I don't post in these threads generally but good grief Electro Fan, you have probably posted every day for the past 3 months about this Rigol 1000/2000. What on earth are you using them for???
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Preamble - thanks to Marmad and Mark_O and others for your time and info helping to compare and contrast the 1000Z and 2000.
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Hi marshallh,
I know it might seem like you "don't post in these in threads generally" but according to your forum stats you have posted over .97 times a day for over a year.
As for my interest in the learning the Rigol 1000/2000 similarities and differences, and what I'm using a scope for, that's fair to ask. The short answer is “learning”.
The longer answer about what I'm using a scope for, what I'm trying to learn, and why I participate in the forum is something I’ve discussed previously with iDevice, LaurenceW, and others (who like many forum members here have been kind enough to share their knowledge and insights about various related matters - for which I'm definitely thankful and appreciative).
Here’s my story, and I’m sticking to it: I've had a pretty good theoretical understanding of the fundamentals of Information Technology (computing and networking) for a long time. Over the last year I decided it was time to move from the theoretical to the hands-on. To be square, part of the catalyst was the Arduino Uno R3 – it seemed like a very inexpensive and accessible way to gain a deeper hands-on experience with hardware and software. Even more fundamental than the Arduino, one of the motivating factors in embarking on this journey was that I realized that test equipment had improved in price/performance/ease of use, etc to the point where I could begin to apply my theoretical understanding in a way that would allow me to very practically hypothesize and test.
So, I'm creating a small, simple lab just for the purpose of learning. It's been like I've been reading about the mountains for many years but this is my first hands-on trip to the mountains. The Arduino led to breadboards and components, then a power supply, then a DMM, and then a scope – that was more or less the sequence. Altogether this stuff led to a somewhat efficient way of learning at the hands-on level.
(Although I realize that efficient might be subject to interpretation – you can look up my threads on my first attempts to figure out how to trigger a RS232 signal on an analog scope, or how to appreciate the subtle but practical difference between decoding a binary value and displaying a bit pattern that maps to the waveform using a DSO, and you’ll see that with some help from the many generous EEVers here within a matter of hours or days I went from numnuts to triggering and decoding. Peanuts to some, gratifying for EE rookies.)
Back to the journey’s mission, I'm especially interested in foundational matters such as Ohm's Law and the ability to visualize A to D and D to A techniques. Obviously, of all the tools in a modest lab the oscilloscope is one of the most useful (along with the DMM, power supply, breadboards, components, wires, and cables, etc.). So, the selection of the right scope was the focus of most of that three month or so period you seem to have been following. Over the last few weeks I've had my first chance to actually use (rather than just read about) a Rigol scope (or any DSO) - the 1000Z. I think as most people would recognize, reading the spec sheets, the manuals (however accurate and complete they might or might not be), and reading other users’ experiences is all valuable – but actually using a piece of equipment (and learning through the use of the equipment) is more tangible.
Most of what I've learned so far about the 1000Z is roughly what I had anticipated (thanks in large part to what I learned here at EEVb). In fact, I'm happy to report that the 1000Z has in various respects exceeded my expectations. But, I'm not completely wedded to the 1000Z and if I think the DS2000 (or some other scope) would be a better tool for my uses (which are strictly learning related) then I might find a way to acquire a different scope. To be clear, I'm not trying to design or fix anything in particular, I'm just trying to build a very basic lab for learning; and learning about these two Rigol models including their similarities and differences has provided a window into all sorts of practical considerations.
As for my forum posts, for anyone who wants to follow my line of learning and inquiries, that's cool. If it bothers someone (as in "good grief Electro Fan") then I'd say just skip past the threads - no worries - but I think if you look at the Q&A between the various members here who have participated it would be hard to imagine any one person saying "I knew ALL that". Heck, even Rigol doesn’t seem to know how to present with complete clarity what their models do or don’t do. No doubt, some of the more experienced users of scopes (especially those who have owned one or several scopes for a long time) will have found the Rigol 1000/2000 discussion to be somewhere between elementary and boring. I'd hope such users would just scan or skip the thread. On the other hand, for users new to a DSO or for those trying to decide what entry level DSO is right for their uses I'm hopeful the threads have provided some info to help select a scope. Surely, the discussion about the uses and relative merits of 2 channel vs. 4 channel scopes and the nuances of how to capture, view, navigate, and analyze signals and waveforms must have helped a few other people learn a few things - but again if not, I'd suggest just read the titles of the threads and if they aren't relevant, keep scanning until you find something that trips your trigger.
FWIW, I've found the ability to learn to do simple things like set triggers and decode RS232 into binary, hex, ASCII, and decimal to be very informative and actually fun. While this stuff is 101 basic, I have to believe in reading the posts from Marmad and some of the other pro's pros here that some of the nuances of scope functionality and user interfaces are interesting and meaningful enough that even some of the power users (perhaps those on a budget) might glean a useful nugget or two
-- and definitely, in any event, the participation of the power users here is hugely valuable for those of us coming up the learning curve. Further, and this might or might not be naïve, I think the Q&A by early and passionate adopters of new models of technology just might provide some feedback to the product managers of companies such as Rigol and Agilent and others. If they see the types of questions that get discussed here they might possibly adjust their product roadmaps to address such interests and opportunities, or maybe they’ll at least work a little harder to provide better documentation.
In my case, I don’t think any thread I post here is going to change a product line much less the world, I’m just trying to select tools and learn to use the tools to in turn learn about analog and digital electronics.
Personally, I think that EEVblog is attracting a tremendous cadre of people who have interests that in many cases go way beyond test equipment to the many intersections of analog and digital technologies which in turn bridge the realm from electrical engineering to IT. I think modern test equipment has the potential to provide a more than ever affordable window for mankind into technologies that are shaping the present and future. As a result, I would expect that this “Test Equipment” forum and EEVblog.com overall is going to see more and more users showing up with all manner of Q&A. I realize this could cause some power users to say "uh oh - maybe we need to go find a quiet place to do our highly advanced or Nobel Prize winning work”. That would be unfortunate, for sure – and definitely is not intended. I'd simply say if a post doesn't make sense for someone's interests, ignore it. Or stay in quickscan/read-only mode. But if you can help someone figure something out and you have the interest and time, go for it. Just my thoughts. YMMV. Hope that helps address your questions/comments. EF
PS, and now we return you to your regular programming on this channel: DS2000 vs D1000Z record, playback, navigate, analyze, mask, etc. ??
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