>I looked at the datasheets and I do not see how this could work either. The
>alternative I suggested just adds the century field which I assume the firmware
>would ignore.
Hi David and Mike,
OK, you guys raised a good question and prompted me to repeat my experiment that I did last summer. I used a TDS784D serial # B040144. It does not show the RTC in the lower right corner unless you go into the utility menu and set it manually. From then on the RTC will display normally and increment until the unit is power-cycled, where it will lose the clock again. The options (including option 2M) are kept as well as the signal path compensation values. The scope will pass the full diagnostic tests from the utility as well. So, I guess the DS1556 is a viable option if you cannot get a DS1486 and are willing to set the clock manually on every power up. I suppose when I did the original experiment I set the clock on first power up, but did not verify that it would last through a power cycle. Thanks guys for catching this!
Jay
