Nothing beats real-time data streaming, no segmented memory not any triggering is going to replace grep. Or Python. Or C#. Or <insert your favourite data analysis language>.
I respectfully disagree. As I've said before, it's horses for courses, use the tool for the job that gets you there the quickest considering one's individual experience and skill set.
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Furthermore, IME near-unlimited streaming of bulk data into a PC from LAs is typically restrictive in terms of sample rate, unless you have a particularly expensive LA. While a reasonably-priced LA might be OK for oodles of I2C traffic, high speed SPI not so much.
Yes but in the context of this thread, we are talking about the DHO900. We have other threads you can argue about PC LA vs MSO that are more relevant.
You are paying $200 (PLUS adapter $50-300) for a LA that:
- takes away from your analog sample rate
- will have limited protocol support compared to sigrok
IMO that ~$300 is better spent toward a known good PC LA or dedicated AWG or something else. Maybe in the future that might change, if rigol puts a lot of effort into the LA (which they have not done in the past).
99% of hobbyist use cases can get away with using a few analog channels for I2C or SPI.
You raise valid points, particularly for hobbyists.
IME a significant limitation of many PC based LAs is the sample rate, particularly for high speed SPI.
For the avoidance of doubt, for PC based LAs I use both the Analog Discovery and the Digital Discovery extensively: while the AD in particular is often deemed a "hobbyist" tool, in practice I wouldn't be without it. Both are worthy of bench positions, or, more accurately, worthy of hand baggage inclusion for field work - in fact I have three ADs for exactly this reason!
And that is my use case for the DHO900, as a field scope. At the moment it's either an AD or an MSO1000Z.
The LA on the DHO900 as it currently stands is almost useless. It's difficult to know where to even start, but not even the threshold values can be relied on.
if rigol puts a lot of effort into the LA (which they have not done in the past).
If they don't put effort into the LA, sadly I can see a lot of units being returned.