i intended that as a trick question
i'll add another point: a big factor for INNOVATION would be a scope that enables third parties or even users to ADD options. if manufacturer doesn't want or care to add "X" option i can at least get around this limitation, which has been questionable since scopes were computers connected to acquisition modules (so at least the 90's for lecroy)... and is absurd today. 1000 bonus points for whoever does it first, in the low/midrange segment
Daniel says he's pushing hard to make keysight release one set of API or some other tool to let users add their own decodes without revealing too much about the architecture...
yeah, the 1000x is for hobbyists with little money but who cares? once you open the can of worms.. and then keysight will be ahead of the others again.
Tektronix has done this for years. We have multiple avenues. All current windows scopes MSO/DPO5000 Series or higher have MATLAB integration into the Data Store (direct internal memory access) to which we have an Application Development Kit (ADK) that allows people to write apps using the user interface and option SR-CUST allows people to write custom decoders right into the Tekscope app. Our manual gives a nice description about the ADK:
"The Application Development Kit (ADK) extends the OpenChoice®
framework to support custom end-user and third-party application
development. ADK documentation describes how to implement the Data
Store Public Interface to speed internal transfer of waveform data through
user-created data processing algorithms and display the results in real time
on the oscilloscope screen. The Data Store Public Interface is >2X faster
than traditional GPIB-based data transfer techniques. The Data Store
Public Interface is accessible through MathWorks MATLAB® or .NET
languages such as C# or Visual Basic. Other features of the ADK include a
DPOJET plug-in that enables users to add custom measurements to this
market-leading timing and jitter analysis tool. The ADK provides
comprehensive documentation and coding examples to aid the user in
developing their own unique analysis tool kit to quickly capture and analyze
their signals."
Nice example one of our AEs wrote back in 2012 >>
We also have 3rd party app writers like Prodigy Technovations and Granite River Labs that currently sell options and software that run on our scopes.
http://www.prodigytechno.com/http://graniteriverlabs.com/usb-pd/