Hacking the Rigol DHO800/900 Scope

[norbert.kiszka]

Such a lot of work. 

Two minutes including coffee plus time for copying. Unless You are using Windows, then Im sorry.

[Fungus]

Just for those who don't know:

You can restart the 'scope app in a couple of seconds after pushing a vendor.bin. No need to reboot or worry about file system sync.

You need to be in root mode:
adb root

Then kill and restart the rigol app:
adb shell kill -9 $(pidof com.rigol.scope)
adb shell am start -n com.rigol.scope/.MainActivity

nb. It restarts automatically all by itself after you kill it but it can take 10 seconds or so.

You can put all that in a .bat file and just double-click it to switch between 'scope models in a few seconds. 

After I'm done messing around I always do a file system sync just to be safe:
adb shell sync

[norbert.kiszka]

.bat file

.bat or .sh?

[mrisco]

If you have the DHO connected to a Windows machine is ".bat" for Linux and MacOS use a proper formatted ".sh"

[norbert.kiszka]

If you have the DHO connected to a Windows machine is ".bat" for Linux and MacOS use a proper formatted ".sh"

.sh is not directly system related. .sh stands for a POSIX shell script file. Also in *BSD systems and Android. I don't know if Windows is a POSIX compatible (Im not using it).

[RAPo]

You can use the sh command from git bash like

C:\>sh my-script-test.sh

.

If you have the DHO connected to a Windows machine is ".bat" for Linux and MacOS use a proper formatted ".sh"

.sh is not directly system related. .sh stands for a POSIX shell script file. Also in *BSD systems and Android. I don't know if Windows is a POSIX compatible (Im not using it).

[mrisco]

.sh is not directly system related. .sh stands for a POSIX shell script file. Also in *BSD systems and Android. I don't know if Windows is a POSIX compatible (Im not using it).

I was referring to @Fungus' instructions, but you can also use “.sh” in Windows if you have MSYS, WSL, etc. but that's another discussion.

[Fungus]

I don't know if Windows is a POSIX compatible (Im not using it).

It isn't. And neither are most Linux systems.

[Fungus]

I was referring to @Fungus' instructions...

You all know what I meant...

Jeez.

[Vovas]

Will the hack remain if I update my oscilloscope with new firmware?

[RogerG]

Yes

[Fungus]

Will the hack remain if I update my oscilloscope with new firmware?

Depends on what your "hack" was.

[Randy222]

.bat file

.bat or .sh?

adb is being ran from windows, so bat file there.
.sh means little on linux, the 1st line of a shell script defines how it will execute. Shell script needs +x permission, or at least a 700 if you're in as root.

[Vovas]

I did the hack according to the instructions in this video. Will the hack be saved on my oscilloscope when flashing to version 03?
https://youtu.be/oBfuWxMFSsI?si=1lZ1eMA1Vw_xhvii

[Vovas]

I'll answer myself. I updated from a flash drive and everything is fine.

[Mechatrommer]

Simple to make!

Sure.  
@Mechatrommer has tried, but I am not sure what the current status is, and I can't find the thread where he reported on his progress. Last I recall it was "kind of working"?

sorry for late reply i havent attend eevblog lately. i need to organize my life and still trying to complete other tasks... anyway, yes its working but noise spec is not really nice.. thats the last hindrance imho... few weeks ago i tried to get back to it for a moment, but i'm still at 5-10mVpp noise/crosstalk after some quick tin hat hack. i have pcb ver3 that i havent populate but guesstimating from current situation, i might not get very far with this, i might need to do total components reshuffling to move away smps noise to somewhere farther (i tried to be cheap on smps i think this is what shot me back), but since space is limited i cant do much, the other option is to follow closely how smpses in original board are made and what ICs used. i hope i can get back populating pcb ver3 soon and i think that will be the last revision i'm gonna do before publishing report, whatever the noise figure will be.. i'm tired of this there a lot of other tasks suspended because of this hobby. cheers.

[Fungus]

i'm tired of this there a lot of other tasks suspended because of this hobby. cheers.

If the question is: Is it cost effective to do this instead of paying $100 for the signal generator?

(which I think is what the OP was after...)

I'll say "no".

[ebastler]

If the question is: Is it cost effective to do this instead of paying $100 for the signal generator?

(which I think is what the OP was after...)

I'll say "no".

The OP has already bought a DHO914 without the signal generator, hence retrofitting a DIY version would be his only option. (Short of selling the scope at a loss and getting a new one.) But I agree with your conclusion, even if it comes too late for the OP.

