new killer scope in town - a true game changer from R&S - RTB2002 & RTB2004

[skander36]

So who here can post a download link for the RTB200x_Firmware_V02.400.zip file?

I bought an RTB2004 from TEquipment.NET back in 2017. I sent them an email today asking if they could provide access to their customers to download the current RTB200x_Firmware_V02.400.zip and they said sorry, they can't help.

Guess I'll never think about buying any R&S equipment in the future.

I'm trying to find a file hosting service that do not expire or do not need authentication.
Anyone can send me a PM to send him a link.
Sent a PM to you.

[Pilowar]

Hello everyone!
The cloud of my mail, it seems, can be downloaded without registration.

https://cloud.mail.ru/public/pbq4/SyydQbCRP

MD5:
RTB200x_Firmware_V02.400.zip - CC553DFF3C1D1CE46E2B22A21086E597
RTB_UserManual_en_11.pdf - 69FF98C5363FBA9FA631D7A11BD7E5A0

[Hydron]

Could someone with access (seriously R&S, please stop being wankers and give people who BOUGHT ONE NEW access) grab the latest manual of the RTB2k and PM it to me? The FW 3.x manual (v13) is out on Gloris but I don't have access, and while there is no FW3.x release yet the manual should give an idea of the changes.

Edit: got it now, many thanks to the two forum members who offered to send it

[gslick]

The FW 3.x manual (v13) is out on Gloris but I don't have access, and while there is no FW3.x release yet the manual should give an idea of the changes.

Edit: got it now, many thanks to the two forum members who offered to send it

Now that you have access to the FW3.x manual, let us know if you find any interesting differences from the FW2.40 manual.

[Hydron]

I haven't gone through it in detail, but it does look like the hardware is exactly the same for the 2 and 2k series as suspected. Annoyingly there's no change log, unlike with the firmware releases.

[RBBVNL9]

I tried to look for changes between RTB2k manual V12 (for FW2.4) and RTB2/2k manual V13 (for FW3.0) using a PDF compare function. However, the layout and structure of the two documents changed quite a bit, so I found it hard to locate substantial changes. I did see the changes we already know about:

§8.2: "You can perform up to 8 different measurements simultaneously."
§8.2.3: "Gate setup" para added
§6.8: new section "Runt trigger"
§6.9: new section "Rise time trigger"

But I might well have overlooked other changes.

These firmware updates are minor, although I suspect I will use the 8 measurement slots quite a lot in daily life (when FW2.4 increased it from 4 to 6, it made quite a difference to me!).

[RBBVNL9]

Darkover wrote:

However it is nice that it is possible to use the firmware. I did not expect it. I thought there will never comes a new firmware even if they had a not so short buglist for the RTB. So it is a good surprise.

I'm curious about which bugs you have note to be present in the RTB today.

As for myself, I do have quite some wishes, but most are not really bugs, rather than improvements I'd love to see. See also https://github.com/RudisElectronicsLab/RTB_SDS_DSOX_review/blob/main/v80_RTB_SDS_DSOX_Functional_Comparison_Aug_2024.pdf


Urgent improvements wish list (‘bugs, or features that should not have been missing’)
•   Switch DVM to AC mode when a channel is set to AC (instead of showing incorrect DC values)
•   Solve the problem that “identity and data” in CAN trigger only works when frame length is set (other decoders in the RTB do require that)
•   When a channel is set to current (A), adapt the FFT scales to dBA, dBμA, and Aeff (RMS)[/li][/list]

Desired improvements
•   Increase the update rate of the bus table in serial decode
•   When editing labels, show the last value of that label (not the last value of another edited label)
•   Increase label length from 8 to 12 or 16 characters; slightly increase label display size
•   Allow math as input for serial decode
•   Allow reference as input for serial decode
•   Allow digital channels as input for math
•   Solve some smaller UI quirks (In modes where the lower half of the screen is used for showing tables or measurement data, the right bottom (text) elements are sometimes masked by the R&S logo or vertical menu. In serial decode, the rightmost column (for most decoders it is ‘status’) is often not completely seen (especially a problem when two or three errors are observed in a single frame). Also, when closing a menu, the table sometimes does not restore to full size, while sometimes it does.)
•   Turn measurements on/off globally (without deleting their settings), e.g., by pushing the MEAS button
•   In parallel clocked mode, allow analogue channels to be used for CS and CLK so that a full 16-bit bus width can be maintained.
•   Allow (CAN) serial trigger to find a message with known data content without having to know the length of that message in advance.
•   Show more than 8 characters of filename in load and save screens
•   Do not show (or grey out) a “?’ icon when the user is then presented with a “No help available for this function” message.


