Overview of 9 Popular Oscilloscopes Used by Foreign Engineers

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As electronic engineers, we are quite fortunate compared to other engineering disciplines. Electronic products are not only rapidly developing and expanding their uses and functions, but our testing equipment provides us with the greatest capability for diagnosing and troubleshooting the devices we build. We have many tools to see what our circuits are doing, but as a beginner, you may be unsure where to start.

For diagnosing any circuit, the two most basic tools you will have are a digital multimeter and an oscilloscope. You might be wondering, “What kind of oscilloscope or other testing equipment should I get?” or even “How do I use an oscilloscope?” These are common questions among students and manufacturers. In this article, I will introduce some oscilloscope basics that every engineer should know, along with some tips and tricks for working with different oscilloscopes.(Finally, the author introduces 9 very popular oscilloscopes, explaining personal insights on choosing an oscilloscope and views on Chinese oscilloscope brands.)Digital Multimeter vs. OscilloscopeThere are a variety of electronic measurement tools and devices available, among which the multimeter is perhaps the most popular. A multimeter can measure current, voltage, resistance, and often other parameters depending on the model. Some multimeters have built-in RTD probe temperature settings or infrared sensors for temperature measurement. Multimeters are used to determine if your power supply is functioning properly, help find damaged components, measure voltage drops or resistance of components, locate short circuits or open circuits, etc. Multimeters are very helpful in the electronics field, but their limited frequency response quickly becomes apparent. Multimeters are great for viewing average voltage and may even calculate the frequency of a circuit, up to several hundred kilohertz. However, they do not provide any visualization. When you need to see voltage changing over time in detail or visualize any aspect of a waveform, you need another measurement device—an oscilloscope.Oscilloscope BasicsOscilloscopes help engineers measure various parameters such as voltage, analog and digital signals, and noise. Modern oscilloscopes also have a lot of additional features useful for electronic engineers. Almost every oscilloscope you encounter for sale today will be a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) or a mixed signal oscilloscope (MSO). Mixed signal oscilloscopes are digital storage oscilloscopes with added functionality that integrates logic analyzer capabilities. Some models even perform FFT, providing measurements in the frequency domain. Regardless of the type, oscilloscopes are excellent diagnostic tools when troubleshooting circuits. You can see the exact waveform of your circuit with millivolt-level resolution, and some oscilloscopes even reach picosecond-level resolution. This allows for capturing transient spikes in sensors, encoders, or circuits that a multimeter cannot reliably capture. It also allows you to view digital signals, check the quality of edge transitions, and see ringing or other signal integrity issues.Oscilloscope ChannelsOscilloscopes have multiple channels. Therefore, you can monitor waveforms entering the circuit as well as the output waveforms, making them very suitable for monitoring analog filters, amplifiers, and other analog circuits. Suppose you primarily deal with digital signals. In that case, an oscilloscope is also an excellent tool for you—you can observe one signal, such as a button, with one channel, and then see the microcontroller’s response to that input—such as transmissions via SPI or I2C. With the precise timing of an oscilloscope, you can measure the time required for your code execution or response to interrupts.How to Use an Oscilloscope to Measure EMIEven if the oscilloscope lacks FFT functionality, you can still use it as a rough near-field electromagnetic interference detector. For example, in the image below, I am trying to isolate the radiated noise source from a low-quality commercial LED driver. I simply connected the ground lead of the probe to the tip, giving me a large near-field loop probe. The signal on the oscilloscope screen is purely radiated noise; the LED driver can still operate within its enclosure.

