Agilent Infiniium DSO8000A Hacking - anyone done this? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2016, 05:25:13 am
content: Well, it seems an Agilent DSO8064A will find the way to me. Unfortunately it seems to come with the basic config, so I wonder if anyone managed to hack any of these or any other Infiniium scope. Of course my main interest is to enable the 128M sample memory the scope has, but getting some of the other options would be nice, too.Any ideas?

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2016, 11:52:03 am
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on April 20, 2016, 05:25:13 amNo. But I'll happily take that Agilent abomination off your hands for the cost of the P&P.

author: blacknoise
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 03:59:18 pm
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on April 20, 2016, 05:25:13 amThis DSO8064A:http://www.keysight.com/main/techSupport.jspx?cc=DE&lc=ger&nid=-32452.536908411&pid=718129&pageMode=DS...using the same firmware (last version: 05.71) as for example the 54831D?

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 04:09:22 pm
content: I would be surprised if you couldn't get that to work one way or another... ;-)

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 04:47:06 pm
content: Quote from: blacknoise on April 25, 2016, 03:59:18 pmThat's the oneAnd as you said, the download page says it's the same firmware as the Infiniium 54831D:http://www.keysight.com/main/software.jspx?ckey=566904&lc=eng&cc=US&nid=-32452.536908411&id=566904My main interest would be unlocking the full 128M of sample memory, but if possible also some of the other options (i.e. 009 InfiniiScan, 002 Jitter, 003 serial data, or the serial decode options).

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2016, 01:39:26 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on April 25, 2016, 04:09:22 pmYes, the system they use is very crude. I added a couple of options to my Agilent VNA a few months ago. See post #64 here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/auction-(uk)-test-gear-from-nvidia/50/I borrowed a big Infiniium scope this week as I'm looking to buy one to use with the 89600 SW.It was the 80404B 40Gs 4GHz Infiniium model that runs Win XP. This is an 80000 series rather than 8000. I don't know much about these scopes to know what the differences are. I dumped out the program code from it and looking through the program code this scope uses the same 'option' system as my VNA so I found that I could write licence files for the 80404B within a couple of minutes. I managed to create replicas of the existing licences on the scope so I knew straight away that I could write valid licences for it. The licence is locked to the 404BMY46xxxxxx ID. In the code there are a LOT of undocumented options but I have no idea what they do. I think some of them are for other scope models as I found loads of different scope models inside the main program code. It's possible to create time limited or permanent licences and demo licences. However, I'm not an advanced user of modern scopes so I'd never use these options as I would only use a big/fast scope like this to grab raw data for post processing. So the various USB, SATA DDR, Infiniiscan options are all a bit boring to me really. It's easy to remove each of the options by simply deleting the relevant entry in the licence file.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2016, 10:54:32 pm
content: I don't have access to the 80404B scope anymore but I did try downloading the firmware for it and installed it on a PC to emulate the scope hardware.I managed to create a licence file that unlocks this many options (before I got bored) and the GUI does add these features in the menus when it runs. I don't have the real scope anymore to try this on but I do want to buy a decent Windows based Infiniium scope to do data capture. So when I get one I'll report back.Surely someone has been here already and done this? Looking in the code there appear to be some vulnerabilities in the code that allow generic licencing. This seems a tad reckless... The image below is the bootup/options splash screen for a global licence that probably unlocks every feature listed below on every Agilent Infiniium scope in the whole range that uses this firmware. i.e. this licence isn't locked to the scope serial number. It is locked to every/any infiniium scope in the firmware range.But I don't have a scope here to try this on. But it works on the PC/emulator. I'd only want to try this on a scope I owned myself so I wouldn't try this on the 80404B even if I still had it because it isn't mine

