FNIRSI DSO-TC3 Component tester, Osilloscope and Signal generator

My (simple) component tester is very useful however it has some problems: It does not have a nice enclosure and is an open PCB powered with a 9 V battery on a cable and also the display screen is not fixed.

I could make my own enclosure however i looked on Aliexpress what are the other options. On Aliexpress the component tester is often called Transistor tester, however it can test many other components.

There are versions with enclosure and a rechargeable battery for around 18 euros, however i also found the FNIRSI DSO-TC3. This device does not only has the component tester, it also has e a one channel oscilloscope, a signal generator and some other tools onboard. Including shipping to the Netherlands it costs just above 50 Euros. 

Some days ago i ordered it and it came relative fast however some days later than the expected delivery day as mentioned on Aliexpress. I have played with it a few hours (and also used to test some of my components)

and am happy. On the internet you can find a description and several reviews of this device. I mainly used the component tester, The oscilloscope is single channel and has a limited bandwidth. The signal generator and the oscilloscope are nice for audio range frequencies. Unfortunately i could not find how to use them at the same time. Via the tools option you can also use a DHT11 temperature and humidity sensor or a DS18B20 temperature sensor.

The DS18B20 is a 1 Wire temperature sensor is a sensor that i already used in some projects and i have some in stock for further projects. It is very small and uses 3 connections ( +V GND and a 1 Wire data connection) It is possible to connect multiple sensors in parallel and get the temperature from each individual sensor as each sensors has a unique 64 bit serial code. Unfortunately on my DSO-TC3 i only see data of one sensor and the serial code of the sensor is not visible. It would have been a nice feature if at least this code would be visible so the DSO-TC3 could be used for identifying each sensor. If it was possible to read multiple DS18B20 on a bus it would have been even better. Perhaps this is something that in a new software version could be added? 

In summary the FNIRSI DSO-TC3 is for its price an interesting device. It is not possible to expect form that the same possibilities as from a much more expensive multichannel oscilloscope. Perhaps a firmware upgrade can even give additional features.  

DSO 150 digital oscilloscope

DSO 150 finished !

The weight of my last portable oscilloscope was more than 10 kg. Now i bought and build this digital handheld oscilloscope DIY Kit.
It is not complete fair to compare my at least 20 year older "portable one" to this device as they have some different options. But this less than 20 euro device that can be used for simple projects is really portable and my older "portable" scope weighs more than 50 times.
End march 2017 i payed € 18,83 , no shipping fee. Current price (may2017) at same Aliexpress shop € 20,48 and € 3,79 shipping fee to the Netherlands. If the total price exceeds 22 Euro this can result in additional taxes and handling fee. Another shop now asks € 18,90 without shipping costs.

This mini digital oscilloscope can be ordered in different versions.

- Complete DIY Kit

- Kit with SMD components already soldered

- Full assembled product.

When searching for "Digital Oscilloscope" on AliExpress you can find different versions.

I selected this one (DSO 150 / JYE Teck )  as it has a nice case / enclosure, the SMD components are already soldered and the price including shipping  is less than €22,00.

The construction was easy with the two double sided pages manual  The photo's in the instruction are a bit confusing as they not exactly show the components that are already on the PCB when following the text chronology. Some people recorded assembly instructions and did put it on youtube.
The design is interesting:
- You need to test the circuit first with only the SMD components installed (the way it arrived). After the test you need to remove one SMD resistor! With the SMD resistor installed you do not need the power switch to turn the device on. So it was still necessary to do some work with a small SMD component. 

- After adding some components you need to measure voltages at some points.

- The device consist of two main PCBs , an analog and a digital part (and a small PCB for the rotary encoder). They can be mechanically connected two different ways (with the same electronic connections). One way the PCBs are close connected to fit in the box and another way where you can easy access components to calibrate the instrument with a 1kHz square wave signal. (Pin next to the BNC connector. This pin is also available it the box is closed.).

The most difficult part for me was the calibration; you need to know how to operate this oscilloscope. When i assembled this device i was in the beginning of the learning curve.On the website of the manufacturer important info about this device (schematic, manual, tips ) can be found including this important note: "It is assumed that users have adaquate soldering skills and troubleshooting skills to assemble the DSO Shell kits. Buyers are advised that due to skills of user is involved in assembly it is not guaranteed every kit will end up being a working device.But we will make as much efforts as we can to approach that goal."

Until now i only tested this oscilloscope with the internal 1kHz signal and with my
Sine, Square and Triangle function signal generator .
Disadvantages i have found until now are:

- There is no real battery holder for my 9 volt battery.

- The device only has a timebase and one channel. It is not an oscilloscope with X and Y input.