Learning oscilloscopes on no budget with a 6022BL - did I buy the wrong scope? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: rawrs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 07:31:27 am
content: Hi all,I'm sure this question has been asked before, but my feeble mind can't really find it. I bought a Hantek 6022BL a while ago in an effort to learn how to use oscilloscopes, and maybe even do useful things with it. But either I bought the wrong device, or I'm not seeing, well, any, functionality. Trying all of the other software packages (OpenHantek, Sigrok, etc), yields the same result. I have more or less no trigger options, zooming horizontally and vertically is next to impossible, and general functionality that seems essential for any oscilloscope seems to be absent.Now, I know this is a *very* basic scope, and I am painfully aware that this thing is all I could afford at $70 (disability due to a back injury really hurts your wallet, too, who would've known), but it seems like it's a bit *too* basic. I can deal with the thing not actually being a mixed scope, and I can deal with the thing not actually storing firmware, and I can even deal with the garbage drivers. That's all fine. But it seems like there is a ton of things that are just... missing. I honestly thought you could do a fair bit in software, so the simplicity of this scope was not seen as a hindrance, as the computer could pick up the hardware slack, but it seems I was wrong.As for what I want the scope for, honestly, I'm brand new to electronics - I'm green as grass. And I have used a real oscilloscope (couple of Rigols at Hackerspace) for a grand total of about 20 minutes in my entire life, and I felt like I got more done than hours of tinkering with this thing. I'm honestly starting to grow tired of it. I bought this thing as a "my first oscilloscope when I am dead flat broke" and it almost seems like I got stiffed on it. The only thing I have learned how to do, is deal with driver issues, and trigger off the built in 1KHz 2Vpp square wave signal gen used for calibration. I've never been able to get the logic analyzer side of it working, either in the Hantek software, or the Saleae software, so half of this unit's already bare functionality is still a complete mystery to me, I have no idea how any of it works.I know this seems like a bit of a mindless rant, but that's all I've been able to even figure out how to ask! So, what can I do with this thing, and what can I learn? This question applies to electronics in general. I want to get into the field, but it's like software - it's so damn massive, expansive, and has so much to do, that I don't know where to start, and it seems like each time I ask this question, I get a different answer.Thanks in advance,Rory

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 07:46:37 am
content: I don't know that scope and am not going to comment on its suitability for your purposes.However, you can do an awful lot of electronics without any scope; a simple multimeter, switch, potentiometer, and LED get you a long way. See my .sig, and mutate the aphorism for electronics.You could also consider getting a cheap old analogue scope for around £1/MHz. But ensure that it is fully working before purchase, since you don't want to have to repair it.

author: vinlove
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 07:58:03 am
content: I have seen on youtube that quite many experienced and high level electronic enthusiasts and semi professional repair technicians do use 20£ Kit DSO powered by 9V battery.It is simple and limited of course, but if for just measuring voltage over time base, it seems be quite adequate. I have never seen or used the Hantek DSOs, but I am sure they would be far more equipped and complicated than the 20£ Kit DSOs.I myself have a Rigol DS1052E, and it is a simple DSO at 50 Mhz bandwidth. It is also very old model, but I found it is more thn enough for my needs = learning and measuring voltage over timebase.I also got a handheld 20£ Kit DSO, and it is also very useful and excellent for my needs. Very useful too, because I can carry it in my pocket.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 08:49:22 am
content: It really depends whether you are still able to return the scope. If not, then your $70 is spent and you need to proceed from there. If you can still get your money back, then you have the opportunity to buy something better.Regardless, your best way to getting some Logic analyser functionality may be to add an ebay <$10 8-bit logic analyser clone. That will definitely work with sigrok (or saleae depending on your conscience). I had heard that the LA portion of the 6022BL mirrored this functionality but your experience seems to be bringing this into question - unless it is down to driver issues or whatever. You might want to try briefly trying it with saleae [EDIT: sorry, you already tried that], or identifying it as a saleae logic in Sigrok (not sure how you do that), to rule out a hardware fault. Either way, I don't think you will achieve true mixed signal capability with Sigrok, I think it only supports the scope part.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 12:31:20 pm
content: Sounds like you have the analogue side working if you can get the cal signal on the oscilloscope software. You can now look at voltage signals.Try sound out of headphone socket, play some music and see what the waveform looks like.You may have to adjust the time base to zoom in/out of the waveform cycles.Adjust the volume and see how the amplitude varies.This is the core functionality of an oscilloscope, not the logic analyser.If this works, you have not wasted your money or timeMake sure you do not let more the 5V on the BNC input to the scope. According to the spec, the max input Voltage is 5V. If the scope probes are x10, that means divide by 10. Sound stupid to divide by 10, but it is to do with creating a balanced, non reflective, flat response input from the scope. You do not want measuring instruments changing the circuit you are trying to measure.If you want to measure more that 5V, you will have to put voltage divider in between the scope probe and scope input. Let the learning begin

