COMPARISON · OSCILLOSCOPES
PicoScope 2206B vs Hantek 6022BE
PicoScope 2206B vs Hantek 6022BE sets a well-specified USB oscilloscope against the cheapest PC scope in our roundup. Both are two-channel, 8-bit and powered over USB with no screen of their own. The PicoScope adds 50 MHz, 500 MS/s, a 32 MS buffer, a built-in generator and Pico's PicoScope 7 software; the Hantek offers 20 MHz and 48 MS/s on Windows for very little money.
By the OhmSavvy Research Team ·
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PicoScope 2206B
4.4★★★★☆A pocket-sized 50 MHz USB scope with 32 MS of memory and a built-in AWG, run from PicoScope 7 on your PC.
Hantek 6022BE
4.0★★★★☆A very low-cost two-channel 20 MHz USB oscilloscope for learning on a Windows PC.
Specs side by side
| PicoScope 2206B | Hantek 6022BE | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4★★★★☆ | 4.0★★★★☆ |
| Bandwidth | 50MHz | 20MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Sample rate | 500 MS/s (1 ch); 250 MS/s (2 ch) | 48 MS/s (max) |
| Best for | Laptop users who want deep memory and solid PC software | Learning scope basics on a Windows laptop for very little money |
| Display | None: PicoScope 7 on your computer | None: Hantek's Windows software |
| Vertical resolution | 8-bit (enhanced to 12-bit in software) | 8-bit |
| Memory | 32 MS capture (shared between channels) | Not clearly stated by Hantek |
| Input coupling | AC or DC | DC only |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ ±1% || 16 pF | 1 MΩ || 25 pF |
| Signal generator | Function generator + AWG, 0.03 Hz to 1 MHz, ±2 V | None |
| Serial decoding | CAN, I2C, SPI, UART, LIN, FlexRay and more | None listed |
| Software OS | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows (10, 8, 7, Vista, XP listed) |
| Warranty | 5 years | Not stated by Hantek |
Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Desk research, not bench testing. How we research.
Key differences
- →Bandwidth: 50 MHz against 20 MHz, two and a half times as much.
- →Sample rate: 500 MS/s on one PicoScope channel and 250 MS/s on two, against a 48 MS/s maximum on the Hantek.
- →Memory: the PicoScope has a 32 MS buffer; Hantek's spec table doesn't clearly assign a memory figure to the 6022BE.
- →The PicoScope includes a function generator and arbitrary waveform generator up to 1 MHz; the Hantek has no generator.
- →Pico's datasheet lists serial decoding, a spectrum analyzer and mask testing in PicoScope 7; Hantek lists FFT, basic math and X-Y mode.
- →PicoScope 7 runs on Windows, macOS and Linux; Hantek lists Windows only. The PicoScope also offers AC coupling, where the Hantek is DC-only.
- →The Hantek's case for itself is price: its pick lists a very low price as the main advantage.
Spec by spec
Both devices are small boxes with two BNC inputs and a USB cable, so the difference is entirely in what sits behind those inputs. The figures below are from Pico's 2000 Series datasheet and Hantek's 6022BE spec table. On every number both makers publish, the PicoScope is ahead by a wide margin.
Bars use a logarithmic scale: each step is ten times the last.
Sample rate and bandwidth work together. With one channel on, the PicoScope takes ten samples per cycle at its 50 MHz limit, enough to draw a recognizable sine; with both channels on, five. The Hantek's 48 MS/s gives 2.4 samples per cycle at 20 MHz, barely above the Nyquist minimum of two, so the 6022BE's usable range ends well before its rated bandwidth. For repetitive signals Pico also lists equivalent-time sampling (ETS) at 5 GS/s, which builds a waveform from many triggers. More on these specs in our bandwidth explainer and what GSa/s means.
The spacing between dots is simply one divided by the sample rate: about 20.8 ns on the Hantek and 4 ns on the PicoScope with both channels running (2 ns with one). A 20 MHz sine completes a cycle every 50 ns, so the Hantek lands only two or three points on each cycle and the software has to guess the rest. That is why the 6022BE can confirm a 20 MHz signal exists but can't tell you whether it is clean, clipped or ringing, while the 2206B still draws a usable shape at the same frequency.
What you can measure with each
Apply the 3–5× rule and the PicoScope covers signals up to roughly 10–17 MHz with good fidelity, while the Hantek's 20 MHz suggests 4–7 MHz. Because of its sample rate, the 6022BE is realistically a tool for signals in the low megahertz and below.
Jobs the Hantek 6022BE handles
Audio signals, 555 timers, PWM for fans and LEDs, the 50 Hz frame of a hobby servo signal and slow sensor outputs are all well inside its range. You can check whether a UART line is toggling and count its bits at 9600 baud with cursors. What you can't do is read the bytes as text: Hantek lists no decoding, only an edge trigger, and no AC coupling, so a small ripple on a 12 V rail needs an external blocking capacitor before the 20 mV/div range can show it.
