DSO-138 Oscilloscope build walk-through - avoiding the pitfalls
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- A detailed walk-through for the novice showing the build process for the DS0-138 digital storage oscilloscope , with hi-res photos & tips to ensure it works first time. Includes details of optional acrylic case.
See www.jyetech.com for more details on this & other kits; for upgrades, click Support & Service, then click Firmwares. The direct link for firmware version 60 is www.jyetech.com...
José Fonseca has kindly shared a front panel template for the acrylic case on the Jyetech forum www.jyetech.com...
Superb video. I spent some years teaching electronics, as well as being an inveterate constructor myself. All the key stuff is covered. Could have been boring, but very well presented and explained.
Your synthesiser demo is better than a lot of modern "music".
Thanks for the kind words +Stephen Cook. If it helped just one person to get this kit working, it was worth it. I know too well (from when I started a long time ago!) the disappointment & frustration when it all goes pear-shaped :)
The first kit I made was in 1969, a Sinclair Micromatic 'matchbox' radio. I never did get that to work and support was non-existent. Really looking forward to building this 'scope.
+spacial2 - you had the posh one :) I had the mark 1 version - the Micro 6, and if memory serves correctly, I was listening to this on my paper-round 50 years ago when they launched Radio 1 with Flowers In The Rain! (there are anniversary programs early tomorrow morning - 30th Sept). Also remember using the radio at school - it was small enough to fit in my pocket with the earpiece lead running up my sleeve, so if you rested your head against your hand, nobody knew you were tuning in! Hope you have better luck with the scope :)
Where's the video with your "on the run" cover? :)
Damn !
The outro sound effected sign test is unbelievable !
Amazing !
It's blowed my mind !
@Gábor M. thanks for the feedback. More info & videos about the synth are at www.philizound.co.uk/freebies/modular-synth/modular-synth.html
got quite the giggle out of your "resistance is futile" bit :)
Thanks Kirk - blink and you'll miss it :)
Kirk Nelson
Yeah, I agree. Subtle British humour.
old school is cool.. one of the best instructional videos I have seen in a long time on TH-cam. A lot of photos and work has gone into this... Thanks
Thanks for the support Jan :)
tip: you can also squeeze with tweezers/pilers on the root of the component (before the component and after the location of soldering) to transfer the heat away from the component
Good tip +Lasse U, thanks for comment.
RTFM is almost a necessity with this kit. Don't ignore anything. If they wrote they did so to make sure you know it.
This is a very well done video and I enjoyed it enough to watch it twice! I am on step 16 of 22 so most of my parts are in. The two page concise build instruction manual included in the kit is, IMHO, a model of its kind. The pictures are crisp and match the parts, the parts are labeled (and counted) correctly. The parts match the instructions exactly, the circuit board is labeled very clearly and accurately. I have put together much more expensive kits that were not near the overall quality of this kit. The instructions were obviously prepared by (1) someone with a talent for writing instructions, (not a common skill BTW), (2) someone that had assembled the kit his or herself, and (3) someone that wanted the person building the kit to actually build it. The few extra tips and notes are spot on. Kudos to JYE-Tech for doing such an impressive job regardless of the fact it was for a $25 scope. And your video is in the same spirit. Thanks for posting this and good job! :-)
Cheers +John Cantlin and thanks for the input. Agree with kudos to jye-tech; there's even support on their forum if it doesn't work. Hope yours turns out ok when finished.
This is a great review and tutorial. You make a good point that this should not be dismissed as junk. Someone put a lot of work into this design so that it can be in my hands for about $25 shipped. 20 years ago the PCB alone would be $20. It can certainly be a very useful tool for certain applications. Thanks for your efforts in putting this tutorial together.
Thanks for the feedback +aviatorbja. Apologies for delay in replying but TH-cam messages don't seem to flag up in my email so I only see them if I go and look! You're quite right, I find it disrespectful when people slag these things off just because it doesn't meet their requirements.
Finally i know to make intro thx suround sound 😄
Rtfm? Read the fucking manual? 😂
Thank you so much for this informative video, it's exactly what I needed to see before building my one. My case has arrived but the board is still in the mail and I'm really looking forward to building it!
But I would have just put it together and then probably run into all the problems you highlighted so you have possibly saved me the cost of a second board!
Thanks again :)
Thanks Elliot. Good luck with the build.
that synth is hypnotic man
Thanks +Jet Addict, more info & videos about it here www.philizound.co.uk/freebies/modular-synth/modular-synth.html
Phil Tipping no problem man
I just ordered one of these scopes, so I really appreciate the effort you put into this video. Thanks!
