A Retired Engineer's Journey Through Oscilloscopes: From Eccentric Hacks to State-of-the-Art Hardware

Five years after I officially retired, I still find myself reaching for a scope. My current setup is a Rigol DS1054Z 100MHz hacked 4 channel oscilloscope. Despite its slow user interface, it boasts more measurement features than any scope I previously owned. This article takes a stroll down memory lane, exploring my journey with oscilloscopes since the 1960s.

My Career With Oscilloscopes

As I retrace my career history, my first encounter with an oscilloscope during my working life was in 2008. It was a fairly low-end Agilent scope that I used for debugging embedded microcontrollers. It marked my move away from an analog work environment and into the digital realm.

Before 2008, my cubicle at Tektronix in the 1980s was devoid of any oscilloscope. It wasn't until 2008 that I started using them regularly. Over a span of 25 years, Tektronix was not only my employer but also the place where I discovered the joy of using oscilloscopes.

My Collection of Oscilloscopes

Today, I regularly rely on three oscilloscopes:

The 2-channel 100 MHz Tektronix 465B that has been with me for nearly 40 years—like a faithful companion. This scope has witnessed many of my career milestones. A 400 MHz bandwidth Tektronix 2465B, which is ideal for detailed examinations of HCMOS and wide-band analogue circuits. A unique Philips PM3217 50 MHz dual-channel scope that stands out for its double-insulated and earth-free property, allowing for floating measurements.

In addition to these, I occasionally use an HP140 mainframe with its 1415 TDR plug-in to troubleshoot transmission-line faults—a setup that is no longer common, but remains invaluable for certain tasks.

The Scope I Kept

The Tektronix 2465A analog oscilloscope I ended up with is a relic from the 1980s. Although it was state-of-the-art at the time, I acquired mine at an auction for a couple of hundred dollars. Despite its age, I find no pressing need to upgrade to a digital oscilloscope.

Previously, I owned a Tek 7904 mainframe that served me well. Unfortunately, it met its end, leaving behind a collection of plug-ins that cover everything from microvolt sensitivity to 1GHz bandwidth. If anyone is interested in acquiring these unique pieces of equipment, feel free to reach out!

Current Lab Setup

In our current lab, we have a 4-channel 300 MHz Tektronix and a 4-channel 1 GHz Tektronix, both digital and capable of sampling at incredible speeds. However, as an optical lab, we sometimes wish for a faster scope that could meet our needs but lack the budget for a new purchase.

Conclusion

No matter how much technology evolves, there’s something special about holding onto well-loved tools that have accompanied you throughout your career. From eccentric hacks to modern marvels, oscilloscopes have been essential partners in my adventures of debugging, testing, and troubleshooting.