O-scope Analyzer software , Opinions ? preferences ?

This has been discussed before right ? maybe an update ?

Is there one that stands out ? or good value vs features ?
I'm starting to research the purchase of to replace My O scope
tia Regards Greg

okgb said:

This has been discussed before right ? maybe an update ?

Is there one that stands out ? or good value vs features ?
I'm starting to research the purchase of to replace My O scope
tia Regards Greg

Click to expand...

For audio testing, nothing can beat a good analog scope.  My $0.02.
Best,
Bruno2000

I concur. You can get a good analog scope second hand...

Yeah , I was considering whenever the one I have now packs and in
upgrading and O-scopes are limited in what they do, not that I've felt the need for more
but software can offer more, although I'm not concerned about knowing exactly how much
distortion some things have. could be fun. there's also the dedicated handheld units

When dealing with amplifier designs that might bring into question stability and oscillation concerns, you have to make sure your digital equivalent can sample in the MHz range.

Too many times I see weird operation on my digital scope (that's not very high frequency with regards to sampling) that I track down using my analog scope to be MHz-range oscillation that can be removed by more in depth analysis of the stability criteria.

I think for certain things an analog scope is indispensable, though I am aware that a modern digital scope should also be able to assist in this area.

The latest generation of digital oscilloscopes featuring intensity grading and high update rates are surely excellent tools, suitable for audio work. But the price ratio to a good used analog scope is something in the range of 10x to 100x.

But I'm not sure if this adresses the actual question--are you interested in PC-based oscilloscopes, using sound card or dedicated USB interfaces?

Samuel

Was considering [ debating the merits of ] either Samual ,
I have an extra laptop kicking around although a handheld unit maybe more convenient
the work area is not always the studio area [ for me a basement , work space is fairly tight ]
I did have a cart but it took up too much room.
I could use more write off's too , Anyone want to come for lunch I'm buying!

The modern digital scopes are smaller and lighter, so not that hard to move around if you need to. Used old school scopes are so cheap because the new ones are hipper. Some of the early lower priced digital scopes IMO were a little awkward to use, but I have not worked with many of them. I am happy with my digital scope and even the old analog scopes are sampled so can have bandwidth issues.

JR

I see several options:

a) Get a small portable analog scope, e.g. a Tektronix SC502. This is from their modular TM500 series (www.barrytech.com/tektronix/tektm500/tektm500.html)--you can opt for a 2-wide mainframe for smallest size, or choose a wider mainframe and fill it with other usable plug-ins (e.g. a FG501 function generator or DM501(A) DMM). This is a nice scope for audio work (very wide sensitivity range), but the display is small.
b) Get something like an Agilent 1000 series digital scope, or a second-hand unit of the same class (can't offer any specific suggestion). These are small and lightweight, and often offer features like FFT. But usually you won't find intensity grading and the waveform update rate is bound to be slow, which makes their display somewhat rough.
c) Get a USB-scope from Picotech or similar. If you don't count the laptop (e.g. because you carry it with you anyway), this is the smallest and smartest solution. Restrictions apply as for b).

Samuel

I would not want to miss the ease of use of my Rigol DS2000 scope. just power up and plug in a probe - off you go. I know from others that the USB / ethernet attached scopes (like samuel mentioned) have decent front ends as well and work nicely, but you do use more space on your desk eventually.... Audio 'scoping' through the sound card or arduino based 1Mhz scopelets are just rubbish in my opinion. not worth the hassle. you'd rather get a used 20Mhz analog scope.

there is a rather cheap usb scope front end from vellemann I believe with possibly usable range / bandwith, but rather small buffer size, so technically may be not the best solution.

the only complaint I have is the fan noise of my scope. Even though limited in actual level I find it quite distracting. but hey I usually get to do DIY stuff after 22.00 or later....



- Michael

I think the idea of a USB 'scope (and logic analyzer, and pattern generator) is fundamentally brilliant. Why try to implement the display and the controls in a hardware box when you already have a best-in-class user interface sitting on your desk? ("Best in class" assumes the GUI designer understands the problem domain, but I digress.)

Of course, the poison apple in this Garden of Eden is that the vendors need to keep up with the changes in operating systems, and provided driver and other software updates in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this seems to be given the short shrift. The last thing you want is for a $2,000 box to be turned into a brick because the vendor doesn't want to update the driver for the next version of the OS.

-a

Andy Peters said:

I think the idea of a USB 'scope (and logic analyzer, and pattern generator) is fundamentally brilliant. Why try to implement the display and the controls in a hardware box when you already have a best-in-class user interface sitting on your desk? ("Best in class" assumes the GUI designer understands the problem domain, but I digress.)

Click to expand...

I have to disagree a bit - the best visuals is nothing compared to the use of a knob / encoder... I would love to have a configurable encoder bank of lets say 2 x 4 encoders with color coding, and may be a small oled display each instead of a mouse. that would come in handy for quite some softwares. nothing like real knobs - ;-)

- Michael

I have recently purchased a Silent DSO for about the same reasons. Its more affordable than the agilent and tek stuff but just as capable. The one I bought is only 70mHz but that's plenty high for most things. Daily I carry one of the velleman 10mHz  handhelds that has saved me in several pinches. And a client recently gave me an older tek analog 450mHz 4 channel that is useful for the random things that are beyond the sigilents scale. If I wasn't in and out of about 4 studios per day I would just stick with the ssigilent but velleman is fine for most things.