@Bright Idea no worries, hope it all works out ok. To reword an old saying: test twice, solder once :)
You are a great instructor, Phil. Glad that you've shared this weekend project to guide us on a similar journey one day soon. Your presentation is so clear and very easy to follow. Thnaks again, Phil!
+SeekersBlue917 _ thanks for the kind words. Good luck with your projects.
Loved seeing those waveforms at the end.
@Calthecool Yes it's a handy tool as long a you know its limitations - not a toy at all! Thanks for stopping by :)
The DSO138 scope tested
➡ Read this article
chinese-electronics-products-tested.blogspot.com/p/dso138-very-cheap-scope-tested.html
Reminds me of a Spaceship hovering at Beaulieu disused aerodrome (Hampshire) 11pm at night (October 1987) but nobody believed me.
Excellent video, looking into getting one my self. I'm a total novice so I've learned a lot from this.
Thanks +andy pandy. Well as long you take it slow and careful, you should be ok... although if you're a novice to soldering, would recommend trying something simpler first. There are plenty of cheaper kits which use PCBs. Here are a few examples which are between 1 & 2 GBP - you may just need patience for delivery ;)
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301566828290.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271839349072.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361338713791.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252157924936.
Can't vouch for these myself, but even if they're not useful to you, they should be good practice... and won't break the bank if you mess up. Good luck.
I wouldn't say I'm a novice with soldering, but I am a novice when it comes to electrical components. So these little PCBs are perfect for learning the basics of how a circuit works. Thank you!!
A really fine video! Thank you for going into such detail - you make it all so clear. Even I now believe I could make one of these, and it looks quite adequate for checking amplifiers and so on.
@Pyotr Leflegin thanks for the nice feedback Pyotr. Just noticed the upload was nearly 3 years ago, so there may be more choices available now.
I was about to ask if one can use this to monitor signals from modular synths at the end xD
I like that you don't just shit on these little kits! Everything above 20 Mhz is way out of my league...
Great video. No theatrics, clear and through.
Thanks for the feedback +spacial2
It's odd, but I didn't have a problem with the inductor being to large. It fit with no trouble, even when I built the case.
This video was therapeutical after a full day at faculty
Please do more walk-throughs :)
Thanks for support +Radu Buda
Thank you for this video, after watching it over 8 times, and during my build, I was able to complete this project and have it boot up on first go.
Thanks +alhenriq, glad it was a success.
***@Phil Tipping*** - Amazing tutorial and instruction guide thanks! I had to listen to the synth on my vintage Radio Shack Mach 1 speakers AWESOME with low frequencies! Especially the last 10 seconds when the wave merged to the resonant frequency! Wish you let it go for at least a minute before fading out. Thanks! :)
+John Piper thanks for the feedback John. The synth attracted more interest than I thought - it was just an example of why I built the scope :) There's more info and video links on the synth on my www.philizound.co.uk website... navigate to Freebies then Modular synthesizer.
sounds like freddy mercury if he ended up being an electrical engineer instead
And LinkedIn learning, Udemy, Khan, et al, haven’t recruited you yet? I was a teacher for 20 years and I could only dream of putting together such an impeccable lesson. Cheers!
@M Roberge thanks for the kind words.
Excellent. That ending makes me want to watch Logan's Run.
+Dead Frt West haha yes I see what you mean :) Thanks for the feedback.
it makes me want to watch Phantasm
Just BRILLIANT ..
@Tahir Gurashi thanks for stopping by Tahir.
I liked the detailed description.
What I didn't like, was the too detailed description.
:)
+King Parodije, haha - yes it's a tricky balance between providing something useful and sending you all to sleep :) Thanks for the feedback.
Don't seem to hear too much mainstream synthesizer music any more; it's such a cool sound- the extra harmonics of squares and sawtooths are so much more interesting than plain ole sine waves- :)
+DTR RTD agreed - always a pleasure to switch it on. There's a mini blog about mine with videos here www.philizound.co.uk/freebies/modular-synth/modular-synth.html but be warned it can be an expensive addiction :)
Phil Tipping
I'm happy just listening to the creations of others, that looks like a whole other world of endeavors!
Thank you for the video, I really like how you presented it with the pictures and the calm narration.
Thanks +whuzzzup, yes the video prep & editing does take a fair bit of time but glad to know it's worth the effort :) All the best.