author: blacknoise
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2016, 02:42:48 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on April 29, 2016, 10:54:32 pmYes. As i did not had any genuine license key with a valid signature to reverse and learn the cryption algorithm, my attempt was to modify the firmware so that the values for HOSTID and SIGN are not longer required to validate the option.At least for the older (05.71) scope firmware (548xxx, xSO8xxx series) and for the current (4.20-5.60) scope firmware (xSO9xxx(x) and MSOSxxx series) a modification / addition of about 10-15 instructions allows to add any option in the license file with "PERMANENT UNCOUNTED HOSTID=VDH=0 SIGN=0" instead of a valid signature.Even a much more simpler modification is possible in the above named firmwares by changing only one instruction (tst edi,edi --> xor edi,edi). But the disadvantage of this simple solution is a noticeable slower start of the scope application - especially on weak CPUs of older hardware - as during startup the scope tries to enable every single option known by the firmware.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2016, 09:30:56 am
content: Yes, I think you are working in in a completely different part of the code to me.I think you can either patch the Agilent application (quick/dirty but effective) or attack the core protection system itself which is produced for Agilent by a third party and it is buried inside Agilent's code. When I hacked my VNA I had no example licence file but I didn't want to risk patching the firmware as I'd only had the VNA a few days (and it cost me a LOT of money to buy).I found that everything you need can be found by running the application in a debugger on a remote PC. It shows the licence file name/location and also the format of the text within the licence file. So I just needed the 12 digit SIGN code for my newly created licence file.Luckily for me I've spent a lot of time in the distant past reversing this type of protection system so I can configure the debugger to give me the 12 digit key in a few seconds. Many years ago this required me to dig deep down many levels into the core of the third party protection system itself. Once you do this you realise how weak the whole system is. If you look through the code there are all kinds of references to encryption with public and private keys and DES etc. There are also loads of false trails in the code. But the juicy/vulnerable bit of code lies many subroutine levels down inside the protection system itself. You can set the debug system up to give you the 12 digit key in this part of the code because it checks your default attempt (eg 123456789012) against the correct key in a sequenced/fragmented format... (yes, the system really is this simple/dumb)I'm sure you already know that the protection system isn't produced by Agilent. They use a third party system for licence management and this is what makes the whole system vulnerable to attack.QuoteThe crazy thing is that I think the protection coding may allow a simple line of text in a licence file that achieves the same thing on every Infiniium scope. i.e. it seems to allow a generic licence file that unlocks 'everything' on 'every' scope. I tried creating this file and it works on the emulated scope on a PC.I also noted that it takes much longer for the application to load if I run with this 'bad boy' licence file. It sits on the splash screen for a longer time before I see the GUI appear.I don't have a scope here to try this on but I'm trying to work out which Infiniium scope to buy. I really only want to run it with the 89600 software. The 80404B that I had access to already had the 89600 SW loaded on it.But this scope is quite old. The owner said it was about 10 years old? The version of 89600 SW was quite old too. I'm not sure I 'need' 40GS and 4GHz BW and 4 channels so I'm trying to find the best Infiniium scope to buy for my needs.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2016, 10:20:47 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on April 29, 2016, 01:39:26 pmOh yes, FlexLM. That's also used on the Infiniiums I believe, at least I remember seeing it on my (work) DSO90kA and on some of our DSO9ks.QuoteYes, that sounds like FlexLM.My DSO8064A is supposed to arrive today, and then I can give it a try with some modified software files.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2016, 10:43:14 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on April 30, 2016, 09:30:56 amI agree that attacking FlexLM is probably the best way. Patching the scope application is fine for older scopes that won't see any new software releases (like the DSO8k or the DSO80k), but for newer models like the DSO9k finding a way of creating valid license files is probably a better way long-term so that not every update requires patching the scope application.QuoteThe DSO80404B is old, I think it came out around 2005, and it shares the general architecture with the DSO8064A that hopefully will arrive today and which I hadn't bought if I didn't get it for next to nothing. All these old Infiniiums have in common that they are pretty slow, even by the standards back then, and due to their architecture especially the higher bandwidth models like the DSO80404B suffer from some weird and annoying limitations (i.e. the sample memory drops from 64M to 2M at sample rates above 4GSa/s). HP was amongst the first (together with Nicolet If I remember right) to come up with a Windows based scope but it took Agilent until the DSO9kA to finally do a Windows scope right.Obviously you need an HP/Agilent/Keysight scope if you want to use it with the 89600 VSA software, but if you don't need huge bandwidth and can live with the VSA software running on a separate PC then a DSO-X Series scope (DSOX3k, 4k) should do. If you want to run the software on the scope, though, I'd say a DSO8kA could be OK if you can live with 600MHz (DSO8064A) or 1GHz (DSO8104A) bandwidth, but if you need more bandwidth then I'd seriously look into an early DSO9kA (running XP).

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2016, 04:05:07 pm
content: My DSO8064A has arrived and seems to be working fine. It comes with no options and runs an old version (4.5) of the Infiniium software. There's also an old copy of the 89600 VSA software on the hard drive.I did a quick test and the -3dB point for this 600MHz scope is at 1.27GHz which isn't bad.The next step is to create a disk image and replace that horribly slow hard drive with an SSD, and then play around with updating the scope software and unlocking some options.

author: blacknoise
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2016, 05:32:27 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on April 30, 2016, 09:30:56 amVery interesting! I did not dare to hope that Agilent and/or the originator of the licensing code violates cryptogaphic basic rules in such a way. So, when i tried to add options to the 05.71 firmware some years ago i thought i had to break the encryption algoritm - which seems very difficult to me.Instead of that i disassembled the code and followed its branches up to the decision: "option valid/invalid"... et voilà... ;-)And as all instruments which I modified belong to my private amateur lab, i had no qualm at all to manipulate the program code.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2016, 03:58:06 pm
content: QuoteI really have no idea which one of these models is best for me. I'm going to try and borrow one again and have a play. I'd like something with about 1GHz BW though...I had another dig around in the program code and it looks like these scopes can also have their options enabled via a remote (or local) server. I did a google and found that you can still download the server here:http://www.keysight.com/en/pd-1143488-pn-N5435A/infiniium-application-server-license-for-infiniium-oscilloscopes?pm=OP&nid=-32976.685330&cc=GB&lc=engThe licence system is a bit more robust for a server (obviously) but I managed to reverse the server program code during the footie today. (so close for Leicester!)I don't have a scope here but I think I can write server licences for anything on that list on the weblink. The advantage here is that I can test out the options without messing with the scope itself. i.e. I 'think' I can enable the options via a remote PC using the Agilent server SW.I can certainly write the licence (locked to my MAC address) and start the server and I can replicate the sign keys for existing server licences I found online that lock to other MAC addresses. So if this works, I don't have to tinker inside somebody else's scopeAm I correct in that I should be able to hook the scope up to another PC via LAN and enable the options remotely? (Obviously, the options will only be enabled when the server is there and running and will vanish when the server PC is removed)

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2016, 04:08:42 pm
content: Sounds like a nice application for a Raspberry Pi!

