Oscilloscopes observe the changes that electrical indicators make over phases, charting them into shapes that show voltages in Hertz, Megahertz, and time periods. These charts are constantly graphed against a pre-calibrated scale. The charts can be checked for factors such as rise-time, frequency, amplitude, distortion, and periodic intervals. An oscilloscope, previously called an oscillograph, and informally known as a scope or o-scope, CRO (for cathode-ray oscilloscope), or DSO (for the more modern digital storage oscilloscope), is a type of electronic test instrument that graphically displays varying signal voltages, usually as a calibrated two-dimensional plot of one or more signals as a function of time.
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A digital oscilloscope is a sophisticated electronic device composed of various electronic and computer components operating together for the acquisition, encoding, display, and storing of information that reflects a user’s signals of interest.
Mainly, there are two types of oscilloscopes; analog oscilloscope and digital oscilloscope. Digital oscilloscopes are the most advanced ones. Computers are used to process and view wave forms by the most modern oscilloscopes.
Best Digital Storage Oscilloscopes Reviewed
We’ve gathered the best digital storage oscilloscopes for the money reviewed to help beginners, students and hobbyists:
1.Rigol DS1054Z
Founded in 1998 and mainly focused on electronic measurement and chemical analytics, Rigol Engineering Inc. has been producing quality engineering products. Their primary mission is to provide low-cost, reliable research and technology goods for engineers, educators, and scientists to enable them to address measuring problems in an open manner. The company is headquartered in Beijing, China.
Weighing 6.6 pounds, the Rigol Digital Oscilloscope is a benchtop body style oscilloscope. This machine comes with two of the RP2200 double passive probes. Additionally, one DS1000Z CD is also included in the package. The company makes you less worried about offering one whole year of warranty. Moreover, the machine provides a bandwidth of 50 MHz across four channels. As a whole, you can achieve so much in a single inexpensive package. The capture rate Up to 30,000 wfms/s waveform makes it even more amazing.
This oscilloscope will offer a Waveform Capture Rate of up to an exceptionally massive 30,000wfms/s. The device comes pre-equipped with a 12 Mpt memory, but if you want extra storage, it also offers USB connectivity and an optional 24Mpts memory depth. The screen employs the latest innovative “UltraVision” technology. The display is capable of showing show multiple intensity levels waveform as well. Rigol Digital Oscilloscope also offers a real-time sample rate of 1G Sa/s.
If you are looking for an economic level Digital Oscilloscope, then this one can serve as an excellent solution for you. You can get innovative technology, industry-leading specifications, powerful trigger functions, and broad analysis capabilities for an affordable range of price. Moreover, the state-of-the-art waveform display sets it apart from the rest.
| Pros |
|---|
| Economic |
| Benchtop with 50Mhz Bandwidth |
| Upgradable more profound memory to 24 Mpts |
| Multiple Waveform Displays |
| Additional accessories |
| Cons |
|---|
| Trial Basis Functions |
| Low Resolution |
| Noisy fan |
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2.Siglent SDS 1202X-E
Siglent Technologies is a leading global manufacturer of electronic testing and measurement devices for research and development, engineering, production, sales, and services. The company blends creative characteristics and versatility with high quality and performance dedication.
With an impressive 200 MHz bandwidth across 2 channels, the powerful Digital Oscilloscope from Siglent is quite popular among the scientific community. Using this machine, you can get a real-time sampling rate of up to 1 gsa/use. It uses the latest of SPO technology.
The record length is also up to 14 Mpts, which is quite amazing. Considering the fantastic features, we can undoubtedly say that the cheap and affordable price range is a huge plus point of this machine. With a higher sampling rate, the user can capture much more signal to analyze in one go. Moreover, the display is also fabulous and can show Color temperature display and 256-intensity grading. It is quite similar to the intensity-graded trace function, but the traces are marked with colors.
