NEW Next Gen 2 Series Tektronix Oscilloscope

[thm_w]

I just read the data sheet for the Tek MSO-2 https://download.tek.com/datasheet/2SeriesMSO-Datasheet-EN-48W738570.pdf and it looks like it is way ahead on the sampling rate with 2.5 Gs/s for 2 channels and 1.25 Gs/s for all four channels. Whereas the MicSig are pretty coy about mentioning it at all and only talk about 1 Gs/s max for one channel. Looks like you only get 500Ms/s for 2 channels and 250Ms/s for all four channels I think the Tek wins hands down here.

cheers

Yes the sample rate is split, so Tek is ahead of a $600 portable scope that includes a battery. But behind on wfm/s and memory depth. Depending on the application one of those aspects might be more important to you.

If you drop down to 2 channels, micsig STO2202C 2GS/s is $900.

[Fungus]

I just read the data sheet for the Tek MSO-2 https://download.tek.com/datasheet/2SeriesMSO-Datasheet-EN-48W738570.pdf and it looks like it is way ahead on the sampling rate with 2.5 Gs/s for 2 channels and 1.25 Gs/s for all four channels. Whereas the MicSig are pretty coy about mentioning it at all and only talk about 1 Gs/s max for one channel. Looks like you only get 500Ms/s for 2 channels and 250Ms/s for all four channels I think the Tek wins hands down here.

cheers

Yes the sample rate is split, so Tek is ahead of a $600 portable scope that includes a battery. But behind on wfm/s and memory depth. Depending on the application one of those aspects might be more important to you.

If you drop down to 2 channels, micsig STO2202C 2GS/s is $900.

I haven't seen pricing yet but I'd be willing to bet the new 500Mhz, 3GSa/s Micsig will cost less than an entry-level 70Mhz Tektronix. Plus it has a 13" screen.

[snoopy]

I just read the data sheet for the Tek MSO-2 https://download.tek.com/datasheet/2SeriesMSO-Datasheet-EN-48W738570.pdf and it looks like it is way ahead on the sampling rate with 2.5 Gs/s for 2 channels and 1.25 Gs/s for all four channels. Whereas the MicSig are pretty coy about mentioning it at all and only talk about 1 Gs/s max for one channel. Looks like you only get 500Ms/s for 2 channels and 250Ms/s for all four channels I think the Tek wins hands down here.

cheers

Yes the sample rate is split, so Tek is ahead of a $600 portable scope that includes a battery. But behind on wfm/s and memory depth. Depending on the application one of those aspects might be more important to you.

If you drop down to 2 channels, micsig STO2202C 2GS/s is $900.

Only 2 channels ?

[snoopy]

I just read the data sheet for the Tek MSO-2 https://download.tek.com/datasheet/2SeriesMSO-Datasheet-EN-48W738570.pdf and it looks like it is way ahead on the sampling rate with 2.5 Gs/s for 2 channels and 1.25 Gs/s for all four channels. Whereas the MicSig are pretty coy about mentioning it at all and only talk about 1 Gs/s max for one channel. Looks like you only get 500Ms/s for 2 channels and 250Ms/s for all four channels I think the Tek wins hands down here.

cheers

Yes the sample rate is split, so Tek is ahead of a $600 portable scope that includes a battery. But behind on wfm/s and memory depth. Depending on the application one of those aspects might be more important to you.

If you drop down to 2 channels, micsig STO2202C 2GS/s is $900.

I haven't seen pricing yet but I'd be willing to bet the new 500Mhz, 3GSa/s Micsig will cost less than an entry-level 70Mhz Tektronix. Plus it has a 13" screen.

