Siglent SDS2000X Plus - Bugs / Missing Features / Feature Requests

[Martin72]

Interesting wish...
Me I always did the comments "afterwards" by editing the scopepic with e.g. microsoft paint.
Doing this directly could save some time, no doubt.

[3.141529]

Hello,  I'm seeing a problem on my SDS2104X Plus scope where if I have the zoom enabled and perform a single trigger operation, I get spurious traces displayed.  It looks like the signal is written twice to the display, once correctly and then again with a different time offset.  If I change the horizontal time-base, change the offset slightly, or any operation that causes the screen to refresh, the correct waveform is displayed.  I've done a quick search of this topic, but I don't see it mentioned.  I'm running the 1.3.9R6 firmware, but looking at the release notes for newer firmware, they don't mention this issue being fixed in any newer firmware.

In the attached jpegs, capture5 shows the display with extra data that shouldn't be there, and capture6 shows the display after tweaking the horizontal position knob.

Is this a known issue with 1.3.9R6?

[tautech]

Hello,  I'm seeing a problem on my SDS2104X Plus scope where if I have the zoom enabled and perform a single trigger operation, I get spurious traces displayed.

Welcome to the forum.   

I'm running the 1.3.9R6 firmware, but looking at the release notes for newer firmware, they don't mention this issue being fixed in any newer firmware.

Really, are you that many firmware versions behind ?
Best you install the latest and recheck your issue and report back.
https://int.siglent.com/download/firmwares/?ProId=53

[3.141529]

Really, are you that many firmware versions behind ?
Best you install the latest and recheck your issue and report back.
https://int.siglent.com/download/firmwares/?ProId=53

1.3.9R6 was only 12 months ago.

I upgraded to 1.5.2R2, and I don't see that behaviour anymore.  But I do think I see another difference: auto gating of measurements when in zoom mode.  I have a measurement setup on channel 3 to count the number of pulses.  I don't have gating turned on, but when I zoomed in on the old firmware, the count only included the pulses in the zoomed view.  If I zoomed out the pulse count would change to reflect the timespan of the zoomed view.  On the current firmware, it now appears to calculate based on the entire capture regardless of the zoom view, and I have to go in and manually set the gate ranges and update it each time I zoom into a different section of the capture.  In addition, I'm not sure where it's getting 2Hz from on the frequency display for f(C2) just below the "Siglent|Stop" status on the top bar.  See attachement 1-5-2R2-pulse-measurement.jpg.

[Martin72]

1.3.9R6 was only 12 months ago.

This is somekind of cute..
You should always keep your scope up to date, there are many fixes in a new firmware mostly not mentioned.

In addition, I'm not sure where it's getting 2Hz from on the frequency display for f(C2) just below the "Siglent|Stop" status on the top bar.

More precisely <2Hz, this means it can´t measure the frequency.

[tautech]

3.141529
Is Ch2 the Clock ?

We see both your screenshots captured with a Stop, is that because the waveform is not stable ?

[Performa01]

I upgraded to 1.5.2R2, and I don't see that behaviour anymore.  But I do think I see another difference: auto gating of measurements when in zoom mode.  I have a measurement setup on channel 3 to count the number of pulses.  I don't have gating turned on, but when I zoomed in on the old firmware, the count only included the pulses in the zoomed view.  If I zoomed out the pulse count would change to reflect the timespan of the zoomed view.  On the current firmware, it now appears to calculate based on the entire capture regardless of the zoom view, and I have to go in and manually set the gate ranges and update it each time I zoom into a different section of the capture. 

There is no such thing as auto gating and never has been.
You measure (count) the pulses in channel C2, the result does not change when you use the zoom indeed - and this is correct behavior.
If you want to count the pulses in the zoom window, then you have to specify the zoom trace Z2 as your measurement source.

In addition, I'm not sure where it's getting 2Hz from on the frequency display for f(C2) just below the "Siglent|Stop" status on the top bar.  See attachement 1-5-2R2-pulse-measurement.jpg.

You're referring to the trigger frequency counter. At the time of the screenshot the scope received less than two trigger events per second and looking at your waveform, this seems plausible.

[3.141529]

3.141529
Is Ch2 the Clock ?

We see both your screenshots captured with a Stop, is that because the waveform is not stable ?

I'm capturing debug signals from a USB/JTAG device I'm working on.  I'm trying to improve the throughput of the JTAG device when uploading firmware to an ARM device I'm playing with.  So no, the waveform isn't stable, it goes away when the firmware transfer finishes.  I'm measuring when JTAG shift in/out is occurring (CH2) along with reading from/writing to the USB bulk endpoints (CH3,4).  CH1 shows when a USB control message is processed.

[tautech]

3.141529
Is Ch2 the Clock ?

We see both your screenshots captured with a Stop, is that because the waveform is not stable ?

I'm capturing debug signals from a USB/JTAG device I'm working on.  I'm trying to improve the throughput of the JTAG device when uploading firmware to an ARM device I'm playing with.  So no, the waveform isn't stable, it goes away when the firmware transfer finishes.  I'm measuring when JTAG shift in/out is occurring (CH2) along with reading from/writing to the USB bulk endpoints (CH3,4).  CH1 shows when a USB control message is processed.

