Oscilloscope and usb microscope???

[MNKyDeth]

Looking for recommendations on these two items.

Oscilloscope
and
USB Microscope for soldering

The Oscilloscope I am mostly considering at the moment is
http://www.analogarts.com/products/usb-oscilloscope/sa915-100-mhz-bandwidth-oscilloscope

I plan on using this oscilloscope mostly for retro game console repair, adjustment.

As for a usb microscope for soldering I really have no idea what is ideal to use. I mostly want one to help inspect traces but also want a wide field of view if possible for streaming or video capture purposes. Unfortunately my budget for something like this is only around the $200 range. I know these can get crazy expensive but if there is a good cheap one available I most likely would be interested in it even if I need to save more for it down the road.

Any input is appreciated.

[mickcris]

ive never used one of those pc based o scopes before but for what you are going to use it for, its probably fine.  i dont have one at home and have just used them at work so im no scope expert though.

this is what i mainly use to inspect things close up:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/20x-Magnifying-Eye-Magnifier-Glasses-Loupe-Lens-Jeweler-Watch-Repair-LED-Light-/251973697066

unless you are wanting to take screenshots, then the usb microscope might be useful.

[elmer]

The Oscilloscope I am mostly considering at the moment is
http://www.analogarts.com/products/usb-oscilloscope/sa915-100-mhz-bandwidth-oscilloscope

I've always had a fondness for the BitScope. It's been around and upgraded over many years and many revisions, the software runs on lots of systems, and the basic hardware is documented.

http://www.bitscope.com/product/BS10/

[MNKyDeth]

That bitscope looks pretty nice. But do I need to buy the probe adapter to use the two analog channels?

Does it have it's own probes for those channels or would I need to buy other probes + adapter to use them?

I do have multiple systems here, Win + Lin so that does comes off as a benefit having that compatibility.

Also, Mickcris... I want a microscope for recording purposes. The glasses might do the job for me but when I want to record it I think the usb microscope solution would be easiest.

Problem is since I have no experience with them I really don't know of good options, solutions. From what I gather the Tagarno scopes are the best or some of the best for what I want to do but they are crazy expensive and out the question. If I could get 720p at 60fps I would prefer that over 1080p 30fps in a scope for recording.

[elmer]

That bitscope looks pretty nice. But do I need to buy the probe adapter to use the two analog channels?

You can see the "cheap" alternative solution on their other cut-down-product page ...

http://www.bitscope.com/product/BS05/

Does it have it's own probes for those channels or would I need to buy other probes + adapter to use them?

I think that the idea is just to use any standard BNC-connected probe.

[aurbina]

For soldering I use my phone on one of those cheap bases that are used to mount them on the windshield. I place a glass cutting board on my desk, attach the suction cup of the base to the glass and use my phone with one of those magnifier applications.

You can use it without digital zoom, and it works really well for me (check link for picture http://www.mobypicture.com/user/Artemio/view/18867323)

[NightWolve]

I achieved my Digital Scope solution with these:

1) http://www.ebay.com/itm/SainSmart-40MHz-DDS140-Pro-PC-Based-USB-Portable-Digital-Oscilloscope-US-Ship-/351037855554?hash=item51bb7c9742:g:EHYAAOxyzpdTiT1Q

A 40 Mhz scope is most preferable for video signals. You want 4x the range for them which go up to 6Mhz. A 20 Mhz scope could be OK, but the next 40 Mhz model up is the best for sure.

P.S. I got it in 2014 for $94 total by haggling with the seller.

2) http://www.microcenter.com/product/439773/TW700_Tablet_-_Black?ob=1

A 7" Windows 8.1(now 10) tablet for $30 bucks with Black Friday coupon. The Sainsmart software is made in VC++ for Windows, so for a portable solution, a good screen, this tablet is perfect! You can get them for $40 bucks now with open box discounts.

Good luck.

[MNKyDeth]

A 40 Mhz scope is most preferable for video signals. You want 4x the range for them which go up to 6Mhz. A 20 Mhz scope could be OK, but the next 40 Mhz model up is the best for sure.

So something like the 100Mhz ones I have been looking at are overkill? Again, not having used an oscilloscope I will be learning on the one I buy. The one Elmer pointed out intrigues me a lot as all of my computers are Linux based except for one. I keep one windows computer around for gaming mostly and that my capture card only seems to work in windows as well.

With all the research I have put into oscilloscope's lately and how and what they do I am almost to the point of buying one. Just making sure I don't miss out on a good choice after I already purchased one. Possibly one that may have fit me better.

[NightWolve]

Yeah, that's overkill and spending a lot of money for range you likely won't need. Retro TV analog video signals can go 6 Mhz max, so a suitable scope is 24 Mhz or above. A 40 Mhz scope is just right and future-proofs you a bit for other applications while minding your wallet. You have much more affordable solutions these days so it's nice.

[MNKyDeth]

Just wanted to update this thread in case anyone else ever has a question on Oscilloscope's.

The link NightWolve posted is to Ebay. I did a little searching and within the top five results was the official SainSmart website that has a store on it.

The total is $85.99 with free shipping at the time of this post.
http://www.sainsmart.com/sainsmart-dds-140-40m-200m-s-virtual-oscilloscope-black.html

I just bought this unit so hopefully it gets here quickly with the free shipping.

[blueraven]

This is... absolutely brilliant. I've been hauling around a Korean-War era Tektronix ocilloscope, which is awesome for fixing tube amps but slightly harder to set up due to its size for testing consoles.

I've bookmarked the page and will probably be picking one of these up soon, does it have a Linux capability or does it have to be run on Windows?

[thesteve]

well raven, that is the other extreme (ive had a few)
just remember using a digital scope is like using an LCD TV
you are using a computer to pixel map an analog signal
while this makes some neat features possible it also adds anomalies so it ends up being somewhat less accurate 

[MNKyDeth]

It says...

Support XP~Win8 series of operating system 
Software interface could be combined with the third party software

I am hoping the second line means I could use it with other OS's as long as the software is compatible with it and of course if the OS detects it. I could update this thread again once I get it to test. I do have mostly Linux computers here and one windows comp so....

[NightWolve]

What I linked is Windows-only, sorry. There are only Windows-compiled executables built with C++ .NET as I recall. The other comment is about 3rd party plugins, not about an emulation layer for other OS platforms... There are Windows emulation layers for Mac, Linux, but I dunno if that's been adapted to Android, which is a Linux variant and very popular with tablets.

Interesting thing, Microsoft got forced into more freebies because of the competition from Android, so any tablet under 10" gets a free copy of Windows 10 preinstalled by the manufacturer, so with that expense eliminated for the OS, they only charge you for the hardware which is why you can find specials for as low as $30 bucks as I did.

[mickcris]

Decided to finally get a scope.  Ordered a Rigol DS1054Z.  Seems like its supposed to be the best bang for the buck entry level scope