Tektronix DPO7104C offers industry’s most complete signal visualization

Tektronix (www.tek.com) has introduced a four channel oscilloscope from the DPO7000C Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope Series that delivers a maximum real-time sampling rate of 20 GS/s and offers one GHz bandwidth.

Offering the most complete visualization of signals, the DPO7104C delivers fast insight into the device’s real operation. Its integrated FastAcq technology enables the oscilloscope to deliver fast waveform capture, allowing users to view glitches as well as other infrequent events within seconds.

Its digital phosphor display with color intensity grading provides users with a visual display of the signal activity’s history by utilizing color to mark areas of the signal that frequently occur.

Additionally, the oscilloscope also maintains fine timing resolution while capturing long windows of signal activity thanks to its deep record length of up to 250M points. To help users easily find events, the DPO7104C offers a comprehensive set of triggers, which include glitch, runt, timeout, width, pattern, transition, setup/hold violation, state, comm, window and serial pattern. Its Enhanced Triggering mode can be used as a measurement reference while reducing trigger jitter at the trigger point.

The digital phosphor oscilloscope also enables complex system debug and validation with its Pinpoint triggering, which utilizes Silicon Germanium (SiGe) technology to deliver more than 1400 trigger combinations and offer trigger performance up to the oscilloscope’s bandwidth.

Other feature-rich tools of the oscilloscope include Advanced Search and Mark and MultiView Zoom. For common technologies and in-depth analysis tasks, the oscilloscope offers over 15 optional software and analysis packages.

Saving time with oscilloscopes

Whether in manufacturing, education and R&D, the oscilloscope is the preferred tool for troubleshooting and debugging.

In R&D, oscilloscopes are used to troubleshoot, debug and characterize designs from prototype via the initial production run. Aside from accurate waveform capture, designers at R&D also need advanced analysis features to quickly determine the root cause of problems and reduce time to market.

Meanwhile, oscilloscopes provide technicians and production engineers in the manufacturing sector with repeatable pass/fail debug and measurements of products that do not pass. They also require fast test and easy operation as well as waveform analysis to identify problems.

Educators, on the other hand, utilize oscilloscopes to teach scientific measurements and basic electronic principles, while students need a device that are easy to use.

With this in mind, oscilloscope manufacturers have continuously worked to provide users with various features that can help them save time.

As an example, most oscilloscopes nowadays come with an integrated function generator. Combining these two important instruments in a single device effectively saves users with precious bench space, especially when they are working in an environment where space is a premium.

Another time saving feature is the segmented memory. This feature allows users to digitize only information of interest, effectively using less memory while capturing at a higher sample rate and longer period of time. Segmented memory is ideally suited for capturing signals with periods of burst data in between long spans of idle time, such as serial packets/frames and radar bursts.

Mask testing is one of the valuable applications integrated to an oscilloscope in addition to its traditional functions. Enabling users to easily capture a “golden” waveform, mask testing defines tolerance limits to form a test envelope. With incoming signals compared to the allowable tolerance limit and flagged as either pass or fail, users can then choose the preferred action that the oscilloscope will perform once it identifies a violation of the mask.

In addition, the oscilloscope’s Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) function allows users to easily view the frequency content of the signal under test. Aside from saving time, this function is also very useful in determining the main cause of noise within a waveform, like harmonic distortion or fine-tuning a filter.

Aware of the changing needs of the project, today’s designers usually prefers an oscilloscope that can easily be upgraded. This enables them to save not only time but costs as well.

Other time saving features of oscilloscopes include high-resolution mode and averaging mode, noise reject mode and high-frequency mode.

High-resolution mode and averaging mode allows users to effectively raise the resolution of oscilloscopes by up to 12 bits, reducing noise while producing a smoother image on the screen. Adding hysteresis to the trigger circuit, noise reject makes the trigger circuit less sensitive to noise although it may need more amplitude waveform to properly trigger. High-frequency reject, on the other hand, provides the trigger path with a 50 kHz low-pass filter to remove unwanted noise like FM or AM broadcast signals.

LeCroy SDA 760Zi-A Oscilloscope: A powerful and versatile solution

LeCroy (www.lecroy.com) provides oscilloscope users with the confidence needed to ensure proper functionality as its SDA 760Zi-A offers the most versatile and powerful solution for determining the main cause of serial data compliance failures.