Desired changes that would (assumingly) require more drastic effort

•   Show small histograms for measurements (and a large histogram for selected measurements)
•   Include a formula editor in the math functions
•   Allow the entire (segmented) memory to be used entirely by any channel
•   Show relevant data for (each) measurement mode as X and Y cursors
•   Allow serial decode of two bidirectional buses
•   Display uploaded ARB file properties (points, amplitude, etc.)

Further wishes…
•   Add more complex and varied serial decode training signals (timing, ID, payload, (n)ack), including some with deliberately inserted errors
•   Offer analogue training signals (glitches, runt, etc.)

[Darkover]

I'm curious about which bugs you have note to be present in the RTB today.

I can not describe it because sometimes strange things happen wenn you did complicate
things in a row. Than I have to switch if off and on again. But it was never possible
to reproduce it, so I could write about it or take a picture.

Olaf

[bayjelly]

•   When editing labels, show the last value of that label (not the last value of another edited label)

I thought that was a feature. When labeling buses (e.g. A0, A1, A2...), it's handy to just be able to delete the last one or two characters and add new ones.

[Darkover]

When we think about feature we can made a huge list very easy.   

For example I miss an RGB-Color picker for the color of each channel to have my dream color.

Or an integrated language that can work with the measurement data. HM....R&S-Forth? 

A lowpass filter where I can change the corner frequency with a knopp very easy to beautify my measurements easily. (like on the older HMO2024)

An integrated VT100 terminal.

In the past I had on my list also to have two cursor  to define the start and stop point for the math channel. But I anderstand that this is done in new firmware?

Olaf

[Harjit]

A couple of questions about the Cursor function.

The firmware version is 2.3.

I turned on the cursor by pressing the cursor button and I see the two cursors. I can switch between them by pressing the Analysis knob.

1. When rotating the Analysis knob, how do I move the cursor in large increments? Pressing the know switches between the cursor.
2. I can see the delta time between the cursors. How do I have it convert that to frequency?

Thanks in advance.

[RBBVNL9]

Hello Harjit,

>> When rotating the Analysis knob, how do I move the cursor in large increments? Pressing the know switches between the cursor.

I'm not aware of a function for that. But turning the Analysis rotary know quickly, I can go from the one extreme of the screen to the other. Perhaps you are in specific settings where this takes longer ?!? 

2. I can see the delta time between the cursors. How do I have it convert that to frequency?

The scope should show both the delta in seconds, and the frequency (which is the inverse of time). See the attached picture!

PS I made an extensive overview of the implementation of this scope, compared with some others. Check it out here: https://github.com/RudisElectronicsLab/RTB_SDS_DSOX_review

GL, Rudi

[Harjit]

Good hint about the settings.

I was in V-Marker mode. In this mode, the knob moves the cursor very slowly, and there is no frequency displayed.

I switched it to Vertical mode and the cursor does move quickly, and it does show the frequency. Thank you.

A really annoying oddity is that pressing the knob in the Analysis section to change the cursor the knob controls registers the press but doesn't update the displayed name of the cursor being controlled until you rotate the knob.

Different question: has anyone figured out how to get the FW? R&S is saying I need a business account.

[RBBVNL9]

Hello!

I am doing some clocked parallel bus decoding and want to save that data. Actually, only saving a bus of only one single bit...

I have two questions which perhaps someone can answer....

1. Is there anything like a maximum file size for saving this data or a maximum number of observations to be saved? It seems that no matter how many observations I choose, the resulting file has fewer data points and never gets more than 20kb.

