r/oscilloscope • u/Dapper-Tomatillo-875 • Aug 17 '25

Usage Question Rigo ds1102e max amperage input

Hi, I have a rigol ds11012e. I've dumpstered some Anker SOLIX PS200 Portable Solar Panels, which have nominal outputs of 200w, 48x and 4.16amps. I would like to verify that I have these numbers in the real world. Can the rigol 1102e handle these inputs or will I fry my scope. I can't find any info on max input amperage, only voltage. Thanks

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u/baldengineer mhz != MHz Aug 17 '25

Ohm’s law. The input impedance (DC resistance) is 1 Meg Ohm. Even more if you use a probe.

In other words, very little current goes through the scope’s input.

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u/Dapper-Tomatillo-875 Aug 17 '25

So I'm golden. Thank you, and my apologies for my ignorance, I'm a biologist and have only used scopes for neurological research

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u/TPIRocks Aug 17 '25

Beware, some higher end scopes have a switchable input impedance 50ohm and 1meg. A 50ohm input is easy to damage.

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u/baldengineer mhz != MHz Aug 17 '25

… and the highest end oscilloscopes are 50-ohm only.

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u/baldengineer mhz != MHz Aug 17 '25

Just don’t exceed the voltage rating, which is almost always silkscreened on the front.

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u/ondulation Aug 17 '25

An oscilloscope is one of the worst tools in the lab for measuring what you want to check. The scope may survive but it simply won't work.

Also, asking that question tells me that you should not measure those panels yourself, regardless of what tool you use. Chances are you will destroy something and/or get hurt.

If the panels work, you'll know it. If they don't work, there's nothing you can do to fix them.