How to verify all functionality of a factory new Mixed Signalling Oscillscope  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2014, 05:26:56 pm
content: I wanted to check here if the Rigol DS6000-DK demo board can be used to quickly and efficiently check all the functionality of a factory new Mixed Signalling Oscilloscope?Details on this demo board below:http://www.meilhaus.de/en/rigol+ds6000-dk.htmThe reason why I am asking is that I believe it would be good to check the scope in a systematic way upon arrival, as otherwise you might only use a certain portion of the scope's functionality, believe that everything is working, and later on run into trouble.With a quick and systematic check, you can feel assured that everything is working as expected, and no surprises later on. At least the hardware as such. Of course there might still be some software bugs, but I am looking for a systematic way to verify the hardware functionality as such in a Mixed Signalling Oscilloscope.Can the Rigol DS6000-DK demo board be used to trigger and exercise all of the MSO scope's functionality (with focus on the hardware)? Or what other boards/techniques can be used to do a quick and systematic check on your factory new Mixed Signalling Oscilloscope?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2014, 06:01:37 pm
content: Just check all channels with a function generator.

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2014, 09:59:43 pm
content: Regarding calibration of Rigol scopes:1) How often do you have to do it typically?2) Can it be done completely automatically on the DS1000Z/DS2000A series or are there some manual steps involved?The reason why I am asking, is that I saw the following option for the DS4000/DS6000 series:http://www.tekequip.com/rigol-calibration-kit.htmlAnd this option is not available for the DS1000Z/DS2000A series, so I was expecting that some manual calibration steps are involved for the lower end series, or did I misunderstand?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2014, 10:11:31 pm
content: That calibration kit is totally bogus. By the time the length of the traces starts to have a visible effect the signal will be distorted due to the absence of proper impedance matching.Like I wrote earlier: just check against a waveform generator and a DC supply.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2014, 10:17:59 pm
content: It depends what you're intending using it for.The only time I consider calibrating anything (unless you have to for example with a VNA) is when there's obviously something not right, but I amost always have something else to check against when I question the validity of a measurement. 999 times out 1000 it's operator error, and I therefore rarely get as far as pressing the calibrate button or taking the lid off. Sometimes you can do more harm than good by doing that!The MSO1074Z-S I bought recently seems fine, I have yet to question any measurement it makes (except that I have noticed an anomaly with the AWG which I'll be posting about soon).I guess it's like an bookkeeper with a set of figures in front of them, they intuitively know when the calculator's added it up wrong.