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2016, 02:21:18 am
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on April 30, 2016, 04:05:07 pmMy 600MHz 54831D is about 800MHz 3dB point in real time sampling, but exceeds 1.2GHz in equivalent time.Thanks to a forum member's help all options have been enabled.I did also replace the PATA HDD with a PATA SSD: it's still slow to boot, taking a minute or so for the scope screen to appear, but definitely significantly better. The motherboard isn't anything to write home about, quite underpowered in fact. I think the 8000 might benefit from a better resolution touch screen, not sure what the mobo capabilities are.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2016, 12:42:16 pm
content: After spending most of yesterday replacing the hard drive with a SSD and fighting with a RAM problem (and thanks a lot Agilent for hot-glueing the RAM modules to the mainboard) the scope is now up and running, including the latest firmware modified to enable some of the options. So far so goodHowever, I also was quickly reminded again how poor the UI of these scopes was and how limited and simple even the advanced options were. It's been a very long time when I last used one of these scopes (at work we've mostly Agilent/Keysight Infiniiums running Windows 7 which have a much improved UI), but now that I'm sitting in front of one of these scopes again the old complaints are back. Even the latest software for these scopes (5.71 from 2009) still looks and feels like a Windows 95 application. The touch screen can't hide the fact that the UI was designed for mouse control, and a mouse is required for most settings as the 8.4" screen is too small to operate many parts of the UI sensibly. Early DSO9k/90k scopes which run XP use the same UI, but thanks to their large screen the UI becomes much more useable without a mouse. But comparing it with my LeCroy scopes from the same era which have a true touch UI and better options this feels like ten steps backward, not just in the user interface department.Having said that, the scope runs fine now, and I even managed to enable the 128M sample memory which is nice. Also, the hardware is solidly built (typical HPAK), and (aside from the glued-in RAM) modestly maintenance friendly. The PSU seems to be a Lambda Vega 450 which is a current industrial PSU platform.Quote from: Howardlong on May 02, 2016, 02:21:18 amAre you sure? The -3dB point is determined by the analog front end, and should be independent on the sample mode.QuoteI guess it's the same member that hooked me upMany thanks for that (he should know!)QuoteThe DSO8k/80k hardware has been improved a lot from the old 54800 Series. The mobo is a (for that time) modern intel D915GUX (later replaced by an AdLink M880) LGA775 (P4/Celeron) mainboard with PCIe interface. Mine came with a 2.93GHz Celeron (64bit) and 1GB DDR2-533 RAM (2x 512MB, as I said glued in), which I replaced with 2x 1GB DDR2-800.The display is a 8.4" XGA (1024x768) touch screen instead of the 8.4" VGA (640x480) non-touch display in the 548xx Series. However, the touch screen doesn't help much as hitting some of the very small UI elements on the small 8.4" screen is still a challenge, which means you still need a mouse.The hard drive in the DSO8k/80k is a SATA (150Mbps) 2.5" hard drive (in mine it was a 40GB Fujitsu MHV, which like most of these drives has already started to develop bad sectors). I replaced it with an 80GB intel SSD 530 I had laying around. The mobo has 4 SATA ports of which two are used (one for the HDD, another one for the slimline CDROM drive which is a PATA drive connected to SATA via a brigde board).The sampling subsystem and the PCI interface adapter has changed as well (and both are now more reliable than on the 548xx). Also gone is the separate PCI graphics card with the antique C&T 65545 GPU for the scope application, the DSO8k/80k use the i915 GMA900 graphics in the mainboard's chipset, and connect to the touchscreen via a PCIe2x-to-LVDS adapter card. I haven't done any tests but it seems you can now run dual monitor configs (with the external monitor using a different resolution), however the scope app seems to only run in fullscreen mode.The network interface that's on the mainboard is a 10/100Mbps NIC only, however since there's a free PCIe 1x slot a fast Gbps network adapter can be plugged in (I already ordered one).I installed the 89600A VSA software but it did not recognoze the scope. Could well be a firewall issue as the scope app seems to expect the Windows firewall to be disabled (which is a really poor idea) and I re-enabled it and just unblocked the port requests from the scope software.Now that I have the scope up and running I might even do some performance comparison against my LeCroy WaveRunner 64Xi which is of the same class, same vintage and similar price points (approx $14k for the DSO8064A and $11k for the WR64Xi).

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2016, 01:17:02 pm
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on May 02, 2016, 12:42:16 pmSee this video (from 23:09), this is not directly with 3dB points, it's rise time related but it demonstrates the difference between real time and equivalent time sampling apparent bandwidth. Using an RF signal generator correlates the findings too.https://youtu.be/mS3sCJd_GPk?t=1389

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2016, 02:23:45 pm
content: When I looked through the program code it was littered with various options including some that appear to be speed/bandwidth. I'm not sure how these get implemented or which scopes they apply to but there are various 'banded' options that look like speed/BW upgrades for this range of Infiniium scopes.Also some options that may be hidden from the regular option menu system? It's hard to tell because I don't have a scope here to play with.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2016, 05:01:19 pm
content: There's often lots of interesting nuggets in the program code.One future project is to try and upgrade the display hardware in my Agilent E5071 VNA to support full HD. The program code supports it to some degree as you can see in the screenshot below. This is the VNA running in simulator/demo mode but it can also run this resolution in normal operation (if it had the display hardware that is)I found this simulator (and the hi res graphics) capability when I was reverse engineering the program code to get it to unlock the time domain option.It supports full HD graphics and this looks very cool indeed! See below for a screenshot of what this VNA is capable of if the display hardware is upgraded. I think the display is only VGA and the graphics adaptor is only good to something like 1024x768.It has a VGA port at the back but I suspect that this will just display up to the limit of the (puny) display adaptor in the VNA.But see below for full HD when running on a PC

