POST Hacking Rigol MSO5000 - POST HACKING TUTORIAL - DEEP DIVE

[BTO]

Hi Guys,
The purpose of this post is....
After you have unlocked your Rigol MSO5000 You may want to learn how to use every feature of the scope.

I have received a lot of requests to help people
- Unlock their scope
- Help when unlocking goes wrong
- How to use the scope because they are beginners and are not sure how to use their scopes

This Post hopes to achieve 3 Goals

Goal 1 - To Explain to you how to upgrade the scope and confirm that you've actually done it correctly

Goal 2 - To show you what to do after you upgrade the scope and how to set things up

Goal 3 - To walk you through your scope (Every Feature) and teach you how to really take advantage of your scope.
(This will mainly benefit the beginner)


FIRST OF ALL, CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE

Here is the original Post
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hacking-the-rigol-mso5000-series-oscilloscopes/

Here is a post i created later that was shorter
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/solutions-and-troubleshooting-hacking-the-rigol-mso5000-series-oscilloscopes/

Moving forward
1. I have created a few videos for you guys so i don't need to keep explaining things over and over.
2. The videos are also there for the beginners because you're not going to absorb everything straight away, so, Keep them as reference, Learn from the knowledge and expand upon it and explore for yourselves

HERE IS A LINK TO THE CLOUD (it's safe and virus free)
https://mega.nz/folder/OsJyFY5A#8uS0fmepgBdNrXqvnxmFfg
(Save this link so you can get the future video uploads)

There are several things on this cloud

- The Rigol MSO5000 User Manual (RTFM)  You should read it

- All the Upgrade files "Upgrading to 350MHz"
NOTE : This set of files takes you from Version FW:01_03_00_03   to   FW:01_03_03_00
YOUR SCOPE MUST START ON FW:01_03_00_03  for this to work,  if it is on a lower version, Message me and i'll give you another .GEL File.

Now even though the purpose of this post is not primarily to help you upgrade, i have included the files for convenience because everyone keeps asking "where are the files"  so here they ALL are in one place, Just download the file, Unzip it
and follow the instructions in each folder

Then i have 2 spreadsheets there so far.

- Capacitor Inventory and Test List
(For Accurately Testing E.S.R. on a capacitor) This is covered in the videos

- Inductance Value Calculator
(For establishing the value of an unknown inductor. This is a spreadsheet that Automates the math)
You're going to need to build a tank circuit to test the inductor
The formulae in this spreadsheet are password protected so you don't accidentally erase them
the password for the spreadsheet is   abc123  (go to REVIEW then UNPROTECT SHEET)

This is just for reference

NOW THE VIDEOS

CAUTION : This is not a quick video list, These video's take several hours to go through, As a result i have broken them up into subjects. I don't want to hear TLDR. You either want to learn how use your scope or you're happy to always stay on a basic level in which case this was not the scope for you, you should have paid $100 for a USB  Cheapy scope.

THESE VIDEOS ARE TO BENEFIT THOSE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT THEIR SCOPE AND TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF WHAT THEY HAVE PAID FOR. Expect to watch at least 5 Hours.

That aside, the videos are...

1. Intro -               17:57   54.7MB
(as the name states, it's an introduction , overview video)

2.Firmware Upgrade - 1hr: 3:05   182.4 MB
(In this video, before getting into the fun stuff i confirm that you've done everything problem. i run through the Firmware upgrade process and patching process, If you are having problems upgrading then this is the video you want to watch),
Use the Upgrade zip file with this video as a step by step walk through.

3. The Basics of DSO 1hr:19:28   311.0 MB
(In this video we start walking through the basics of using your scope by only covering basic concepts)
NOTE : For experienced users there will be features here that you are not aware of, so it's worth watching.

