Magnova oscilloscope

[KungFuJosh]

It's a decent PET film that I used. It has to be decent PET for me to cut it safely with my laser. The screen looks great, I've had no issues with it at all.

It's also blue light filtering, but it's only mildly filtering so that doesn't degrade anything either.

[DaneLaw]

Any conclusions on what kind of 15.6" FHD LCD screen is used in the Magnova.. is it TFT or IPS screentech?

TFT/Thin-Film Transistor
* Pros, cheap with fast response times.
* Cons: Narrow viewing angles, poorer color accuracy, more prone to haze/rainbow effects with cheap screen protectors.

IPS/In-Plane Switching
* Pros: Wide viewing angles, better color consistency/accuracy, quite a bit more resistant to polarization-issues from cheap plastic screen protectors.
* Cons: Often more expensive, a tad slower response times compared to the average TN/TFT panels.

My guess would be that it's an IPS screen, even though TFTs are very common on oscilloscopes.

[Martin72]

That's probably an IPS display.

[Tomki]

Don‘t actually know. But there’s certainly no narrow viewing angle 

[Tomki]

New Firmware Update (1.6.1) is available 

[Martin72]

Jepp:

Version 1.6.1 (21st August 2025)
New functionality:
• Added control and feature support for the function generator module (BMO-AWG)
• Added Bode plot (frequency response analysis)
Optimizations:
• The 50 Ω input termination is now automatically disabled when a probe with a probe
readout pin is connected
• Various minor optimizations.
Bugfixes:
• Fixed an issue where measurements could display an old value if no value was determined
for the current waveform
• Fixed the UI display of the "Ref. Clock Aux Out" matching its actual state

[nctnico]

• The 50 Ω input termination is now automatically disabled when a probe with a probe readout pin is connected

Not a good idea. For example: I have a set of Tektronix Lo-Z probes with a readout pin. But these probes need a 50 Ohm input. Having to isolate or remove the pin makes using the probes tedious. Actually, it would be nice to set the scope to ignore the readout pin entirely because there are so many useful probes out there with readout pins that have different attenuations.

[Martin72]

I am generally skeptical about probe heads with readout pins, but that is a completely different story.

[DaneLaw]

Thx Martin, good pictures..[#1127]
Yep, it looks like an IPS screen with some IPS glow, which can make semi-black areas appear more greyish. That’s IPS in a nutshell, unless you try to subdue it with hardware features like zone dimming or a dual-panel design.

On IPS panels, the liquid crystals are usually aligned horizontally, or “in-plane.” so at steep angles, more light passes through, which often increases the glow-effect, not least in the corners
That is one of the few positive things with fx TN/TFT, - it tends to handle contrast and black levels better.
The punchy colors on some of the pictures I have seen in this thread give me the impression it's an IPS panel.

If its TFT its definately one of the better ones, as there are decent TFT panels out there that manage that angle scrutiny way better than the TN/TFT panels of the past, that almost would shift into negative bias, when you looked at it from steep angles, as the liquid crystals can twist in a way that flips the light’s polarization, causing the colors to invert and almost look negative.
Have asked Batronix if it's one or the other - will update*..but it does look like an IPS on the pictures posted above.

[KungFuJosh]

• The 50 Ω input termination is now automatically disabled when a probe with a probe readout pin is connected

Not a good idea. For example: I have a set of Tektronix Lo-Z probes with a readout pin. But these probes need a 50 Ohm input. Having to isolate or remove the pin makes using the probes tedious. Actually, it would be nice to set the scope to ignore the readout pin entirely because there are so many useful probes out there with readout pins that have different attenuations.

I think they mean it switches back to 1M, not that 50Ω is actually disabled. Since 99.987% of probes with readout pins aren't Lo-Z, it makes sense for that change to happen.

[tautech]

• The 50 Ω input termination is now automatically disabled when a probe with a probe readout pin is connected

Not a good idea. For example: I have a set of Tektronix Lo-Z probes with a readout pin. But these probes need a 50 Ohm input. Having to isolate or remove the pin makes using the probes tedious. Actually, it would be nice to set the scope to ignore the readout pin entirely because there are so many useful probes out there with readout pins that have different attenuations.

100% agree !

When any instrument thinks it's smarter than the user it turns me cold.
Sure, sense it and flag a warning to accept or ignore would be the smarter design.

[Martin72]

Sure, sense it and flag a warning to accept or ignore would be the smarter design.

Which scope manufacturer offers this?

[KungFuJosh]

Sure, sense it and flag a warning to accept or ignore would be the smarter design.

Which scope manufacturer offers this?

None, and Siglent's workaround is that the readout pin doesn't always work.

[Martin72]

Oh, really?

[tautech]

Sure, sense it and flag a warning to accept or ignore would be the smarter design.

Which scope manufacturer offers this?