It offers the standard and traditional Serial bus decoding function. Moreover, the device is entirely accurate and get exact measurement to14M points. The Waveform Capture Rate also offers capabilities up to 400,000 wfm/s. Unlike Rigol, Siglent provides you with a device that does not make that much noise.
If you want excellent signal fidelity and performance within your financial range, then the Siglent Digital Oscilloscope is perfect for you. The brilliant features will get you hooked to this machine. However, the inconsistency of some features may push you away from it. So, know your requirements and decide wisely.
| Pros |
|---|
| 200 MHz bandwidth |
| Real-time sampling rate up to 1 GSa/s |
| The latest generation of SPO technology |
| Up to 14 Mpts record length |
| Color temperature display and 256-intensity grading |
| Waveform Capture Rate: 400,000 wfm/s |
| Cons |
|---|
| Input Calibration Issues |
| Inconsistent history mode |
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3.Tektronix TBS 1052B
Tektronix, Inc. is a company known for the manufacture and analysis of test devices, such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, camera, and wireless communication tools. It is an American company and is famously known as Tek. The company is committed to performance and compelled by possibilities.
The TBS1000B models have outstanding visibility of signal, calculation accuracy, and analytics at very affordable prices. The TBS1000B is fitted with a 7-inch TFT monitor for a simple summary and accurate view of any signals on the device. Furthermore, the invention features an improved user interface influenced by Tektronix’s accessible instrument array MSO / DPO. The user-friendly software offers quick access and high resolution to all oscilloscope features.
This digital oscilloscope offers a bandwidth of 50 MHz across 2 channels. It also gives a 2GS / s sample rate in real-time, which is quite impressive in contrast with the other devices on the market. Additionally, the sample rate is capable of recording up to 2.5kpts per channel for acquiring detailed waveforms. This digital oscilloscope is UL Certified, and CE approved as well. It also comes with CAT II 300V safety rating. As the machine does not possess a cooling fan, it creates relatively lower noise.
The manufacturer offers a massive warranty for 5 years, which includes misfiring functions, faulty hardware, and corrupted software. The dual-window FFT allows the users to monitor both the time and frequency domains with ease simultaneously.
The digital oscilloscope by Tektronix provides users with extensive monitoring and analysis tools. You can monitor two domains simultaneously with the dual window display. The rates of the sample are considerably higher than the competitors, as well. However, the flaws that it holds alarms you to decide wisely.
| Pros |
|---|
| Dual Window FFT Display |
| Dual-channel frequency counter |
| UL Certified, CE approved, CAT II 300V safety rated |
| Zoom Function for Detailed Signal Analysis |
| Advanced triggers, such as pulse and line-selectable video triggers |
| 5-year warranty |
| Cons |
|---|
| Slow Display Refresh Rate |
| Min/Max Voltage Display Issues |
| Triggers often misfire |
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4.GW Instek GDS-1054B
Good Will Instrument Co. Ltd. was founded in 1975 and was the first qualified Taiwanese company to specialize in electrical test and measuring instruments. As a power supply producer, GW Instek started developing high-precision electronic test and measuring instrumentation quickly. GW Instek has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers and designers of test and metering products following its decades of experience in the testing and measuring market.
The Digital Oscilloscope from GW Instek offers a bandwidth of 50 MHz for signal capture. It provides you a variation of 4 channels and a maximum sampling rate of 1 GSa/s. The GW INSTEK GDS-1000B Series shows excellent usability and features. The display that this machine offers is fantastic. It comes with a 7″ (800 x 480) WXGA LCD display with 256 color gradient display function. The color gradient display function strengthens waveform performance and analysis in real-time.
Most of the storage can be performed in real-time or after the acquisition on the buffer is a crucial feature of this DSO. The FFT frequency domain signal display offers up to 1Mpts. Moreover, the memory depth is 10Mpts per channel independently. The waveform update rate is up to 50,000wfms/s, which helps users with a precise observation of the individual waveform variation.
What’s brilliant about this machine is that it offers higher level measurement technologies. These include diversified trigger functions, X-Y mode analysis, and Go/NoGo function arm. The zero vital feature provided by this oscilloscope provides for more detail and precise waveform analysis.