author: andy2000
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2016, 03:20:01 pm
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on May 02, 2016, 12:42:16 pmHas anyone ever tried replacing the motherboard with something more modern? Even a Core 2 Duo/quad would be a lot faster than the original P4/Celeron. It should be possible unless it has a custom BIOS, or drivers that will only work with that specific hardware.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2016, 04:26:13 pm
content: Quote from: andy2000 on May 03, 2016, 03:20:01 pmI did look at one time at trying exactly that about 18 months ago. I can't remember now what the form factor is, but needless to say it isn't one at is common at least nowadays, and I was unable to find a suitable one at the time. YMMV of course. Certainly attempting to increase RAM or improve CPU failed for me, and I didn't much fancy upgrading the BIOS without having any sure means of getting it back in case of failure.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2016, 07:00:56 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on May 02, 2016, 01:17:02 pmInteresting. Assuming that the front end really goes to 1.2GHz it seems your 54831D artificially limits bandwidth in real-time mode for some reason.I'll give ETS a try on my DSO8064A, but since the real-time bandwidth is already at 1.2GHz I don't think there'll be any difference.Quote from: G0HZU on May 02, 2016, 02:23:45 pmAs far as I know none of these scopes were bandwidth-upgradeable, so the older 54800 Series (which uses the same software) has probably only a few front ends which were artificially bw limited to create the various models.If you want me to try some options let me know.Quote from: andy2000 on May 03, 2016, 03:20:01 pmThe board is a standard intel or AdLink mainboard with Agilent BIOS to enable support for the LVDS to PCIe adapter. Replacing the board means you need a microATX board with PCI that has support for an internal LVDS display and supports WinXP (so you're looking at an industrial mobo). It should also fit the ATX cut-out in the back of the chassis, unless you like to use a hacksaw to make it fit. But in general, yes, it could work.The real question is why you would want to do that. The current board/CPU combo in the DSO8k/80k is already 64bit, but since the OS is 32bit XP and the drivers only work with 32bit XP there's really no use in having more than 4GB RAM, which is already supported by the current mainboard. Also, since the whole "scope" part is built on Agilent ASICs upgrading the CPU will not change or improve any scope functionality whatsoever. For running XP plus some kind of Office a fast Pentium4 processor and 2+GB RAM are more than adequate, especially when combined with a decent SATA SSD which improves on the boot times as much as possible (the scope app alone prevents this from ever becoming a 'quickstarter' like a scope built on an embedded platform).Quote from: Howardlong on May 03, 2016, 04:26:13 pmIt's probably more difficult for the 54800 Series as they rely on a separate graphics card with antique Chips & Technology chipset for displaying Windows and the scope app via hardware overlay. Replacing the mainboard with anything more modern (i.e. PCIe based) will very likely not work as on newer boards (like the ones in the DSO8k/80k) the PCI slots are connected via bridges that add latency. Which is probably why DSO8k/80k have a different PCI interface card to connect to the acquisition subsystem.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2016, 07:14:27 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 02, 2016, 05:01:19 pmI doubt that. The older E5071As had a Pentium-M Celeron processor (400Mhz FSB) I think, with intel chipset with GMA900 graphics. Later ones had again a Pentium-M Celeron, but this time with 533MHz FSB and GMA950 graphics. And the current ones have some mobile Core i7 with intel HD graphics. And even the oldest variant (GMA900) supports 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 via digital and analog, as well as multi-monitor operation.The question is what is supported by the LVDS hardware driver, and by the BIOS. Have a look into the BIOS settings if you can find a setting which allows you to configure the panel variant (i.e. a list with panel resolutions, or just a number).It could very well be as easy as just replacing the panel with a suitable high resolution one (IPS preferrably).

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2016, 07:39:07 pm
content: I think some of these VNAs have an onboard graphics port (15 pin VGA) and also a PCI graphics card.As it stands, my VNA exclusively uses the plug in PCI card and this only has 1M of video memory. I've not taken it apart but I think it also uses this card to interface to the LCD via a ribbon cable and it also has a 15 pin VGA connector at the back. So my VNA has two VGA connectors at the back. One from the mobo (disabled in BIOS?) and one from the PCI card.On one of the E5071B models at work this mobo display port is enabled but it only supports 640x480 256 colours (same as the LCD) even if I mess with the settings in control panel.I'm hoping that there's a way to have the higher resolution graphics on a remote monitor via some system tweaking/mods. But I'm in no hurry.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2016, 07:48:44 pm
content: QuoteThere were various bandwidth options but I don't know what model(s) they were for. Some said 'enhanced bandwidth' and some seemed to be in xGHz steps but this might be to do with sample rates?. IIRC the 80404B I briefly played with showed 4GHz 'Standard Bandwidth' on the GUI.It was also remarkably flat to 4GHz when tested with a sig gen. Above 4GHz the response suddenly drops very sharply.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2016, 09:50:53 pm
content: I've managed to get close to what I want with the monitor displays...I don't know how I managed it but it briefly 'worked' in high resolution on the external monitor. I got it to work up to the limit of the monitor by connecting to the other VGA port marked 'reserved'and I messed with the BIOS to enable this connector. So it should now be the same as the one at work. But the one at work is limited to 640x480 in this mode?Sadly, I got greedy and tried to get both displays running together. I've almost managed it but I can't get the VNA display on both at the same time. There's just too many things to mess with in the BIOS and the graphics adaptor. This adaptor is much more capable than the default PCI card. But it's fighting me and I can't quite get it to behave properly on both displays.Maybe I should start a fresh thread on this in case anyone has been here already. It certainly isn't easy to set this up!But the smith chart looks glorious in high res on the remote monitor!

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2016, 03:37:15 pm
content: I solved the mystery wrt the E5071Bs at work. All of our 5071B VNAs have only one VGA port at the back. .They run the mobo graphics and this has 4Mb of video memory. But the system clamps the settings to that of the LCD monitor, i.e. 640x480.There's probably a workaround but I'm not too fussed. There's nothing about this in the E5071B manuals unless I've missed something. The E5071C VNAs already have a XGA display and they also support dual resolution so I think you can run the external monitor at 1920x1080 etc. But I've not tried.My E5071B here at home has a mobo VGA port and a PCI VGA port so I can configure a crude fudge that lets me see HD via an external monitor.Looking in the service manual my VNA has the same PCI graphics card as..... .... the (low) infiniium scope range (small world)Are the Infiniium scopes limited to the resolution of the LCD or can you do similar tricks as I have with my E5071B to get high resolution via an external monitor?

