RPS2050 Pen style mini oscilloscope review & teardown

[@phonescreamer]

I was hoping he was going to start the teardown earlier, if for no other reason than removing the speaker.

[@MrOrangeman18]

Yandy it's not a speaker 😉

[@WolfmanDude]

The thing really doesnt beep enough! Why not add a even louder speaker and make it beep randomly when no button is pressed?

[@BarriosGroupie]

Spot on review. I get the feeling that the design engineers created the spec over time, rather than leaving it to marketing who should know what field engineers want.

[@jw5031]

The indicator to the right of the frequency indicator appears to be the USB/data transfer indictor

[@NickMoore]

I have a hangover and I'm watching this with the volume way down. Another awesome video though!

[@mikeselectricstuff]

There does appear to be a protection PCB in the battery pack.

[@bytmeh]

Hmm that was not a very nice comment.... He clearly demonstrates an excellent summary of the product and I really value this review. I don't own a scope, but could use one for basic testing - and this has 100% helped me with my decision. Like he said "It's NOT a substitute for a real scope" ;)

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I noticed that - not sure - could have been that the MCU is doing more in different modes, or maybe using internal RC osc.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Like I said it is NOT a substitute for a real scope, it's for situations where you need something smaller & more portable, like in-the-field testing & faultfinding.

[@TheSpatialTheory]

That looks like the same OLED display used on the SanDisk Sansa Clip series of mini MP3 players.

[@kyoudaiken]

This OLED is EVERYWHERE...

[@TheSpatialTheory]

interesting, know any other applications?

[@kyoudaiken]

A pulse counter for your finger (china, too), MP3 players, cheap watches, etc.

[@TheSpatialTheory]

Neat! Thanks!

[@drkastenbrot]

Jonathan Haller a few kingston mp3 players

[@AintBigAintClever]

I think the OLED display might be an off-the-shelf part. The connection ribbon is slightly different but the display looks the same as the one on the 360 Lizard Xbox drive flash tool, right down to the amber-top-with-the-rest-blue colour scheme.

[@tesla500]

I see what appears to be a Kodak motioncorder high speed camera control unit in the background, I'd be interested in seeing a teardown of that!

[@TedRobotBuilder]

Sounds like it would be good to wait for the next version

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Yep - will defintely do that.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Already mostly recorded - just waiting for time to do some high-speed demos to go with it.

[@mikewhite9178]

That writing at the top of the screen really does look like OSCILLOCRAP!!

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I doubt anyone makes converters less than 8 bits these days.

[@hairypaulmm7wab195]

Whatever happened to using a proper battery isolation switch so there is ZERO power draw when the unit is OFF.. very poor design with super annoying beep. They can keep it..

[@da959]

What a cool idea to put a scope in a probe case like that. It's to bad it doesn't work so well. Heck,I'd buy one if it actually worked..

[@ebmmdawguy]

The beep drops in frequency from the beginning of the video to the end. have I missed something or is this thing simply not stable?

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Soft cores aren't always good value, as they use relatively expensive FPGA fabric compared to the optimised, dedicated silicon of a seperate MCU. This is why most FPGA vendors are now putting hard ARM cores on their chips. As to using two ATMegas, that's just plain bizarre!

[@zloben9000]

This product is meant to be used with a LAPTOP for the display and additional features. The screen is for demo only.

[@AureliusR]

That's... entirely useless then. Why not get an actual USB oscilloscope?

[@coondogtheman]

Excellent review mike, You should try to get the OLED display to display things sort of like you did with the outdoor LED screen. And I've seen these OLED screens in buttons on video slot machines and one of my MP4 players has one.

[@ubuntututorials]

It makes me wonder why they used 8-bit converters when that thing has maybe 32 pixel resolution?

[@RandyLott]

It looks good from the outside but that's the only good thing. That beep is absolutely dreadful. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your opinions.

[@IanScottJohnston]

Good review Mike. I think if I had bought this scope I'd have had it in bits already and fitted a quick toggle sw in series with the battery. BEEP BEEP! Yup, beggars belief!

[@gamccoy]

I loved the tear down and the frank opinions. I've gotta say, I'm surprised you even bought such junk as that. If one needs a scope, one buys a proper scope.