Jobs where the PicoScope 2206B is worth the step up
An I2C or SPI bus running at a few megahertz, a CAN bus in a car project, or a UART exchange you want decoded into bytes: PicoScope 7 decodes these alongside the waveform. The 32 MS buffer matters for bursty traffic. At 500 MS/s on one channel it holds 64 ms of full-rate data, and shared across two channels at 250 MS/s it still covers 64 ms, long enough to capture a whole sensor transaction or a power-up sequence without dropping to a slow sample rate. The built-in AWG lets you inject a test tone into a filter or amplifier and watch the result on the second channel, without buying a separate generator, though at 1 MHz it is a low-frequency source.
Why memory depth decides your real sample rate
Both share your computer's ground
Which should you buy?
| Your situation | Pick | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| First scope, tight budget, Windows laptop | Hantek 6022BE | Very low price; enough for audio, timers and PWM |
| Embedded work with I2C, SPI, UART or CAN | PicoScope 2206B | Serial decoding in PicoScope 7 |
| Filter or amplifier testing without a generator | PicoScope 2206B | Built-in function generator and AWG to 1 MHz |
| Mac or Linux user | PicoScope 2206B | PicoScope 7 runs on all three; Hantek lists Windows |
| Capturing a long, bursty sequence | PicoScope 2206B | 32 MS buffer |
| Supply ripple checks | PicoScope 2206B | AC coupling; the Hantek is DC-only |
| A throw-in-the-bag spare for slow signals | Hantek 6022BE | Cheap, USB-powered, two channels |
For another budget USB scope against the Hantek, read OWON VDS1022I vs Hantek 6022BE; for Pico's cheaper sibling against a lab-in-a-box, see PicoScope 2204A vs Digilent Analog Discovery 3. If a standalone instrument suits you better, compare Hantek 6022BE vs Hantek DSO2D10, Rigol DS1054Z vs Hantek 6022BE for beginners and FNIRSI DSO152 vs Hantek 6022BE, or start with the oscilloscope buying guide and the full beginner roundup.
Choose the PicoScope 2206B if…
- ✓You debug serial buses and want them decoded on screen (Pico lists CAN, I2C, SPI, UART, LIN and more)
- ✓You want a signal source built in: a function generator and AWG up to 1 MHz
- ✓You need long captures: 32 MS of buffer memory
- ✓You work on macOS or Linux as well as Windows
Choose the Hantek 6022BE if…
- ✓Your budget is the deciding factor and you only want to learn the basics
- ✓You have a Windows PC and look at audio, timers and slow PWM
- ✓You are happy to read waveforms and bits manually with cursors
- ✓You want a spare scope you won't mind leaving in a toolbox
The bottom line
The PicoScope 2206B is the far more capable instrument: 50 MHz, up to 500 MS/s, a 32 MS buffer, a built-in generator, serial decoding and software for Windows, macOS and Linux, backed by a 5-year warranty. The Hantek 6022BE is a learning tool for slow signals on a Windows PC, and its very low price is the reason to buy it. If you already know you'll debug microcontroller buses, skip the stepping stone and buy the PicoScope.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PicoScope 2206B worth it over the Hantek 6022BE?+
If you'll use it beyond basic learning, yes. The 2206B has 2.5 times the bandwidth, over ten times the sample rate, a 32 MS buffer, a function generator and AWG, and serial decoding in PicoScope 7. The Hantek 6022BE suits someone who wants to see audio, timer and PWM waveforms on a Windows PC for the lowest possible outlay.
Can the Hantek 6022BE decode I2C, SPI or UART?+
Hantek lists no protocol decoding for the 6022BE: its software offers an edge trigger, FFT, basic math, X-Y mode and cursors. You can still see the bus waveforms and count bits manually at slow speeds. Pico's datasheet lists decoding for the 2206B, including CAN, I2C, SPI, UART, LIN and FlexRay.
Does the PicoScope 2206B have a signal generator?+
Yes. Pico lists a built-in function generator with sine, square, triangle, ramp, noise and other shapes from 0.03 Hz to 1 MHz, plus an arbitrary waveform generator with a 12-bit, 20 MS/s DAC and ±2 V output on a front-panel BNC. The Hantek 6022BE has no generator.
Which of these USB scopes works on a Mac?+
The PicoScope 2206B. Pico's PicoScope 7 software runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Hantek lists only Windows versions (10, 8, 7, Vista and XP) for the 6022BE, so a Mac or Linux user would need a Windows machine or another scope.
Are probes included with the PicoScope 2206B?+
Pico's datasheet lists two x1/x10 probes, USB cables and a quick start guide in the kit. The Amazon listing we link doesn't spell out the box contents, so confirm with the seller before ordering if you don't already own probes.
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