PC-Based oscilloscope
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PC-Based oscilloscope

 
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Guest
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:35 pm    Post subject: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
Hello!

In our company we are about to buy an oscilloscope. We need at least
100MHz bandwith and we'd like it to have good real-time capabilities,
because most of our usage will be for non repetitive signals.

So:
* BW >= 100MHz
* Realtime sampling rate as high as possible
* Channel buffer as high as possible
* It would be great if it had more than 2 channels
* As cheap as possible ;)

Hameg HM1508 is aprox what we want:
http://www.hameg.com/39.0.html

Will any PC-based oscilloscope match this requirements? Are they
comfortable to work with? Can anyone recommend me one?

If I could have a better instrument by attaching it to a PC it would be
worth the change...

TIA,

Josep

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David C. Partridge
Guest
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:35 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
Picoscope will do models up to 200MHz BW

http://www.picotech.com/picoscope-specifications.html

Dave

<jmones@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1129823205.538983.89040@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Quote:
Hello!

In our company we are about to buy an oscilloscope. We need at least
100MHz > Will any PC-based oscilloscope match this requirements? Are they
comfortable to work with? Can anyone recommend me one?

If I could have a better instrument by attaching it to a PC it would be
worth the change...

TIA,

Josep
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Buddy Smith
Guest
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:43 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
jmones@gmail.com wrote:
Quote:
Hello!

In our company we are about to buy an oscilloscope. We need at least
100MHz bandwith and we'd like it to have good real-time capabilities,
because most of our usage will be for non repetitive signals.

Check this out:
http://www.ganssle.com/microscopes.pdf

ttyl,

--buddy

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Aidan Grey
Guest
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:59 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
On 20 Oct 2005 08:46:45 -0700, jmones@gmail.com wrote:

Quote:
Hello!

In our company we are about to buy an oscilloscope. We need at least
100MHz bandwith and we'd like it to have good real-time capabilities,
because most of our usage will be for non repetitive signals.

So:
* BW >= 100MHz
* Realtime sampling rate as high as possible
* Channel buffer as high as possible
* It would be great if it had more than 2 channels
* As cheap as possible ;)

Hameg HM1508 is aprox what we want:
http://www.hameg.com/39.0.html

Will any PC-based oscilloscope match this requirements? Are they
comfortable to work with? Can anyone recommend me one?

If I could have a better instrument by attaching it to a PC it would be
worth the change...

TIA,

Josep


One thing to consider when choosing an oscilloscope is what voltage
levels you will be measuring.

If you will be going over 50 volts or so, it is probably safer to go with
a stand alone unit.

Companies that might be able to satisfy your needs are:
www.gage-applied.com
www.ni.com

Their Web sites will let you know what is available in the high end
market.

Aidan Grey
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Markus Baertschi
Guest
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:35 am    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
jmones@gmail.com wrote:
Quote:
Hameg HM1508 is aprox what we want:
http://www.hameg.com/39.0.html

I'd prefer a TDS2024, slightly more expensive, but 200Mhz, 4 channels
and color.

However, I would not trade real buttons and a separate screen for a PC.
Even if you dedicate a PC to the job ($1000) you will be missing the
real, physical knobs.

A scope like the TDS2000 is also quite small and compact. Just moving to
another bench is simple, no PC attached and with its 10cm depth it takes
up not much space.

Markus
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Rich Webb
Guest
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:35 am    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:25:30 +0100, "David C. Partridge"
<afb12xwy@dialxwy.pipex.com> wrote:

Quote:
Picoscope will do models up to 200MHz BW

http://www.picotech.com/picoscope-specifications.html

Analog front-end bandwidth is nice but at a max of 200 Msps (single
channel) the Nyquist frequency is only 100 MHz. Worse, to see reasonable
representations of a single-shot waveform, you'd probably want at least
the fifth harmonic so now you're down to 20 MHz. Use both channels and
cut your sample rate in half, you're now down to 10 MHz.

Digital scopes are lovely, small, easy to take to the work (especially
if one remembers scopes the size of grocery carts...), and have,
usually, lots of nice measurement options. But if the OP wants a digital
he'd be much better off getting one of the smaller Tek or HP digitals
that have sampling rates at 1 Gsps and up. Another option would be the
Fluke Scopemeters; nice if battery power and work site portability are
high priorities.

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
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Guest
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:00 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
Markus Baertschi wrote:
Quote:
I'd prefer a TDS2024, slightly more expensive, but 200Mhz, 4 channels
and color.


This is perfect (although more expensive), but we have lots of one-shot
signals and 2.5K points is not much...

Josep
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JS
Guest
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 4:03 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
In article <1129888825.020779.172290@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
<jmones@gmail.com> wrote:

Quote:
Markus Baertschi wrote:
I'd prefer a TDS2024, slightly more expensive, but 200Mhz, 4 channels
and color.


No PC in the TDS2024. Can get LeCroy WaveSurfer, 4 channels, 200 MHz,
huge screen, Windows XP, USB, Hard Drive, Net, measurements, stats,
probes, 3 yr. warranty, much newer design, etc.

http://www.lecroy.com/tm/products/scopes/WaveSurfer/Splash/Overview.asp

JS
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BFoelsch
Guest
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 4:33 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
"JS" <wd1v@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:221020050703418188%wd1v@comcast.net...
Quote:
In article <1129888825.020779.172290@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
jmones@gmail.com> wrote:

Markus Baertschi wrote:
I'd prefer a TDS2024, slightly more expensive, but 200Mhz, 4 channels
and color.


No PC in the TDS2024. Can get LeCroy WaveSurfer, 4 channels, 200 MHz,
huge screen, Windows XP, USB, Hard Drive, Net, measurements, stats,
probes, 3 yr. warranty, much newer design, etc.

http://www.lecroy.com/tm/products/scopes/WaveSurfer/Splash/Overview.asp

JS

Indeed better, but fully twice the price.

I suspect the OP was looking for a low-cost add-on to an existing PC, rather
than an oscilloscope incorporating a PC.

A good link nonetheless.
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Guest
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:24 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
JS wrote:
Quote:

No PC in the TDS2024. Can get LeCroy WaveSurfer, 4 channels, 200 MHz,
huge screen, Windows XP, USB, Hard Drive, Net, measurements, stats,
probes, 3 yr. warranty, much newer design, etc.

http://www.lecroy.com/tm/products/scopes/WaveSurfer/Splash/Overview.asp



Very nice, but too expensive... We're looking in the < $2000 range.

Thanks for the advice.

Josep
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Rich Webb
Guest
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 12:35 am    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
On 21 Oct 2005 03:00:25 -0700, jmones@gmail.com wrote:

Quote:

Markus Baertschi wrote:
I'd prefer a TDS2024, slightly more expensive, but 200Mhz, 4 channels
and color.


This is perfect (although more expensive), but we have lots of one-shot
signals and 2.5K points is not much...

If you're looking for digital states (and not (or in addition to)) the
waveform shape or power rail noise, etc then there are some pretty good
and inexpensive logic analyzers that are PC-based. My current favorite
is the LogicPort http://www.pctestinstruments.com/. It doesn't replace a
an HP stand-alone instrument but it also doesn't take up half the
workbench or weigh 40 lbs. The events can be stored "per transition"
rather than "per sample clock tick" so the modest buffer size actually
holds quite a lot in a typical application.

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
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Guest
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 4:19 pm    Post subject: Re: PC-Based oscilloscope Reply with quote
Thank you all for your comments... You've been very helpful

Josep
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