Anybody have any USB oscilloscopes or scan tools that they can recommend?

I would definitely like an oscilloscope for sender troubleshooting and ignition, maybe a scan tool eventually.

 

Are you talking about a regular bench top o-scope like for troubleshooting electronics and stuff like that? If so, I've got a couple Tektronix scopes.

 

Check out this OBd2 Scan Tool:


Car Codes Scan - ELMSCAN5 CAN Scanner: check engine

I've been using it for several years and it run good.

 

PICOSCOPE. I use it almost daily at work. It is the only pc based oscilliscope i recommend.

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As far as a scan tool, what vehicles do you work on most?

 

I'm looking for a little oscilloscope module that I can plug into my laptop and use to look at and log injector pulses, speed signals, ignition pulses, et cetera. Something that would let me generate signals would be really nice too. I'm only looking to spend a few hundred dollars.

What specs (bandwidth, sampling rate, etc.) do I need for engine work? The sub-$300 PicoScopes have a 5-25 MHz bandwidth, does that let me give me similar resolution as a Snap-On Vantage Pro? Would it let me look at the signal of a turbocharger speed sensor throwing 10,000 pulses a second?

What are the fastest signals I'd ever be looking at off of an engine?

 

The pico will make you throw rocks at the vantage. The vantage is not technically a scope. It is a graphing multimeter. It will never be as fast as an actual scope like a pico.
Up to 80 MS/s real-time sample rate
Up to 20 MHz bandwidth
Up to 32 M sample buffer memory
Timebase ranges 100 ns/div to 200 s/div
So it is fast enough to do anything on a vehicle.
Im not sure where you found a sub 300 dollar pico, the 4 channel scope with leads is over 2,300.00. You can buy the 2 channel which is cheaper but its only a 2 channel. You can opt to not buy leads which will be cheaper as well. But i recommend you buy the whole kit with leads because you will have signal interference problems with cheap leads due to the sensitivity of the pico.

Umm id say CAN BUS signals will probly be the fastest signals and the pico handles it no problem.

If you only want to spend a few hundred bucks you probably wont get a good scope you have to pay to play!

 

I was looking at their 2200 models. I don't think I need more than two channels. They have the 5MHz one going for $262 new; it's spec'ed down to 500 ns/ division. I definitely wasn't planning on looking at CAN bus signals; just engine sensors, PWM outputs, injector and ignition pulses, the relatively slow stuff.

When it comes to leads and probes I'll just have to keep making due with my custom-made collection of alligator clips and sewing needles soldered onto various lengths of wire.

PicoScope 2200 ultra-compact USB oscilloscopes

Would those work for what I want them for?

 

Wow i didnt know they made ones that small! I think those should do the trick for ya. I will look at those specs tonight when i get back home. Make sure you buy a low current probe as well!!! But ill take a closer look at the specs tonight.

 

dang that thing is small.