Products > Test Equipment
SIGLENT SDS1102CML - First Impressions
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Fay:

--- Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on May 15, 2013, 08:25:50 pm ---Nice review and great pictures! Saves me doing one for my Siglent SDS1102CNL (which is the same the CML minus the large 2M memory).


--- Quote ---The probes feel a little cheap and fragile
--- End quote ---

Yes, the probes are really very cheap and flimsy, and probably won't survive long. I guess for all the money they put into the scope to make it good for that price they probably had to cut corners somewhere. But good standard probes (ie Testec) aren't that expensive so I don't think this is a major issue.

Aside from the problems you already mentioned, I also found some idiocracy in their logic for the RUN/STOP and SINGLE button. If you press RUN/STOP the scope stops its acquisition cycle as expected. But if you press RUN/STOP again it only does a single sweep. You have to actually press SINGLE to get the scope going again.

Maybe we should collect all the issues and then pester Siglent together for them to fix the problems.

--- End quote ---

Great idea!
bluey:
Thanks for posting on this scope. Looking at getting my first.

Haven't found a teardown, but this video  review seems like a manufacturer sponsored teardown.


Compared to Rigol DS1052E http://www.eevblog.com/2009/10/12/eevblog-37-rigol-ds1052e-oscilloscope-teardown/ which seems well regarded around here, the Siglent looks to have near identical main board with same component manufacturers - at least the few that a are visible and very similar power supply. The  Siglent has white ?silicone around the power supply components, which the Rigol does not. Siglent also has a cable tie on the left rear of the case securing the ribbon cable from main board to the power supply. Perhaps this helps with calibration stability? These two details are also present on photos of LeCroy scope I saw.

Siglent has downloadable service manual, which Rigol does not that I can find.

The only indications I have seen of cheap/nastiness so far are wrong brand logotype on the LCD screen and comments on cheap probes.

I guess there might be cooperation or intellectual property sharing or generic board design/manufacturing sponsored by the chipmakers to help lower the costs of the low-end machines. Perhaps it's a government sponsored strategy to gain market domination??? Amazing that all these DSO companies have risen from nothing in the late 1990s. While they have a steep learning curve, being OEMs for major old-world companies gives them signficant access to knowledge which they will be able to use in pursuit of market domination.
bluey:
Have just got my SDS1102CML build 2013-05-18. Same firmware and hardware as first post. Still learning to use it.

Bugs so far:
English instruction manual is underbaked - poor quality english in parts and a bit confusing in parts.
No packing list to check.
Probe instructions aren't clear that the adjusting screwdriver is included.
Instructions don't describe software or installation.

Note that the EasyScopeX on the included CD does not have NI-VISA drivers which are needed for it to work. Finding out this required a web search. http://siglent.freeforums.org/siglent-easyscopex-pc-software-for-oscilloscopes-t44.html Rigol Ultrascope download includes NI-VISA runtime 3.4MB. Siglent requires a download of NI-VISA from National Instruments. http://www.ni.com/visa/  Site navigation is poor - clicking Downloads brings up a huge list. I went for the first one which is a full version 700MB. Probably could have used the runtime version 7MB - separate downloads for Windows and Linux but you  have to open the page to see which one you have got. Present NI-VISA is 5.3.

I had previously downloaded Tektronics OpenChoice software to play with. At about 500MB, guessing it also comes with a full version of NI-VISA rather than the runtime.


David Aurora:
Got the same scope yesterday. Not really sure how I feel about it yet to be honest. Here's my first impressions as they spring to mind.

- This thing just feels painfully slow. To use an analogy that'll probably start a flame war, it's like using Windows when you're used to Macs. I'm used to turning on the CRO, plugging something in and looking at it. It's that simple. Unplug and you see the spike. Add a load and see the effect instantly. And so on. Whereas on this thing you can pretty much go get a cup of coffee or learn to yodel waiting to see the screen update. Ok, maybe that's a tad dramatic. But it's slow enough to really put you off, as a new user there's that split second of doubt on every measurement where you start wondering if you actually connected the damn circuit or if you're in the wrong mode or something. But from what I've seen that's somewhat normal to a degree with DSO's so maybe I'm expecting too much.

