My most common use for a scope is for RS232 or RS485 connections that
won't work.  The scope makes it obvious if the baud rate is wrong, if
the signal is inverted, if the signal really goes negative when it
should, how many data bit are there, etc.  For that a 5MHz single
channel would do, but I recommend at least two channels.

If money is short, (as usual) buy used gear locally so you can play with
it before buying.  If you buy used gear by mail you should know the gear
and/or the dealer well.  Don't worry about age as long as it is at least
transistorized.

The age of gear may become a factor in the future.  I have some analog
stuff built in the 60's that I use reguarly.  But if EPROMS are only
good for 10 to 25 years some of the digital stuff built in the 70's and
80's may start crapping out soon!

Sherpa Doug

P.S. If anybody knows of a modern replacement for a HP4800A Vector
Impedance Meter for under US$5000 please let me know.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lawrence Lile [mailto:llile@TOASTMASTER.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 10:43 AM
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re: [EE]:Oscilloscope
>
>
> > At 10:41 PM 2/3/02 -0500, Gary Russell wrote:
> >
> > >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).
>
> Scopes are like libraries:
>
> ANY scope is better than no scope.
> Any library is better than no library.
>
> A fast scope is better than a slow scope
> A two channel (or more) scope is better than a single channel scope
> a DSO is better than an enalog scope, in most cases
>
> but if you don't have any scope at all, and have no money, a
> really cheap
> used student model from 1960 will be a great addition to your
> lab, and won't
> set you back much more than a week's worth of  big macs.
> 90% of what you
> use a scope for will be will under 1 mHz, single trace,
> repetitive waveforms
> that won't require DSO.
>
> Another guy in the lab gave his old scope to his kids, who
> built it into
> part of their "submarine control room" consisting of blamkets
> over cardboard
> boxes, a cheap student model scope, some relays and wires and
> a burned out
> audio board.
>
> --Lawrence
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
> mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu
>
>
>

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu