> 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).

As lots of people are about to tell you, an oscilloscope is the most
indispensable iinstrument in the world. By dint of converting time domain
signals into eye-domain :-) signales it lets your brain input vast
quantities of otherwise unavailable information.

If you are going to deal with analog signals

Even if you are going to deal almost only with purely digital signals the
scope will be very useful.

If you deal with multiple digital channels the scope will be less useful
mainly because it is less than adequate for the task which is better suited
to a logic analyser BUT will still be far far better than alternatives.

Ideally you want dual trace and delayed timebase and as many MHz as possible
BUT a miniumum of a single channel with a good triggered sweep will be very
very useful.
At the very very bottom lvele you get old nasty single beam scopes without
proper triggering. These are extremely frustrating and will put you off
scopes.

Even a 5 MHz scope is useful for many things but 10 MHz is better, and
higher still better again.
A scope will display signals above its rated bandwidth at rapidly decreasing
amplitude but ideally you want a bandwidth at least as high as the maximum
pulse speed you want to observe. Thus you will still see a 20 MHz / 50 nS
single pulse  on a 20 MHz scope even though you are at (or theoretically
beyond) the limits of its ability.

If you can afford digital storage you will not regret having it but it is
not an essential to start with.

An oscilloscope is liable to be your most useful tool.



regards



                Russell McMahon












>
> 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.
>
> 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?
>
> TIA.
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
> ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.
>
>
>

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