Products > Test Equipment
The worst products from HP and Tektronix.
vk6zgo:
--- Quote from: RotatingNut on June 06, 2023, 02:28:22 pm ---
--- Quote from: tryode on May 27, 2023, 10:05:13 pm ---If we talk about scopes... I would add here HP54601A, it is claimed to be a 4 x 100MHz scope but it's sampling rate is only 20MS/s :palm: and it has about 4k of memory.
--- End quote ---
The sampling rate of the HP54600 series is rather poor (even with random repetitive sampling) and the 4kpts of memory are also relatively low (keeping in mind that contemporary digitising oscilloscopes like the Tek 2430 only had 1kpts), but despite all of that, they are a joy to use, relatively easy to work on and quite robust. Typical failure points are two vertical stage CRT caps and the Dallas NVRAM (both easy enough to replace/upgrade).
HP specifically designed the 54600 to introduce analog scope users to digitising ones at a reasonable price while offering a familiar interface.
Not trying to be an HP shill, but I think the 54600 series is far from being one of their worst products.
--- End quote ---
That demonstrates the arrogance of both HP & Tek, when they were pushing their early DSOs.
Although the interfaces were clunky in many such instruments, it was not an "unfamiliar interface", but the poor performance in real world scenarios that put people who normally used analog 'scopes to look at signals like analog video off DSOs.
The attitude was "You are just used to using obsolete methods---get with the future".
Being told that the horrific mess of aliasing on the screen was an equally viable way of displaying the information was insulting to people who used Oscilloscopes every day as part of their job, turning off many who had been enthusiastic about digital instruments.
It seems that was the beginning of the dominance of Sales over Engineering at both companies.
coppercone2:
I think its pretty insane to just re write the visual language of the electrical world.
IMO its kind of like pushing for a language change, grunts, faces and hand waving, when people are used to latin. The amsuing part is that like doctors of science were effected. I find it amusing if they switched a surgeons language set to grunts and hand motions. Is he talking about the spleen or a kidney?!
I tried to do a XY plot on a cheap DSO. I felt like I was working with some malfunctioned bullshit. The standard offering is basically something you see on star trek consoles after they get by disruptor fire. Spock might feel like dealing with that bull shit if the warp core is about to explode and it killed the previous operator. Did someone throw a pound of LSD into the ventilation system?
rvalente:
Agilent U1602B, piece of junk:
Slow CPU
Terrible rubber silicone Keyboard, gotta press really hard to switch.
Worst case material in history, brittle polymer, would break at any load.
bixbyru:
Please remember that at the time it was introduced, the 500 stuff was leading edge.
Yes, it should have been put out to pasture before the first moon landing, but in the 50s and early 60s it was something else.
coppice:
--- Quote from: vk6zgo on June 06, 2023, 11:54:47 pm ---
--- Quote from: RotatingNut on June 06, 2023, 02:28:22 pm ---
--- Quote from: tryode on May 27, 2023, 10:05:13 pm ---If we talk about scopes... I would add here HP54601A, it is claimed to be a 4 x 100MHz scope but it's sampling rate is only 20MS/s :palm: and it has about 4k of memory.
--- End quote ---
The sampling rate of the HP54600 series is rather poor (even with random repetitive sampling) and the 4kpts of memory are also relatively low (keeping in mind that contemporary digitising oscilloscopes like the Tek 2430 only had 1kpts), but despite all of that, they are a joy to use, relatively easy to work on and quite robust. Typical failure points are two vertical stage CRT caps and the Dallas NVRAM (both easy enough to replace/upgrade).
HP specifically designed the 54600 to introduce analog scope users to digitising ones at a reasonable price while offering a familiar interface.
Not trying to be an HP shill, but I think the 54600 series is far from being one of their worst products.
--- End quote ---
That demonstrates the arrogance of both HP & Tek, when they were pushing their early DSOs.
Although the interfaces were clunky in many such instruments, it was not an "unfamiliar interface", but the poor performance in real world scenarios that put people who normally used analog 'scopes to look at signals like analog video off DSOs.
The attitude was "You are just used to using obsolete methods---get with the future".
Being told that the horrific mess of aliasing on the screen was an equally viable way of displaying the information was insulting to people who used Oscilloscopes every day as part of their job, turning off many who had been enthusiastic about digital instruments.
It seems that was the beginning of the dominance of Sales over Engineering at both companies.
--- End quote ---
HPs first digital oscilloscopes were a mix of things that looked and felt like traditional analogue oscilloscopes and things that looked and felt like a logic analyser. I loved the logic analyser style ones, but they sunk without trace so badly in the market its hard to even find references to them on the internet. So, they played up the products real engineers put real money into.
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