Oscilloscope recommendation DS1054Z / SDS1104X-E / GDS-1104B / etc?

[nctnico]

I’m starting to think, for my SDR work and working with IF and FOGAs, maybe I should stretch my budget up to an MSO5000 series. 😅 Probably save me on a nicer signal generator and logic analyser etc. TEquipment sell a 5074 with logic probe. But it’s looking expensive, even from TEquipment, about AU$2000 landed.

A couple things to think about that might save you some money on the logic probe:

  - there are people selling a non-Rigol version of the logic probe (based on designs that were developed in discussion threads on EEVBlog).  On US eBay they run about $80 USD shipped to the USA.  I'm not sure how the quality compares or what feature differences there might be (like supported signal voltages) different from the Rigol logic probe.

  - unless you need to have your logic waveforms displayed with and synchronized with analog signals, one of the many inexpensive USB logic analyzers might save you a fair bit     

IMHO that is looking at it the wrong way. The cheap logic analysers offer little in terms of triggering versatility so in the end digital channels on an oscilloscope work just as well. A big plus is that you can see the signals change in realtime. A logic analyser always works in a capture-analyse sequence (no realtime display) while an MSO can do both. It may make a lot of sense to look at a used logic analyser from Agilent or Tektronix as these sell for peanuts nowadays if you want to have a wealth of triggering possibilities. A real logic analyser has a trigger system that consists of a programmable state machine which is immensly powerful.

Then again I have the idea that digital channels aren't well implemented on B-brand scopes which automatically gets you into Keysight & R&S territory if you want decent MSO functionality.

Bottom line: if you are looking at an MSO from one of the B brands, make sure you can return the unit for a refund if the digital channels can't do what you require.

[Fungus]

A big plus is that you can see the signals change in realtime. A logic analyser always works in a capture-analyse sequence (no realtime display) while an MSO can do both.

QFT.

[Hydrawerk]

I got GW-Instek GDS1054B.

Is there a Trigger Output available? I did not find it in the user manual.
https://www.tme.eu/Document/55a6f24fec57e56bb5baaeaca0f05267/GDS-1000B-MANUAL.pdf
Maybe the user manual was too old?

[mwb1100]

The GDFS-1000B serial manual from GW-Instek's site:

  - https://www.gwinstek.com/en-US/products/downloadSeriesDownNew/1679/133

(annoyingly, you need to have a free registered account)

[Martin72]

Siglent's system for turning on measurements is a real pain in the ass by comparison.

Which model did/have you had and with which other scopes did you compare it ?

[nctnico]

Siglent's system for turning on measurements is a real pain in the ass by comparison.

Which model did/have you had and with which other scopes did you compare it ?

Actually it is very easy to see. Any oscilloscope with a vertical AND horizontal row of buttons is way easier to navigate compared to an oscilloscope with only a single row of buttons. On top of that an oscilloscope with a seperated rotating knob / select button is easier to use compared to an oscilloscope with a combined button. GW Instek really comes out on top where it comes to ease of use for setting up measurements and decoding. Ofcourse things are different if the oscilloscope has a touchscreen but then you;d need to look at MicSig for a sub US$ 1k scope.

[Martin72]

It´s about making measurements or did I missunderstood something ?
The old debate about pros and cons having separate adjustment knobs for each channel is another thing.

[nctnico]

It´s about making measurements or did I missunderstood something ?

You understood correctly; you need to go through menus to set these up. Easy menu access = easy to do measurements

[tautech]

Siglent's system for turning on measurements is a real pain in the ass by comparison.

Which model did/have you had and with which other scopes did you compare it ?

None !

You already know it's simple, set the measurements you need and the source from which they are taken and they are returned at every boot and whenever you cycle Measurements ON again.

[Martin72]

Yep,
It's really easy and "quick", I had just tried it out briefly because I was taking pictures for the demo board thread.
Press Measure, select source, select parameters, done in a few seconds, could make a short video clip from it, if wanted.

