (e.g. external clock or signal of the circuit under test) input via the
  external trigger input terminal [EXT TRIG] connector can be used as the trigger
  source. When the trigger source is selected, rotate TRIGGER LEVEL to set the
  trigger level within the range from -4 V to 4 V.
  When the two analog channels are used to acquire data, you can connect the trigger
  signal via the [EXT TRIG] connector and use the signal as the external trigger
  source.

  
  Of course you have selected EXT as Trigger Source....     
  
  So if it still doesn't work you probably should return it under warranty.
• #6 Reply
  Posted by fts on 05 Dec, 2020 15:49
• Thanks a lot! That was all I needed. So, I guess mine is broken 
• #7 Reply
  Posted by fts on 13 Dec, 2020 16:56
• Got it exchanged, it's working now as it should. Thanks for helping me out.
• #8 Reply
  Posted by weejag on 06 Feb, 2021 15:34
• My friend just bought this oscilloscope and found exactly the same problem.
  
  He bought it on my recomendation as I had bought the DS1202Z-E a few months ago and loved it.
  I had never checked the 'ext trig' but I wanted to see see if I my scope was the same - it was.
  
  When he first got his scope we realised that he already had updated firmware.
  My scope was the original 6.01 version and his was 6.02
  Unfortunately I upgraded mine yesterday otherwise I could answer this question myself:-
  
  To 'fts'
  You say that your replacement is working fine in regard to this glitch.
  Could you check your firmware version and see if it is 6.01 or 6.02 please.
  It may be that the firmware upgrade has introduced the problem.
  If they have supplied you with a 6.01 machine which works then I suspect that this may be the answer.
  If yours is 6.02 then we may both be sending for a replacement.
  
  Actually it would be useful if anyone checking to see if they had the problem could post their firmware version along with the result of the their testing.
  It does seem wierd that three people have reported such a specific 'hardware' fault when all other functions are working.
  
  Thanks
  
  
   
• #9 Reply
  Posted by weejag on 08 Feb, 2021 08:34
• I got a response to a personal message to fts.
  He says that he has checked and his scope is version 6.02.
  Oh well.  Looks like it’s probably a hardware problem.
  Damn.
• #10 Reply
  Posted by weejag on 09 Feb, 2021 17:46
• FIXED IT! 
  It wasn't a hardware issue.  I wondered if there was a full factory reset for this scope - nothing in the manual but found a solution on the net.
  
  To reset the oscilloscope, just power off and then on, repeatedly pressing the fifth grey button down on the left side and the oscilloscope resets to factory settings. The menu changes to Chinese, but that's easily fixed by just selecting English in the language settings on the list to the right of the screen (press utility to get that menu if required).
  
  I first checked that the firmware was still 6.02 and that all the options were still available. No problems there.
  Did a self-cal
  Tried the external trigger - worked perfectly!
  All other functions seem to be fine too.  Brilliant.
  
  To check if your 'ext trig' works try this.  It would be interesting to know how many people have this problem and have never noticed.
  You can just check using the two probes on the calibration square wave.  Put them on channels 1 & 2 and set the trigger to sync on channel 2.
  Then swap the probe from channel 2 on to the 'ext trig'.  Set the trigger to 'ext' and see if the signal on channel 1 will sync. 
  You will probably have to adjust the voltage on the trigger (displayed at the top right of the screen).  My external trigger synced between -180 to -460mV.
• #11 Reply
  Posted by fts on 14 Feb, 2021 07:20
• Interesting fix. Wish I had found these instructions when I had the problem. Did it fix your friend's problem too?
• #12 Reply
  Posted by capcrap on 20 Apr, 2021 16:29
• Hey weejag, fts,
  
  your posts helped a lot. I was unable to use the external trigger too. After reseting my DS1102Z-E it worked. My FW version is 6.02.
  However, abter resetting I'm unable to connect DSremote via LAN. DSremote just crashes. It worked before. Did you have similar issues?
  
  Regards
• #13 Reply
  Posted by capcrap on 20 Apr, 2021 19:16
• Update: After compiling DSremote at its newest version and rebooting both Scope and PC I was able to get a connection again. Don't know what exactly helped.
• #14 Reply
  Posted by kronos on 25 Apr, 2021 18:17
• I can confirm it is not a hardware error. I have a recently purchased DS1102Z-E, and I discovered today that the external trigger does not work. My SW is 06.02. After a reset as described by weejag, it works. I have not yet done a calibration, I do not know if it is necessary.
  Thanks a lot, this forum is great. I just registered to share this.
  
  
• #15 Reply
  Posted by duckduck on 23 May, 2021 23:54
• Quote from: weejag on 09 Feb, 2021 17:46

  FIXED IT! 
  It wasn't a hardware issue.  I wondered if there was a full factory reset for this scope - nothing in the manual but found a solution on the net.
  
  To reset the oscilloscope, just power off and then on, repeatedly pressing the fifth grey button down on the left side and the oscilloscope resets to factory settings. The menu changes to Chinese, but that's easily fixed by just selecting English in the language settings on the list to the right of the screen (press utility to get that menu if required).
  

  
  weejag, you just made my day. Had this problem on mine (external trigger doesn't seem to work). Firmware version is 6.01. Factory reset, change it back to English. Normal mode. Now external trigger works beautifully. I didn't even know there was a factory reset on this scope. If you are ever in the Seattle area I will buy you a beer.
  
  EDIT: Yes, I know there is a way to save screenshots to USB drive (and a one user has even written a python script to get it over Ethernet) but I couldn't be bothered.

  ---

  
• #16 Reply
  Posted by Piton on 13 Aug, 2021 11:53
• Hello. Unfortunately, I saw this forum late, there was the same problem with external synchronization. I wanted to check on another firmware, but I did not find a new one, I downloaded it for 2019, but it was not detected, since for this series the firmware is named DS1000Z-EUpdate, and the old ones are named DS1000ZUpdate. But, since my hands were very itchy, I changed the name, the device saw the firmware and was sewn. Everything works normally, the problem with synchronization remains and a new one has appeared - now I can not reflash it back: he now does not see the previous firmware (with the name DS1000Z-EUpdate), the renamed one starts to flash, and somewhere in a minute the process is interrupted. Help from the Chinese was in the form of a new firmware for this year, but, of course, it also does not come in. Do I have a chance to fix this somehow? Thanks.
• #17 Reply
  Posted by tv84 on 13 Aug, 2021 12:54
• Search the forum. There is a thread that explains the solutions.
• #18 Reply
  Posted by Piton on 13 Aug, 2021 13:02
• 
  I've been looking over it, but I haven't found an answer yet. If you know where, please give me the link. Factory reset didn't help.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• #19 Reply
  Posted by tv84 on 13 Aug, 2021 15:00
• https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-rigol-ds1054z-oscilloscope/4525/
• #20 Reply
  Posted by Piton on 13 Aug, 2021 16:05
• Thank you tv84. But I meant a problem with the firmware. The synchronization problem was resolved after a factory reset, as described here.
• #21 Reply
  Posted by tv84 on 13 Aug, 2021 16:12
• Did you continue to read that thread? It's exactly the same problem as yours.
• #22 Reply
  Posted by Piton on 14 Aug, 2021 09:34
• Sorry, I didn't read it, I thought it was the same thread on the problem with synchronization. I will read it. Thanks again.