New Tektronix TBS2000 oscilloscopes

[testmode]

Some notable things on the extracted files:
 - There are two monster executables, ULPP and tekapp, totalling over 40MB. Fore some reason, they left the map file for the ULPP binary in the image.
 - It really seems to be based on the AM33xx, there's a programm called gpmcdma
 - There are many libraries referring to other tek instruments,
 - There's a 16MB big Opentype font, seems a bit like an overkill

Found this tidbit on the profile from that business-oriented social networking website of apparently the System Engr/HW Lead of the TBS2000 scope:

Main board?10 layer?, main component: TI CPU (AM3352) + Xilinx FPGA (Kintex7)+
ADI ADC (AD9434)+ Power supply(Buck,Cuk [sic],buck-boost)
Analog front end( TEK ASIC + differential Amplifier, DAC, comparator ),
IO board(Ethernet, USB, UART, external trigger)

[Someone]

Some notable things on the extracted files:
 - There are two monster executables, ULPP and tekapp, totalling over 40MB. Fore some reason, they left the map file for the ULPP binary in the image.
 - It really seems to be based on the AM33xx, there's a programm called gpmcdma
 - There are many libraries referring to other tek instruments,
 - There's a 16MB big Opentype font, seems a bit like an overkill

Found this tidbit on the profile from that business-oriented social networking website of apparently the System Engr/HW Lead of the TBS2000 scope:

Main board?10 layer?, main component: TI CPU (AM3352) + Xilinx FPGA (Kintex7)+
ADI ADC (AD9434)+ Power supply(Buck,Cuk [sic],buck-boost)
Analog front end( TEK ASIC + differential Amplifier, DAC, comparator ),
IO board(Ethernet, USB, UART, external trigger)

I caught that on page 1 of the thread.

[urill]

My school just got these scopes (probably the first batch from the production line). I made a review video.

Please forgive my lack of coverage when playing with the features. This is my first time doing a review video, and I did not have much time. Now I truly appreciate Dave's presenting skill.

https://youtu.be/dhMTu-k17mw

Screen resolution: 800x480
Waveform update rate: 3000 wfm/s
Intensity grading: no intensity adjustment. does have some sort of grayscale.

[nowlan]

1. I wonder if he realises that it is sampling at 500 megasamples in his vid
2. no detents on the multiknob  ??

[JPortici]

let's see if tek can actually fix things in their updates, it is very lacking at the moment.

[pascal_sweden]

It looks like the Rigol DS1054Z performs better than the Tektronix TBS2000.

The Americans are beaten by the Chinese

Make America great again!

[urill]

1. I wonder if he realises that it is sampling at 500 megasamples in his vid
2. no detents on the multiknob  ??

1. the scope only does 1 GSa/s at its lowest timescale. If you turn on both channels, you get 500 MSa/s max.
2. no detents

[Fungus]

let's see if tek can actually fix things in their updates, it is very lacking at the moment.

Blasphemy!

It looks like the Rigol DS1054Z performs better than the Tektronix TBS2000.

Heretic!

[Wuerstchenhund]

let's see if tek can actually fix things in their updates, it is very lacking at the moment.

What a disappointment. 

Seeing the video I get the impression that Tek has now solidly arrived in the bottom bin, not just compared to big brands but even to Chinese B-brands. The latter have bugs but at least they don't charge Tek prices for it.

I had really hoped that this would be a sign of a new beginning for Tek (especially since they are apparently no longer owned by Danaher), abandoning the mediocrity in their previous products. But it rather seems its still the same old Tek, selling overpriced junk.

[Hydrawerk]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tektronix

Originally an independent company, it is now a subsidiary of Fortive, a spinoff from Danaher Corporation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortive

Fortive is an industrial company based in North America which focuses on professional instrumentation and industrial technologies.[1][2]
The company was split off from Danaher in July 2016.[3]

I am not sure if anything important changed...

[pascal_sweden]

Some big companies just loose it.

From innovators, they become second followers.

From second followers, they finally land below Chinese manufacturers.

We have seen this happen at many American companies.

It might be related to overpaid product managers who have no engineering degrees,
and just focus on process and change management. They have no clue about the products they are making. In fact, they might not even care, as long as their pay check keeps rolling in at the end of the month. Probably they remove all the mirrors from their house, as they don't want to see their true identity with their own eyes.

[JPortici]

let's see if tek can actually fix things in their updates, it is very lacking at the moment.

What a disappointment. 

Seeing the video I get the impression that Tek has now solidly arrived in the bottom bin, not just compared to big brands but even to Chinese B-brands. The latter have bugs but at least they don't charge Tek prices for it.

I had really hoped that this would be a sign of a new beginning for Tek (especially since they are apparently no longer owned by Danaher), abandoning the mediocrity in their previous products. But it rather seems its still the same old Tek, selling overpriced junk.

exactly the same. i'd love to own a modern tek if it wasn't a complete laugh of an instrument (price/quality/feature ratio)

[Wuerstchenhund]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tektronix

Originally an independent company, it is now a subsidiary of Fortive, a spinoff from Danaher Corporation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortive

Fortive is an industrial company based in North America which focuses on professional instrumentation and industrial technologies.[1][2]
The company was split off from Danaher in July 2016.[3]

I am not sure if anything important changed...