Thanks god for this instructional video! I ordered the kit by accident and the included instructions aren't sufficient. Sitting down to enjoy this on a new year's day afternoon :)
+Gary McKinnon thanks for the feedback Gary... a nice unexpected present to tinker with :) Hope the build was successful. Happy New Year to you.
I was quite bored until I saw that beast at the end
There is an easy improvement that is discussed here and there online, and I confirmed it is worthwhile. (It applies to either the DSO-138 or the DSO-138 "Mini".) You increase the values of R6, R7, and R8 by ten times. This is because the values specified seem to put too much load on the preceding amplifier's output with higher signals making some anomalies on the displayed waveform. Since this resistor divider feeds a non-inverting amplifier input, you can increase the values with no issues. R6 300 Ohm become 3 kOhm. R7 180 Ohm becomes 1.8 kOhm, and R8 120 Ohm becomes 1.2 kOhm. (All should be 1% tolerance.)
@Charles Kinzer sounds like a great tip Charles, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for fantastic video ! I am building my kit DSO138 and found out mismatch regarding Resistors R8, R12, R13. The ones I got for the kit are measured as 120K, BUT In The Manual I am suposed to use 120 ohm. Have you heard of more people getting wrong comoponents with the kit ? OR Could this be updated parts but and old (Non updated) manual ? What is your thought ?
Thank you :)
@Olafur Holm yes a few people have had the wrong value components, which is why the video emphasises the importance of checking/measuring every one. It's far harder to debug and remove an incorrect component after it's soldered in, so you did the right thing to be cautious. There may have been changes in the design over the years, but this is a huge difference so I don't think that explains it. If the manual came with the kit, I would expect it to correspond to the components which are included. I've had a look on the jyetech website, and their schematic still shows 120 ohm resistors (the same as my 5-year old version). If you haven't got any spare 120 ohm resistors, I would complain to the seller and get a replacement. Failing that, you'll have to buy some components. If you are just starting out in electronics, you can buy a mix of different value resistors so this would be a good way of stocking up your supply. Good luck.
Could you use this scope on cars etc for diagnostic work? Sensors, ignition and injectors?
@BoostHit sorry I don't know what requirements you need for this type of work. The scope specs show its max voltage and frequency range etc. so if your diagnostic work doesn't need anything outside these limits, it should be ok.
I got a kit and my 1N5819 seems wrong. I have an AVR Component tester, and it says V_f = 250mV, I_r = 1 uA. Looking at the 1N5819 data-sheet this seems wrong. V_f @ 1amp should be 600 mV, and I_R should be 500 uA. It's hard to read the label, but it does say 1N5....
Is this normal? To get such an off-spec part? I've ordered an 1N5819 to use.
+WarthogARJ I think it's ok. Mine shows 0.238 volts forwards and open-circuit (OL) reverse (see video at approx 4m55s). The testmeter won't use anything like 1 amp, and the datasheet graph shows the voltage drop depends on the current.
Most excellent instruction video. Highly informative an relevant to this product. Can't wait to get into my build of the DSO138. Thanks very much!
+Tim Stokes thanks for the feedback Tim, good luck with the build.
Thank you. Watched the video before I started construction of the 'scope, did all the component checks and taped them to a sheet of paper with the measured values noted.
I then had it going (with frequent pauses) as I built the 'scope, which was a multi-hour process over several days. The firmware ends in 60, so it's effectively current (61 is available but just adds support for another LCD display controller). Only the case needs to be completed and I'll get to that tomorrow.
JYETech offers a DC-DC converter (USB or 3.8 volt lithium cell in for 9 volts out). I'll be adding that, a 2650 mah lithium cell, a USB charge/protection board (TP4056) for the lithium cell and an extension to the case to contain those parts. My intended use is checking output waveforms of DC-AC inverters (12 volts DC to 120 volts AC). Using a 10x scope probe effectively increases the 50v peak-to-peak rating of the DSO138 to 500v p-to-p so a plastic-cased 'scope running on a battery is the ideal tool for doing that checking - nothing grounded, nothing in a metal case. Depending on the efficiency of the DC-DC converter, the 2650 mah cell could provide 6 hours of continuous operation.
Sounds a great idea +notyoung so many thanks for sharing. One thing to watch maybe... there are pads on the PCB around the bolt holes, so if you use metal bolts and nuts to hold it in place, they'll be at ground potential. There were some nice rounded stud nuts with my case which make attractive 'feet', but you need to be careful what you stand it on!
