GDS-2000A series New economic oscilloscope by GW Instek comes to market

[EEVblog]

I shot a video playing with the GDS2000A series for the first time. I must say I was rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

[marmad]

I shot a video playing with the GDS2000A series for the first time. I must say I was rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

Have you posted the video, Dave?

[EEVblog]

Have you posted the video, Dave?

Rendering now. It's 1:10 long!
Will take all day to upload and process.

[EEVblog]

For these ridiculously long videos I'm very temped to trancode to 1280x720 instead of full 1920x1080, just to get the upload time down to a reasonable figure.

[Hydrawerk]

I must say I was rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

Did you miss the pushable knobs? I don't know why GW Instek doesn't use them. Are they expensive or what?
Anyway, I think that the GDS-2000A is quite feature rich scope but not so easy to use. I like the color gradation feature but what is it good for?

[marmad]

Rendering now. It's 1:10 long!
Will take all day to upload and process.

Thanks. Looking forward to your thoughts.

For these ridiculously long videos I'm very temped to trancode to 1280x720 instead of full 1920x1080, just to get the upload time down to a reasonable figure.

Would you lose too much detail?

[marmad]

I like the color gradation feature but what is it good for?

It's just an alternative way (as opposed to a single color gradient) to display the frequency of occurrence of signals at particular X-Y locations; I do the same thing in the Rigol software I wrote for segments.

It's a shame more manufacturers don't add it as a feature; it's super easy to do in code and wouldn't add much overhead (you just use a color lookup table between the gradient values and the display), because it's sometimes a more informative way to observe frequency.

[digsys]

I shot a video playing with the GDS2000A series for the first time. I must say I was rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

OH NO. That doesn't sound like a good start - thanks for the pre-notification. I'm quite interested in the DSO, x-ing fingers.

[EEVblog]

Did you miss the pushable knobs? I don't know why GW Instek doesn't use them. Are they expensive or what?

Yes, I ranted excessively about that.

Anyway, I think that the GDS-2000A is quite feature rich scope but not so easy to use. I like the color gradation feature but what is it good for?

I thought it was a complete gimmick. Probably not completely useless, but far from the nice analog-like intensity graded display I was expecting of this "VPO" technology.
When you turn off the colour grading, it reverts back to just one intensity old-school cheapo DSO mode (a.la Rigol 1052E)
I compared it to the Rigol DS2000 and there is simply no contest.
It also lacked a dedicated intensity knob.
So those things added up kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

[Yaksaredabomb]

I shot a video playing with the GDS2000A series for the first time. I must say I was rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

Thanks Dave!  Been looking forward to it and am very excited to watch it!

[EEVblog]

I shot a video playing with the GDS2000A series for the first time. I must say I was rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

OH NO. That doesn't sound like a good start - thanks for the pre-notification. I'm quite interested in the DSO, x-ing fingers.

Well, to be fair, I was probably ab it overly harsh on it, and really I made quite a few mistakes and wrong assumptions at first.
It's probably a better scope than my ranting will make out.
But bottom line is it doesn't seem to have the same spit'n'polish like the Rigol and Agilent does.
I need more time to learn to drive it properly.

Also, the function gen is very basic. just sine/square/triangle to 5MHz and no modulation or AWG
Also the dual channel is a bit of a con. You need to buy two separate modules to get both channels. Thus using up all your slots. So no room left for the logic analyser or LAN modules. BUt grant, you can just swap them as needed.

[EEVblog]

Also, it's quite big, the fan is a bit loud, and they need a better industrial product designer. IMO it looks a bit cheap and toy like.
The problem is that I had fairly high expectations for this, and on first use it didn't shape up.

[Electro Fan]

I shot a video playing with the GDS2000A series for the first time. I must say I was rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

OH NO. That doesn't sound like a good start - thanks for the pre-notification. I'm quite interested in the DSO, x-ing fingers.

Well, to be fair, I was probably ab it overly harsh on it, and really I made quite a few mistakes and wrong assumptions at first.
It's probably a better scope than my ranting will make out.
But bottom line is it doesn't seem to have the same spit'n'polish like the Rigol and Agilent does.
I need more time to learn to drive it properly.

Also, the function gen is very basic. just sine/square/triangle to 5MHz and no modulation or AWG
Also the dual channel is a bit of a con. You need to buy two separate modules to get both channels. Thus using up all your slots. So no room left for the logic analyser or LAN modules. BUt grant, you can just swap them as needed.

Dave, we're just glad you make the videos - between the product info, the EE insights, and the entertainment they are excellent!

It's hard for us potential users to judge new products from a distance but based on the initial attention the Insteks have been getting alongside the Rigols and Agilents it's not to surprising to hear that the spit n polish aren't quite as strong on the Insteks as the Agilents.  Agilent sets the bar very high in a lot of areas and definitely in spit n shine, and Rigol is doing an increasingly fine job themselves.  My guess is the Instek is a bit more utilitarian, but a very good utilitarian.

As for the function generator, while everyone would like one and should have one, it just doesn't seem like the built in units are all that strong relative to what can be purchased on a standalone basis - and this seems to go doubly so for the Instek.  It just doesn't look like their best accessory.  For not a whole lot more Rigol (and maybe others) provide some great standalone units.  And then you can free up the slots for something truly useful - like the Logic Analyzer (and/or the LAN/SVGA).

