New Owon XDS Oscilloscopes

[rf-loop]

Here 100ns/div

The 12-bit results look very good indeed.
But what the heck are these extra transitions/spikes in the 3rd image (bx-100n-8b-single-Vzoom10) ?
That doesn't look right for my tasting...

Of course they are normal. If you read  theory books where they show ideal ADC with clean steps for every 256 steps staircase for 8bit ADC output  this do not exist in nature in circuit.  Of course there is noise so that it may randomly switch example between level 133 and 134 if analog level is somewhere between these levels (or near)  There is noise inside ADC chip, there is noise in analog signal what go to ADC. Just LSB flickering. One important noise is example transition noise. It need also know that these kind of ADC's are very different than slow speed precision ADC's. In this picture it is sampling 500000000 times (to memory) in one second because it flush one sample and keep one. Native speed is of course 1000000000 samples in second. With this kind of speed result is not always perfect.

Some comments in images (images are same before)

[Performa01]

Hi RF-Loop, thanks a lot for the effort!

I certainly understand your point. It's probably just because I'd somehow expected a 12-bit ADC in 8-bit mode to exhibit less noise than a genuine 8-bit ADC - or something like that. On top of that, I cannot remember I'd ever seen something like this before - then again it's probably because I never explicitly did a test like this.

So what you say makes perfectly sense and for some reason I expected too much, which was indeed not justified.
Maybe I get time at the weekend to play with some scopes to repeat your test.

[rf-loop]

Hi RF-Loop, thanks a lot for the effort!

I certainly understand your point. It's probably just because I'd somehow expected a 12-bit ADC in 8-bit mode to exhibit less noise than a genuine 8-bit ADC - or something like that.

XDS3102A  8/12bit ADC data sheet

Btw. XDS3102A do not have fan!  Just silence...

It was wrong. There IS fan. Explained later on other place.

[Hydrawerk]

Looks nice, but it has no DPO feature like Rigol DS2000 or DS1000Z

[Pinkus]

<rant>I made the mistake and imported an Owon scope (forgot the model number) approximately eight years ago from the US. It was so such a piece of junk, it went to Ebay 10 minutes after arrival. I was lucky to sell it quickly for roughly the same I purchased if for ... and I felt so bad to sell it to someone because the quality (buildt quality, hardware&software) was worse than I could ever imagine.
I never ever looked at any Owon thread again since today. It seems they improved a bit, but as I very seldom have needs for 12 bit resolution I will pass and stay with my Agisight ... ... eh Keylent ... .... ah Keysight!
Sorry Owon - you missed your one and only chance to win me as a customer.
</rant>
Guys, don't become influenced by this - it might be acceptable or even good today - I don't know. I just felt some tension/pressure to rant as I just remembered the long-ago scope-purchase.

[robert_]

Looks interesting, but no 4 Channel Models? Not good.

[OldSchoolTechCorner]

I wonder what that CINCH-like connector is for. Well, it is a video output.
http://www.tomtronix.pl/owon/xds.aspx
Have you seen this manual?
http://www.owon.com.hk/probook/XDS3000_Series_Oscilloscopes_QUICK_GUIDE.pdf
http://www.tomtronix.pl/pub/d_owon/karty/XDS_oscyloskopy_kk_ang.pdf

For signal generator module, has 2 channels. Was clearly an after thought, as outputs are in the rear, instead of routing signal to the front.   

The multimeter is a joke at best 4000 counts and no True RMS.

Owon DSO's are usually very slow and buggy. Usually only useful as a portable scope if needed.  The 12-bit ADC  is interesting, but curious if it a real 12-bit system?

[rf-loop]

Owon DSO's are usually very slow and buggy. Usually only useful as a portable scope if needed. 

The 12-bit ADC  is interesting, but curious if it a real 12-bit system?

Slow, yes if look wfm/s maximum update rates in models what are conventional series processing acquire-display-acquire...  DSO's. And previously most known Owon models have been just these. Example old SDS series.  But also this is not only one "truth" thing.
But example UI, it is quite fast if compare example Rigol.

Buggy? What any serious real bug or bugs you know  example in 2015 SDS7102 HW equipped with newest FW. Opinions where some things may design to work different or better are many times so that one like orange and one like real banana and one like somee kind of banana looks like yellow something with chiquita label.

I have years experience with using Owon SDS7102, Rigol DS1000E, Hantek 5000B, Siglent SDS1000xL models, then more new Rigol DS1000Z, Siglent SDS2000, Owon XDS3000, Siglent SDS1000X...    also ancient nearly 10 year old  Owon PDS5000 series and at this time my opinion was... I want never hear agen this Company...if I look oscilloscope for my own use. (just like @Pinkus)

and of course tons of different Tektronix, HP/Agilent, etc...

Some may tell I have seller bias. Yes I have. Selling sequipments as some kind of sidework what give perhaps 1% push me to biased seller status. 99% is do work and use equipments just as tools as hammer or saw. In this meaning they are nothing more... exept out from this 1%+99% salary earning... there is hobby, and this is really bad and terrible situation...hobby is same as main work for salary for living...and for use for hobby purposes...

About if ADC is true 12 bit or not.
Answer is here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-owon-xds-oscilloscopes/msg771702/#msg771702
Perhaps it is good practice to read even some previous messages....

XDS3000-A have 12bit ADC and Acquisition system and XDS3000 have 8bit.

[rf-loop]

Some tiny test with "Bus" trigger mode for detect if there is any hope for good serial decode. There is, bus trigger works rock solid and also lenght of record is nice but I hope it is so also with decode option.  At this time test with RS232 because continuous data stream was available (from allways on GPSDO).   I can not test how decode works because I do not have this Option (yet).




