Biographies 

What is usb oscilloscope. How to choose a digital oscilloscope. Benefits of a digital oscilloscope. Important Features of Oscilloscopes

It so happened in my life, as I think in the life of most people who have been studying electronics for quite a long time, that having started studying electronics with the design of various electronic crafts, we gradually, with the acquisition of experience in design, and in parallel with minor repairs of home electronic equipment, switch from design to greater degree. This business is not very profitable, which any master electronics engineer will confirm to you - sometimes you have to “dig” equipment for a week, and even more, and all the same, the result is not always achieved, in especially difficult cases.

And the profit from doing repairs, it turns out that it is “paid” by piecework, and if so, then this work cannot be called easy. But gradually the understanding came that it is much easier to work when there are two things: a good tool and at least a minimal set of widely used spare parts and accessories, the most popular radio components. And if everything is simple with the second one - each time you invest part of the money earned from repairs in the purchase of radio components, in small wholesale on Ali Express, then everything is more difficult with the tool. A good tool already costs a lot of money, but after working with a good tool, you don’t want to work with a bad one)).

Buying a USB oscilloscope

I needed an oscilloscope, mainly in order to watch the PWM signal on the gates of mosfets in switching power supplies and inverters for monitors or LCD TVs. Of course, Soviet oscilloscopes are still unrivaled in terms of price / quality, but in my home workshop there was just barely enough space, since part of the space is occupied by equipment brought in for repairs, and part of the board is sold for spare parts.

And despite the fact that the Soviet oscilloscope can be found in a more or less normal condition in our city for 2000, I decided to tighten up and purchase a model Intrustar ISDS205A. According to reviews, it should keep “honest” 12 MHz, which was more than enough for my needs.

It cost about 4,000 rubles on Ali, there were models with better characteristics, but more expensive. Bought. Two-channel oscilloscope, two probes with 1:10 dividers are included. The body of the oscilloscope is made of metal. On one side, at the end of the oscilloscope, there are probe connectors.

On the other end there is a USB connection connector and an LED indicator. The kit also included a small screwdriver to adjust the oscilloscope probe divider, apparently. Also in the box was a plastic bag for carrying the oscilloscope without a box, in field conditions.

Everything together looked pretty solid and said that the device was not assembled in a simple Chinese basement, the presence of instructions and a warranty card also confirmed this.

As expected, the oscilloscope coped with its tasks (see the presence of a PWM signal on the mosfet gates) with a bang, although for such purposes, even the frequency of the oscilloscope at “honest” 1 MHz seems to be enough, without distortion of the signal waveform.

I was also pleased with the function of the clamp in the form of a hook, which is put on the probe of the oscilloscope and opens when you press the plastic case of the clamp. Thus, our soldered wire from the contact, the measured signal at a certain point on the board, which may be required if we cannot touch the contacts on the board, is securely fixed with a clamp, and provides good contact with the oscilloscope probe.

There are 2 modes of operation in the shell: simplified and extended, I still use the simplified mode, it is enough for my purposes, but I am always glad that the device allows you to give out more than you need now, because you never know what repairs and measurements will be needed tomorrow .

The screenshots show the appearance of the oscilloscope shell, a close-up of the oscilloscope settings panel, work in the shell from the older model of the oscilloscope. Well, here I think everything will be clear to those who have previously worked with Soviet oscilloscopes, the differences are minor - everything is intuitive.

I was also pleased that, unlike Soviet oscilloscopes, here you do not need to calculate either the signal frequency or its voltage by divisions on the screen, in the shell we see both values ​​\u200b\u200bin the form of ready-made numbers.

Conclusion about the oscilloscope

In general, today I am completely satisfied with this purchase and I think that I could recommend it to novice radio amateurs - electronics engineers. It is worth its money, and now, due to the strengthening of the ruble, it is possible to save a small amount when buying or even take an older model. Good luck with your repairs! The review was prepared by AKV.

Discuss the article USB OSCILLOSCOPE WITH ALI EXPRESS

Good afternoon, Habr!

I bring to the attention of a respected audience a review of the Hantek6022BL oscilloscope / logic analyzer.

Interested please under cat.

