I need a 2nd scope but I already have a Rigol MSO7000.
Im divided between keeping my Rigol for home and breaking the bank for a higher end, more polished scope like a R&S RTM3000/4000 or Lecroy 4024HD. Or be reasonable and buy myself this SDS2000X Plus for home.
I'm in no rush so I have time to think.
I don't have the money for a full option R&S or Lecroy....data to take into account
Maybe it's better to wait for Sighound's MXR and then you'll have another one to think about!
But I already had remarks when I wrote documentation with "Rigol" screenshots.
*snip*
Hence the idea of maybe breaking the bank and buying an scope for my lab and keep the one I have for home.
Vastly cheaper to use photoshop
Not a big deal.
This does not detract from the fact that it is a good scope.
I fight every day with myself, several times a day, to NOT buy oneLet Dave have time to do a careful review and get to know this scope as this is no toy and takes a while to learn its feature set and capabilities.
Much like the SDS5kX it is more productive to use with a mouse which really supplements the touch and physical controls.
I don't plan on a full review, already did one for the 5000X and the operation is going to be near identical. I also presume it would be common platform, so any issues found on one would get fixed on the other.
I need a 2nd scope but I already have a Rigol MSO7000.
Im divided between keeping my Rigol for home and breaking the bank for a higher end, more polished scope like a R&S RTM3000/4000 or Lecroy 4024HD. Or be reasonable and buy myself this SDS2000X Plus for home.
Few people need to shell out a lot of coin for a high end scope for home. Use the money for something else, or save it.From the man with the most scopes in his lab, in the world
An oscilloscope at home doesn't necessarily mean it's for hobby use.
I have young children, so I am sometimes stucked at home for several days. It's nice to have this flexibility and to be able to continue working at home in good conditions.
Im sure the SDS2000X Plus will fit my needs at home, no problem.
But I already had remarks when I wrote documentation with "Rigol" screenshots.
I know it sounds stupid but I have clients who got stuck in the 2000s and only trust big brands.
They think Rigol is Chinese shit and don't even know the Siglent brand.
They have dedicated suppliers who don't represent these low cost brands so they only know the big brands solutions and to be honest, I'm not sure that they look at something other than Tektronix when they have to buy a scope.
Hence the idea of maybe breaking the bank and buying an scope for my lab and keep the one I have for home.
If they are happy with R&S screenshots and they give me more work to do, everyone is happy
For documentation I mostly use Picoscope because it just easier, unless it's something it can't do..
For documentation I mostly use Picoscope because it just easier, unless it's something it can't do..How is it easier, just because it's already connected to a PC to save screenshots to ?
For documentation I mostly use Picoscope because it just easier, unless it's something it can't do..How is it easier, just because it's already connected to a PC to save screenshots to ?That and many ways to save.. You can put screenshot of just scope window or full window to clipboard. You can save from file menu as Pico data (to open later by software and do anything like at capture time), as CSV, or as image, and you can chose to do all that for only current buffer or all buffers from history. When saving as image you can take history buffers and make animated GIF form history buffers.. You can also simply print to PDF etc etc.
It is simply very handy and quick to use...
Also, since it is software decode, you can capture something, save it, open it next day and then play with math, decodes .... And then make documentation form that. And a week after, you remember something, open it again, and grab another view and add it to documentation..
Also, since it is software decode, you can capture something, save it, open it next day and then play with math, decodes .... And then make documentation form that. And a week after, you remember something, open it again, and grab another view and add it to documentation..
Ok I see, much of that can be done with the 2kX Plus also when connected via LAN to the webrowser and even the little 7" display X-E's. Reimporting is more difficult and can really only be Reference files which of course you can still measure etc.
So in practice we would maybe move from the scope controls to the PC and work the scope with a mouse just like the Pico I presume.
Also, since it is software decode, you can capture something, save it, open it next day and then play with math, decodes .... And then make documentation form that. And a week after, you remember something, open it again, and grab another view and add it to documentation..This saving/restoring of the whole system state (i.e. settings and full data) is a feature that LeCroy scopes had for at least a decade or so and that is unfortunately absent from any other (standalone) brand (AFAIK). It's a bit of a letdown that Siglent doesn't seem to intend to offer something like that. Same is true for other unique LeCroy things like WaveScan and LabView, but there I could at least imagine that directly copying the idea wouldn't make LeCroy happy. Saving/restoring of the state+data is such a basic concept though that it's hard to imagine this could be protected anyhow.
I bought Pico because it is cheapest way to get many high end usability and analytical features (DeepMeasure, unlimited decodes, unlimited aribitrary math etc etc)...