author: andy2000
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2016, 04:10:04 pm
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on May 03, 2016, 07:00:56 pmIt's might not be worth it for the i915 based boards, but one of the main complaints I've heard about the older scopes in the line is that the interface is slow. Assuming they have a PIII or earlier, upgrading the motherboard could help a lot. That's assuming there's nothing special about the original motherboard and BIOS.It might not work though. I've tried to upgrade the i810 PIII in my TDS5450, but so for it's been unsuccessful. Everything newer than a PIII board that I've tried (including a board that was used in later TDS5000 scopes) results in ACPI errors on PSOT followed by an ACPI related BSOD. Apparently, Tek didn't did something not quite to ACPI/PCI standards on the interface board which must conflict with something on newer boards. I'm going to give it one last try with either an i815 or an Athlon XP board.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2016, 04:26:23 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 03, 2016, 09:50:53 pmI definitely think this deserves a thread, although I doubt many people have been there before. An E5071 isn't exactly widespread amongst hobbyistsQuoteThe 4MB is just initial (startup) memory, since this is shared memory graphics it can use part of system RAM as video RAM once the driver is loaded.As to the resolution, I guess 640x480 is what the panel supports and if the monitor settings in Windows are setup correctly it won't offer any resolution higher than that for that display.QuoteI'm sure it will work.QuoteIf this is really the same card as on the Infiniium 54800 Series then there isn't much you can do, as it comes with an antique Chips &Technology 6554x graphics chip which if I remember right can do VGA at 24bit and SVGA (800x600) at 16bit (or 8bit, depending on VRAM available). It was common graphics chip when DOS and Windows 3.11 were still a thing and Windows 95 was the next hot thing. I think the original chip was ISA or VLB but C&T came up with a PCI version which for some reason (well, it was cheap) found its way into a lot of embedded systems (it's also used in LeCroy's PowerPC based LC, WR LT and WP900 scopes).What Agilent (actually HP) did for some on the 54800 Series (and I guess on the E5071A as well) is to use the graphic chip's hardware overlay function to combine Windows, the scope (or VNA) app, and the waveform display, which results in a range of limitations, including being stuck at basic VGA. I'm still not sure why they did go down that route, which seems a bit silly even back then. I mean, it's not that this C&T chip was some super-fast graphics accelerator back then, nor was the 54800 Series particularly fast.One reason I've taken on the DSO8k is that it doesn't use that setup with a separate graphics card, but like any modern Windows scope uses the integrated GPU.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2016, 04:50:41 pm
content: QuoteI think it is the same card as the 54800 series. It has the same part number and the image below is a picture I found online with the same Agilent part number. it looks the same as the outline drawings in the service manual and Control Panel gives the C&T 65550 number.So this is what throttles the graphics capability.But see below for a real live screenshot of my VNA taken with an external Dell 4:3 monitor in 1280x1024? It is measuring S11 for a toroidal inductor. It looks really good compared to the internal VGA displayTo see it sharply, right click on the text below the image and select 'open' to open it in the Windows Photo Viewer.So can the Infiniium be hacked/fudged to do a similar thing? Could you run a second graphics adaptor card dedicated to higher resolution for an external display? I know very little about PC hardware/graphics but maybe the Infiniium can go hi res this way?

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2016, 06:51:26 pm
content: On my 54831D I've tried a couple of things. The lack of memory on the video card meansmit can't support any resolution other than 640x480, and this card also uses hardware video overlaying for the waveform display, so is connected to another card which connects to the scope hardware.There is a VGA port on the card, but this can only be used for duplicating the LCD contents, it will not extend the display. I use this the most, it's plugged into an LCD monitor at the soldering bench (which I also use with the trinocular microscope when making videos). For delicate browser probing, it's more convenient to have a screen at this level than having to comtinually glance up to the scope that's situated about 14" above the bench due to its depth.You can also use the mobo's VGA to support up to 1280x1024 as an extended monitor, but not for the scope app as it doesn't support the video overlaying.The same applies to use a DisplayLink adapter which also works surprisingly well for such an underpowered mobo. I should note that I also have a USB 2.0 PCI card installed for this as the mobo is only USB 1.0.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2016, 11:36:19 pm
content: QuoteMy VNA appears to be limited to 640x480 if I try all the usual things. If I enable the mobo VGA port it can be configured as an extended 1280x1024 monitor and I can drag/swap common windows icons and window boxes between screens with this monitor in 1280x1024.But the VNA app itself is stuck at 640x480 and it can't be dragged or moved. I can make it appear on the extended desktop if I make the external monitor the 'primary' display and the VNA app then uses up 640x480 pixels (in one corner of the monitor) but it can't be dragged/moved.But I found clues in the program code that indicate it can be unlocked from this. However, it takes a certain sequence of user inputs to achieve it. I can't get it to run like this each time it switches on unless I perform a certain sequence of actions and this provides a special gateway into this hi res mode from first bootup. So I have to do this sequence EVERY time I want to use the external monitor in hi res modeI doubt anyone would find it easily unless they knew how to look for it because the system appears to stubbornly limit the VNA app to 640x480 pixels. So it either runs full screen 640x480 on the internal LCD or stubbornly sits in a 640x480 corner of the 1280x1024 external monitor if I play with the display adaptor options in Control Panel.QuoteYes, I am now going to look for a small hi res portable monitor to use down at eye level with the VNA.I need to read up a bit on hardware 'video overlaying' as I know nothing about this subject. It looks like my VNA doesn't need to do this because it has a simple/slow display requirement. Such a shame that Agilent didn't make it easier to use a hi res monitor with it.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2016, 10:56:50 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 04, 2016, 11:36:19 pmThat's overlay. As the name suggests it superimposes the scope/VNA app onto the Windows desktop. It's a technique that was used for video playback back then as most PC graphics processors of those days were unable to maintain a fluid playback rate for raw video in a somewhat decent resolution, so the video was rendered on the CPU and superimposed (overlaid) on top of the screen content.QuoteOn the Infiniiums, the scope app (which is the same for the old 54800 scopes with the dual gfx card setup and the newer DSO8k with single graphics) seems to detect whether it is running on the old architecture or the newer one, and switches from hardware to software overlays (done in the graphics processor). If the VNA app on the A models is the same as on the B or C models then it might be the same with the VNA app, i.e. if it finds better graphics hardware it might work at higher resolutions.I'll do a few tests with the DSO8k and the scope app over the weekend.QuoteThere are a few things you can try. One would be to remove the PCI graphics card and use the on-board graphics in the intel chipset with an external monitor connected to the mainboard VGA port. Then set the resolution to something higher than 640x480 and start the VNA app.If that works then all you need to do is to find a PCI graphics card with internal LVDS interface for better internal display. There are quite a few cards for the embedded market available.QuoteI really like HPAK instruments but in my opinion the architecture of the old Infiniiums was completely brain dead. I can't remember what Tek did back then with their TDS scopes (but I don't think their scope suffered from similar limitations), but the Windows based LeCroy scopes from the same era pushed much higher update rates via the standard mainboard graphics, with the scope app running as a normal Windows app that could be run fullscreen (at any resolution) or windowed, and if windowed dragged around like every other Windows program.It took a very long time uptil Agilent finally came up with a decent Windows scope (DSO9k/90k). Which is a bit surprising, considering that their non-Windows scopes were very good.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2016, 03:40:25 pm
content: I'll have another play over the weekend to see what can be improved. But I can get it to run in 1280x1024 fullscreen at high resolution at the moment if I mess about with the settings each time I restart the VNA.QuoteGetting back to the Infiniium scopes, I can now definitely confirm that it's possible to upgrade the BW on the 80000 series because I was granted access to the 80404B again briefly.As supplied it displayed 'Standard 4GHz BW' on the screen and this was confirmed again with a decent sig gen. I then tried creating various licence files and managed to up it to 8GHz in that it displayed 'Standard 8GHz BW' on the screen.I only had a 6GHz sig gen available but it was flat to 6GHz so the BW has definitely gone up. I'll bring across a 20GHz generator next time and see how high it can go in BW in terms of options and also with the sig gen test.But as 'standard' it rolled off sharply immediately at 4GHz but with the 8GHz BW option listed it was dead flat to 6GHz at least.I can also confirm that my 'bad boy' licence works where it's possible to unlock lots of options (sometimes all of them?) with a single generic licence that targets all Infiniium scopes. i.e. it isn't locked to a serial number and it isn't locked to a specific model or sub range. I think it would work on every Infiniium scope that uses that licensing scheme. On this 80404B it released a whole load of options (too many to count) and the initial splash screen grows considerably in size to accommodate the options. Obviously I'm not going to release this global bad boy licence into the wild as it would probably work on their current models and not just the old obsolete scopes. But this does look to be a significant vulnerability in their licensing code?

