I've owned a Siglent DS1104X-E for 10 months and so far it has met most of my expectations.
I've used it for measuring ripple and noise on power supplies (bandwidth limited to 20MHz, AC-coupling); for decoding UART, I2C and CAN traffic; for monitoring glitches on analog power supply lines: for checking analog sensor inputs; for displaying PWM-width modulated signals; and for "plain" digital signals such as reset lines. It's worked great for all these use-cases. The built-in web server has allowed me to easily zoom in on details and to share my findings with my colleagues fast. Very useful in Corona-times when many of us are working from home.
There's been a few times when I've felt limited by just having four channels and wished that I had the logic analyzer dongle which is needed to make use of the MSO functionality. But so far I've been able to hook up my DSLogic logic analyzer to the trigger output. Has required some eye balling between the DSLogic GUI screen and the scope, but so far it's got the job done.
I've found the Eres acquisition mode useful when I've wanted to measure a signal with higher precision.
You can change the fixed point of the horizontal scaling transformation (which point stays the same place on the display) to either be the trigger or the center of the screen but it's buried deep inside sub menus. Likewise you can change if the center of the screen or the vertical offset reference should be the basis for the vertical scaling. But you again have to dig through the menu system.
Compared to the Rigol scope that I've used previously I find the knobs and button much more responsive and I enjoy the less cluttered menus.
Overall I'm very happy with my scope and would recommend it to others.
Siglent SDS1104X-E oscilloscope
Details
The Siglent SDS1104X-E is the new 4-channel version of the very popular 1202X-E. This scope offers a lot of quality at a really affordable price.
The special signal processing hardware in this scope makes it possible to measure very quickly and responsively and due to the high
waveform capture rate it is possible to analyze every peak in the signal.
The scope has 2 ADCs so that, without any loss of sample rate, 2 channels can be measured at the same time. Even with 4 channels active, the
scope still has 500MS/s available per channel.
The scope uses a "Super Phospor" technology that provides an exeptional signal display and ensures a very low amount of noise in the signal. Due to this technology the minimal voltage per division is only 500µV. Another part of this technology is a new way of constantly triggering the signal regardless of what the CPU and screen are doing at that time. This way the scope can detect errors that conventional scopes might not have detected.
Quite unique is that the SDS1104X-E scope comes standard with a decoding capability for serial signals. This way the scope is able to decode l2C, SPI, UART, RS232, CAN and LIN signals from the start, which makes the scope even more widely applicable.
In 2021 a new function is introduced in the latest firmware: datalogging. Both samples (up to 1kSa/s) and measurements can be logged up to hours or even days. USB drivers are supported.
Options
Optionally, this scope can be extended with a 25MHz function generator and a 16-channel logic analyzer. Because these options are connected to the scope via USB it is possible to add these expansions later. With these options almost everything can be done with the scope.
The scope can also be connected to the internet with either a network-cable or an optional WiFi dongle. This way the scope can be operated via a webpage in a browser. It is also possible to operate the scope with SCPI commands.
Compare models
Below is an overview of the main differences between the Rigol and Siglent entry-level models.| Model | Rigol DS1054Z | Siglent SDS1104X-U | Siglent SDS1104X-E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | 50 MHz | 100 MHz | 100 MHz |
| Memory per channel | 6 MPts | 3.5 MPts | 7 MPts |
| Sample rate with 4 channels | 250 MSa/s | 250 MSa/s | 500 MSa/s |
| FFT quality | + | ++ | ++ |
| Interface | USB, LAN, Trigger | USB, LAN, Trigger | USB, LAN, Trigger, Web interface, Keyboard/mouse |
| Price |
Specifications
| Bandwidth | 100 MHz |
| Channels | 4 |
| Memory | 7 Mpts per channel (4 channels used) 14 Mpts per channel (2 channels used) |
| Vertical scale | 500 µV/div - 10 V/div |
| Horizontal scale | 1 ns/div - 100 s/div |
| Probe attenuation | 0.1X, 0.2X, 0.5X, 1X, 2X, 5X, 10X......1.000X, 2.000X, 5.000X, 10.000X |
| Waveform capture rate | 100.000 wfm/s (normal), 400.000 wfm/s (sequence mode) |
| Trigger types | Edge, Slope, Pulse Width, Window, Runt, Interval, Dropout, Pattern, Video |
| Connectivity | USB Host, USB Device, LAN, Pass/Fail, Trigger Out, Sbus (Siglent MSO), WiFi via dongle |
| Decode Possibilities | IIC, SPI, UART/RS232, CAN, LIN |
| Display | 7" TFT LCD (800x400) |
| Eleshop noise production rating | ★ ★ |
| Dimensions | 325 x 176 x 295 mm |
| Weight | 2.5 Kg (3.5 Kg inc. Box) |
Options
| Function generator | This option is externally connected to the scope and is able to generate 25 MHz signals on one channel. The generated signals have a length of 16 kPts and the sample rate of this generator is 125 MHz. | |
