Tektronix MDO4104C-6 Mixed Domain Oscilloscope (MDO4000C) Review & Teardown - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Hugoneus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 05:37:19 am
content: A full review, teardown and specially designed experiments with the MDO4000C!You can watch the video here: [1 Hour & 22 Minutes]youtu.be/po_WLLFr-w4More videos at The Signal Path:http://www.TheSignalPath.com

author: ruairi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 06:28:31 am
content: Fantastic video as usual, thank you!

author: mySystemEngineer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 09:08:02 am
content: Hi Shahriar,you are the best engineer i know.by your recommendation i first watched your previous B series model review.

author: Dubbie
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 10:03:22 am
content: Great video as always. Wondering why it hasn't been posted to Patreon? I'd be more than happy to pay for this one.Sent from my phone using Tapatalk

author: tmbinc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 10:55:41 am
content: Very interesting, thanks a lot!Comparing with my DPO5034 (https://goo.gl/photos/dGy6WveTGwSdKgC4A- block diagramhttps://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO476qh31x8zEEjAioZGXwLE8N_c5yuo6B3rg4k55-MQk-gu35gzyiasX5_aQCPfw/photo/AF1QipNmGJ5eG6rrdl6JyVaks7f8WoFbTegYycS1BEzu?key=OXR1c0VUdEdEOU45aG5QdmdId1hLejNCOWRqS3ln; There's also a blog post onhttp://debugmo.de/2013/03/whats-inside-tektronix-dpo5034/but I haven't updated the links since google photoscrewedmigrated me over ), I'm really curious - what is the device next to the MSO header? It's unpopulated on my board, but I wasn't be able to identify it in Shahriar's video either.Is that part of the AWG or the Multimeter?On the UI side, I appreciate the push-buttons a lot. The DPO5k is borderline unusable because there are just not enough frontpanel buttons (the DPO/MSO/MDO4k does a much better job though).FWIW, on the DPO5k, there are 2 ADCs, 4 Demuxes for just 4 channels. Starting with 1GHz bandwidth, they support 10 GS/s by interleaving them. Unfortunately I only have the DPO5034; the analog frontend can be hacked for higher bandwidth with decent success, but only the 1GHz version has the additional HDF144C(?) amplifiers. (Interestingly, the DPO4034 non-B has them, and Bandwidth can be software-hacked, but ultimately they don't support ADC interleaving so you're limited by the 2.5GS/s limitation). (So, if anyone has a spare 1GHz analog frontend from a DPO4104B or DPO5104, I'd be very interested...)

author: kaz911
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 11:30:13 am
content: First thanks for the review - great as always. Unfortunately your support donation system is VAT imposed for us EU users.so 20% gets wasted. So maybe find alternative means for support?If anyone needs the ORIGINAL MDO4054-6 - I have one for sale as I want to upgrade to the C versionStill love the original - but would like to be able to use the SignalVu app. Pretty much same device - and still almost as coolPM me for more info. The MDO is complete and we can talk about if you want any of my option sticks (I have some option sticks and a DPO4BND stick which I'm keeping...

author: Hugoneus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2017, 04:31:12 am
content: Quote from: Dubbie on January 16, 2017, 10:03:22 amThanks, I have to catch up with those things. I will do it soon.

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 17, 2017, 04:33:32 am
content: That was good I really enjoyed. it. Thanks.

author: Hugoneus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2017, 07:33:02 pm
content: Quote from: kaz911 on January 16, 2017, 11:30:13 amDoes Tek do a swap? Pay some money to get it upgraded?

author: kaz911
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2017, 11:14:32 pm
content: Quote from: Hugoneus on January 17, 2017, 07:33:02 pmI did get an offer but it makes a LOT more financial sense to sell the MDO4054-6 and buy a slightly used MDO-C series. And being in EU there is the "Not in the USA" tax - so products here gets a SRP boost of 20-40% compared to US (excl. VAT) So I import most my gear from the US.But the MDO's do not exactly sell like hot cakes which I do not understand - apart from the terrible slow UI at time - the scope and Tek probes in general are really great. Better probes than general Keysight IMHO. I'm slowly when budget allows - buying good Tek Active & Differential probes 2nd hand - and plan to get some adaptors so I can use them on my Keysight as well.I do love the MDO's protocol decode options and trigger options more than my Keysight 3000T series. And I must say the " option sticks " are both a blessing and a curse. Easy to misplace- but great you can yank the options out and take to another scope. So Keysight 3000T for speed - and MDO' for detail work and mixed domain & protocol decoding. And my MDO CAN do USB decode - where the 3000T can only trigger on USB decoded signals.... - but not show decoded USB protocol - which I find a completely stupid "marketing ploy"