4. All the Settings   1hr 52:57    410.1 MB
(In this video we go through all the settings in MSO5000, A Step by Step walk through of everything)

5. ESR Spreadsheet   14:37  46.8 MB
(in this video i explain how to use the ESR Spreadsheet when testing capacitors)

6. Inductance Spreadsheet  5:54  18.4 MB
(In this video i explain how to use the spreadsheet to calculate the inductance of an unknown inductor)

7. Using Your Waveform Generator  1hr 17:57  - 262.5 MB
(This video goes into depth on how to use your Waveform Generator as well as practical examples of how to test components
while doing so )

8. Using a Crap AWG   15:27    90.4MB
(A Quick video to show the negative affects and reality of buying a cheap Signal Generator vs a better one
and spending more on it. Essentially proving it's not worth buying a cheap one if it doesn't give you what was promised)

9 How to Use Cursors on a Scope   2hrs  00:33   451.6 MB
(In this video i go into depth on how to user Cursors on an Oscilloscope and give several practical examples of where
they are useful )

10. Math and FFT  39:53  185.4 MB
(In this video i explain Math Functions on the scope and go into depth with F.F.T. )

THAT'S IT, THOSE 10 VIDEOS , I FEEL SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET ANYONE UP AND RUNNING WITH THEIR SCOPE

UPDATE - 2 Additional Videos have been added

11. MSO5000 vs DS2000A  14:23  97.5MB
(in this video i look at how a recent number of updates to the DS2000A has caused it to perform better vs the MSO5000)

12 . HELP Menu  197.5  1hr 11:21
(in this video we explore the internal Help Menu in full)

Any Questions, Let me know
BE COOL

[thorstormlord]

This is beyond EPIC.
Much appreciated.

[BTO]

This is beyond EPIC.
uch appreciated.

Thanks man i really appreciate that.
There's more videos to come but go through that now, bit by bit.
I've got around another 4 or 5 videos to record and edit and then it'll be done

The idea here
- Get everyone upgraded correctly
- Set the meter up properly , Post Upgrade
- Then , considering that it's a bloody expensive scope, LEARN HOW TO BLOODY USE IT   LOL

I've included Practical examples in the video of how to test components that beginners normally wouldn't know to do
such as Inductors and Xtal's , I've got stuff there where i contrast the features of the digital scope with an Analog CRO
so you guys can see the evolution of it and how it becomes easier.
I've then also integrated some spectrum analyzer stuff in there to make things clearer when it comes to thinking outside the box. this also helps when understanding FFT

I'm making a point of putting focus on cursor measurements and understanding how all that works
and some basic math functions

The idea here is that i give everyone a push in the right direction beyond the basics and give you some in depth knowledge
and after that the idea is that you guys will be able to troubleshoot further and learn more on your own and understand what you're looking at in your scope

so again, Thanks for the comment , Reallly appreciate it, wasn't sure how many people would actually go for listening to around 10 hours of tutorial on their scope
but hey.. it's got a lot of features, it can't be a 10min video

[Protegimus]

Massive thanks for this Martin!

[BTO]

Massive thanks for this Martin!

You're Welcome, I appreciate it,
I have around 2 more videos to do and then it'll be complete.
So far there are 7 Uploaded and ready

Also, Let me know if you guys have any ideas, Any questions about the scope that i missed.

[Martin72]

I had the scope a few years ago and am no longer quite up to date:
Is it still the case that you have to renew the hack as soon as you load new firmware onto the scope?
If so, then nothing has changed in the last 5 years...

[BTO]

I had the scope a few years ago and am no longer quite up to date:
Is it still the case that you have to renew the hack as soon as you load new firmware onto the scope?
If so, then nothing has changed in the last 5 years...

Not sure what you mean by "renew the hack"
Simply stated...
Your MSO5000 is likely going to come with Firmware version 01.03.00.03
it may also come with 01.03.02.02

so you have a firmware version that you will start on, In my case, i also got mine ages ago and i started on 01.03.00.03
if i recall.