[@Zagroseckt]

i have a mouse with an oled screen like that on it.. (majorly burnd in at this point.) but i did notice theres 2 micro controlers in the thing. 1 runs the gaming mouse functions and the other simply runs the screen i wonder if there doing that here.

[@megabytephreak]

The HWD9288 ADCs are a clone of the AD9288. If you look at the datasheets, all the diagrams (including the performance graphs) are copied out of the Analog Devices version. Wonder how well the ADC performance specs hold up.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Yes - looks like it from what can be made out from the Chinese manual

[@gavincurtis]

They need to start including blood pressure meds and Zen music CD with each pocket oscilloscope sent to Mike for review. Poor guy. You want to see lazy programming? Pull code from Volvo modules. Compiled piles of crap. Don't even get me started on Audi firmware.

[@gvvq-pi5ml]

Hi Mike have they updated the software yet? I wonder if a DSO Nano Pocket scope is any better, I have one of those, there pretty good for what they are, more for hobbyist..the trigger line I think has to be in the area of the sine wave to stabilize it..ok interesting video from Fred Nr Chelmsford Ex uk

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I will probably hack a proper power switch into this and remove the beeper to make it more useable & keep it.

[@feenixb1o7]

What do you do with all your parts? Are they for sale?

[@truhlikfredy]

When I saw the crapy triger modes, then I saw how long the video is and just wondered how you can stay so calm for so long with that piece of ..... Suspiciously light chargers, when I opened such things then I got absolutely afraid to plug such things into mains ever again.

[@ForViewingOnly]

Excellent teardown Mike. What a shame the pen scope is such a P.O.S.! Remove the beeper and add an on/off switch in the battery wire and it'll be 25% less of a P.O.S. :-)

[@samverve]

Theres a place reserved in hell for the person who thought that beep was a good idea!!

[@MrDubje]

It's a nice concept, but the details aren't thought through... nice review, and nice setup behind you, whatever it is with the four monitors.

[@kevtris]

that very yellow+blue OLED display is all over ebay. it's stupidly cheap, only a few dollars. the catch is there's no power supply on it so you have to provide your own (and it had that tab connection). The FPGA is amusing. The entire scope could've easily been handled IN the FPGA itself using soft cores and stuff. The code could easily have fit in blockRAM.

[@francistheodorecatte]

only thing this has over old 10MHz analogue 'scopes is the portability. mine is 35lbs of CRT and steel.

[@f16madlion]

My digital camera by sony drains its battery over a few days, that camera cost over 180 quid the amount of times I wanted to take a photo and its been flat. Its such a crippling completely unnecessary design flaw. I do think you should pop that speaker though ;)

[@masterfoxxhun]

They are using the most common, and cheapest OLED display that can be found on ebay... I wonder what is in it's power supply/charger :D

[@AintBigAintClever]

Plenty of room for a proper on-off slide switch inside, if you remove that buzzer :)

[@donpalmera]

I wouldn't wait for a firmware update... I have a feeling they knock these things up from the parts they can find or recycle, sell them as quick as they can and move on to the next half working product. I don't know how they manage it but they seem to cover everything in foul smelling flux.. even if you order just components :/

[@valveman12]

Damn, with mine eyes, I'd need a magnifying glass to see the screen.

[@ISmellBurning]

Excellent mike, as usual. Hey, what other interesting sites are you hunting for gear from? >;-)

[@jeanpercy7218]

ISmellBurning fhc

[@MrGerbilBrain]

You forgot to teardown the charger! :(

[@szabolcsmate5254]

Holding a button down draws 120mA+. Well done. (slow clap)

[@geodangleon]

Google flagged the site for malware :(

[@AntiProtonBoy]

Was a funny tear down.

[@krishna34674]

I wanted to see you de-solder the beeper >:(

[@TheDragothica]

@1:26 i was thinking, i got a million mini-jacks at an angle, solder alligator clips at the other end = problem solved. But the beeping... it not only looks like, but sounds like a Wii controller.

[@AintBigAintClever]

Perhaps it's time for Mr Pocket-Scope to meet Mr Megger...