We can see the switching of the LED driver and track potential noise sources, observing changes in the signal when adding filtering or damping components to the problematic network. While it cannot replace a spectrum analyzer, oscilloscopes can still help you trace potential EMI issues that may prevent you from passing certification. If you need more precise measurements, you can also purchase near-field probes specifically designed for analyzing your circuit board. While oscilloscopes are excellent diagnostic tools, they can also be used in project planning. For instance, when simulating circuit diagrams with simulation tools like SPICE, your component models may not accurately represent real-world components. By using an oscilloscope on a breadboard version of the circuit diagram, you can interact with it in real-time and see the exact response of that component, allowing you to determine whether your simulation is accurate. This process can also significantly improve component selection by trying out samples of different parts in the test circuit instead of relying on generic SPICE models for that type of component. Besides component selection, you will often find oscilloscopes used in quality assurance tests for production boards. For analog circuits, such as amplifiers or power supplies, many oscilloscope models will allow you to configure a pass/fail mode that can immediately tell you whether the circuit meets the standards to continue the production process.Which Oscilloscope?Oscilloscopes are essential tools for any electronic engineer, hardware designer, or firmware developer. They are also valuable tools for manufacturers, students, and electronics enthusiasts. There are many oscilloscopes available on the market—so how do you choose one that meets your needs? There is a wide range of oscilloscopes on the market, with prices varying greatly. A very cheap oscilloscope might cost you $100, but some oscilloscopes can exceed $500,000! Even the probes for some high-end oscilloscopes can cost more than a new family car. Before we look at the specifications or models of oscilloscopes, let’s briefly understand how oscilloscopes work.

Modern digital oscilloscopes receive analog inputs from the probes and convert them into digital signals for display. They can also handle an extremely wide range of voltage; even low-end oscilloscopes can have a maximum voltage of 1000 V (peak) / 300 V (RMS) and still measure signals with amplitudes of only a few millivolts. The front end of the oscilloscope is responsible for scaling this wide range of input voltages down to a level the oscilloscope can handle. This adjusted signal is then used to trigger the oscilloscope and enter the sampling and ADC chain, ultimately ending up as readings in memory. You can think of the readings in memory as a list of individual samples with timestamps, and when these samples are combined, they will display your waveform on the screen. Oscilloscope BandwidthBandwidth is one of the most prominent ways to compare different oscilloscopes. It represents the maximum signal frequency that can be measured without special attention. Attenuation arises from the inductive and capacitive responses that change with frequency. This ultimately limits the bandwidth of the oscilloscope hardware. However, the probes themselves also have bandwidth limitations. When you purchase an oscilloscope, the included probes typically have the same or higher bandwidth as the oscilloscope itself. When buying an oscilloscope, it should have a higher bandwidth than the maximum frequency signal you want to measure. Oscilloscope Sampling RateThe sampling rate is the number of data points the oscilloscope can convert and store in memory per second. The more samples you can obtain, the more detailed the displayed signal will be. The sampling rate needs to be at least twice the frequency of the signal, ideally at least four times the frequency of the signal. Many high-quality oscilloscopes will offer a maximum sampling rate that is 10 to 20 times their bandwidth, allowing you to capture small transient spikes or drops in the signal. If the sampling rate is low, you may completely miss small transients or jitters in the signal because the chance of those transients falling between samples increases. Storage DepthThe storage depth of an oscilloscope is a specification that is easily overlooked, especially when it comes to high sampling rates, this specification is crucial. Storage depth determines how many samples can be stored, thus affecting how long the oscilloscope can capture data. This affects the range you can scroll through the signal after triggering, or how much you can zoom in to view specific areas of the captured signal. Generally, a larger storage depth is better; having more data is usually a good thing. Some low-end oscilloscopes may struggle to process a large amount of data if they lack sufficient processing power. This can lead to slow mathematical operations or other actions, but in general oscilloscopes, manufacturers tend to maintain a reasonable storage amount corresponding to processing power. A larger storage depth also increases the likelihood of capturing infrequent/abnormal signals, making it easier to track “strange behavior” in equipment testing. Other SpecificationsWe can discuss many specifications of oscilloscopes, but for first or second-time buyers, these specifications are unlikely to be as critical as the options mentioned above.What to Avoid?Before we dive into some popular oscilloscope options, I want to first raise some warnings about very low-cost devices. I typically dislike saying that something is not worth buying, but if you look at online e-commerce, there are undoubtedly some low-cost devices that claim to be oscilloscopes that are not worth your time or money. Generally, the items to avoid in these recommendations boil down to bandwidth and sampling rate. If you are looking for an oscilloscope for electronic work, I recommend an absolute minimum bandwidth of 25MHz, a recommended minimum bandwidth of 50MHz, and a sampling rate that corresponds to the bandwidth. Oscilloscope MultimeterWhile some portable oscilloscopes are quite capable, those that look like low-cost multimeters are not. These are designed to measure AC signals like those from generators or your home wall outlets, which are of little use for electronic design or testing purposes.

