Hi,
I’m considering the purchase of a used Agilent 54621A Digital Oscilloscope from an online seller.

Normally you connect an X10 probe tip hook gripper to the Probe Comp output connector, located on the front panel of the scope, and the probe’s little alligator ‘ground clip’ to the ground connector located just above Probe Comp output connector and then adjust the probe’s capacitance trimmer for a sharp-cornered square wave…

My concern is that the seller shows a picture of the scope with the little alligator ‘ground clip” of an X10 probe connected to the scope’s Probe Comp output connector !!! And the probe tip is unconnected, just floating in thin air !!!

Can an Agilent 54621A scope Probe Comp output circuit withstand such abuse or has the guy likely ruined the Probe Comp output circuitry?

Thanks, Randy

 

No problem. The output would have internal resistance which will protect it from a direct short to ground.

 

Just what I expected - makes good sense.

Thank you MrChips.

 

Hi,
I’m considering the purchase of a used Agilent 54621A Digital Oscilloscope from an online seller.

Normally you connect an X10 probe tip hook gripper to the Probe Comp output connector, located on the front panel of the scope, and the probe’s little alligator ‘ground clip’ to the ground connector located just above Probe Comp output connector and then adjust the probe’s capacitance trimmer for a sharp-cornered square wave…

My concern is that the seller shows a picture of the scope with the little alligator ‘ground clip” of an X10 probe connected to the scope’s Probe Comp output connector !!! And the probe tip is unconnected, just floating in thin air !!!

Can an Agilent 54621A scope Probe Comp output circuit withstand such abuse or has the guy likely ruined the Probe Comp output circuitry?

Thanks, Randy

Ask about the soft keys under the screen to ensure they are working well as they can give problems.... I have a 54622D which had this issue. You can fix this problem with Caikote conductive paint which is just as well as the rubber membranes are now unavailable from Agilent (or whatever it is they call themselves now.

HTH
Robin

 

Thank you Robin for the 'Caikote conductive paint' pointer. I've seen pics of some scopes of this type with soft keys that looked well used/abused. I have a TV remote that I'm sure could use a Q-Tip swabbing with some of it.

Randy

 

No problem It's worked for everything I've tried it on.

Cheers
Robin