All in all, it is a fantastic digital oscilloscope with impeccable functionalities and an affordable price range. The machine is intuitive, easy-to-use, and a powerful general-purpose oscilloscope.
| Pros |
|---|
| 10M maximum memory depth for each channel |
| Affordable |
| Higher Level Measurement Technology |
| 256 Color Gradient Display |
| Zero Function Key |
| The waveform update rate is up to 50,000wfms/s |
| Cons |
|---|
| No mobile support |
| Noisy fan |
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5.KEYSIGHT 1000X
At Keysight, the team is committed to providing comprehensive solutions and confidential insights into the electronic design, testing, manufacturing, and optimization to help clients speed up innovation that connects and secures the world. Keysight solutions streamline networks, integrate workflows, and validate future technologies that are backed by decades of research and expertise with an ever-growing performance.
The digital oscilloscope from KEYSIGHT is a fantastic product for professional use, as it is specially designed for this purpose. With a robust waveform update rate of 50,000 wfms/sec, this oscilloscope offers detail signal waveforms for analysis. Moreover, it is one of the few oscilloscopes that comes with built-in language support for over a dozen different languages. This feature makes it easy and accessible among the various communities across the globe.
One striking thing about this machine is that it offers powerful functions and capabilities for analysis, such as Math functions, FFT, analog bus, and protocol triggering/decode. The oscilloscope comes with a robust and modern built-in 20 MHz wavegen and frequency response analysis. This device efficiently assists you in detailed report.
The KEYSIGHT 1000X digital oscilloscope comes with a certificate of calibration, language support, and localized power cords. These are the things that set it apart from the competition and make is immensely popular among the users.
| Pros |
|---|
| Language Support |
| Math Functions and FFT |
| Built-In Wavegen and Frequency Response |
| Powerful Waveform Update Rate |
| Best for professional use |
| Cons |
|---|
| Relatively smaller display |
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6.OWON XDS3064E
Since 1993, Owon has been a certified research institute and a manufacturer of electronic products around the world in design, manufacturing, marketing, and delivery. The company has produced and provided both standardized and customized solutions in the last two decades, including testing equipment, smart energies, smart home appliances, embedded ICs, and optoelectronic displays.
The large display immediately catches the eye when this oscilloscope is opened for the first time. The exhibition has an 8-inch LCD with an 800x600 pixel resolution. With this high-resolution multi-touch screen, the machine offers a better view of the detailed analysis of waveform signals. The oscilloscope screen also extends SCPI and LabVIEW. Additionally, the facility of multi-interface options, such as integration-USB host, USB device, USB port, and Pictbridge, and LAN.
This latest digital oscilloscope from OWON offers a bandwidth of 60 MHz and a waveform sample rate of 1GS/S. The waveform refresh rate is robust at a surprising percentage of 45000 WFMS/s. It also offers 40M record length. The multi-trigger and bus decoding function adds more to this already exceptional device. You can scan for a bright display of the input signal automatically using the Auto-set button.
This oscilloscope offers it all, given the price range. From powerful waveform signal capture to a touch-screen display for analysis, it provides everything. The 60 MHz bandwidth allows it to refresh faster and give a detailed insight into the signal analysis.
| Pros |
|---|
| 60 MHz Bandwidth |
| 8-inch touch screen display |
| Multi-interface options |
| Auto-set button function |
| Powerful Waveform refresh rate |
| Cons |
|---|
| No Software for signal analysis |
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7.Hantek DSO5072P
Qingdao Hantek Electronic Co., Ltd. is a general device manufacturer specializing in the development, software, sales, and service. It has been awarded an International Quality Management System certification by a national company with a modern and high technology. Hantek has formed an active combat team and an excellent brand of instruments. The technical strength of Hantek is solid.
