Hi guys,
I need 4 channels at 500mhz. New prices aren't even close to realistic for me. I've looked on eBay, but it's hard to have confidence in most of the listings that are not real high in price.
Does anyone have suggestions for the best place to look, when on a slim budget?
I need 4 channels at 500mhz. New prices aren't even close to realistic for me. I've looked on eBay, but it's hard to have confidence in most of the listings that are not real high in price.
Does anyone have suggestions for the best place to look, when on a slim budget?
Usually people who need that type of performance are working for companies with the budget and need to own that stuff. If you aren't working on backplanes, serdis or pretty sophisticated processors for a living that will pay for it then what do you need the bandwidth for?
For a specific project you could rent one. If you need it for a day you may be able to get a demo. The big issue with this stuff is that its obsoleted quickly. Your $100K investment is worth maybe $10K 3 years later.
The older stuff will have pretty shallow memories and that could limit their usefulness unless you are really looking at waveforms and don't need deep memory.
For a specific project you could rent one. If you need it for a day you may be able to get a demo. The big issue with this stuff is that its obsoleted quickly. Your $100K investment is worth maybe $10K 3 years later.
The older stuff will have pretty shallow memories and that could limit their usefulness unless you are really looking at waveforms and don't need deep memory.
I understand. I got a quote for a cheaper solution for looking at HDMI today. It was ONLY $85K for a VNA. The scope would be more than twice the cost.
in your case renting may make a lot of sense.
This is a real option: https://www.picotech.com/oscilloscope/picoscope-6000-series Their software is the best USB and on a par with Tektronix. Its only $6500 for 500 MHz. They will send a demo.
in your case renting may make a lot of sense.
This is a real option: https://www.picotech.com/oscilloscope/picoscope-6000-series Their software is the best USB and on a par with Tektronix. Its only $6500 for 500 MHz. They will send a demo.
The Picoscope stuff is pretty reliable and robust. I have a 15 year old one that was used by trainers in audio stores that still works great.
eBay would depend. For a Picoscope it may be good. For some things its much more challenging and some of this stuff ages poorly. An older Tek or Agilent would be 'constrained" by an obsolete OS in the box (I'm dealing with a DSA8200 that tek would just as soon disown even though its maybe 10 years old). There is a thread on EEvblog about someone overhauling a newer high end Tek and its really use until broke and dump. Way too challenging to maintain when old.
eBay would depend. For a Picoscope it may be good. For some things its much more challenging and some of this stuff ages poorly. An older Tek or Agilent would be 'constrained" by an obsolete OS in the box (I'm dealing with a DSA8200 that tek would just as soon disown even though its maybe 10 years old). There is a thread on EEvblog about someone overhauling a newer high end Tek and its really use until broke and dump. Way too challenging to maintain when old.
Probes add a fair bit, which I hadn't thought too much about.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/P2500B-Osci...10-/162221223831?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275
http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Precis...ip-/301943043945?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275
http://www.ebay.com/itm/P6500-500MH...ip-/381615382159?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275
If the circuit can drive 50 Ohms, you can locate test sockets on the pcb,
and run cables only, with 50 Ohm terminators at the scope end.
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Time for a question,
Demian, what is the composite response?
And
I'm getting closer...I'm up to 350MHz on the scope front now.
It's the Little Brother to the TEK 2465B....it's a TEK 2465A.
I'v got a couple of issues though, maybe y'all can give me a heads up.
The Horizontal knob, for A sweep and B sweep, doesn't always
work properly for me as it seems when pulling the knob,
then turning it, and pressing it back in...parts of the display show
what looks like a stuck trace.
Other times, it seems to magnify what I'm looking at, while
keeping the time base the same. And what I really want is
the time base to change.... not zoom in.
Does that make any sense on the TEK 2465A?
I dont' know what is different between TEK 2465A and TEK 2465B?
Demian, what is the composite response?
And
I'm getting closer...I'm up to 350MHz on the scope front now.
It's the Little Brother to the TEK 2465B....it's a TEK 2465A.
I'v got a couple of issues though, maybe y'all can give me a heads up.
The Horizontal knob, for A sweep and B sweep, doesn't always
work properly for me as it seems when pulling the knob,
then turning it, and pressing it back in...parts of the display show
what looks like a stuck trace.
Other times, it seems to magnify what I'm looking at, while
keeping the time base the same. And what I really want is
the time base to change.... not zoom in.
Does that make any sense on the TEK 2465A?
I dont' know what is different between TEK 2465A and TEK 2465B?
Sync:
Start here: ABCs of Probes - Tektronix Instruments There is a version from the early 1970's tyhat more relevant to a pure analog world but this is pretty good. The composite bandwidth of a probe and a scope is the RMS of each part. Better explained here: https://community.keysight.com/comm...ow-do-i-find-the-bandwidth-of-the-scope-probe
Start here: ABCs of Probes - Tektronix Instruments There is a version from the early 1970's tyhat more relevant to a pure analog world but this is pretty good. The composite bandwidth of a probe and a scope is the RMS of each part. Better explained here: https://community.keysight.com/comm...ow-do-i-find-the-bandwidth-of-the-scope-probe
The Picoscope stuff is pretty reliable and robust. I have a 15 year old one that was used by trainers in audio stores that still works great.
eBay would depend. For a Picoscope it may be good. For some things its much more challenging and some of this stuff ages poorly. An older Tek or Agilent would be 'constrained" by an obsolete OS in the box (I'm dealing with a DSA8200 that tek would just as soon disown even though its maybe 10 years old). There is a thread on EEvblog about someone overhauling a newer high end Tek and its really use until broke and dump. Way too challenging to maintain when old.
That's partly because Tek only begrudgingly jumped on the DSO bandwagon, even new their scopes can be damn painful to use, let alone when they are obsolete. Agilent's tend to be significantly better due to their MegaZoom ASIC, though still not perfect. There is also LeCroy which some of their older stuff is actually quite good. It won't be $400 cheap, but it will still be very reasonably priced and you will get a lot more features for your buck.
I would look at a TDS3054B, these are reasonably robust even our military have a hard time killing them. I used to work for a Tek service agent and have repaired a few. My own home scope is a TDS3012 and I love it.
Main issues I have repaired with them is power supply and display, both are easily fixed if they fail.
Main issues I have repaired with them is power supply and display, both are easily fixed if they fail.
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