Your Guide To Oscilloscopes For Beginners 2023
In this oscilloscopes for beginners guide, we will explain what you need to consider when you are purchasing your first oscilloscope. We will also provide you with our list of the best oscilloscopes for beginners and explain why we like the models listed and where you can find out more about them.
If you are looking for the best oscilloscope for hobbyist then you have come to the right place. All of the oscilloscopes that we discuss in this guide are ideal for hobbyists and beginners alike. Our team have thoroughly researched the market for good beginner oscilloscopes and we have looked at some models that were deemed to be the best hobby oscilloscope 2023.
To get the most out of this guide, we recommend that you read the oscilloscope basics for beginners section first and then read our recommendations for the best starter oscilloscope. We want you to have all of the information that you need to make the very best buying decision.
Oscilloscope Basics for Beginners
The reason that you need an oscilloscope is to monitor the changes in voltages over time. It is a very useful tool to which will help you to:
- Check the operation of electronic circuits
- Find faults with electronic circuits by debugging them
- Check pulse width modulation (PWM) signals
- Check analog signals
The first step to choosing the right oscilloscope for your needs is know the type of signals that you will want to measure. Whether you are looking for a cheap oscilloscope for beginners or the best beginner oscilloscope 2020 that is likely to be on the best list for 2021, you need to have a good idea of the specifications for your oscilloscope.
Here are some of the things that you need to take into account:
- The maximum amplitude and the maximum frequency of the signals you want to measure
- The number of signals that you want to measure at the same time
- If you want to measure single shots or periodic signals
The bottom line here is that there are a number of different specifications and parameters that you need to take into account. To help you out with this, here are the most important things that you need to consider when assessing the type of oscilloscope that you need:
Oscilloscope Bandwidth
Many experts will tell you that the bandwidth capabilities of an oscilloscope are the single most important thing that you need to look for. Oscilloscope bandwidth is all about the range of frequencies that the device can measure accurately.
All frequency measurements are in Hertz. With oscilloscopes for beginners, it is usual to find they are able to deal with frequencies in the region of Mega Hertz. For a good rule to follow, make sure that any oscilloscope you are considering is around five times higher than the signal maximum frequency you wish to measure. This will provide the best wave form representations.
Oscilloscope Sample Rate
This is exactly as it sounds – it is the number of samples that an oscilloscope can receive each second. You will get the highest resolution waveforms with higher sample rate oscilloscopes. The reason this is important is that you will be able to detect sudden events a lot easier and for faster signals you will see representations that are more accurate.
Depth of Oscilloscope Memory
Modern oscilloscopes store the samples that they take in memory. If the oscilloscope that you choose has a larger memory depth, it will be able to store more samples and data. This will also help you to display a wider time frame or portion of the signal under test. You will be able to perform much better analysis with this.
Oscilloscope Inputs or Channels
A lot of oscilloscopes for beginners have either 2 channels or 4 channels. The more channels (sometimes called inputs) you have the better, as this will allow you to display and analyze more signals at once.
The Ease of Use of the Oscilloscope
When you are looking for the best starter oscilloscope, always choose one that has a good user guide included. As a beginner, you will find it helpful to learn how to use the device properly and other useful insights and short cut keys that will assist you.
Some oscilloscopes have a USB interface which you need to look out for if you want the best USB oscilloscope for hobbyist. Check that any oscilloscope you are thinking of purchasing has all of the buttons prominently displayed. You will need to learn what all of the buttons do and how to use them in the most efficient way.
The Oscilloscope Price
Of course, the price of the oscilloscope is an important consideration. There is no point in spending thousands on a fully featured oscilloscope if a cheap oscilloscope for beginners will do everything that you want. Usually, it is not necessary for a beginner or hobbyist to spend thousands of dollars on an oscilloscope.
Best Starter Oscilloscope Review 2021
Before we get into the models that we recommend as the best oscilloscopes for beginners, we want you to know about the most reputable brands in this market. An oscilloscope is a precision instrument and we urge you to go for the highest quality device that you can afford. A cheap oscilloscope for beginners is usually not the best option.
