I scored this 1988 vintage handheld scope today, a Createc SC04 dual channel 20MHz digital scope. They called it a "Signal Computer".
The one I got came complete with manual, PSU and even a funny little Seiko thermal printer that hooks up to the scope via a Centronics interface. It's a good thing I've got the manual - turns out this thing is not usable without it. The user interface is damn awful. There are no menus - you set everything via cryptic key commands.
The LCD screen with 128x128 pixels doesn't make using it any easier. Grainy is the word.
There isn't much info on this thing available on the net. Apparently it was made by a small German engineering firm in Berlin. However, I do remember reading about these scopes in an old issue of Elektor magazine, I hope I can find the article. Apparently Createc had a line of five of these hand held devices with varying features. Mine's the SC04, one down from the top of the line.
I think (could well be wrong) this line of scopes were the first hand held DSO's available, maybe somebody knows more?
It seems that Tektronix marketed one of them as the T201 - there's even less info on that one.
The scope has built in RS232 and Centronics interfaces, it can communicate with a parallel printer that talks ESC/P2 or via RS232 with a DOS-PC running a software package called "WAVE" that lets you control the SC04 from the PC.
Needless to mention I'm looking for a copy of this program, so if somebody still has it please let me know
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It also has a built in DMM function which is rather neat. It displays Vpp, Vrms, DC component, frequency and length of cycle.
It comes with a protective lid that can be used as a very nice stand for the scope, a really good idea.
One drawback for a hand held instrument is the lack of batteries, the only power source is the power brick. The connection to the meter is made using a large non-standard multi pole connector.
On the inside there's a stack of three PCB's with a mix of SMD and through-hole parts. I didn't expect so many through hole components, to be honest. But then again, this scope was designed in the early to mid eighties, so it's probably state of the art back then.