If you are an electrician repairing generators, I believe they will be perfect, but for dealing with microcontrollers, a bandwidth of 20KHz/200KSa/s is utterly meaningless. Color TFT Portable Mini OscilloscopeWhile these small devices are cheap and look pretty neat, they actually only run on a low-cost ARM microcontroller if you are lucky. The typical bandwidth is only 1MHz, with a sampling rate of 10MSa/s, which is far beyond the capabilities of even low-speed SPI communications. More expensive versions may have bandwidths of 15MHz or higher, with sampling rates up to 100MSa/s, but again, this is still insufficient for modern circuits.

Low-resolution screens and overall limited functionality mean you won’t get much value from them, and they are unlikely to be of much use for the electronic products you may design or test. Kit OscilloscopesWhile assembly kits are always fun, these are essentially a bare version of the options above, equally limited.

While these are much cheaper than the options above, their practicality is equally low.9 Popular Preferred OscilloscopesCompared to the devices above, these oscilloscopes are very popular, and some are not much more expensive than the devices mentioned above. Generally, I personally prefer 4-channel oscilloscopes. I often find myself wanting to use 3 channels when experimenting with circuits or diagnosing faults. If your budget allows, spending more money on a 4-channel oscilloscope will give you room for growth. However, oscilloscopes tend to hold their value very well, so if your budget is tight and you do not immediately need 3-4 channels, then a 2-channel option can save you some money. Many oscilloscopes offer a relatively inexpensive basic model option with limited software features. You can upgrade these software features later by purchasing a license key, providing a path for future upgrades without having to buy an entirely new device. You may even find these upgrades offered at discounted prices or bundled for free during sales events. The oscilloscopes in this list are not in any specific order; all of them are excellent choices for their target audience. Rigol DS1052ERIGOL, founded in 1998, is headquartered in Suzhou.

Although the Rigol DS1052E is one of the cheapest entry-level oscilloscopes, it is quite capable. This is a relatively simple dual-channel oscilloscope. The DS1052E is very popular in the maker/student/hobbyist community because it offers excellent value for money. It is also relatively compact, making it perfect for fitting on a hobbyist’s or student’s small desk. Since this is a very entry-level oscilloscope, you can often find used ones in good condition when people upgrade to more powerful oscilloscopes as their skills and experience grow. As mentioned, oscilloscopes tend to retain their value well, so don’t expect used models to be heavily discounted—but you might get a model that has unlocked more features and is more capable than a new entry-level oscilloscope.

While this is a very capable oscilloscope at a reasonable price, it only has 2 channels and a relatively small screen with low resolution. Rigol DS1054Z

If Rigol DS1054Z is one of the best-selling oscilloscopes of all time, I would not be surprised. For the price, just a little more than the DS1052E above, you can get a lot of functionality very cheaply. I have a DS1054Z; it is not my primary oscilloscope, but its compact form factor makes it very convenient when dealing with high-tech machinery, where needing a larger oscilloscope can be a bit cumbersome. Compared to the DS1052E, you also get an additional 2 channels, a larger high-resolution screen that makes it easier to see what’s happening, and more buttons around the screen that make accessing functions easier, generally enhancing the user experience. Rigol MSO5074

As the last Rigol oscilloscope we will look at, let’s examine the MSO5074. The MSO5074 is a mixed-domain oscilloscope, meaning it can also function as a protocol analyzer with additional digital inputs. With software options, it can also serve as an arbitrary function generator and spectrum analyzer, making it very versatile. The MSO5000 series oscilloscopes are my daily use devices at the moment, as their value for money is unmatched while rebuilding my home lab after moving. In addition to a relatively large screen, the touchscreen is surprisingly user-friendly. When buying an oscilloscope, I think touchscreens are a bit of a gimmick. However, when I use my DS1054Z, I often find myself tapping the screen ineffectively—so it has proven to be much more useful than I initially expected. Another unexpectedly useful feature is that this oscilloscope has an HDMI output, allowing me to record the screen with an HDMI recorder or output it to a large screen. With so many people working from home now, this is a rather interesting option as it allows you to record issues with the device under test and send the video to another engineer. You can also use an HDMI capture card to stream your oscilloscope display directly into a conference call. This is also a very popular oscilloscope, and its price point is quite astonishing for its capabilities. It is so popular that the community even lets you play the classic game Doom on the oscilloscope when you need a break from working at the bench. Tektronix TBS1202B-EDU

