For automotive technicians and DIY enthusiasts, digital car circuit scanner diagnostic tools are indispensable for pinpointing electrical faults and ensuring optimal vehicle performance. In this review, we delve into a comparative analysis of two popular automotive oscilloscopes: the eScope and the PicoScope. Both are powerful tools, but cater to slightly different needs and preferences within the realm of automotive diagnostics. This review is designed to provide a detailed, side-by-side look to help you determine which digital car circuit scanner best fits your diagnostic toolkit.
eScope Review: Features and Benefits
The eScope presents itself as a user-friendly and rapid diagnostic solution, particularly appealing to mobile technicians who prioritize efficiency. Its straightforward setup and intuitive interface allow for quick data acquisition and analysis, making it a strong contender in the digital car circuit scanner market.
Ease of Use and Setup
One of the standout features of the eScope is its remarkably simple setup. Unlike some more complex oscilloscopes, the eScope minimizes the initial configuration process. Channels are set with generic voltage scales (+/- 20V and +/- 500V), and it’s recommended to use the +/- 500V setting to prevent signal clipping. Connecting test leads and pressing “Start Record” is essentially all it takes to begin capturing data. The screen intelligently auto-scales to accommodate the highest voltage trace, further streamlining the process.
Scope Modes: Dual, Stacked, and Measure & Deep Record
The eScope offers three distinct scope modes tailored for different diagnostic approaches.
- Dual Scope: This mode displays two separate time bases within two sweep screens. All active channels are shown in each time base window, allowing for simultaneous monitoring at different time scales.
- Stacked Scope: For clearer individual trace analysis, Stacked Scope separates each channel’s waveform into its own dedicated sweep window, preventing overlap and enhancing visual clarity.
- Measure and Deep Record: This mode is designed for capturing a large buffer of data for in-depth post-capture analysis. The zoom feature becomes crucial here, enabling detailed inspection of recorded waveforms.
Additionally, the eScope includes a “Meter” mode, which presents channel voltages digitally alongside bar graphs. This provides a quick numerical and visual representation of voltage levels.
Unique Features: Markers, Frequency Plot, and Outputs
The eScope incorporates several features that streamline specific diagnostic tasks. The “Mark Cam Shaft” and “Mark Cylinders” functions are particularly noteworthy for engine analysis. By setting cursors at 720° points and utilizing these features, the four strokes of an engine cycle are automatically marked, with additional 30° increments. Inputting the firing order and selecting ignition, intake, or exhaust further customizes the display, effectively replacing the need for traditional piston chart overlays in many scenarios.
Frequency plotting is another valuable asset, accessible with a single button press for any channel. The CKP Misfire Feature goes a step further, automatically plotting crank frequency and firing order based on the crank signal and sync input. These features simplify complex signal analysis that would typically require more manual manipulation in other digital car circuit scanners.
Furthermore, the eScope is equipped with a port for a 5V output signal with adjustable duty cycle and a port to ground a circuit with duty cycle control. These output capabilities extend the eScope’s utility beyond pure signal measurement, allowing for basic component actuation and circuit testing.
Limitations: Scaling
Despite its user-friendliness, the eScope has limitations, most notably in channel scaling within Deep Record Mode. While the auto-scaling feature is convenient for initial setup, the lack of individual channel scaling can be a drawback in scenarios with vastly different voltage levels across channels. For instance, simultaneously viewing a high-voltage primary ignition trace and a low-voltage pulse sensor signal can be challenging. The pulse sensor’s detail may be lost when scaled to accommodate the high-voltage trace. Zooming in to view the pulse sensor detail then sacrifices the broader view of the primary waveform. While individual channel scaling is available in Stacked Scope mode, its absence in Deep Record mode is a point to consider. Additionally, unlike some competitors, the eScope has only two generic voltage scales and preset accessory settings are limited to ATS’s transducers and amp clamps.
PicoScope Review: Strengths and Advantages
The PicoScope represents a different philosophy in digital car circuit scanner design, prioritizing raw sampling power, advanced features, and extensive waveform manipulation capabilities. It is favored by technicians who require in-depth analysis and the ability to dissect complex automotive signals with precision.
Superior Sampling Power
One of the most significant advantages of the PicoScope is its exceptional sampling rate. With 400 Mega Samples per second per channel, the PicoScope significantly outpaces the eScope’s 1 Mega Sample per second per channel. This higher sampling rate translates to more accurate capture of fast transient events and finer waveform detail, crucial for diagnosing intricate circuit issues.