Oscilloscope brands that have been around for a long time and have a good reputation in the market include:
- Rigol
- Siglent
- Hantek
These guys know what they are doing when it comes to manufacturing oscilloscopes. All of these companies have an excellent track record and you will see them mentioned in our review below. If you purchase an oscilloscope from one of these three brands then you will never regret it.
The best oscilloscope for hobbyist or beginner needs to be of high quality. If you are serious about electronics then a good oscilloscope is a must. Here we have five oscilloscopes for beginners that we recommend very highly.
The Rigol Digital DS1054Z Oscilloscope
Not only do we recommend the Rigol brand very highly, but we also suggest that you go for a digital oscilloscope. With this oscilloscope there are an array of different functions that you will find are easy to use.
When you use an analog oscilloscope, you will need to perform some manual tasks such as setting the bars for frequencies. With the Rigol DS1054Z, this is all taken care of digitally for you. This is one of the best oscilloscopes for beginners around and it is packed with good features.
You get four input channels with this Rigol oscilloscope which is good for a beginner model as they normally only have two channels. This makes the device process data faster as there are four channels to pass through. If you want to work with analog signals, you can do this too. Consider it one of the best starter oscilloscopes for audio work.
The Rigol DS1054Z provides the perfect combination of speed and diversity. It has an impressive sampling rate of 1 GSa per second which means that you will not end up with an accumulation of data. This device will process frequencies immediately and convert them into the waveforms that you need.
You get 24 MPT of memory space with this oscilloscope which means that you can store a lot of data before the device needs to dump it out. This is good as you will be able to inspect waveforms for longer giving you more time to analyze them.
There is an 800 by 400 pixel 7 inch screen with this Rigol oscilloscope which is very clear and will aid analysis. It is easy for you to display all four of the channels at the same time on the screen. The bandwidth is an impressive 50 MHz and with this you can capture as many as 30,000 waveforms very quickly.
When you start to use the Rigol DS1054Z you will really appreciate the quality. It is a very user-friendly oscilloscope that is perfect for beginners and hobbyists. With the convenience of 4 channels, this fast and powerful oscilloscope is highly recommended.
Check out the price on Amazon
The Hantek Digital Oscilloscope DSO5072P
One of the standout features with this Hantek digital oscilloscope is the ability to vary bandwidth. When you are using an oscilloscope, you need to ensure that the right framework exists for data pass through. At times, you may have to work with different amounts of data.
With the DSO5072P you are in control of the data that you process. You may want to begin with 70 MHz of bandwidth and then increase this to 200 MHz when the need arises. The option is there to adjust the bandwidth which does not exist with a lot of oscilloscopes for beginners.
If you want to switch from 70 MHz to 100 MHz you can do this as well. In our tests, we found that this Hantek oscilloscope does work best at 70 MHz but at least you have the option to increase the bandwidth if this is a requirement of your work.
You get a number of other sophisticated features to assist you with your processing of data. The sampling rate is fast at 1 GSa per second in real-time. Connect your Hantek easily to your smartphone or computer and you will see real-time results. With real-time data, you can detect any errors a lot faster.
This oscilloscope is accurate to +/- 50 ppm. What this means is that you can rely on any results it displays to be very precise. There is a 7 inch color display which is very clear and sharp. You get lots of different triggers and math functions with the DSO5072P and overall this oscilloscope is very user-friendly.
If you require real-time analysis of data and the ability to adjust the bandwidth to suit your project requirements, the DSO5072P from Hantek is a very good option. With a memory depth of 40K and the ease of use it is certainly a best starter oscilloscope.
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Siglent Technologies Digital SDS1052DL+ Oscilloscope
The Siglent stands above the rest of the oscilloscopes for beginners due to its ability to measure. It can be tough for beginners to understand the meaning of a wave developed from a frequency, so if you want additional help from your oscilloscope, the SDS1052DL+ is an excellent choice.
