Rigol DS1102E Oscilloscope freezing problem ?  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: sallah
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 20, 2020, 07:51:41 am
content: Hi everyone;I have recently bought (actually received it just yesterday) a Rigol DS1102E Oscilloscope, second-hand online, for my future hobby projects. when I first tested it, it was working all fine, Both channels were showing the test square wave, buttons were fine..etc. so I left it, and after a while, I got back to my new little toy to play with it, but all of a sudden, the oscilloscope freezed, So I just turned it off, and ON again, it powers on normally (with its infamous noisy fan) but it is stuck forever at the bootup screen image showing the oscilloscope series name, Rigol website and the firmware version ( which is Version 00.04.01 SP7)..etc. and the buttons not responding, not lighting, total freezing.Tried turning it ON and OFF multiple times, nothing changes, same bootup screen staying there forever. Tried installing the Windows app Ultrascope, thinking I might be able to communicate with it, installed the dumb software successfully with the driver, but I couldn't communicate with it. I am not sure if I can return it, given that it has the problem while I had it, and that it was bought second hand. It does not seem to be opened before by the original owner.I have tried searching the problem over the net, but didn't get much, came across some firmware hacks, but nothing similar to this.Asked on Reddit, not much too...Does anyone know how to solve this?! Came across such a problem before?! Or at least can tell if it is a hardware or a firmware problem.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2020, 08:53:05 pm
content: Welcome to the forum.Not sure if this will work for Rigol's but while it's booting keep quickly pressing the Math key.

author: sallah
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 06:02:40 am
content: Pressing the Math button quickly didn't work. But here is an update, Yesterday I kept it powered ON for like 20 minutes and it worked after that and passed that welcome screen, Switched it OFF again, and the problem is there again. So I tried my luck again and let it powered ON for longer times, no Success. I downloaded the latest firmware update from Rigol website, copied it to the USB flash drive, when I stick that USB to Rigol while it is stuck at that welcome screen, it miraculously passed it and worked normally, So I rushed updating the firmware, and everything was working just fine afterwards. Switched it ON and OFF multiple times, all fine. I switched it ON today, and the problem is back all again, only this time sticking the USB to the Rigol with or without the firmware doesn't work anymore.

author: aqibi2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 06:43:48 am
content: Usb plugging in may have been a placebo, can you maybe gently shake the scope and see if there is a change in behaviour (cold solder joint or similar on one of the memory IC or something).

author: sallah
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 08:08:26 am
content: I actually tried the gentle shaking at the very beginning, without success. But there is a new update. It seems the Oscilloscope is working now fine, sometimes it needs me to plug the USB with a firmware in it to pass that welcome screen, sometimes it just works fine without any intervention, and sometimes it is just stuck like before whatever I do, plugging an USB, or shaking it. It seems as if the oscilloscope is working according to its mood. At this moment it is working fine. But I wanted to know why is this was/is happening to it?!

author: Mario87
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 10:00:00 am
content: It does sound like some sort of poor connection / solder joint which works when left a while and warms up or you move it by putting in a USB stick, etc.

author: sallah
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 03:38:15 pm
content: I think I should open it up and check it for any poor connection or soldering problem. But also I think I kind of know why this happened to it in the first place ( just a theory) , because it just happened again by doing something I remember doing it also right before it was stuck. I tried to see how does the signal coming out of my fingers look like, so I grappbed the probes with my fingers and clicked on the "Auto" button ( it takes some time, and I can hear some inner hardware clicks), while it was adjusting itself to auto and before the signal shows up, i took my fingers out of the probe and it just blocked, turning it off and ON has resulted in the "home screen stuck problem". So is that relevant?! And if yes,. How and why!