2. Even if I decode a single bus, I always get two values per clock cycle: the actual value, and a 0. When my bus is 1, the saved file has "10", when my bus is 0, my saved file has "00". So an actual value of '111111111' (as shown in the bus table on the oscilloscope's screen) in the file comes out as '101010101010101010'.

Anyone? Thanks!

[hotze]

Hello, I want to push the firmware question. As discussed here, the new RTB2 has more extensive features and the firmware is compatible with the RTB2000. The RTB2 is now on the market and available for delivery. So a new firmware for the RTB2000 should be available. Does anyone know anything about it?

[Fenstergucker]

It seems that no matter how many observations I choose, the resulting file has fewer data points and never gets more than 20kb.

2. Even if I decode a single bus, I always get two values per clock cycle: the actual value, and a 0. When my bus is 1, the saved file has "10", when my bus is 0, my saved file has "00". So an actual value of '111111111' (as shown in the bus table on the oscilloscope's screen) in the file comes out as '101010101010101010'.

In my case, only 10,000 of the 60,000 decoded values displayed are saved.
The data is in HEX format and 20,000 characters, and therefore only 10,000 values. The view of decimal 1 as 01 in HEX format is normal.

I can read in all 60,000 values using the SCPI command:
:BUS1:CPARallel:FRAMe1:DATA?
"1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1..."

Peter

[RBBVNL9]

Dear Peter,

I can read in all 60,000 values using the SCPI command:
:BUS1:CPARallel:FRAMe1:DATA?
"1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1..."

That's awesome news! Better than I hoped for, and it will really help the project I am doing right now.
I could not find any information on a maximum file size / data size in the RTB documentation for saving decoded data.

The data is in HEX format

Makes sense; I had not thought of that. I had my Bus Display showing in binary, but this does not affect the save format.

Thanks again!

[Fenstergucker]

That's awesome news! Better than I hoped for, and it will really help the project I am doing right now.

To read in the data, the respective tab must be active, if I remember correctly. There is an undocumented SCPI command for activating or switching the tabs.

Code: [Select]

:DISPlay:RESult[:TAB]<?> CMEasure CURSor MEASure STATistic PMETer PASSfail SEARch FFT BODE BUS1 BUS2 WFMData SEGMent PMEas

Peter

[2N3055]

I believe scope returns 2 HEX characters because of digital bus is 2x8bits wide: 0-F+0-F
Depending on which byte you connect your single LSB to, it will return 10 or 01.

[RBBVNL9]

To read in the data, the respective tab must be active, if I remember correctly. There is an undocumented SCPI command for activating or switching the tabs.

It's funny to see how dependent SCPI is still dependent here on the state of the actual display on the device! But it is good to know this.

I believe scope returns 2 HEX characters because of digital bus is 2x8bits wide: 0-F+0-F
Depending on which byte you connect your single LSB to, it will return 10 or 01.

Yes, makes sense. Even if bits 1-15 are disabled in the bus, it still may present this as a 16-bit bus indeed.
Since I get "10" when only the first bit (D0) of the total bus (D0-D15) is equal to one, this must mean that the first byte (D0-D7) is the most significant byte and the first bit (D0) is the least significant bit of that byte. Right?

(I do not see any documentation on this aspect of the parallel bus decode. For some serial bus decode (like SPI), the RTB allows the user to select to start a message with MSB or with LSB. With parallel decode, the order may be foxed - and not document. So trial and error...

[RBBVNL9]

Hello, I want to push the firmware question. As discussed here, the new RTB2 has more extensive features and the firmware is compatible with the RTB2000. The RTB2 is now on the market and available for delivery. So a new firmware for the RTB2000 should be available. Does anyone know anything about it?

I have not seen any firmware update yet. For the RTB2000, the last released update is one of 2021, and for the RTB2, no firmware is provided on the R&S website as of today.

I am also looking forward to these updates, so I hope they will come soon!

Also curious about the firmware numbering and issuing. Will the releases have the same number for the two series (so will RTB2 start with, say, 03.0000 firmware, and RTB200 go from 02.400 to 03.000)? Will it be the same update file? If anyone has already received an RTB2, then let us know what firmware version the instrument reports ;-)

[RBBVNL9]

I can read in all 60,000 values using the SCPI command:
:BUS1:CPARallel:FRAMe1:DATA?
"1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1..."

