OWON USB O-scope (VDS2064L); your thoughts ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: JustMac
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2016, 12:11:34 am
content: Occasional lurker, new poster here ...I was wondering what people thought of the Owon VDS2064L. It's a 4ch, 60 MHz USB DSO introduced ~6/2013. Super Contributor "mikeselectricstuff" did a video review of it's 100 MHz brother in this thread.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/owon-vds3104-usb-scope-review-teardown/msg826702/#msg826702(Thanks Mike !)Other than the above there's very little info re: this line of scopes. Normally I'd avoid a USB O-scope like I'd avoid a mangy looking dog but the review above and the sale price I've seen @ Saelig has me revisiting my rule. As a working EE I have access to pretty much any TE I want at work but I'm tired of either borrowing such and bringing it home and/or bringing fun stuff to work. So I want anfairO-scope and having been burned enough times, it should be a 4 channel one. I was settled on the newer Rigol DS1054Z but then I ran across this ...http://www.saelig.com/category/owon-pc-oscilloscopes.htmAt $80 off and ~$150 (USD) less than the Rigol (as of this date), it makes a compelling argument for itself given my (realistic) at home needs and at work TE availability. That this is also an "L" (=LAN) version is ... well, I don't know. Owon is fairly mum on just what it's operations over a LAN are. I looked a little but couldn't find a good used 4 ch DSO near that price.So your thoughts are welcome.I also wonder if this version is hackable, even if only in theHW+SW sense, to bump it to 100 MHz. Might have to pop for new probes though.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2016, 05:15:06 pm
content: Quote from: JustMac on January 28, 2016, 12:11:34 amHmm...60MHz and 500MSa/s doesn't sound exactly great:http://www.owon.com.hk/products.asp?ParentID=79&SortID=81QuoteWell, the Rigol offers at 1GSa/s in single channel mode, plus it's hackable to 100Mhz. Not to forget that it comes as a standalone box so you don't need a PC to operate it.The problem with PC scopes is generally the software. If you go that route then you pretty much rely on what the manufacturer offers you. If that turns out to be crap (which for cheaper PC scopes often does) then well, bad luck. It also means that you might end up being stuck with having to run a PC with an outdated OS if the scope manufacturer stops support and the last software won't run on a new OS version.Such scopes are great for special applications (i.e. ATEs) but as a bench instrument the sucky controls (keyboard and mouse instead hardware knobs) alone will probably drive you mad eventually. I've meet a few people over the years who were determined that the PC controls would be fine, but sooner or later all went back to a real bench scope.If I were you I'd invest a bit more money and get the DS1054z instead.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2016, 05:23:56 pm
content: ^ all of this.

author: JustMac
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2016, 03:52:13 am
content: QuoteAgreed and that's why I tend to think of USB DSOs as mangy dogs. And "Mike" in his video review noted a few aggravating "features" of Owon's software. And it seems that Owon does data transfer and display differently than the other low $ USB guys, who have been "hacked" to provide better functionality. So, short of factory support, I might be stuck (or be forced to learn Java).That all said "Mike" thought the Owon he reviewed was well constructed and engineered, relatively speaking. I'm less concerned about the sampling rate as I don't anticipate needing the 1 GS/s (vs 0.5 GS/s) rate all that often. Should that become a real problem, I can use a LeCroy at work. My heart want a "real" scope, admittedly even if it's just the aforementioned Rigol. But my brain says "it's just for your at home hobby, save the $$s for a logic analyzer". What's this called ... analysis paralysis ?Thx for the comments though. Maybe I need a MaiTai or a sledgehammer to the head to break the paralysis.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2016, 11:02:31 am
content: Quote from: JustMac on January 30, 2016, 03:52:13 amWell, of course it depends on your overall budget and if the price difference between the Owon and the Rigol is easy for you to cover or would mean having to cut back on more important stuff. For many people even $100 more is a lot of money.But in general I think investing a bit more and getting a benchtop scope is better than saving a few bucks and very likely ending up hating that thing because it's too cumbersome to use is a better investment, and even more so if portability is not a requirement. Where I work we use PC scopes (PicoScopes) for some applications. Technical performance aside, they are fine for the special purpose tasks we use them for but I don't know a single engineer who would want to use something like that as a general purpose scope.If price is an issue, have you considered the 2nd hand market?

author: rich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2016, 03:10:40 pm
content: Quote from: JustMac on January 28, 2016, 12:11:34 amI'd say trust your instincts. It suggests you subconsciously know they are not the best tool for you and you're really hoping that the owon is such a huge leap forward that it addresses all the usual concerns of USB scopes. Nothing in Mike's video suggested that to me - its an ok scope, but still slow and clunky UI and he doesn't see it as a replacement for a bench scope. Also note that Mike's projects often end up outdoors or on the sides of buildings where a bench scope is not going to cut it!Interesting points in Mike's review:4 isolated channels - could be a good thing, or a real pain depending on your applicationit might only be using 1 ADC which has implications on max sample rate with all 4 channels enabled.Quote from: JustMac on January 30, 2016, 03:52:13 amDepending on your usage, it could be that a good 4ch scope might delay the day you really need to spend money on a logic analyser. A rubbish scope might hasten it!

author: LogicalDave
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2016, 07:25:40 am
content: I have several scopes including a 500MHz 5GS/s Tek, an Owon SDS 200MHz bench scope, a hacked to 100MHz Rigol, and a couple of Owon VDS USB scopes. I like all of them for different reasons. What's worth noting about the Owon USB scopes is that the software is actually very good (unlike most other USB scopes I've tried) and the scope actually meets or exceeds it specifications; I like everything about it except that the software doesn't run on linux. Owon offers isolated (good thing) 25MHz USB scopes for under $100 as well as more expensive scopes w/higher bandwidth (whichever you get, I strongly recommend buying the from Saelig:http://www.saelig.com/category/owon-pc-oscilloscopes.htmas they provide outstanding support - I have no relationship with them other than being a happy customer).I use the bench scopes in the lab, but I have a VDS1022i USB scope in my laptop bag and another on my desk. The USB scope on my desk takes virtually no space and makes quick tests and capturing waveforms for documentation super easy. The USB scope in my laptop bag adds virtually no cost/weight but provides a powerful diagnostic tool when I'm in the field without making me lug an expensive and (relatively) bulky bench scope around.So in summary, the Owon USB scopes are high quality and the software experience is good; for many applications, they are an excellent choice.