Before 2000, digital storage oscilloscope technology was dominated by European, American, and Japanese manufacturers. In 2000, GW Instek took the lead by launching the GDS-830, the first 100 MHz digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) independently developed in the Chinese-speaking world.
After 25 years of development, 100 MHz entry-level digital storage oscilloscopes have become a stronghold of Chinese brands. The newly released GDS-912/912G digital storage oscilloscopes by GW Instek feature a 7-inch widescreen display with 15 horizontal divisions, offering 50% more signal display area.
 
The series provides a maximum sampling rate of 1 GSa/s and a memory depth of 20 Mpts per channel, enabling the capture of long-duration transients and maintaining its sampling rate at middle and low speed time bases through long memory settings.
With 30 automatic measurement parameters, the oscilloscope allows users to quickly and easily analyze various signal conditions. The Area parameter supports waveform integration—an example application being the integration calculation of energy (in joules) from a power waveform (watts * seconds). The +PulseCount feature enables fast data acquisition in applications such as stepper motor control (number of pulses per unit time) or industrial sewing machines (number of stitches per unit time). Other counting parameters include –PulseCount, RiseEdgeCnt, and FallEdgeCnt. The Cursor RMS function allows users to measure the RMS value within a specified interval using cursors—ideal for measuring the transient RMS of inrush currents.
The built-in FFT function offers six window types: Hamming, Rectangular, Blackman, Hanning, Kaiser, and Bartlett. It supports simultaneous display of time and frequency domains, helping users understand the signal’s frequency content.
To prevent measurement errors, a passive probe compensation test is included. If the test result indicates under- or over-compensation, users can adjust the variable capacitor on the passive probe and re-test after proper compensation is achieved.
The series also features automatic signal type detection and a second-level auto setup menu to speed up and improve measurement accuracy.
The series’ multi-language interface supports 10 languages—Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Korean—helping reduce the learning curve for users worldwide.
 
These specifications and features match or exceed those offered by others in the same category, all weighted in a lightweight of 1.1 kg, which reflects the product’s design philosophy: “balanced pricing and specifications, lightweight form with advanced features—featherweight in size, heavyweight in performance.”