Now that's worth a look

[DaneLaw]

The sub 500 bucks 4ch Micsig got metal-thread freaking inserts. (nuff said ) 

Well done Micsig 

 

[snoopy]

The sub 500 bucks 4ch Micsig got metal-thread freaking inserts. (nuff said ) 

Well done Micsig 

don't know if that is such good a thing. Lost count how many times I have taken gear apart when those inserts have spun around because the plastic supporting them had cracked. Worse still is when Loctite is used and the insert gets stuck to the screw

cheers

[DaneLaw]

The sub 500 bucks 4ch Micsig got metal-thread freaking inserts. (nuff said ) 

Well done Micsig 

don't know if that is such good a thing. Lost count how many times I have taken gear apart when those inserts have spun around because the plastic supporting them had cracked. Worse still is when Loctite is used and the insert gets stuck to the screw

cheers

I sense the sarcasm went over your head, it was in regards to Dave's tear-down vid of this new MSO2x Tek-scope..
2:09 // https://youtu.be/R2fw2g6WFbg?t=129

and nope. I don't have any problems with metal threaded inserts and prefer that over self-tappers on equipment at a certain price.
So you don't need to nurse screws counter to pursue the minor dump' trying to find the old plastic-thread. and not partly start a new one.
but it does add to the molding cost, and it's relative how much you actually gonna take a scope apart, but it will often elevate more clamping pressure in two combing parts and how rigid a given product feels and are.
Metal threaded inserts into fx 3D printing is another topic, how resistant they are.
Best regards Jakob.

[snoopy]

The sub 500 bucks 4ch Micsig got metal-thread freaking inserts. (nuff said ) 

Well done Micsig 

don't know if that is such good a thing. Lost count how many times I have taken gear apart when those inserts have spun around because the plastic supporting them had cracked. Worse still is when Loctite is used and the insert gets stuck to the screw

cheers

I sense the sarcasm went over your head, it was in regards to Dave's tear-down vid of this new MSO2x Tek-scope..
2:09 // https://youtu.be/R2fw2g6WFbg?t=129

and nope. I don't have any problems with metal threaded inserts and prefer that over self-tappers on equipment at a certain price.
and you don't need to nurse screws back for the minor dump' trying to find the old thread. and not start a new one.
but it does add to the molding cost and it's relative how much you actually gonna take a scope apart.

I saw it but at the end of the day it is still plastic. If the screws actually screw into a metal chassis like most bench top scopes with a proper nutsert embedded into the chassis etc then that would be a much better solution than either screw into plastic scenario of these two scopes.

cheers

[DaneLaw]

Tons of documentation on the benefits of metal threaded inserts (versus not) and also the added cost in the molding process, and why some vendors skip on it -
I do agree with Dave, that it's a shame they didn't, not least at these prices and the intended use-case of this scope, where mobility plays a role..
it would have made more sense here - than it would fx on a stationary product.

This product is intended for both a 2kg battery-pack on the big plastic backplate' with a combined weight not far from 4kg, and also intended for VESA-mount in classrooms, labs, etc.  - where the plastic structure between the plastic back & the plastic front-housing could benefit from that rigid clamping-pressure, you can obtain with metal threaded inserts, not to mention the overall feel & handling..
As it can make the product feel more rigid & solid - if it's threaded into metal inserts, as the clamping pressure can often be way higher (+40% to 50%), but it will vary from product to product - and the quality of the molding & plastic.
Also other approaches' where you can obtain some of the clamping benefits of metal-threaded-inserts into soft materiel (like fx plastic) with the use of self-tappers .. by fx increasing the numbers of self-tapping-screws.

// Brief sum-up. https://groov-pin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Threaded_Inserts_Benefits.pdf

[xrunner]

Tons of documentation on the benefits of metal threaded inserts (versus not) and also the added cost in the molding process, and why some vendors skip on it -
I do agree with Dave, that it's a shame they didn't, not least at these prices and the intended use-case of this scope, where mobility plays a role..
it would have made more sense here - than it would fx on a stationary product.

I bought some very inexpensive DMMs a couple years ago to evaluate for fun. One of the cheapest ones - I think the brand was Tacklife - had a brass insert for the battery cover to screw into. Yea for this kind of expense and brand name not to have that is, umm, not shining a good light IMHO.

[Fungus]

I bought some very inexpensive DMMs a couple years ago to evaluate for fun. One of the cheapest ones - I think the brand was Tacklife - had a brass insert for the battery cover to screw into.

