Products > Test Equipment
Rigol DHO814 or Siglent SDS1104X-U
hwasti:
--- Quote from: tautech on October 28, 2024, 06:47:25 am ---And yet you've been battling away with an ancient TDS210.....a horrible POS in my opinion that was made to a low price point.
--- End quote ---
The TDS210 worked well enough and has been absolutely reliable for 30 years. I have no complaints. If memory serves me, I paid about $1,200 for it back in the day. And yes, TDS210 and TDS212 were the most basic entry level digital scopes from any manufacturer in their day in the mid 90's. Again, if I remember correctly, all other options were over $10K.
It has been good enough for 95% of what I do at home, though the number has been getting smaller over time and much smaller recently. For the rest, I drag home what I need from the office. It is a pain, figuratively and literally, but is a workable solution.
The most basic option is to just buy a 2 channel 70MHz scope and continue what I am doing. After that, as I increase capabilities, I can increase the percentage I can do at home without needing to lug anything home to 99% or 99.9% or higher. But I will not spend enough cash to get to 100% (replicate everything at the office). The question for me is where I want to draw the line.
Decisions, decisions, decisions....
One interesting thing is that no one has even recommended anything Rigold. Have all the Rigold partisans been banished or do they not work weekends? :) :)
tautech:
--- Quote from: hwasti on October 28, 2024, 07:54:15 am ---
--- Quote from: tautech on October 28, 2024, 06:47:25 am ---And yet you've been battling away with an ancient TDS210.....a horrible POS in my opinion that was made to a low price point.
--- End quote ---
The TDS210 worked well enough and has been absolutely reliable for 30 years. I have no complaints. If memory serves me, I paid about $1,200 for it back in the day. And yes, TDS210 and TDS212 were the most basic entry level digital scopes from any manufacturer in their day in the mid 90's. Again, if I remember correctly, all other options were over $10K.
It has been good enough for 95% of what I do at home, though the number has been getting smaller over time and much smaller recently. For the rest, I drag home what I need from the office. It is a pain, figuratively and literally, but is a workable solution.
--- End quote ---
And their lies your dilemma......you need experience what modern low cost DSO's can now offer.
It's a different world to even a decade ago.
--- Quote ---The most basic option is to just buy a 2 channel 70MHz scope and continue what I am doing. After that, as I increase capabilities, I can increase the percentage I can do at home without needing to lug anything home to 99% or 99.9% or higher. But I will not spend enough cash to get to 100% (replicate everything at the office). The question for me is where I want to draw the line.
--- End quote ---
SDS804X HD provides a good bit more BW than 70 MHz....for which I need get one out and find the -3dB point although I'm sure someone has already
--- Quote ---Decisions, decisions, decisions....
--- End quote ---
Let the threads here guide you.
ebastler:
--- Quote from: hwasti on October 28, 2024, 07:54:15 am ---The most basic option is to just buy a 2 channel 70MHz scope and continue what I am doing. After that, as I increase capabilities, I can increase the percentage I can do at home without needing to lug anything home to 99% or 99.9% or higher. But I will not spend enough cash to get to 100% (replicate everything at the office). The question for me is where I want to draw the line.
Decisions, decisions, decisions....
--- End quote ---
I would definitely recommend a 12-bit scope, 4 channels, touch screen. Whether you buy 70 MHz and "unlock" it to 100 or 200 MHz via the software keys, or buy the official higher-spec'd model, will depend on your budget and moral stance. ;)
While the form factor of the DHO800 and SDS800X-HD series is the same as on your trusty TDS210, it's worth mentioning that the screen resolution is higher and the details and font size are smaller. If you have not had the opportunity to sit in front of one of these scopes, try to get access to one to see whether you can comfortably read the screen. You might find that the (unfortunately somewhat disproportionate) surcharge for a 10" scope is justified.
Regarding the "Rigol vs. Siglent" debate: Siglent is ahead if you want to use advanced analysis features and FFT. Rigol is ahead regarding the learning curve -- their UI typically shows all relevant settings in a large dialog overlaid on the screen, where Siglent relies on side menus which may be nested or scrollable to present all required settings. On the other hand, Rigol wastes a bit too much screen space (for my taste) on graphical gimmicks in the 8" models -- they did not do a great job scaling the UI from the 10" scopes where it made its debut to the 8" series.
Again, it would be ideal if you could take both scopes out for a quick spin. If that's not possible, at least look at some Youtube videos and illustrations in the brochures. Some people hate the Rigol UI, considering it too playful and gimmicky; others dislike Siglent and feel that it looks old-fashioned and drab to them.
You mention "the office" for comparison. What scopes do you or your colleagues use there?
hwasti:
--- Quote from: ebastler on October 28, 2024, 08:17:27 am ---...to see whether you can comfortably read the screen. You might find that the (unfortunately somewhat disproportionate) surcharge for a 10" scope is justified.
--- End quote ---
That is one of the reasons I had put the Rigol as the first choice. They have HDMI output and I have plenty of 17" to 27" monitors gathering dust that can be mounted above the bench. That said, such a setup makes using the touchscreen very impractical. It will work only if the user interface allows most everyday tasks to be done using knobs or buttons.
At the office we have exclusively Tektronics, nothing newer than 10 years ago.
You have a very good point about the user interface being a make or break issue. I had not put it up as high as I should have on the priority list.
Getting back to Rigol vs Siglent, is there a major difference in reliability?
Thanks.
ebastler:
--- Quote from: hwasti on October 28, 2024, 08:49:20 am ---Getting back to Rigol vs Siglent, is there a major difference in reliability?
--- End quote ---
Hardware-wise, I don't think so. The fundamental construction is very similar: single PCB, forced air cooling. Rigol uses an external USB-C power supply in the DHO800, which some users like (flexibility!) and others dislike (clutter!). I don't recall a significant number of reports on hardware failures for either brand.
Software-wise, both the DHO800 and SDS800X-HD series are in a "fully usable, with some minor glitches" state. Siglent is probably slightly ahead at the moment -- Rigol was about to catch up, but had to pull the most recent firmware update because it had nasty side effects under certain circumstances. Once they get that update out of the door, I'd say that both scopes can be considered to work "as designed", and the bigger question is whether you like the design.
Good point about the HDMI output. It's a pity that Siglent does not offer that, although driving the scope via its web interface is a viable option. I use that a lot to capture screen shots and paste them right into the notes I'm writing, or to check on a long-term measurement from the living room. When I am in front of the scope I do tend to look at the small screen though, which has a higher update rate.
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