There are 32 inbuilt auto-measurement features with this Siglent oscilloscope. This means that if you see some numbers that don’t make a lot of sense to you, just input them into a mode and this oscilloscope will provide you with the answers you are looking for.
With the SDS1052DL+ from Siglent you also get adjustable bandwidth. You can start at 50 MHz and go up to 150 MHz. There are USB device and host ports and a LAN port. There are two channels with this device which provide different functionality. One channel has a sampling rate of 500 Ms per second and the other has access to 32 Kpts of memory.
The 7 inch TFT monitor is very sharp and clear thanks to its high resolution. You get a pass / fail feature and there are five parameters to display. This is a very beginner friendly oscilloscope with a lot of great features which are ideal for hobbyists and begginers.
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SainSmart Portable Digital Oscilloscope DSO212
If you consider the portability of your oscilloscope to be important but you want a lot of features, this SainSmart model could be perfect for you. It is of a similar size to a modern smart phone so you can use it in your hand and carry it around in your pocket.
Of course, you can place this device on a surface to provide you with hands-free operation as well. If you are looking for USB connectivity then the portable DSO212 provides a very secure connection. It is very easy for you to connect this oscilloscope to your mobile device or your computer and process your results.
The SainSmart has 1 MHz of analog bandwidth which makes it ideal for processing analog signals. There are a range of features that assist with data formation and the smoothest processing. You get a number of different math functions with this portable oscilloscope and the screen is a respectable 320 by 240 pixels.
Memory depth of the DSO212 is 8K which means that it can process analog signals at a sample rate of 10 MSa per second. This device can easily produce waveforms and display them straight away on the screen.
One of the two channels on the SainSmart portable is for operations while the other provides the necessary data storage. If you want portability and the best starter oscilloscope for audio work then the DSO212 is a very good choice.
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Siglent Technologies Digital Oscilloscope 200 MHz SDS120X-E
If you are looking for the best starter oscilloscope with larger bandwidth and a ton of features then the SDS120X-E from Siglent could be just what you are looking for. One of the problems with some oscilloscopes for beginners is that they are unable to cope with large amounts of data. With a bandwidth of 200 MHz, this oscilloscope should be able to handle any project.
When you consider that a lot of starter oscilloscopes only have a bandwidth of 50 MHz, you are getting 4 times this bandwidth with the SDS120X-E. In addition to this, there are other more advanced features with this device.
You can make your readings more accurate thanks to the ability to measure a maximum of 12M points. There is a zoom feature which allows detailed analysis of wave portions. When it comes to storage, this Siglent oscilloscope has 12 Mpt which is ideal for working with the larger bandwidth.
The SDS120X-E has a sample rate of 1 GSa per second and with the higher bandwidth you will be able to capture as many as 40,000 waveforms each second. This device supports USB connectivity and also has a LAN port.
With the Siglent SDS120X-E you remove a lot of the complexities that beginners have to deal with. Its sophisticated features also make the transition to professional use an easy one. There are numerous math functions and triggers you can use. You also get a sophisticated monitor that supports color grading. This is an excellent oscilloscope that is well worth the money.
Check the price on Amazon
Final Words
Choosing the best starter oscilloscope can be overwhelming as there are so many different models available. All of these differ in quality, features and price. We have made it easy for you by providing you what we believe to be the best 5 oscilloscopes for beginners in 2021.
When you choose one of the models that we have recommended above you will never regret it. They are all high-quality, and companies like Rigol, Siglent and Hantek have the highest reputation in the industry.
The first step is to identify what features you require and then choose the model that meets your requirements from our recommended top 5. That way you can be sure that you will purchase an oscilloscope of the highest quality.
We hope that you found our oscilloscopes for beginners guide 2021 to be informative and useful. If you have any questions about what starter oscilloscope you should go for, please leave a question in the comments section below and we will get back to you promptly.