Offering six GHz bandwidth, this four channel oscilloscope delivers a maximum real-time sampling rate of 40 GS/s and a record length of 32 Mpts/ch. Unlike some solutions that offers problem notification, the SDA 760Zi-A is the only oscilloscope that helps users identify the problem and keep the project back on track.

It is equipped with LeCroy’s QualiPHY compliance test suite, which offers the best solutions to configure, automate and document standardized tests. In case the design fails during compliance testing, the oscilloscope also features a debugging toolset to provide users with insight into eye and jitter analysis.

With Quick View, the oscilloscope shows the TIE Track, Eye Diagram, Jitter histogram, Bathtub Curve, Jitter Spectrum and NQ-Scale, while X-Stream II Architecture offers fast eye interpretation and fast updates.

The SDA 760Zi-A allows users to rapidly isolate the source of the problem in the design while offering advanced usability such as mask violation locator, 8b/10b decode, equalization and ISI plot that are easy to find. To achieve true amplitude and rise time measurements, the oscilloscope provides cable de-embedding and cable characteristics that automatically adjusts cable effects. On math analysis, the oscilloscope employs the same flexible math that offers users with valuable understanding of design behavior.

 

In addition, the oscilloscope also features a high-speed pattern trigger option of up to 2.7 Gb/s, which offers a recovered clock as well as data output on the oscilloscope’s front.

PicoScope 6402A Oscilloscope offers 5 GS/s

Pico Technology (www.picotech.com) has introduced a four channel oscilloscope that offers 250 MHz bandwidth, a maximum real-time sampling rate of five GS/s, a vertical resolution of eight bits and a memory depth of 128 MS — the PicoScope 6402.

Aside from the standard set of trigger functions offered in most oscilloscopes, the PicoScope 6402 is specifically designed with an advanced set of triggers to help users easily capture the needed data.

To conveniently manage all the data, the oscilloscope offers a maximum zoom factor of 100 million which is combined with two zoom methods. Its conventional set of zoom controls comes with an overview window that offers users a good view of the entire waveform while zooming in and repositioning the display by dragging the mouse.

The oscilloscope’s custom probe settings allow users to correct attenuation, gain, non-linearities and offsets in special probes, or convert measurements. It also enables users to save definitions to disk.

With high-speed circuitry, the oscilloscope can trigger on and capture more than one million waveforms per second, effectively increasing the chances of capturing an infrequent glitch.

In addition, it is integrated with a function generator, which can generate standard waveforms, such as square, DC, sine and triangle level, from DC to 20 MHz. Featuring basic controls to set level, frequency and offset, the PicoScope 6402A also offers advanced controls that allow users to sweep over a vast array of frequencies.

The oscilloscope is still fast and easy to use although it offers various advanced functions and features.

Tektronix boosts DSA8300 Digital Sampling Oscilloscope

Tektronix, Inc. (www.tek.com) enhances its DSA8300 Digital Sampling Oscilloscope with the OM4000 Series Optical Modulation Analyzer, which enables the device to perform analysis on PM-QPSK, QAM as well as other complex-modulation signals, with higher vertical resolution of 16 bits.

As a result of this enhancement, the oscilloscope will cater flexibility to optical networking manufacturers and designers in selecting between real-time and equivalent-time acquisition systems that will address their measurement needs.

Tektronix prides as the first optical modulation systems to offer a single modulation analyzer capable of working with both equivalent-time and real-time oscilloscopes.

The DSA8300 oscilloscope, enhanced by the OM4000 analyzer, is designed for network equipment manufacturers and designers who are in need of lower costs and higher vertical resolution.

Aside from 16-bit vertical resolution and 450uV RMS noise floor at 60 GHz, the DSA8300 oscilloscope, in this application, also features extra dynamic range and accuracy and up to 60 GHz bandwidth on four channels. Timing jitter is cut to as low as 450fs RMS, allowing visibility into real signal performance.

“As the worldwide demand for bandwidth continues to grow at a rapid pace, our customers are being asked to find ways to increase the efficiency, data rates and reliability of optical network equipment while at the same time reducing cost,” said Brian Reich, General Manager, Performance Oscilloscopes at Tektronix.

He added that along with the new enhancement, the OM4000 Series will be able to meet the needs for “cost-saving flexibility, higher vertical resolution and future-proof levels of measurement bandwidth.”

