On Sun, 3 Feb 2002, Gary Russell wrote:

> I am just a home hobbyist (no corporate $$ to help out).
>
> I have a background in software and have just started to experiment with
> microcontroller application development.
>
> Do people consider an oscilloscope a "must-have"? A logic probe just doesn't
> cut-it for rapidly changing pins. Does simulation using MPLAB completley
> eliminate the need for real circuit checking? (I'd be surprised).

A 'scope is really nice to have, but I personally very rarely have to drag
it out.

> I have read very interesting .pdf from Tektronix which really pushes $$$
> DPOs, but I do not have a multi $k budget for my (new) hobby.

Of course -- they make a LOT of money pushing new, super-whizbang scopes.
If you're designing new 2GHz motherboards or UHF transceivers, you need a
high end scope.  If you're playing with 10 or 20MHz PICs, you don't need
anywhere near that kind of hardware.

> Can anyone recommend an entry-level 'scope for use in developing PIC
> circuits/applications.
>
> My budget is not without limits, but I want to get something that will be
> useful. Is spending, say, < $500 a fruitless exercise?

Not at all.  I have an old low-end Hitachi V-212 20MHz 'scope you could
probably pick up used for well under a hundred bucks, it's quite
sufficient for anything I've worked on lately.  You don't need a lot, but
at least a dual-channel with triggered sweep is good.  For a lot of years
I worked as a mainframe field engineer working on IBM gear.  We always
carried Tektronix 475 'scopes, which I have seen selling at under $200 on
eBay...  this floors me, these things are super nice.  If you can find one
with a DM44, so much the better - it's a piggyback digital multimeter.

Dale

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