When you look at the big picture of the Instek 2000A series (bandwidth and analog channels, GSa/s and waveforms per second, the LA (assuming it's a good one - hope it's in your review ), the measurements/navigation/search, etc. and especially the price it's hard to see who has a better value in terms of price/performance and features if you want a MSO (combined analog and LA).

Thanks in advance for what will be a fine and fun video no doubt!

[digsys]

One possible "negative" outcome - IF* the Instek doesn't end up with a favourable review AND IF Rigol places any weight on
Daves' opinion would be that Rigol wouldn't bother discounting to match the new "beter value / featured" contender.
Especially in the 4ch / 200MHz plus arena. Fingers still X-ed

[EEVblog]

Thanks in advance for what will be a fine and fun video no doubt!

Sorry, but it's not a "fine" video, nor a review. It's me playing randomly with the thing for an hour after opening the box.
I'll wait for inevitable complaints...

[Electro Fan]

they need a better industrial product designer.

I think you nailed it - they should hire someone who does the knobs and buttons and maybe the rest of the cosmetic packaging for Lexus, or Agilent  - but I'm still betting that if the LA is good that the 2000A product series will succeed despite the less than Apple quality packaging.

[EEVblog]

I think you nailed it - they should hire someone who does the knobs and buttons and maybe the rest of the cosmetic packaging for Lexus, or Agilent  - but I'm still betting that if the LA is good that the 2000A product series will succeed despite the less than Apple quality packaging.

The LA at least has full threshold voltage settings on every channel, so in that respect it's a "real" logic analyser. I have not tried it any further with actual data yet.

[Electro Fan]

Thanks in advance for what will be a fine and fun video no doubt!

Sorry, but it's not a "fine" video, nor a review. It's me playing randomly with the thing for an hour after opening the box.
I'll wait for inevitable complaints...

- It's you doing what you do - it will have valuable and timely info and it will be fun to watch.  Being a strong Electrical Engineer and an Entrepreneur and Steven Spielberg isn't something everyone can do.  Come to think of it, it's been a while since we've seen Steven Spielberg make a film, with himself as the only actor, presenting, operating, explaining, and critiquing fairly complex analog and digital test equipment - while entertaining people with his charm and candor.  Keep up the Good Work!!

[Yaksaredabomb]

Sorry, but it's not a "fine" video, nor a review. It's me playing randomly with the thing for an hour after opening the box.
I'll wait for inevitable complaints...

No problem, Dave.  I am excited to see a review on it, of course - not to mention a tear down! - and I'm sure lots of other people are anxious to see one too.  Even just seeing you get some hands on time will be great though, and a big help for everyone curious about this new scope!  Some may complain without cause, but you're doing us quite a service and we should all be grateful for it - so hope you can shrug them off and not be bothered.
 
I fall victim to the decision paralysis it seems a few people around here get, and have been going back and forth on a scope.  I'm getting frustrated with my indecision though so I think I may just spring for a cheap 2-channel scope soon.  Then I'll be able to wait a while till whenever you get time to do a proper review of the Instek - whether next week or next month.  Although by that time maybe someone else will release a new model and throw everything off again lol.

[marmad]

Well, to be fair, I was probably ab it overly harsh on it, and really I made quite a few mistakes and wrong assumptions at first.
It's probably a better scope than my ranting will make out.
But bottom line is it doesn't seem to have the same spit'n'polish like the Rigol and Agilent does.
I need more time to learn to drive it properly.

Hey - that's the off-the-cuff Dave Jone's style we've come to expect - and I wouldn't want anything different. Wrong assumptions might be in there, but so are honest initial reactions - which are harder to capture. You can always make a follow-up comparison video or something if your opinions change.

[marmad]

Also, it's quite big, the fan is a bit loud, and they need a better industrial product designer. IMO it looks a bit cheap and toy like.
The problem is that I had fairly high expectations for this, and on first use it didn't shape up.

Yes, one of my hesitations - if I was in the market - would be the industrial and GUI design; both the Rigol and Agilent series 'look' modern and sexy - it does not.

[Hydrawerk]

Also, the function gen is very basic. just sine/square/triangle to 5MHz and no modulation or AWG
Also the dual channel is a bit of a con. You need to buy two separate modules to get both channels. Thus using up all your slots. So no room left for the logic analyser or LAN modules. BUt grant, you can just swap them as needed.

I think that you will never get a real two channel signal generator.

Thank you for the video!

[grego]

Dave, what firmware version is that scope on?

[marmad]

Dave, what firmware version is that scope on?

He mentions it in the video - I think he said 1.14

[mikeselectricstuff]

I think you nailed it - they should hire someone who does the knobs and buttons and maybe the rest of the cosmetic packaging for Lexus, or Agilent  - but I'm still betting that if the LA is good that the 2000A product series will succeed despite the less than Apple quality packaging.

The LA at least has full threshold voltage settings on every channel, so in that respect it's a "real" logic analyser. I have not tried it any further with actual data yet.

I don't think individual thresholds per channel is very useful, and if there is no way to set them all globally, it would be a total PITA to have to set them individually.