Products > Test Equipment
Oscilloscope Dilemma
nctnico:
I have been 'bitten' by probes that had contact issues and bad cables. YMMV but in general a bunch of known good Testec probes are cheap enough not to take a gamble. Personally I don't care much about the probe ID pin. In some cases I use direct cable connections anyway and have to setup the attenuation manually which is easy to do on the oscilloscopes I have.
alm:
--- Quote from: nctnico on December 05, 2022, 11:23:50 pm ---Beyond -say- 100MHz feeding a signal directly into an oscilloscope using a 50 Ohm coax is a good idea if you want to have something on screen that resembles the actual signal.
--- End quote ---
That depends on the output impedance of the node you are testing over frequency. Not every circuit will be happy with a 50 or 500 Ohm load at DC. 10 MOhm at DC going down to say 160 Ohm at 100 MHz might be better than a constant 50 Ohm. Of course active probes perform even better, but at a price.
I would say that in addition the physical form factor, and accessories to hook it up to things like grabbers, are a major factor. I don't think the old 5mm probe tip size with an alligator clip for ground works very well on SMT boards unless you have test points for all the nodes you want to measure. I quite like narrow spring-loaded tips like the Lecroy PP005 probes. Are those available on the cheap Ali-special dime-a-dozen probes yet?
--- Quote from: nctnico on December 05, 2022, 11:23:50 pm ---IMHO used probes are like used underwear.
--- End quote ---
I worry about what you do with your probes. I have bought quite a few used probes over the years, including maybe two dozen common 1x and 10x probes, and all but two have worked well. One was a cheapy with a dodgy switch, and the other had a bad cable. Used active probes are a different story, though.
rstofer:
--- Quote from: themadhippy on December 05, 2022, 08:34:33 pm ---
--- Quote ---Then make a spreadsheet of features on both series -E and -U.
--- End quote ---
no need,think its on siglents own website, theres a comparison table
--- Quote ---When you can get a nice 2 channel 200 MHz scope with an abundance of features for $399, it's pretty hard to complain about the price. SDS1202X-E - Remember, we got along with 2 channel scopes for a very long time.
The SDS1104X-U matches the price at $399; you give up 200 MHz for 100 MHz but gain 2 more channels.
--- End quote ---
horses for courses,i dont have much use for 100Mhz,let alone 200,4 channels is much more use for the sort of stuff i tinker with
--- Quote ---It would cost another $100 over the -U to get the SDS1104X--E
--- End quote ---
About £70 difference in the uk,So are you going to give me the extra £70? or do i put off buying for another 6 months until i can afford one,meanwhile the money has slowly been nibbled at and/or the prices have gone up
--- End quote ---
Alas, I live on a pitiful fixed income...
Here's the thing, nobody around here is going to recommend a scope they wouldn't want to use. There is always something cheaper but likely isn't as exhaustively reviewed simply because no serious user would consider buying it.
Any of the 3 Siglents will do the job and they have been reviewed extensively right here on EEVblog. Just use the search feature. The Rigol is also a very nice scope (after unlocking) but it's getting old. The Siglents are the new shiny things.
If you want to do a more thorough reading, try https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/what-an-oscilloscope-recommended-for-a-woman-passionate-about-electronics/ starting around Reply 150 where Charlotte buys the SDS1202X-E and we get serious about working through the User Manual. Late in the thread it gets very interesting. The first 149 replies are just a prelude but could be worth reading as they are more like this thread, comparing features and price.
Many of the same concerns are discussed in great detail.
If price is the primary concern, above all else, drive a stake in the ground and state what it is. Call it an absolute max, no waffling "well, if I can get better for a little bit more...", nope, it's the MAX price. You can always get more features "for a little bit more...". You may not get as many replies if the amount precludes worthwhile scopes but that's the way it goes.
Again, we're not likely to recommend something we wouldn't want to use ourselves.
tautech:
--- Quote from: alm on December 05, 2022, 11:49:56 pm ---
I would say that in addition the physical form factor, and accessories to hook it up to things like grabbers, are a major factor. I don't think the old 5mm probe tip size with an alligator clip for ground works very well on SMT boards unless you have test points for all the nodes you want to measure. I quite like narrow spring-loaded tips like the Lecroy PP005 probes. Are those available on the cheap Ali-special dime-a-dozen probes yet?
--- End quote ---
Some manufacturers recognise this and offer relatively cheap products to make our lives easier:
http://www.pintek.com.tw/customer/pintek/product/CP-3501R-PRO-b.jpg
At the end of the day it comes down to the Ahole that designs/lays out a PCB to give us the required test points to undertake rework/repair. However this additional effort/cost needs be balanced against providing replacement boards at reasonable cost. Flip the coin.
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