Yes, but that will be removed many times under normal use of the meter (to change the battery).

You're not supposed to take the back off this Tek, ever. It gets put on once and that's it. Self tappers eliminate the possibility of cross-threading during manufacture.

Still very cheap-ass of them though. At this price it should have a full metal backplate to give it a premium feel. I guess that's what the handle does though.

[nctnico]

Tons of documentation on the benefits of metal threaded inserts (versus not) and also the added cost in the molding process, and why some vendors skip on it -
I do agree with Dave, that it's a shame they didn't, not least at these prices and the intended use-case of this scope, where mobility plays a role..
it would have made more sense here - than it would fx on a stationary product.

I bought some very inexpensive DMMs a couple years ago to evaluate for fun. One of the cheapest ones - I think the brand was Tacklife - had a brass insert for the battery cover to screw into. Yea for this kind of expense and brand name not to have that is, umm, not shining a good light IMHO.

You have to put that into perspective: a battery cover is supposed to be opened many times by people with very little feel for mechanical stuff. A casing OTOH maybe once or twice by trained repair engineers that know how to deal with self tapping screws in plastic properly.

[snoopy]

I bought some very inexpensive DMMs a couple years ago to evaluate for fun. One of the cheapest ones - I think the brand was Tacklife - had a brass insert for the battery cover to screw into.

Yes, but that will be removed many times under normal use of the meter (to change the battery).

You're not supposed to take the back off this Tek, ever. It gets put on once and that's it. Self tappers eliminate the possibility of cross-threading during manufacture.

Still very cheap-ass of them though. At this price it should have a full metal backplate to give it a premium feel. I guess that's what the handle does though.

They are trying to keep it as light as possible otherwise they could have used more metalwork to screw into

[nctnico]

It is also possible that material availability played a role and Tektronix didn't bet on getting hold of large amounts of aluminium and / or metal inserts. Whatever you don't need to source is one headache less nowadays.

[arcitech]

Would anyone happen to know if the "2-ULTIMATE" feature license bundle -- aside from offering the two (out of five) feature options available today -- might also encompass the three "available in future" features (pattern gen, volt meter, trigger freq counter)?

If not, doesn't seem so "ultimate"... but if so, it could be a nice way to offer a small concession to early adopters who masochistically embrace the "end user as beta tester" model on what seems to be an unfinished scope, assuming future & more feature-rich 2-ULTIMATE pricing would go up...

[Domitronic]

Don't know about the 2 series.

At our 4 Series the Ultimate bundle included updates for one year. So if a new option was added within this year we got it for free. New options added after that year we don't get for free.

Normal software updates like bug fixes are still for free as far as i know. Just no new options after the first year.

[ddavidebor]

I tried this recently and was extremely disappointed. Could only find the most basic features, the build quality was obscene, and at the time didn’t publish any data to evaluate common mode coupling isolation between channels.

That being said love the form factor!

[samsh]

The newest firmware update seems to mention the addition of a fast acquisition mode for an increased waveform update rate. I would be interested to see by how much of an uplift this (long time coming) update can provide, if just from an engineering perspective (recall Dave's comments about the acquisition engine being a core element unlikely to receive major changes). The firmware says 'up to 4M [Wfs/s]' but the wording is a bit ambiguous and I assume this is on the 6 series rather than the 2 series (some software is common it seems). It also mentions having intensity grading with spectral and temperature colour maps rather than just DPO.

I would really like to see this tested if possible (I didn't want to make an entire new thread, but I feel bad resurrecting one thats been dead for 2 years!). They also seem to have refreshed the lineup a bit with the introduction of EDU models and some more bundles. Link to firmware (with change notes): https://www.tek.com/en/support/software/firmware/2-series-mso-nonwindows-firmware-v2143 .

[DaneLaw]

...I would really like to see this tested if possible..

Would also love to see some more videos about the Tek 2 series and where it stands today, as Dave's video was in a state pretty much as fresh out of the oven as it gets.