Nice entry level scope.

Glad first impressions are good.
What you will discover are the small png screenshots you can save to a USB stick then post instead of much larger pics.
Use the blue Print button for screenshot saves.

 

Glad first impressions are good.
What you will discover are the small png screenshots you can save to a USB stick then post instead of much larger pics.
Use the blue Print button for screenshot saves.

I know about it.
I'll stick to my current method of using a cell-phone that uploads the pictures automatically as a build log.

 

HA HA I just ordered the Siglent SDS1104X-E, now to wait for it to get here next week

 

Glad first impressions are good.
What you will discover are the small png screenshots you can save to a USB stick then post instead of much larger pics.
Use the blue Print button for screenshot saves.

So there's even a button on the scope to save to a flash device ? Or is the blue button on the computer prog ?

Only 1 or 2 days did I try recording anything to memory on my old Tekronix, then I forgot how to. I like computers a lot, I should try hacking that scope into the 2020's and onto my PC.

 

So there's even a button on the scope to save to a flash device ? Or is the blue button on the computer prog ?

Yep, one named Print that grabs a .png screenshot and fires it to a USB stick in a second or two. There's also a Save Screenshot virtual button in the webrowser that does the same but instead to a USB stick the screen save goes to your browsers download folder.

Only 1 or 2 days did I try recording anything to memory on my old Tekronix, then I forgot how to. I like computers a lot, I should try hacking that scope into the 2020's and onto my PC.

What model is your Tek as there is a hacking thread on EEVblog for the 1k, 2k and 3k series.

 

Excellent. No I mean trying to mod my old Tek2430, someday, or any old scope, by adding some modern hardware instead of trying to use the old funny serial port. Maybe that already can be hooked to my PC. I have a lot of reading to do 1st.

 

I got the SDS1104X-E here, and she's BEAUTIFUL. Now I just have to get a little shelf for it to sit on, before I knock it on the floor.

So far so good, it's so easy to turn the knobs, not like my analog scope, I like it's rotary knob's, but you almost want them motor-assisted LOL

 

I got the SDS1104X-E here, and she's BEAUTIFUL. Now I just have to get a little shelf for it to sit on, before I knock it on the floor.

So far so good, it's so easy to turn the knobs, not like my analog scope, I like it's rotary knob's, but you almost want them motor-assisted LOL

Where's the pics???!!!

 

I am thinking about getting a Oscilloscope. Under 500$ I am not sure if I should go used, new or really how to shop for one. Any recommendations on flat out purchases or a good trust worthy guide that wold teach a noob how to shop for one?

For the money, you can go with a RIGOL. Limited time: $299 + free shipping (that's $90 for S&H you don't pay)- you can get a case to go with it for about $58 I think.

The RIGOL DS1202Z-E

If you're ready to get an o-scope, you're serious. Must have dual probes, and should be at least a 200MHz (1GSa/s) scope. That is is-- it actually samples at 1GHz, so you get no fewer than 5 samples for the smallest wave-form at 200MHz.

I just got one to step me up from my Tektronix TDS360.

 

Where's the pics???!!!

I should take picture, of the 3 siglent machines I have now. I might get a new, or newish-used bench DMM, IDK what I'll get for that tho. Then some day I'd like a spectrum analyzer, and a decent logic analyzer too. That should do me for most all things, oh and a load tester maybe.

I believe this scope can do some logic analyzer functions, I want to see what my Arduino Leorando is doing, I think it's stuck in a loop, from something wrong I did, about 5 years ago, and I just re-powered it last night. Worse come to worse, I can use my Ard. Uno to re-flash it.

I don't remember damaging it, I read that the Leo. can get stuck like this.

The USB keeps dropping on it, so I re-flowed the connector last night, and it still does it, and blinks the pin13 LED a few times, I bet I put broken code there for that.


I'm surpised the SDS1104x-e doesn't have a big clunker power button, and that it glows up/down when un-powered, I wonder if there's a setting for that.

 

I should take picture, of the 3 siglent machines I have now. I might get a new, or newish-used bench DMM, IDK what I'll get for that tho. Then some day I'd like a spectrum analyzer, and a decent logic analyzer too. That should do me for most all things, oh and a load tester maybe.
I believe this scope can do some logic analyzer functions,

If you mean protocol decoding yes, IIC, SPI, UART, RS232, CAN, and LIN

Otherwise there is also a 16ch MSO option in which it can decode at logic levels too: https://siglentna.com/product/sla1016/
2 lines of decode are possible.

