Teledyne LeCroy WaveSurfer WS44Xs-A
Jan. 2021The LeCroy scopes with embedded Windows-PC are capable machines for complex measurement tasks. I have these machines at work and I got a WaveSurfer WS44Xs-A for a decent price from eBay.
Advices for 2nd hand buyers
- Ensure intact calibrations files on data partition D:\. Backup ASAP.
- The mainboard is a special ITX-board with PC/104 expansion connector instead of a traditional PCI slot (the PCI-FPGA mezzanine board plugs on top of the PC/104 connector).
- A damaged front panel PCB may render the scope unusable: The software checks the ID of the front panel PCB.
Upgrade possibilities
- Processor: The processor can be upgraded. I swapped the Celeron M440 with a Core2Duo T7200. The higher power dissipation is manageable with good thermal paste and improved cooling.
- Memory: Only a single low profile DIMM is supported.
- Storage: Replacing the 2,5" SATA HDD with a SSD improves the performance noticeably, especially if Windows 7 is used.
- Mainboard: LeCroy uses an ITX-board with PC/104 connector. Upgrading to standard ITX-board would require some Frankenstein modding.
Error: PCI card: Gigabit communication error
The front panel PCB was disconnected by accident during reassembly. This led to the scope identifying itself as a WaveMaster device (or WaveStation, depending on firmware revisions) and following error message(s) popped up:
Windows 7 compatibility
Yes, I was able to install the LeCroy software on a freshly installed Windows 7 system.