[Fungus]

If the question is: Is it cost effective to do this instead of paying $100 for the signal generator?

(which I think is what the OP was after...)

I'll say "no".

The OP has already bought a DHO914 without the signal generator, hence retrofitting a DIY version would be his only option. (Short of selling the scope at a loss and getting a new one.) But I agree with your conclusion, even if it comes too late for the OP.

Better to sell that one and get one with signal generator than try and make a PCB.

[ebastler]

Better to sell that one and get one with signal generator than try and make a PCB.

I would shy away from the DIY upgrade too, especially in view of the hacking required to install the front panel button and back BNC jack. Even better to do one's research before buying the scope... 

In the OP's current situation I would probably opt for a stand-alone dual-channel signal generator. That won't enable automated Bode plots -- unless either Rigol decides to support external generators at some point, or one of the experts on this forum comes up with a dedicated Bode App to run on the scope. But you get a much more capable signal generator, and for the large majority of applications would come out ahead. 

[Fungus]

Do it the old fashioned way of twisting the frequency knob on the SG while eyeballing the phase/amplitude on the 'scope. 

[Mechatrommer]

If the question is: Is it cost effective to do this instead of paying $100 for the signal generator?
(which I think is what the OP was after...)
I'll say "no".

The OP has already bought a DHO914 without the signal generator, hence retrofitting a DIY version would be his only option. (Short of selling the scope at a loss and getting a new one.) But I agree with your conclusion, even if it comes too late for the OP.

the aim is an upgrade from DHO804 to DHO924S which i look at aliexpress currently still at ~$400 difference... plus i want to challenge myself and learn, or push the limit to where the DHO800 can be hacked/upgraded... upgrading DHO914/924 to DHO914S/924S by doing diy FG module thinking it can save money is not a good conclusion i agree...

In the OP's current situation I would probably opt for a stand-alone dual-channel signal generator. That won't enable automated Bode plots -- unless either Rigol decides to support external generators at some point, or one of the experts on this forum comes up with a dedicated Bode App to run on the scope. But you get a much more capable signal generator, and for the large majority of applications would come out ahead. 

i have standalone Uni-T UTG962 AWG to play with, previously i used diy standalone FG, changing frequency requires turning trimpot knobs no USB PC API capability at all it was fun though... and i did exercise much earlier to make automated pc app to bode plot using Rigol DS1052E and Hantek DDS3X25, if i want i can just upgrade the app to support UTG962 and DHO800/900 or DS1054Z, but time is becoming limited around here... it seems i got hooked up easily (i think) when there's FG related project that i think i can do it at cheap. i must be very carefull next time cheers.

[ebastler]

the aim is an upgrade from DHO804 to DHO924S which i look at aliexpress currently still at ~$400 difference... plus i want to challenge myself and learn, or push the limit to where the DHO800 can be hacked/upgraded... upgrading DHO914/924 to DHO914S/924S by doing diy FG module thinking it can save money is not a good conclusion i agree...

Fully understand -- since you do the development yourself, this becomes a hobby project in its own right. I have no concerns at all about that and applaud your effort! 

When I (and, I believe, Fungus) was referring to "the OP", that meant user VP 777. He had brought up the question in this thread whether a signal generator upgrade was possible, in reply #2855, and was hoping to get away with just soldering in a missing chip.

[Randy222]

the aim is an upgrade from DHO804 to DHO924S which i look at aliexpress currently still at ~$400 difference... plus i want to challenge myself and learn, or push the limit to where the DHO800 can be hacked/upgraded... upgrading DHO914/924 to DHO914S/924S by doing diy FG module thinking it can save money is not a good conclusion i agree...

800's to 814 is the best we can do. 900's have more hardware inside. If there's any effort to get an 800 to a 924S, might as well just but the 924S and skip the hacking effort.

[ebastler]

the aim is an upgrade from DHO804 to DHO924S which i look at aliexpress currently still at ~$400 difference... plus i want to challenge myself and learn, or push the limit to where the DHO800 can be hacked/upgraded... upgrading DHO914/924 to DHO914S/924S by doing diy FG module thinking it can save money is not a good conclusion i agree...

800's to 814 is the best we can do. 900's have more hardware inside. If there's any effort to get an 800 to a 924S, might as well just but the 924S and skip the hacking effort.

You may not have followed Mechatrommer's posts. He is very much aware of the hardware differences, has successfully added the logic analyser port to his 804, and has built the kind-of-working signal generator module which we were just talking about here.