From this version you can upgrade to the current version 01.03.03.00

All you have to do is (as per the video)
1. do 2 Backup
2. Do the upgrade to 350MHz and unlocking all the other options
3. Patch the firmware

that's it,

So... What's your deal

1. What Firmware version is your scope currently on ?
2. Do you want to upgrade it to the current version ?

If yes, I can help you, If no, then all good

But i don't know what you mean by , Renewing the hack.  Maybe it's better we don't use the word "Hack" but instead say
"Firmware Update" Now.. a firmware update is just software in the onboard chip.
once it's in there and it's the correct one, it's there and you don't need to do anything

The "Software Options" that are available are in the firmware and unlocakble.
The .GEL file combined with the patch unlocks them for you.
and once it's unlocked, (Unless you do something or the unit is badly faulty) it's in there permanently

Does that help ?

[BTO]

I had the scope a few years ago and am no longer quite up to date:
Is it still the case that you have to renew the hack as soon as you load new firmware onto the scope?
If so, then nothing has changed in the last 5 years...

Simply put, if you are on version 1.3.0.3 and you want upgrade You just need to

1. Go to the link in the first message
2. Download the zip file called Upgrading to 350MHz
3. Download only the 2nd video and watch it

it explains everything step by step

[BTO]

Just and FYI to Everyone,
All the videos are now edited and Uploaded, Hope you guys enjoy them.

These video's won't be available permanently as they take up a huge chunk of my online storage.
I imagine i'll keep them there for at least 1 month and then after that i'll decided what i want to do.

I will always keep the videos regardless, and perhaps after i remove them from the cloud, if people request it,
i can still upload it and give them access to it, But as it stands these videos are consuming approx 50GB of my Cloud storage.

Anyway, for now.... ENJOY

[KeBeNe]

I had the scope a few years ago and am no longer quite up to date:
Is it still the case that you have to renew the hack as soon as you load new firmware onto the scope?
If so, then nothing has changed in the last 5 years...

Hey Martin,

yes, you still have to use the patch after every update.

[thorstormlord]

Letw get this straight. You need to re patch after each update or you lose the options you added?
If so , them we should expect that the hack will be fixed at some point.
Finally I guess you can just return the scope to it's older self with the back and re hack it, keeping it in an older FW version.
Am I correct in my assumption?

[Protegimus]

You need to keep up Martin72, things have changed.
That said, applying the original update following a firmware update is very straightforward; not at all a bind and keeps the MSO5000 fully featured.

Back on topic - Martin, thanks for the additional videos man, will work through them.

[2N3055]

You need to keep up Martin72, things have changed.
That said, applying the original update following a firmware update is very straightforward; not at all a bind and keeps the MSO5000 fully featured.

Back on topic - Martin, thanks for the additional videos man, will work through them.

His question was not how easy it was.

With Rigol DS1000Z you applied the licenses and after that scope was unlocked and you didn't have to patch anything ever again, even if you loaded new firmware.
So his question was very on the topic, and he asked it because he wanted to keep up...

So answer to his question is : Yes, every time you load new firmware you need to patch up again, but process was made to be very easy, so it is not a problem. But you need to patch up every time,  it is not one time job as it was on a Z machine..

[Protegimus]

No, you have no relevance here.

Although hacking is mentioned in the title the purpose here is to share skills and information on how to use the very capable modified MSO5000 to its full potential.

For hacking (as you well know) you need to read the other thread and I'd recommend paying attention to posts from DrMefistO, especially Reply #2739. From those you will learn that the situation has changed and the scope can now be modified either way. Easily.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hacking-the-rigol-mso5000-series-oscilloscopes/2725/

...
So answer to his question is : Yes, every time you load new firmware you need to patch up again, but process was made to be very easy, so it is not a problem. But you need to patch up every time,  it is not one time job as it was on a Z machine..

[edit: lots more information from reply #2672 onward in the above linked thread]

[tv84]

No, you have no relevance here.

...

For hacking (as you well know) you need to read the other thread and I'd recommend paying attention to posts from DrMefistO, especially Reply #2739. From those you will learn that the situation has changed and the scope can now be modified either way. Easily.

What has no relevance here is this type of comment.