Because saving images to USB keep always save menu visible I have set scope for Wi-Fi connection.
Also it looks like it do not drop out randomly some display layers out from saved image as direct save to USB do, due to some bug.   Sidenote: My XDS is with touch panel and it can use also fully mixed with buttons and ttouch. In some cases it is handy but need some experience first.





Trigger is set for Bus and selected bus RS232.  There I have selected Data trigger and set it trig for byte value 171 (decimal)
Note also what is whole timebase and memory.

Data stream is one message every second. Message lenght is in this case around 93 bytes.  Speed is 9600 baud and 8 databits





Continue running it using infinite persistence. Just: Rock solid.   After two  0 bytes there is changing data what can see right side of zoomed window.





Set trig for first byte what value is 0.  Rock solid.





Set trig for first byte what value is 143 (Decimal).  Rock solid.


I do not have nice RS232 test string generator where can also simulate errors and  set data string for what ever size and speed and data. But this tiny test is enough for give feel that I want test more. But I do not waste time for this bus trigger alone more because it looks well made.  Important is now to know how Decode works. Trigger (bus mode) works rock solid so now it is least possible that Decode also works. Without perfect trig there is not hope.
I hope I can get soon Serial Bus Decode Option so I can do some tests how it decode and how is its useability.

[pascal_sweden]

Any software updates from Owon in the mean time for the XDS series?

What about more users on this forum who have purchased the XDS series and can provide feedback on how good the scope performs?

I want to learn more about this scope and understand if it performs well.

Is the 12-bit really 12-bit? I read that they also plan a model within XDS series that has 14-bit.
Would that be a new ADC or some kind of interpolation they use to tune it up to 14-bit?

What about serial decoding in the last software version? Does it now work in the same way as in the Rigol DS2000A series or the GW-Instek GDS-2000E series?

[rf-loop]

Is the 12-bit really 12-bit?

I think you can only write.  How is about reading?

Just previously in this same thread: Reply #57

[radhaz]

I have checked my serial number on OWON's web site for updates, no updates are available. I think they have released updates for JP language, and some functionality. They seem to be really be lacking in the quality assurance, no one has any idea what firmware is currently the latest. Not professional performance from a company.

[pascal_sweden]

It is well understood that the Owon XDS has a real 12-bit AD converter.

But in the table on their website they also speak about 14-bit in the XDS3202A model.
Does that mean yet another more powerful ADC in that particular model?

http://www.owon.com.hk/products_info.asp?ProID=182

Does the 200 MHz version scope, only provide 1 GS/s on the 14-bit model, even when used in 8-bit mode?
Or does it also provide 2 GS/s when using 8-bit mode, just like the 8-bit model?
This is not clear from the table. IMO it should support 2 GS/s if you are not using the 12-bit mode or 14-bit mode.

Does the 300 MHz version of the scope, model XDS3302 not provide 12-bit and 14-bit modes?
This is not clear from the table. IMO it should support 12-bit and 14-bit, but in lower sample rates.
Or is that only for the A-version? Why is there no A-version for the 300 MHz version?

[pascal_sweden]

Recently there has been a big hype about the new R&S scope with a 10-bit ADC chip (RTB2004).

But Owon had a 12-bit ADC and 14-bit ADC in their XDS series for a very long time already!

Maybe Dave Jones should do a review on the Owon XDS series, to check the accuracy of the 12-bit and 14-bit ADC models!

R&S goes 10-bit: Big attention from everybody in the community.
Owon had 12-bit and 14-bit for a very long time: They should get more attention and respect for this!

[nctnico]

Owon had 12-bit and 14-bit for a very long time: They should get more attention and respect for this!

Isn't Owon an even worse bugfest than Siglent? Nobody seems to want to touch Owon scopes.

[JPortici]

i remember i was checking the documentation. couldn't find if any model supported decodes or not. terrible, terrible website (and documentation)

[Refrigerator]

...
They might be sending me one.
...

Don't forget the knock test when you get it 

[pascal_sweden]

GW-Instek, Siglent, Rigol, Keysight and Tektronix had their fair share of video reviews.

But when was the last time there was a video review about an Owon oscilloscope on the EEVblog?

If there's something strange in your neighborhood
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

If there's something weird and it don't look good
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

If there's an oscilloscope missing in the video reviews
Who you gonna call? Owon! =)

Dave: Can you give Owon a call, and have them shipped their top of the line XDS series oscilloscope for a video review about the performance of the 12-bit and 14-bit ADC mode?

[Neganur]

Recently there has been a big hype about the new R&S scope with a 10-bit ADC chip (RTB2004).

But Owon had a 12-bit ADC and 14-bit ADC in their XDS series for a very long time already!

*cough cough* sample rate *cough*

[mswhin63]

Most people are going to hate the name. Cheap shit that is all. It will have to take a while of slow improvements to be taking on face value. They seem confident about this to give it to Dave to Tear-down and give it a shitty thumbs down. Will have to wait and see.

[ebastler]

...
They might be sending me one.
...

Don't forget the knock test when you get it 

Having been in the mail for close to two years, I'm sure the scope will have received its share of knocking. 
Seriously -- this thread is quite old; I doubt Owon will send an evaluation unit of this "new" scope to Dave any time soon!

[bitseeker]

Looks like it happened

[bitseeker]

From the video, it appears that the 20 MHz filter is forced on when the channel is set to 50-Ohm input.

Funny that the Ch1 button's LED is red, but the trace is yellow.

[egonotto]

From the video, it appears that the 20 MHz filter is forced on when the channel is set to 50-Ohm input.

Hello,

I think is is for sensitive input settings in 12bit mode because noise.

Best regards
egonotto