Hi Phil...a comment from your old mate! Just wanted to say that I am most impressed with the professionalism of this video. Watching it took me back to the days in Mirfield when you and I were just starting out in electronics. VCAs, VCOs, ring modulators, Switched-On Bach, CQ20, 73s and so on. All the best, my friend...John
@John P Coates good to hear from you John. Thanks for the kind words - surprised you just found this as it's been up a few years - you'll be moving onto the sequetron and dp24 tutorials next! Thought the scope was a tiny niche project but have had lots of interest so good to know enthusiasts are still out there :) Did you recognise those old resistors - some may even be relics from Mac of Morley in Leeds or Padgett's Radio in Liversedge... all long gone I presume, but happy memories. All the best to you as well, and keep in touch.
UPDATE: I spent a couple of enjoyable afternoons assembling my kit. (bought from Banggood, and it appears to be genuine.) The most useful thing I did in preparation for the build was watch your video! (this is the first time I have ever tried anything like this.) Two sheets of paper; assembly and operating instructions did not seem to be enough... in fact they covered everything, very clearly, and in GOOD English! The only hiccup was the point where assembly is complete, and you test various voltages before you solder JP3 and plug in the display panel. You are told what points to test with the positive multimeter probe, but you are not told where to connect the negative probe. I assumed (wrongly) that I should connect it to the ground power feed... this gave incorrect readings. Luckily I experimented (blundered about), and found that using the DGND pin gave the right answers. BINGO! Twenty four hours later and my trace went wild with nothing connected to it :o( More blundering about and I found my lousy soldering had made a perfect "dry-joint". Easily fixed, and it has worked fine since.
The case is slightly different to yours, and it has space for the Power Inductor without modification.
Would I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY!! If you are dabbling with Arduinos, Raspberry Pi's, hobby robotics, RC etc. This may be of use. It is what it is; it only cost a few bucks... it cannot compete with a thousand dollar machine. (If you need dual traces, buy two of these, you will still be hundreds of bucks ahead.) Have fun; I did. :o)
ORIGINAL: Thanks Phil! I have just received my kit, and in preparation I thought I would check out TH-cam. So glad I did; your video covered everything I had concerns about. Well produced, clearly described, and perfectly paced. Right on the money... liked and subscribed.
Thanks John, glad it helped. Hope the build goes ok - it's a good exercise in patience & concentration :) Let us know how it works out.
Yes the old 3 stripe carbon resistors........Remember the body/tip/spot types? Very good video sir. What I did with the BNC connector was to warm it and the PCB up with a heat gun. Not too hot, just enough to help the soldering iron out a bit. So far the DSO-138 has proved to be a good (very) basic instrument accurate enough for most hobby applications.
@Chris Norton thanks Chris. Yes I remember those resistors... and the waxy capacitors! Come a long way since then :) Good tip with the BNC. Have only just bought a heat gun - wish I'd done this years ago... the bedroom hair dryer isn't quite the same :)
FANTASTIC! I need to acquire a couple of these kits one door my self and one for my son! Just to get us started in this crazy,fun,intriguing hobby! Good video!!! 👍
+Austin&Vicky Moore thanks for the feedback. Make sure you get the kits with the surface mount components already mounted (as in this video) or they may be too fiddly to solder... but your choice :) Also check out the newer kits on the jye website - there's another one similar to this, but with a rotary dial for changing the settings. This might be easier to use than pressing + and - buttons. Either way, have fun with them and good luck with the build(s) - just be patient and check & double-check everything to guarantee success first time :)
Do you know if it's possible to talk to the software running inside the DSO138 over the serial port ?
Specifically, I want to change the timebase based on an rpm signal.
I would like to have an arduino reading my rpm signal and then changing the DSO138 timebase to the appropriate value.
(I am making a fuel injector waveform viewer. This DSO will be permanently hooked up to the injector output channel of a car's ECU and allow the user to see the waveform, pulse length and duty cycle of the injectors)
Hi +shodanxx, I don't think there is any remote control code in the firmware but may be wrong - try asking on the jyetech forum (www.jyetech.com/forum/index.php). If you can get hold of the source code you may be able to locate which bytes to overwrite, although if you had that, you might as well modify the code to give you the access you need. It sounds like there is little free code space though as they've already removed the standard usb handling code which is why the usb socket is redundant and you can only update firmware via the header pins. As a last resort you could try connecting relays across the buttons and control these with the arduino; there would be no feedback so the two units might get out of step, but it may be worth experimenting. Let us know if you crack it.
what an excellent video, I hopped on to learn HOW to use my new oscilloscope but learned so much more - ways to measure components, how to read capacitor values. Oddly enough my 'kit' came pre-assembled although I did not order it as such. The fiddly part was getting the case together without instructions but I like puzzles so it was an enjoyable challenge. THEN (as I did not RTM) I realized I needed to take the case apart to calibrate my probes. My new mantra is RTM RTM RTM :) Thank you for putting this guide together sir.