As you say, the title refers "post hacking" so a very reasonable question was made. And a very easy answer could have been posted. Patched or licensed, only that.

Some are already aware of DrMefistO licensing method BUT a few are also aware that writing with fixed offsets in the FRAM, as DrMefistO does, AFAIR, can lead to bad results. Not all MSO5000's FRAM structure are equal.

When someone posts the correct way to insert licenses into the FRAM then ALL will finally have the "easy" way for sure.

[thorstormlord]

I have tried to use the script and it failed for me deleting the add-ons o had form the bundle i had.
As I mentioned in
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hacking-the-rigol-mso5000-series-oscilloscopes/2750/
 I followed other instructions and everything when great having a fully powered mso5354 now. The question is which patch do I need to run to keep the scope supercharged and what is your assessment of the possibility of the patch being disabled in future fw updates

[BTO]

Letw get this straight. You need to re patch after each update or you lose the options you added?
If so , them we should expect that the hack will be fixed at some point.
Finally I guess you can just return the scope to it's older self with the back and re hack it, keeping it in an older FW version.
Am I correct in my assumption?

Here's my 2 cents

Re the patch after every update,   Right .... but how often do we update them ?
I've got a DS2000A , i think i've had it for 10 Years now,  Did the original update and unlocked all the options, Now, there is a current newer
version, do i need it... No not really

So on one hand it may be the case that we may need to, On the other (at least speaking for myself) who cares.
and another point, if we are going to talk about inconvenience....   THIS IS WHAT WE DO , We put effort into out scopes so we can have
these unlocked options and if that means say every 3 or 4 years having to do it again, why is that an issue.  and even if we decide now
that it has to be done, things may change in a few years anyway and it may or may not need it.

for me, i don't think we need to but even if we do, i don't see the big deal with it anyway.

[thorstormlord]

It's bo big deal that's for sure. I'm merely thinking about IF one should be careful.and maybe even get a backup pre upgrading just in case they decide to undo our hacking.
Tbh I don't think updating is needed unless some glaring issue arises.

[BTO]

You need to keep up Martin72, things have changed.
That said, applying the original update following a firmware update is very straightforward; not at all a bind and keeps the MSO5000 fully featured.

Back on topic - Martin, thanks for the additional videos man, will work through them.

1. RE "You need to keep up Martin72"
WHO IS MARTIN 72?

2. What things do i need to keep up with ?
I help people with these upgrades all the time, the last one was yesterday , then 2 days before that, i would assume that if i wasn't up
to date with something then the updates wouldn't have worked properly, But.. by all means tell me what i'm not up to date with or at
least point me to a post that shows where i left off and what i need to brush up on.

3. RE "That said, applying the original update following a firmware update is very straightforward; not at all a bind and keeps the MSO5000 fully featured."
True, but keep in mind My original post was not focussed on the actual update, the focus was on the fact that i noticed a lot of people
upgrade their scope then don't know what to do with the scope   
or... They kinda do but they don't really and they only end up with basic skills like , feeding in a signal, Looking at it , Changing vertical and
Horizonal controls and maybe putting the probes on an L.E.D. and not knowing much beyond that.

All the benefits of the scope seem to go out the window the math functions the reference features , FFT ,  deep nested offset features that
trick the person into something is wrong, phase adjustments, time saving features like loading a setup file, capturing waveforms for reference,
understanding decode, understanding L.A. etc etc
I have seen this behaviour with techs that i have trained in the past, in this example i refer to TV antenna and Satellite techs, whereby they have a spectrum analyzer, usually a RoverSAT and all they know how to do is to use the pre loaded profiles,  then.. the carrier changes frequency but the profile holds the old transponder settings and they sit their scratching their head.
They have this beast of a machine but don't know how to use it

so that was the focus of the 10 video's, Not so much the upgrade but how do we have fun after the upgrade and use it to it's fullest potential
and through the video tutorial process my hope is that it would open a lot of doors and open their minds to what is actually possible and do able.