- Yep, the manual is atrocious. There's some truly classic Chinglish in there though and I'm a huge fan of that artform. I've just been exploring the menus and working things out for myself, and if you know how to use a scope already it doesn't seem like rocket science to find things. I've probably played around with the thing for an hour total between last night and today and I feel like I know where everything is now within submenus and how to adjust things.

- I don't like how the Auto function turns on both channels automatically. Maybe I'm missing a workaround, but the only way I've found to avoid it is to physically disconnect the second probe. If I've got channel 2 turned off and hit auto, in my brain it means I want channel 1 up and running, not a split screen of my signal and low level noise from an unused probe.

- Did I mention how painfully slow it is?

- Menu gets stuck a lot. It'll be halfway between sliding on screen or off and just stop there until you press a button to remind it where it's supposed to be.

- Buttons and knobs feel fine, no probs there.

- It isn't obscenely loud, no worse than other stuff on my bench.


More to come when I do some actual work on it later today, I'm sure...
Siglent:

--- Quote from: bluey on June 25, 2013, 01:22:00 am ---Have just got my SDS1102CML build 2013-05-18. Same firmware and hardware as first post. Still learning to use it.

Bugs so far:
English instruction manual is underbaked - poor quality english in parts and a bit confusing in parts.
No packing list to check.
Probe instructions aren't clear that the adjusting screwdriver is included.
Instructions don't describe software or installation.

Note that the EasyScopeX on the included CD does not have NI-VISA drivers which are needed for it to work. Finding out this required a web search. http://siglent.freeforums.org/siglent-easyscopex-pc-software-for-oscilloscopes-t44.html Rigol Ultrascope download includes NI-VISA runtime 3.4MB. Siglent requires a download of NI-VISA from National Instruments. http://www.ni.com/visa/  Site navigation is poor - clicking Downloads brings up a huge list. I went for the first one which is a full version 700MB. Probably could have used the runtime version 7MB - separate downloads for Windows and Linux but you  have to open the page to see which one you have got. Present NI-VISA is 5.3.

I had previously downloaded Tektronics OpenChoice software to play with. At about 500MB, guessing it also comes with a full version of NI-VISA rather than the runtime.

--- End quote ---

 EasyScopeX

The following is EasyScopeX Installation Instructions: (you could look the file "EasyScopeXEN.chm")
System Requirements

1. NET framework 3.5 SP1

The application you are installing requires the Microsoft .NET framework version 3.5 to run. You can download the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 package directly from Microsoft. This is a small 3 MB download with just the .NET framework installer. When you run it, the installer downloads the actual framework components that need to be installed on your computer. Once you've installed the .NET framework, you can continue installing the application.

If you plan to install version 3.5 of the .NET framework on a large number of computers, you can also download the full package of the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. This 231 MB download comes directly from Microsoft. The small 3 MB installer likely needs to download much less than this, depending on what is already present on your computer.

2. Ni-Visa

The application you are installing requires the NI-VISA to run. You can download the NI-VISA package directly from http://www.ni.com/visa. at the bottom of the web, you will see the “Also see”, then click the “Downloads” option, you will get what you want. Once you've installed the NI-VISA, you can continue installing the application.

3. Window XP(32 bits) or Windows Vista(32 bits/64 bits) or Windows 7(32 bits/64 bits)

4. Net Framework was installed on the machine when installing Windows 7(64 bits) or Windows Vista(64 bits), follow next steps to use it:
       a. Open control panel, select Uninstall Program.
       b. Select Open or Close Windows Functions in the new window.
       c. Check Microsoft .Net Framework in the Windows Functions Dialog box? click OK button.

NI-VISA

The drive of EasyScopex is used a commom driver- the NI-VISA driver. (If using special driver, we can  pack it into a CD drive, but in fact it is not advisable to )

Rigol using "NIVISARuntime.msi" driver

we are  verifing the driver, if  it is passed, the new  installation instructions and driver will be updated

Probe

The probe instructions is put into the package bag?which including usage instructions.
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