The Coolest Piece of Test Equipment Ever

[Mikebits]

Man o man, I am ready to rob a bank to get one of these. I have dreams about owning this scope. It is just so dern expensive. Price of some cars...
https://info.tek.com/www-mdo-portfo..._medium=display&utm_content=scopes-mainstream

 

[strantor]

It's no Tek, but this comes kinda close and you can get it for less than a used car.

 

[Mikebits]

I don't think so. The Tek has 6 instruments in 1, the spec an can go up to 6 GHz. The Rigol is a MSO, the Tek is a MDO. That Rigol does look nice tho.
• Oscilloscope Analog Bandwidth 200 MHz to 1 GHz
• Arbitrary/Function Generator
• Logic Analyzer
• Spectrum Analyzer
• Protocol Analyzer
• Digital Voltmeter

 

[kubeek]

I don´t want to be bragging, but last year at Embedded world I won a draw for an MDO3104 - a very nice toy to play with, but I had to sell it because having a four channel scope with gigahertz bandwidth is a bit of an overkill for hobby use, and I can use all my employers toys anyway if I need to do some high end measurements.

 

[JimB]

having a four channel scope with gigahertz bandwidth is a bit of an overkill for hobby use

But think of the bragging rights!

JimB

 

[Mikebits]

I don´t want to be bragging, but last year at Embedded world I won a draw for an MDO3104 - a very nice toy to play with, but I had to sell it because having a four channel scope with gigahertz bandwidth is a bit of an overkill for hobby use, and I can use all my employers toys anyway if I need to do some high end measurements.

Blasphemy I am always finding myself needing more than two channels.

 

[Ian Rogers]

Oscilloscopes don't do it for me... I have three decent ones but use them less than once a month ( I use the little DSO hand held more )

 

[Tony Stewart]

The best tool is the one that {you know best how to use, can afford it, suits your needs}
pick any 2 criteria.

No matter how fast a scope you get, it still won't be fast enough to capture an ESD rise time event. ( ~ few ps)

 

[crutschow]

Oscilloscopes don't do it for me... ...........

Dare I ask what does?

 

[Ian Rogers]

Dare I ask what does?

Yep!! An old 8 bit computer!!

In my line of work, I rarely use this sort of stuff so I don't get excited.... BUT!! An old Amiga or Speccy!! Now you're talking!!

 

[tcmtech]

having a four channel scope with gigahertz bandwidth is a bit of an overkill for hobby use,

Similar thought here as well. Granted having 4 channels available is good at times but for me I can't recall the last time I ever had to look at anything that had more than a few MHZ base frequency for any justified reason on more than 1 channel anyway.

To be honest the majority of the work I do with an O-scope the biggest limit I have is with analog units that can't go low enough in frequency, not high enough. Trying to look at 60 HZ power line voltage and currents and their first few harmonics on two channels simultaneously with a little dot that sweeps by at speeds well below visual speed threshold limits. it's really annoying.

Channel wise meh. I have like a dozen plus good O-scopes now so I don't really worry about it. I can't ever recall having to need to look at more than four signals at once that I can ever recall and that was easily doable with just the two of my main units working together. Too be honest when using more than two channels problems with signal isolation and ground reference points for each channel gets to be a problem unless every channel is capable of being fully isolated from the rest which a lot of scopes still don't have as a built in feature.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Yep!! An old 8 bit computer!!

In my line of work, I rarely use this sort of stuff so I don't get excited.... BUT!! An old Amiga or Speccy!! Now you're talking!!

Just to point out, an Amiga wasn't 8 bit!

 

[Ian Rogers]

It's funny you should say that!! Sir Clive used a 68000 in his QL... But used it as an 8 bit!!! Go figure!

 

[Inquisitive]

I'm shocked you turned your back on the old C64.

Loved the old toy.

 

[Tony Stewart]

When I just sold my house , I recently tossed out a Win95 Packard Bell PC . It had been in storage at my Winnipeg rental home for 8 yrs.
It booted up pretty fast and still worked. I had upgraded it in the past to Win98. It ran pretty fast as a browser and media player with email client.

 

[Mikebits]

Similar thought here as well. Granted having 4 channels available is good at times but for me I can't recall the last time I ever had to look at anything that had more than a few MHZ base frequency for any justified reason on more than 1 channel anyway.

To be honest the majority of the work I do with an O-scope the biggest limit I have is with analog units that can't go low enough in frequency, not high enough. Trying to look at 60 HZ power line voltage and currents and their first few harmonics on two channels simultaneously with a little dot that sweeps by at speeds well below visual speed threshold limits. it's really annoying.

Channel wise meh. I have like a dozen plus good O-scopes now so I don't really worry about it. I can't ever recall having to need to look at more than four signals at once that I can ever recall and that was easily doable with just the two of my main units working together. Too be honest when using more than two channels problems with signal isolation and ground reference points for each channel gets to be a problem unless every channel is capable of being fully isolated from the rest which a lot of scopes still don't have as a built in feature.

For BW, I have been taught to use the 5 times rule, eg. Scope BW > 5 times signal under test (This applies to digital). If your mostly doing power grid stuff as you have mentioned, then yeah you probably would not need much, which is better for you cost wise. I have a habit of performing signal integrity test on all my board designs, especially clocks where ringing can cause problems.

Lately I been using my scope a good deal to aid in debug of the terrible code I write. The scope has been a life saver in that department, especially with all the SPI stuff, which 3 channels would really help when checking timing, and such.

 

[strantor]

I don't think so. The Tek has 6 instruments in 1, the spec an can go up to 6 GHz. The Rigol is a MSO, the Tek is a MDO. That Rigol does look nice tho.
• Oscilloscope Analog Bandwidth 200 MHz to 1 GHz
• Arbitrary/Function Generator
• Logic Analyzer
• Spectrum Analyzer
• Protocol Analyzer
• Digital Voltmeter

Heck, bitscope does all that. It doesn't go up to 6 googlehertz but are you honestly ever in a situation where you need that? I don't know what you play with, maybe you do need that, but I can't fathom what for. I've even never taken my 100Mhz scope past 2nd gear; In fact one of my favorite features on it is the 20kHz bandwidth limiter.

 

[nsaspook]

Heck, bitscope does all that. It doesn't go up to 6 googlehertz but are you honestly ever in a situation where you need that? I don't know what you play with, maybe you do need that, but I can't fathom what for. I've even never taken my 100Mhz scope past 2nd gear; In fact one of my favorite features on it is the 20kHz bandwidth limiter.

Then consider yourself lucky for never needing that electronic rope for a way out of the pit.

 

[strantor]

IF I somehow fell in there, I wouldn't think twice about using a $7,300 scope as a battle axe.

EDIT:
only starts @ $7,300. For the 6 gibblehertz one it's $23,400
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Tektronix/MDO4104C-SA6/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs4AFwHyzhTm9SFOGjphl6GcjXy7X3WP/U=

 

[tcmtech]

only starts @ $7,300. For the 6 gibblehertz one it's $23,400

Meh. I'm saving my money for one with a 0 - at least mid gamma ray bandwidth. Preferably 20 channels and with at least basic 72 & 1/3 bit cosmic ray triggered sideband mode on 13 of the channels.

Oh yea and it should also have a real iPad charger built in too not a counterfeit one.

I'm all about the quality you know.