Products > Test Equipment
Using (and living with) Siglent SDS1000X-E Series Oscilloscopes
(1/15) > >>
SimonM:
Another new topic? I think it is good to separate out different topics so that we don't go too much off-topic.

This is about using (not buying, choosing, or comparing the SDS1000X-E Series Oscilloscope with other scopes).

It is about owning and living with a Siglent Scope for Home/Hobby/Enthusiast (HHE) Users e.g. someone who isn't necessarily owning/using the scope to derive their income. Other scopes are availableTM...

If most HHE OWners/Users are like me, they will evaluate their needs and buy only one of the scopes based upon how they want to use it. I would be the first to admit that I sometimes overestimate my needs and I'm fine with that - so I don't need to be reminded that I perhaps "got it wrong" and could have gone in a different direction by buying several pieces of equipment and "saving money". That's not to say that I'm not interested in how it goes with one of the other scopes in the series or how to do things in different ways. Because they are different and I can't afford to just buy them all, I am very interested in knowing more about all the scopes in the series that can be used (owned and lived with) and how they differ slightly, although I suspect that they are more similar than different.

The version I have is the SDS1000X-E 4-channel, 100MHz, Dual 1 GSa/s, Quad 500 Ms/s scope. Other versions have variations on this, with fewer channels or higher bandwidth, and these are the first (entry) series of digital oscilloscopes from Siglent. I'm not starting this topic because I have an issue with the scope and I don't have buyer's remorse. My impression is that Siglent does a nice job and creates an excellent piece of kit that will be very useful.

With the scope, you also get four 100MHz probes, the UK distributor includes a UK power cord and there is also a European cord in the box. There is a simple Quick Start Guide and on the web other resources available e.g. https://www.siglenteu.com/resources and https://www.siglenteu.com/service-and-support/ . The manufacturer's production (certification) date is from a few months ago and not surprisingly it has the latest firmware already installed. The products were initially released about three years ago and more recent versions have been released including the newer SDS1000X-U. I like the fact that the Firmware also has Release Notes, so you can decide if an update is really required and also learn about additional features they added. For my series of scope, there are 15 versions of Firmware (current and historical) but closer inspection shows that there are the current and four previous versions for this 4-channel version. There is also one version of the Operating System separately downloadable. The Firmware for the 2-channel was separated out and there is also Firmware for some of the Series' optional extras. As a "newbie" I don't want too much choice, but I do like to see the history, so what's there (in one place) is OK (good).

The main downloadable resources are a User Manual covering 1000X-E and 1000X-U and a Service Manual covering the 2-channel and 4-channel scopes. There is also a Programming Guide and some software which I haven't looked at. Being a bit "nerdy" I read the spec sheet in conjunction with the downloadable User Manual and the Service Manual before deciding to buy the scope. If you aren't "nerdy" then there is no need to look at the Service Manual but it has the advantage of letting you "look inside" without needing to remove the cover - mine had a holographic sticker that prevents prodding around! at first glance, the scopes all look similar but the position of the I/O in the User Manual hints at differences and the Service Manual shows that the layouts are a bit different e.g. placement of the PSU, the fan, and the mainboard being horizontal (2-channel) or vertical (4-channel).

Setting up the scope means plugging it in, attaching the four probes, and calibrating the probes to the scope. each probe comes with light-colored markers for the BNC and the probe to match the yellow, magenta, green, and blue controls, and display trace color. I calibrated the four probes after the unit was powered up with each probe attached and with the colored bands swapped on three of the probes (it may not matter) and with 10X selected on probe and scope. Worth noting is that the 4-channels are matched with four identical probes, so there is no immediate need to go out and (be compelled to) buy additional "stuff", at least when starting out.

Scope Calibration
The scope calibration is something that makes sense to do after the scope has reached a stable operating temperature and before the probe calibration is finalized. It isn't something to do last minute and the whole procedure is time-consuming. It's not simply a "press the button" and wait two minutes. It does a good job of calibrating, although it takes some time - best get a coffee or something.

Probe Calibration
The calibration waveforms to me look either square (when correctly setup) or needing adjustment with overshoot/undershoot (as supplied) that is symmetrical e.g. needing the same correction for the top or bottom. The "nerdy" part of me says this needs to be "spot on", so careful adjustment and close inspection (this might not be absolutely essential). I used the Auto Setup for each probe in turn and adjusted the Horizontal Timebase to show one cycle and a bit. Pressing the Channel button brings up soft menus above the horizontal buttons with the option to set the scope to 10X but also to invert the waveform. It may be obvious, but inverting the waveform also means that the Vertical adjustment can be used to zoom in and for the bottom of the waveform to remain in the same position. Put simply, there is no need to reposition the trace vertically. If all the channels are active, each channel overlays the previous one, which might be confusing, and "zooming in" is possible because there is no detectable DC offset. 