As far as the range criteria are concerned, they are quite suitable for a starting level. There is a bandwidth of 70MHz, sample speed of 1GSa / s, a record length of up to 40 K, and a dual channel. It has a full color display of 7.0 inches. This is good for better analysis, menu navigation, and adjustment of wave signals. You can simultaneously read 2 different channels and mathematically measure signals and even use the Fourier fast transformation (FFT) algorithm.
The accessories that come with the machine includes the power supply, two probes, a handbook, a USB cable, and a software CD for monitoring the performance of the device. It's also very quick with this oscilloscope to calculate the signal properties. In order to measure time or cycles of voltage, you can also use cursors. It comes with an efficient probe of 1 KHz so that your device can be rapidly tested and calibrated.
We find this to be a good oscilloscope with all the requisite features for a very reasonable price. So, it is definitely a good choice when it comes to the price/quality ratio when you're looking for an entry-level bench.
| Pros |
|---|
| 70MHz bandwidth |
| 1GSa/s Real-Time sample rate |
| Large (7.0-inch) color display |
| Record length up to 40K |
| Trigger mode |
| Multiple automatic measurements |
| Cons |
|---|
| 2 channels instead of 4 |
| Comes with a euro cable and an adapter |
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8.Micsig TO1104
The company wants to restore power to the manufacturers at SainSmart. Goods and ideas are easily spread by mass production, technological advances, and rapid globalization. The company possesses ground-breaking and innovative ideas. It drives with the determination of providing you with the best.
On the measurement choice page, 31 auto measurements are available to the user. The tBook mini can simultaneously calculate and display 5 parameters. The 'multi-level frequency rating' system can also be viewed in full, with detailed signals and with a very large number of measurement values. The book Mini-series full-touch tablet makes it a very lightweight oscilloscope. It is the perfect portable handheld measuring device in addition to the 8000 mAh battery.
All in all, the device is a perfect example of an innovation meeting concept. The excellent features it provides you make it one of a kind. With all these fantastic features, you can use with for both professional and beginner level.
| Pros |
|---|
| 100 MHZ bandwidth |
| 28 Mpts Memory Depth and ZOOM-Technology |
| Lower noise |
| 31 Types of Auto Measurements |
| Multi-Level Intensity Grading Display |
| Full Touch control |
| Cons |
|---|
| Not for pro or education projects uses |
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9.DSO213
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The business wishes to energize SainSmart's manufacturers. Mass production, technological developments, and rapid globalization are quickly transmitting goods and ideas. The company has ambitious and creative concepts. This allows you to be confident that you have the best.
In the SainSmart DSO family DSO oscilloscope, DSO213 is the most recent. DSO213 updates the analog bandwidth in comparison with DSO203 to 15MHz (8MHz DSO203) and a maximal sample rate of 100MSa / s (72MSa / s DSO203). The 3 inch, 400x240 color screen shows any measured AC current, including sine, triangle, sawtooth, and triangular shapes.
One main benefit is held a quick and easy activity, just like playing a smartphone. The small shape factor fits in any pocket comfortably and is therefore always ready when it is needed. The integrated 8 MB flash storage makes it easier than ever to save and share waveform files.
All in all, the machine is not very successful in pleasing the public. It possesses many drawbacks. However, if you are a beginner or a hobbyist, then this device might be the right option for you to consider on budget.
| Pros |
|---|
| 4 channels |
| Color Display |
| Simple to Use |
| Portable |
| Easy Saving |
| Cons |
|---|
| Small display |
| Non-durable |
| Not recommended for professional use |
| Low bandwidth |
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10.SainSmart DSO212
At SainSmart, they want people to regain trust in the manufacturers. Mass production, technological advances, and rapid globalization allow easy dissemination of products and ideas for this brand. The company strives to promote the use of such innovative devices for all DIY lovers, the hobbyist, and professionals. For this purpose, the company has been working hard to produce ever-lasting and quality equipment that can serve everyone. All these efforts make this brand stand at a notable position as one of the leading companies in the market.