@Carole Wise no problem Carole, glad you found it useful. Thanks for sharing your story :)
👍
Great and detailed rundown of the building process.
I got this kit recently, and I found the provided instructions to be exceptionally good for this kind of kit; extensive and easy to follow, but it's always great to know the potential pitfalls during the build so thanks for this video.
My 104 caps also read ~0.067uF instead (despite being labeled 104), but the kit works fine with them, so I'm guessing their value is not critical.
Thanks +Elias Zacarias. Yes, I think you get away with it as none of the 11 x 0.1uF capacitors are used for critical timing - the majority are for decoupling power lines. Glad the build was successful.
This is such a good video. The content and presentation are just excellent. Thank you Phil, this is just what I need. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your videos.
@Mark McCluney thank you Mark, glad you liked it. I've not made any more construction videos as detailed as this, although the latest PlasMa project shows what happens when you get a bit carried away ;) th-cam.com/video/qgo8tZTJ1vo/w-d-xo.html
Hi Phil, I really like your video, very informative. I bought the exact same self-build Oscilloscope, but I have a question about resistor R4. The resistor is a 2M ohm and the one supplied measures 2M ohm but when I solder it in it measures 1m ohm. I thought it could be faulty, so I have taken it out and bought a new 2M ohm resistor, checked it and soldered it in but that too measures 1M ohm, I have check the original one again and it measures 2M ohm. Why when I solder the 2M ohm resistor in does it measure 1M ohm?
Neil
+Know Fear thanks for the feedback Neil. Measuring component values when in circuit can be deceiving as it will often show different values due to the effects of other components. It's sometimes possible to calculate and predict the difference by inspecting the circuit diagram. In this case, the right-hand side of R4 connects to ground via R5. The left-hand side of R4 also connects to R2 which in turn is connected to ground via R3. This means R2, R3 & R5 (1.8M + 200K + 20K = 2020K) are in parallel with R4 (2M), so this would give a measured value of approx 2M in parallel with 2M, in other words 1M... which is exactly what you've found.
just built mine using your video. On small problem, though, it worked on first power up but the led was flashing, so I rchecked everything and found that I hadn't shorted JP4, there was actually a sm resistor there. So foolishly I shorted it and now it won't boot. So I tried desoldering the sm in place but am not having mush luck. Any suggestions? thanks for a great video
Thanks for the feedback +Beau. Not sure why there was a sm resistor across jp4, but this suggests the resistor should have been somewhere else, in which case you'd have to check if all the other resistors are present and correct. If you're still stuck, try asking on the jyetech forum. Good luck.
Excellent video. I just finished putting together the board and was puzzling about how the hell all those case pars went together. Thanks to your video I am no longer puzzled.
@Fred Townroe caused me some head-scratching too :) Impressive how the parts are cut so accurately though... started me wanting a laser CNC machine! Thanks for stopping by Fred.
Hobbyking have these on clearance at the moment for £2.50, so despite not really knowing what an oscilloscope does or what I might use it for, I have bought myself one as soldering practice. Thank you for this excellent tutorial
@Tsnafu wow, that's an amazing price :) - almost worth getting a couple just for spares... or even a spare screen for another project! Thanks for the feedback and good luck with the build.
Why would anyone give this video a thumb down? Very well done and so much valuable information. Thanks for taking the trouble to make this.
@rockett crawford Good question :) I think some do it out of spite or are overly picky - TH-cam should have a 'reason' field to fill in, then we can maybe address the problem... but no worries, I just ignore it :)
Thank *you* for taking the time to comment - much appreciated, and glad the video helped. There are more recent kits from jyetech.com which have improvements over this one, such as a rotary wheel for changing settings. Good luck with your build(s), whatever you decide to make.
Phil, I am late to the dance here, but wanted to compliment you on your video. It was evenly paced and deliberate. Also, your thoughtful sentiments at the beginning struck the right note. This is NOT a Tek 465 or 2465 or a Rigol, but it is a decent and useful little tool that could come in handy for those on a budget.
+War Planner many thanks for the feedback.
