New Osilloscopes from Keysight Aim For Maker and Education Markets

At APEC 2019, Keysight showed off their InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series Oscilloscope line with features powerful enough for most engineers.

While RF and Power engineers will eventually need to graduate to oscilloscopes with greater functionality, the features and capabilities of oscilloscopes in the sub-$1000 will be enough for most embedded engineers' workbenches.  Keysight's new line of oscilloscopes showcased at APEC 2019 is aimed at this latter category, with a clear eye toward the maker and academic communities.

Key Features

The InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series oscilloscopes can be purchased with upgradeable bandwidths of 50 MHz, 70 MHz, 100MHz, and 200 MHz. 

 

The 4-channel Keysight DSOX1204G. Image courtesy Keysight.

 

These two-channel and four-channel multiuse machines have built-in waveform generators, serial protocol analyzers, digital voltmeters, frequency counters, Bode plot, USB, and some models have LAN connectivity.

 

Onscreen help appears after keypress and delayed release.  Image courtesy of Keysight.

 

In a feature especially helpful for students and hobbyists, integrated on-screen help can be accessed by simply holding down a button/keypress for several seconds.

Integrated Training for the Education Market

While all oscilloscopes include a square-wave generator for probe calibration, these oscilloscopes have built-in training signals that allow students to learn how to trigger, capture, and analyze a wide variety of common signal types seen in a lab, without having to use a separate piece of equipment. 

 

A variety of built-in signals are provided to allow students to learn how to trigger, acquire, and measure signals using an oscilloscope. Image courtesy Keysight.

 

The signals come in a combination of undisturbed idealized wave-forms, as well as with added noise and intermittent glitches, allowing students to experience real-world measurement issues. Instructors are provided with lab guides, predesigned tutorials, and presentation materials to aid course development.  

 

The BenchVue Oscilloscope App. Screenshot courtesy of Keysight.

 

As another feature useful for teaching, the 1000 X-Series scope can be controlled with Keysight's BV0004B BenchVue Oscilloscope App that allows remote scope operation and visualization.

 

The U3800A IoT courseware. Image courtesy of Keysight.

 

When students are ready for more advanced study, the oscilloscope can upgrade and be used with Keysight’s U3800A Internet of Things courseware.

Instantaneous Data Decoding for Makers

In the early days of oscilloscopes, engineers could capture serial data, but would have to manually decode it.  Later, oscilloscopes developed the ability to use software to decode scope signals, but the process took several seconds and could only occur after a single-shot capture.  

 

 

Hardware-based serial data decoding occurs instantaneously.  Image courtesy Keysight.

 

Keysight made the process instantaneous by incorporating serial-data hardware decoding (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN).  Now, as soon as the probe touches the data line, the accompanying data appears on-screen. 

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These scopes are good introductory tools that give students and makers yet another competitive alternative to other oscilloscopes in the same class.  Other oscilloscope manufacturers have similar in-class devices such as the Tektronix TBS1052B, Rigol DS1102E, and BK Precision BK2190E. 

Have you used oscilloscopes in this range? What was your experience with them as a student, maker, or professional? Let us know in the comments.