On the flip side, the beneficial and functional features of this oscilloscope make it desirable. No doubt, the text is a bit too small to read conveniently, but the brightly colored display is still there to help you cope up with that problem. For providing you ease in operation, the buttons and wheeled buttons are featured in this device. The manufacturers have made this pocket-sized so that you can take it anywhere with you. This portable nature is a huge plus point.
Moreover, the built-in 8 MB flash memory installed in this machine makes you able to save your data in it. The SainSmart DSO212 has a functionality of 2 channels for better use and versatility. The sleek and compact design makes you free from the struggles of operating a large unit. With the robust aluminum alloy finishing and sturdy frame, this unit will undoubtedly accompany you for a much longer duration.
All in all, SainSmart DSO212 is one of the top options that are available in the market. This device works as an all-rounder for hobbyists and professionals alike. If you want a sturdy and powerful alternative to choose, this one can prove as a fantastic choice for your needs.
| Pros |
|---|
| Bright color display |
| Buttons for operation |
| Portable |
| Built-in 8 MB flash storage |
| Sleek and compact |
| 2-channel functionality |
| Aluminum alloy finish |
| Cons |
|---|
| Text is too small |
| Poor instructions |
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Digital Oscilloscope: The Ultimate Buyer's Guide
When it comes to investing your money in a digital machine, you are always looking to get the best. Getting your hands on the best device in the market is a bit tricky. For this purpose, we have created an ultimate and brief buyer’s guide for you to easily know what you should look for while buying an oscilloscope.
Bandwidth:
The bandwidth of an oscilloscope dictates how well the oscilloscope is accurately measuring in the display. For more accurate results, you must pick a bandwidth 5 times higher than the peak frequency of the signal level. For most amateur circuits, a 100MHz bandwidth is adequate.
Sample Rate:
It refers to the number of oscilloscopic measurements per second. The higher the sampling frequency, the more accurate and faster the tests are. You can track irregular incidents with an improved sampling frequency.
A number of channels:
It is normal to see 2 or 4-channel scopes for entry-level oscilloscopes. The value is increased by including additional streams. A 2-channel range is usually sufficient for a hobbyist.
Price:
The cost is a very important aspect because it defines how much you can pay. There are amazing starting level oscilloscopes at low cost comparing to professional ones like Rohde & Schwarz as an example that cost thousands of bucks . But you can still get a toy oscilloscope or a DIY package for the examination of specific circuits if you do not want to spend that amount of money.
The Conclusion
Coming to an end, we hope that our version of the ultimate buyer's guide for the best digital oscilloscope will undoubtedly help you. It is extremely important to note all the points and look for each and everything in detail.
Related Posts:
Scope types includes:
Analogue scopeAnalogue storage scopeDigital phosphor scopeDigital scopeUSB / PC scopeMixed Signal Oscilloscope MSOSampling scope
Oscilloscope Tutorial Includes:
Oscilloscope basicsOscilloscope types summarySpecificationsHow to use an oscilloscopeScope triggeringOscilloscope probesOscilloscope probe specifications
PC based oscilloscopes including USB scopes have become a very popular way of providing a high performance oscilloscope for low cost and in a small package.
In may instances a computer will be available in an environment where electronic equipment is to be tested, and therefore using the processing power, screen and power supply of the PC or other computer makes sense, saving on cost and space.
In view of the demand for USB oscilloscopes, a large variety is available, offering the full range of capabilities from entry level USB scopes right up to sampling oscilloscopes with bandwidths extending into the GHz region. These test instruments enable considerable cost savings to be made without compromising on performance dependent upon the USB scope selected
Choice of USB for PC scopes
Using the Universal Serial Bus, USB for the means of connecting a scope to a PC makes absolute sense, although it is not the only method.
It is possible for scopes using personal computers, PCs, to use a variety of methods to link to PCs. However in recent years USB has become standard on virtually all computers and as a result it does not require the use of an additional card like a Firewire card, etc to use one of these test instruments.
Using USB means that it is possible to use a scope using the PC processing power on virtually any PC.