Good question, maybe none have given it serious consideration ?

Consider using the 1.5 GHz 10x autosense passive SP6150A probe that requires 50 Ohm input impedance with the Magnova which would reject it from 50 Ohm input due to its 10x autosense pin.
Being a passive probe it is not auto recognised by the scope other than setting the 10x input attenuation with the autosense pin.

Real hard to support every product on the market.......

[KungFuJosh]

Sure, sense it and flag a warning to accept or ignore would be the smarter design.

Which scope manufacturer offers this?

Good question, maybe none have given it serious consideration ?

Consider using the 1.5 GHz 10x autosense passive SP6150A probe that requires 50 Ohm input impedance with the Magnova which would reject it from 50 Ohm input due to its 10x autosense pin.
Being a passive probe it is not auto recognised by the scope other than setting the 10x input attenuation with the autosense pin.

Real hard to support every product on the market.......

Actually, really easy if you read my clarification. Autosense changes the channel to 1M; it doesn't disable 50Ω from being selected.

I just spent the 30 seconds to run the firmware update and test it. Inserted 10:1 probe, and it switched to 1M. I was still able to manually choose 50Ω.

It makes far more sense for it to cater to the 99% of probes, while still making it possible to adjust back to 50Ω when needed in those rare circumstances.

[hotze]

I get the feeling that the backlight looks a bit brighter after updating to version 1.6.1. You can notice it in the slightly overexposed corners of the display (especially when the screen is blank during startup). Could just be my impression though, maybe I’m only noticing it now.

[LoneWolf6912]

Look like the AWG accessorie is in stock. They will probably send it soon now. 

[FloBX]

Look like the AWG accessorie is in stock. They will probably send it soon now. 

Yes, indeed. Shipment of the function generator modules starts today.
Along with this, we are releasing Magnova firmware version 1.6.3, which includes final optimizations regarding the BMO-AWG release:

Version 1.6.1 (21st August 2025)
New functionality:
• Added control and feature support for the function generator module (BMO-AWG)
• Added Bode plot (frequency response analysis)
Optimizations:
• The 50 Ω input termination is now automatically disabled when a probe with a probe
readout pin is connected
• Various minor optimizations.
Bugfixes:
• Fixed an issue where measurements could display an old value if no value was determined
for the current waveform
• Fixed the UI display of the "Ref. Clock Aux Out" matching its actual state

Version 1.6.3 (27th August 2025)
• Finalized device behavior for initial release of the function generator module (BMO-AWG).

If you are planning to use the generator module, make sure to install this update first.

As already mentioned above, new sections have recently been added to the Magnova manual, covering the use of function generator and Bode plot features.

We are looking forward to your feedback and first impressions!

Best regards
Florian
Batronix

[jusaca]

Is it possible to split the traces (either input channels or math channel) into separate windows, like the Zoom or FFT are both using a separate window?
This way it would be more convenient to show multiple signals next to each other without having to shift them around. Also scaling them smaller is loosing resolution, which can not be brought back by rescaling after a capture is finished.

[Martin72]

The module itself makes a high-quality impression, as does the included BNC cable.Installation is quite simple: remove the 4 Torx screws, remove the plate, insert the AWG module, and you're done.

[nctnico]

Nice. I don't know if it has been mentioned before but it is excellent the backup battery is accessible like that. Some equipment needs to be almost fully disassembled before you can get to the battery which is a major PITA.

[Martin72]

Yes, that also caught my eye in a very positive way.
Oh yes, to this day I haven't opened the scope and I won't be doing so either.
Meanwhile, I played around with the generator a little.
The rectangle goes up to 25 MHz.
Then I took a picture of a 1 MHz sine wave and its FFT; the second harmonic is at -60 dBm, which I think is good.
And then, of course, there's the Bode plot...
There are some interesting settings in the menu, such as the plot “Strategy.”
You can choose between “Fast,” “Balanced,” “Low Noise,” and “Ultra Low Noise.”
Ultra Low Noise is for very patient people; a plot with the maximum number of points per decade (500) takes 4 hours and 7 minutes—I measured it...
“Balanced” takes about 12 minutes, “Fast” about 8 minutes.
I used the low-pass/band-pass function of the demo board as a test object.

[Martin72]

More pictures, I'll spend more time on the AWG over the weekend.

[rf-messkopf]

Then I took a picture of a 1 MHz sine wave and its FFT; the second harmonic is at -60 dBm, which I think is good.

That's likely dominated by the scope's front end and ADC distortion, which I measured to be around -60 dBc (at 100 kHz), see here, in line with the datasheet spec. I wouldn't be surprised if the AWG is much better than that.

According to the tracking information, my AWG module is currently at the DHL hub Neumünster and will show up here tomorrow. I'll check the harmonics and spurs with the spectrum analyzer as soon as I can.