REVIEW - Rigol MSO5000. Tests, bugs, questions

[RobbiTobi]

Hi guys,

could anybody help me out on finding an encoder replacement part for my MSO5000?
I have a defective dented encoder which is annoying me so much 

Many thanks!

[AxeMan]

Hello MSO5000 users,

I have several questions which are not answered by the manual.

1. Is it possible to switch off the sinx/x interpolation to see the raw sampled data points on the display?

2. It is my first oscilloscope and the behavior of cursors is strange for me. On MSO5000 the cursors stays
on the screen when I change the timebase, so when two event is far from each other and if I would like to
measure the time difference between them, that needs both event on screen. The result of this that the
accuracy/resulolution low and based how accurate can I put the cursor to the even.

I use often logic analyzers where (during time measurement) the cursors stick to the point where I put them,
regadless the zoom or timescroll. I zoom in, put the cursor to the first event, zoom out, I find the second evet
zoom in and I put the cursor to the second event. That produces a precise time difference measurement.
It is possible to use the MSO5000 cursors on the same way?

It it usual that the oscilloscopes' cursors work that way or it is a MSO5000 specific?



I noticed that the software update rate of this scope quite slow. Worth to communicate the problem
towards Rigol, do they usually care of this inquries of the users?

I appreciate any response,
Thank you.

[ebastler]

1. Is it possible to switch off the sinx/x interpolation to see the raw sampled data points on the display?

See the chapter on "Display Control" in the manual. In the online copy I found, it's the first section of chapter 16, "Display Type".

It it usual that the oscilloscopes' cursors work that way or it is a MSO5000 specific?

It's certainly the standard behaviour of oscilloscope cursors to work in the screen region only; I am not sure whether some brands offer alternative modes. If you can use an automated measurement instead of cursor readout, that will typically take a lot of uncertainty away.

To precisely measure time delays between two events which you need to select manually, reading the delay time instead of using cursors may be more precise: Zoom in (on the time axis) onto the first event, position it e.g. on the central vertical grid line via the horizontal delay control, and take note of the Delay readout on the screen. (I.e. the time delay from trigger event to centered event.) Then repeat the same with the second event and take the difference of the two Delay times.

I noticed that the software update rate of this scope quite slow. Worth to communicate the problem towards Rigol, do they usually care of this inquries of the users?

You mean the response to user interactions like turning the position knobs? I'm afraid what we get there is the best the CPU can do. Compared to other DSOs it is "par for the course" -- not something to brag about, but some competiting scopes are doing worse.

Rigol is certainly aware of the limitations; but given how long the MSO5000 has been on the market, I would not expect that they can (and/or want to) improve this.

[2N3055]

Hello MSO5000 users,

I have several questions which are not answered by the manual.

1. Is it possible to switch off the sinx/x interpolation to see the raw sampled data points on the display?

2. It is my first oscilloscope and the behavior of cursors is strange for me. On MSO5000 the cursors stays
on the screen when I change the timebase, so when two event is far from each other and if I would like to
measure the time difference between them, that needs both event on screen. The result of this that the
accuracy/resulolution low and based how accurate can I put the cursor to the even.

I use often logic analyzers where (during time measurement) the cursors stick to the point where I put them,
regadless the zoom or timescroll. I zoom in, put the cursor to the first event, zoom out, I find the second evet
zoom in and I put the cursor to the second event. That produces a precise time difference measurement.
It is possible to use the MSO5000 cursors on the same way?

It it usual that the oscilloscopes' cursors work that way or it is a MSO5000 specific?



I noticed that the software update rate of this scope quite slow. Worth to communicate the problem
towards Rigol, do they usually care of this inquries of the users?

I appreciate any response,
Thank you.

On Siglent touch scope series you can do exactly that but in zoom mode:
You capture long, enable zoom, go to first event and position cursor there while magnified, go to the other event, do the same, and you have full accuracy.

Maybe MSO5000 can do something similar?

[Verticon]

Hello MSO5000 users,

I have my MSO5000 already several years but these days I used it the first time in "power analysis" mode in order to measure power factor etc. and observed a problem where I wonder if its a bug or if I am not able to use the scope reasonably. Unfortunately the manual is here not very helpful. When I connect e.g. a 1kHz sine signal to both channels 1 and 2 the "Measure" function window shows the correct phase difference of about zero. On the other hand the "power analysis" window shows roughly 7 degrees difference. This is independant if I change the frequency or amplitude of the signal.

The same behaviour shows up when I use 2 identical signals from the internal awgs with a zero phase difference. The strange thing is when I increase the phase difference of awg 2 from 0 to e.g. 40 degree both function windows show the identical value of roughly 40 degrees. It seems that the 7 degrees is not a simple offset but it successively decreases by increasing phase difference between the two channels.

The pictures below show the described behaviour. First picture with phase difference 0 and the 2nd with 40 degrees.

Has anybody made a similar experience or an explanation for this behaviour? I am sorry to say but with this behaviour the power analysis is useless. Only thing I can do is to write a python script and use the "Measure" values.

[core]

I tried it myself, with the internal generator but also with an external generator.
I tried different waveforms, amplitude and DC offset.
The results are the same, below 20 degrees the errors are getting bigger and bigger.
Below about 7 degrees it doesn't decrease regardless of the settings.
Doesn't inspire much confidence.