and lastly
YOU'RE VERY WELCOME FOR THE VIDEO'S
In truth i'm happy that you guys are actually enjoying it, I wasn't sure to be honest, I thought to myself... Who the fuck is going to watch10 Hours of tutorial ,  I mean.. I would , but i do understand most people are not like me So i do GENUINELY appreciate that you guys are appreciating the videos and actually getting use out of it and as far as i'm concerned if no one else other than you guys and a few in the backround i think a total of around 15 now  get use out of these videos and no one ever looks at them again, it'll still be worth my time.

it's cool that you guys like the video's........... THANK YOU SINCERELY

[BTO]

No, you have no relevance here.

Although hacking is mentioned in the title the purpose here is to share skills and information on how to use the very capable modified MSO5000 to its full potential.

For hacking (as you well know) you need to read the other thread and I'd recommend paying attention to posts from DrMefistO, especially Reply #2739. From those you will learn that the situation has changed and the scope can now be modified either way. Easily.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hacking-the-rigol-mso5000-series-oscilloscopes/2725/

...
So answer to his question is : Yes, every time you load new firmware you need to patch up again, but process was made to be very easy, so it is not a problem. But you need to patch up every time,  it is not one time job as it was on a Z machine..

[edit: lots more information from reply #2672 onward in the above linked thread]

RE "No, you have no relevance here."
Who has not relevance here ?

RE "Although hacking is mentioned in the title the purpose here is to share skills and information on how to use the very capable modified MSO5000 to its full potential."
EXACTLY !!!  YOU GOT IT
The entire purpose here is to use the scope to it's fullest potential, Because sinced we forked out a pretty penny for it and it will very likely
be a scope that we'll have pretty much for the rest of our lives , Why not learn it in and out ?
and it's about knowledge and contrasting CRO's against DSO's and MSO's which i have purposely included in the video's for the benefit of those
that don't have a CRO and don't understand them. and i have purposely included some practical examples and tests that people can use
to think outside the box a little and i have included unusual tests that beginners would not think to do such as ...
How to test inductors (instead of throwing them away)
How to test a XTAL (so you can pull them out of circuit and test and use them)
and a few other things, pretty much just to get people to think outside of the box and understand the features of the scope and what is possible

I MENTIONED HACKING IN THE TITLE so that when a search is done to upgrade the scope , that the person will stumble upon this.
I INCLUDED THE UPGRADE PROCESS HERE so that just in case they didn't go to the hacking thread first, they could get it here as well
I INCLUDED THE LINKS TO THE ORIGINAL THREAD so that they could go there and know what it's all about

the hacking title was merely included for search indexing reasons.

[BTO]

No, you have no relevance here.

...

For hacking (as you well know) you need to read the other thread and I'd recommend paying attention to posts from DrMefistO, especially Reply #2739. From those you will learn that the situation has changed and the scope can now be modified either way. Easily.

What has no relevance here is this type of comment.

As you say, the title refers "post hacking" so a very reasonable question was made. And a very easy answer could have been posted. Patched or licensed, only that.

Some are already aware of DrMefistO licensing method BUT a few are also aware that writing with fixed offsets in the FRAM, as DrMefistO does, AFAIR, can lead to bad results. Not all MSO5000's FRAM structure are equal.

When someone posts the correct way to insert licenses into the FRAM then ALL will finally have the "easy" way for sure.

Fair comment , but let's put emphasis in the title on the word  POST Hacking.
Meaning, what you do with your scope AFTER you've hacked it

the idea of this post was
- Not actually how to hack the scope
- but have you applied the patch
- Do you know about VNC Viewer
- In which case do you have all the quick menu items
- Have you done a Self Cal
- Have you done a Self Check
- Have you setup your scope settings properly
- Have you saved those settings in a setup file
- Do you know the new features of the scope (the deeper nested features)
- Do you know how to use the scope in depth

The operative word here was  " POST " Hacking (what to do AFTER sorting the hacking out)

[BTO]