Have you tried adding some Holdoff to the trigger setting so to not have it rearm in the middle of a packet ?

[3.141529]

There is no such thing as auto gating and never has been.
You measure (count) the pulses in channel C2, the result does not change when you use the zoom indeed - and this is correct behavior.
If you want to count the pulses in the zoom window, then you have to specify the zoom trace Z2 as your measurement source.

Thanks! I guess I had set that when I originally setup the scope a couple weeks ago, but I didn't remember I had done that.  After the upgrade I had to clear all my settings, re-setup the measurements, and didn't set the measurement from the zoom trace.  The newer UI now shows signal source as (C2/Z2), where the older UI didn't.

[3.141529]

Have you tried adding some Holdoff to the trigger setting so to not have it rearm in the middle of a packet ?

No I haven't.  Thank you for the suggestion, I could do that, but I'm happy capturing a packet train as a one-shot, and zooming into bits that interest me.  This is what happens when you let software devs near hardware. 

[BillyO]

No I haven't.  Thank you for the suggestion, I could do that, but I'm happy capturing a packet train as a one-shot, and zooming into bits that interest me.  This is what happens when you let software devs near hardware. 

This an opportunity to make yourself au fait with the process.  Some day you'll need to use it and it may even reveal something to you for your current use.

Never pass up an opportunity to learn on the job.

[oz2cpu]

XY mode ??
did anyone try to use XY mode on their SDS2204X ??
I find it very hard to use, it must trigger !! or use auto trig, store the two channels and then draw the stored in XY mode,
next trig the points from last dont align,.,

I really miss en old free running CRT scope for XY
is it not possible to make it so it simply draw in real time XY with out trig and store ?

[tautech]

XY mode ??
did anyone try to use XY mode on their SDS2204X ??
I find it very hard to use, it must trigger !! or use auto trig, store the two channels and then draw the stored in XY mode,
next trig the points from last dont align,.,

I really miss en old free running CRT scope for XY
is it not possible to make it so it simply draw in real time XY with out trig and store ?

Please see for further info/understanding:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sds2000x-plus-coming/msg2787208/#msg2787208

[oz2cpu]

thanks a lot that looks amazing, i am not able to recreate it,
or to figure out how to turn of a need for triggering,
i want live realtime XY, just like an old CRT scope, problem solved, i just repaired an old scope from the junkyard,
see a nice XY mode that works, only problem is it uses 275 watts

[Helix70]

Is the only way to apply averaging to a waveform (to remove noise) by using the average feature in math?

[Martin72]

On the SDS2000X, Average and Eres are math functions, while on the 2000HD and 5000X they are also present in the Acquisition menu.

[Slartibartfast]

XY mode ??
did anyone try to use XY mode on their SDS2204X ??
I find it very hard to use, it must trigger !! or use auto trig, store the two channels and then draw the stored in XY mode,
next trig the points from last dont align,.,

I really miss en old free running CRT scope for XY
is it not possible to make it so it simply draw in real time XY with out trig and store ?

It definitely is possible on the X+. The other day I enjoyed playing a bit with analog computer circuitry solving some chaotic system of differential equations at various speeds. I used X-Y mode on my SDS2104X+ to display the variables, basically pretty much the same way as I'd have used it on an analog scope. The trace is not as smooth but shows pixel artifacts of course.

I would have uploaded a short video clip showing the scope in X-Y mode displaying the signals from solving the Lorenz differential equation system. Seems Dave does not allow videos.

[oz2cpu]

super, just upload the video to youtube or such, and then post a link
I still work with XY mode and vector stuff, i am now in the middle of restoring another analog scope
I hope is even better for this.

[Amphion]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add at least LP digital filter capability on the channels. I didn't realize how useful this has been until I purchased a scope that doesn't have it. I wasn't expecting that to be missing!

[trp806mo]

XY is working well (noise on the picure is coming from my probes). What is missing (for me)  is a gated X Y Z as on the tDS3000 in order to have a nice constellation. and the possibiliy to have a pass/Fail in this mode.

[rf-loop]

Please, it is better to  use .png  instead of .jpg when you save images from oscilloscope. Also .png give quite small file size (in this kind of images)You see dramatic difference in image quality. You can select file type in oscilloscope menu.

[BillyO]

It has probably been discussed, but I just noticed today that the mouse control over the web interface does not work if you have touch control turned off.  In fact, you have no control a all because web control relies on a mouse..

It's also not mentioned in the manual that I can find.

Not a real problem unless you forgot and were then relying on that feature from a remote place and had your day ruined as a result.

Am I missing something or is that the way it was designed?

[Martin72]

It's also not mentioned in the manual that I can find.

Make sense, I can´t see any reason why the scope shouldn´t be controlled via webinterface when touchscreen is deactivated.
Sounds like it is clearly a bug.
Want to check it on my HD "tomorrow"..

[BillyO]

Has no one noticed the last "anomaly" I mentioned?  Perhaps no one cares. 

Well, looks like I found another "anomaly".  Have a look at the capture attached.  Notice the counts on the statistics.  For some really odd reason, the count on the fall time is twice the others even though they were all started at teh same time.