Specifications

Oscilloscope:
  • channels: 2
  • bandwidth: 20 MHz
  • sampling rate: 48 Msa/s
  • memory capacity: 1Ms
  • interface: USB 2.0
Logic Analyzer:
  • logical channels: 16
  • Bandwidth: 10 MHz
  • memory size: 48Msa
  • memory depth: 1 Ms
General
  • dimensions: 205 x 120 x35
  • power supply: from USB port
  • weight: 0.382 kg

Appearance

Appearance is definitely 5. Shiny and stylish aluminum case, plastic lining, Hantek mirror inscription. It is immediately clear that they do not save on design here.


Front view. Two BNC probe connectors, logic analyzer connector, calibration pins. Everything is predictable.


USB, a mysterious button and no less mysterious hatch with the inscription USBXI, under which a strange connector is hidden.

Equipment

The kit includes the oscilloscope itself, a USB cable, two cables to the logic analyzer, 20 clips for the logic analyzer, two probes for the oscilloscope, complete with multi-colored marking rings and screwdrivers for adjusting the frequency response of the probe. The probes are called PP-80, but have a bandwidth of 60 MHz, not 80, as one might think. The reasons for this lie, it seems to me, in the properties of the gloomy Chinese genius.
There is also a CD with software, a thing of little use these days.

Subjective impressions

At first glance, an excellent thing. A compact, lightweight device, in a very high-quality aluminum case (like Ipad, the seller writes on aliexpress).
In addition to the listed interfaces, the body of the device has a button with a lock (and this is not a power switch, as one might think) and a connector marked USBXI, which is not described in the documentation and is probably designed to connect several devices to each other. There are also contacts of the built-in calibration generator.
It's time to install the software and turn on the device.

Beginning of work

The easiest way to download the software is from the Russian site hantek.ru, registration is not even required, unlike the "main" site hantek.com. The instruction is in English, the software is also, although there are also Russifications on the site.
So, the software is downloaded, installed, the device is connected to the computer. We connect the probes, connect them to the contacts of the calibration generator and run the oscilloscope program. We see two signals of a rectangular (almost) shape. Adjust the probes with a screwdriver so that the signals acquire an ideal rectangular shape.
After the device has warmed up for 20 minutes (according to the instructions), we do self-calibration. It seems that nothing has changed, but the soul became calmer.

After playing a little with the channel sensitivity and sweep time knobs (nothing new has been invented here), let's move on to a deeper study of the software.

Scan
The trigger has a single trigger mode: Edge (edge), the user can select the source (channel 1 or channel 2 and edge, positive or negative).
<лирическое отступление>
Allow me a lyrical digression. When I was at the institute, some teachers really disliked expressions like "front front" and "back front". A front is only a front, by definition, they said, so you should just say "front", and what is called a "rear front" is properly called a "recession". Deep down I agree with them, but here I will use the phrases "forward front" and "rear front".

Autorun, "Normal" mode, and one-time launch are provided. The trigger has no more "tricky" modes.

The horizontal time base is adjustable from 1 ns (a completely useless range for this instrument) to 3000 seconds. There is a display mode with a horizontal scan (x(t), y(t)) and an X-Y mode (useful, for example, for Lissajous figures).

Channel Sensitivity
The sensitivity of the channels is adjustable from 200mV/div to 5V/div with a probe ratio of 1:1, and allows you to work with probes with dividers up to 1:10000 (honestly, I have never seen such, it must be a very high-voltage thing).

The trigger level and horizontal shift can be changed simply with the mouse, but the values ​​of these values ​​are not displayed anywhere. The moment the trigger fires is not tied to any divisions on the oscillogram, nor to the center of the screen, or to anything at all.

