The RIGOL DS1054Z Digital Oscilloscope is a four-channel, 50 MHz instrument developed for engineers, technicians, electronics laboratories, service teams and educational institutions. Its four analogue inputs allow users to observe several related signals simultaneously, making it suitable for general circuit analysis, embedded-system development and multi-signal troubleshooting.
Built on RIGOL’s UltraVision technology platform, the DS1054Z combines deep acquisition memory, waveform intensity grading, fast waveform capture and hardware waveform recording. These functions help engineers examine both repetitive waveforms and occasional events such as glitches, timing errors, unstable edges and intermittent signal changes.
50 MHz Analogue Bandwidth
The DS1054Z provides 50 MHz analogue bandwidth across four input channels.
It is suitable for analysing:
- Microcontroller and embedded-controller signals
- PWM and pulse waveforms
- Sensor outputs
- Analogue amplifier signals
- Power-supply ripple
- Low-frequency switching circuits
- Audio and control signals
- Input and output waveform relationships
- Phase and timing differences
- General electronics faults
Its calculated rise time is approximately 7 ns. The effective measurement performance also depends on the probe bandwidth, signal connection, source impedance and grounding method.
Four Analogue Channels
The four-channel design is one of the main advantages of the RIGOL DS1054Z.
It allows engineers to compare:
- Input and output signals
- Clock, data and enable lines
- Voltage and current waveforms
- Multiple power rails
- Sensor input and controller response
- High-side and low-side control signals
- Reference and measured waveforms
- Phase relationships between several signals
The DS1054Z is a digital oscilloscope with four analogue channels. It does not provide the 16 digital logic channels available on the DS1000Z Plus mixed-signal-capable models.
Channel-Dependent Sampling Rate
The DS1054Z provides a maximum real-time sampling rate of 1 GSa/s. The available sampling rate is shared according to the number and grouping of active channels.
Typical maximum sampling allocation is:
- 1 GSa/s with one channel active
- 500 MSa/s per channel with two channels active
- 250 MSa/s per channel with three or four channels active
Engineers should consider the number of enabled channels when capturing faster signals. The sampling rate, oscilloscope bandwidth and signal rise time collectively determine how accurately a waveform can be represented.
Deep Acquisition Memory
The DS1054Z provides 12 Mpts standard maximum memory depth.
Standard memory allocation is approximately:
- 12 Mpts with one channel active
- 6 Mpts per channel with two channels active
- 3 Mpts per channel with three or four channels active
The optional memory upgrade increases the maximum record length to 24 Mpts.
Optional memory allocation is approximately:
- 24 Mpts with one channel active
- 12 Mpts per channel with two channels active
- 6 Mpts per channel with three or four channels active
Deep acquisition memory allows engineers to capture longer signal periods while maintaining a useful sampling rate. It is valuable for:
- Long pulse trains
- Serial communication packets
- Power-supply start-up sequences
- Intermittent fault investigation
- Embedded-system timing analysis
- Extended waveform observation
- PWM and control-loop testing
The base manufacturer specification is 12 Mpts standard and 24 Mpts maximum. A commercial bundle may activate the 24 Mpts option, but this should be confirmed for each supplied instrument.
Fast Waveform Capture
The oscilloscope provides a waveform capture rate of up to 30,000 waveforms per second under specified acquisition conditions.
Fast waveform acquisition improves the probability of detecting occasional events such as:
- Short glitches
- Runt pulses
- Timing violations
- Signal dropouts
- Unstable waveform edges
- Abnormal pulse widths
- Intermittent noise
- Irregular circuit behaviour
The intensity-graded waveform display uses multiple brightness levels to indicate how frequently waveform events occur.
Hardware Waveform Recording and Playback
The DS1054Z supports hardware waveform recording, playback and analysis for up to 60,000 waveform frames, depending on the acquisition configuration.
This function allows users to:
- Record successive waveform events
- Replay acquired signals
- Review frames individually
- Compare normal and abnormal waveforms
- Locate intermittent faults
- Examine events preceding a failure
- Perform post-acquisition analysis
Waveform recording can be especially useful when a signal problem occurs only occasionally or after an extended operating period.
Vertical Measurement Range
The analogue channels provide a vertical sensitivity range from:
- 1 mV/div to 10 V/div at 1 MΩ input impedance
This range supports measurements of:
- Sensor outputs
- Power-supply ripple
- Amplifier waveforms
- Digital logic signals
- Reference voltages
- Audio signals
- General electronic circuits
The oscilloscope uses an 8-bit analogue-to-digital converter, providing 256 vertical quantisation levels.