Meanwhile, the Tektronix OM4000 Series Optical Modulation Analyzer Solutions is capable of accurate characterization of serial communications in fiber starting from 100 Gb/s and beyond.

Triggering on mixed signal oscilloscopes

In purchasing a Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO), users will have to carefully consider its triggering capabilities.

MSOs with more acquisition channels offer more triggering capabilities that will enable users to zero-in on specific digital/analog I/O signal interaction. Although its triggering capabilities still cannot compare with that of high-performance logic analyzer, triggering using MSO goes far beyond the triggering delivered by traditional four- or two-channel oscilloscopes.

Nowadays, most mixed-signal solutions and MSOs can trigger on at least a level of parallel trigger conditions, while some offer up to two levels of pattern sequence triggering with reset conditions. However, even when using relatively simple one-level pattern triggering, users will note significant differences in triggering capabilities among various mixed-signal measurement solutions/MSOs.

In choosing the right MSO, users should select one that can trigger on a combination of digital and analog inputs. Due to signal skew between logic and analog channels, some loosely tethered mixed-signal measurement solutions can only reliably trigger on one side of the acquisition system. This implies that users are allowed to trigger on a single trigger condition only — the traditional analog trigger condition or on the parallel digital condition only, but never on both. Aside from mixed-signal triggering capabilities, MSOs should also provide precise time-alignment triggering among digital channels and analog channels.

In addition, users should also consider whether the pattern triggering of the MSO includes any type of time qualification. The MSO should not only offer entry and/or exit trigger qualification, its pattern trigger conditions should also feature a minimum time-qualification condition.

Users should also keep in mind the importance of minimum time qualification in order to avoid triggering on unstable/transitional conditions. Although switching may be almost simultaneous whenever parallel digital signals change states, it is not exactly simultaneous. Slight delays may still be observed in between signals even in the best-designed systems, in addition to falling edge and limited rising speeds when signals are neither low nor high. Hence, users should not be surprised if transitional/unstable signal conditions may be seen in the system during switching of signals, even if they would want their MSO to be free of these unstable conditions.

Compared to logic analyzers, which use sample-based triggering, oscilloscopes (MSOs included) can accurately trigger at analog trigger level/threshold crossing points.

Sample-based triggering means the device randomly samples the input signal first. Based on the sampled data, it then establishes the trigger reference point. Although this type of triggering may be adequate for typical logic analyzer measurements, it is not acceptable for traditional oscilloscope measurements, much less to an MSO, for viewing repetitive signals.

Finally, when evaluating MSOs, users should consider whether or not the oscilloscope can trigger on a certain address as well as data transmissions of serial I/O, which is very prevalent nowadays in embedded designs, like SPI and I2C.

Tektronix TDS2002C oscilloscope delivers 1GS/s

Tektronix (www.tek.com) offers affordable performance in a compact design with the TDS2002C digital storage oscilloscope.

This 70 MHz dual channel oscilloscope delivers a maximum real-time sampling rate of one GS/s and a record length of up to 2.5k points, while standard features include 16 automated measurements, USB connectivity, limit testing, context-sensitive help and data logging.

The oscilloscope has been specifically designed to ensure that sampling performance is not compromised when using multiple channels. In addition, the oscilloscope is equipped with critical tools for easy troubleshooting of device. Its advanced triggers, which include pulse width, video and rising/falling edge, help users isolate signals of interest.

Upon capturing a signal, the oscilloscope’s automated measurements and advanced math capabilities speed analysis. Its built-in Limit Test function allows users to identify problems in the signal easily, while its 16 automated measurements reliably and quickly calculate signal characteristics such as rise time or frequency.

For ease of use, the TDS2002C has been integrated with intuitive user interface that comes with dedicated per-channel vertical controls, auto-ranging and auto-setup. These features effectively reduce learning time and increase efficiency.

Its front panel USB host port allows users to save screenshots, waveform data and instrument settings in a flash. On the other hand, its built-in Data Logging feature enables users to save user-specified waveforms into a USB memory device even for up to 24 hours. For continuous waveform monitoring, the ‘Infinite option’ allows users to save triggered waveforms, without a duration limitation, to an external USB memory device.

LeCroy upgrades LabMaster 10 Zi’s bandwidth to 65 GHz

From the previous 60 GHz, LeCroy (www.lecroy.com) announced that it has optimized its LabMaster 10 Zi Series to offer 65 GHz, effectively making it the world’s fastest real-time oscilloscope.

