From: Denny Esterline <desterline@gmail.com>
To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public. <piclist@mit.edu>
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Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2021 12:37:02 -0700
Subject: Re: [EE] Oscilloscope help, Siglent, Rigol, etc
Thread-Topic: [EE] Oscilloscope help, Siglent, Rigol, etc
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One of your links leads to a 13$ USB logic analyzer (Salae clone)

Professionally, I purchased a Rigol MSO1104Z-S with all the decoder options
and logic probes. About $2k in 2017.
For my home bench I bought the Siglent SDS1202X-E (under $400)

I don't have any real complaints about either of them. I think the Siglent
has a nicer screen, but I often find the layers of menus frustrating to dig
through. Obviously the Rigol's four analog channels and 16 logic analyzer
channels come in handy for certain types of work.

The Rigol's are well known to be able to "hack" and activate the options
(options on these are a license code) I didn't do that
professionally because I needed traceable calibration and support, but
wouldn't have thought twice about it for a home lab.

Either one of them can do protocol decoding with the analog channels, the
Rigol can also do it with the logic analyzer channels.

I like the Rigol better, but given the price disparity...

For hobbyist level work, I think either would serve well.

-Denny


On Mon, Sep 13, 2021 at 5:18 PM DrSkip <drskip@gmail.com> wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> I need some help to pass on, and also to bring myself out of the Dark
> Ages. A friend recently asked me for a scope recommendation. He is
> looking at a Rigol or a Siglent. I have a dusty Tek 475A analog scope
> that weighs maybe 50 lbs, so I am not qualified to answer, but I do know
> folks to ask... ;)
>
> The models are:
>
> https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0771N1ZF9
>
> or
>
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077LSG5P2  with such 'free' addons
> as: MSO/DS1000Z AT-DS1000Z - Advanced Triggering Option MEM-DS1000Z -
> Memory Depth Upgrade REC-DS1000Z - Real Time Waveform Record and Relay
> Option SA-DS1000Z - Serial Bus Analysis...
>
> This is for personal use, he tinkers with microcontrollers and Arduino,
> Pi's, Ham Radio, and all the common popular maker topics I suppose. To
> that level he knows how to get around. I know that these have two
> different bandwidth specs, but I think that doesn't matter much for
> these activities (am I correct? ). I think being able to do bus
> analysis, spectral analysis, link to a pc, and so on is really cool - IF
> they really do that and it isn't marketing fluff. Is there some
> feature(s) that dwarfs overall bandwidth as being important in the
> digital world?
>
> Given that each company uses it's own marketing-speak, I can't even do a
> good comparison for him. Also, how do the implementations of similar
> functions compare? Which company is better? Which device does basic
> scope functions better? I list the Rigol options for example - they
> 'say' little on their own.
>
> I suggested he stick with 4 channel ones. I assume the bus analysis
> would need at least that. Beyond that, I can't tell what he gets with
> one or loses with the other, OR what is honest versus salesmanship...
>
> Has anyone compared these? How are they? Reliability? Accuracy? Any
> killer function one has that the other doesn't for micro type work? Is
> one a true superset of ability over the other, or is it a list of
> tradeoffs? If so, what are the tradeoffs, one versus the other? I'm also
> going to assume that any upgrade hacks one can find on the net don't
> work by now, so it's just going to be as it comes.
>
> I don't even know if you have to upgrade the firmware on these things or
> if that's even a good idea. Ideas on that too?
>
> Thanks in advance for all long and lengthy educational and opinion
> pieces, and/or reliable links. ;)  I'm not gonna sell or give him my
> 475A (deluxe model with attached DVM)  so he has to buy his own. ;)
>
>
> -Dr Skip
>
>
>
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