The Second* MegaZoom ASIC Agilent DSO! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2012, 03:59:49 pm
content: And it's rather pricey!http://www.ebay.com/itm/AGILENT-HP-54622A-DIIGITAL-OSCILLOSCOPE-MEGAZOOM-100MHz-200MSa-s-2-channel-/150776346865?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item231af878f1#ht_3025wt_1163

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2012, 05:04:16 pm
content: For $1000 you can buy a much better scope nowadays!

author: 0xdeadbeef
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2012, 05:05:02 pm
content: We have the MSO version of them at work and they suck quite a lot. Indeed I hated them twelve years ago or so when we bought them. 100MHz @ 200MSa/s ... yeah well. Very limited triggering etc. Can't recall how much memory they have, but it was pretty low I'm sure.And now nearly all the rotary encoders have gone bad ad the disk drives have died.So no way would I pay $1000 for something like this. For less than $200 it might be ok for people who can live with its limitations and who are willing to replace the rotary encoders, but honestly, I'd rather buy a Rigol DS2000, used Hameg HMO or something like this instead.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2012, 05:57:33 pm
content: Exactly.Apparently Agilent says there is 4M of memory ?Well some people do want to keep it as memorial of the first MegaZoom, the predecessors to the scope dave threw on the "floor"

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2012, 06:08:36 pm
content: I had the MSO version (54645D), and in its day it was streets ahead of anything else- deep memory and fast, responsive UI. At the time HP had a lot of ground to make up from their previous much poorer digital offerings, but the digital channels were a unique feature and very popular with anyone dealing with microcontrollers.Unfortunately it inherited a few features from crappier models, like a UART that only did 19K2 ISTR.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2012, 09:14:11 pm
content: This would already be a second generation megazoom.The 622 is a second generation run. the first generation machines did not have a floppy drive and used the old style knob on the front.Those were the 54645D and 645A.I have two 645D's around at home. they are compact , light , lightning fast to boot up ( like 2 seconds ) and do 2 analog + 16 digitals.I even have one at work. people laugh at the old thing , but when the sh.. hits the fan and they cant figure it out with their million dollar logic analyser and half a million dollar scopes this little puppy shows the problem in no time. plus they have GAMES !hit the utilty menu and look at the softkeys at the bottom of the screen. two or three are blank. push those simultaneously in various combinations.one has the badger screen ( lissajous created badger with the names of the scope designers ) other key combinations run either arkanoids or tetris depending on scope firmware version.If you updated to the latest version available you will get a message that says : 'We are sorry but this firmware is so large due to all options we enabled that we had to remove the game.' when the scope went obsolete they released a special firmware version that enabled all features without needing the add-on packs.They are very usefull machines.Mine are bit in disuse now since i got the 54832D ( the infinium version of the MSO ) and the 7104. But if i need a quick test outside my lab setup or troubleshoot something on the side and don't feel like booting the 832 or unwire the 7104 i still grab one of the 645D's.No way in hell am i letting those go. they are reliable, compact , light , fast and get the job done. sure there's no packet decoders etc ( the second generation 6xxD actually does have I2C SPI and some others. but to look at some digital stuff in combination with some analog ? perfect !i have the advanced measurement modules for them as wel ( expanded memory + FFT + GPIB )

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 12:39:04 am
content: I have used the MSO version as well. Nothing wrong with it I disagree about the logic analyser. It is very very limited. Its a 16 digital + 2 analog channels scope. For real problems I always had to get a real logic analyser. The only thing is that a logic analyser can be difficult to setup if you don't know what you are doing.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 12:49:04 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on August 08, 2012, 12:39:04 amthat's the trouble with logic analysers. they are great machines but they are horrible to debug timing problems or glitches.Logic analysers are great if you have an electrically stable system ( meaning you have the correct levels everywhere and no 'half levels') and want to debug a logic or code problem.... they are crap to troubleshoot an electrical problem.if you got problems with runts or glitches an MSO can give you a much faster view of what is really going on. the MSO machines can actually show you false logic levels ... The logic analyser just sits there looking for a pattern that never comes because of a glitch in the soup ... the MSO is non-discriminatory. if it happens it records it.that;s why i keep those things around. too many times i have seen a bunch of people huddled around the LA trying to figure out why it would not 'trap' the problem... when it turned out it was a level or glitch problem. hook up a scope and show them : look at the edge of this signal. it's garbage ... you got too much capacitance on this line. or the supply is collapsing , or you never pierce the level of the schmitttriggr on the input. that's where these MSO's are extremely handy.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 01:03:27 am
content: Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on August 07, 2012, 05:05:02 pmNo, they had deep memory, 4MB.I used to love this scope, used the 54621D 60MHz mixed signal one for many years at work. I bought it with my limited new project budget at the time, and IIRC was the best bang-per-buck at the time. Bought it from the company for $50 when they folded shop :->Eventually sold it for several K on ebay, probably just at the peak time before the cheap scope revolution started.Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 01:12:30 am
content: Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on August 07, 2012, 05:05:02 pmOh, no doubt about that. The new Rigol DS2000 is under $1K with 14MThe real value of these things is now probably the few hundred dollar level, at which point I still think they are very worthwhile.Dave.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 09:28:46 am
content: QuoteAre you maybe confusing this with Tek, who definitely did that. I don't recall the 54645D having any non-hardware add-ons.

author: reagle
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 11:23:42 am
content: Using 54645D in my home lab- plenty of power for that, though grabbing screenshots requires a serial add-on module and is slow. Only problem is getting the logic analyzer cable. Those things still go for $300, even if the scope is less

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 11:58:16 am
content: I swear this guy is still trying to sell the same scope at the same price as when I was selling mine years ago!:http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HP-Agilent-54621D-2-16-Channel-60-MHz-Mixed-Signal-Oscilloscope-/160853742892?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item2573a1552c#ht_4617wt_1163Dave.

author: KTP
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 12:04:36 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on August 08, 2012, 11:58:16 amThat is almost the same price that you can get a Megazoom 3 4 channel with 3 year warranty!http://www.ebay.com/itm/Agilent-CertiPrime-MSO7014A-Mixed-Signal-Oscilloscope-/170848157149?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item27c757fddd

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 01:41:00 pm
content: Quote from: KTP on August 08, 2012, 12:04:36 pmSURE... "Almost" Well it's a piece of history ... Nobody's going to buy it for sureBut the 7014A is great value indeed

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2012, 03:05:20 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on August 08, 2012, 09:28:46 amNot the 645.. The 622 and other megazooms with floppy drives.645 is eprom based. 622 has flash.