Is rigol ds1054z good enough for quadcopter and rc hobby? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 04:47:45 am
content: Good to meet you all here.I just get involved into the quadcopter and rc hobby for a short time. I kind of feel that I need a oscilloscope to debug my setup, instead of changing parts around. I have software developing background, and have moderate knowledge about electronics. Are here any guys also involved in rc hobby? Can you have some talk about the oscilloscope use in rc hobby. And specifically Is rigol ds1054z good enough for quadcopter and rc hobby? I have seem quite some praise about this entry level oscilloscope.Thanks.

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 04:49:02 am
content: Absolutely, it will do a great job for you.

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 05:02:43 am
content: Quote from: TheSteve on January 03, 2016, 04:49:02 amThanks. That absolutely add up my confidence.Furthermore, is a Rigol MSO2072A a bit overkill?

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 06:55:46 am
content: Quote from: khtwo2002 on January 03, 2016, 05:02:43 amYes, it is.I don't see how it is better in any way. For logic, it is better to get a separate logic analyzer. UI in the scope itself is terrible.Increased sampling rate does not matter for most use cases.Stick with DS1054Z, it is an excellent scope, even if price is not a factor.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 07:30:39 am
content: QuoteWell, for debugging a microcontroller, what's the fastest signal you will need to look at? Really, a 10 MHz dual channel scope would probably be all you need. Well, unless you want to build your own transmitter/receiver.For a logic analyzer, there are a lot of cheap options, and a lot of utility to be had with a computer/USB platform using a mouse and keyboard easily saving and opening files. Think about it. 16 channels, and how are you even going to organize them all. Even for something as simple as this, on a computer you can name each signal with the same full sized keyboard you have used daily for the last 20 years. I have an MSO, but I use a $100.00 USB logic analyzer.But no one ever complained for having too much of a good thing. Buy what you like, I guess. But personally, everytime I buy a new scope, I wish I had waited another year. There always seems to be more DSO for the money around every corner. Buying something dirt cheap has that advantage of doing the job you need today so you can have more bells and whistles tomorrow. Heck, the $240.00 entry level DSO's of today are pretty awesome. Better than anything you could buy for twice the price only 7-8 years ago.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 09:09:43 am
content: Anyone who has to ask whether or not a particular oscilloscope will meet their needs, will almost certainly find the DS1054Z will meet their needs.

author: Karel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 09:49:51 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 03, 2016, 09:09:43 am+1

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 03:35:02 pm
content: Thank all for the resourceful information. I guess ds1054z will meet most of my needs.What are the typical scenarios that 300Mhz bandwidth scope/mso can do the job, while 100Mhz bandwidth scope can't?

author: Commodore8888
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 02:17:25 am
content: I use mine all the time for field checks and dinking around on the bench. I've yet to find anything in RC that would commonly push the ds1054Z, and you'll find having 4 channels is a huge bonus when playing with motor controllers.A faster scope is just that, for accurately viewing faster signals or very quick glitches. Expensive stuff comes with the bells and whistles though, like fancy decoders and slick interfaces. That said, the ds1054z does have a decent decoder (it just sadly only works from the trace buffer and not full memory). I've used it to debug an SPI bus between a windbond flash chip tlc59711 and a micro. Worked well considering the memory limitation.But back to RC, a 2k series anything (be it Tek, Rigol, Siglen, Agil..err..Keysight), will be overkill and a good deal more pricey. The little ds1054 has been great for sorting out rc glitches, checking for signal line interferance, fixing/checking parts (regs, receivers, servo controllers, etc). Dave is right, it's epic for the money you'll be spending and will likely be plenty of bandwidth.

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2016, 09:35:22 pm
content: Quote from: Commodore8888 on January 05, 2016, 02:17:25 amThanks for the info. I have got my ds1054z, so far very satisfied. Upgraded

author: Audioguru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2016, 10:44:00 pm
content: I was an electronics engineer for 30 years (retired now) and made a kit oscilloscope 50 years ago. It still works and I use it for some electronic projects.I have rc airplanes, helicopters and a quadcopter drone and I have never needed to use my oscilloscope on any of them. Some use circuits I designed and the circuits worked flawlessly the first time.

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2016, 01:09:06 am
content: Quote from: Audioguru on January 07, 2016, 10:44:00 pmIt should be a good learning process for me, because I'm pretty new to both domain. I want to know what's exactly happening inside the circuit, when they are working and when they are broken.

author: pmbrunelle
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2016, 05:20:53 am
content: Quote from: khtwo2002 on January 08, 2016, 01:09:06 amFor a quadcopter, you may want one of those saleae boxes. An oscilloscope is too much payload for a quadcopter during flight, but a saleae box is pretty small.Bench/ground testing doesn't always reveal everything.

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2016, 07:03:38 am
content: Quote from: pmbrunelle on January 08, 2016, 05:20:53 amWow, that's something I have never think of. Debug on during flight? How to setup a saleae box to record the stuff during flight? Where are the data stored?

author: pmbrunelle
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2016, 07:36:47 am
content: I had a brain fart, the box is small, but it needs to be tethered to a computerI don't actually use one, but some of my work colleagues do.I remembered the parts that were nice to remember...

author: khtwo2002
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2016, 02:23:55 pm
content: Quote from: pmbrunelle on January 08, 2016, 07:36:47 amDon't be sorry, I think it's actually can be done. Maybe not Saleae, but there are other small logic analyzers that support Android. So a logic analyzer + android phone can do the job.