Automatic Measurements
The RIGOL DS1054Z supports automatic measurement of common voltage, timing and frequency parameters.
Available measurements include:
- Maximum voltage
- Minimum voltage
- Peak-to-peak voltage
- Top and base voltage
- Amplitude
- Average voltage
- RMS voltage
- Frequency
- Period
- Rise time
- Fall time
- Positive pulse width
- Negative pulse width
- Duty cycle
- Overshoot
- Preshoot
- Phase
- Delay
Up to five measurements can be displayed simultaneously. Statistical analysis can show current, average, maximum, minimum, standard deviation and measurement count.
Trigger Functions
The DS1054Z provides multiple trigger modes to help isolate specific waveform conditions.
Trigger capabilities include:
- Edge
- Pulse width
- Slope
- Video
- Pattern
- Duration
- Timeout
- Runt
- Window
- Delay
- Setup and hold
- Nth edge
Serial bus and advanced trigger availability depends on the installed software options.
These trigger modes help engineers locate:
- Short pulses
- Timing violations
- Incorrect voltage levels
- Missing transitions
- Unstable signal edges
- Specific communication events
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Serial Bus Triggering and Decoding
The DS1054Z supports serial bus triggering and decoding for commonly used embedded communication interfaces.
Available bus-analysis functions include:
Serial decoding displays interpreted data alongside the physical waveform. This helps engineers identify:
- Missing acknowledgements
- Incorrect data
- Timing errors
- Communication interruptions
- Voltage-level problems
- Electrical noise
- Physical-layer faults
RIGOL’s official product information describes serial bus triggering and decoding as option-dependent. These functions should be listed as included only when the applicable licences are confirmed on the supplied instrument.
FFT and Waveform Mathematics
The oscilloscope provides waveform mathematics and FFT frequency-domain analysis.
Available functions include:
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Multiplication
- Division
- FFT
- Digital filtering
- Logical waveform operations
- Integration
- Differentiation
FFT analysis can be used for:
- Harmonic measurement
- Switching-frequency analysis
- Noise investigation
- Clock-spectrum observation
- EMI troubleshooting
- Identification of unwanted oscillations
The built-in FFT is suitable for general circuit analysis but does not replace a dedicated spectrum analyser for advanced RF measurements.
Pass/Fail Testing
Mask-based pass/fail testing compares acquired waveforms against predefined tolerance limits.
It can support:
- Production-line testing
- Repetitive quality checks
- Signal-stability monitoring
- Component comparison
- Detection of waveform deviations
- Automated functional validation
The AUX output can be configured to provide trigger or pass/fail signalling to external equipment.
Frequency Counter
The DS1054Z includes a hardware frequency counter for accurate frequency measurement of repetitive signals.
The counter is useful for:
- Clock-frequency verification
- Oscillator testing
- Signal-generator checks
- PWM frequency measurement
- General electronics troubleshooting
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Display and User Interface
The oscilloscope includes a 7-inch WVGA TFT colour display.
Display features include:
- 800 × 480 pixel resolution
- Up to 256 intensity-grading levels
- Dots and vector display modes
- Adjustable waveform persistence
- Y-T, X-Y and Roll display modes
- Dedicated controls for each channel
- Search and navigation functions
- Multi-waveform viewing
The four-channel interface allows users to view several signals, measurements and decoded data on the same display.
Connectivity and Remote Operation
The DS1054Z supports computer communication, network control and automated testing.
Available interfaces include:
- USB Host
- USB Device
- LAN
- LXI support
- AUX output
- Optional USB-to-GPIB adapter
These interfaces support:
- Waveform transfer
- Screenshot storage
- Remote instrument control
- Automated measurement
- Production test integration
- Laboratory data collection
HDMI is not listed as an interface for the DS1054Z and should be removed from the current product page.
Applications
The RIGOL DS1054Z is suitable for:
- General electronics testing
- Embedded-system development
- Microcontroller debugging
- Analogue circuit analysis
- Digital circuit testing
- Power-supply troubleshooting
- PWM signal analysis
- Sensor testing
- Audio electronics
- Communication interface debugging
- Component testing
- Electronic equipment maintenance
- Production-line inspection
- Quality-control testing
- Research and development
- Educational laboratories
- Service and repair work
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Why Buy from RevineTech?
RevineTech supplies test and measurement equipment for electronics development, research, industrial testing, production and education.
Technical product-selection support can include:
- DS1054Z configuration
- Memory and software option verification
- Serial decoding requirements
- Passive probe selection
- High-voltage probe selection
- Differential probe selection
- Current probe selection
- USB-GPIB connectivity
- Calibration documentation
- Automated test integration
