Comparing a Tektronix MSO 2024B with Hameg HMO2024

[Franz Zinn]

Hi,

I am an embedded Linux software engineer with a fascination for electronics and beginning to foray into deeply embedded systems. I have been teaching myself electronics for some time with simple tools and am now considering the purchase of an oscilloscope. My primary domain of interest is in embedded systems (ARM, AVR, PIC etc) and may be some day HAM Radio. I realize there is no limit to how much one can pay and that oscilloscopes will keep getting better, while I may probably never be able to justify the purchase of an oscilloscope again. Using other posts on this forum and Google I was able to narrow down my search to two oscilloscopes (Tektronix MSO 2024B and Hameg HMO 2024). I eliminated Agilent X2000 and X3000 series because of the price (for including serial trigger/decode options) and the key selling point being the refresh rate whose relative utility to my needs seem limited. I need an oscilloscope that is in the the 2000 GBP range, will span my range of interests and be versatile enough for many different applications. I can not seem to choose between the two mentioned systems. I would be most grateful for some reasoned opinions from the experts on this forum.

regards
franz

[mikeselectricstuff]

 

I eliminated Agilent X2000 and X3000 series because of the price (for including serial trigger/decode options) and the key selling point being the refresh rate whose relative utility to my needs seem limited

Agilent have just announced (or are about to) decode options and memory upgrades for the 2000X range so may be well worth a second look.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/dso2000x-memory-extension-bus-decoding-option/
Also look at used 5000/6000/7000x series used from Agilent's Ebay store. You can get free serial decode (4-channel models only)  due to the trial licenses not having start dates
There are also occasional used MSOX scopes in the Agilent store some with discounted license options

[jpb]

You may be interested in this article written by an embedded systems engineer:

http://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/117.php

I read it before choosing my scope, but then decided my needs were different anyway, for me high bandwidth was more important than a low frequency high resolution mode but it is always interesting to get input from practicing engineers.

[AndyC_772]

If there is indeed an update coming out that adds serial decoding:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Agilent-PREMIUM-USED-MSOX2024A-Mixed-Signal-Oscilloscope-/181107568521?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item2a2ada2f89

[Franz Zinn]

Unfortunately Farnell as yet does not list serial decode or memory expansion options for x2000 series.

[mikeselectricstuff]

If there is indeed an update coming out that adds serial decoding:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Agilent-PREMIUM-USED-MSOX2024A-Mixed-Signal-Oscilloscope-/181107568521?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item2a2ada2f89

..or even
http://uk.farnell.com/agilent-technologies/msox2024a-certified-prime/oscilloscope-4-16-channel-200-mhz/dp/2290620

A bit surprised to see used kit in Farnell...
I wonder if maybe the new upgrades will only work on newer hardware and they are clearing older stock?

[mikeselectricstuff]

Unfortunately Farnell as yet does not list serial decode or memory expansion options for x2000 series.

I suspect the ones above may have been a premature leak from a distributor.
It would probably be worth talking to an Agilent dealer to see if they are imminent - If they sniff a sale they may be forthcoming with info.  You may also get a better deal than from Farnell.

[djsb]

You can also haggle a bit for options to be included on the Ebay (AgilenUsed) shop. I managed to get the AWG and Voltmeter included with my MSOX3054 and saved about £3k on the new price.

David.

[AndyC_772]

The Ebay store is still cheaper than Farnell anyway, and they list the options available as part of the ad. You don't need to haggle, they're discounted already - you just need to ask for which ones you want adding

[djsb]

Thought I'd have a go anyway and overcome my British reserve. I enjoyed putting in an offer that I was prepared to pay and it was excepted even though it took a bit of toing and froing of Emails. If you don't try you will never find out. I used the fact that they where offering the new retail version on sale at RS/Farnell with the DVM and AWG thrown in as a bargaining tool. And it worked.

David.

[Hydrawerk]

Tektronix MSO 2024B has a nice feature called Waveform inspector, but it is rather a basic scope... But the HMO 2024 is even more feature rich, it has a component tester and DVI monitor output, for example. But these micht not be much useful for you. The Hameg has selectable 1Mohm / 50ohm input impedance, pass/fail mask test, probably has Trigger Out and a smaller, but better resolution VGA display (640×480 pixels). On the other hand, the Hameg might not be so easy to operate. The SINGLE and RUN/STOP button is hidden in center of the control panel... Why??

[Gunb]

On the other hand, the Hameg might not be so easy to operate. The SINGLE and RUN/STOP button is hidden in center of the control panel... Why??

