Slashdot front page says I don't need a scope... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:02:29 am
content: http://ask.slashdot.org/story/13/11/20/2248237/ask-slashdot-whats-on-your-hardware-lab-benchSlow news day?

author: ElectroIrradiator
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:08:47 am
content: Must be a question from an inexperienced beginner.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:18:14 am
content: There's really no substitute for a good scope when it comes to checking signal integrity.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:22:29 am
content: Slashdot says a lot of things.Long gone are the days that reading the comments was worthwhile. Nowadays it's just check the linked articles, and leave the argumentative monkeys to theirroutine. It's not as bad as youtube comments, but give it some time...Did a quick check of that link. So you substitute"the scope is dead"with"dude that wrote comment doesn't use a scope much these days", and we're done. Neeeext.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:48:50 am
content: Anything on Slashdot related to electronics can be boiled down to this:Will it make my computer faster?No: Then why the hell does it still exist? Luddites...Yes: Go DIAF, my computer's fast enough as it is!Empty shell of what it used to be.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:59:22 am
content: Why do I still want one after reading that blurb?

author: Six_Shooter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 04:09:23 am
content: Let's see here...They say:<snip>" a frequency counter, a USB logic analyzer, a USB I2C/SPI master,"</snip>Hmmm, all things that an o'scope can do, ok the I2C/SPI decoding might be only on some newer DSOs, but it is possible, but anyway, all of those can be reduced down to one device, if you understand how to use it, and it can tell you so much more.They go onto say:<snip>"I have two oscilloscopes, a 100MHz two-channel stand-alone USB unit and a 1960s analog plug-in-based mainframe that is a '70s hacker dream scope."</snip>Hmm, the PC based scope is probably not that great, if my experience with them is any indication, and from what I read of other's experiences, and an old analog scope that is likely large and takes half an hour to warm up before it's useful. Of course one would use those scopes less and less.Whoever wrote that is under the misconception that digital signals are truly on and off signals, with instant rise and fall times or that they can't be effected by other signals, which a logic analyzer is very unlikely to pick up on.If O'scopes were becoming less useful, there wouldn't be ever increasing development of them, that still retains their original design of capturing and displaying the measured waveform(s)...

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 05:44:34 am
content: Quote from: Six_Shooter on November 22, 2013, 04:09:23 amand that all power supplies are always DC, and no useful signal of any kind exist in the analog domain any more

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 05:55:10 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on November 22, 2013, 05:44:34 amall you need is a DMM right?!

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 06:52:50 am
content: Quote from: Fsck on November 22, 2013, 05:55:10 amyup.. one of these...

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 07:08:43 am
content: Quote from: Six_Shooter on November 22, 2013, 04:09:23 am!960s 'scopes would warm up in around 2-3 minutes max.Even when they haven't completely stabilised,they are still "useful".

author: John Coloccia
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 01:56:08 am
content: I not sure I understand the link between not using it that much and not needing it. I don't use the huge tip on my soldering iron that much, but when I do I need it. The little tip doesn't work just because I use that for 99% of my work.Anyhow, I don't see how anyone would function in a real lab with a scope. I don't use one much anymore because of the work I do, but I used to have one on pretty much all the time, and I used it, more or less, constantly.