Looks a nice scope!
I’ve had a DS1054Z for a few years (upgraded to 100 Mhz).
Now that the firmware revisions have settled, I find it works fine for whenever I need to use one (Analogue). If you get one cheap with all the probes then I think most would be fine with it.
“Are there any other cheap options for SW debug - e.g GPIO, SPI,I2C,UART and limited Analog capability.”
Hi Mirtcho - For digital signal processing, I find this works a lot better (don’t get the 8 channel one - it doesn’t buffer the USB as much)
Yes a separate logic analyzer (in addition to a (DSO) scope) is good to have anyhow.
While a DSO scope is not a replacement for a logic analyzer, the serial decoding and triggering features on the SDS1104X-E are significantly better and more useful than on the DS1054Z.
In Europe the Siglent SDS1104X-E is 31% more expensive than the 3-year old Rigol DS1054Z, That 31% gets you a scope with significantly better specs and features, is more modern and more future-proof.
A 4-channel scope with decent serial (SPI, I2C etc.) decoding and triggering (like SDS1104X-E) has the advantage that you can correlate these serial signals with other - both analog and digital - signals.
When investing in a scope for the longer run:
For better specs, more versatility and better usability, the extra 31% for the SDS1104X-E over the DS1054Z will be well spent. (But if you are never going to use its better specs and additional features (which I doubt) then better save those 31% for something else.)
For antenna testing that input might not help (without an external directional coupler, which I presume these things already have inside) but it would be useful for testing things like filters.
It used to work some years back, but when all the Saleae clones came to the market the application checks if it is communicating with a legit product. anyway… I have a very very old one
I must be lucky then. Latest version still works on mine (2 years old).
Just installed (update) the latest stable version this week. Had not used it in a while.
Agree with the principle & sentiment you have expressed here but having seen the analyzers called out I had a quick peep for vendors on the usual markets/selling sites and found lots of sellers - many, if not most, seemed to have ‘faq’s’ where one of the 1st q’s is along the lines of “do I need cracked s/w”…response no and then going on to point at the Salea site/download pages. I guess leading potential buyers to assume all ok when placing order and perhaps only realise issue when then in hand and need to get up and running…by then it is down to the users conscience (if they even read any s/w licence and/or note h/w/ tie in) so not so much a matter of ‘encouragement’ here as ‘instruction’ there. If I buy one guess I will go look at the Sigrock site based on comments above. Only solution and only thing you can police here is to encourage to look at alternate, legitimate, sources and flag as many as poss, with comments, criticisms, contributions if open source, and providing help…
It does work - always has - if it doesn’t work for you, there are guides to help you get the firmware sorted.
Sigrok is arguably better anyway. https://sigrok.org/
You can use sigrok to…
...log data from your multimeter
...have a $10 logic analyzer for examining logic circuits
...have a remote GUI for your oscilloscope
...perform measurements on signals
...make sense of digital signals with protocol decoders
...write custom protocol decoders in python
...remote-control your power supply
...remote-control whatever lab device you'd like to support
...write a quick-n-dirty automation tool for your particular needs
...have a framework/frontend for your home-made devices
That the Chinese vendors of the hardware promote illegal activities does not mean we should do the same (are we even allowed to?).
I would add pointing out to people they will be violating the software license by using the software with third party hardware so they are aware of the issue to the options.
Those Chinese’ Saleae knof-offs … I had one of those to test before buying something more expensive. One problem I had is that the analyzer does not work at 24 MHz, sometimes it even reports that 4 MHz is too fast. The other problem is that one of the input pins was not working anymore after some time - even though I used it only at my ESD safe workbench at the company I worked with.
I then bought an original Logic Pro 8 and that one works great - never have any problems with it. I now also have a Zeroplus on loan for a review.
The Zeroplus does not allow long traces like with the Saleae but it outperforms the Saleae when you want to do protocol decoding: it gives much better readable protocol traces and the option to compare files can be a great help when analyzing a new protocol.
But the Saleae is able to make long (very long) traces - I used it to trace multiple CAN busses for 10 minutes or more. I also find the separate logic signals better readable.
And you can write your own protocol decoder if you want to.
I also have an oscilloscope (Owon DS8202V, 2 channel, 200 MHz) with battery. Having the battery is great, I can now use a resistor in any 3.3V power line to do current measurements without the need to buy one of those expensive differential signal probes.
I have access to spectrum analyzers and a Megiq VNA. This I use to make matching networks on custom RF circuits and to check antenna tuning. Tinkerers will most likely never need this - especially not when only using pre-built LoRa modules.
