[sdiy] Nicolet Instrument Scope

[RMC]

Steffen

"Oscilloskop, Digital Oscilloscope. Nicolet Instrument Corporation  Model 
200.
Vertikal/Horizontal: X2-4-8-16-32-64
AC - DC.
Storige - digital skop. 12 bit.
TPP. úS 1 -  500 og mS 1 - 500 og S 1 - 200.

My experience of Nicolet scopes is that they are difficult to operate but 
are high quality. When I say difficult, I mean that they are unusual 
compared with (say) Tektronix.

The price sounds quite good but bear in mind it is only capable of looking 
at frequencies upto 1 or 2 MHz, by the sounds of the timebase (1 microsecond 
per division is the fastest sweep speed - the sampling limitations of the 
scope will prevent you from capturing meaningful signals at higher 
frequencies).  OK for audio but if you wanted to measure something like 
digital cloks, or wanted to measure fast risetimes or falltimes, itisn't so 
suitable.

Scope bandwidth and risetime are related: risetime = 0.35/bandwidth 
generally or for more detail
http://www.fis.unb.br/Fis3Exp/www.tmo.hp.com/tmo/pia/BasicInstrument/TUTnBRIEF/English/BI-T-BANDWIDTH-010.html
http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5988-8008EN.pdf
http://www.tek.com/Measurement/App_Notes/Technical_Briefs/bw_rt/55_18024_0.pdf

Using the "0.35" rule of thumb, then a scope with a 1us timebase == 1MHz so 
the risetimes resolve to be a third of a microsecond - fine for audio but 
potentially slow (sorry about the pun) for some digital stuff perhaps.

Digital storage is nice though.  If 950dkr is affordable for you, I would 
suggest buying it. If it is a lot of mney to you, I would be inclined to 
wait until an ordinary analogue scope comes along (Tektronix is best in my 
book).

Hope that helps

RMC, England