DSOX2000 and 3000 series - licence , have anyone tried to hack that scope ?

[rev3rse]

Yes and No.

  On a mass assembly line I am sure the process is the same. I bet they are calibrating all the instruments in the same way - but computerized, and the "source" is not the "back trigger out port" but an automated jig that reads all the device data through the USB or something.

  The thing that costs money is  not the calibration but the traceability. They at least check each calibration  after - and compare it to a standard (again - automatized assembly line). I am sure that no human is involved in this process. It would be insane (and time consuming = ineffective) to calibrate all devices manually.
 
   You always pay for traceability.

 Keep in mind  that:
   -  User Calibration - INVALIDATES all traceability and voids all calibration certificates in effect.
   -  User Calibration WIPES OFF all calibration already on the scope. It doesn't "add" or "rely" on the data stored beforehand.
                                         Both statements above - are validated by Bogdanoff here : https://youtu.be/4BmTiZ5Vv_Q?t=52

    NOT all Keysight scope series can do a full "factory calibration" using this method. Some actually need external test equipment  for some or all parameters.

    And lastly - well... it WORKS. And it works VERY WELL. And it's CONVENIENT. I don't need a NIST traceable certificate ... so who cares ? (who does - affords to buy licenses and get it done properly).

 

[analogRF]

I dont care about the assembly line.

Let's say I sent my 15 year old 3000A to Keysight for calibration and it turns out to be out of tolerance on something and requires new alignment.
It seems to me it is kind of unrealistic or unreliable to think that running that Factory Cal using internal signals would bring it back into tolerance.
In case of e.g. a Tektronix MDO3000 when you go into Factory Cal mode you do require to have a scope calibrator to provide the requested signals.

and my other question is what is the difference between that Factory Cal and the usual User Cal that we do ourselves? if Keysight only performs that and nothing else and it can always bring the scope into tolerance, sure, I dont care about traceability either. But I always thought there are some special factory alignments (all computerized and automatic of course) that only keysight can do.

[analogRF]

I did an experiment on my perfectly working DSOX3034A. FW 2.67

In \secure\cal directory there are only 4 files:
factorycal.dat (774 byte and pretty much empty)
framecal.dat (27244 bytes)
sernum.dat (76 bytes. only has manufacturing date in it and there is no serial number in it)
calllog.txt (80kb, and does say Factory Calibration in it)

Now, without -l ALL option, when I run the User Cal, all cal files factorycal.dat (only 4 or 6 bytes of it), framecal.dat and callog.txt are modified and their dates changes and callog.txt still says factory cal in it.
when I run the cal with -l ALL option still exactly the same

and by the way no Factory Cal appears in the menus. Still the only cal I have in service menu is the user cal.

[rev3rse]

and by the way no Factory Cal appears in the menus. Still the only cal I have in service menu is the user cal.

 It's just a menu naming. Sure it's named "User Cal" because it's done by the user. But the purpose and result is the same as the factory cal (different place) - as is named in the log file and the TTL console.

 The only difference from the "same thing" done in the factory - is that the factory actually verifies the instrument against a standard and prints a CERTIFICATE. They should have named the menu simply 'Calibration' (user or factory or whoever ... same thing).

    callog.txt - you can erase that - nothing happens.
    sernum.dat - serial number is NOT in /Secure directory (not as a file anyway) - I had corrupt /Secure folder - and sill had a serial number / MAC
   
   All the calibration data is in framecal.dat.

   Keysight recommends to perform user-calibration:
               - Every two years or after 4000 hours of operation
               - If the ambient temperature is >10° C from the calibration temperature
               - If you want to maximize the measurement accuracy

  Performing User Cal will invalidate your Certificate of Calibration.

  (InfiniiVision 2000/3000 X-Series Oscilloscopes Service Guide - Page 60)