Cheap portable scopes: MUSTOOL MDS120M vs. YEAPOOK ADS5012h  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: puterboy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 07:56:20 am
content: These seem to be the "best/newest" cheap ~100MHz (pseudo) in the $60-70 price range.The YEAPOOK ADS5012h goes for about $65 on aliexpress and claims:100MHz analog bandwidth500MSa/s sampling rate128kbit Sample Memory DepthHD Screen: 2.4in TFT-LCD touch display with 320*240 resolution.Auto/Normal/Single 3 Trigger mode4.5*2.9*1.4in size & 400g weightMUSTOOL MDS120M goes for about $63 on Banggood and claims:120MHz bandwidth and 500MSps sampling rate4 speeds of square wave signal output function(1kHz,10KHz,100KHz,1MHz)320x240 LCD screen, 50mm x 40mm display124 X 80 X 35mm sizeAuto/Single/NormalNow the YEAPOOK was reviewed on an EEVBlog youtube relatively negatively in large part because of its overstated bandwidth claims.It sems that MUSTOOL is also likely exaggerating the bandwidth - with both of them likely performing more like a 20-25MHz single channel scope.But while they are no match for my Siglent 1104X-E, it will be nice to have a cheap portable scope that I can drag around the house or use with my kids and that can run on batteries without needing to drag along a cord -- since most of the time I just need to see a signal or look at the waveform character or quality or even just estimate basic voltage and wavelength/frequency parameters -- rarely above a couple of megahertz and thus all well within the range of such scopes.So accepting that they are low end, has anybody compared them in practice head-to-head?Any reason to buy one more than the other??Thanks

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 05:28:53 pm
content: I have pretty extensive experience with the first onehttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/reverse-engineering-fnirsi-5012h/Based on that I would recommend any of those button controlled scopes. They are just very impractical. And the default firmware is just garbage.

author: puterboy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 07:55:40 pm
content: Yes - I read through much of your thread with great interest. You have certainly put much effort and intelligence into the effort.I am OK with a cheap "garbage" scope for the same reason that I often have cheap tools or every day clothes to complement my prized tools or my dress apparrel.But I want to get the best of the "garbage"That being said, how much effort is it to upgrade the firmware.I seem to recall it requiring buying and programming a new EEPROM and not sure it's worth the effort for a $60 scope as I don't currently have an EEPROM programmer.What type of investment (time and $$$) would be required to upgrade and is the improvement worth such investment? Or should I just live with low expectations for a $60 device...Jeff

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 07:59:20 pm
content: You need to buy a program a new MCU. It is not that hard if you have soldering skills. It is in a TQFP-100 package. But I'm not sure if it is worth it.Based on appearance and specs, I'd say both of those scopes are based on the same hardware. So pick whatever form factor you like the most.

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2021, 09:34:28 pm
content: Here's a review of the MDS120M, and if I understand correctly, the bandwidth is around 30MHz:

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2021, 06:08:25 pm
content: Review and teardown of the MDS120M:https://mysku-ru.translate.goog/blog/china-stores/85921.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=ajax,sc#mcut