Tektronix is a well-reputed manufacturer of testing equipment in the industry for decades. The TBS1052B-EDU, as part of the 1000 series oscilloscopes, can be directly compared with the Rigol DS1052E and DS1054Z above. In terms of functionality, the Rigol DS1054Z is more comparable. However, the TBS1202B-EDU only has dual channels. This oscilloscope is very suitable as an entry-level oscilloscope. The DS1054Z is aimed at students and educational institutions. Tektronix also has several other models in the same series that are priced significantly lower, such as the TBS1052C, which is a 50MHz oscilloscope priced similarly to Rigol’s options. I like that the TBS1202B-EDU model has a bandwidth of 200MHz and offers a sampling rate of 2GSa/s, which is double that of other options in the TBS1000 series. Unfortunately, the storage depth seems a bit limited at only 2500 points, while other options in the same series have a record length of 20,000 points. Tektronix TDS2024C

Moving up to the 2000 series oscilloscopes, the Tektronix TDS2024C has 4 channels. Like the TBS1202B we saw above, it also has a bandwidth of 200MHz, a sampling rate of 2GSa/s, and only 2500 points of record length. While its input specifications are nearly identical, it is a more powerful oscilloscope with additional software features, more channels, and dedicated hardware buttons for all the most commonly used functions. Unfortunately, the screen size is smaller than that of the 1000 series oscilloscopes. In my opinion, one of the main advantages of the 2000 series is that it has limit testing capabilities, making it very suitable for quickly testing and approving devices before shipment. Keysight DSOX1204A

Keysight, previously known as Agilent, has been a leader in the testing equipment field for decades. The DSOX1000 series is their entry-level oscilloscope, but it is by no means a basic model. Their 1000 series oscilloscopes have variants of 70MHz, 100MHz, and 200MHz. Equipped with 4 channels, a sampling rate of 2GSa/s, and a storage depth of 2 million points, it is a powerful and practical oscilloscope. Keysight’s experience in user interface design for testing equipment is evident in their displays. The screens are large and bright, with excellent layouts, making them very easy to use. Keysight MSOX2004A Oscilloscope

Keysight’s 2000 series oscilloscopes offer variants with 8-channel logic/protocol analyzer options. I previously owned an MSOX2004A, and they are very well-designed oscilloscopes with simple yet powerful user interfaces. The MSOX2004A is the entry-level version of the mid-range 2000 series oscilloscopes, with a bandwidth of 70MHz, a sampling rate of 2 GSa/s, and a storage depth of 1 million points, along with an 8-channel logic analyzer. In addition to the logic analyzer/protocol analyzer functionality, this oscilloscope also has an arbitrary function generator option and an integrated digital voltmeter, making it a versatile oscilloscope. Rohde and Schwarz RTB2004

Rohde and Schwarz is typically known for very high-end testing equipment, especially in the RF engineering field. Their 2000 series oscilloscopes, as their entry-level models, are packed with features and specifications that are quite impressive. The RTB2004 has many optional features that can be purchased later, keeping the base price low. The most innovative feature of this oscilloscope is that it has a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter. Typically, oscilloscopes only have 8-bit ADCs. The extra resolution provides sufficient waveform detail and may allow for more accurate measurements. The RTB2004 has four analog channels, 70MHz bandwidth (upgradable via software), 2.5 GSa/s sampling rate, and a sampling depth of 20 million. Besides typical oscilloscope functions, the RTB2004 can also function as an arbitrary function generator, a protocol analyzer with 16 digital channels, and as a spectrum analyzer. PicoScope 2000