Channel "mathematics"
It is displayed as a third waveform and can display the sum, difference, product, and quotient of the signal values ​​in channels A and B, as well as the spectrum (FFT). For FFT, you can choose the type of window: rectangular, Hamming, Hanning, Blackman. You can choose linear or logarithmic amplitude scale.
"Ref" channel
In fact, this is not some special channel, it's just a display of a previously saved signal on the screen next to the current ones, for example, for comparison.
Measurement mode
"Horizontal" measurements
The period and frequency of the signal, the rise and fall time of the signal, the pulse width and the width of the gap between pulses are measured in units of time and as a percentage of the full period.
"Vertical" measurements
Waveform maximum and minimum, peak-to-peak voltage, top and bottom voltages, average, RMS, overshoot and undershoot percentage.
Cursor measurement mode
Perhaps the only mode that is more convenient in a "virtual" oscilloscope than in a "real" one. Just select a rectangle on the screen with the mouse and see deltaT and deltaV. There are three cursor modes: vertical, horizontal and “cross”, that is, both at once. Why the first two are needed is not clear.
Autoinstall
A "magic" button that sets the optimal (according to the program) display mode.
Interpolation
Due to the discrete nature of the measurements, the displayed data can be interpolated as follows: “stepped” mode, i.e. no interpolation, “linear” mode and sin(x)/x interpolation, which should theoretically be the most accurate. Unfortunately, the effect of its inclusion could not be seen.
Display settings
Display by vectors or points, display of the coordinate grid, brightness of oscillograms and grids, nothing unusual.
Saving data
Waveforms can be saved in different formats: txt, xls, doc and bmp. The first three are just readout values ​​in text form, the last one is a screenshot of the oscillograms. There is also a ref format designed to work with a ref channel.

The picture above shows the program interface with two signals on inputs A and B, with a math channel into which FFT is output, with cursors and with the measurement mode turned on.

In general, an oscilloscope is like an oscilloscope, only the simplest functions, but they work fine. It could have been done better. Grade 4.

Logic analyzer

The logic analyzer is displayed in a separate window.

We see 16 signals and ... everything. No settings, no trigger conditions, nothing at all. Signal capturing is started manually with the button. However, there is one setting, SampleRate can be selected from 100 kSa/s to 48 kSa/s. Signals are captured until the memory is full (1M samples).

The logic analyzer is not connected in any way with the oscilloscope, it cannot be triggered by its trigger, nor can it be triggered by its trigger, it cannot be triggered either by the edge of any logical signal, or, moreover, by more complex events and conditions.
The interface of the analyzer after capturing signals starts to shamelessly slow down.
Those who have worked with real analyzers will cry burning tears.

In general, for the analyzer, the score is 2 plus (still, at least something works). Maybe there is some hope that the logic analyzer will work better in the next version of the software.

Alternative software

There is nothing good in this regard yet. There is an alternative software for DSO-6022BE, but it didn't work with this model. In addition, it practically does not differ from the native one, except for small changes in the GUI design.
There is software for Hantek instruments under Linux, but it does not support the DSO-6000 line at all.

Drivers

Windows 7 did not automatically find anything, of course, it had to specify the folder with the drivers manually.

Mysterious button and connector on the back

As far as you can understand from the manual, this button is designed to call the software. However, it does not perform this function, and is currently just a button-for-beauty. The same can be said about the USBXI connector. Even if it is intended to combine several devices into one, neither a cable nor any traces of support for this function in the software could be found.

Overall score

It is, of course, a toy. If using an oscilloscope is your daily business, then it is better to buy a normal oscilloscope, without the “USB” prefix. Even an inexpensive oscilloscope has many more features and functions. Not to mention the logic analyzer.
However, if you rarely need an oscilloscope, or if you have a very limited budget, then you can work with this model.

SDK

The manufacturer posted the SDK, which can open up some non-trivial possibilities for using the device, for example, in automated measuring systems. But I haven't looked at the SDK yet.

geekporn

What does he have inside?

Remove the plastic covers and unscrew the front and back covers. Now you can remove the board.


Board photo

What is what on this board? I marked all the microcircuits with numbers. Let's see what is what.

1. The "brain" is the Cypress cy7c68013a-100axc microcontroller (http://www.cypress.com/?docID=45142). Microcontroller based on 8051 core with High-speed USB interface. In principle, an understandable choice. High speed from the processor is not needed, because all processing takes place on the computer side, but fast USB is needed.

2. SN74LVC16245A (http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/sn74lvc16245a.pdf) - logic analyzer frontend. Regular 16-bit buffer.