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2016, 10:51:27 pm
content: QuoteWhat's the typical price range of these when used? I'm assuming that the 90k series is going to be extremely expensive but what about the 9k models? I like the big display and it isn't a deep body scope like the 80404B. Also it has 1M ohm input Z for use up to a few hundred MHz. So this scope could make a decent general purpose DSO for me as long as it can run the 89600 SW efficiently and it doesn't make too much fan noise. I'm hoping it won't be as noisy as the big old HP54540C here. I suspect that the 4000 series might be a better choice for my needs because I just want to be able to grab wideband signals with it via 89600 and also it would be nice if it could be used as a general purpose scope with a nice big display.The other option is to buy an older Infiniium (even one with a dog slow UI) and only use it with the 89600 SW and then sling it into storage when not being used for this mode. This is bound to be much cheaper.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 05:46:55 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 05, 2016, 03:40:25 pmI guess they didn't design an individual front end for each bandwidth step but instead built one or two frontends (I guess 8GHz and 13GHz) and used bw limiting to come up with the other steps.I don't think it was meant to be used as bw upgrades as you can do on newer scopes, at least I'm not aware it was ever offered as an end user option.QuoteI doubt it works beyond the DSO80/80k, the DSO9k/90k use a different software which is newer and very likely relies on a much newer (and less vulnerable) version of FlexLM. Also, even if it did, no business would use it to create licenses as Keysight keeps a register of which S/N comes with what option, and they would certainly put up a stink if a business sends in kit with 'self-created' option codes for calibration or repair.Quote from: G0HZU on May 05, 2016, 10:51:27 pmThe lower bandwidth models (i.e. DSO9204A) start at somewhere around $8k for the older versions running XP (which often comes with the mobo which can't be upgraded to Win7), and noticeably more ($10k+) for the later models. In the UK you pretty much end up paying the same figure in GBP.QuoteThe noise level should be comparable to the DSO80k you tried, so it's not exactly quiet but no screamer either. The DSO9kA is a nice scope, although the UI on the XP models is pretty much the same as on the DSO8k/80k and 54800 Series. The display has the same resolution (XGA) as the DSO8k/80k, but at least the big screen means touch starts to make sense and you can work without a mouse.Also, the waveform rates are pretty low.QuoteProbably, but that depends on your bandwidth needs and how much data you want to grab (the InfiniVision scopes like the DSOX4k only have 4M memory which in most modes gets also halfed so you might end up with 2M only).QuoteIt is. Again, it depends on what bandwidth you need but if you go that route then I'd go for a DSO8k/80k instead of the old 54800 Series, even more so if you want to run the 89600 software on the scope. The P4 in the DSO8k/80k is a lot faster than the old P3 in the 54800 Series, plus you can get some decent amount of RAM in the scope.Not sure if that's a viable alternative to you, but there's also the R&S RTE/RTO Series and the R&S VSE (Vector Signal Explorer) software

