OWON HDS 200 Handheld Oscilloscope w/ builtin DMM/AWG - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: TrendX
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 07:14:14 pm
content: Dear EEVBlog Forum,Having been a silent reader for some time now I finally have a question to you all:OWON recently announced their new handheld multifunction test device as I would call it.The HDS 200 Series includes a up to 70Mhz oscilloscope, a 20.000 count DMM and an 15Mhz AWG in a neat little enclosure.For somebody like me this would be perfect for the hobby bench. As I already have good scopes at work and in my lab in the basement I don't need it to be highly accurate or have functions like serial decoding. My Siglent is doing that just fine.I'm more thinking of buying it to have all these functions mobile, to for example check things on a car or work on arduino projects without having to leave the flat.Do you guys think it is worth the price? And what quality should I expect from Owon? They seem to be quite a reputable brand?At work I have a Siglent SHS for working on our EVs which is a fine scope by itself but with miserable DMM and no AWG, so no real alternative there. The old Owons and the Hantek Scopemeters are out as well.Thanks in advance for your opinion and stay safe!Greetings from Germany,TrendX

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 08:51:13 pm
content: I'm also curious about these. Seems to be a competitor to Hantek's similar devices. I never had a good impression of Hantek in general, and I probably prefer Owons USB-scopes over Hantek (I own a Owon VDS2022I and is rather pleased by it) so I would be interested in review and such. I don't want to be an "early adopter" so I hope somebody else buys and reviews it...

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 09:32:28 pm
content: If it really will sample fast enough to support a 70 MHz bandwidth it would be useful for sure, but the sample rate is 125 MSPS, too low to even produce good results with a 40 MHz bandwidth. Still, it could be useful for many tasks.The problem for me would be the tiny screen. My cell phone has a 5 inch display (130 mm) and that would be too small for me. The unit is already an awkward form factor being a bit too wide for the hand and no good way to hold it. They would be better off giving it a wider display and case with a hand hold on the back. A wider case would also make the unit more stable on the work bench.Personally, I'd like to see a 500 MSPS unit with 100 MHz bandwidth, 2 channel that works through a PC or mobile device for the UI. The AWG can be useful, but often are not programmable enough and only support a limited buffer length, in this case 8 ksamples. If I were designing an AWG it would have logic to generate various types of repetitive signals based on timers and a lookup table so it could be an NCO for example. It doesn't take a lot to greatly improve on a simple memory buffer, but it requires more work in the UI to allow a user to program it.Aren't there open source projects for low end scopes and logic analyzers? I never seem to hear of any reaching the point of being in production.

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 10:07:28 pm
content: Quote from: gnuarm on February 06, 2021, 09:32:28 pmAre you sure you don't confuse the AWGs sampling rate of 125 MSPS with the oscilloscope part? Owon claims 250 MSPS for the scope:https://www.owon.com.hk/products_owon_hds200_series_digital_oscilloscope

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2021, 03:56:49 am
content: Quote from: MBY on February 06, 2021, 10:07:28 pmLooks like I mucked that up. But that doesn't change the issue of 250 MSPS being too slow to accurately represent signals at 70 MHz. The good scopes use 10x oversampling. In theory a band limited waveform can be represented at anything over 2x, but in practice that doesn't work so well. At 250 MSPS it is better than the 125 MSPS number I initially used, but it still isn't going to be as good as an analog scope with a true 70 MHz bandwidth.

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2021, 09:50:31 pm
content: Yeah, you're right. But I'm still interested in the thing and hope reviews will pop up soon.

author: TrendX
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2021, 12:38:18 pm
content: Thanks @all for your replies!I'd still be happy if it is only useable up to 30Mhz or so as I don't see any need to view such high frequencies on the go.Most of the time I will probably use it on audio equipment, stuff like a switch mode supply or a bus such as CAN in a vehicle.At least fo me the AWG is the most interesting feature as I can use it to feed for example an amplifier and trace the signal to the point of the defect.I had hoped that some of you could give me an impression of what the Owon build and UI quality is like.Futhermore it seems to me after looking at pictures and specs that the pcb inside could be the same or similar to the Hantek handhelds. Maybe someone can confirm that?

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 20, 2021, 05:20:25 pm
content: Well, I hope it's not the same. The button layout are different so at least the PCB driving the buttons can't be the same. My impression is that Owon is better than Hantek among cheap Chinese scopes, at least in the handheld/USB variety. So even if the form factor would be ideal for me in some circumstances, I've never really considered Hanteks handheld and I'm hoping this Owon one is better. I don't want to be an early adopter, so I guess I wait for some reviews.

author: TrendX
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2021, 09:08:31 pm
content: If nobody else is interested and buys this piece of equipment I will buy it next month when my wage arrives. Will do a small review if you want, but I cant check how high the scope goes because my signal gen only goes to 20Mhz. I can however compare it to a Siglent SHS810 handheld scope.

