My original review of the Rohde & Schwarz RTM3004 Oscilloscope went up in July 2018, which identified a number of bugs and functionality issues with the V1.300 firmware that was current at the time. I dutifully reported the issues I had encounter...
As I continue to evolve my RoadTest procedures, inevitably, some things just don't make it into the original review. Part of this may be due to an abundance of caution in making sure the review is delivered on time, while in other cases, it's...
The final detailed blog corresponds to the most difficult part of the review and potentially the most interesting as well – how well does the HMP4040.04 perform? I threw my barrage of test equipment at it to try and find out. Things to NoteIf yo...
While the Rohde & Schwarz HMP4040.04 can be used stand-alone, its true power lies when incorporated into an automated test system through the use of a computer controlling the power supply via SCPI commands. Things to NoteIf you have not rea...
In the previous sections, I’ve taken a look at how the R&S HMP4040.04 compares to the rest of the products on the market and completed the unboxing process. In this blog, I will look at the usability aspects of the power supply, with some basic t...
In this section, I go through the most enjoyable part of owning a new product – the unboxing process. Except, in this case, it wasn’t so much enjoyable as somewhat depressing … Thinking “Outside” the BoxBeing in Australia, I live roughly half-wa...
In order to better understand how the Rohde & Schwarz HMP4040.04 stacks up with the competition, I like to begin my RoadTests by first looking at what the market has to offer and comparing on-paper specifications. This will give us an idea of how...
It's been a while since I've blogged or even had the chance to build something, so last weekend when I was busy trying to get something to work, I was thwarted by a failure of an ESP8266 Wi-Fi Shield that was so elusive that derailed my plans entirel...
Regular readers of my RoadTests will understand that I very much dislike posting partial or incomplete reviews, as my view about a product could change during a more considered evaluation, but also as it might "tire" out some readers who visit expect...
The interesting part of reviewing an instrument is to actually test the instrument against the datasheet to understand how this one particular unit performs and determine how well it holds to the claimed specifications. As I now have a sizeable colle...
Aside from the computer-connected interfaces, the BA6010 is also capable of remote-control operation without involving a computer. This is achieved through the handler interface, which is intended to connect to an automated cell handling equipment, p...
While the BA6010 can be used interactively with its large LCD and front panel buttons for spot measurements, the unit seems more suited to remote operation as part of a larger automated testing system especially with its higher reading rate modes. In...
As a piece of bench-top test equipment, there’s a good chance that you might be using it “face-to-face”. I try to find out how easy is the BA6010 to use in this interactive scenario, what is it capable of and what are its limitations. Documentat...
After a bit of a struggle through Australian Customs (for no known good reason) resulting in a delay of a week, the box has finally arrived, so let’s take a look at what it looks like and what’s inside. UnboxingThe unit comes packed in a recogni...
We begin our review of the B&K Precision BA6010 Battery Analyser with a Market Survey, but it’s probably worth going over some of the basics about battery analysis. Quick Introduction to Battery AnalysisIf you look around for information abo...
In order to test the RTM3004, it was important to have something that generated signals that could be used to challenge the unit. I view testing the unit to be an important part of properly reviewing a product and using the inbuilt demo features or g...
While the previous sections all looked at using the oscilloscope interactively, many users expect to use test equipment via remote control or as part of an integrated testing solution. Fortunately, the Rohde & Schwarz RTM3004 offers a USB device ...
The RTM3004 can be more than just an oscilloscope. With the addition of the RTM-B6 Waveform Generator and 4-bit Pattern Generator option, it’s possible to generate regular functions, modulated functions, bit patterns and arbitrary waveforms for testi...
With modern electronics operating at ever-lower voltages and power efficiency being a prime concern amongst portable electronics, analysis of switching power converters is a common application for high-end oscilloscopes. While the RTM3004 can be used...
Another difference between an ordinary oscilloscope and a mixed domain oscilloscope comes down to the presence of digital input channels. In the case of the RTM3004, the RTM-B1 Mixed Signal option provides 16 digital channels to turn the RTM3004 into...
Serial interfaces of a number of types are in common use in embedded systems and having the ability to analyse and troubleshoot these communications in the digital domain is one part of a mixed-domain solution. The RTM3004 has the following protocol ...
While on-paper specifications are easy to compare, they only tell part of the story. While a device might be excellent on-paper, it could be difficult to use or have a number of important limitations. In this section, I look at the usability aspects ...
Thanks to element14 and Rohde & Schwarz, I’ll be one of the three lucky people from the community to receive a fully-specced-out RTM3004. It was just as exciting as you can imagine, as it’s not every day you get a package like this. As a result, ...
While the RoadTest is mainly concerned with the Rohde & Schwarz RTM3004 oscilloscope, it would be remiss of me to only focus on that particular unit, seeing as test equipment purchases are often a “big ticket” item where it may pay to shop around...
One of my regular blog readers submitted an LED globe for post-mortem analysis, having failed well before the expected lifetime. I take a look inside, determine the configuration and analyze the relatively "anonymous" product which seems to show seve...