[Fungus]

It's really easy and "quick", I had just tried it out briefly because I was taking pictures for the demo board thread.
Press Measure, select source, select parameters, done in a few seconds, could make a short video clip from it, if wanted.

Please do. Feel free to explain how easy/fast/intuitive it is to navigate this screen and select things with the twisty knob:

[Martin72]

No problem, I show you mine and you show yours...

[Fungus]

Mine's a touch screen that looks like this:


Rigol 1000 series have dedicated buttons like this:

[2N3055]

It's really easy and "quick", I had just tried it out briefly because I was taking pictures for the demo board thread.
Press Measure, select source, select parameters, done in a few seconds, could make a short video clip from it, if wanted.

Please do. Feel free to explain how easy/fast/intuitive it is to navigate this screen and select things with the twisty knob:

It is not direct but it is fast and intuitive. Keysight does it in similar way and nobody would say that is the reason to ditch MSOX3000A and get Rigol 1000Z. It's just different. Rigol implementation is very good, but not a deal breaker...

[Martin72]

Mine's a touch screen that looks like this:

Touchscreen didn´t count.. But you´re invited to make a video too, like me:

https://youtu.be/kPDwf-aKVJI

Just a few seconds to get what you want, there's nothing annoying about it.

[nctnico]

For some people there is nothing annoying about eating a bowl fried rice with chopsticks. Others use a spoon.

I used to own a Agilent/Keysight scope that operated the menus in a similar fashion. Even though it was a way more high-end scope it got replaced as my daily driver by a GW Instek because the GW instek simply is way more convenient to use. And I still have and use that GW Instek scope. The Agilent / Keysight scope is long gone OTOH.

[Fungus]

Just a few seconds to get what you want

33 seconds, to be exact.

I can do it in about 4 seconds on my Micsig.

there's nothing annoying about it.

I guess the slight overshoot when you were switching channels with the twisty knob didn't count as 'annoying', right? 

[bdunham7]

Please do. Feel free to explain how easy/fast/intuitive it is to navigate this screen and select things with the twisty knob:

There are a lot more items on that screen than there would possibly be room for with buttons.  I can tell you from experience that once you spend 5 minutes figuring it out, the Siglent measurement menu experience is only ruined by the awful push-button combination knob.

[Fungus]

...ruined by the awful push-button combination knob.

At least we agree on that.

I wouldn't ever go back to a twisty knob interface after owning a touch-screen.

[Fungus]

There are a lot more items on that screen than there would possibly be room for with buttons.

The Rigol switches horizontal/vertical measurements with the button at the top then  pages up/down to find the ones you want. Also not perfect but at least you get pictures and don't have to use the twisty knob along with all the overshoots and bad presses that involves.

[2N3055]

Just a few seconds to get what you want

33 seconds, to be exact.

I can do it in about 4 seconds on my Micsig.

there's nothing annoying about it.

I guess the slight overshoot when you were switching channels with the twisty knob didn't count as 'annoying', right? 

How much seconds on your Micsig to enable measurement statistics..?

[Martin72]

I guess the slight overshoot when you were switching channels with the twisty knob didn't count as 'annoying', right?

Not for me, it´s reacting very quickly, faster than me.

33 seconds

When you are so pressed for time that every second counts, something is wrong in your life.
Joking aside,
This is a fairly quick adjustment and does not present any great difficulty to contend with.
I had now shown how easy it is, more I can not do here.

[Fungus]

I had now shown how easy it is, more I can not do here.

I didn't say it was difficult, just a weak point in the Siglent's UI.

When all you have is a twisty knob for everything, some things have to be worse.

Rigol had the sense to add some buttons for this common task. I've seen people complain they make it look ugly and old fashioned but I'm not one of those.

[Fungus]

you´re invited to make a video too, like me:

Ok, I had the camera set up so let's do it:



I think that's the same measurements you enabled. Two on CH1 (P-P+Freq) and two on CH2 (Min+Period). 

[tautech]

you´re invited to make a video too, like me:

Ok, I had the camera set up so let's do it:

The very reason why touch screen scopes are very popular.

This topic is not about touch screen scopes and instead those fitting lesser budgets.