Choose between SDS1104XE or SDS2202XE

[bill53]

I'm tossing up whether to purchase either the Siglent
SDS 1104XE with four channels, or to sacrifice two channels and go for the SDS 2202XE

Both have

1Mpts FFT
Bode plot
Free decoders

2202XE comes with additional free decoders at the moment and has 50 ohm inputs. Also, 2202XE will have true BW performance well beyond 100MHz.

However, with regard to serial decoders. I'm a bit confused as to how you can decode serial SPI on a DSO with only two channels, or do you have to purchase the MSO hardware?

Hoping tautech may chime in on this.

Cheers Bill

[tautech]

For protocols with both Clk and CS which would normally use 3 channels with these X-E's instead of needing a 3rd channel connection there is a setting in Decoding called Clk Timeout and it's in all X-E models.

If I get a chance I'll pop up a screenshot in a while.

[tautech]

2 channel SPI decoding with SDS1104X-E.....Identical methodology for SDS1202X-E and SDS2202/2352X-E.
Source = Siglent's STB3 test board.

First image shows the CS menu for which we are supplying the Clk to Ch1 and not a CS signal therefore a Clk Timeout setting is used.
Limit settings had no influence on results in this case however Trigger Holdoff is also set to 200us so to prohibit retriggering within any packet and of course a falling edge trigger so to trigger correctly on the first bit in the packet.
We can see by blue only decoding flags there are zero errors in the decode.


Next is zoomed in some showing most of one data packet and the SPI Signal assignment menu in which channels are assigned.



All images were captured live in this simple decoding example, that is no Run/Stop however it can be used to capture long/slow and then zoom in.

[tautech]

Bill, other than the 2 GSa/s and 50 Ohm inputs my advice would be to go with the SDS1104X-E as the firmware and feature set is more advanced and mature.
The new 1k series logging and NTP clock you could find useful especially when neither of these have a RTC to timestamp captures and files.

I do hope the 2k models do catch up as these are a nice little scope too and just today I got the latest production firmware for them that is yet to be released and trying to find out why. 

Anyways, good luck with your selection and keep asking questions if there's more you need to know.

[rvalente]

I'm sure you'll soon miss the extra 2 channels, I'd go for a 4 chan scope always

[bill53]

Thanks All,

Tautech pity you cannot sell across the ditch . Thank for you feedback most helpful. I've seen videos of people ( Dave et el) demonstrating the UART and I2C on the SDS2202XE but could not find any demo of SPI and the manual was not that helpful, although I may have been looking in the wrong place. I'm "upgrading" from a Rigol DS1054Z. Good DSO although I do not find the UI that intuitive, FFT (pore mans SA) not very useful, and I think I would find the bode plot feature very handy. So I think either of these Siglent DSOs will be a step up? Of the two Siglent DSOs which is the younger/newer product? Which ever I get, I will be pairing with a SDG2042X.

Have you worked out the story with the new production software? had a chance to install it and evaluate it? I'd be interested to know if you see any major updates on the current UI and feature set?

I was in the telecom industry many years ago, satellite and under sea cable working. I'm coming back to electronics, attempting to remember all the stuff I've forgotten over the years. Purchased a copies of the The Art of and the X chapters. And watching some inspiring youtube.  At the moment I'm interested in LNAs as pre-amps to measurement. On that note do you know the noise specs for both of these Siglent DSOs? I'm also interested in embedded micro controller systems hence the need for serial decoding. Yes, I may miss having four channels but if there is a work around would swop for a better spec DSO, if that is indeed the case, and to stay in budget?

Cheers Bill And Thanks Again

[tautech]

Thank for you feedback most helpful. I've seen videos of people ( Dave et el) demonstrating the UART and I2C on the SDS2202XE but could not find any demo of SPI and the manual was not that helpful, although I may have been looking in the wrong place. I'm "upgrading" from a Rigol DS1054Z. Good DSO although I do not find the UI that intuitive, FFT (pore mans SA) not very useful, and I think I would find the bode plot feature very handy. So I think either of these Siglent DSOs will be a step up? Of the two Siglent DSOs which is the younger/newer product?

SDS2000X-E are the most recent in the X-E line that started with SDS1202X-E which were to be released in at least 2 BW's until Dave got his hands on the 100 MHz model and dumped all the coding in his teardown vid which then apparently Siglent took fright and only released the 200 MHz model with all features/options enabled and any need or interest in hacks were negated.
The 4ch X-E's were next however with a good few additional features like MSO, FG/AWG, WiFi, Bode plot and a good webserver and they have been a hit and have had further feature requests added some of which have migrated to all X-E models.
I believe SDS2000X-E were developed to take some wind from the sails of KS 1000 models where X-E push into higher BW's and offer a mostly better feature set yet 2kX-E lag behind the very popular 4ch X-E's especially since the latest firmware version that added features already mentioned.

Which ever I get, I will be pairing with a SDG2042X.

 

Have you worked out the story with the new production software? had a chance to install it and evaluate it? I'd be interested to know if you see any major updates on the current UI and feature set?

Sent questions but no definitive answers as to why it's not publicly available yet.
Just installed it on one we have in stock however it wasn't supplied with release notes so I think it's just some bug fixes and housekeeping. Unfortunately 20R3 doesn't install the latest features added into the SDS1004X-E series.  See screenshots.

On that note do you know the noise specs for both of these Siglent DSOs?

Not offhand and although this thread is getting dated the core functionality of these scopes has changed little so most information you need is here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sds1104x-e-in-depth-review/