The PicoScope 2000 series differs from the other oscilloscopes we have seen because they are PC-based rather than fully integrated. You need a laptop or computer to use these oscilloscopes, offloading processing work to a more powerful computer via USB connection. Pico Tech is known for its automotive instruments and for manufacturing low-cost PC-connected oscilloscopes. While low-bandwidth models are cheap, I do not recommend any models below 50MHz (2206B), as you will quickly find their limitations in embedded systems development. The PicoScope 2206B has a sampling rate of 500 MSa/s, making it the lowest sampling rate of all the oscilloscopes we have seen. The waveform rate is also lower compared to other options. My previous employer had a PicoScope. However, due to the input voltage being limited to a maximum of 20V peak and a maximum limit of 100V, I had to bring my own oscilloscope for many tasks. I was working on a 300V system at the time, so if you are working on something that exceeds 20V, the PicoScope may not be suitable for you. If space is limited and you are looking for a low-cost option, the PicoScope is an exciting choice. How to Choose an OscilloscopeWhen considering purchasing your first oscilloscope, it is best to think about what you want to use it for or what circuits you may be designing. The frequency of switch-mode power supplies can reach up to 2 MHz, with very brief transients occurring during switching. Microcontrollers can easily generate signals of 50 MHz+ through their IO pins or communications (such as SPI). Encoder wheels can generate very brief pulses that require reasonable sampling rates. Microsecond-long events are trivial for oscilloscopes, but consider whether you need faster. What is the shortest event/transient/pulse you need to see with the oscilloscope? Calculate the bandwidth and/or sampling rate requirements to reliably observe these signals. Oscilloscopes with built-in logic/protocol analyzers are incredibly powerful for firmware developers. The decoded digital channels can be used for triggering, allowing you to start recording analog waveforms when a specific byte or byte sequence is detected on the communication channel.Final ThoughtsThere are many excellent oscilloscope options on the market, and even those on a budget can find suitable ones. Even today’s budget oscilloscopes are powerful and capable compared to other options on the market from 10 to 15 years ago, and we truly have a lot of choices. If you are not limited to those big brands that have been making testing equipment since the inception of the industry, Rigol and Siglent (Shenzhen Dingyang Technology) offer incredible value for money. About ten years ago, Rigol produced low-end oscilloscopes as an OEM partner for Agilent (now Keysight) and has been around since the late 90s. In the past decade, Rigol has been innovating rapidly.Over the past ten years, I have primarily used Keysight and Rigol devices and have great respect for both brands. Rigol is often seen as the budget/hobbyist brand, but when you especially consider the specifications of higher-end units against their retail prices, Rigol is clearly the winner for me. If you do not plan to push your oscilloscope to its limits, the detailed specifications among the major players in the market can actually be considered equivalent. After comparing all options in the vendor showroom, 80% of my new home electronics lab is Rigol and 20% is Siglent—I try not to let the logos on the equipment influence my decisions. I did not include Siglent in this list as another low-cost Chinese supplier because the maker and hobbyist community tends to favor Rigol in the end. Some of Siglent’s devices outperform Rigol at similar price points, but I still feel that Rigol has the edge in oscilloscopes. Hantek (and all other brands selling devices) and Owon did not make the list either, as I feel they have not reached the same level of quality or value as Rigol and Siglent—since the price is only slightly cheaper, you might as well spend a little more to choose a technically superior option with more community support. (Hantek, headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong; OWON, registered in Fujian Zhangzhou.) Ultimately, your decision should depend on what you will use the equipment for, what your budget is, and what your future needs may be. In this list, I find Keysight’s oscilloscopes the easiest to use, Rigol offers the best value, and R&S provides the most interesting options. The oscilloscope basics presented here generally apply to the models mentioned above.Source: Altium, https://resources.altium.com/cn/p/oscilloscope-basics-beginner-guideAuthor: Mark Harris is an engineer with over 12 years of extensive experience in the electronics industry, dealing with everything from aerospace and defense contracts to small product startups, hobbyists, and everything in between. Before moving to the UK, Mark was employed by one of Canada’s largest research institutions, dealing with different projects or challenges related to electronics, mechanics, and software on a daily basis.Note: The content of this article represents the author’s personal views and does not represent the position of this public account.Nowadays, domestic oscilloscopes have made significant progress. From this article, we can see the popularity of these domestic devices in the foreign electronics circle. What oscilloscope do you have? Feel free to leave a comment to recommend or criticize.

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Overview of 9 Popular Oscilloscopes Used by Foreign Engineers

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Overview of 9 Popular Oscilloscopes Used by Foreign Engineers

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