Aha, so, because it might be better to "hide it in the center of the scope" than inside the housing - really, never read such a nonsense.

I need an oscilloscope that is in the the 2000 GBP range, will span my range of interests and be versatile enough for many different applications. I can not seem to choose between the two mentioned systems. I would be most grateful for some reasoned opinions from the experts on this forum.

regards
franz

I've got the HMO2524 with 250MHz and all bus decoding options released (Parallel, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN and LIN). Most of the time I'm using SPI and I2C for embedded implementations. From my point of view the bus analysis are one of the best you can get for this budget. Parallel, UART, SPI and I2C offer plenty of configurations, rich of trigger event definitions, search functionality, event table. Compared it to my RIGOL when trial was enabled, not at all so good as the HAMEG bus decoding. When comparing the price, Hameg is unbeatable.

Especially because of the bus analysis functionality I won't miss the HMO for embedded systems anymore. 

[mikeselectricstuff]

Thought I'd have a go anyway and overcome my British reserve. I enjoyed putting in an offer that I was prepared to pay and it was excepted even though it took a bit of toing and froing of Emails. If you don't try you will never find out. I used the fact that they where offering the new retail version on sale at RS/Farnell with the DVM and AWG thrown in as a bargaining tool. And it worked.
David.

If you look at the Agilent ebay store feedback page you will see that they often accept offers

[Hydrawerk]

Gunb
Compare these two scopes. Agilent has better placed Run/Stop and Single buttons in my opinion. Most scope manufacturers place them on top right.

[Gunb]

Gunb
Compare these two scopes. Agilent has better placed Run/Stop and Single buttons in my opinion. Most scope manufacturers place them on top right.

 

[Hydrawerk]

Well, you are probably very familiar with this scope, so please tell me what's the Y-OUT BNC no. 4. Is it Trig Out or something else? It's not quite clear from the user manual...

[Gunb]

It's the trigger out. Exactly the frequency of the input signal which uses the scope for triggering, i.e., if the signal has got a frequency of 4MHz, the Y-OUT has also 4MHz.

[Hydrawerk]

OK, so it is a quite different BNC from those Trig Out on Rigol DS2000 or Agilent DSOX2000. Might be useful.

[Gunb]

More details:

http://blog.hameg.com/?p=622

[tinhead]

This is not trigger output, Y output is Y output (a 100yrs ago, Y-output was nice feature ... it is again something really useless - like the component tester) and does not have anything at all to do with trigger out. The optional (via softkey) pass-fail out have as well nothign to do with trigger out, sure it CAN be used to send event on each pass (or fail), but due the mask procesing time this is not real trigger out.

[Gunb]

This is not trigger output, Y output is Y output (a 100yrs ago, Y-output was nice feature ... it is again something really useless - like the component tester) and does not have anything at all to do with trigger out. The optional (via softkey) pass-fail out have as well nothign to do with trigger out, sure it CAN be used to send event on each pass (or fail), but due the mask procesing time this is not real trigger out.

Yes, that's true.

Have been at work when I wrote the first reply, later at home I had a look at the scope and remembered the Hameg blog. If useless or not depends on the specific purpose, sometimes I pass it through to the counter, most of the time I don't need it. But yes, it's not a trigger and I didn't think of the pass/fail output when I first mentioned it.

What lead to that statement is the manual, they write about "trigger channel". What they mean is, that the triggering channel is "passed trough" to the Y-OUTput, not the trigger itself. A bit misleading, the manual is a bit scarcely. Complained about that a  few times.

That's where my Rigol scores again with a real trigger out. But until now I didn't need it except for curious measures of the wfm/s 

[wojt]

As a happy HMO1524 user I want to emphasize one its feature that I missed in every other scope I have used: beep on a trigger. It is awesome especially when you want to work with digital signals.

In my previous work I had Tek MSO4000, very powerful scope, but could not beep. Quite often I have my hand and eyes on the PC and send commands to the device. So typical procedure was to type what is needed in the terminal window except the last enter, then turn my eyes to the scope and press the final enter. And then I had to recognize if the scope had triggered. It is not easy when the suspicious waveforms look the same every time they occur. I had to clear the screen or control eye blinking. Finally I build a beeper connected to trig out

In Hameg this is built in.

And it is a great scope anyway.

[tinhead]

As a happy HMO1524 user I want to emphasize one its feature that I missed in every other scope I have used: beep on a trigger.

...

In Hameg this is built in.

well, trigger out is more useful than a beeper. And btw, having trigger out you can implement your own beeper in 5mins,
vice versa is still not that complex (IF the beeper beeps really on each trigger event), but you need to modify DSO itself.