For power supply i used two li-ion battery cells in series and shorted diode d2. Works way better and longer than 9v battery. Shorted the diode d2 because . Two cells give only about 8v when charged and after diode d2 oscilloscope would receive only 7.4v.
Good tip +Alvydas Urbonas. Think the 9v alkaline batteries are about 500mAh so that's 2.5 hours use at 200mA. AA's are another option - 2000mAh would give about 10 hours use. Note if you remove the diode D2, there is no reverse-polarity protection so be careful!
Brilliant video! Thanks. There is hardly a possibility of using an a/b mode on this product?
@Will Kmep thanks for the feedback Will. Not sure what possibilities there are nowadays - I believe a few people have modified the firmware so just search for dso138 hacks. Also check out the jyetech.com website for their more recent developments on this.
Excellent tutorial. And a welcome relief from the overuse of the words "um" and "uh" so prevalent in lesser videos. I've built many kits and built many projects straight from schematics and never thought to measure and test all the components. But it's a very good idea and will save a lot of guesswork later if troubleshooting is needed.
By the way, using an ohm meter to check LEDs is a terrific idea. Saves one from the trouble of rigging up a battery, test leads and resistor to check them.
Thanks for the feedback +David Winn - makes it worth all the effort of recording & editing - hope to do more soon, but it all takes time :)
A really excellent job with this video and the synth at the end was an added treat. Well done.
Cheers
@Surf Detector thanks for stopping by; glad you liked it :)
I have a couple of LCR meters that are quite capable of measuring very small capacitances and inductances because I need them for building crystal radios and need to verify coils and caps for proper tuning. Very handy meters and relatively cheap as well.
@lochinvar00465 good idea; thanks for sharing.
I learned the hard way to always check each component before you solder it in place. Had a diode that was marked backwards resulting in blown fuses upon power up. Fortunately only the fuses took damage.
@lochinvar00465 wow, not come across one of those, but well done for being cautious - never trust anything :) Thanks for stopping by.
good after noon Mr Tipping Im trying to fine out the Web site for upgrate the DSO138 do You have Link if You can share
No problem +Ulises Aguilar. The main web site is www.jyetech.com, click on Support & Service, then click Firmwares. The direct link for v60 is www.jyetech.com/Products/LcdScope/113-13801-060.rar. Have just copied this info to main description, so thanks for your interest & good luck.
n00b alert: Will this be a nice present to a DJ friend? Seems fun but I don't understand very good the use of it....
@babetty - building the kit needs some soldering experience and a lot of patience, so it depends if they like tinkering with electronics and building things. A pre-built version might be another option as it doesn't cost very much extra. The end result is useful/educational for seeing/measuring waveforms on a screen, e.g. you could use it as a fault-finding device, or simply learn what different musical waveforms & tones look like.
Great video, I worked as an Electronics technician for years amd am gettign back into it with SBCs so I will be buying one of these.
@aR Bemo thanks for stopping by. Good luck with the build.
When calibrating, my signal flickers quite a bit... what could that be and how do i remove it?
+Pino K. K. could be a bad joint somewhere. You can confirm this by pressing down on the board and see if it still flickers. It may also be a faulty component... or it might just be an intermittent connection from the test signal to the input. Try asking on the jyetech forum.
I've seen many videos about this scope but your video is by far the most helpful. Thank you very much.
@SuperArmus that's kind of you to say; thank's for stopping by. Season's greetings :)
Excellent video for beginners! Methodically and simply explained at a good pace.
Good demo at the end but too loud after having my volume up to hear what you were saying.
+David Howard oops, sorry about the volume! ...but thanks for the feedback.
Fantastic video. Tonnes of useful detail and the demo at the end was excellent!
Thanks Rob.
Good after noon Mr Tippings a Question , how much Ac & Dc can we test on the DSO138 , if can help
Hi Ulises. The spec says max input voltage is 50v pk. hth.
I’m a complete novice still awaiting mine to come through the post. Thank you, I will return to this video again when I’m building it and will let you know how I get on.
@Mark Harris good luck Mark... just remember a few people have had components with incorrect values, so always "check twice, solder once" :) Thanks for stopping by.
got my scope to try and set my gains on my amplifier but unfortunately it doesn't pick up the 40hz sound wave. disappointed in the kit to be honest.
@yugiranger 40Hz is well within the range of the scope so does it display the self-test signal ok? If you have a signal generator, you can check & confirm the full response of the scope. If not, it would be worth getting one as it would complement your scope and test meter (presume you've got one of these) if you want to set up amps and other electronic equipment.
