FS: Used Agilent 54831D MSO Scope 4a+16dig Upgraded hardware Win7 [Urgent] - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Mykeil
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 07:42:54 pm
content: Hi there.I'm selling the scope. It's Agilent 54831D with replaced OS to Windows 7 and upgraded hardware in great working condition.Agilent websitehttp://www.keysight.com/en/pd-10951-pn-54831D/infiniium-msoDatasheethttp://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5988-3788EN.pdfThe scope has all options enabled.64MPts, EZJIT Plus, High Speed Serial, Low Speed Serial, Force 1G, User Def Fn, eGUI, Voice, Power, PRMLpro, PRMLpro 2, PMRLpro 3, PRMLpro 4, PRMLpro 5, App Remote, Gigabit Ethernet, DVI, HDMI, USB, Wireless USB, USB3 Compliance, Xilinx Probe, Altera Probe, Fibre Channel, CAN, FB DIMM, Express Card, SATA 1, SATA 2, SATA 6 Upgrade, SAS, DDR1, DDR2, DDR3, GDDR, GDDR3, GDDR4, GDDR5, MIPI, Display Port, FlexRay, My Compliance, AP3, AP4, AP5. Some options are officially not supported for this scope model.The motherboard was replaced for better performance.The old mortherboard was able to run 1GHz cpu and 512MB RAM. The new motherboard runs 2*3.2GHz cpu and 4GB RAM.The OS was replaced.Originaly the scope was running on Windows XP. Now it's running on Windows 7.The scope is fully operational. I made 100 self-tests in the loop using service menu and got 100% pass.The scope is stable on new hardware and system. It was running 30 hours withount any restart.Have a nice day and Happy biding.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 04:43:24 pm
content: The Force 1G: does it actually work? i.e., what is the real time rise time or 3dB point?

author: Mykeil
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 09:00:33 pm
content: I used 3.3V button battery with originaly welded pins and I made a transient. The shortest time which I captured was 605 ps.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 09:40:49 pm
content: You are looking for a rise time of <350ps for it to be considered 1GHz.On the 54831D at 600MHz, it achieves 500ps rise time. I am mot convinced that the Force 1G actually does make it 1GHz at all.One further test you can do, what is the fastest timebase?

author: Mykeil
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 10:07:53 pm
content: The shortest timebase is 500ps/div.The scope has only 4GSa/s, so the sapling period is 250ps. It may not sample correctly below 500ps.But the results are strange because I see more dots than 2/div on 500ps/div timebase.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 10:18:51 pm
content: The 1GHz version goes to 200ps/div. I don't think the scope is 1GHz, it's still 600MHz.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 01:56:47 am
content: Quote from: Mykeil on July 22, 2016, 09:00:33 pmtry larger battery and proper probing. isnt the probe is the bottleneck? what probe you are using?Quote from: Mykeil on July 22, 2016, 10:07:53 pmthats the sinx interpolation. btw, a fine scope. i wish i have the money and havent bought the DS1054Z.Quote from: Howardlong on July 21, 2016, 04:43:24 pmto the OP, you'll need a calibrated 1GHz FG for this

author: Mykeil
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 08:43:10 am
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on July 23, 2016, 01:56:47 amQuote from: Mechatrommer on July 23, 2016, 01:56:47 amI just stick welded pins of battery to the bnc input without using any probe. Unfortunately I don't have 1GHz probe or cable.Quote from: Mechatrommer on July 23, 2016, 01:56:47 amThank you. Agilent is making great scopes. Better than Tektronix or LeCroy in my opinion. Every inner flat surface is covered with a foam to reduce noise from fans.Howard.I looked into programmers manual and found command*OPT?http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/54830-97014.pdf?id=595884The *OPT? query returns a string with a list of installed options. If no options are installed, the string will have a 0 as the first character. The length of the returned string may increase as options become available in the future. Once implemented, an option name will be appended to the end of the returned string, delimited by a comma.Returned Format [001,002,640,320,160,080,040,EZP,CLK,EZJ,SDA,LSS,EBW,NRD,ERC]<NL>001 = Memory option 54850 Series Osilloscopes002 = Memory option 80000 Series Osillocsopes640 = 64 MByte memory option320 = 32 MByte memory option160 = 16 MByte memory option080 = 8 MByte memory option040 = 4 MByte memory optionEZP = EZJIT Plus optionCLK = Clock recovery optionEZJ = EZJIT optionSDA = High speed serial data analysis optionLSS = Low speed serial data analysis optionEBW = Enhanced bandwidth optionNRD = Noise reduction optionERC = External 10 MHz clock optionThe optionForce 1Gdoes not enable optionEBW. I think it should. It may be the reason why the scope is still 600MHz.Does anyone has this optionEBWenabled?Maybe it's not to enable on this scope, but it's on the list of options to enable on 54831D scope. So I think it can be enabled.