3. 24LC02BI (http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/21709J.pdf) - 2 kb EEPROM for storing any settings. Why there are two is unclear.

4. AMS1117-3.3 (http://www.advanced-monolithic.com/pdf/ds1117.pdf) - 3.3V linear power regulator.

5. Inout A0505S-2WR (http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/611588/MORNSUN/A0505S-2WR2.html) – +5V to bipolar 5V converter to power the analog frontend.

6. AD8065 (http://www.analog.com/static/imported-files/data_sheets/AD8065_8066.pdf) is an operational amplifier with FET inputs and a bandwidth of 145 MHz.

7. EL5166 (http://www.intersil.com/content/dam/Intersil/documents/el51/el5166-67.pdf) is an Intersil wideband operational amplifier (1.4 GHz unity gain bandwidth).

8. 74HC4051 (http://www.nxp.com/documents/data_sheet/74HC_HCT4051.pdf) - 8-channel analog multiplexer/demultiplexer

9. The most interesting chip, the ADC, is hidden under the heatsink. A little heating with a soldering iron, and the heatsink came off, and under it was AD9288 (http://www.analog.com/static/imported-files/data_sheets/AD9288.pdf) - 8-bit ADC, 2 channels of 100 MSa / s.

Everything is done extremely simply and minimalistically, but neatly. Even too simple, I was hoping to see at least some FPGA. The analog front end has a large headroom, which is very good. In "adult" oscilloscopes, the same hardware is often used for a whole model range, and the frequency band for younger models is cut off programmatically, for marketing reasons. Knowing the necessary dance with a tambourine, you can get an older model from a younger one, using the capabilities of iron at 100%.
But in this case, older models from the same line have a sampling rate of 150 and 250 MHz, that is, at least a different ADC.

Unlike traditional oscilloscopes, their portable counterparts have built-in batteries.

This means that they can operate without an external power supply, making them suitable for field use.

Many users find it difficult to choose between these handheld devices and the more robust desktop oscilloscopes. Although it should be noted that many "pocket" models, despite their size, still offer a lot of features.

What are portable oscilloscopes?

Portable oscilloscopes are voltage evaluation tools designed to test the performance of your electrical signal generator. Oscilloscopes calculate the amount of current carried over a given period of time and present the signal values ​​in a graph.

The waveform displays the voltage update on the vertical (Y) axis, the time period on the graph is displayed on the horizontal (X) axis. The features of the waveform directly depend on the transmitted signal.

Portable oscilloscopes are capable of displaying data in both digital and analog form. Analog oscilloscopes show a constant waveform. A number of oscilloscopes are capable of displaying data on several channels at once.

Top 3 best portable oscilloscope

Oscilloscope SainSmart Nano DSO

Rating: ★★★★★
The SainSmart Nano DSO is 11mm thick and 160g in weight, but despite its small size, it can meet the needs of physics students or experimenters. It displays three lines on its screen (color display has a resolution of 320 x 240), it is equipped with a lithium battery and an 8 MB memory card. And it's also very easy to use.

In the hand lies well, it has a solid construction. You can work with it, as they say, right out of the box. But what we really like is that it offers a lot of different features, a well thought out menu and various measurement methods, and a small display. Users also note that this device provides high measurement accuracy and responds well to user input.

True, the small size can be a problem for people with large hands - the size of the SainSmart Nano DSO is more like a deck of cards than the iPhone 6.

One downside we should mention is that this model only comes with one probe, although as a dual channel oscilloscope it should have come with two. It's not a pretty minor flaw. Overall, we really liked this pocket oscilloscope.

Oscilloscope Owon HDS1021M

Rating: ★★★★☆
This single channel 20MHz oscilloscope has a digital multimeter that is used for basic oscilloscope measurements such as voltage, resistance, capacitance and current resistance. The maximum real-time sampling rate is 100MS/s, the recording length is 6000 points for detailed waveform. Its operation can be controlled both in automatic and manual modes, the device is equipped with a 3.5-inch color TFT-LCD display.

From the above, it becomes clear that this is an excellent option that gives accurate results. The screen is bright and contrasty, which means that the data on it will be very clearly visible. Range and frequency are displayed very accurately. The instruction was clearly written by a non-native speaker, however, with its help, you can still understand the main functions of this device.

