New Agilent scopes

[EEVblog]

My reading of that is that only upgrades that go over 350MHz require return - it's not quite clear what is now obsolete

For the 3000X, there are three hardware platform models that share the same hardware:
100MHz and 200MHz
300MHz and 500MHz
and 1GHz is on it's own.
So you can software upgrade from 100 to 200, or 300 to 500, but not from say 200 to 300, or 500 to 1GHz, those require a complete main board change.
So take this into account when buying.

Dave.

[elektrinis]

So I got the DSOX2004A. Standard package with free DVM and WAVEGEN licences.
I also own an old RIGOL DS1022CD (with LA). Its for sale, BTW (PM me)
When comparing Agilent to RIGOL..
The good:
1. Less fan noise.
2. no bugs so far
3. responsive
4. big screen
5. and all the usual stuff you get for more money.

The bad:
1. Less memory. The rigol has 8 megs. That's a huge downgrade. Can't get used to less memory in agilent.
2. No digital filters?!? C'mon Agilent, really? It's not that cheap to not have this function.

So the questions... Do X2000 series have digital filters for analogue channels? My usual projects require me to have such functionality. It's a bit no-go to use passive filters on leads...

Has anyone figured out the thing with additional 'free' licenses? I would really love having a LA and some serial decoding features. Not paying the big buck of cause.

[grenert]

The bad:
1. Less memory. The rigol has 8 megs. That's a huge downgrade. Can't get used to less memory in agilent.
2. No digital filters?!? C'mon Agilent, really? It's not that cheap to not have this function.

So the questions... Do X2000 series have digital filters for analogue channels? My usual projects require me to have such functionality. It's a bit no-go to use passive filters on leads...

Yes, it's kind of incredible that digital filters are only available on the X3000 series (in the Advanced Math option).  There are some obvious software absences on the X2000 series which seem to be in there only to try to justify the much higher price of the X3000 series, since they are widely available on low-priced scopes from other manufacturers.

[tom66]

The Rigol only has 1Mpt, or 500kpt over two channels. The 2000X starts with 100kpt - in my mind, this is too little for such a nice scope with such powerful display features. Minimum 1Mpt per two channels I think.

[ferkapu]

Still hanging on the firmwares...

I would like to upgarde my 3014A's fw1.20 to newer one, but don't want to loose the trial licenses.

Does anybody have any suggestions, how to do it?

[EEVblog]

The Rigol only has 1Mpt, or 500kpt over two channels. The 2000X starts with 100kpt - in my mind, this is too little for such a nice scope with such powerful display features. Minimum 1Mpt per two channels I think.

We can only hope that as Agilent get more pressure from the likes of Rigol, they will start upping the memory and add the serial decode on the 2000X
The 2000X has 4M internally, they just cripple it in software.

Dave.

[elektrinis]

OK, found some bugs...

1. Amplitude.
5V/div:


2V/div:


Closer look timewise:


I do know what clipping is. This zooming in was never a problem with Rigol.


2. Sensitivity in 10-50mV range.
50mV/div scale:


20mV/div scale:


10mV/div scale:


Notice the scaling of chan #2. It is scaled "in software". So Agilent is bulshitting us.


3. Also there is a problem with rare pulses (sorry, don't have a screenshot): The signal is recorded, scope shows like 30 narrow pulses. When timebase is widened, only 1-2 pulses remain, where at least 10 pulses should be visible. Will try to capture this.

[tom66]

I wish someone figured out how to crack the 2000X. Now that would be interesting would it be considered piracy if you enabled features that were always there? Do you sign an EULA when you boot the scope for the first time?

[ferkapu]

Please don't forget 3000x if we're talking about cracking!
Come on guys let somebody share the secret!
The hobbists will never pay for the expensive options, just dreams about it...

[benemorius]

Still hanging on the firmwares...

I would like to upgarde my 3014A's fw1.20 to newer one, but don't want to loose the trial licenses.

Does anybody have any suggestions, how to do it?

Someone who has the newer firmware installed would need to test how far in the past the date can be set. As long as you can still move the date back far enough, you can probably keep your trials. Don't get your hopes up though.

[DavidDLC]

I was able to set it back only 3 days no more.

[benemorius]

Notice the scaling of chan #2. It is scaled "in software". So Agilent is bulshitting us.

The datasheet says that the 1mV scale is a software expansion of the 2mV scale.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Notice the scaling of chan #2. It is scaled "in software". So Agilent is bulshitting us.

