which 500 MHz scope to get? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ErnieEngineer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2011, 05:04:32 pm
content: I have the opportunity to buy either a used DSOX3052A (4 chan, MSO) or a new MSO6054A (2 chan, no MSO) for the same price (about 5 grand). The DSOX3052A is from 2005 and passes all self tests but no recent calibration is included. I like that the older DSOX3052A has a logic analyzer that samples at 2 gig samples per sec where as the available logic analyzer for 3000 series samples at 1 gig sample / sec (if i were to upgrade later). I think its a bummer that the 3000 series logic analyzer is half as fast, whats up with that??If u were me which scope would you get?Are there any disadvantages to buying a scope that 6 years old and not calibrated ?Has anybody used the Agilent Xilinx probe (option only for 6000 series MSO) and how useful is it? Is significantly more useful than just using ChipScope Pro? I do do some Xilinx FPGA stuff and plan on doing more.Finally which model could i sell for more money if i were to do so a few years down the road?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2011, 09:52:56 pm
content: I Think you got the model numbers swapped...Depends a lot on what you typically do, but I'd say 4 analogue channels is very worth having, often more so than MSO.Feature-wise, the 6000 series isn't hugely different to the new DSOX3000 which replaces it.In terms of age I don't think it's a big deal - look more about what functionality you get. Bearing in mind that it appears the DSOX may have significant hack potential.In terms of resale value, after the initial new/used drop, test gear holds its value very well.Personally I'd go for a used 4-chan+MSO over a new 2-chan any day.

author: ErnieEngineer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2011, 01:09:35 am
content: Thanks. I am leaning toward the older scope with more channels now. Your advice helped me alot. Yes I switched the two model numbers by mistake. So what is an application where you use more than two channels? The last time I used more than 2 channels was when I was looking at a brush-less dc motor signal with 3 wires. Also I used more than 3 chans when I am looking at digital signals.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2011, 03:19:29 am
content: More channels is extremely useful when you need them, but ya really don't need more than 2 very often. (or at least i don't).But if there isn't much difference definitely go for 4 channels.

author: Hypernova
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 17, 2011, 07:06:16 am
content: If your question was between 4ch vs ch2-MSO I would have gave it a moment to think about.4ch+MSO no contest.As for the slower LA most of the time you wouldn't need it anywhere that fast anyway. The fastest bus you would debug is probably SPI which is plenty with even cheap USB LA's.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2011, 10:19:37 am
content: When weighing up digital vs. analogue channels , it's worth bearing in mind that there are relatively cheap ways of getting lots of digital channels with various low-cost PC based analysers. Some will even talk to a scope to get MSO-like functionality.However there is no cheap way to get high-speed analogue channels with high update rate and intensity grading. A very common reason for high update rate is for finding glitches, and if you need to find them on a wide bus you can probe channels in turn.A very rough guess at my avarage usage of channels on my MSO6034A1 Channel 25%2 Channels 50%3 or 4 channels 20%up to 8 Digtal 4%Mpre than 8 digital 1%Of course YMMV depending on what sort of work you do....When I had my old 54645D (2+16 MSO) the most limiting thing I found was the lack of more analogue channels, and this was the primary reason for upgrading.BTW check what memory option the older unit has - originally they shipped with 1M and 8M was a license upgrade, but later they shipped 8M as standard- upgrade for 1M units is is $550