The only negative is the USB connection and the software could be better. There are only 6 sentences in the instruction manual on how to connect this device to a PC. Many users had significant problems using the bundled CD - they were unable to install software from it. Instead, they had to look for an online resource to download updated software for the Owon HDS1021M.

And the software itself could work better - scanning is very slow. Although, in principle, this is enough if you just want to catch the signal, and then download and convert it to an image file.

This is definitely a great option - with good build quality and functionality, plus it comes at a reasonable price. But the software, PC connection and instruction manual still spoil the picture a bit.

Oscilloscope Siglent SHS806

Rating: ★★★★☆
Siglent SHS806 is a bit more expensive, it is a dual channel handheld oscilloscope that has higher bandwidth. This option has a frequency of 60 MHz and is supplied with a multimeter to measure frequency, duty cycle, voltage and power.

Its real-time sampling rate is 1 GS/s, and the 2MB memory capacity is enough for 18 hours of waveforms. In addition, it has advanced mechanisms for highlighting specific signals and a 5.7-inch color TFT-LCD display for viewing data.

This is definitely a great portable oscilloscope. It provides a high level of accuracy, offers a ton of features, and has a built-in multimeter. But you must remember that the inputs in this Siglent model are not isolated. This company makes models with isolated inputs, but they are (prohibitively) more expensive.

The menu is intuitive, all functions are carefully thought out. The only negative is that the screen could have had a higher resolution, but this is not such a significant drawback.

Hantek 6022BE is a USB oscilloscope designed for field use. The device works well with slow signals, for which high accuracy is not important. The release of the Hantek 6022BE oscilloscope is carried out by the Chinese company Hantek, which specializes in the production of digital equipment.

Devices of this type are used in conditions where there is no possibility of connecting to a fixed network and perfectly capture slow signals, the reception of which does not require increased fixation accuracy.

Design

The body of the oscilloscope is made of silver aluminum, interspersed with plastic overlays and a mirror Hantek inscription. On the front panel there are connectors for probes and a logic analyzer and contacts for calibration: a very predictable appearance.

The Hantek 6022BE case is equipped with a button, a USB connector and a small hatch with the USBXI inscription, behind which an additional connector is hidden.

Contents of delivery

The instrument package is standard: an oscilloscope, a USB cable, cables for a logic analyzer and 20 clips for it, two probes for an oscilloscope, marking rings of different colors and screwdrivers for adjusting the frequency response, instructions for Hantek 6022BE. Despite the fact that the name of the probes - RR-80 - indicates the number 80, their bandwidth is only 60 MHz. The package also comes with a software CD.

Exploitation

Despite the fact that the software for Hantek 6022BE is supplied on the media in the kit, it can be downloaded separately from the official resource of the manufacturer. Both the software and the instruction manual are in English, but there are also Russian-language versions on the site.

After connecting the oscilloscope to the computer, probes are connected to the instrument itself and the contacts of the calibration generator. After starting the program, two rectangular signals are displayed on the monitor, which is adjusted to a perfect rectangle using the included screwdriver.

Before self-calibration, the Hantek 6022BE must warm up for 20 minutes, as indicated in the instruction manual. Only then can the device be calibrated.

Scan

There is only one trigger mode - Edge, in which the user can select the signal source: channel 1, channel 2, or positive / negative edge.

The oscilloscope features auto trigger, single trigger, and Normal mode. The trigger has no other modes of operation.

Channel Sensitivity

With a probe ratio of 1:1, the sensitivity of the channels can vary from 200 mV/div to 5 V/div. Such a wide spread allows the use of styli with dividers up to 1:10,000.

Horizontal shift and trigger levels can be adjusted by moving the mouse, however, the values ​​of both values ​​are not displayed in the program: the moment the trigger is triggered is not tied to any data displayed on the screen.

math channel

Displays the difference, sum, quotient, and product of the signals in both channels and the FFT spectrum. Represented as the third waveform. For FFT, the window type can be configured. The amplitude scale is also selected - logarithmic or linear.

measurements

Horizontal measurements include measurements of the frequency and period of the signal, the time during which the signal rises and falls, the pulse width and the interval between pulses as a percentage of the entire period and in time values.

