This video provides an in-depth review of the Roden Schwartz MX04 oscilloscope, praising its advanced features like a 12-bit ADC, high-resolution display, and robust internal capabilities, including dynamic signal analysis and near-real-time spectrum analysis. The presenter demonstrates how these features, combined with various open-source hardware probes (near-field, eddy current, active voltage, differential, magnetic field, and power rail probes) and open-source software (NG Scope client), can unlock and enhance the oscilloscope's functionality for a wide range of sophisticated electrical engineering tasks, from EMI sniffing and non-destructive material testing to ultra-low current calibration and power rail noise analysis. The video also critically examines the challenges faced by individual consumers in accessing support from high-end test equipment manufacturers, contrasting it with the accessibility and flexibility offered by open-source solutions.
Summarizing the Roden Schwartz MX04 Oscilloscope and Open-Source Probes
0:00 Introduction to Roden Schwartz MX04: The video introduces the MX04 oscilloscope, highlighting its revolutionary 12-bit ADC and the aim to showcase its capabilities alongside open-source hardware probes.
0:51 Customer Service Experience: The presenter criticizes Roden Schwartz's policy of not dealing directly with individual consumers for firmware updates and manuals, citing "open-source email" restrictions, despite acknowledging the economic benefits for the company.
3:01 Firmware Updates and Features: Notes frequent and valuable firmware updates, including recent additions like a graphical zone trigger for catching rare anomalies and an XY mode.
3:40 Display and Ergonomics: Praises the large, full HD, microstructured real glass touch panel, which is tastefully deglared and easy to clean, and supports multi-window arrangements.
4:42 Internal Design Highlights: Mentions a high-quality gaming-grade cooling fan, ensuring quiet operation, and the possibility of running the scope on a single 12V battery for mobility and isolated measurements due to good common mode isolation.
5:37 Remote Control and Streaming: The MX04 offers a high-resolution, high-FPS live stream of the display and a replica of the mechanical UI, beneficial for presentations and remote work.
6:21 Dynamic Signal Analyzer Capabilities: The oscilloscope can effectively function as a dynamic signal analyzer by leveraging its low-noise front end, high-resolution ADC, and large sample memory (400M points/channel), achieving sub-microvolt noise floors.
9:12 Spectrum Analysis: Provides excellent built-in spectrum analysis with flexible frequency range selection, useful for characterizing noise in DC-focused circuits. However, it notes a limitation with logarithmic x-axis scaling below 1Hz.
12:02 Near-Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) Performance: While not a true RTSA (which uses overlapping captures), the MX04 can achieve a self-reported 100% time captured under specific settings, offering high probabilities of intercepting rare events.
14:30 High Waveform Update Rate: Boasts an impressive >4.5 million waveforms per second, which aids in quickly capturing and evaluating transient signals, like LoRa transmissions.
16:50 Frequency Response Analysis (FRA): Features a built-in FRA tool capable of analyzing gain and phase response of components or circuits from 10mHz to 100MHz, producing Bode plots.
18:47 18-bit HD Mode and Thermocouple Measurement: The advanced 18-bit HD mode, by trading bandwidth for resolution, enables extremely sensitive measurements (reliable couple of microvolt readings) and allows direct thermocouple connection.
20:04 Ultra-Low Current Calibration: Demonstrates a novel method for calibrating electrometers using the arbitrary waveform generator and a low-leakage air capacitor to produce precisely calculable DC currents.
21:14 Open-Source Probes and Ecosystem Lock-in: Discusses how proprietary probe interfaces lock users into expensive manufacturer ecosystems and introduces various open-source probes as affordable, high-performance alternatives.
22:50 Open-Source Near-Field Probes: Showcases cheap near-field probes (H-field for magnetic, E-field for electric) for EMI testing and non-invasive side-channel attacks, emphasizing the MX04's sensitivity with them.
24:01 Open-Source Eddy Current Probe: Describes the design and potential of a basic open-source eddy current probe for non-destructive material testing to detect flaws like cracks.
25:23 Open-Source Differential Probes (Andrew Zonenberg): Discusses the critical need for differential probes for mains and high-speed digital signals (USB, Ethernet, PCIe), showcasing an open-source active voltage probe (AV1, ~70-80 BOM cost) capable of multi-gigahertz performance.
27:26 PCBWay Sponsorship: Highlights PCBWay's capabilities in producing high-performance PCB substrates essential for these advanced open-source probe designs.
32:01 NG Scope Client (Open-Source Software): Introduces this software project that can absorb raw oscilloscope ADC data and perform advanced processing (e.g., clock recovery, eye diagrams), extending the capabilities of both new and older scopes.
33:18 Open-Source Magnetic Field/Current Probe ("Little B"): Features a DC to 10MHz magnetic field probe that, with an added ferrite core, becomes a highly sensitive current probe, offering a cost-effective alternative to expensive commercial units.
35:12 Open-Source Power Rail Probe: Presents an open-source power rail probe that offsets the DC component of a signal, allowing detailed analysis of low-frequency noise on power supplies with full scope bandwidth and resolution.
38:57 Conclusion: The presenter concludes that the MX04 is the best universal oscilloscope he has used, with ongoing improvements and further enhanced functionality through open-source hardware and software.