One of the most common pieces of laboratory test equipment for any electronics lab is an oscilloscope. Anyone who has been seen the interior of a laboratory can spot a device which looks like a ‘television’ with wavy patterns of light displayed on a small screen.
Oscilloscope which can be called o-scopes are versatile pieces of test equipment which can be used in a multitude of various critical measurements.
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Hantek DSO5072P
The first on this list is the Hantek DSO5072P. This is a good cheap product which comes with a large 7-inch screen, and it is capable of recording up to 40 K of data. It also has a useful limit of 20MHz; which serves as the highest frequency that can be displayed with accuracy. Other features are;
- 200/100/70MHz bandwidths
- 1GSa/s Real Time sample rate
- USB host and device connectivity
- Multiple automatic measurements
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Pros
- The price is moderate and affordable.
- It is effective
- It comes with a comprehensive manual
Cons
- Poor quality capacitors
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Siglent Technologies SDS1102CML
The Siglent Technologies SDS1102CML Digital Oscilloscope is an upgrade to the previous version released by the company. This device comes with an improved high-resolution display and it has an easily viewed 7-inch dual channel display, math, automatic measurement, cursors, etc. Other features include;
- Built-in frequency controls
- SB and LAN interfaces
- Dual channel 40 MHz (Sine wave) Touch screen display
- 16-bit vertical resolution Modulation
- TrueArb Technology / Easy Pulse Technology
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Pros
- It can zoom in and out
- Excellent display
Cons
- New users will take time to learn how to make use of it
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Siglent Technologies SDS1202X-E
The Siglent Technologies SDS1202X-E Digital Oscilloscope is a 200 MHz bandwidth machine which has a real-time sampling rate of up to 1 gse/use. This newest generation of SPO technology offers excellent signal fidelity and performance for users. Some of its features are;
- 256 intensity display
- Color display mode
- LAN and USB interfaces
- 200 MHz bandwidth
- IRecord length up to 14 Mpts
- 1M points fit
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Pros
- Higher sampling rate to capture
- Quick zoom-in to focus on area of interest
Cons
- You may not need all the features it has
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Rigol DS1054Z
The Rigol DS1054Z is another digital oscilloscopes under $500 which you should consider purchasing. This device is a 50 MHz bandwidth device which has 4 channels. Also, its real-time sample rate is 1G Sa/s. Other features of this oscilloscope are;
- UltraVision” technology
- 7-inch WVGA with multiple intensity levels
- 12 mpts of memory standard but can be upgradeable to 24
- FREE software bundle BND-MSO/DS1000Z which is built into the unit
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Pros
- The service is Excellent for the price
- Highly recommended for tight budgets
- Good construction and packaging
Cons
- It is not so clear for novice buyers
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Tektronix TBS1052B
This digital oscilloscope weights about 6.85 pounds and it has an overall dimension of 17.1 x 12.2 x 8.4 inches. Apart from the design and portability of the Tektronix TBS1052B, it has other features such as;
- 7” WVGA (800X480) Active TFT Color Display
- A maximum real-time sample rate of about 2GS/s on all channels without interleaving
- Record length of 2.5kpts per channel for acquiring detailed waveforms
- Lower noise due to the absence of cooling fan
- 5-year warranty
- Zoom Function
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Pros
- High-quality device
- Less noise when used
- Good performance
Cons
- It does not display min./max. range of voltage
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SainSmart Mini DS0203
The SainSmart Mini DS0203 is a Handheld Pocket-Sized digital oscilloscope which has a standout feature from other oscilloscopes and that is its lightweight feature. It weighs about 2.08 ounces and it has an overall measurement of 4.2 x 0.4 x 2.2 inches. Some of its other features are;
- Built-in 8 MB flash storage
- Color Display
- It fits inside any pocket
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Pros
- It is lightweight
- It is affordable and worth the price
- It is highly portable
- Highly functional
Cons
- Old version
- Quality is not that high
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Rigol DS1102E
The Rigol DS1102E is a digital oscilloscope is designed for high performance. It comes with dual analog channels and an external trigger channel. Also, it provides about 20 different parameters for wave measuring. It has other features such as;
- Powerful PC application software UltraScope
- 2 Analog channels plus external trigger
- 1 Million points deep memory
- 1 GSA/sec max sample rate
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Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Easy to read screen
- Quality construction
- Rigol is a renowned brand
Cons
- The color screen is a bit grainy
- The fan is a little noisy
- The user manual isn’t that robust
- The menu takes time to get used to
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Hantek DSO5202P 200
The DSO5202P 200 is another dependable option offered by the Hantek company. This version has 200 MHz bandwidth, dual channels, and a 7-inch TFT type LCD which offers the best resolution of all flat panel type displays. Other features include;
- Real-time sample rate: 1 gig per second
- Record Length up to 40K
- Multiple auto measurements
- Four math functions
- USB connectivity
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Pros
- Clear display
- It is flexible to use
Cons
- It is the most expensive Hantek oscilloscope
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GW Instek GDS-1054B
The GW Instek GDS-1054B is a digital o-scope which is useful and affordable o-scope for the hobbyist. This model weighs 6.17 pounds and it has an overall measurement of about 20.8 x 12.73 x 38.0 cm.
Despite its small size, it has a bandwidth of 50MHz with four input channels which helps you to work out well in your waveforms checking. Also, it has a gradient display with over 256 colors that helps in strengthening the performance of a waveform. Other features of this o-scope are;
- Parameter measurement
- Cursor indication
- 1Mpts FFT frequency domain signal display
- Digital voltage meter
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Pros
- Comes with four probes
- Super intuitive
- Great price
- Highly portable
Cons
- The fan makes it noisy
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Siglent Technologies SDS1052DL
Last and not the least on his list is the Siglent Technologies SDS1052DL. Although it is not the most powerful oscilloscope, it is designed to suit the needs of hobby users.
This o-scope has a dimension of 6.2 x 12.7 inches, a bandwidth of 50-150 MHz, and it also features about six digits of hardware frequency as well as real-time counting screen display which helps to contribute to the capacity of this device to read waveforms. In addition to the features of this oscilloscope are;
- Embedded 12 languages
- Pass/Fail Function
- 5 Parameters Display
- 500 MSa/s sampling rate
- 32 Kpts memory depth.
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Pros
- Lightweight
- Decent screen size
- Easy to use
- Great price
Cons
- Its scope is a bit noisy