For documentation I mostly use Picoscope because it just easier, unless it's something it can't do..How is it easier, just because it's already connected to a PC to save screenshots to ?That and many ways to save.. You can put screenshot of just scope window or full window to clipboard. You can save from file menu as Pico data (to open later by software and do anything like at capture time), as CSV, or as image, and you can chose to do all that for only current buffer or all buffers from history. When saving as image you can take history buffers and make animated GIF form history buffers.. You can also simply print to PDF etc etc.
It is simply very handy and quick to use...
Also, since it is software decode, you can capture something, save it, open it next day and then play with math, decodes .... And then make documentation form that. And a week after, you remember something, open it again, and grab another view and add it to documentation..Ok I see, much of that can be done with the 2kX Plus also when connected via LAN to the webrowser and even the little 7" display X-E's. Reimporting is more difficult and can really only be Reference files which of course you can still measure etc.
So in practice we would maybe move from the scope controls to the PC and work the scope with a mouse just like the Pico I presume.
Ok I see, much of that can be done with the 2kX Plus also when connected via LAN to the webrowser and even the little 7" display X-E's. Reimporting is more difficult and can really only be Reference files which of course you can still measure etc.
So in practice we would maybe move from the scope controls to the PC and work the scope with a mouse just like the Pico I presume.Yes, you can do some of the things remotely, I use this with my Keysight (it also has VNC remote control, and web control page that makes thing easier) but it is very limited compared to scope App being real windows app running on your real PC. For instance, I'm confused why scopes with Ethernet interfaces and Linux on it don't allow me to map network drives (NFS or Samba, I don't care), so I can stop using stupid USB keys for captures, masks or captures. For instance, save on mask failure... Some GW Instek and Tek scopes can do it, but none of embeded ones can.. Only windows based ones..
I'm looking at you Keysight too, really on 3000T/4000/6000 series that should be a built in feature. It would be much more useful than fully featured TCP/IP Print server that is so 80-is.
Nobody prints to printer directly..Also, since it is software decode, you can capture something, save it, open it next day and then play with math, decodes .... And then make documentation form that. And a week after, you remember something, open it again, and grab another view and add it to documentation..This saving/restoring of the whole system state (i.e. settings and full data) is a feature that LeCroy scopes had for at least a decade or so and that is unfortunately absent from any other (standalone) brand (AFAIK). It's a bit of a letdown that Siglent doesn't seem to intend to offer something like that. Same is true for other unique LeCroy things like WaveScan and LabView, but there I could at least imagine that directly copying the idea wouldn't make LeCroy happy. Saving/restoring of the state+data is such a basic concept though that it's hard to imagine this could be protected anyhow.Agree. Just to mention it, higher end R&S scopes have it too, together with fancy previews and such.
I bought Pico because it is cheapest way to get many high end usability and analytical features (DeepMeasure, unlimited decodes, unlimited aribitrary math etc etc)...
Mind you, there are many things about it that I don't like, but it is very powerfull tool, if you take time to learn how to use it.
I bought Pico because it is cheapest way to get many high end usability and analytical features (DeepMeasure, unlimited decodes, unlimited aribitrary math etc etc)...Somewhat offtopic, but they don't really appeal to me. The models with acceptable bandwidth and sample rate seem very expensive for what they are. E.g. the 300MHz model 6403E that costs 4920€ including VAT obviously just has one ADC which is shared between the four channels. So 5GSa/s are misleading as are 1GSa memory. Besides, the frontends don't seem to be the best. Like even their highest end model only offers 2mV/div to 4V/div. Meh.
Keysight 3000T series also have maximum analog sensitivity of 4mv/div, and nobody calls it bad..
Also, LeCroy like LabView is not necessary, simpler facility that can dump Screen Dump and (optionally) measurement setup page at a press to a network drive, in some ODF format (easier to render than PDF I presume) or even in PNG+text file with same name would. Or simple stupid html.
It's LabNotebook btw. but I mixed it up with LabView, so mea culpa. Anyway, the beauty of LabNotebook is not that you can draw circles etc. but that a LabNotebook entry stores the data and settings (in addition to annotations). A screenshot may not be enough to further look into an issue at a later time.
500MHz top vs 100MHz bottom
For me it looks like the same.
The bottom image is too low quality to see the details. But there is difference in silkscreen. Obviously. Now I'm too lazy to disassemble my scope (upgraded SDS2104) to take some good photo of frontend. Sorry.
Nobody have different HW rev on system info?
Maybe the silkscreen explain the differences between 2104X able to upgrade to 350 vs 500MHz
QuoteNobody have different HW rev on system info?
It seems not.
I was one of the very first buyer, so that could be an explanation why 2504X wouldn´t displayed by mine scope.
But others, who bought their scope very lately after me, report it too.QuoteMaybe the silkscreen explain the differences between 2104X able to upgrade to 350 vs 500MHz
To make it clear, I got also the 500Mhz bw although it´s not displayed in the system info.