Attention - read what is on the screen
It may sound obvious, but it is worth reading what is displayed on the screen. An example is using the Utility Menu to check the Firmware level. When it says:
--- Quote ---Press the "Single" button to exit
--- End quote ---
That is exactly what it means. Pressing buttons and rotary controls have no effect until you do press the "Single" button that is with the Trigger Controls on the RHS. Pressing any other button isn't the same! So, the scope hasn't "locked up" and there is no need to cycle the power button unnecessarily. Pressing and holding a button in for two seconds will bring up the Help. It's still a good idea to read the manual e.g. to know that this Help "feature" exists, but this helps too...

With audible feedback (or not)
Perhaps one of the first tasks on getting a new scope is to decide if the "audible" beep is something you want. I decided I could do without it. Putting the scope back to "defaults" can be changed as well. The scope can be restored to "defaults' which can be controlled by the User and there is also a factory default as well.  Because I want to return to "my default", I have the sound turned off and all four channels identically setup, 10X scope/probe, non-inverted DC - that's what made sense to me.

There have been previous topics for this family of scopes, so a lot has been said about it in the past and no need to repeat all that. For a new user, I thought it has some value to look at what you get today when starting out. FWIW, I'm a "newbie" to DSOs. So that's it for now.

Simon
SimonM:

--- Quote from: SimonM on June 18, 2021, 02:45:31 pm ---This is about using (not buying, choosing, or comparing the SDS1000X-E Series Oscilloscope with other scopes).

It is about owning and living with a Siglent Scope for Home/Hobby/Enthusiast (HHE) Users e.g. someone who isn't necessarily owning/using the scope to derive their income. Other scopes are availableTM...
--- End quote ---

USB ports (front) and (back)
It's the advancing years - I may be getting a bit slow (and gray-haired), but...

My 4-channel SDS1104X-E scope has two USB ports (for memory sticks) one on the front and also one on the back. The internals (according to the Service Manual at least) have internal shielding that will (probably) affect the WiFi direction/range if I plug the (EEVblog suggested TL-WN725N) dongle into the rear USB port. It had me thinking that, although the two USB ports are intended to be used for a USB stick (front) and WiFi dongle (back), they are probably the same and are "interchangeable".

Whilst it makes sense to put the USB stick in the front so that it can be easily removed to take to a computer, for me it makes more sense to keep a USB stick in the back. So that it's always "ready" and I haven't got to search for one. Normal operation is to transfer info back to the computer... I have a small USB stick that is a similar size to the Siglent Wifi dongle, so I doubt the airflow from the fan is altered by switching the use around. So now, when I have something interesting to record, I don't have to hunt down a FAT32 formatted stick - because it's already with the scope. With some of the longer USB sticks, I know that having one in the front will someday be a mechanical (leverage) issue, and being "tucked away" around the corner helps.

LAN cable
I do have a 25' long LAN cable and I wanted to connect the scope (in one room) to my fixed computer (in another room across a hallway) using the cable. Whilst it works, I'm mindful that it's not exactly HSE compliant and the last thing I want is for someone else to nudge the scope or computer onto the floor (or trip up, btw). There may be arguments for using a LAN cable and not WiFi but for this, it makes sense to at least try the WiFi option before it's a trip hazard. If finding a small USB stick is a problem, trying to remember where a WiFi dongle is (they seem designed to be lost), means that I ordered a 2nd (inexpensive) TL-WN725N from Amazon.

Operation with a PC
I have an iMac for normal use and a dedicated laptop with Windows for another use. I don't like to mix the two. I will be using the Windows software for the scope and I use VMWare Fusion to run Windows Applications alongside Mac Apps. That's one of the things on my list to try and experience says it should work just as well on the Mac. Having access to the machine remotely via a web browser is a "neat trick" because it's not operating system dependent, but for using the scope, the Windows S/W seems to be essential. Overall, the scope greatly exceeds my needs and works great!

Simon
tautech:
Random bits reply......

Installing options generated online by whatever means is so much easier when the scope is connected to a PC of any flavor if instead of EasyScopeX you use the inbuilt webserver. Copy/Paste> Enter, yes it's that simple !

To configure the scope for the webserver unless you know your LAN IP you need turn ON DCHP and let your modem assign an IP for the scope to use or better still have a known block of IP addresses reserved for instruments maybe even on their own subnet.
When LAN or a WiFi connection is enabled just enter the scopes IP into your PC browser and if all is well you will arrive at the scopes Welcome page where you can select Info, Instrument control and SCPI pages.
All that can be done in the scopes menus or front panel control can also be done remotely from the Instrument control page using the webserver.

