Author Topic: DSO1511E review  (Read 12629 times)

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Offline visenriTopic starter

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DSO1511E review
« on: November 17, 2020, 11:30:30 pm »
I bougth a DSO1511E, and I promised to put in this forum a mini review.

After some days using it. Here it is.


- Hardware (Information from the internet, I will check it as soon as I open it):
FPGA LATTICE LCMXO2-1200HC-5TG100I
CPU Allwinner F1C100s ARM926EJ-S (ARMv5TE) up to 533MHz - 32MB of embedded DDR SDRAM.

- FFT: Untested.

- Square wave generator: Adjustable: 0-2Mhz. Tested, output waveform amplitude is 3V (min 0V, max 3V)

- Reduced number of buttons: Second button functions are very well designed and I don't miss any extra button (see attached image from the manual).


- Battery runtime has not been timed precisely, but i used it for several hours each day, for a total of about 5-6hours. Charged without problems in less than 1 hour (not timed). No indication is shown about charging on screen, it's indicated by a small led near the USB.

- Protruding BNC: Big plastic BNCs (Like my Rigol ones) can be used, but you have to force the included rubber protection out of the way.

- It has a regular sized USB.

- It can save screenshots to internal memory and can be transferred using USB (Device name is "F1C100S  XiaoTaoQi  Disk USB Device"), but some things could be handled better:
 - There is no confirmation for deletion.
 - When transferred to PC, files are always re-numbered from newest to oldest, this means that if you take some screenshots and copy them to your PC, if they are not removed from the device, next time the same screenshots will have a different name.


- Waveform can be moved in STOP mode.
 - This works very similar to a good scope (like my Rigol), you can even capture the signal at a time base and zoom in or out with the time base (of course, limited to the sample memory available).

- Reference waveform:
 - A reference waveform can be saved, but unfortunately it's locked to the current time base, if time base is changed, the reference is still freezed with the old time base, it's just a background image. Not optimal, but better than nothing.

- Settings are saved/remembered when powered of: Some of these cheap scopes reset the settings (Time base, coupling...) each time they are powered off, maybe to allow easy reset for novice users.

- No official manufacturer web page.
 - I found a secret menu that seems to show the firmware version. Go to "set" menu and long press the "V" button, in my case it shows v1.1.8.
 - The manufacturer seems to own this youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfAa85bsu8yzMXLzMVExAg
 - They also seem to have a downloads page with documentation and updated firmware with instructions!: https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg

- Internal TF card slot for unknown purpose (Investigation pending ;D).

- Quality of included probe:
 - It's a cheap P6100 X1/X10 and it comes already compensated for the scope.
 - In my case, it had a quality defect (maybe it's common for this cheap probes), the outer metal ground "ring" sometimes does not make a good contact with the internal ground ring. Coupled with the fact that the internal ring has not a tight fit with the scope female ground causes sometimes a bad signal reading. (I fixed it, i'll post pictures about how). Anyway, what can you expect from a probe at this price point?

- Single trigger mode:
 - Works perfectly, never missed a pulse (needs more testing to be absolutely sure about this).

- Normal/Auto trigger mode:
 - Works perfectly, always triggered at the right edge, no jitter, nor triggered at the wrong point.

- Bandwidth:
 - I don't have required equipment to test this properly, but i tested some signals I had at hand on a circuit.
 - Signals up to 20Mhz bandwidth seem to work flawlessly.
 - I tested a 21.5Mhz oscillator and you can see in the screenshots that the main component amplitude is shown correctly, but it has problems with some high frequency harmomics (captured without problems with the Rigol). These parts of the signal "dance" in and out, showing aliasing due to improper input filtering and/or reconstruction from samples.

- In the screenshots you can see (tested against my Rigol):
 - The single trigger test from a power supply working in skip pulse mode.
 - The 21.5Mhz test.
 - The square wave output test at 2Mhz.

Overall, very happy with the performance and usability.


« Last Edit: November 20, 2020, 12:12:14 am by visenri »
 
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Offline visenriTopic starter

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2020, 11:34:23 pm »
Reserved for more tests.
 

Offline lcp

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2020, 02:19:20 pm »
Thank you for the detailed and professional review. I found the firmware update method from youtube. The latest firmware version is v1.2.2, it seems that there are not many new functions added yet.
 

Offline visenriTopic starter

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2020, 12:16:08 am »
Thank you for the detailed and professional review. I found the firmware update method from youtube. The latest firmware version is v1.2.2, it seems that there are not many new functions added yet.

Thank you for these good news!
I was not aware of the new documentation/firmware download page (new video about firmware has been published just 1 week ago).
I've updated the first post with this new information.

This device is getting even better with this manufacturer support! ;D
 

Offline AV

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2020, 05:23:49 pm »
Thanks for your review!
I ordered myself one on Aliexpress. I know the developer is selling it on taobao.com. He has two versions there with no visible differences and with a slight difference in price: Standard 100M and Upgraded 120M.
I have a question for you:
By what visible signs can you identify the device and which one did you buy?
It is clear that a generator up to 120 Megahertz will help, but if there is no such generator.
I suppose the difference is in the ADC microcircuit, but in another review it is clear that some of the microcircuits are overwritten.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2020, 01:35:28 pm by AV »
 

Offline tunk

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2020, 06:06:04 pm »
Quote
Спасибо за обзор!
English please - or at least run it through google translate before posting.
 

