---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Thu 08/09/12: 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 01:04 PM - How to Select a Scope (Jeff Luckey) 2. 02:05 PM - Re: How to Select a Scope (Normand Biron) 3. 03:09 PM - Re: How to Select a Scope (Daniel Hooper) 4. 07:39 PM - Re: How to Select a Scope (Ken) 5. 09:43 PM - Re: How to Select a Scope (Jeff Luckey) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 01:04:19 PM PST US From: "Jeff Luckey" Subject: AeroElectric-List: How to Select a Scope I've been considering purchasing an oscilloscope for hobby/trouble-shooting use. It's been 30+ years since I've fiddled with scopes. I'm looking for counseling/guidance/recommendations. Some things I want to do: 1. Analyze the output of the crank angle sensor in my car - (currently having some starting problems, but I digress) 2. I like to program micro-controllers and would like to do trouble-shooting & analysis 3. Look at the wave-forms produced by an alternator 4. Get the best bang for the buck Questions: 1. I see devises advertised that are combo oscilloscope & logic analyzer. Are these as cool as they appear? 2. How do I decide which frequency range I need? (It seems the higher the MHz rating of a device the higher the cost) Most of the micro-controllers that I work with are clocked around 4 MHz. I once heard that the rating of the scope should be 10x the signal you want to analyze. Is that true? 3. What other criteria should I consider? As always TIA, I look forward to learning something Jeff Luckey ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 02:05:29 PM PST US Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: How to Select a Scope From: Normand Biron Q29uc2lkZXIgYSBzY29wZSB3aXRoIHN0b3JhZ2UgY2FwYWJpbGl0eSBhbmQgZ2V0IHRoZSBmYXN0 ZXN0IHNjb3BlIHlvdSBjYW4gYWZmb3JkLg0KDQpTZW50IGZyb20gbXkgaVBhZA0KDQpOb3JtDQoN Cg0KT24gQXVnIDksIDIwMTIsIGF0IDM6MTIgUE0sICJKZWZmIEx1Y2tleSIgPEpMdWNrZXlAcGFj YmVsbC5uZXQ+IHdyb3RlOg0KDQo+IEnigJl2ZSBiZWVuIGNvbnNpZGVyaW5nIHB1cmNoYXNpbmcg YW4gb3NjaWxsb3Njb3BlIGZvciBob2JieS90cm91YmxlLXNob290aW5nIHVzZS4gIEl04oCZcyBi ZWVuIDMwKyB5ZWFycyBzaW5jZSBJ4oCZdmUgZmlkZGxlZCB3aXRoIHNjb3Blcy4gIEnigJltIGxv b2tpbmcgZm9yIGNvdW5zZWxpbmcvZ3VpZGFuY2UvcmVjb21tZW5kYXRpb25zLg0KPiAgDQo+IFNv bWUgdGhpbmdzIEkgd2FudCB0byBkbzoNCj4gIA0KPiBBbmFseXplIHRoZSBvdXRwdXQgb2YgdGhl IGNyYW5rIGFuZ2xlIHNlbnNvciBpbiBteSBjYXIg4oCTIChjdXJyZW50bHkgaGF2aW5nIHNvbWUg c3RhcnRpbmcgcHJvYmxlbXMsIGJ1dCBJIGRpZ3Jlc3MpDQo+IEkgbGlrZSB0byBwcm9ncmFtIG1p Y3JvLWNvbnRyb2xsZXJzIGFuZCB3b3VsZCBsaWtlIHRvIGRvIHRyb3VibGUtc2hvb3RpbmcgJiBh bmFseXNpcw0KPiBMb29rIGF0IHRoZSB3YXZlLWZvcm1zIHByb2R1Y2VkIGJ5IGFuIGFsdGVybmF0 b3INCj4gR2V0IHRoZSBiZXN0IGJhbmcgZm9yIHRoZSBidWNrDQo+ICANCj4gIA0KPiBRdWVzdGlv bnM6DQo+IEkgc2VlIGRldmlzZXMgYWR2ZXJ0aXNlZCB0aGF0IGFyZSBjb21ibyBvc2NpbGxvc2Nv cGUgJiBsb2dpYyBhbmFseXplci4gIEFyZSB0aGVzZSBhcyBjb29sIGFzIHRoZXkgYXBwZWFyPw0K PiBIb3cgZG8gSSBkZWNpZGUgd2hpY2ggZnJlcXVlbmN5IHJhbmdlIEkgbmVlZD8gIChJdCBzZWVt cyB0aGUgaGlnaGVyIHRoZSBNSHogcmF0aW5nIG9mIGEgZGV2aWNlIHRoZSBoaWdoZXIgdGhlIGNv c3QpICBNb3N0IG9mIHRoZSBtaWNyby1jb250cm9sbGVycyB0aGF0IEkgd29yayB3aXRoIGFyZSBj bG9ja2VkIGFyb3VuZCA0IE1Iei4gIEkgb25jZSBoZWFyZCB0aGF0IHRoZSByYXRpbmcgb2YgdGhl IHNjb3BlIHNob3VsZCBiZSAxMHggdGhlIHNpZ25hbCB5b3Ugd2FudCB0byBhbmFseXplLiAgSXMg dGhhdCB0cnVlPw0KPiBXaGF0IG90aGVyIGNyaXRlcmlhIHNob3VsZCBJIGNvbnNpZGVyPw0KPiAg DQo+IEFzIGFsd2F5cyBUSUEsIEkgbG9vayBmb3J3YXJkIHRvIGxlYXJuaW5nIHNvbWV0aGluZw0K PiAgDQo+IEplZmYgTHVja2V5DQo+ICANCj4gDQo+IA0KPiBfLT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09 PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PQ0KPiBfLT0gICAgICAgICAg LSBUaGUgQWVyb0VsZWN0cmljLUxpc3QgRW1haWwgRm9ydW0gLQ0KPiBfLT0gVXNlIHRoZSBNYXRy b25pY3MgTGlzdCBGZWF0dXJlcyBOYXZpZ2F0b3IgdG8gYnJvd3NlDQo+IF8tPSB0aGUgbWFueSBM aXN0IHV0aWxpdGllcyBzdWNoIGFzIExpc3QgVW4vU3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uLA0KPiBfLT0gQXJjaGl2 ZSBTZWFyY2ggJiBEb3dubG9hZCwgNy1EYXkgQnJvd3NlLCBDaGF0LCBGQVEsDQo+IF8tPSBQaG90 b3NoYXJlLCBhbmQgbXVjaCBtdWNoIG1vcmU6DQo+IF8tPQ0KPiBfLT0gICAtLT4gaHR0cDovL3d3 dy5tYXRyb25pY3MuY29tL05hdmlnYXRvcj9BZXJvRWxlY3RyaWMtTGlzdA0KPiBfLT0NCj4gXy09 PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09 PT0NCj4gXy09ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgLSBNQVRST05JQ1MgV0VCIEZPUlVNUyAtDQo+IF8tPSBT YW1lIGdyZWF0IGNvbnRlbnQgYWxzbyBhdmFpbGFibGUgdmlhIHRoZSBXZWIgRm9ydW1zIQ0KPiBf LT0NCj4gXy09ICAgLS0+IGh0dHA6Ly9mb3J1bXMubWF0cm9uaWNzLmNvbQ0KPiBfLT0NCj4gXy09 PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09 PT0NCj4gXy09ICAgICAgICAgICAgIC0gTGlzdCBDb250cmlidXRpb24gV2ViIFNpdGUgLQ0KPiBf LT0gIFRoYW5rIHlvdSBmb3IgeW91ciBnZW5lcm91cyBzdXBwb3J0IQ0KPiBfLT0gICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAtTWF0dCBEcmFsbGUsIExpc3QgQWRtaW4uDQo+IF8tPSAgIC0t PiBodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm1hdHJvbmljcy5jb20vY29udHJpYnV0aW9uDQo+IF8tPT09PT09PT09PT09 PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09PT09DQo+IA0K ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 03:09:20 PM PST US From: Daniel Hooper Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: How to Select a Scope I have one of these: http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDS1102E.html It's "good" -- it's a pretty good scope for $400. Digital, storage, USB image and data capture, RS-232/USB computer control port. You can also get a DS1052E for $350 if you want to drop down to 50MHz bandwidth for $50 less. I ended up getting the scope case for $50 as well. There are definitely some glitches and usability hitches every now and then, but overall it's great for the money. But, if I had tons of money to blow, I'd definitely get an Agilent Infiniivision scope. For the microcontroller work, you're going to get a lot more productivity mileage out of a Saleae Logic: http://www.saleae.com/logic For $150 not only will it capture 8 channels in parallel, but you can also assign channels to be decoded inline. Many serial formats are supported out of the box. For digital work, I highly recommend it. It will not read any analog inputs, however, so you'd need a scope for that -- but getting that kind of serial decoding in a scope tends to be expensive. Good luck! --Daniel On Aug 9, 2012, at 3:02 PM, Jeff Luckey wrote: > I=92ve been considering purchasing an oscilloscope for hobby/trouble-shooting use. It=92s been 30+ years since I=92ve fiddled with scopes. I=92m looking for counseling/guidance/recommendations. > > Some things I want to do: > > Analyze the output of the crank angle sensor in my car ' (currently having some starting problems, but I digress) > I like to program micro-controllers and would like to do trouble-shooting & analysis > Look at the wave-forms produced by an alternator > Get the best bang for the buck > > > Questions: > I see devises advertised that are combo oscilloscope & logic analyzer. Are these as cool as they appear? > How do I decide which frequency range I need? (It seems the higher the MHz rating of a device the higher the cost) Most of the micro-controllers that I work with are clocked around 4 MHz. I once heard that the rating of the scope should be 10x the signal