Vertical - measurement of the minimum and maximum signal level, peak voltage, voltage of the "base" and "top" of the pulse, negative and positive surge, average and root mean square values.

Cursor measurements are the only mode in which operation on the Hantek 6022BE virtual oscilloscope is much easier than on the real one. The required area is highlighted on the screen, after which deltaV and deltaT appear. In total, there are three cursor modes: horizontal, vertical and cross, which is the union of the first two.

Interpolation

The data displayed by the oscilloscope, due to its discrete nature, can be interpolated in various ways: in linear mode, in step mode with no interpolation, and in sin (x) / x interpolation, which is the most accurate in theory. In practice, however, no particular effect was observed from its use.

Saving Information

Recorded waveforms are saved in several formats: xls, doc, bmp and txt. The bmp format saves a screenshot of the waveforms, while the other three are just a text display of the measurements. To work with a ref channel, a separate ref format is used.

Logic analyzer

Data from the analyzer is displayed in a separate program window.

The software does not provide any settings for the logic analyzer: only 16 signals are displayed on the screen. Signal capture is triggered manually by pressing a button. The only setting available on the Hantek DSO 6022BE is Samplerate, which ranges from 100 kSa/s to 48 kSa/s. Signals are captured until the entire device memory is full.

The logic analyzer is not connected to the oscilloscope itself and operates completely autonomously. Judging by the reviews of the Hantek 6022BE, the analyzer's disadvantage is that it slows down a lot after the start of signal capture.

Alternative software

There is separate software for Hantek DSO 6022BE, but it does not work with the standard oscilloscope model. Its only difference from the native one is the change in GUI design.

Connectors and button on the rear panel

Behind the oscilloscope is a key that, as indicated in the instructions, calls up the software. Despite this, it does not fulfill its function and is only an ornament. The USBXI connector also does not fulfill its purpose: it was originally intended to combine several devices, but neither a cable nor any other accessories are included with the oscilloscope.

Advantages of digital equipment

Analog devices have the following advantages:

  • The ADC operates almost silently, without exceeding the allowable values.
  • The waveform is transmitted with high accuracy.

Benefits of Hantek Oscilloscope

  • Light weight, making the portable instrument easy to transport.
  • Compact dimensions.
  • Single signal measurement function, which is very convenient to use.
  • Intuitive and user-friendly interface.
  • Color display.
  • All test data and captured waveform information is stored in the oscilloscope's memory.
  • Ability to print saved data.
  • The ability to create an AC input Hantek 6022BE with your own hands.
  • High data processing speed.
  • Can be installed

Oscilloscope cost

The price of the device on the official Russian-language website of the manufacturer is 4400 rubles. In specialized stores, the cost starts from 3800 rubles.

Results

The Hantek 6022BE device is a very good oscilloscope, the functionality of which allows you to smoke digital signals. This is done through the trigger settings for the source, level and front, that is, for one of the available channels.

The trigger can operate in automatic mode (in which the oscilloscope is very similar to the old analog one in terms of operation), normal mode (the screen and information are updated only if all trigger conditions are met) and single mode (the screen is updated once, to continue you need to press the Start key and bring the device out of standby).

Normal and single modes of operation make it easy to capture the necessary data and carefully study them later on different buses, for example, USART.

Among the additional functions, one can single out the possibility of taking measurements directly on the screen - on a stopped oscillogram, you can select individual points with the cursor and fix the period, amplitude and other parameters of the recorded signal.

The Hantek 6022BE oscilloscope can be used to work with slow digital signals up to 100 MHz - data buses, microcontrollers and other devices. The study of analog signals is more difficult for him, since digital noise appears in all its glory.

When buying a new oscilloscope, it is worth starting with questions that you should first of all answer to yourself:

  1. Where will the device be used?
  2. For what purpose do you need it?
  3. Do you need to measure signals at multiple points at the same time?
  4. What is the (numerical) amplitude of the signals you are measuring?
  5. What is the frequency of the signals you are measuring?
  6. Are you measuring repeating signals or single ones?
  7. Do you conduct research on signals in the frequency domain?