I just bought one fully assembled as at 68 years old i thought it might be challenging to assemble but most of the work it is going to be doing is automotive Injectors alternators etc But thank you for a very informative video
@Paul Watkins thanks Paul. They're fun to build but no shame in getting one ready-made. At least you know what's involved now so maybe for the next project... :) We're the same age so never to old to learn :) Best wishes.
This is a really good video. You don't get them like this every day! New Sub!
@Akoben Adinkrahene thanks for stopping by; glad you liked it.
unfortunately I encountered your video after trying to solder it myself. I was kind of a noob at soldering, so I am afraid I might have ruined something. what would be the best way to understand where the problem is? isn't there some sort of priority list?
Hi +silver general, there's a trouble-shooting section in the instructions, and a list of voltage check-points so you can narrow down the fault. Or you can ask on the jyetech forum - there are lots of people in the same situation so they should be able to help. Good luck.
Never short electrolytic capacitors to discharge them! You can damage them. Use a test light to discharge them!
@monkeymanstones1 well I did point this out at 8:04, but stated it probably wouldn't hurt with such a low voltage from the test meter, and you're only doing it once. If this was bad advice, I stand corrected.
how did you hook it up to your synth? I have an MS20 mini. Is it compatible?
@RichStupidEmoKid not sure what you mean by compatible. The scope can handle voltages up to 50v so there should be no problem damaging anything. If you mean compatible connections, then I used a BNC-to-RCA/phono adapter, e.g. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-5-10X-BNC-Male-Plug-to-RCA-Female-Coax-Cable-CCTV-Video-Adapter-Connector-LS/323613580238 You can then use a standard audio cable with an RCA/phone plug one end, and whatever your synth uses at the other - mine uses 1/4" jacks, but if your MS20 uses 1/8" jacks, these should be just as easy to buy/make. Have fun :)
18:30 I just finished building one of these. I get the screen to boot up fine, but no yellow trace. If i hook the test lead up the l.e.d. flashes, all the buttons and switches appear to work, but no input signal. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Hi +Obsolete Technologies, best bet is to ask in the jyetech forum (www.jyetech.com/forum/index.php). Doesn't sound too serious but hope you get it fixed.
This is quality content, thank you!
@Edouard Belval thanks Edouard
It’s not junk you actually need good electronic skills to do this .... I built mine fist time made the test point checks and it works great
@Ray Murray well done Ray, thanks for sharing :)
Thanks, I have been thinking of purchasing one of these before our new President imposes the import fees on such devices, while I like the fellow some of his ideas have me a bit frightened that my new hobby will come to an end with his import duties ideas.
+Jerry Ericsson - well good luck with the build if you get one... and good luck with the other thing :)
Thanks! Mine will be delivered tomorrow and this will help me with building it.
@Diane Brzeski Thanks for stopping by. Good luck with the build. Check & double-check everything *before* soldering :) Let us know how it goes.
How does it work with connecting the synth to the oscilloscope, like what sort of cables do you use and how? Asking because I would like to use one the same way
+Exquisite Arc I use a BNC-to-Phono adapter like this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNC-TO-RCA-PHONO-SOCKET-CCTV-VIDEO-CAMERA-CABLE-CONVERTER-ADAPTER/332086035144
then a cable with 1/4" jack plug at one end for the synth and RCA/phono for the adapter/scope on the other.
Last minute of the video is the best! The 8bit generator seems to be very nice piece of equipment :P
@robsonicam thanks for stopping by. More info & videos about the synth are here www.philizound.co.uk/freebies/modular-synth/modular-synth.html
Whats the difference of dso138mini and the dso138?????
@Marc Jyron Mañacap I don't know as I only built the dso138, but just do a search for ds0138mini and dso138 and you'll have your answers :) I just did that and found these two items: jyetech.com/dso138mini-oscilloscope-diy-kit/ and jyetech.com/dso-138-oscilloscope-diy-kit/
Excellent walk-through. Sub'd!
@Dillip Phunbar thank you.
good after noon Mr tipping, thks for the infor , if I may ask what does PK . hth mean Sir
Sorry Ulises, my fault being lazy using these abbreviations :). Pk means peak - see this article for explanation www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/What-is-peak-voltage.php
hth means 'hope this helps'
This kit was the first thing I ever soldered. :3 Worked first time!
@Scritch well done, you must be a natural :) Thanks for stopping by.