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2021, 10:36:56 pm
content: Quote from: TrendX on February 21, 2021, 09:08:31 pmThat sounds awesome! No worries about higher frequencies than 20 MHz, as we kind of can forecast it's performance based on the 250 MS sampling rate (aliasing can be intresting however).It's the "soft parameters" I'm interested in. Like how responsive and intuitive the interface is, if it remembers settings, if continuity is fast, if the trigger works and things like this. The "feel" of the instrument is the hardest to know beforehand.

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2021, 02:31:39 am
content: Quote from: TrendX on February 21, 2021, 09:08:31 pmIf your sig gen has decent edges on the square wave, the display of those edges will speak volumes. For digital work the band width is what determines the edge rate you can see.I seem to recall the formula is 0.35 = BW * rise time. So if you can see a rise time of 5 ns, that would be 70 MHz. If the rise time is more like 10 ns, that would be 35 MHz and so on. Of course you need to know your actual rise time to be sure you aren't limited by the sig gen. It would be a poor sig gen that produces edges slower than 10 ns. To get good edges, you could measure something you know is fast like a digital signal. it does depend on the circuit, but a typical digital output is lower single digit ns rise time.

author: TrendX
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2021, 01:16:37 pm
content: Quote from: gnuarm on February 22, 2021, 02:31:39 amMy SigGen Tabor 8020 has a claimed rise time of 12ns. I tested this with my SHS810 and the claimed time is almost spot on, on some frequencies a bit higher on some a bit lower.I could try running a sig gen script on an arduino and look if it has a faster rise time if needed.On the other hand I'd like to add that entry level scopes have specs like 100Mhz/1GSa for one channel and 100Mhz/500MS in dual channel mode which would equate to about 50Mhz relaistic bandwidth on the 250MS HDS200 in single channel mode and 25Mhz/125MS in dual channel mode?Same goes for the integrated awg: A entry level Siglent SDG830 has 125MS for 30Mhz and the SDG1062X got 150MS for 60Mhz. So I think 125MS for 25Mhz on the HDS200 should be fine?

author: The_Boots
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2021, 11:39:04 pm
content: As luck would have it, my HDS242S (40MHz with function gen) just arrived today. I'm no expert, but if anyone has any questions.I bought it because I'm starting to teach basic electronics and with half my students at any given moment being remote, I wanted both a DMM and small oscilloscope that was easier to deal with than the USB scope and crappy pocket DMM I have been using. It needed to be easily readable on camera and small enough to fit on the tiny corner of my too messy desk.So far it looks nice. A little disappointed it doesn't come with actual probes, but oh well. The Autoranging is slow as hell, but that seems to be the norm for Owon, and it's not a huge deal for my use case.The scope seems pretty snappy, and the interface is better than I was afraid it would be. I got all the basic measuring and manipulating without needing the manual, so it's a start. It is a bit weirdly wide-feeling, but it let them shove a bigger screen in, which is the entire reason I got this over the Hantek. With all the info crammed into the display, I wanted as much screen real estate as possible.So far, I'm generally satisfied that it'll suit my needs. I'll do my best to answer questions, though.

author: TrendX
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 10:32:43 am
content: Quote from: The_Boots on February 23, 2021, 11:39:04 pmCould you take some pictures of it? Maybe even of the inside? So we can see the size and UI in person? How does it feel quality wise? Did you test the function gen? Is only the autoranging slow as hell or is the update rate of the value crap too?

author: The_Boots
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 04:34:27 am
content: I'll get some pictures tomorrow, but the device itself is very snappy and responsive. The update rate on the multimeter side feels like 2-3 per second, and it generally settles within a few updates...ONCE IT FIND THE RANGE. Seriously. It takes almost 5 seconds for it to get down to 0 ohm on resistance when you short the leads. It's positively glacial.Plus, there's the completely incomprehensible fact that on voltage, it defaults to 2V range(20k count display), which means you have to sit through a range switch (which is over a second) if you're measuring nearly ANYTHING over 2V. Then when you lift the probe, it falls back to 2V range so you have to sit through it AGAIN.Seriously. If you're spending $150 for a combination scope/multimeter, what are the odds you care about a 0.1mV digit that's almost certainly within the margin of error anyways?!I'd rather not have to wait a second to even begin measuring a voltage every time I measure. No contest. I'm going to check the manual to see if I can default it to 20V as the lowest range, and if not, I'm probably going to only use it in manual range most of the time.It's just insane, and the lag is even more apparent c because the rest of the device is so responsive.I continue to find the interface intuitive, and I used the function generator today to run an ESC for my students with zero problems. In fact, I've noticed that you can run the function generator in the background while using the scope, which is pretty nifty. Honestly, so far the only thing bad I have to say about it is the auto range....But man, is it bad.

author: Microcheap
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 05:27:27 am
content: Does it have an option to save the waveforms to a memory card and then transfer it to a computer later? And what about the PC software, is it any useful?I have a Hantek 2D42 and those are a few things that I miss (after the lack o automatic measurements options)

author: The_Boots
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2021, 03:46:37 pm
content: It looks like you can save a few waveforms to the device itself, but no memory card. It looks like that means you can only save like 4 unless you're connected to a computer. You do have the option to save them as images, though.

