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Products => Test Equipment => Topic started by: whalphen on July 26, 2016, 12:41:28 pm

Title: Signal Generator on MSO2202A
Post by: whalphen on July 26, 2016, 12:41:28 pm
I've narrowed my selection of a scope to the Rigol MSO2202A or the MSO2202A-S.  The -S model has the signal source.  I'm still trying to decide if the -S is worth the extra cost.  Can anyone tell me if the signal generator can provide sweep output?
Title: Re: Signal Generator on MSO2202A
Post by: whalphen on August 03, 2016, 03:09:11 pm
I've done some more investigation on this question.  It appears that the signal source can be setup to sweep frequencies by using the FM option and setting the deviation to cover the range of interest.
Title: Re: Signal Generator on MSO2202A
Post by: nugglix on August 04, 2016, 03:20:52 pm
Hi!

As a MSO2102A-S owner I can't recommend the -S option.
Onyl if you really need everything in one device or have extremely limited space
this option would make sense.

The poor man's sweep is possible, but the usefulness depends on what frequencies
you want to work. The usability isn't the best too. The manual can't show that in
detail, but if you need to change values often it's starts to become a pain.

Save the money and a little more and get a real 2 channel sig-gen.
You'll probably buy it anyway in the future (I did).


Cheers
  Guido
Title: Re: Signal Generator on MSO2202A
Post by: CustomEngineerer on August 04, 2016, 10:40:53 pm
As a DS2072A-S owner, I completely agree with everything nugglix said. I ended up getting a real generator less than a year after getting the scope because I was tired of having to keep switching between controlling the scope or the builtin generator. Even one of the cheap FeelTech signal generators would be better than using the built one.

Edit: The only times I would recommend getting the builtin generator is if you don't have the space on your bench for a separate generator, or you need an all-in-one instrument to take onsite somewhere else.