You're probably right.

I don't get it, really. They must know by now that the people that buy Tek because of brand loyality are literally dying out, and confronting students with sub-par instruments is not going to help them sell more to the industry.

On the other side, Keysight and its predecessors, while not always offering the best products, sell good every-day instruments customers want, with great service on top. Which made them #1.

Is Fortive really confident with scraping at the bottom and hoping to make a quick sale to univerity departments with Profs that have lost touch with the industry over 20 years ago already?

Mind-numbing 

[nctnico]

Over the past 20 years I have owned several Tektronix scopes but it is impossible to bring myself to love their current offerings. Tektronix even seems to sell Itech rebadged power supplies under the Keithley brand! 

[Wuerstchenhund]

Some big companies just loose it.

From innovators, they become second followers.

From second followers, they finally land below Chinese manufacturers.

We have seen this happen at many American companies.

Tek had lost it a long time ago, long before when the Chinese started to invade the western T&M markets. Tek pretty much stopped innovating when the DSO replaced the analog scope as general purpose scope. It's like they made DSOs only because they were forced to, and would have happily made analog scopes instead. HP on the other hand, while not being overly successful with analog scopes, embraced DSOs and made the best of it (and LeCroy was pretty much with DSOs right from the start).

It might be related to overpaid product managers who have no engineering degrees,
and just focus on process and change management. They have no clue about the products they are making. In fact, they might not even care, as long as their pay check keeps rolling in at the end of the month. Probably they remove all the mirrors from their house, as they don't want to see their true identity with their own eyes.

Maybe, but it could very well be their engineers clinging so much to analog technology that they pretty much missed when the world became digital. And frankly, that is exactly what it looks like. Not always it's the MBAs to blame, although they certainly didn't stop the decline.

[Fungus]

I just watched the video.

Oh, dear...

It's not just worse than a DS1054Z (unlocked), it actually looks worse than the $299 Siglent SDS1102 (which I'm not saying is a bad scope for $299)

All that fuss about being able to connect Tek active probes, etc., .... why would anybody even want to?

PS: I'm not sure I believe it has no AC coupling mode. It simply has to have that somewhere.

[Hydrawerk]

There is probably no Trigger AC Coupling. Not sure if it is a big disadvantage.

[urill]

It has AC coupling. It does not have AC coupled trigger.

I just watched the video.

Oh, dear...

It's not just worse than a DS1054Z (unlocked), it actually looks worse than the $299 Siglent SDS1102 (which I'm not saying is a bad scope for $299)

All that fuss about being able to connect Tek active probes, etc., .... why would anybody even want to?

PS: I'm not sure I believe it has no AC coupling mode. It simply has to have that somewhere.

[Hydrawerk]

urill
You can use the Menu On/Off button instead of a back or escape button

[Hydrawerk]

urill
According to the manual it seems that the fine button works only with the Vertical Position knob and not with the Vertical scale knob.
This is very GW Instek & Owon - like! 

[pascal_sweden]

urill
You can use the Menu On/Off button instead of a back or escape button

That's a big design fail.

They should have added a separate BACK button. Even Hantek has that!

[David Hess]

It has AC coupling.  It does not have AC coupled trigger.

Maybe you missed it from the linked page of the manual but low frequency reject is AC coupling; low frequencies include DC.

Some Tektronix oscilloscopes have both AC and low frequency reject coupling and some just have one or the other.

[coppice]

- There's a 16MB big Opentype font, seems a bit like an overkill

16MB isn't especially big for an opentype font. If they are trying to get reasonable coverage they probably have upwards of 10k characters in the font.

[coppice]

Element 14 seems to be doing a big promotion of these scopes. They describe them as basic, and everything looks fine for a basic scope..... until you reach the prices.

It looks like they have taken an Owon scope, added some courseware features, the Tek logo and a higher price tag, and will now market it to those Western universities with adequate budgets.

[nowlan]

uk=855 squid.
au=1696

Tek offering loaner for a week.

http://info.tek.com/as-tbs2000-try-before-buy-my-sg.html
http://info.tek.com/as-tbs2000-try-before-buy-thailand.html

Bonus: By participating in the program, you automatically qualify to be a lucky winner for a TBS2104, which will be announced on 31-December-2016 by Tektronix. Check out sg.tek.com/promotions for details.

http://info.tek.com/as-tbs2000-try-before-buy-australia.html
Aussie trial doesnt include any prizes.


Terms and Conditions:

    Program is valid from 1-September-2016 to 16-December-2016.
    Duration of the trial period: 1-Week
    To qualify for the program you need to:
        Be employed.
        Sign the Loan Agreement form while you are trying the TBS2000 out.
        Return the TBS2000 within 7-days after its arrival.
    Participants of the program will enjoy a 10% discount on order(s) placed prior to 16-December-2016.