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 03:27:54 pm
content: I have used lesser scopes quite successfully. While yours could be defective, it is worth noting that it simply doesn't have much in the way of triggering options. Basically just rising and falling edge and whatever 'alternative' is. I am just guessing that the trigger level is adjustable. Clearly, the trigger point needs to be within the range of the waveform. That you can trigger on the compensation output is worth noting.http://www.hantek.com/en/productdetail_2_153.html

author: rawrs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2019, 05:06:24 am
content: Hi guys,Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I've been very sick lately.I think I am asking too much of this thing. I knew it would be simple, just not this simple. I guess the only feature I am absolutely crying out for, is better triggering. Because it seems like all I can get is single shot triggering, and depending on the program I use, I may or may not be able to get rising or falling edge functionality. I'm not sure what the trigger I'd like is, but I'd really like to be able to hold a waveform steady, for example the 1KHz 2vpp square wave signal output. I'd like to be able to have that waveform steady, so I can better adjust it, because it seems like all I can do is just capture the waveform at some point in time, either on the rising or falling edge.Which I'm sure is great for diagnostics, but for things like probe calibration, it's not quite there. As for playing with mobile phone signal generators, I have done this a little bit, but not too much. I will play with it some more today, though, as that might teach me more about scopes. As I'm sure I've demonstrated, I know absolutely nothing about them. And regarding the logic analyzer part, I'm sure I'm just not doing it properly. But I'm honestly not sure what there is to learn, really.Thanks all. Will keep playing and report back as to what I learn. We can all learn together!

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 13, 2019, 06:36:55 am
content: I have one of those and I set it up with the recommended software from the manufacturer.Triggering options are Auto, Normal and Single shot; positive/negative edge and source from channel 1 or 2. Trigger level is set by sliding the tab to the right of the display window.That's it.I only have it because it came from a member here at a reasonable cost - and it gave me an easy option for a big display (on my 27" monitors) and screen capture. To be honest, it hasn't impressed me all that much, with its little idiosyncrasies. Perhaps I will chase up something better on the software side of things, which may prove to make this box more appealing. However, for what it cost me, it can sit where it is - filling in a gap I made by squiggling some other gear around.I would very sincerely not recommend it for someone wanting to do anything serious with particular triggering requirements. For those jobs, I'll make some space on the bench and pull out a proper scope.

author: rawrs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2019, 09:00:20 am
content: Ok, this is weird.So, I can get the thing to behave with a reasonable signal being output from the phone, and it will trigger properly on sine, triangle, and square waves. The square wave I'm particularly impressed with as it's pure garbage, tons of overshoot, ringing, everything. But it is coming from an audio signal, so whatever.Can't seem to get it to like sawtooth, but no big deal. At least I'm further down the road now than I was before. But, it seems that for neither love nor money, can I get it to trigger off the built-in signal output, the basic 1KHz square wave with 2vpp. But it will quite happily do a 2.5KHz to 10KHz (the amplitude decreases from there and it becomes harder for it to trigger properly, but again, reasonable signals ok) wave of the above varieties.I'm going to try other software, but when I set the timebase and the voltage up right, I can get a wave to stay put on the screen, and it's useful. And it's not in single shot mode, it is actually triggering properly.So, I've made progress in my learnding! It seems that the problem is mainly between the oscilloscope and the chair. I still haven't played with the logic analyzer side of things, yet, but I'm happy that, for the first time, I've been able to obtain a useful signal from this thing. Even right there, it's worth the $70 investment.Cheers.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2019, 09:27:03 am
content: The overshoot and ringing on the square wave may not actually be there. It may be the scope probe is not adjusted correctly, there shoult but a screw head thing somewhere on the probe.The built in signal is there to allow you to adjust the probe, once it is set to give a good clean square wave it should be good for othere signals.I do not know why it does not trigger below 2.5KHz. Or on saw tooth.Glad you are learning. Keep it up.