Products > Test Equipment
A newbie needs some help with my first DSO
(1/25) > >>
awakephd:
As the title says, I am a newbie, at least when it comes to DSOs. I'm naught but a self-taught hobbyist when it comes to electronics in general, but I have been using an old analog Tektronix scope for 30+ years - but last night when my long-awaited Siglent SDS804X HD arrived was the first time I've ever even touched a DSO. Obviously, I have a good bit of learning to do, and I promise to do as much as I can via the manual, YouTube tutorials, and the like. But may I please ask a few questions here? Please, please, pretty please?

I'll limit myself to 2 questions to start:

Here's the first question I have after my initial bit of trying out the scope - a question that is generic to DSOs, not specific to this scope. Even after watching several zillion YouTube tutorials (the best ones I've found so far were an 18-video set from Keysight) and playing / experimenting with the scope, I don't really understand what the memory depth is doing for me. The specs say "Record length up to 50Mpts." How do I access those 50 million points? Do I initiate a recording? Is it always recording? Does this allow me to look forward and backward in time through a waveform?

Second question is specific to the SDS804X: I saw in another thread that new firmware has just very recently come out - 1.1.3.6 if I recall correctly. My scope shows 1.1.3.3, so I need to upgrade. Uhmm ... so far I haven't figured out a) where to get the firmware, and b) how to upgrade the scope. I realize that this one may be a matter of RTFM - I'm working on it! But I still have a long way to go ... and as I read the manual, I want to try things to be sure I'm understanding them ... and I don't know whether there is anything that will be substantially different in the UI after the upgrade, but if so, I'd rather be trying out the latest version rather than an earlier version ... so thus my question!

I thank you in advance for any help that anyone is willing to provide!

On edit: strike 2a above - I see that a link to download the new firmware is in another thread. I've downloaded the .zip file ... now what do I do with it??
KungFuJosh:
Memory depth right now will mostly effect history for you (max data it can record). You don't need to worry too much about it, but if you want a faster response time from your scope, lower memory depth will usually perform faster. To learn more about it......RTFM. 😉

This is usually the best place to get your firmware: https://int.siglent.com/download/ - which currently you'll want: https://int.siglent.com/upload_file/zip/firmware/Oscilloscope/SDS800X_HD_V1.1.3.6_EN.zip

Then RTFM page 221: https://siglentna.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/02/SDS800X_HD_UserManual_EN01A.pdf

Thanks,
Josh
Fungus:

--- Quote from: awakephd on May 30, 2024, 12:06:57 am ---The specs say "Record length up to 50Mpts." How do I access those 50 million points? Do I initiate a recording? Is it always recording? Does this allow me to look forward and backward in time through a waveform?

--- End quote ---

It's always recording.

That's how much data is in memory when you press "STOP".
Someone:

--- Quote from: Fungus on May 30, 2024, 12:41:00 am ---That's how much data is in memory when you press "STOP".
--- End quote ---
... except when it isn't (perhaps half or more of the time).

As per the manual:

--- Quote from: KungFuJosh on May 30, 2024, 12:19:04 am ---Then RTFM page 221: https://siglentna.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/02/SDS800X_HD_UserManual_EN01A.pdf
--- End quote ---

--- Quote from: SDS800X_HD_UserManual_EN01A.pdf ---The actual sample points are related to the current time base and may be less than memory depth.
--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: awakephd on May 30, 2024, 12:06:57 am ---Here's the first question I have after my initial bit of trying out the scope - a question that is generic to DSOs, not specific to this scope. Even after watching several zillion YouTube tutorials (the best ones I've found so far were an 18-video set from Keysight) and playing / experimenting with the scope, I don't really understand what the memory depth is doing for me.
--- End quote ---
The headline figure of memory depth is not always available/used, and can vary in how its implemented between different scopes. But the manual (above does explain it simply) or focused articles such as:
https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/au/applications/importance-of-deep-memory-in-oscilloscopes-application-card_56279-409160.html
EvgenyG:
1. Memory depth is very helpful when you have a signal that you can't trigger on. Just press STOP and zoom in. If you have good memory depth, you'll see the signal in great detail when you zoom in. This is how you access those 50Mpts. Also memory depth is useful with single shot acquisitions, the more the better: with 100Mpts you can get 1 second of 100MS/s or 0.1seconds of 1GS/s, which is a lot! Also, with large memory you can enable segmentation mode that will allow you to capture at much greater waveform rate, so you can capture any glitches quicker. Large memory should also be helpful for some maths functions like FFT I assume.

2. Make sure you're on reliable power supply, preferably through UPS during firmware upgrade process..Get a FAT32 formatted USB drive and copy the firmware ADS file there. Select Utility -> Menu -> Maintenance -> Upgrade. Click Browse, then select the ADS file. Then touch the Recall icon. Then click Upgrade. I would also recommend to check out the manual. Unfortunately they don't include it with the scope. Perhaps it is the right thing to do because it must be aligned to current firmware. As pointed out by KungFuJosh, please get it from the website and have a read, besides some spelling mistakes it is pretty good.
Navigation
Message Index
Next page
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...

Go to full version
Powered by SMFPacks Advanced Attachments Uploader Mod