author: Mykeil
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2016, 03:38:12 pm
content: I added front panel and Wifi module on PCIe. Now the scope can be connected to the Internet wireless. Also it's easy to access 2xUSB, mSATA/USB, Audio Out, Mic In from front. USB is 2.0. The motherboard does not support USB 3.0, but it can be added by replacing with Wifi module on PCIe.Also CD drive was replaced with DVD drive.

author: mairo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2016, 07:27:17 pm
content: Can we connect this scope to Keysight's BenchVue Oscilloscope app?

author: Jwalling
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2016, 07:38:17 pm
content: Quote from: Mykeil on July 27, 2016, 03:38:12 pmPimp my scope!Jay

author: Mykeil
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2016, 07:57:37 pm
content: Quote from: mairo on July 27, 2016, 07:27:17 pmBenchvue requires server license manager. Needs to be additionally installed. Also license file must be for server licensing.I can try to modify the license but not now.Officially it's not supported but we can check how it's made on supported scope and try to adapt to 54830 series scopes.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 09:36:25 am
content: Quote from: Mykeil on July 20, 2016, 07:42:54 pmI assume that all the enabled options are properly licensed (i.e. check against Keysight's database)? Hacking a scope for oneself's use is one thing (a legal grey area) but selling one with hacked options would be outright illegal.Besides, the majority of these options are completely worthless on a 600MHz scope, which is hardly adequate for USB2, let alone SAS, SATA, FC, DisplayPort and all the other standards requiring a multi-GHz scope.QuoteAgilent makes some good scopes but they do have their deficiencies, and these old Infiniiums are no exception. I have used them when they were new, and I still have a DSO8064A, the later, much improved successor of the 54831 (faster ASICs, XGA touchscreen, none of that stupid hardware overlay), and while it's a very nice scope, it can't hold a candle to the LeCroy counterparts (WaveRunner Series) of that era, not in terms of hardware, performance (>100k wfms/s vs 8800 wfms/s on the Agilent) and much less so in regards of the options (the Agilent ones are pretty simplistic in comparison, and a lot that was available for the LeCroy wasn't even available from Agilent, like serial decode for a wide range of standards), or even the UI (mouse/keyboard vs true touch).QuoteI don't think any of the original 54800 Series was ever BW upgradeable, these options were reserved for the later DSO80k. I don't think you're able 'unlock' any additional BW on that 54831D.

author: Jwalling
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 09:52:21 am
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on July 28, 2016, 09:36:25 amI believe that you are right. You can upgrade the sample rate to 2GS/s on 54810A and 54815A scopes, though. It's also possible to make a 54835A think it's a 54845A, but I don't know if it would meet the spec of the 54845A.Jay

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 10:02:57 am
content: Quote from: Jwalling on July 28, 2016, 09:52:21 amI managed to increase the BW of my 600MHz DSO8064A from ~850Mhz to 1.25GHz by removing one of the BW setting keys. It's pretty much flat to 1.2Ghz and then rolls off sharply, which is good as this is roughly the performance curve of the 1GHz DSO8104A.After doing a BW 'upgrade' the frequency response should be checked with a calibrated signal generator. Just testing the rise time isn't enough.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 11:43:51 am
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on July 28, 2016, 10:02:57 amHmm, what "BW setting keys" are these? My 54831D (running 5.71 software) is flat to about 1.3GHz on equivalent time out of the box with no hacks, but in real time its 3dB point is about 800MHz or so, so I've always assumed it's soft-limited by firmware/software/ASIC.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 12:41:42 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on July 28, 2016, 11:43:51 amI'd have to check in the scope's old hard drive. It was one parameter in the license file that told the scope its BW is 600MHz. Without it the real BW increased to 1.25GHz.QuoteI remember you mentioned this a few times in the past. This looks indeed like an artificial limitation, although it could well be a fixed one (i.e. not controlled by the scope application).You could try to run the scope with an empty license file (i.e. zero options), if it's software controlled like on the DSO8k then your BW should have increased, If not then it's probably down to board firmware/hardware.

author: crispus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2016, 07:51:23 pm
content: How much?

author: bigeblis
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2016, 04:12:46 pm
content: Quote from: Mykeil on July 20, 2016, 07:42:54 pmHello, you can share your system installation process? What steps does it need to install which programs? I also try your work, but still can not succeed!

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2016, 06:10:18 pm
content: Have a look herehttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/agilent-54831d-modernising/?allAlso suggest that OP wants 300$ for any hints/Bingo