Buying my first oscilloscope

[tautech]

Just got a Silgent SDS2102X Plus (wanted the 2104 but was backordered) and very impressed with this instrument, this is kinda my personal 1st real DSO (have a couple Tek 2465, and old LeCroy (not mine)). One of the things I'll need to do later on is evaluate the output/inputs to ADC/DACs, the Siglent Logic analyzer is pretty expensive realitive to the scope prices. Are there other logic analyzers (or DIY) that will work with this scope, probably useful for the mentioned Rigol also? I need to view the analog waveform in synch with the digital.

Best,

Follow along from here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sds2000x-plus-coming/msg3025764/#msg3025764

A few pages later member TK found some that apparently work.

[TK]

Just got a Silgent SDS2102X Plus (wanted the 2104 but was backordered) and very impressed with this instrument, this is kinda my personal 1st real DSO (have a couple Tek 2465, and old LeCroy (not mine)). One of the things I'll need to do later on is evaluate the output/inputs to ADC/DACs, the Siglent Logic analyzer is pretty expensive realitive to the scope prices. Are there other logic analyzers (or DIY) that will work with this scope, probably useful for the mentioned Rigol also? I need to view the analog waveform in synch with the digital.

Best,

Follow along from here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sds2000x-plus-coming/msg3025764/#msg3025764

A few pages later member TK found some that apparently work.

I made one using a custom made PCB adapter and vintage HP / Agilent woven ribbon cable and logic analyzer POD... still have some available.

[mawyatt]

Just got a Silgent SDS2102X Plus (wanted the 2104 but was backordered) and very impressed with this instrument

After upgrading it with a 500 MHz license, I would be interested in knowing if you can get 500 MHz in one channel.

That will need to wait awhile for the BW upgrade, I'm not a software type and have limited linux knowledge. The possibility of hosing the scope is something to be concerned about, and we have some work to get done before placing the scope at risk

I have tried to follow the many threads on upgrading the scope, it's pretty difficult to get the simplest and most likely successful approach selected with the many various approaches mentioned. I'm sure with the help of the many folks here this will eventually be successful, but just a little risk adverse at the moment.

Best,

[Skauber]

Received my Rigol today, and I am very happy with the purchase. Very nice build quality, and it works very well. Something had me a little puzzled though, in a positive way. When I checked the installed options on it, everything was marked "Official" except the 100M bandwidth option, so I had 24M memory depth, all decoders, all triggers and the recorder already installed out of the box. Is this normal? I thought these were stuff you had to pay extra for..

I did go to Riglol and added the 100M B/W option, so that one is also good to go.

There was also a calibration sheet included, where next calibration is due in Feb 2021, I realize this is mostly for commercial use, but for hobbyist use, is there any calibration intervals we need to respect on these?

[Fungus]

When I checked the installed options on it, everything was marked "Official" except the 100M bandwidth option, so I had 24M memory depth, all decoders, all triggers and the recorder already installed out of the box. Is this normal? I thought these were stuff you had to pay extra for..

They've been free for the last year or so.

There was also a calibration sheet included, where next calibration is due in Feb 2021, I realize this is mostly for commercial use, but for hobbyist use, is there any calibration intervals we need to respect on these?

These 'scopes are sensitive to temperature so do self-cal in summer and winter and before anything important.

OTOH they're not very accurate anyway (spec says about 5%) so just accept that number and view all measurements as ballpark/approximate. It's what most people do.

Oscilloscopes are more for looking at the shape of things than their exact amplitude.

(horizontal is usually quite accurate though)

[Skauber]

Ok, sounds good. The temperature here is about the same all year round, the joy of a tropical country, but will do a self cal every 6 months or so.