The company has also revealed its roadmap to provide a real-time bandwidth of up to 100 GHz in the LabMaster 10 Zi platform. The increase in bandwidth offering is attributed to outstanding results seen with 8HP SiGe chipsets.

To be offered in 2013, the first 100 GHz real-time oscilloscope will employ the oscilloscope manufacturer’s patented DBI (Digital Bandwidth Interleave) technology. This technology has been supplied since 2010 to customers and is used to achieve 45 GHz real-time bandwidth in LeCroy’s current product lines.

The silicon bandwidth advantage of LeCroy is accounted for its vast experience with mainstream, commercial SiGe processes. It utilized 8HP SiGe to offer 36 GHz on four channel oscilloscopes.

Meanwhile, the company’s 65 GHz models as well as its 100 GHz plans are implemented with DBI technology. Its proprietary ChannelSync architecture featured in LabMaster 10 Zi oscilloscopes allows users to accurately synchronize up to 40 65 GHz/160 GS/s DBI channels and up to 80 silicon-based 36 GHz/80 GS/s channels — a capability not otherwise offered by other oscilloscope manufacturers.

The most ambitious product line yet of LeCroy, LabMaster 10 Zi comprises four-channel 36 GHz modules with up to 65 GHz bandwidth.

“LabMaster oscilloscopes have played a key role in our research at Bell Labs. In our coherent MIMO experiments, the modular oscilloscope system synchronizes all twelve high-speed channels for us, which significantly facilitates our experiments,” said Dr. Peter Winzer from Bell Labs.

Entry-level PicoScope 2208 offers 1GS/s

Pico Technology (www.picotech.com) has introduced an entry-level USB oscilloscope that offers a sampling rate of one GS/s — a feature that is previously offered on mains-powered oscilloscope only.

With the equivalent-time sampling mode, the PicoScope 2208 also has the capability to increase its sampling rate for repetitive signals by as much as 10 GS/s. Aside from the high sampling rate, the dual channel oscilloscope also offers a bandwidth of 200 MHz, a vertical resolution of eight bits and a record length of four kS, making it ideally suited for use in various applications.

Using the same software fitted in Pico Technology’s high-end oscilloscope, the PicoScope 2208 provides users with a complete test and measurement lab as it can also be used as a spectrum analyzer, multimeter, arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and function generator.

Small enough to easily fit into a laptop bag, the compact oscilloscope is powered by a USB 2.0 interface, eliminating the need to carry an external power supply or batteries. The USB port provides high-speed data to the PC to deliver a high-resolution and responsive display.

Unlike other oscilloscope with limited functionality software, the PicoScope 2208 is equipped with the same PicoScope software fitted in high-end oscilloscopes. This allows users to enjoy the same functions and features at an affordable price.

The affordable yet powerful oscilloscope is easy to operate. It comes with a software development kit (SDK), which contains example code and drivers that enable users to use third party software like LabVIEW or develop their own applications.

Agilent U1620A handheld oscilloscope features three viewing modes

Agilent’s (www.agilent.com) U1620A is the first 200 MHz handheld oscilloscope in the world to offer a VGA display, a floating measurement capability, three viewing modes and two CAT III 600 V isolated channels. With a maximum real-time sampling rate of two GSa/s and a memory depth of up to two Mpts, the oscilloscope enables users to capture more waveforms from signals such as in rush, pulse with modulated circuit, motor start up sequences and transient.

It also features a dual window zoom and a benchtop-like display that allow users to easily locate problem areas and conveniently zoom in for a detailed analysis.

Designed with a 5.7-inch VGA TFT LCD display, the oscilloscope provides users with a clear view of on-site as well as on the field measurements. The oscilloscope also allows users to view the waveforms under all lighting conditions, as it offers three viewing options — indoor, outdoor and night vision modes.

The indoor mode provides high brightness and contrast levels to provide users with a clear distinction of waveforms, while the outdoor mode features an anti-glare mechanism and filters out excessive sunlight to reduce the risk or misinterpreting or misreading the measurements. Designed to be visible even under subdued lighting conditions, the night vision mode offers high contrast levels between the waveforms and the screen background.

Fitted with the most robust isolation topology, the U1620A oscilloscope enables technicians to perform floating measurements while measuring signals in the field.

Next Page »