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 11:59:25 am
content: QuoteI had access to the 80404B again and brought some different licence files along. The best one achieved an onscreen message of '12GHz Standard Bandwidth' and this was confirmed with an old HP83752A 20GHz synthesised source.This old sweeper has a very accurate ALC system and is flat to 20GHz. The updated 80404B showed a small amount of rolloff by 12GHz but this was partly in the 18GHz rated cable. By 13GHz it drops suddenly.There may be more to come, I only have brief access to the scope and I would ideally need to spend time with it and spend more time fishing for stuff in the program code. but a 4GHz to 12GHz BW upgrade is already impressiveI'm becoming drawn to this scope because of the sheer grunt it offers but it isn't really much use as a general purpose scope as the inputs are fixed at 50 ohm. I'm not sure how to check how much memory I can unlock in it but I think I will need quite a bit of memory if I want to capture wide BWs. My E4406A can capture a ~10MHz BW for only a tiny fraction of a second when used with the 89600 SW.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 12:23:40 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 06, 2016, 11:59:25 amIt is. So it looks like the DSO80k is all the same hardware.QuoteTrue, but that is true for any scope over a few GHz of bw. And there's a high impedance adapter that somewhat overcomes the problem (although the max voltages remain limited).QuoteYou can check the available memory in the acquisition settings, there's a way to manually set memory. But don't forget that as soon as the sample rate is 4GSa/s or more the sample memory shrinks to 2MB per channel, no matter what option is installed. This is a limitation of the slow architecture. Which means for long captures you're limited to 2GSa/s so essentially around 900MHz useable real-time bandwidth.Which is actually worse than the DSO8000A, my DSO8064A has 128M even at 4GSa/s, which easily covers the true 1.27GHz bandwidth I have.I guess the question is what you want to capture, i.e. the raw signal or a down-mixed IF (in which case 900MHz or so should be plenty).

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 12:43:52 pm
content: I'll be downconverting to an IF and I probably only need 200MHz BW at the IF for most tasks in the immediate future. So the 80404B is overkill even in 4GHz guise. I think I need a scope with 500MHz BW minimum but would prefer 1GHz BW.I like the look of the DSO9104H but need to do some more research on it to look for showstoppers in the specs etc. I wouldn't need to mess with BW hacks etc with this scope.QuoteIt's worth me emphasising that that I'm a complete novice wrt these scopes and I just did a quick test with the 20GHz sweep generator. However, it does look like it's possible to unlock 'something' that extends the BW quite a bit (I'm guessing it's about 13GHz) and brings up the 12GHz BW logo. It might not mean the scope is now the direct equivalent of a 12GHz variant of this scope. I'm really just tinkering and observing/measuring

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2016, 04:40:27 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 06, 2016, 12:43:52 pmTake a look at this threadhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/exploring-the-secrets-of-agilent-9000h-series-scopes/

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 04:31:37 pm
content: I had to shift my focus to some more important stuff buy yesterday I managed to spent some time with the DSO8064A. I upgraded the memory to 3GB and the CPU from the bog-standard intel Celeron D 340J (2.93GHz, FSB533, 256k cache) to a 3.4GHz Pentium4 650 with FSB800 and 2MB cache.I also enabled HyperThreading in the BIOS and the scope seems to work fine.Not sure how much that improves scope performance (unlike LeCroy scopes which do pretty much everything in the x86 CPU these Agilent scopes use proprietary ASICs for all waveform calculations) but at least it should improve the general performance of Windows applications, including the VSA software.The next thing to try is if the scope can be upgraded to Windows 7.

author: Mrt12
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2017, 08:54:05 pm
content: Hey @G0HZU,I wonder how it works to add options. I have a 54831B which I upgraded to a 54832B. I am interested in the serial protocol analysis option and the 128M memory option. How can that be done?

author: Aiy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2017, 11:24:46 pm
content: I tried booting up a virtualbox with tinyxp on it but it wont run the agscope.exe application.. no error message, nothing...Wanted to try some options on my scope ...G0HZU: do you have to use a real computer for some reason ?

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2017, 06:20:40 am
content: In my experience, the build is extremely picky. It will look for certain specific PCI hardware and there is a licensing component. I’ve not been able to build a working scope from scratch, but I have been able to upgrade the OS on an existing working scope, not that that gave any benefits. I have also managed to change the motherboard but it needs a fair bit of work to get the device drivers installed properly and software working again afterwards.That was after many days of investigation and dozens of OS installs.

author: Aiy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2017, 09:11:16 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on November 24, 2017, 06:20:40 amUnderstood. I wanted to get some extra options enabled on my scope (memory and spi/i2c decoders perhaps)Do the windows XP based scope software run on the tinyXP / microXP dists or is that a waste of time?Cheers

author: TRN
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 14, 2018, 04:50:31 pm
content: Has anybody managed to install the Infiniium 4.20 System Software (9000 infiniium-firmware) on a infiniium 8000 oscilloscope?thanks

author: rubidium
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2018, 11:11:35 pm
content: I am about to come into possession of a DSO-8104A, and wondered if someone would be kind enough to share the methods for unlocking various options. PM me is you prefer.Thanks,Jim

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 07:25:42 am
content: In a few days I got a DSO8064A. From this thread it looks like we may up-hack this kind of DSO to enable the full equipment sample memory and for more features. Maybe even the bandwidth can be increased to 1GHz. Is anyone willing to help me doing this task ? This would be absolutely awesome! PM me.Cheers

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 01:27:33 pm
content: Frankly I don't know why the software for these scopes has not been hackedThe whole system is based on a very old version of FlexLM license manager which is used in a lot of other applications and for which there are many hacks availableFor those other apps there often is a license keygen available to to create license files yourself. I'm sure this could be done for the Infinum software on these scopes as wellYou could also patch the executable to enable options but some options like power analysis or VSA rely on separate executables which will fail to workThe best hacking method would be to develop a keygen which creates valid license files, something G0HZU has already done so it is definitely possibleThe question is if our resident hackers are up for it

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 01:33:10 pm
content: Quote from: schenkmi72 on June 16, 2019, 07:25:42 amIt could be useful to compare a 8064 acquisition board with a 8104 acquisition board, maybe the difference is only in a few SMD resistors

