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Best Oscilloscope under $300?
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Aldo22:

--- Quote from: Fungus on February 22, 2024, 07:53:34 pm ---My oscilloscope just sat there constantly decoding, all I had to do was upload the program and turn to look at the result on screen at each iteration.

--- End quote ---

Can you show or link a screenshot or video that shows how this looks on the DHO800?

EDIT: OK, I found it in the video.
J-R:
Rigol, Siglent, Keysight clearance/used:
https://www.rigolna.com/clearance/
https://siglentna.com/products/clearance/
https://saving.em.keysight.com/en/used

It's gone now, but the other day I was showing the Rigol site to a coworker and there was a DHO804 for $279.  Free US shipping.  Now there is a DHO802 for $209.  This seems like a completely valid purchase for a beginner on a tight budget.  You'll have decent community support and it can be liberated if desired.

Keysight recently started accepting online CC purchases and you get 5% off right now via that method.  This 100MHz 2 channel DSOX1102A scope is still their older design, but for under $350 could be an option: https://saving.em.keysight.com/en/used/oscilloscopes/dsox1102a-u08-2509926

A while back they had some EDU models for even less, but I haven't seen any more the past couple months.  Maybe if you set up an alert you could snag one.

(Not sure why, but the Keysight links aren't showing in some browsers...)
tggzzz:

--- Quote from: nctnico on February 22, 2024, 07:22:36 pm ---
--- Quote from: theaustindixon on February 22, 2024, 06:49:58 pm --- so I don't need to buy another one for a few years.

--- End quote ---
You have to give up on that idea  ;D Getting something cheap is a good idea to begin with and test the water but you'll either outgrow it or choose a different path. Either way you'll likely sell it in a few years.

--- End quote ---

That is a good observation and advice.

Especially with instruments that are already fully depreciated :) (I sell almost everything for more than I paid: a pleasing bonus)
tggzzz:

--- Quote from: Fungus on February 22, 2024, 07:53:34 pm ---
--- Quote from: tggzzz on February 22, 2024, 12:15:25 pm ---Some have digital signal protocol decodes, so you can see the characters/digits being transmitted serially.
But the decodes only work with what is displayed on the screen, i.e. a few characters at best.

--- End quote ---

Not true of the DHO800.


--- Quote from: tggzzz on February 22, 2024, 12:15:25 pm ---Better to use a separate tool dedicated to that, e.g. a cheap protocol analyser.

--- End quote ---

Do you know of one that does constant real time triggering/decoding/updating?

Last month I was coding a bit-bang I2C function; I think it would have been a real pain in the ass to constantly hit record on the LA, upload the program, wait a few seconds, press stop, then go mousing around looking for the data packet to see if it was OK or not.

My oscilloscope just sat there constantly decoding, all I had to do was upload the program and turn to look at the result on screen at each iteration.

--- End quote ---

Good question. I don't know since I don't have a cheap analyser.

My LA sits doing nothing until triggered (i.e. Zero dead time).
I've ordered a BusPirate5, but delivery has been delayed due to PUB cockups.
tatel:

--- Quote from: theaustindixon on February 22, 2024, 06:49:58 pm ---Relatively inexpensive, good for learning on but also useful for most beginner-to-intermediate level projects, so I don't need to buy another one for a few years.

--- End quote ---

So you want one of these new or still in the oven rigol/siglent 12-bit things. Just stretch your budget some 25% more to get it done right. I mean, if you are thinking about interfacing a microcontroller and a LCD screen, or something as basic as that, four channels are useful.

Even one of these will not be the same than a pro oscilloscope in the thousands range, but any less than that, and you will fail your target.

Buying an old, 8-bit, 4-channel old entry-level rigol/siglent devices isn't the way to go, at least while people continue to ask for about 300 bucks.

Of course, you could go the very wrong way, and buy first a toyscope Zeeweii 2512. Then one of those Hanteks that many (most?) buyers are abhorrent at. Then you finally could get a decent 400 bucks benchtop scope and realize you wasted half that money buying crap.

But in the meantime you could easily fool yourself into thinking you got for pennies something that performs better than some other thing that cost three or four times that money. You'll only need to believe the published cheap toyscope specs are like the Bible (and some stubbornness, too) to achieve that.

If budget is really tight, it would be wise to follow tggzzz's advice and to buy something that does fewer things but does it right. At least it will continue to be useful in the future and you won't think about throwing it in the trash bin.
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