The other advantage is that having a digital USB scope design enables the advantages and cost savings of quantity can be made. Fewer variants are required for different interfaces, and therefore it is possible to focus on optimising the test instrument design for USB.
It is also interesting to note that many boxed digital oscilloscopes adopt exactly the same approach and have the same basic circuit blocks, the only real difference is that the USB scope uses an external PC or other computer for the control and display.
PC USB scope basics
One of the key elements of the PC oscilloscope is naturally the USB link. This provides a convenient and sufficiently high speed data link by which the USB scope and computer can communicate.
Although the test equipment from different manufacturers and those at different positions within the ranges from manufacturers will differ, there are some common aspects of these scopes that can be outlined.
There are two main approaches that are used for USB oscilloscopes, one providing much cheaper, but lower performance scopes, and the other providing a much more satisfactory solution.
1) Simple microprocessor based USB scope
This form of USB oscilloscope uses an on-board microprocessor to control and undertake the measurements, but in this simple format there are some severe limitations.
In terms of its operation, the incoming waveform enters the scope and undergoes analogue conditioning: attenuation; amplification; impedance matching, as required. It is then passed into an analogue to digital converter, ADC and the data is presented to a microprocessor.
In view of the architecture of the processor, typically the processor organises the data so that it can be sent to the computer for most of the processing. This means that a lot of data needs to be passed to the computer over the USB link and this can prove to be a bottleneck. One of the main issues is that it is not possible to guarantee the start of the trigger, so it is possible to miss an important event on the signal. This could result in a lot of time being spent tracking an issue onto e signal because it cannot be seen by the scope
2) FPGA based USB scope
In order to significantly improve the performance of USB oscilloscopes, FPGAs or sometimes CPLDs are used. These enable much more processing to be achieved within the USB scope itself and also in a much shorter time. These devices can be configured to perform the exact tasks required and therefore they can process the data much faster and they can handle much more data to ensure the best displays of the waveforms are obtained.
One important area where this can be experienced is for the triggering, where the much faster operation means that the scope is able to trigger properly, even at the full scope rate.
Using FPGA based USB scopes, the data is processed in a parallel manner, data is stored in the USB scope itself, and the PC is fundamentally used for signal display and control. The USB scope processes the data that is captured and then passes the waveform to be displayed to the PC or other computer using a lossless format over the USB link. In this way the USB link does not form a bottleneck, and the scope which has been designed for processing the captured waveform data is able to achieve this in the most effective manner.
Data is passed through the analogue conditioning so that any attenuation, gain, and impedance matching etc, can be provided. The resulting waveform is then passed to the analogue to digital converter.
The ADC may have one or many cores - if it has multiple cores then the data is typically streamed in parallel to the FPGA and into memory. With data stored in this way, it is possible to process it in a variety of ways, recalling the data from memory as required.
Many oscilloscopes, both USB and boxed scopes offer logic analysis or digital channels. These do not require the same analogue processing and they can be passed directly into the FPGA, obviously via protection circuitry. Scopes with this capability are typically referred to as MSOs or mixed signal oscilloscopes.
Once the waveform has been processed, the image to be displayed can be passed over the USB interface to the PC. As it is only the processed data that is based to the PC, there is no bottleneck on the USB or other interface and this means that the performance is not limited by that of the USB interface. It is also passed over in a lossless format to ensure that the all impulses / transients can be seen. In some scopes decimated data may be sent and this can give rise to imperfections in the displayed waveform that could result in transients being missed.
PC USB scope advantages / disadvantages
There are many advantages and disadvantages to using a PC based USB oscilloscope. These need to be balanced when deciding whether to use or buy one of these test instruments.
Advantages of USB / PC based scope
- Cost effective: One of the big advantages of using a USB oscilloscope is that it is a very cost effective way of buying an oscilloscope. The overall test equipment utilises many aspects of a computer that is likely to be available already. Power supply, display and processing power are all available within the PC and this means these do not need to be replicated within the USB scope.