I did some experiments using this function… a couple of updates….

First, the output sent over SCPI is decimal. So not Hex.

Second, I tried to determine the maximal number of observations that are sent over SCPI.

Bottom line: Via SCPI, you can transfer really large sets of observations coming from parallel decode on the RTB. Regardless of the selected bus size (1 bit, 8 bits, 15 bits), I was able to download up to 600,000 observations, with string sizes up to approx. 3,500,000 characters (requiring a 3.5MB file to store). I stopped at that point because such large sets were taking up to 15 minutes to transfer.

With 1-bit bus (resulting file example: “1,0,0,1,1,0” etc.)
RTB has 24k (23,999) observations on screen. Got 24.000 values (range 0-1) results via SCPI. String size is 47.997 characters. (Transfer time not measured)
RTB has 60k (59,999) observations on screen. Got 59.999 values (range 0-1) results via SCPI. String size is 119.997 characters. (Transfer time not measured)
RTB has 120k (119,999) observations on screen. Got 119,999 values (range 0-1) results via SCPI. String size is 239,997 characters. (Transfer time not measured)
RTB has 240k (239,999) observations on screen. Got 240.038 (range 0-1) results via SCPI. String size is 480,077 characters. (Transfer time not measured)
RTB has 600k (599,999) observations on screen. Got 600,382 (range 0-1) results via SCPI. String size is 1,200,760 characters. Be patient: it took some 15 minutes to transfer!

With 8-bit bus (resulting file example: “2,255,2,255,2,255,2,2,255,2,255,2,2”
RTB has 24k (23,999) observations on screen.: Got 24.000 values (range 0-63) results via SCPI. String size is 72,147 characters.  Took 24 seconds
RTB has 60k (59,999) observations on screen.: Got 24.017 values (range 0-63) results via SCPI. String size is 72,193 characters.  Took 26 seconds
RTB has 120k (119,999) observations on screen.: Got 120.868 values (range 0-63) results via SCPI. String size is 360,031 characters.  Took 2min30.
RTB has 240k (239,999) observations on screen.: Got 240,151values (range 0-63) results via SCPI. String size is 737,242 characters.  Took 5.25
RTB has 600k (599,999) observations on screen. Got 599,960 (0-63) results via SCPI. String size is 1,821,832 characters.  Be patient: it took 15:24 minutes to transfer!

With 15-bit bus (is maximum bus width if clocked parallel is used) (resulting file example: “32703,32514,32703,32514,32514,32514,”)
RTB has 24k (23,999) observations on screen.: Got 24.000 values (range 0-32767) results via SCPI. String size is 143.759 characters.  Took 32 seconds
RTB has 60k (59,999) observations on screen.: Got 59.980 values (range 0-32767) results via SCPI. String size is 359.879 characters.  Took 1min48
RTB has 120k (119,999) observations on screen.: Got 120,127 values (range 0-32767) results via SCPI. String size is 720,761 characters.  Took 2min49
RTB has 240k (239,999) observations on screen.: Got 239.961values (range 0-32767) results via SCPI. String size is 1,439,765 characters.  Took 2min24
RTB has 600k (599,999) observations on screen.: Got 600,205  values (range 0-32767) results via SCPI. String size is 3,601,235 characters.  Took ~15 min.


Thanks again to Peter for pointing out this option. Really circumvents the apparent stringent data set size barriers when saving a set to a USB drive!

[RBBVNL9]

Also curious about the firmware numbering and issuing. Will the releases have the same number for the two series (so will RTB2 start with, say, 03.0000 firmware, and RTB200 go from 02.400 to 03.000)? Will it be the same update file? If anyone has already received an RTB2, then let us know what firmware version the instrument reports ;-)

Oh, I see this is already answered in the R&S®RTB 2 Oscilloscope User Manual (see attached photo).

I consider this good news. Like they are keeping them on par.

[Takasaka Chikuho]

Hello Guys, I've just bought a RTB2k, and I tried read manual, How can I adjust screen brightness?

In intensities menu, only Waveform, Grid and LED brightness.
Anyone know how to adjust whole screen brightness?

[maxspb69]

There is no such option.