DSO1511E review - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: visenri
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2020, 11:30:30 pm
content: I bougth a DSO1511E, and I promised to put in this forum a mini review.After some days using it. Here it is.- Hardware(Information from the internet, I will check it as soon as I open it):FPGA LATTICE LCMXO2-1200HC-5TG100ICPU Allwinner F1C100s ARM926EJ-S (ARMv5TE) up to 533MHz - 32MB of embedded DDR SDRAM.- FFT:Untested.- Square wave generator:Adjustable: 0-2Mhz. Tested, output waveform amplitude is 3V (min 0V, max 3V)- Reduced number of buttons:Second button functions are very well designed and I don't miss any extra button (see attached image from the manual).- Battery runtimehas not been timed precisely, but i used it for several hours each day, for a total of about 5-6hours. Charged without problems in less than 1 hour (not timed). No indication is shown about charging on screen, it's indicated by a small led near the USB.- Protruding BNC:Big plastic BNCs (Like my Rigol ones) can be used, but you have to force the included rubber protection out of the way.- It has a regular sized USB.- It can save screenshotsto internal memory and can be transferred using USB (Device name is "F1C100S XiaoTaoQi Disk USB Device"), but some things could be handled better:- There is no confirmation for deletion.- When transferred to PC, files are always re-numbered from newest to oldest, this means that if you take some screenshots and copy them to your PC, if they are not removed from the device, next time the same screenshots will have a different name.- Waveform can be moved in STOP mode.- This works very similar to a good scope (like my Rigol), you can even capture the signal at a time base and zoom in or out with the time base (of course, limited to the sample memory available).- Reference waveform:- A reference waveform can be saved, but unfortunately it's locked to the current time base, if time base is changed, the reference is still freezed with the old time base, it's just a background image. Not optimal, but better than nothing.- Settings are saved/remembered when powered of:Some of these cheap scopes reset the settings (Time base, coupling...) each time they are powered off, maybe to allow easy reset for novice users.- No official manufacturer web page.- I found a secret menu that seems to show the firmware version. Go to "set" menu and long press the "V" button, in my case it shows v1.1.8.- The manufacturer seems to own this youtube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfAa85bsu8yzMXLzMVExAg- They also seem to have a downloads page with documentation and updated firmware with instructions!:https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg- Internal TF card slotfor unknown purpose (Investigation pending).- Quality of included probe:- It's a cheap P6100 X1/X10 and it comes already compensated for the scope.- In my case, it had a quality defect (maybe it's common for this cheap probes), the outer metal ground "ring" sometimes does not make a good contact with the internal ground ring. Coupled with the fact that the internal ring has not a tight fit with the scope female ground causes sometimes a bad signal reading. (I fixed it, i'll post pictures about how). Anyway, what can you expect from a probe at this price point?- Single trigger mode:- Works perfectly, never missed a pulse (needs more testing to be absolutely sure about this).- Normal/Auto trigger mode:- Works perfectly, always triggered at the right edge, no jitter, nor triggered at the wrong point.- Bandwidth:- I don't have required equipment to test this properly, but i tested some signals I had at hand on a circuit.- Signals up to 20Mhz bandwidth seem to work flawlessly.- I tested a 21.5Mhz oscillator and you can see in the screenshots that the main component amplitude is shown correctly, but it has problems with some high frequency harmomics (captured without problems with the Rigol). These parts of the signal "dance" in and out, showing aliasing due to improper input filtering and/or reconstruction from samples.- In the screenshots you can see (tested against my Rigol):- The single trigger test from a power supply working in skip pulse mode.- The 21.5Mhz test.- The square wave output test at 2Mhz.Overall, very happy with the performance and usability.

author: visenri
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2020, 11:34:23 pm
content: Reserved for more tests.

author: lcp
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 19, 2020, 02:19:20 pm
content: Thank you for the detailed and professional review. I found the firmware update method from youtube. The latest firmware version is v1.2.2, it seems that there are not many new functions added yet.

author: visenri
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2020, 12:16:08 am
content: Quote from: lcp on November 19, 2020, 02:19:20 pmThank you for these good news!I was not aware of the new documentation/firmware download page (new video about firmware has been published just 1 week ago).I've updated the first post with this new information.This device is getting even better with this manufacturer support!

author: AV
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 20, 2020, 05:23:49 pm
content: Thanks for your review!I ordered myself one on Aliexpress. I know the developer is selling it on taobao.com. He has two versions there with no visible differences and with a slight difference in price: Standard 100M and Upgraded 120M.I have a question for you:By what visible signs can you identify the device and which one did you buy?It is clear that a generator up to 120 Megahertz will help, but if there is no such generator.I suppose the difference is in the ADC microcircuit, but in another review it is clear that some of the microcircuits are overwritten.