I have tried to use the script and it failed for me deleting the add-ons o had form the bundle i had.
As I mentioned in
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hacking-the-rigol-mso5000-series-oscilloscopes/2750/
 I followed other instructions and everything when great having a fully powered mso5354 now. The question is which patch do I need to run to keep the scope supercharged and what is your assessment of the possibility of the patch being disabled in future fw updates

Go to the MEGA cloud link i provided in the first post
In that drive you will see a folder called UPGRADING TO 350MHZ
In Step 3 You can apply the path
Copy those 3 files to a 4GB min USB stick and run Local Update

you just need to download that zip file and go to step 3 and do that, that's it

yes afterwards you can revert to an older version if you like.
Also FYI, i have had Absolutely NOT 1 PERSON fail with this process, If anything , people that have failed to upgrade their scopes have
succeeded with the method i provided.

let me know how it goes,  The zip file isn't large either, i'ts the video's that are huge

[thorstormlord]

Maybe i didn't phrase it correctly. Now the scope is full. Everything is as it should be. Calibrated etc too. All options activated. It's just that the script didn't work for me, the layered version you provide works fine

[BTO]

It's bo big deal that's for sure. I'm merely thinking about IF one should be careful.and maybe even get a backup pre upgrading just in case they decide to undo our hacking.
Tbh I don't think updating is needed unless some glaring issue arises.

I Agree, it's not a big deal, but in that zip file i told you to download you are also making a backup in step 1

Step 1is the backup part
Step 2 is the upgrade to unlock options and full bandwidth
Step 3 is the patch that gives you a few other options, Specifically the additional quick menu options so you can actually use your scope
using VNC Viewer remote software, without having to touch the scope at all.
the original quick menu has 15 or 16 items but doesn't have buttons like Acquire , Measure and so on.
the upgraded menu has 25 items

but as i said before, i have a DSO2000A that has been upgraded 10 years ago,  HAVEN'T HAD TO DO A SINGLE UPDATE.
there is now  a newer version and i'm asking myself, Why do i need to upgrade,  I'd be interested to know what's in the new version
because my 2000A is running like a champ
As far as i'm concerned with my DSO2000A  i made the right choice,  it out performed the DS1052E, it out performed the DS1054Z
(Granted it had 4 channels and built in Sig Gen) but seriously on a spec perspective, Mem depth , front end bandwidth and what not, what matters) my scope still outperformed that, over the years it has been a champ.

Only thing that went wrong (Prepare yourself,  put down your coffee if you have one)  it was once a few years ago on my table in the lounge.
my wife went to grab a bill where one part was under the scope (OH YES INDEED PROGRAMS) My wife pulled the bill out and the scope
went crashing to the floor (i know , i know, it broke my heart as well)

the rear left corner where that plastic vent mesh was smashed, but not the front panel part,
I called John South at Emona and GOOD TO KNOW, he ordered me a new back cover complete with stickers and new serial sticker.
other than that, never had a problem with it.  This thing fell from a hip high coffee table and still stayed in spec and kept kicking.

so as far as i'm concerned when we upgrade these scopes you don't really need to update it again UNLESS YOU NEED TO

[BTO]

Maybe i didn't phrase it correctly. Now the scope is full. Everything is as it should be. Calibrated etc too. All options activated. It's just that the script didn't work for me, the layered version you provide works fine

Fair enough,  Understood.
All i did was take the original process and just put it in 3 folders for each stage, and at the backup stage i just made folders to put the backups in,
and included a text file in each folder for each step to explain what to do .  Not really a big deal.  the process itself and the files are actually the originals though

I think most of the confusion came into play because most of the files are called .GEL files , even the backups  and people thought they could use... one file to rule them all, so to speak .
but, i'm glad it worked,   Now.. You can progress through the videos

Also don't forget

1. Do a self check (There are 3 tests to go through, Video Test, Button Test, Touch Digitizer test and calibration)
2. Do a self Cal
3. Restart the Scope

As for the setup configuration, You'll have to watch the video for that (it's too long to state here)