# Tektronix brings a 12-bit oscilloscope into the sub-$500 class Rigol and Siglent already sell in - Published: 2026-11-10 (updated 2026-11-10) - Author: [Hardware News](https://hardwarenews.io/author/hardwarenews-io.md) - Topics: [News](https://hardwarenews.io/news.md) - About: [Tektronix](https://www.tek.com/) - Based on: [Tektronix puts more discovery within reach with new 1 Series DPO](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/10/3399119/0/en/tektronix-puts-more-discovery-within-reach-with-new-1-series-dpo.html), GlobeNewswire, 2026-11-10 - Based on: [DHO800 Series Digital Oscilloscopes](https://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/dho800/), RIGOL - Based on: [SDS800X HD Digital Storage Oscilloscope](https://www.siglentna.com/digital-oscilloscopes/sds800x-hd/), SIGLENT - Based on: [Tektronix](https://www.tek.com/), Tektronix - Source: https://hardwarenews.io/news/tektronix-1-series-oscilloscope-12-bit-under-500/ - Publication: Hardware News - Publisher: Connectively (Terkel, Inc.) - Editorial policy: https://hardwarenews.io/editorial-policy/ - AI use: Connectively's automated system wrote this article with AI from a press release issued by Tektronix on November 10, 2026, linked under Sources. Statements about the product are the company's. The illustration was generated with AI. The article was assembled and published automatically, without an editor's review. Report errors to corrections@connectively.us. The Tektronix 1 Series oscilloscope, on sale from November 10, 2026, is a 12-bit bench scope that starts under $500, a price class Rigol and Siglent already serve. Tektronix has not said what each configuration costs, which matters to engineers and university labs comparing them. ## Key points - Tektronix says its 1 Series digital phosphor oscilloscope (DPO) is available now, with prices starting under $500. - The company quotes up to four analog channels, 12-bit vertical resolution, 200 MHz bandwidth, a 1.25 GS/s sample rate and 10 Mpoints of record length per channel. - Tektronix lists I2C, SPI and UART decoding among its features, and says select models add a 25 MHz arbitrary function generator and Bode plot analysis. - Rival 12-bit scopes list from $349 at [Rigol](https://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/dho800/) and $356 at [Siglent](https://www.siglentna.com/digital-oscilloscopes/sds800x-hd/), each for a two-channel, 70 MHz model. - The announcement gives no per-model prices and does not say which configuration the starting price buys. ## What is the Tektronix 1 Series oscilloscope? It is a compact benchtop scope that Tektronix pitches at students, teachers and working engineers alike. The company says it weighs 4.8 pounds, is 4 inches deep, and runs the TekScope interface from its larger oscilloscopes on a 7-inch multi-touch screen. It can hang on a VESA mount or go in a rack with an optional kit, and Tektronix says Ethernet, USB and Python scripting let it be controlled remotely or built into automated test rigs. > "Engineering is a constant learning curve. The earlier the right tools get into an engineer's hands, the sooner they can connect theory with what they actually see and measure, and the better prepared they are to solve real problems." > > — Daryl Ellis, Vice President and General Manager of Signal Acquisition and Analysis Portfolio, Tektronix ## How does it compare with Rigol and Siglent's 12-bit scopes? On the published maximums it matches Siglent's top bandwidth but stores less per channel than either rival. The figures below are each maker's own, from their US product pages on November 10, 2026. | | Tektronix 1 Series | [Rigol DHO800](https://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/dho800/) | [Siglent SDS800X HD](https://www.siglentna.com/digital-oscilloscopes/sds800x-hd/) | |---|---|---|---| | Starting price | Under $500 (release) | $349 list ([Rigol](https://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/dho800/)) | $356 | | Top bandwidth | 200 MHz | 100 MHz | 200 MHz ([Siglent](https://www.siglentna.com/digital-oscilloscopes/sds800x-hd/)) | | Sample rate | 1.25 GS/s | 1.25 GSa/s ([Rigol](https://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/dho800/)) | 2 GSa/s | | Record length | 10 Mpoints per channel | 25 Mpts | 50 to 100 Mpts per channel ([Siglent](https://www.siglentna.com/digital-oscilloscopes/sds800x-hd/)) | Siglent's four-channel, 200 MHz model, the nearest match to a fully specified 1 Series, lists at $839 on its [product page](https://www.siglentna.com/digital-oscilloscopes/sds800x-hd/). ## Who is the 1 Series for? Teaching labs feature heavily in the company's pitch. Instructors can switch off the automatic setup and measurement tools so students set up signals by hand, and a feature called e*Scope lets a teacher watch a student's screen from elsewhere. Tektronix also says what students learn on it carries over to its higher-end scopes, which share the same interface. Schools equipping those labs can weigh it alongside the other kit in our [mini PC buying guide for schools](https://hardwarenews.io/news/mini-pc-buying-guide-key-factors-for-schools-government-agencies-and-businesses/). For embedded developers, the serial decoding and optional signal generator are the tools for bringing up boards such as [Blumind's BM110 evaluation kit](https://hardwarenews.io/news/blumind-launches-bm110-evaluation-kit-putting-ultra-low-power-analog-ai-compute-on-the-cus/). ## What does the announcement leave out? Our analysis: the headline figures are best cases. "Under $500" is a starting price and the specifications are given as "up to", so the cheapest model may have fewer channels or less bandwidth than the table above shows. Tektronix gives no model numbers, no price per configuration, no waveform capture rate (a figure both rivals publish), and does not say whether protocol decoding or Bode analysis are paid options. Its AI connector, Tek Intelligence, is early access only, with no price or list of supported agents. Buyers comparing it with Rigol and Siglent will need the datasheet and price list before the comparison is settled. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does the Tektronix 1 Series oscilloscope cost? Tektronix says prices start under $500. It has not published what each channel and bandwidth option costs. ### What are the 1 Series specifications? According to Tektronix, up to four analog channels, 12-bit vertical resolution, 200 MHz bandwidth, 1.25 GS/s sampling and 10 Mpoints per channel, with a 25 MHz function generator and Bode plots on select models. ### Is the Tektronix 1 Series available now? Yes. Tektronix says it went on sale on November 10, 2026. ### What is Tek Intelligence? It is a connector, in early access, that Tektronix says lets a customer's own AI agent use the company's measurement knowledge to turn plain-language requests into commands for supported instruments or into automation scripts. ## Sources - [Tektronix puts more discovery within reach with new 1 Series DPO](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/10/3399119/0/en/tektronix-puts-more-discovery-within-reach-with-new-1-series-dpo.html): press release from Tektronix via GlobeNewswire, 10 November 2026. - [DHO800 Series Digital Oscilloscopes](https://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/dho800/): Rigol's US product page with model specifications and list prices. - [SDS800X HD Digital Storage Oscilloscope](https://www.siglentna.com/digital-oscilloscopes/sds800x-hd/): Siglent's US product page with model specifications and prices. - [Tektronix](https://www.tek.com/): the company's website.