MSOX6, MSO6B or MXR?

[Mark]

Hi all,

I am looking for a new scope (around UKP 20k, not much more) and am trying to decide between these scopes:

Keysight MSOX6004A, 4 channel, 1GHz BW (up to 6GHz, 20Gsps)
Keysight MXR054A, 4 channel, 500MHz BW, (up to 6GHz, 16GSPS, upgradable to 8 channels)
Tek MSO6B, 6 channel, 1GHz BW, (up to 10GHz, 50Gsps on 2 channels, 12.5Gsps on all 6 channels)

Help!  I will be debugging & testing high-speed LVDS and single-ended signals, EMC pre-compliance, parallel buses, power amplifiers (up to 600kHz) and SMPS.   

Is MSOX6 a bit long in the tooth now? 
MXR054A looks tempting, being completely upgradable (even channel count).  DDC on each channel would be useful for the amplifier development. 
Tek MSO6B looks good too, also has the benefit of DDC on each channel.  Flex channel might be a negative for some, but with 6 channels one of them could be an 8-channel logic input sampled at the full sample rate (up to 50Gsps). 

Any thoughts? 

[Zucca]

Keysight MSOX6004A

and then

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/agilent-mso-500060007000-anyone-hacked-these-scopes/msg1000612/#msg1000612

[AndyC_772]

Think first about the probes you'll need. If you're probing signals in the GHz range, having the correct probes available is by far and away more important than the scope you connect them to.

Good, high bandwidth probes are expensive, but without them nothing you see on any scope will be accurate.

For EMC pre-compliance you're probably better off with a spectrum analyser anyway. For power amps and SMPS, any scope with passive probes will probably be OK, though you'll definitely want an isolated differential probe for mains work.

The demanding application you mention is LVDS, and the other fast (presumably digital) signals. What bit rate? What edge speed? Do you need an active differential probe, or would a couple of single ended active probes do?

Worry about the scope later on, when you know what bandwidth you really need, how you're going to probe signals at that speed without distorting them too much, and what budget you have left over for a scope once you've decided what probes and other accessories you'll require.

Seriously - probes!

[Sighound36]

Having had the MXR for a a couple of weeks its an unfinished project and the extra's add up. Not a patch on the Wavepro 254 hopefully they will have sorted the issues in the not to distant future.

Probes are your friend but a budget killer to a quality HVDP and a quality current probe will be in the five figure for both (before discounts) A nice fully active 2.5Ghz probe is also useful just remember system bandwidths when choosing probes.

You could find a used S-series Keysight still a great scope for less than the budget you have mentioned, I did try one and it was decent.

Some thoughts on the MXR scopes below.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/keysight-mxr-8-channel-scope/75/

[Sighound36]

For those interested in the EXR

https://exhibitors.electronica.de/download/1126_9_1_2128_1_1_803/electronica-virtual_keysight-and-39s-new-exr-oscilloscope-series.pdf

[tommiot]

I'm also looking for a scope with the same budget. I wasn't aware someone had hacked the MSOX6004A. It does look quite appealing for around 8000€ (used) if it can be hacked, leaving some money for probes as well, rather than spending 20k on the EXR without any software options, and with the maximum upgradable bandwidth at 2.5GHz...