Offline AV

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2020, 09:12:47 am »
OK, I tried to fix it.
 

Offline visenriTopic starter

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2020, 11:49:52 pm »
I found two minor bugs:

In normal trigger mode:
After pressing stop, waveform can't be moved with cursor keys.
If new trigger condition arrives, image is updated (even in STOP!) and scrolling becomes possible.
This is only noticeable with non periodic signals, because with periodic signals the second trigger after stop happens all the time.

After going to view mode to see some images, if you had a waveform stopped, you lose it when you exit from view mode, because it always puts the scope in RUN mode.

All this is with last FW update: V1.2.2.

I also found one more trick:
After pressing the power button to show the special menu you can move the waveform in steps (sadly, not very useful because it does not autorepeat, you have to press it repeatedly).

Improvements I would like to have:

Cursor keys with variable speed:
  • For Waveform position and Trigger level: The starting speed should be 1/2 of the current one, and the maximum speed should be the one we have now.
  • For the measuring cursors: The starting speed is ok as it is now, and the maximum speed should be doubled, 2x.


There is an E-mail to send bugs/suggestions for improvement, has someone more bugs/suggestions to send all them together?.
 

Offline tunk

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2020, 04:50:59 pm »
 

Offline tunk

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #9 on: May 04, 2021, 10:51:23 pm »
Looks like there's a minor firmware update, v1.2.3:
https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg
 

Offline IWantABoobyOscilloscope

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2021, 02:16:20 am »
I bougth a DSO1511E, and I promised to put in this forum a mini review.


...

- In the screenshots you can see (tested against my Rigol):
 - The single trigger test from a power supply working in skip pulse mode.
 - The 21.5Mhz test.
 - The square wave output test at 2Mhz.

Overall, very happy with the performance and usability.






Please look at the Vpp at 21.5Mhz, why rigol and DSO1511E show different values
 

Offline visenriTopic starter

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2021, 04:17:15 pm »
Please look at the Vpp at 21.5Mhz, why rigol and DSO1511E show different values

I think this is due to mutiple factors:

Probe and scope input attenuator tolerances / differences.
Frequency bandwidth is lower in the DSO1511E, so some high frequency peaks are lost.
Different loading of the test circuit: the probe/scope input capacitances are slightly different and this matters at these high frequencies.

With lower frequencies the difference is much lower (about 2%).
 

Offline visenriTopic starter

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2021, 06:28:57 pm »
I've found a suitable case / bag.

ISY IDB 2000 HDD Hard Case 2.5":


This is how the scope and probe fit in the case:

The spring hook tip must be removed to be able to put the probe into the case.
I also put a plastic cover on the tip, to avoid damaging the probe and the bag (obtained from an eyedrop monodosis).
The USB cable and the signal generator tips can be stored in the other side (they must be over the probe cable, otherwise the case will not close easily).

This is how it looks closed, it's a little tight, but because the scope rubber protection is at the same level of the buttons, the buttons are not being pressed by the case:


It's a hard case, it's meant to be used for protecting hard drives, so it has hard top and bottom, but at the same time it's flexible enough to dampen accidental drops.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2021, 08:46:05 pm by visenri »
 

Offline EduardoLM

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2021, 07:17:06 pm »
I just bought a DSO1511e, and it shows FW as 1.2.4, newer than the newest on this link: https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg

Does anyone know anything about this new version? Or, if there are another URL to download newer FWs?

If I could dump 1.2.4 from my device, I could do it to share with people.

Eduardo
 
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Offline visenriTopic starter

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #14 on: June 13, 2021, 06:41:12 pm »
I just bought a DSO1511e, and it shows FW as 1.2.4, newer than the newest on this link: https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg

Does anyone know anything about this new version? Or, if there are another URL to download newer FWs?

If I could dump 1.2.4 from my device, I could do it to share with people.

Eduardo

Interesting, maybe it's time to write them an email to ask them to upload this new firmware.

By the way, another video review with signal generator with up to 120Mhz:



Where you can see that the advertised bandwidth is more or less real.

You get 80-90Mhz bandwidth for periodic signals (equivalent sampling rate).
 

Offline EduardoLM

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2021, 02:55:03 pm »
Now the JumpShare link includes firmwares 1.2.4 and 1.2.6! :)
 

Offline tubos

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #16 on: July 28, 2021, 03:45:49 pm »
And 1.2.7 :)

Nice to see active firmware development
 

Offline tubos

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2021, 07:28:21 pm »
Can someone share a scan of the manual ? I cant find it online.
 

Offline tunk

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2021, 07:50:09 pm »
You can find the manual for the dso1511e+ here: https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg
 
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Offline trmntr

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #19 on: May 17, 2022, 06:02:36 am »
Hello.  How much does that oscilloscope outperform the 1C15?
 

Offline Rasz

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Re: DSO1511E review
« Reply #20 on: November 07, 2022, 08:27:52 am »
Adrian Black from Adrian's Digital Basement just did a repair of C64 using simultaneously reviewing of ~$60 "ZEEWEII DSO1511G"

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My fireplace is on fire, but in all the wrong places.
 
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