EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Products => Test Equipment => Topic started by: newtekuser on August 11, 2021, 02:53:20 pm
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Hi All,
This is my first scope I bought on ebay auction for cheap, it was sold as working but I don't think it is. After receiving my p5050 probe, I turned on the scope, let it warm up for 20 mins then hooked up the probe to the terminals used for compensation and channel 1, hit the AUTOSET button and waited for a waveform to show up on the LCD.
The only thing I get is noise regardless if I adjust the small screw on the probe itself, there's no difference in the waveform regardless of the direction I turn the screw.
To troubleshoot, I hooked up my trusty multimeter to the compensation terminals on the front and only read 0.49v instead of the ~1v that is written on it. I am assuming the acquisition board may be faulty? (I'm assuming again that this terminal is coming from the acquisition board).
I understand these scopes are sold as scrap and this was a long shot anyway as this is the second scope TDS5054 I'm returning (the first one made loud screeching noises upon start so I returned it). I know, I'm a sucker for tek scopes as I see them at work all the time (I am a SW guy by trade and training, but work for a major semiconductor company and walk by HW labs pretty frequently)
What do you think about the probe compensation issue, am I missing anything critical here, or maybe the 0.49v signal is acceptable (though I doubt it) and I have a faulty probe?
Also, all scope diagnostics pass, including SPC and scope doesn't make any funny noises except for the clicks from the acquisition board when adjusting settings.
I hooked up the probe to a 9v battery and I do see a signal but I have to set the scale to lowest mV setting to see details.
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Welcome to the forum.
Dud probe IMO and as a sanity check you can just use a piece of wire for a channel connection to the probe compensation output.
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Thanks tautech!
I did run a wire from the CH1 to the compensation output and I do see a square wave. I suppose a bad probe then.
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Thanks tautech!
I did run a wire from the CH1 to the compensation output and I do see a square wave. I suppose a bad probe then.
OK cool so for you as a scope novice just get some cheap probes from eBay for now until you need start chasing any HF stuff.
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That's really good to know :-+ much appreciated