Pretty sure this is mentioned in the spec.

[EEVblog]

I was able to set it back only 3 days no more.

Crack it open and pull the 32KHz crystal maybe 

Dave.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I was able to set it back only 3 days no more.

3 days from when - current, firmware release, trial install?
Wonder what happpens if you short the RTC crystal to freeze the clock?

[DavidDLC]

3 days from the current date.

[pickle9000]

Can the clock be set from the usb? WindowsCE devices can auto update the clock from the host computer. Are the features unlocked after a flash update?

[benemorius]

3 days from the current date.

The original fix starting with version 2.0 (or maybe 2.12) was to prevent setting the date further in the past than the firmware compile date. It sounds like you're saying that has changed now? Do you mean that as the days progress you are unable to go back more than three days at a time on any given day?

Or is it the case that you have installed firmware 2.20, which was compiled on 2012-11-08 (approximately three days ago), and you're unable to set the date further back than that? This would be consistent with the original "fixed" behavior.

If the fix has indeed changed, then perhaps the date can be set in the past prior to upgrading the firmware. Has anyone determined whether it is allowed to downgrade the firmware from 2.20/2.12 down to 2.0? Has anyone noted whether a date has survived a firmware upgrade and remained further in the past than would otherwise be allowed?

Can the clock be set from the usb? WindowsCE devices can auto update the clock from the host computer. Are the features unlocked after a flash update?

I have tried setting the date via usb on 2.12 and the same restriction was imposed - setting the date prior to the firmware compile date was rejected.

[DavidDLC]

Correct, I did the test on the Nov 11th, so 3 days after the date of the update. ( Nov. 8th )

Today I did the test again and I'm able to set it back to Nov 8th. only

David

[benemorius]

Correct, I did the test on the Nov 11th, so 3 days after the date of the update. ( Nov. 8th )

Today I did the test again and I'm able to set it back to Nov 8th. only

David

So I suppose nothing seems to have changed on the trial license front and the outlook is rather bleak for those with models which are new enough to not be hackable anymore yet old enough to not have some of the newer firmware features.

It would still be interesting to know:

1) if the firmware can be downgraded back to a previous version

2) if the date setting (2012-06-01 for example) will survive a firmware upgrade (to version 2.20 for example, which would normally impose a date restriction of 2012-11-08 or later)

[NEDM64]

Hi, I got myself an entry model, love it, plus it comes with a decent signal generator, that's good as I am starting my home lab. The only complaint would be of the small memory, but that's kind of expected...




Also got the DVM, and I installed both licensees, but I don't see where you can turn it on... somebody?

[benemorius]

Also got the DVM, and I installed both licensees, but I don't see where you can turn it on... somebody?

Check the analyze menu.

[ferkapu]

Correct, I did the test on the Nov 11th, so 3 days after the date of the update. ( Nov. 8th )

Today I did the test again and I'm able to set it back to Nov 8th. only

David

So I suppose nothing seems to have changed on the trial license front and the outlook is rather bleak for those with models which are new enough to not be hackable anymore yet old enough to not have some of the newer firmware features.

It would still be interesting to know:

1) if the firmware can be downgraded back to a previous version

2) if the date setting (2012-06-01 for example) will survive a firmware upgrade (to version 2.20 for example, which would normally impose a date restriction of 2012-11-08 or later)

Let pleeease somebody(who has fw2.00 or 2.12 or 2.20)  try to downgrade the firmware! I think many of us dare to upgrade to fw2 because we loose many functionalities if can't be restored the original v1.xx firmware with trial licenses!

Another interesting question: is it possible to ask for and get trial license for the same
machine two times? I mean if the last trial asked a year ago...
This is the real situation when somebody sell his machine to another company, and this company requests for trial to the same serial.
So maybe the agilent input fields needs to be manipulated to another company/name, and and brand new trials comes...
I'll try it but pleease somebody try to downgrade his 2.xx fw to 1.xx. %-B

[EEVblog]

Just upgraded my firmware in the 3000X today and yes, it now has the AWG modulation capability like on the 4000X. Nice.
Now, how about burst capability Agilent?, pretty please?. 

Dave.

[ferkapu]

I was able to set it back only 3 days no more.

Crack it open and pull the 32KHz crystal maybe 

Dave.

Sounds easy. Does the machine have external RTC chip or integrated into uC?
Does we have any hi-res pictures from the motherboard?