Advanced Features: Math Channels and Reference Waveforms
PicoScope distinguishes itself with advanced features such as Math Channels and Reference Waveforms. Math Channels allow users to perform mathematical operations on captured waveforms in real-time, enabling derived measurements and signal analysis that are not directly available from raw channel data. Reference Waveforms provide the ability to store and compare known good waveforms against live captures, a powerful technique for identifying deviations and faults quickly. These advanced features are absent in the eScope, positioning PicoScope as a more capable tool for complex diagnostics.
Channel Flexibility and Scaling Advantages
PicoScope channels offer greater flexibility compared to the eScope. Each PicoScope channel references its own ground, providing more freedom in probe placement and measurement configurations. Furthermore, PicoScope excels in channel scaling. It not only offers the generic voltage scales present in the eScope but also provides individual channel scaling, allowing users to optimize the vertical resolution for each signal independently, even in deep record modes. This is a significant advantage when analyzing signals with widely varying voltage ranges simultaneously, ensuring detail is visible across all channels without compromise. PicoScope’s click-and-drag method for vertical trace adjustment is also considered more intuitive than the eScope’s cursor-based “jumping” method.
Side-by-Side Comparison: eScope vs. PicoScope (Waveform Analysis)
To illustrate the practical differences between the eScope and PicoScope, consider the side-by-side waveform captures provided. These captures, taken simultaneously from the same vehicle, reveal key distinctions in signal representation and detail.
eScope Full Screen Capture
PicoScope Full Screen Capture
The full-screen captures, displaying primary voltage of four coils during a snap-throttle and subsequent idle, immediately highlight the eScope’s aliasing. The peak voltages in the eScope waveform appear inconsistent, whereas the PicoScope presents a more uniform voltage spike for each firing event. This initial comparison underscores the PicoScope’s superior sampling capability in accurately representing rapidly changing signals.
eScope Snap Throttle Zoom
PicoScope Snap Throttle Zoom
Zooming into the snap-throttle firing event reveals further detail. Both scopes capture the event, but the PicoScope’s higher resolution provides a cleaner, more defined waveform, particularly noticeable in the finer details of the ignition pulse.
eScope Two Coil Zoom
PicoScope Two Coil Zoom
Comparing zoomed-in views of two coils firing and then a single coil firing further emphasizes the PicoScope’s clarity and detail, especially in resolving the nuances of the waveforms.
eScope Single Coil Zoom
PicoScope Single Coil Zoom
These visual comparisons reinforce the strengths of each digital car circuit scanner. The eScope excels in speed and ease of use for quick diagnostics, while the PicoScope offers superior waveform fidelity and advanced analysis capabilities for intricate electrical system investigations. It’s also worth noting the eScope’s 500V direct input capability, which eliminates the need for attenuators in many high-voltage scenarios, a cost and complexity saving not afforded by the PicoScope in the presented test (requiring $250 attenuators for 4 channels in the original test setup).
Which Digital Car Circuit Scanner is Right for You?
Choosing between the eScope and PicoScope, or indeed any digital car circuit scanner diagnostic tool, depends heavily on your specific diagnostic needs and work style.
The eScope stands out as an excellent choice for:
- Mobile Technicians: Its rapid setup, ease of use, and quick data acquisition are ideal for fast-paced mobile diagnostic work.
- General Diagnostics: For routine electrical system checks and fault finding where speed is prioritized.
- Users Seeking Simplicity: The straightforward interface and automated features minimize the learning curve.
The PicoScope is better suited for:
- In-depth Analysis: Its superior sampling rate and advanced features are essential for diagnosing complex or intermittent electrical issues.
- Waveform Experts: Technicians who require detailed waveform manipulation, math channels, and reference waveform comparisons will find the PicoScope indispensable.
- Lab-Based Diagnostics: While portable, the PicoScope’s advanced capabilities are often fully leveraged in a more controlled lab or workshop environment.
In conclusion, both the eScope and PicoScope are valuable digital car circuit scanner diagnostic tools. The eScope prioritizes speed and simplicity, making it a highly efficient tool for many common automotive diagnostic tasks. The PicoScope, with its advanced features and superior sampling power, caters to users requiring the highest level of waveform fidelity and analytical depth. Consider your typical diagnostic scenarios and priorities to determine which of these excellent tools best meets your needs.