I'm surpised the SDS1104x-e doesn't have a big clunker power button, and that it glows up/down when un-powered, I wonder if there's a setting for that.

Nope, the button just softly flashes to indicate the power's connected. Some like to down power their benches when away and it serves as a reminder that the equipment is powered. There is a setting in the UI to power ON automatically when mains power is connected and that's useful for those that might want to kill their bench power.
However the X-E range don't particularly like being hard powered OFF as any settings in the scope being used are lost when powered ON next, so to power down it's best to press the power button for a second or so and let it power down gracefully as it's designed to do.

 

Ok cool, here's a question tho, should the Vertical and Horizontal knobs have some give to them ? They both seem loose, like I can wiggle both of them, I guess they all move a bit. I guess that's the way it is then. It makes for a loose turn, like my mouse-wheel that's not tight enough

 

Ok cool, here's a question tho, should the Vertical and Horizontal knobs have some give to them ? They both seem loose, like I can wiggle both of them, I guess they all move a bit. I guess that's the way it is then. It makes for a loose turn, like my mouse-wheel that's not tight enough

Well they are certainly not like an old CRO with mechanical controls, instead they are digital encoders and in some short time you will get used to the light touch they require. Generally encoders are extremely reliable and I don't know of any Siglents in ~8yrs experience where they ever needed replacement.
They each are pressable too, vertical for Fine V/div and horizontal to toggle in and out of Zoom mode.

In practice you will never notice any 'play' in the controls as they just work and keep working.

 

Yeah so far I find the button's and controls intuitive. There sure are a lot of options to play with, like the different triggering methods. I don't want to turn it off, I just managed to get my old Arduino working, w/o seeing the SPI triggering/decoding in action. But it's bedtime.

Wow I've been missing out, I could have bought this ages ago.

 

Using the scope to optimize a few software routines using a gpio pin.

TOP: SPI data to LCD display transferred using DMA buffering.
The passed string buffer is being updated with new string data during the actual DMA buffer transfer.
BOTTOM: GPIO pin ON during duration of function being optimized, it doesn't wait for DMA to complete after the start_lcd() DMA trigger function.

Same function time using the MCC STDIO redirect for printf as a comparison. DON'T use printf in production software that needs to be fast.

4X20 LCD update timing. All of the bottom line 'purple' logic low is time for main and interrupts to execute in parallel with LCD screen updates.

 

Hello, I’ve read this entire thread and found individuals posting to be very knowledgeable. I’m an audio hobbyist and hope to receive some guidance on an appropriate budget oscilloscope to purchase for working primarily on tube amplifiers and power supplies and learning general usage of the instrument. My limited understanding is that many oscilloscopes aren’t suitable for DC voltages of up to 600 volts. My research indicates the Rigol DS1054Z to be a quality first scope. Would it be suitable for the high voltages I will encounter? If not, could you please provide a recommendation for an appropriate new scope? Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

You need a suitable high voltage oscilloscope (100x,1000x) probe for tube amplifier/power supply work that will be compatible with any oscilloscope. (some might not have display range setting for HV probes but it will still work)
https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/ge3100-ge3200-and-ge3400-series-high-voltage-oscilloscope-probes/61532

 

You need a suitable high voltage oscilloscope (100x,1000x) probe for tube amplifier/power supply work that will be compatible with any oscilloscope. (some might not have display range setting for HV probes but it will still work)
https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/ge3100-ge3200-and-ge3400-series-high-voltage-oscilloscope-probes/61532

You need a suitable high voltage oscilloscope (100x,1000x) probe for tube amplifier/power supply work that will be compatible with any oscilloscope. (some might not have display range setting for HV probes but it will still work)
https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/ge3100-ge3200-and-ge3400-series-high-voltage-oscilloscope-probes/61532

Thank you for the information. A question: The referenced probes list a bandwidth of 100MHz-200MHz. Does this mean they’re unsuitable for use with a 50MHz oscilloscope?

 

Thank you for the information. A question: The referenced probes list a bandwidth of 100MHz-200MHz. Does this mean they’re unsuitable for use with a 50MHz oscilloscope?

It's means they are MORE suitable for use with a 50MHz oscilloscope. It describes how high of a frequency the probe is able to pass on to the oscilloscope.

 

It's means they are MORE suitable for use with a 50MHz oscilloscope. It describes how high of a frequency the probe is able to pass on to the oscilloscope.

Thank you for the information and the link. It makes sense now. It’s much appreciated!