Troubleshooting a serial bus using a SIGLENT SDS oscilloscope

In this video, we show some techniques that can help troubleshoot serial bus issues.
The project uses a Rasbperry Pi, an I2C based temperature sensor, and OLED to record temperature every 5 seconds and display it on the OLED.
The techniques shown apply to the SIGLENT SDS1X/X+/X-E, SDS2000, and SDS2000X oscilloscopes.

[@larrybud]

I know this is an older video, but I love to see real-world application troubleshooting scope videos.

[@SiglentVideo]

Thank you. Glad you like the video.

[@DogRox]

A great video and very informative! That is one heck of a scope!! :-) I wish my scope could do that, it's an older Siglent model switch I'm still learning how to use. That's why I really like these type of videos. Although it doesn't pertain to my unit it's still interesting!:-)

[@SiglentVideo]

Glad that it was helpful. Yes, some of the features are available only on the newer SDS1X, X+, XE, and 2000/X series. But, we try to make each video with enough content to help the most people. If you have any suggestions, you can write us any time [e-mail]

[@Rc1n4ever]

Great tutorial for the ones with that Oscilloscope model, Unfortuniy It is not working for me I have a SDS1202X-E, I followed all the steps but I am unable to decode with using protocol I2c is selected. On the Display table, I got a yellow exclamation symbol and it says "No Data"

[@SiglentVideo]

Hi. Can you write in to [e-mail] and we can get more detail to help solve your issue?

[@mcorrive12]

***BUG REPORT***
I just bought a SDS1202X-E and flashed it with the most recent firmware. There is a bug with the UART debug settings. When decoding an 8bit, no parity, 1 stop bit packet, the scope won't decode the packet unless only a single character is sent. If you change the decode settings to 2 stop bits it decodes the whole packet like it is supposed to. Your firmware has the stop bit mixed up and off by one.
It took me about 4 hrs to figure out what I was doing wrong. I felt like I was using my hantek again (which was what I bought the Siglent to replace). Please look into this.

[@mcorrive12]

Edit: I had a new hantek side by side with the Siglent for comparison and it decodes the UART packets seamlessly, right out of the box. The Siglent is certainly the better scope, but I would have preferred not spending 4hrs troubleshooting my new siglent purchase.

[@SiglentVideo]

Thanks for your feedback. We've already told the relevant technical team to deal with the bugs about this version of firmware, and you can use the firmware version 1.3.26 for the time being. If you have any other technical questions, please feel free to send us at [e-mail].

[@k1zmt]

Guys, can you make an upgrade for SDS1202 allowing to capture I2C communication and store it into the file on flash.

[@SiglentVideo]

Thank you for writing in. I'll ask Engineering to consider it in a future revision, but I recommend writing to us at [e-mail] so that we can communicate directly with you about your requirements.
With the current SDS1X firmware (1.1.2.15R10), you can display a table of the decoded values of up-to-seven lines and then scroll for additional lines. You can capture display images to external USB for later review.

[@k1zmt]

@@SiglentVideo this is what I did but it is a getting a bit tricky if I need to detect issues in a long history.

[@SiglentVideo]

@@k1zmt I understand. This may be an option.. Sigrok is a program that enables decoding on large datasets. I believe that it works with the SIGLENT X: sigrok.org/

[@garrathbond8286]

I cant get my SDS1204x-E to show anything in the decode either

[@SiglentVideo]

Hi Garrath. The decoding thresholds are configured independently from the trigger settings. Also, the latest firmware update includes some decoding bug fixes. Try upgrading the firmware and then drop [e-mail] an email if you continue to have issues.
Here is a link to the FW: www.siglentamerica.com/service-and-support/firmware-software/digital-oscilloscopes/#sds1000x-e-series

[@nandowonka]

@@SiglentVideo THIS LINK DOESNT WORK!!! I WILL RETURN THE DEVICE!!!

[@SiglentVideo]

@@nandowonka What link are you referring to? Please write [e-mail] and include as much detail as possible. Our applications engineers will assist you. - Jason, SIGLENT North America

[@formytv5366]

Why don't you make the EasyScopeX software for Mac computers. I just bought a SIGLENT oscilloscope and I found out I can't connect to it from my Mac. It's a deal breaker for me. Most of the engineers I know are Mac users. I'm just going to shoot an unboxing/product review video for TH-cam and I'm returning the oscilloscope back to the store. So unfortunate :(

[@SiglentVideo]

Hello. Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry that we don't currently support Macs with our software, but the SDS1000X-E and SDS2000X-E scopes have free browser based web control that has almost every feature that EasyScopeX supports and this function operates on many current browsers and should work very well for you. Here is a video: www.siglentamerica.com/video/x-e-4-channel-web-browser-update-this-thing-is-fast/
I'd suggest contacting your original seller and asking if you can swap it out, if you are interested.
You can also write [e-mail] if you have additional questions.

[@hack0well]

@@SiglentVideo Does this apply to the 2channel SDS1202X-E Also? I noticed we didnt have an OS update like the 4channel

[@SiglentVideo]

@@hack0well No. The SDS1202X-E scopes do not have an onboard web browser. It is available on the SDS1104X-E, 1204X-E, and SDS2000X-E series of oscilloscopes.
All of the X-Es do feature free serial decoding, as described in the video, however.

[@NengVang2007]

Can some tell me what is happening here because I have zero knowledge about oscilloscope, so what is the point of using it.

[@larrybud]

What part of the video don't you understand? There's a million "beginner" videos on YT for scopes.

[@NengVang2007]

@@larrybud basis use I new and I got my oscilloscope for 2 years now but all I did was connected to a battery or a sign Waves generator and that it, I have no idea how to use it. Need a video how to use it Step by Step.

[@larrybud]

@@NengVang2007 There is no "step by step" instructional video for a scope. You have to know a little something about electronics to start with so you know what you're looking at.

[@NengVang2007]

@@larrybud 100% agreed with you that was my problem I don't really know much about electronic I just like electronic stuff, I wonder why no videos tutorial on how to use oscilloscope on a job like multimeter tutorial.

[@larrybud]

@@NengVang2007 Because a DMM is a simple instrument. You really don't have to know much electronics knowledge to use what. Of course, what you DO with the info the DMM is telling you, you would have to know what you're doing.