| Logic analyzer | With this 16-channel logic analyzer it is possible to analyze digital signals. The specifications of this product can be found on the product page on the right. | |
| Wifi | With this option it is possible to provide the SDS1104X-E and SDS1204X-E with WiFi. With WiFi it is possible to log data and operate the scope via a webpage. |
Accessories
- USB cable
- 4 Passive probes
- Calibration certificate
- Power cord
Pros and cons
- Controllable via web interface
- Two ADCs, so high sample rate per channel
- Automatic bode diagram measuring in combination with Siglent AWG
Downloads
| DSO programming guide |
 (2.53 MB) |
Download |
| SDS1000X-E manual |
(3.62 MB) |
Download |
| Siglent SDS1000X-E series datasheet |
(3.18 MB) |
Download |
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Latest customer reviews
Read all reviews (4)
Review by Daniel Näslund
Posted on 23/04/2021
Review by David O
Posted on 14/04/2021
The SDS1104X-E has unmatched value, only usurped for some by the new 1104X-U. Omissions from this new model include the 1M FFT and the possibility of 16 digital channels as well as some other minor changes like a 2ns/div max timebase vs the SDS1104X-E's 1ns/div. These feature are worth having in the 1104X-E, at least for me, especially when the sale price of an SDS1104X-E is so close to the RRP of the SDS1104X-U.
The scope is very easy to use, though has some operational difference compared to other brands. Once familiar with it, its easy to setup measurements and acquire data. One of the strongest features of this scope is the serial decode, and other protocol decoding modes. This is often an addon or extra feature which is only reserved for more expensive scopes, but Siglent delivered. The massive memory depth is a must have over cheaper (or sometimes more expensive) scopes which can only capture data in the tens-of-thousands of points. Being able to single shot capture at a 14M memory depth and zoom all the way in to explore the signal is fantastic. Though do note that the 14M of memory is not always available at some timebases, the full memory depth can be found in the history mode, one of the operational differences I mentioned earlier. Certainly not as elegant as solutions from Keysight, but not a deal breaker for the price.
The scope is very easy to use, though has some operational difference compared to other brands. Once familiar with it, its easy to setup measurements and acquire data. One of the strongest features of this scope is the serial decode, and other protocol decoding modes. This is often an addon or extra feature which is only reserved for more expensive scopes, but Siglent delivered. The massive memory depth is a must have over cheaper (or sometimes more expensive) scopes which can only capture data in the tens-of-thousands of points. Being able to single shot capture at a 14M memory depth and zoom all the way in to explore the signal is fantastic. Though do note that the 14M of memory is not always available at some timebases, the full memory depth can be found in the history mode, one of the operational differences I mentioned earlier. Certainly not as elegant as solutions from Keysight, but not a deal breaker for the price.
Review by Ben Mehnert
Posted on 12/12/2020
Review by Edward
Posted on 10/11/2020
TL;DR: Great all round 'scope for an electronics bench, unless you need something super specific
I'm an electronic engineer - mostly embedded and basic analog stuff - that went freelance recently. So I needed to setup my home electronics lab, and a general purpose oscilloscope was priority number 1.
I went with this option over the similarly priced Rigol and GW-Instek options, as it has slightly better specs (e.g. sampling rate, memory depth) and a much nicer front panel design in my opinion.
So far I've been really impressed with the oscilloscope. The screen looks great, the serial decoding is especially useful, and there are lots of advanced triggering options to help capture the exact moment.
My only real gripe with this unit is the "adjust" (aka intensity) knob. It has no detents, sometimes changes your selection when you press it and generally just feels a bit cheap. It is a shame as it is one of the most used knobs.
I'm an electronic engineer - mostly embedded and basic analog stuff - that went freelance recently. So I needed to setup my home electronics lab, and a general purpose oscilloscope was priority number 1.
I went with this option over the similarly priced Rigol and GW-Instek options, as it has slightly better specs (e.g. sampling rate, memory depth) and a much nicer front panel design in my opinion.
So far I've been really impressed with the oscilloscope. The screen looks great, the serial decoding is especially useful, and there are lots of advanced triggering options to help capture the exact moment.
My only real gripe with this unit is the "adjust" (aka intensity) knob. It has no detents, sometimes changes your selection when you press it and generally just feels a bit cheap. It is a shame as it is one of the most used knobs.