you want to analyze. Is that true? > What other criteria should I consider? > > As always TIA, I look forward to learning something > > Jeff Luckey > > > > > ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 07:39:19 PM PST US From: Ken Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: How to Select a Scope saelig.com is worth a look for value. I have an older PDS5022S which is about all I need for playing with microcontrollers etc. Ken do not archive On 09/08/2012 4:02 PM, Jeff Luckey wrote: > Ive been considering purchasing an oscilloscope for > hobby/trouble-shooting use. Its been 30+ years since Ive fiddled with > scopes. Im looking for counseling/guidance/recommendations. > > Some things I want to do: > > 1. Analyze the output of the crank angle sensor in my car (currently > having some starting problems, but I digress) > 2. I like to program micro-controllers and would like to do > trouble-shooting & analysis > 3. Look at the wave-forms produced by an alternator > 4. Get the best bang for the buck > > Questions: > > 1. I see devises advertised that are combo oscilloscope & logic > analyzer. Are these as cool as they appear? > 2. How do I decide which frequency range I need? (It seems the higher > the MHz rating of a device the higher the cost) Most of the > micro-controllers that I work with are clocked around 4 MHz. I once > heard that the rating of the scope should be 10x the signal you want > to analyze. Is that true? > 3. What other criteria should I consider? > > As always TIA, I look forward to learning something > > Jeff Luckey > > * ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 09:43:17 PM PST US From: "Jeff Luckey" Subject: RE: AeroElectric-List: How to Select a Scope Thanks for all responses. Most have dealt w/ actual O-scopes. What about scope/analyzers that connect to a computer via USB for control & display? -----Original Message----- From: owner-aeroelectric-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-aeroelectric-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Ken Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 19:34 Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: How to Select a Scope saelig.com is worth a look for value. I have an older PDS5022S which is about all I need for playing with microcontrollers etc. Ken do not archive On 09/08/2012 4:02 PM, Jeff Luckey wrote: > I've been considering purchasing an oscilloscope for > hobby/trouble-shooting use. It's been 30+ years since I've fiddled with > scopes. I'm looking for counseling/guidance/recommendations. > > Some things I want to do: > > 1. Analyze the output of the crank angle sensor in my car - (currently > having some starting problems, but I digress) > 2. I like to program micro-controllers and would like to do > trouble-shooting & analysis > 3. Look at the wave-forms produced by an alternator > 4. Get the best bang for the buck > > Questions: > > 1. I see devises advertised that are combo oscilloscope & logic > analyzer. Are these as cool as they appear? > 2. How do I decide which frequency range I need? (It seems the higher > the MHz rating of a device the higher the cost) Most of the > micro-controllers that I work with are clocked around 4 MHz. I once > heard that the rating of the scope should be 10x the signal you want > to analyze. Is that true? > 3. What other criteria should I consider? > > As always TIA, I look forward to learning something > > Jeff Luckey > > * ----- No virus found in this message. 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