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 01:20:41 am
content: I have a question or two. Does it remember last settings (on the scope) during power cycles? Is the autoset any good (like most people I hate the autoset, but in my experience, handheld scopes need it more than "real" scopes)?How fast is manual ranging on the DMM part? Does it remember, say, a 20.000V if you exit and re-enter the DMM part (or during power cycles)?That the scope seems "snappy" is a very good sign indeed!

author: The_Boots
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 07:45:07 pm
content: I think maybe I should make a new topic for these, but I recorded some terrible quality video for people so they can see some of things for themselves.This is the first part. It's got some basic multimeter stuff and the start of the function generator stuff. Be nice! I don't have any kind of recording setup and I kind of just threw it all together impromptu. If people really want me to, I can throw together something nicer.https://youtu.be/4GeyfHFqbxw

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 10:36:14 pm
content: Thank you! It was a very helpful video actually! Was disappointed when it ended but noticed that you named it "Pt1" so I hope for a part 2.It answered most of the questions and it seems to be a decent thing actually. The DMM function is substandard, but hey, we all got our DMMs of choice at arms length anyways. It was a bummer it don't remember the manual range settings if you exit the DMM.One question is about the "feel" of things. How are the buttons? How are the tilt stand? Your video actually improved my confidence in the scope, rather than scare away from it. Knowing what's bad let you appreciate what's good.(One thing about those more "serious" handheld scopes that somewhat misses the point over more cheap/toy handhelds I think is that the really cheap ones uses the DMM input jacks for the scope functions. And I think that actually is a feature. I have an really old Uni-T UT81-something and I find it very useful to view currents at a slow timebase. It can use the scope function for the voltage, mA and A jacks. Of course that's not suitable for higher frequencies (I thingk the Uni-T thing has 40 MSPS and like 12 MHz bandwidth) and the LCD screen is really, really shitty. And no cursors, which is inexcusable. I recently "upgraded" to a Chinese el cheapo "Musttool" with 1 MHz bandwidth but the interface is unbearable bad and idiotic.)

author: The_Boots
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 12:18:01 am
content: Actually, I just uploaded pt 2 here:https://youtu.be/P4rf4NcqnjwI have to re-record the teardown video because the encoder decided to turn it into a powerpoint presentation! I actually think the scope is much, much better than the multimeter. It's a *usable* multimeter, but actually a pretty pleasant (if basic) oscilloscope.

author: The_Boots
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 02:21:13 am
content: The buttons feel pretty standard. They're run-of-the-mill rubber membrane buttons, but they aren't bad. I haven't had any issues where they missed any of my presses, and there's enough travel and feedback that they feel fine. The stand is a bit cheap feeling, but it stays closed when you want it to, and it also locks open, so no worries about it collapsing when you hit the buttons.

author: MBY
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 12:55:32 pm
content: Thanks again! I hope you come around and post the part about the teardown. I'm not sure I understood how a encoder can make a powerpoint presentation, but I hope you can fix it!I'm dangerously close to order the scope.

author: The_Boots
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 03:16:26 pm
content: The frame rate! For whatever reason, the encoder suddenly was only outputting at about 1 frame every 30 seconds or so! I'll definitely record it again though.Spoilers: It's got what looks like a clone of an stm32f303 and an Anlogic FPGA.The DMM looks to be managed by the same IC that's in the cheap Aneng multimeters(An8008 etc)-- not that it's a bad thing. Plus, there's actual honest to goodness physical relays in there! It looks like a pretty clean layout, with only one last minute resistor slapped on as a fix. My biggest complaint is that the lcd is only held in place by the tension between the case above and a plastic frame beneath. It's not very well protected, and I'd feel better about the ruggedness of the screen if they gave you some kind of screen protector.

author: Sparky Faraday
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 10:45:20 pm
content: It's on sale here for $179 through 3/31/2021:https://my.banggood.com/OWON-HDS200-Series-2CH-Handheld-Oscilloscope-40-or-70MHz-Bandwidth-20000-Counts-Multiumeter-OSC-+-DMM-+-Waveform-Generator-3-in-1-Suitable-for-Automobile-Maintenance-and-Power-Detection-p-1802427.html?cur_warehouse=CN&ID=6301780I didn't see it on Amazon yet.