4 channel scopes - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Grandchuck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2024, 02:20:11 pm
content: 4 channel oscilloscopes have dropped in price and are finding their way to hobbyists, students, ham operators, and others. It is ironic that some oscilloscope demo boards cost almost as much as some of the newest scopes. Here is a simple circuit to demonstrate just a tiny fraction of the potential of a 4 channel scope.

author: techneut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2024, 06:45:18 pm
content: You are right that it can be usefull for beginners but only if it is accompanied with text to explain what they see and why. I think that it is part of the price of the boards offert, the explanation and the developing of faults to discover.

author: Grandchuck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2024, 07:05:56 pm
content: My guess is the demos are not big sellers and that runs up cost.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2024, 07:31:19 pm
content: Have you even looked at what modern scope demo boards do? They go way, way, WAY beyond trivial periodic waves like your demo (which requires a separate sine generator, so isn’t even standalone).And the title of this thread is awful; it doesn’t provide any kind of preview as to what the thread isactuallyabout.

author: Grandchuck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2024, 08:17:26 pm
content: I have the Batronix demo board and really like it but it is pricey and perhaps a turn-off for some folks.Don't judge a post by its title

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2024, 09:21:27 pm
content: QuoteThat's all we have to go on before deciding to read or not.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2024, 06:31:14 pm
content: Quote from: Grandchuck on April 01, 2024, 08:17:26 pmThen there’s no excuse for you to not know the types of test signals modern demo boards generate.The point of a demo board is to learn how to properly configure the scope for the types of signals and faults one commonly encounters. That includes complex triggering.A simple sine wave, and slightly modified versions thereof, do not come close to this.Quote from: Grandchuck on April 01, 2024, 08:17:26 pmThe purpose of a thread title is to give an elevator pitch summary of the thread. It is supposed to let the reader know what to expect within. If it doesn’t do that, the title is a fail. (The same with email subjects, by the way.) This title makes one expect a discussion of 4-channel scopes, which it isn’t about at all. And even if it were about 4-channel scopes, it’d still be a lousy title since it doesn’t say what aspect of 4-channel scopes is discussed.

author: Grandchuck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2024, 06:37:44 pm
content: There is no excuse for you to get nasty. I was trying to help beginners with a new 4 channel scope looking for inexpensive ways to learn how to use it.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2024, 07:04:55 pm
content: I’m not trying to be nasty, I apologize if I came across that way. And I applaud efforts to help beginners. However, every forum user, beginner or super experienced, benefits from accurate thread titles and content. I mean, nothing about your circuit is specific to 4-channel scopes — you could probe it with a 2-channel scope, too.

author: donlisms
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2024, 10:54:38 pm
content: I wish for better titles, too, but I see an analogy in driving - I sometimes wish I could teach that guy how to drive better, but then I realize there are thousands more coming along who will also make those mistakes! I think it's just part of the thing. We can try to be helpful in the face of imperfectly-formulated queries; maybe that's our best hope!