Two instruments in one chassis save more than bench space - they save the cost of a second unit and the hassle of routing cables between two separate boxes. Vartech builds this idea into two very different points in its oscilloscope range: the SS-5150 DS1B FG, a 150 MHz digital scope with a built-in 25 MHz function generator, and the SS-5030BC, a 30 MHz analogue CRT scope with a built-in component tester.
SS-5150 DS1B FG: Scope and Signal Source Together
Most bench work that involves a function generator also involves a scope, for the simple reason that you need to see what your signal actually did after it went into the circuit - stimulus and response are two halves of the same measurement. The SS-5150 DS1B FG combines both into one instrument: a 150 MHz, 2-channel, 1 GS/s digital storage oscilloscope with a 25 MHz DDS function generator built in, producing sine, square, triangle, ramp and arbitrary waveforms. For filter characterisation, amplifier frequency-response testing, and sensor testing - all cases where you drive a circuit with a known signal and capture what comes out - this removes the need for a second instrument, a second power cord, and the bench space both would otherwise take.
Where a combined instrument makes the most sense
SS-5030BC: Scope and Component Tester Together
The SS-5030BC takes a different, older but still genuinely useful combination: a 30 MHz analogue CRT oscilloscope with a built-in component tester, displaying a V-I characteristic curve for resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes and transistors directly on the CRT screen. For a repair bench where the recurring task is "is this component actually good or bad" - a shorted diode, an open capacitor, a leaky transistor junction - the V-I curve gives an immediate visual answer without needing to desolder the part and test it separately on a multimeter or dedicated component tester. It remains a standard 30 MHz, 2-channel scope for normal waveform work the rest of the time.
Why One Is Analogue and the Other Is Digital
The component-tester function is a classic analogue-CRT-era feature - it works by driving the component under test with an internal AC signal and displaying the resulting current-vs-voltage Lissajous-style curve directly on the CRT, which is why it pairs naturally with the SS-5030BC's analogue design rather than the newer digital range. The SS-5150 DS1B FG, being a digital storage scope, instead pairs its combination feature (the function generator) with digital signal synthesis (DDS) - a natural fit for a DSO's own digital architecture. Neither combination is "better" in the abstract; they solve different problems for different kinds of bench work.
Quick Reference
- R&D, filter/amplifier response testing, one instrument for stimulus and capture: SS-5150 DS1B FG.
- Repair bench, fast pass/fail component checks alongside general scope work: SS-5030BC.
- High-frequency, arbitrary or multi-channel signal generation: a dedicated function generator, not a combined scope.
CIE Instruments is an authorised distributor for the full Vartech oscilloscope range, including the SS-5150 DS1B FG. Contact us to check whether a combined instrument covers your bench, or whether you need dedicated units.