Review: EDUX1052G 50MHz Digital Storage Oscilloscope

EDUX1052G 50MHz Digital Storage Oscilloscope Review - John Porter

An oscilloscope, at it’s basic level, measures voltage over time and presents that information as a graph. The analysis and presentation of that data makes the oscilloscope essential equipment for the electronics bench. The Keysight EDUX1052G is an entry level 50MHz oscilloscope, but one that is loaded with features, many inherited from Keysight’s extensive lineup of top-end ‘scopes. The EDUX1052G performs very well, and is equally at home in the classroom or workbench:

• 50 MHz bandwidth
• 1 GSa/s sample rate
• 200k points memory
• Built-in 20 MHz function generator
• Bode charts, math, FFT, and serial protocol analysis (UART, I²C)
• Built-in help
• Built -in training signals

The EDUX1052G and its InfiniiVision predecessors were first to have the large 7” color display, case design, and button layout which have been standardized across the Smart Bench Essentials equipment. Keysight includes their custom Megazoom IV ASIC in the EDUX1052G, which moves computations to the ASIC and supports fast waveform update rates.

Settings can be saved internally, on USB or to Pathwave BenchVue Oscilloscope software. Firmware can be updated by USB only, followed by a check of the calibration and self test to confirm.

Key Specifications and comparison of the Keysight EDUX1052G to the DSOX1102G and competitive education packages

Usability and interface

Overall, the EDUX1052G is exceptionally easy and intuitive to operate. The controls are nicely set out with common functions front and center. Menus make sense. Combined with the pop-up help available with nearly every function, it is easy to know what to do next and where to go.

Screen

The 7” WVGA screen is clear and crisp, a great feature. Common across the Keysight Essentials series, one inch on the right of the display is dedicated to persistent menus and status. On the EDUX1052G, and DSOX1102G, this reduces the area available to view a waveform. I previously reviewed the Tektronix TBS1102C, which allows the menu bar to be cleared for full screen waveforms. This is a feature that Keysight can consider, however I find the menu bar to be informative. Zoom and horizontal adjustments quickly display any important details.

Menus, buttons and knobs

Controls on the EDUX1052G are intuitive to find and easy to use. All nine of the dials can be pressed for a secondary function which is very convenient. Controls are responsive, and some adjustments adapt to the user by increasing the rate of change depending on how fast the dial is turned.  

The two channel EDUX1052G has vertical adjustments that are shared between the channels, selected by push button. A colored indicator displays which channel is active for control, a departure from the DSOX1102G where both channels have their own vertical control. The single vertical control of the EDUX is consistent with the DSOX four-channel models and frees up space for new dedicated math/FFT vertical dials, a useful addition for quick adjustment.  

EDUX1052G menus are clear and intuitive, with selection buttons lined up on the side of the display showing clearly what choice is to be made by each. Press and hold any button to bring up very a descriptive contextual help screen, like the DSOX1102G but with even more information. Note, the EMBD license is included with the EDUX1052G.

The quick action button is versatile and easily customized. In one touch, the quick action button can display all measurements, or it can be set to promptly activate one of several other functions.

Cursors

Using the cursors to conduct automatic measurements is easy, either with a manual setup or automatic tracking of the waveform. X and Y results are displayed at the bottom of the screen and are easy to read, however I would prefer that the measured results be placed directly on the waveform like the TBS1102C.

Generally, the automatic tracking worked very well, locking onto the most obvious points in the waveform, however I did see occurrences where both Y cursors would mysteriously track the same amplitude of a wave instead of peak-peak. In another instance, the X cursors automatically decided an appropriate setting to be 2.5x the period of a sine wave instead of 1x. This was baffling but can be overcome by resetting to defaults and trying again or going to manual adjustment.

Triggering

Standard edge and pulse Width triggering is intuitive to configure, video and serial signal trigging are added. Setup and hold, pattern and rise/fall time triggers are notably absent from the EDUX1052G.

Measurements

The EDUX1052G digital oscilloscopes provides 24 automatic measurements, four can be shown at the bottom or a snapshot of all 24 can be displayed easily. A new feature not available on the older DSOX1102G, is the display of statistics! This is welcome and a feature I often used during my testing. Statistics include current, minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation and sample count data.

Like the DSOX1102G, the EDUX1052G provides an integrated 3-digit multimeter and 5-digit frequency counter that can display independent measurements.

Probes

The Keysight EDUX1052G comes with two passive 75MHz 1/10x probes which look physically identical to the 200MHz probes available with the DSOX1102G. They are well suited for the 50MHz oscilloscope. Included is an assortment of yellow, green, red, and blue colored bands. Surprisingly, the probes do not include ground springs.

Calibration of the probes is easy, the probe compensation output delivers a 1kHz, 5vp-p square wave. The EDUX1052G provides a probe check function that quickly determines if the probe is calibrated or requires adjustment. Probe adjustment uses the included tool.

Serial decoding

Built into the EDUX1052G is 2-channel serial decoding capability for I²C or UART signals. I was happy to see that the EMBD license is now included at no additional cost, although the DSOX1102G’s optional serial upgrade adds CAN and LIN decoding that the EDUX does not have. Serial decoding is not available at all in the comparison Tek TBS1052C. The EDUX1052G can display a list of decoded data in a lister chart if desired, and decodes to Hex, Binary or ACSII. The pictures are from an experiment where I set out to capture a serial string as an arbitrary waveform and replay it back. Sounds easy? It is not, but at no fault of the oscilloscope. The test case, explaining many difficulties encountered importing arbitrary waveforms into the EDU33212A, is detailed in my EDU33212A waveform generator review.

