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10-04-2018, 10:34 PM
Oscilloscopes for audio - part-2
When I first started looking at DSOs, I was seeing inexpensive units in the $2-300 range. Most of these had 5.7" displays, 8-bit vertical resolution, and bandwidth typically 50-200MHz. I wanted 2-ch rather than 4-ch and did not need digital inputs for looking at low-voltage computer circuits. Most DSO have data-logging and decoding built-in, which I don't need. The tiny displays and the overall look of these scopes seemed a bit "toy-like". Then I started seeing units with 7" WVGA displays - "wide VGA". The display resolution is higher and there is more room on the display for the wave and the data around it. usually the scope tells you some of its settings onscreen, along with info about the wave itself.
Then I saw units with 8" displays and some that had VGA output connectors. For my wonky eyes these were features I could use. I also found units with 12-bit and 14-bit vertical resolution. "8-bits" is 2 raised to the power of 8, which is 256. This means there are 256 vertical steps or divisions in the vertical height of the wave, or for the limit of voltage range the wave must fit into. 12-bits is 2-to-the-12, or 4096 - 16-times as many points of resolution. 14-bits is four-times better again.
If a manufacturer is not head-lining the vertical resolution then you can safely assume it is an 8-bit machine. There is an interesting Keysight (formerly HP - Hewlett-Packard) scope that is rated at only 50MHz but has an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) built in and software that allows the scope to display Bode plots - frequency response of an amplifier. This was pretty intriguing, but it is a $900+ machine compare to the base unit without AWG for about $630cdn. The display is only 7" and most of the features are given Keysight trade names that really don't mean anything unless you are fully immersed in the HP culture.
The 8" display units and the 12-bit+ units were by OWON. They have several ranges of DSO and at first it can be a bit mesmerising navigating through it all. Fortunately, they have one of the best websites of any test equipment manufacturer, complete with all kinds of little videos that show what their scopes can do. In fact, those videos teach you about DSOs - period - so are very useful even if you choose some other brand.
Ultimately I chose an OWON XDS2102A which is 12-bit, 100MHz, 2-ch plus trigger, 8" WVGA plus VGA output. Almost every DSO has a USB connector for storing or transferring waves, and a USB port for connection to a computer. This model has a Pictbridge output for printing and LAN for alternate connection to a computer. There is a short printed manual that explains the basics and gets you started - great for a simpleton like me - plus a CD that has a detailed manual. This unit cost about $560cdn including shipping from China by DHL. It's a fantastic bargain even without the free shipping!
Other OWON models to consider are the XDS3102A and XDS3202A which have twice the memory depth and 50% faster waveform speed. They can have the AWG, a multimeter on the rear panel and a data-logger, so they call these an "N-in-1" DSO, because it is like 2,3,4 pieces of test equipment in one box.
When I first started looking at DSOs, I was seeing inexpensive units in the $2-300 range. Most of these had 5.7" displays, 8-bit vertical resolution, and bandwidth typically 50-200MHz. I wanted 2-ch rather than 4-ch and did not need digital inputs for looking at low-voltage computer circuits. Most DSO have data-logging and decoding built-in, which I don't need. The tiny displays and the overall look of these scopes seemed a bit "toy-like". Then I started seeing units with 7" WVGA displays - "wide VGA". The display resolution is higher and there is more room on the display for the wave and the data around it. usually the scope tells you some of its settings onscreen, along with info about the wave itself.
Then I saw units with 8" displays and some that had VGA output connectors. For my wonky eyes these were features I could use. I also found units with 12-bit and 14-bit vertical resolution. "8-bits" is 2 raised to the power of 8, which is 256. This means there are 256 vertical steps or divisions in the vertical height of the wave, or for the limit of voltage range the wave must fit into. 12-bits is 2-to-the-12, or 4096 - 16-times as many points of resolution. 14-bits is four-times better again.
If a manufacturer is not head-lining the vertical resolution then you can safely assume it is an 8-bit machine. There is an interesting Keysight (formerly HP - Hewlett-Packard) scope that is rated at only 50MHz but has an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) built in and software that allows the scope to display Bode plots - frequency response of an amplifier. This was pretty intriguing, but it is a $900+ machine compare to the base unit without AWG for about $630cdn. The display is only 7" and most of the features are given Keysight trade names that really don't mean anything unless you are fully immersed in the HP culture.
The 8" display units and the 12-bit+ units were by OWON. They have several ranges of DSO and at first it can be a bit mesmerising navigating through it all. Fortunately, they have one of the best websites of any test equipment manufacturer, complete with all kinds of little videos that show what their scopes can do. In fact, those videos teach you about DSOs - period - so are very useful even if you choose some other brand.
Ultimately I chose an OWON XDS2102A which is 12-bit, 100MHz, 2-ch plus trigger, 8" WVGA plus VGA output. Almost every DSO has a USB connector for storing or transferring waves, and a USB port for connection to a computer. This model has a Pictbridge output for printing and LAN for alternate connection to a computer. There is a short printed manual that explains the basics and gets you started - great for a simpleton like me - plus a CD that has a detailed manual. This unit cost about $560cdn including shipping from China by DHL. It's a fantastic bargain even without the free shipping!
Other OWON models to consider are the XDS3102A and XDS3202A which have twice the memory depth and 50% faster waveform speed. They can have the AWG, a multimeter on the rear panel and a data-logger, so they call these an "N-in-1" DSO, because it is like 2,3,4 pieces of test equipment in one box.