Big Question: Analog or Digital?

The main advantage of an analog oscilloscope is the absence of ADC noise.

You may still be a fan of analog instruments, but today's digital world dictates its own terms, and the capabilities of analog cannot be compared with digital storage oscilloscopes.

If the accuracy of the transmission of the form of the signal you are studying is not a priority for you in your observations and research, then you feel free to stop at digital.

USB - oscilloscope - is a representative of the class of digital oscilloscopes. And they, in comparison with analog, have a number of advantages.

Namely:

  • Small and relatively light
  • Wide Bandwidth
  • Single signal can be measured
  • Convenient interface
  • Color display
  • Ability to save and print data
  • Possibility of digital signal processing (fast Fourier transform, addition, subtraction, integration, etc.)
  • Ability to use digital filtering

Often, digital oscilloscopes can include additional devices in the same case:

  • Logic analyzer (allows you to analyze data packets, for example, transmitted via I2C, USB, CAN, SPI and others)
  • Function Generator (Arbitrary Waveform)
  • Digital sequence generator

If the oscilloscope is made in the form of a portable device, then it is often combined with a multimeter, they are also called scopmeters (sometimes with very good characteristics).

The undeniable advantages of these devices are versatility, autonomy and small size.

Choosing a new oscilloscope is quite a challenge, due to the fact that the market has a wide selection of manufacturers and their models.

If you decide to replace an old oscilloscope or purchase a device necessary for work, and you do not have big appetites, then the USB oscilloscope may be the best choice for you. All you need is after studying the characteristics - to stop at a certain manufacturer and model.

First of all pay attention to the manufacturer. Studying various models, you will see that you should pay attention to a manufacturer that is constantly improving the software of its products and adding new features, while not changing the platform.

Today we will pay attention to such manufacturers as Hantek, Instrustar, SainSmart.

  • SainSmart - although it's more of a distributor

Considering the models, it is worth stopping at devices with a band of 40-60 MHz. Although the latest models of technology, in particular the new LCD_TV, may soon require 100-120 MHz.

And yet, visiting forums on foreign sites, you will see that the opinions on them reflect the practically real state of affairs. As for the reviews found on Russian-language sites and video reviews, they consist mainly of “let's unpack” and “finally got it”, and as a bonus: “install the drivers” and “poke the probe”. And as a conclusion - joy and "it works."

But you are unlikely after this reading and viewing, you will be able to draw any real technically sound conclusion, where will you stop.

Let's return to the assessments in foreign forums.

SainSmart (third on the list) disappeared after a few hours of study - not a bad product was produced, but there is a problem with the software. There are no updates, but the existing one works with bugs. We know firsthand that software solves a lot.

Next - (first in the list),

a company with a name, produces an impressive lineup, including budget options. However, both budget and some later models have the same software, and at the same time quite modest. Functionality: a conventional two-beam oscilloscope + a simple set of tools. No bonuses in the form of additional software with analyzing programs, etc. no. This is sad.

In the output, as you can see: - an example of elementary minimalism, although with the help of software it would be possible to implement a considerable amount of additional functionality and features.

Our (Russian-language) reviews claim that almost the entire range of 20, 40, 60 MHz models is based on one board with minor modifications, and the rest is done by software.

In principle, the usual Chinese move is to make one piece of hardware and software to limit the potential of the lower line of models. An no. Different lines of models work on different chips and have different software inside. And it's attractive.

For example, you can choose the Instrustar ISDS220B 60MHz plus DDS generator up to 20MHz. If you download and install the software even in demo mode, it will really please you. You will find a lot of settings, starting from the color and background of the interface, to the spectrum analyzer, the frequency response analyzer and the sea of ​​​​various chips with which even in demo mode you will have something to deal with.

And in general - the software is fresh, despite the age of the model being produced. Conclusion - the manufacturer "holds his hand on" the software - fixes bugs and adds new features. And this is a huge plus.

As an example:

A window in professional mode opened four forms.

The conclusion from all of the above suggests itself:

take your time, analyze, research and shop wisely. You have to use! Until the next reviews of the best models.