Maybe you can diagnose/fix the HP scope some day with this scope.
Often you need a scope to fix a scope.
At least you will be able to compare the display and make sure if and where the HP is malfunctioning.
The biggest problem i have with the PC scopes is that usually the sampling rate is _way_ low, like a few Msamples at best. This one says it has 1Gsample, which should make a very useful scope (even comparable to Tek TDS220 maybe).
The other thing is of course the user interface. Even though i have a 19" tft mounted in the center of my electronics bench and input devices right in a drawer under the table surface i'm still not sure if i'd like a PC scope. I guess it would be OK, although i don't understand why they don't put the basic controls on the case of the PC scope. After all stuff like input attenuators really needs mechanical switches (or relays) and there seems little advantage in software control. Even if - the cost of say 3 rotary encoders and 10 pushbuttons would be minimal. Then the PC screen could just serve as display (and for advanced settings), while the basic controls of voltage and time would be analog, but what do i know...
That you have all the data immediately there in the PC without any importing, and that you get math-intensive functions (measurements, FFT) basically for free are very tempting though..
ST
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 13:50:49 +0200, lcdpublishing <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
Thanks for all the comments, suggestions and opinions.
While I agree that having a real scope is probably the best way to
go for the long term, I think having a scope that I can trust to be
accurate and working is more critical in the short term.
I bought that HP scope used on E-Bay - great price etc. I cleaned
it up, bought some probes and checked it out the best I can and
fixed a few broken dials. While it does work good sometimes on one
of the two channels, it's when it doesn't work good that screws me
up completely.
If I had the experience to know if what I am seeing is a problem
with the scope versus a problem with what I am checking, it wouldn't
matter much.
A good example of this is was when I tried to watch the output from
a stepper driver - I had everything set correctly on the scope and
video taped the display, but the display didn't make sense to anyone
else. There have been a number of times now when I have wanted to
measure something only to give up because it simply didn't "Work".
It appears that much of what I am doing and probably will continue
to do is in the realm of micros and related projects (Motion control
and so on). The fastest micro I know of that I can work with is
20mhz, so the 60mhz of this "Simulated scope" is certainly good for
the range of stuff I work with.
The recording ability is very important to me. Just having the easy
ability to take a "Screen shot" and post that image for help in
analyzing what is there is a huge benefit for a newbie like me.
As for the drawback of having to have a computer to use the scope,
well chances are really good that a computer is never more than 15
steps from where I am anywhere in the shop or office where I do all
this stuff. Heck, in the shop I have 2 computers and in the office
I have 3 (1 laptop and 2 desktops).
While I certainly do like storage and recording features, the
biggest gain for me is that I "Should" be able to trust the display.
I can't trust my real scope and that is a very bad thing :-(
Chris