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2020, 06:06:04 pm
content: QuoteEnglish please - or at least run it through google translate before posting.

author: AV
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 21, 2020, 09:12:47 am
content: OK, I tried to fix it.

author: visenri
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2020, 11:49:52 pm
content: I found two minor bugs:In normal trigger mode:After pressing stop, waveform can't be moved with cursor keys.If new trigger condition arrives, image is updated (even in STOP!) and scrolling becomes possible.This is only noticeable with non periodic signals, because with periodic signals the second trigger after stop happens all the time.After going to view mode to see some images, if you had a waveform stopped, you lose it when you exit from view mode, because it always puts the scope in RUN mode.All this is with last FW update: V1.2.2.I also found one more trick:After pressing the power button to show the special menu you can move the waveform in steps (sadly, not very useful because it does not autorepeat, you have to press it repeatedly).Improvements I would like to have:Cursor keys with variable speed:For Waveform position and Trigger level: The starting speed should be 1/2 of the current one, and the maximum speed should be the one we have now.For the measuring cursors: The starting speed is ok as it is now, and the maximum speed should be doubled, 2x.There is an E-mail to send bugs/suggestions for improvement, has someone more bugs/suggestions to send all them together?.

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 04:50:59 pm
content: Here's another review:https://nyed4fwvpph67kpf77dsqfbzwy--mysku-ru.translate.goog/blog/aliexpress/83951.html#mcut

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2021, 10:51:23 pm
content: Looks like there's a minor firmware update, v1.2.3:https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg

author: IWantABoobyOscilloscope
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 24, 2021, 02:16:20 am
content: Quote from: visenri on November 17, 2020, 11:30:30 pmPlease look at the Vpp at 21.5Mhz, why rigol and DSO1511E show different values

author: visenri
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2021, 04:17:15 pm
content: Quote from: IWantABoobyOscilloscope on May 24, 2021, 02:16:20 amI think this is due to mutiple factors:Probe and scope input attenuator tolerances / differences.Frequency bandwidth is lower in the DSO1511E, so some high frequency peaks are lost.Different loading of the test circuit: the probe/scope input capacitances are slightly different and this matters at these high frequencies.With lower frequencies the difference is much lower (about 2%).

author: visenri
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2021, 06:28:57 pm
content: I've found a suitable case / bag.ISY IDB 2000 HDD Hard Case 2.5":This is how the scope and probe fit in the case:The spring hook tip must be removed to be able to put the probe into the case.I also put a plastic cover on the tip, to avoid damaging the probe and the bag (obtained from an eyedrop monodosis).The USB cable and the signal generator tips can be stored in the other side (they must be over the probe cable, otherwise the case will not close easily).This is how it looks closed, it's a little tight, but because the scope rubber protection is at the same level of the buttons, the buttons are not being pressed by the case:It's a hard case, it's meant to be used for protecting hard drives, so it has hard top and bottom, but at the same time it's flexible enough to dampen accidental drops.

author: EduardoLM
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2021, 07:17:06 pm
content: I just bought a DSO1511e, and it shows FW as 1.2.4, newer than the newest on this link:https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAgDoes anyone know anything about this new version? Or, if there are another URL to download newer FWs?If I could dump 1.2.4 from my device, I could do it to share with people.Eduardo

author: visenri
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2021, 06:41:12 pm
content: Quote from: EduardoLM on June 11, 2021, 07:17:06 pmInteresting, maybe it's time to write them an email to ask them to upload this new firmware.By the way, another video review with signal generator with up to 120Mhz:Where you can see that the advertised bandwidth is more or less real.You get 80-90Mhz bandwidth for periodic signals (equivalent sampling rate).

author: EduardoLM
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 02:55:03 pm
content: Now the JumpShare link includes firmwares 1.2.4 and 1.2.6!

author: tubos
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 03:45:49 pm
content: And 1.2.7Nice to see active firmware development

author: tubos
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2021, 07:28:21 pm
content: Can someone share a scan of the manual ? I cant find it online.

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2021, 07:50:09 pm
content: You can find the manual for the dso1511e+ here:https://jumpshare.com/b/LjQzEy3seDkQSP0D5kAg

author: trmntr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2022, 06:02:36 am
content: Hello. How much does that oscilloscope outperform the 1C15?

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2022, 08:27:52 am
content: Adrian Black from Adrian's Digital Basement just did a repair of C64 using simultaneously reviewing of ~$60 "ZEEWEII DSO1511G"