[@ndyag100]

its got that creeky plastic feel by the sound of it, i,ve got an old ozifox probe scope, and the specs are lower, at least its got a sold feel to it. I could do a tear down on the oszifox probe scope, any one interested?

[@nrdesign1991]

i've seen MP3 players using the exact same OLED display

[@ChrisTheGregory]

Well considering that horrible QDSO thing Mike reviewed was made out of a repurposed MP3 player, it makes sense.

[@MrHack4never]

Why not build your own handheld scope if you think the ones available are all shit?

[@mebossyounothing]

it's a sonic screwdriver :D

[@blogsterification]

good vid.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Wasn't really bad enough to bother

[@williefleete]

The icon next to the frequency looks like a USB icon

[@hmpeter]

Great video, thank you! :-)

[@TheCrazyInventor]

My god, that beep is REALLY annoying. I wonder who figured it was a good idea to make EVERY BUTTON produce a beep...

[@dinkc64]

low battery, perhaps?

[@ivanv754]

PUT A LOW PASS FILTER ON THE AUDIO! Thanks.

[@berni8k]

Damn this looked so nice at the beginning of the video but with every minute it got worse and worse, this could have been a great tool if it ware designed properly. And 6mA stanby !?! You can fly to the moon on 6mA!!!

[@Andrew_Sparrow]

It's an oscillograph! ;)

[@Desmaad]

What a piece of junk! Only good for the included fanny-pack. Do they sell those seperately?

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I had one of those - even more useless than this one as it needed an external PSU!

[@ps50k0]

This screen is the same as a sansa clip mp3 player screen.

[@Plutonion2]

I couldn't agree with you more about the TOTALLY STUPID "standby" power consumption of some battery powered devices .I had a camera once that did exacllty the same thing ,drained the batteries when "off" . you could always fit one of those small on/off slide switches on the back I suppose , but you really shouldn't have to ,what a totally stupid design .!!!

[@frac]

A resistor.

[@Andrew_Sparrow]

Thanks for the review, I've been looking for a little scope (and cheap) and from watching this I would have thrown it across the room a few times :) Maybe the Chinese are laughing at us and the CD contains the "real" Chinese software updates that make it work flawlessly in Chinese ;) A case of get what you pay for again :(

[@scaleop4]

10:08 it looks like a USB plug unplugged.

[@drkastenbrot]

As annoying as the beeper of my devo f4. That beeper is like fucking 90db Loud...

[@BulletMagnet83]

Nice vid! I'd have totally desoldered that sounder and hit it with a hammer by now ;-)

[@onwul]

I'm surprised that it works at all. But, pretty much standard thing for not very expensive chinese products: great idea, poor implementation.

[@cypeapplejuice]

Got to 18:41, then the **** got me.

[@Sailingon]

That beep makes me want to burn it on my fire 🔥

[@Gameboygenius]

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

[@mschwemberger]

I would hammered on this damn thing >:(

[@First2ner]

I would rather but battery powered scope :S

[@gryzman]

Windows user complaining about UI, interesting. It's utterly ugly on the outside, so frankly I wouldn't expect them to put much thought to anything in it. If someone doesn't do a decent job on outside and inside design everything else is going to be shit too.

[@DoRC]

beep beep beep!

[@ChrisTheGregory]

Only if you want people to think your flowers are "total crap."

[@williefleete]

lol, even my 10Mhz analogue scope is more useful than that, and it doesnt f**king BEEP. that off state current consumption is ridiculous, as dave jones would say, "you could fly to the moon on that" even my clunky binary watch only draws around 3mA with the LEDs off.

[@TeroPihlaja]

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Annoying sound! Nice review though :)

[@SodAlmighty]

For fuck sake, move the microphone further away from the damn thing. The beeping is driving me insane.

[@JanicekTrnecka]

Software for chinese products is a load of crap. Baofeng UV5R ..neat transciever for its price. software ? Useless. ( gladly we do have alternatives like chirp). My E-Bike BLDC controller ? Works fine. Software ? Crashes and crashes and crashes, so glad that setting is done "once" in a lifetime of that controller. Chinese LED wall software ? What a load of crap and easter eggs. Yes you could buy BARCO LED wall but everybody will laugh at your prices.