The QualiPHY USB4 Electrical Transmitter (Tx) and Receiver (Rx) Compliance Test Software (QPHY-USB4-TX-RX) runs on the LabMaster 10 Zi-A and WaveMaster/SDA 8 Zi-B oscilloscopes from Teledyne LeCroy, which are used in conjunction with Anritsu’s Signal Quality Analyzer-R (SQA-R) MP1900A BERT. The USB Type-C connector is quickly becoming the PC industry’s standard for converged high-speed data, […]
oscilloscope measurements
Measuring and abating jitter
Electronic noise results in spurious signals (spurs) or distortion in amplitude, frequency, or both. Jitter refers to unwanted variation in frequency, particularly in digital pulses and typically in the clock signal. Timing disruptions negatively impact system performance, particularly in ADCs, where sampling occurs, and in DACs. We’ll discuss causes of jitter, its detection and measurement […]
Scopes get jitter decomposition feature to aid debugging efforts
A new option for the R&S RTO and R&S RTP oscilloscopes helps development engineers gain more insight into the individual jitter components of their transmission interface. Now they can separate jitter into its random and deterministic components and view results flexibly for effective debugging. The Rohde & Schwarz decomposition algorithm uses a parametric signal model […]
Understanding noise in electronic instrumentation
In measuring or displaying weak signals, noise places the ultimate limit on detectability. It usually appears as a fluctuating horizontal line known as the noise floor in a spectrum analyzer of oscilloscope in FFT or RF mode. In the time domain, it appears as a thickening of the trace and in severe instances, causes a […]
Setting input parameters in the Tektronix MDO3000 oscilloscope
Input parameters in the Tektronix MDO3000 Series Oscilloscope are determined by the user. This is done by pressing one or more of the channel menu buttons, causing the horizontal channel menu to appear. Menu items are: • Scale – Fine, Offset, Position, Probe setup and Deskew • Coupling – ac or dc • Termination – […]
Displaying digital data in the MDO3000 Series oscilloscope
An application module lets the Tektronix MDO3000 Series oscilloscope decode and trigger on any of the principal serial bus types. For a parallel bus, the MDO3MSO option is required. Serial bus types include Audio, CAN, LIN, FlexRay, I2C, SPI, MIL-STD-1553, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 and UART. Digital data, serial or parallel, can be entered into B1 […]
More MDO3000 Series scope menus and front panel controls
A previous article covered many of the Tektronix MDO3000 Series Oscilloscope menus and front panel controls. Now we bring the survey closer to completion. Rather than memorizing all the details, you can refer to the user manual, connect to the internal or external AFG for sample waveforms, and start pushing buttons. Don’t worry, the oscilloscope […]
The system of menus in the Tektronix MDO3000 Series oscilloscope
New users are invariably challenged by the large number of front-panel controls and extensive menu trees found on modern scopes. Many menu items have single-word designations, which only begin to describe their extensive functions. In on-screen menus, specific display modes are not always where you expect to find them. Learning the layout of this architecture […]
Displaying waveforms and trace data in the Tektronix MDO3000 Series oscilloscope
When you are trying to get an accurate idea of waveform qualities from a scope display, the display settings are quite important. So it can be helpful to review the setup process in widely used scopes such as a Tektronix MDO3000. Display style and persistence in this instrument can be accessed by pressing the Acquire […]
Differences between stand-alone and scope-based spectrum analyzers
Most oscilloscope manufacturers also offer an extensive line of spectrum analyzers. There are similarities as well as differences between these two distinct instruments. The oscilloscope is optimized to display signals in the time domain, its default mode. Additionally, pressing Math>FFT, the same signal appears in the frequency domain. In the Tektronix MDO (mixed domain oscilloscope), […]