Trap for younger players, capacitance meters are horrifically inaccurate in most cases. They are based on timing very short pulses, and unless your meter is obscenely expensive and well made, it will use mostly 1% parts which have an exponential effect on capacitance measurement. There is a very simple and relatively accurate way (usually within 10pF) way of measuring capacitors under 470 uF using an arduino and the serial monitor if you still need to measure these and don't have an accurate LCR meter.
Thanks for the tip +Richard Stifle. Maybe that's why my readings varied so much with my 'cheapish' meter.
Excellent video and it helped me avoid a few mistakes.. Thanks
Thanks +wa4aos - even one 'save' makes it worth it :) 73's.
I really, really want your headband magnifying set.
+Carl Franz thanks for the feedback. The headband is a Donegan OptiVISOR DA4 2 X Power at 10" + OptiLOUPE + Quasar LED Lighting System. There are many (much cheaper!) lookalikes but decided to go for these after a lot of conscience wrestling - someone told me never to skimp on tools... could only find them in the USA though, so postage also bumped up the price. They use glass lenses and seem well built, but have never tried the others so can't really advise. The tricky bit is deciding what magnification you need. The temptation is to get higher power, but you then find you have to be so close so the workpiece that soldering is impossible - these focus at 10" which is just about right for me. You can get extra lenses but I went for a simple OptiLoupe which can be swung over one of the eyepieces to give extra power for close-up inspections.
Great detailed build walk-through. Thanks a lot!
@goku thanks for stopping by; glad you liked it.
I've got a trace but when I touch the leads or attach to the test signal I get nothing. (The connector has contact with the board.)
+344 12334 your best bet is to ask on the jyetech forum.
Earned a sub. Great narration and very easy to follow. I just threw one of these kits together last night and it was a good experience. Had no real problems and so far my only complaint with it is the included power adapter has much too short of a cable on it. But still, I was really shocked by how clear and well illustrated the instructions were.
I've tried a few other cheap kits and things like that from China and it's almost always what you'd expect; crap. Poorly assembled, poorly tested, etc. This however did not show any of those signs. The PCB had very clear and precise markings, the instructions did not contain any broken english, the SMD components were all properly soldered, and best of all the included trouble shooting guide and flow charts are also insanely useful and easy to follow. All of the components were provided and all of them also had reasonable measurements.
Actually, my other complaint apart from the included power adapter are how none of the pin headers have anchor pins to force them to properly align with the PCB. Soldering those was a bit of a nightmare for me. The bigger ones were fine but the smaller ones kept twisting on me.
In any case, super good kit. For basic use it's fantastic and it's a fun building experience.
Thanks +spartan456 - glad yours was a good experience so thanks for sharing. I too found the header pins tricky to align, so the trick with soldering just one pin first as shown was very useful. The other method mentioned was to leave all the headers till the end and plug the 2 boards together *before* soldering... but I'm not entirely convinced as you could end up with both sets being misaligned with their PCBs so although they would fit perfectly with each other, you would be unable to swap boards if ever you needed to in future. I think my preference would be to just have the patience to align them with the PCB in the first place :)
Interesting that yours included a PSU - mine didn't so had to hunt around for something suitable. Have also stuck a 9v battery to the side of the case with a short power cable (standard 9v arduino connector) for portable use - works a treat.
Phil Tipping
I just finished building a nixie tube clock that had similar arrangements of headers, and on that one the instructions recommended plugging the males into the females and then aligning them, and then sticking the boards down to solder the headers.
It actually worked out VERY well since they were all aligned perfectly, and they are more than capable of being disconnected. Definitely a lot easier for me than trying to line them up by hand. I tried tacking a single pin but after reheating it several times and still being not perfect, I didn't want to chance heating it any more.
Ok +spartan456, thanks for the confirmation - I'll certainly check this method out next time.
That modular synth at the outro ia awesome!! Are you deadmau5??
@Hanzkhie DLP506 haha no, but thanks for the thought :) More info & videos about the synth are at www.philizound.co.uk/freebies/modular-synth/modular-synth.html Thanks for stopping by, and Happy New Year to you.
electricidad electronica
Do not yet have the kit - but you presentation is very valuable. Thanks !
Thanks for the feedback +Otis Brown
good video
thanks i have one but i have not finish it .i will rewatch your video to finish it
Thanks +stephen gray. Good luck with the build.
There are detailed manuals about all the I/p o/p pins do u have any ?
@SUBHANKAR DEY not sure which part you are referring to. The full schematic is in the build document. All docs are available on the jyetech.com website. The (old) DSO-138 is here jyetech.com/dso-138-oscilloscope-diy-kit/ but if you look under Products you'll see other oscilloscope variants.