- Easy to set-up and use : Using a USB interface means that connecting the PC and the scope together is particularly easy. It is a well tried and tested interface that is simple to set up. Normally the software used with the scope is also designed to be very easy to implement.
- Large screen: Most PCs, whether a laptop or desktop have a good sized screen, making the waveform images easy to see.
- Utilises existing equipment : USB oscilloscopes utilise PCs which are likely to be already available. This means that it is unlikely that it will be necessary to buy a new one particularly for that role.
- Portable : The USB oscilloscopes are very much smaller than dedicated oscilloscopes. For field service, many engineers will already carry a laptop, so the fact that the USB scope is much smaller than a dedicated oscilloscope provides a real advantage.
- Performance: The performance that can be attained by PC based oscilloscopes is improving all the time. Top end USB oscilloscopes, for example, can match the performance of the self-contained items of test equipment that are available. Dependent upon the model chosen, these USB scopes can match the top end standard scopes and at much less cost.
Disadvantages of USB / PC based scope
- Requires a PC: The fact that a USB scope requires a PC can be an advantage in some instances, but in others it can be a disadvantage if one is not already available.
- Bottom end scope manufacturers can cut corners: Like all test instruments, you can get what you pay for. Some bottom end USB scopes from less well known makes can cut corners to reduce costs and there can be issues with the performance. Go to a well known brand, and the performance will be assured.
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Key points to consider when choosing a USB oscilloscope
There are very many USB oscilloscopes on the market, some of which are much better than others. Accordingly when selecting a USB scope it is necessary to ensure that the best choice is made and below are a few pointers to bear in mind:
- Ensure trigger is digital: In some USB scopes, or in fact any digital scopes, the trigger can be developed directly from the analogue signal, whereas within others it is taken from the digital data held int he scope. If a wholly digital trigger is incorporated within the scope, this enables far higher levels of accuracy and flexibility to be achieved. False triggering, noise and other issues can be minimised with digital triggers and the triggering can be set for the middle of the waveform, etc so that the waveform before and after the trigger point can be seen.
- Ensure an FPGA based USB scope is selected: USB scopes based around FPGA technology are able to provide much higher levels of performance. The microprocessor based ones often advertise sample rates of 48 MHz, 96MHz, or submultiples and these typically have a limited bandwidth.
- Resolution: One key specification for digital scopes is the resolution that can be obtained. Some low end scopes may only offer eight or ten bit resolution. When displaying waveforms on a computer screen using lower resolution scopes, it is possible to detect the lack of detail. Sometimes the waveforms may appear jagged as the individual bits can be seen. It is also possible to lose detail, especially when looking at a small voltage in the presence of a much larger one. Some scopes offer much greater levels of resolution and these are able to provide much greater detail.
- Bandwidth: When looking at waveforms it is necessary to ensure that the scope bandwidth is sufficiently high to capture the waveform and any harmonics it may contain. Often a rule of thumb referred to as the Five Times Rule is used. With this the bandwidth of the oscilloscope should be five times the highest frequency component in the signal. Using this rule, the error due to the frequency limitations will be less than ±2%.
- Memory depth: When selecting a USB scope, sure that it has sufficient memory to capture and store the waveforms needed. The greater the memory depth the more signal it is possible to capture at the highest sample rate.
With a 1MSa per channel an oscilloscope can capture 1 ms or time with a 1GSa/s sample rate. Thus sufficient memory must be available to capture this amount of data. This gives an indication of what might be needed. - Function generator / AWG capability: Using the capabilities of the FPGA, it is easy to incorporate a function generator that can produce a variety of waveforms. Sime scopes have the full arbitrary waveform generation capability, so it is possible to generate or upload any required waveform.
- Consider PC type: Most USB scopes will be able to operate with a Windows based PC, however some may want to use the scope with either an Apple Mac using iOS, or they will want to use Linux. Check the USB scope can cater for the operating system to be used.
There are many advantages to using a PC based or USB oscilloscope, but these need to be carefully considered before making any final choice.
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