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2019, 06:49:59 pm
content: Quote from: Mr Nutts on June 16, 2019, 01:33:10 pmBut where to get a picture of a 8104 acquisition board when you don't have it ?CheersMichael

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2019, 04:06:37 pm
content: I believe there are a lot of similarities between the 5483x series and the 8000 series, I found that my 5483x suddenly self identified as an 8000 series when I simply removed the C&T video+overlay card and used a more meaty motherboard with integrated graphics.So, to upgrade a 54831x (600MHz bw) to 54832x (1GHz bw) see:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/54831b-upgrade-to-54832b-possible/

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2019, 05:34:55 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on June 19, 2019, 04:06:37 pmHi everyone,I've try to modify the ID resistors in the hope that I may convert the 8064A into a 8104A but this seems not working on a 8064A. The boards looks similar to the 54831. I've attached a picture of the ID resistor of the original 8064A. Maybe their is someone which has a picture of a 8104A board to compare the resistors.CheersMichael

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2019, 05:36:32 am
content: Dear friends,at least I can confirm that with all information from the EEV blog I was able to unlock all features on my DSO8064A.CheersMichael

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2019, 08:37:57 am
content: Quote from: schenkmi72 on June 24, 2019, 05:36:32 amIs this the EXE hack?A lot of these options are useless on a DSO8000, i.e. SATAOther options which would be nice to have like Power Analysis or VSA are separate apps for which the EXE hack is uselessThe only way to truly get all functionality is by generating fake license keys (i.e. keygen)

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2019, 10:06:43 am
content: Quote from: Mr Nutts on June 24, 2019, 08:37:57 amHiyes it's the EXE hack. Even if most of the options are not really usable it's nice to have the 64MPts memory and the serial bus decoding

author: John_ITIC
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2019, 03:04:19 am
content: My DSA80000B already has most options *except* the following:007 Low-speed serial data analysis software for I2C and SPIIs there any way to enable fairly easily? What is the EXE hack?Please PM. Thanks.

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2019, 04:23:37 am
content: Quote from: John_ITIC on June 25, 2019, 03:04:19 amHi John,all I can say is that you carefully need to read the EEVblog regarding the patch. Furthermore you will need a hex editor for looking around in the scope main application regarding the feature name.Best regardsMichael

author: JiriB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 07:28:22 am
content: Hi,I'm sending a detail from my DSO8104A. I hope it helps. Note the cut SMD resistor - I didn't do that))

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 05:02:44 pm
content: Quote from: JiriB on June 26, 2019, 07:28:22 amHi,just awesome the cut SMD resistorCheers

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 05:04:30 pm
content: Ops, my DSO8064A just turned into a DSO8104A

author: JiriB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 06:05:52 pm
content: Hi,did you cut the resistor too?JiriB

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2019, 05:19:52 am
content: Quote from: JiriB on June 26, 2019, 06:05:52 pmI've preferred a much lesser invasive method by de-solder the defective resistor.Cheers

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2019, 01:35:27 pm
content: Quote from: schenkmi72 on June 26, 2019, 05:04:30 pmThis is great!!!Have you tried a sel-calibration and self-test?And has the analog bandwidth truly changed?

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2019, 04:08:12 pm
content: Quote from: Mr Nutts on June 27, 2019, 01:35:27 pmHi,just run self test and calibration. They pass without any issue. Measured with my R&S SMG I can confirm that the -3db point must be over 1GHz but I don't have a clue what's the bandwidth before desolder the defective resistor.Cheers

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2019, 07:24:07 pm
content: Quote from: schenkmi72 on June 27, 2019, 04:08:12 pmWhen the resistor fell off my 54831, it was well over 1.2GHz. I also found slightly better performance in equivalent time mode.

author: jmonette
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2019, 03:15:24 am
content: Hello,I just bought myself a DSO8064A to replace my 54831M, I tried the "cut resistor" hack to upgrade the bandwidth and it worked great. I measured it at about 1.2GHz but my signal gen cannot be trusted.It also identifie itself as a DSO8104A. Thank you JiriB!Now I'm trying to add the software options. I was hoping to just edit the *.lic file like @G0HZU clued us to do. I read how he did it and would like to do it myself but I can't find the software source files. I can't believe they left it on the scope. Is it found from the Keysight's FTP? Or did he just use VS debugger to see console?Also, if the license file is generic, why hasn't it been shared (since it's now an obsolete model)? If anyone has it, I would be interested (PM)!I'm also interested in any info on that series. I want to devlop a software to control both my fgen and scope to do bode plot.

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2019, 03:30:10 pm
content: Hi JiriB,all I can say is to carefully look around on the EEVBlog and combine some stuff. It really wasn't that hard to get all options unlocked :-)Best regardsMichael

author: tv84
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2020, 07:55:18 pm
content: All options as in FW v5.71.

author: tv84
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2020, 10:08:51 pm
content: Here is the options available in the VSA 89600 software package v12.02.Only the green ones. I think the others are already activated by default.You can use old/new licenses to add them depending on the patch that you use.

author: daba
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 21, 2025, 01:27:57 pm
content: Hi G0HZUI've a DSO8104 that was buy damaged in power supply and now working fine . I've also another DSO (8064) buyed many years ago from Agilent with low speed dataport option (I2C and CAN), and now seems cannot buy extra license due to obsolent DSO....Have you some idea to create license file ?Daniele, I4JHB

author: Doper
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 06, 2025, 07:59:13 am
content: Hallo liebe schenkmi72,Here I am, coming back 6 year laterCould you perhaps point to something ? the tip of a string ?Thank you,

author: schenkmi72
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2025, 12:12:17 pm
content: The following post was handy for mehttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/agilent-54831d-modernising/msg1144527/#msg1144527

author: Doper
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 06, 2025, 06:34:54 pm
content: I have already done the hex edit but did not work until I realized I need to put thus seemingly empty license.dat in there.I cant thank you enough.