Function Generator

One of the features that sets the EDUX1052G oscilloscope apart from competitive models, is that includes a built in 20MHz function generator (G models only). This is a welcome added feature and can free up valuable bench space, unless of course, you have the full Keysight Smart Bench Essentials package including the EDU33212A waveform generator. The built-in function generator provides clean signals up to 12Vpp for sine, square, ramp, pulse, dc or noise and includes AM, FM and FSK modulation. The signals are not as clean as the EDU33212A, however are still very solid. Some distortion is apparent at higher frequencies, 20MHz is shown below.

An advantage to the built-in generator is that the EDUX1052G can perform Frequency Response Analysis. The generator can sweep a sine wave to the input of a student’s LRC or op-amp circuit and measure the output’s gain and phase. The result, a very nice graphical Bode chart of a circuit’s characteristics. The below chart shows the characteristics of a Class C amplifier which is detailed in my blog accompanying the Keysight Smart Bench Essentials review, Remote Education Test Case – Class C Amplifier Characterization.

Training Signals

For instructors, students and those seeking to know how to operate an oscilloscope, Keysight includes several built-in training signals with the EDUX1052G. This is perhaps one of my favorite features of the EDUX1052G. These can be used to present a variety of signals and conditions an engineer can expect, without the need of external circuitry. Keysight provides the “Educator’s Training Kit for 1000 X-Series Oscilloscopes Lab Guide and Tutorial for Undergraduate Electrical Engineering and Physics Students”. This guide is essentially a series of 14 guided lab assignments that leverage the built-in training signals to create a variety of common scenarios for measurement and analysis. The guide, combined with the training signals, is a top-quality instructional tool. If you are new to the world of oscilloscopes, running through these labs with the EDUX1052G will help you quickly develop into a proficient oscilloscope operator. I tried each of the labs and provide screen shots of two below.

Several other features are available. Math, FFT (Hanning, Flat Top, Rectangular, Blackman-Harris), Reference Waveforms (2), Persistence, Labels, Zoom, Auto Scale, and Default Setup all perform very well.

Software - Pathwave BenchVue Oscilloscope and Web with VNC

Pathwave BenchVue Oscilloscope is licensed for free with the purchase of the EDUX1052G which is a great addition. Like the software for the DMM, I preferred the web interface over the BenchVue application as the web closely duplicates the controls and output of the oscilloscope. However the web interface does not provide much on it's own and requires VNC software to be installed onto the oscilloscope for full control, which is free and easy to install, similar to a firmware upgrade. Once installed. The VNC control is accessed through the web interface to provide very fast, clear, full control over all functionality. I was very impressed with the VNC implementation.

Pathwave BenchVue provides basic function control: trigger, run/stop, source, auto scale, horizontal/vertical control, default setup. It plots a graph, you can choose what measurements to take and you can take a snapshot. The displayed graph is clear and a mouse-controlled cursor provides immediate measured results. You can save a screen capture and export the waveform to csv or excel. You can read the common measurements. But that is about it. There is no test flow, no cloud-based integration. No integration with the other Pathwave apps either. Unlike the DMM app, the oscilloscope app does not provide logging.

The screen flickers when the app is connected which is concerning. Luckily, I was able to determine it was the app was causing the ‘scope to show an unstable image, and not a hardware fault. Connection to the oscilloscope over the network can be glitchy, often requiring you to restart the application or the computer. As I write this, the app can’t see the oscilloscope using the network despite several attempts and tricks. USB works fine. More information about the Pathwave BenchVue software can be found in my overall review of the Keysight Smart Bench Essentials.

Conclusion

The Keysight EDUX1052G 50 MHz Digital Storage Oscilloscope is a top quality 'scope best positioned for instructional labs. The series of InfiniiVision 'scopes are unmatched in this educational space and solidifies the EDUX1052G's place within the Keysight Smart Bench Essentials package. There are many advanced functions that the EDUX1052G inherits from higher end models which elevates the 'scopes value beyond it's cost. However, advanced users will find the entry level 50MHz EDUX1052G to be limited.

Favorite features

• Loaded with features, many found on higher end oscilloscopes
• Fast waveform update, clear display
• Integrated 20MHz waveform generator provides better than expected quality signal.
• Frequency response analysis and Bode charts
• Included serial signal decoding
• Incorporated training signals accompany free training material to deliver a complete training program
• All functions provide informative, comprehensive help by holding any button
• Statistics can be displayed in addition to current measurements
• Can save configurations, waveforms, images, lister data internally, on USB or via BenchVue
• Web interface and remote control using VNC is excellent
• Performance is close to higher end equipment, albeit at 50MHz.
• Price is reasonable considering the features

Needs improvement

• 50MHz is ok for educational purposes but can be limiting for applications beyond the classroom. I hit the limits when capturing an 8.4ns edge where the ‘scope incorrectly displayed over 10ns. 100MHz would be a better entry level choice
• Pathwave BenchVue Oscilloscope can use more features and refinement. Cloud-enabled control, test flow, full-feature access and device interoperability are lacking. Ethernet connection can be finicky
• Would benefit from segmented memory to augment the 200kpts of memory and introduce the concept of segmented memory to students

This blog of the EDUX1052G  is one in a series of reviews covering the Keysight Smart Bench Essentials. Return to the principal review here.