USB A sockets
While these scopes have a very welcome 2 A type sockets sadly that's not enough at times to power the likes of USB drives, STB3, active probes, deskew fixtures and the SAG1021I AWG so some juggling does happen.
USB sticks, WiFi dongle and SAG1021I all must be plugged directly into the scope whereas other devices can be powered from any USB supply.
SimonM:

--- Quote from: tautech on June 20, 2021, 09:09:42 pm ---Installing options generated online by whatever means is so much easier when the scope is connected to a PC of any flavor if instead of EasyScopeX you use the inbuilt webserver. Copy/Paste> Enter, yes it's that simple!
--- End quote ---

Instrument Control isn't simply READ ONLY
Thanks, it's a big help to know that the webserver should be interactive and that the Instrument Control isn't simply READ ONLY !!! (User Error).

I did try EasyScopeX - having installed the Visa runtime and Windows .net prerequisites. I did get it to briefly display a picture of the scope (the rotary controls are round) but it's certainly NOT easy. It takes control of the scope (locking it) and it can lose the link (forever). There may be occasions where EasyScopeX is a good thing - but I haven't found them - so I might uninstall Visa and EasyScopeX.  |O

I wouldn't disagree with some of these descriptions (from EEVblog):

"Has anyone got EasyScopeX working with their Siglent scope at all? Darned if we can get it working, pesky thing".

"Visa seems to work without any problems but EasyScopeX just crashes as soon as we try to run it".

Webserver allows the scope to be remotely used - it works very well
Using the webserver that is built-in to the scope provides a better user experience, by far! I used it previously to issue SCPI commands but my initial impression is that the Instrument Control is READ-ONLY. It continuously updates but the scope controls that can be enabled on the RHS are not visible and making it full screen doesn't help. The Siglent User's Manual describes setting up the webserver e.g. with DHCP but doesn't go to describe how to use it. Fortunately, there is a Siglent NA "demo" video that demonstrates "the click" that enables the controls to be made visible.

Thereafter it works just like using the scope, except the rotary controls are separated out as an LH rotate, click and RH rotate buttons. It really is like using the scope and everything works as you might expect. Using the scope directly is perhaps easier, but it would be OK for remote working.

Unlike EasyScopeX, which takes control of the scope, the real scope can be used at the same time when accessing via the webserver. The scope seems unaware that it isn't being used directly. Saving a picture, saves to the scope e.g. to a USB stick and I haven't found a way to save remotely - probably a limitation of using a browser.

Here are some shots from my Mac of remote operation. The FFT of the scope's 1K square wave updates in real-time and operation of the interface is like the real thing using the webserver (and not EasyScopeX). The scope identifies and labels the peaks, sorts them and what you get matches the theory e.g a square wave is a base with harmonics of 1/3 amplitude at 3x base, 1/5 at 5x, etc. Looking at the FFT, one might realize that the base frequency is what the scope FFT calculates: 954Hz vs real (see RHS displayed: 1KHz).

I could use the "Run Stop" button like the real scope, switch from displaying "peaks", to "markers" and adjust the points to allow measurements at the harmonic frequencies, and use show "Show Delta On" to add extra info to the table. Being remote has its disadvantages e.g. I can add channel 2, but I've not found a way to "remotely" attach the probe... :-BROKE

Finally, looking at the table, the graph, etc., and comparing it to a known square wave FFT, shows it has done an excellent job!

The only way I found to get the data back on the remote Mac, is to take a screenshot (like the two attachments). Clicking the print button is also able to save on the scope e.g. to a USB stick. In a day or so, I will have the WiFi set up, so no 25' cable through the house. I never realized, but modern, ultra-thin laptops no longer have ethernet ports. Perhaps future scopes will automatically include WiFi and not need a dongle?

Simon
tautech:

--- Quote from: SimonM on June 21, 2021, 09:58:40 pm ---Saving a picture, saves to the scope e.g. to a USB stick and I haven't found a way to save remotely - probably a limitation of using a browser.
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---The only way I found to get the data back on the remote Mac, is to take a screenshot (like the two attachments). Clicking the print button is also able to save on the scope e.g. to a USB stick.
--- End quote ---
You missed the Save Waveform virtual button at the foot of the webserver page. That grabs a screenshot just like the blue Print button but instead drops it directly into your browsers Download folder. Same small file type PNG screenshot as when using the Print button.


--- Quote --- Being remote has its disadvantages e.g. I can add channel 2, but I've not found a way to "remotely" attach the probe... :-BROKE
--- End quote ---
:-DD  :-+
When you find out the way to do that please post it here !  ;D
Navigation
Message Index
Next page
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...

Go to full version
Powered by SMFPacks Advanced Attachments Uploader Mod