Oscilloscope option discussion - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 01:21:19 pm
content: Since the topic keeps coming up in other threads, I'm creating a separate thread for discussion of oscilloscope options (hardware and software) across all manufacturers.

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 01:25:59 pm
content: Quote from: egonotto on March 04, 2024, 03:24:53 amYes, it's the exact same probe.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 01:27:44 pm
content: Quote from: pdenisowski on March 04, 2024, 01:25:59 pmQuestion: If I have 2 RTB2000 scopes and would like to share RT-ZL03 Logic probes between them, I buy RTB-B1, and install license on one of the scopes. Can I buy just software license for the other one?I couldn't find that info. I know I can buy only hardware probe separately (to replace missing/ damaged ones).But can I just buy SW "unlock" for the second scope so I can share probe between 2 scopes because I want to use it just occasionally?

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 01:31:32 pm
content: Quote from: Performa01 on March 04, 2024, 07:26:35 amSpecialized hardware is needed for acquiring the digital / logical channels, especially for HW based triggering and filtering, so we couldn't make this a SW only licenseQuote from: Performa01 on March 04, 2024, 07:26:35 amIt's going to be out later this month, will be hardware-based (extremely fast), and will be free

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 01:41:36 pm
content: Quote from: 2N3055 on March 04, 2024, 01:27:44 pmI'll check with the product line, but I'm pretty sure that we don't sell the license without the probes (since we don't have an order number for that).

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 03:53:22 pm
content: OK, here is an interesting question for you all. I have a scope, and I connect a N2795A 1GHz active probe to it, and it just works. I can take that probe, plug it into another oscilloscope, and that works as well, none of them has licenses for the probe. I can take any number of active probes from the same mfg. and they just work after plugging in.Or I can buy a R&S NRX, RF power meter, and connect any number of RF probes to it. No license necessary.Or take a VNA, and connect any number of active calibration standards to it. It downloads the data, does the clicky-click inside with the relays, and calibrates the VNA (*artist depiction of VNA calibration).Yet if I want an oscilloscope to to use an external active or passive logic analyzer module, I need a license for it.

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 04:02:53 pm
content: Quote from: tszaboo on March 04, 2024, 03:53:22 pmSorry, but I'm not sure what you mean by an "external" logic analyzer module. At least in R&S oscilloscopes, most of the logic analyzer hardware is internal to the scope. We (R&S) only require you to buy the hardware to do logic analysis - no software license is needed.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 04:17:48 pm
content: Quote from: pdenisowski on March 04, 2024, 04:02:53 pmWhat I think tszaboo means is that you can use the logic analyser probe from R&S on any R&S scope which has the same logic analyzer probe connector. And to be honest, this would make sense to me. The license should be linked to the probe, not the oscilloscope.

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 04:31:30 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on March 04, 2024, 04:17:48 pmAh, okay - thanks. It's an interesting idea (and I'll share it with the product team), but realistically that would require a complete redesign of all our logic probes and all our scopes, so not likely to happen.It's also unlikely we could fit all of the logic analyzer hardware into an external probe, so we would have to include the LA hardware in every scope (adding expense even for people who don't ever do LA). And if you ever lost / broke your probe, that would be problematic as well. There are probably other reasons why we don't do this, but those immediately come to mind.We do have some scopes (like the RTO6) where the logic analyzer hardware option can be field-installed by the user without opening up the scope (I've personally done this, so it's obviously not hard to do ... lol) See photos

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 05:04:56 pm
content: Quote from: pdenisowski on March 04, 2024, 04:02:53 pmI've seen 4 different type of logic analyzers in scopes:- passive ones, that are not really used anymore. HP54600 and similar.- active ones, that have some termination and comparator maybe some power supply built in- external active ones like the Siglent SLA1016. Built in FPGA.- whatever Tektronix is doing with their flexchannel inputs. I think it qualifies as external active.

author: egonotto
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 05:33:40 pm
content: Hello,I think it would be great if there was a programming interface with a connection to the UI so that you could program your own options.Best regardsegonotto