Learning the basics of oscilloscope triggers can help you leverage advanced features. In an earlier series, we discussed how the oscilloscope has evolved over the past three-quarters of a century. We noted that the basic horizontal and vertical controls remain functionally similar, but today’s digital oscilloscopes offer many features, including waveform math functions, that go […]
Digital Oscilloscope
Oscilloscope software automates DisplayPort 2.1 PHY testing
QPHY 2 software lets you test DisplayPort 2.1 links for compliance to industry standards Engineers designing DisplayPort 2.1 into devices need a way to verify compliance with standards and that the interface will interoperate with other devices. This involves viewing physical-layer (PHY) eye diagrams at both transmitters and receivers. DisplayPort 2.1 PHY compliance test software […]
USB oscilloscope software adds waveform overlays and other new features
Picoscope 7.2 makes troubleshooting easier by highlighting decision points on waveforms. New features include: Waveform overlays, which let you see differences in captured signals, helping you identify glitches on other intermittent occurrences; Measurement Indicators: the software places visual markers on waveforms, which highlight the points where it measures parameters such as rise time and frequency; […]
Locate ESD sources using an oscilloscope and two antennas
The key to identifying the location of an ESD source is by measuring the time of arrival between the two antennas. ESD discharges are tough to locate because they don’t occur periodically. Rather, they occur intermittently. I earlier wrote an application note on how to use an oscilloscope to trace the path of ESD current […]
Tektronix event highlights precision measurements
At “Precision Unveiled,” Tektronix gave attendees a look at the future and displayed some current test equipment. Raleigh, NC, October 28, 2025 — Tektronix, well known for oscilloscopes and more recently power sources and power measurements through its acquisitions of Keithley and EA Elektro Automatic, hosted an event at the North Carolina Museum of Art. […]
Midrange oscilloscopes focus on speed and resolution
The MXO 3 oscilloscope from Rohde & Schwarz brings fast viewing, quick data processing, and high resolution to your bench. It inherits features from higher-end models. If you design, test, or troubleshoot circuits, you surely need an oscilloscope, and two eight-bit channels are not enough anymore. Indeed, the MXO 3 oscilloscope comes in four-or-eight channels […]
Review: Picotest J2150B comb injector
This handy tool lets you test active and passive components at frequencies up to 3 GHz. I tried an early unit, using it for radiated and conducted EMI emissions testing. After almost ten years, Picotest has launched a new version of its Harmonic Comb Injector (generator). The J2150B ($495) is one of the pieces I’ve […]
Getting the most from your oscilloscope: part 3
Built-in math operations enable your scope to calculate and display measurement results. In part 1 of this series, we looked at the features oscilloscopes have offered for the past three-quarters of a century. In part 2, we looked at some of the unique features of modern digital scopes. In this part, we’ll take a closer […]
Oscilloscope features fast data transfer, 10-bit ADC
The Series 7 DPO oscilloscope from Tektronix is the company’s first new high-end model in years. It uses an optical port to transfer data faster than anything we’ve seen. Oscilloscope announcements come often, but most are for low-end. And midrange models. The Series 7 from Tektronix datasheet clearly fits into the high end, though it’s […]
Get the most from your oscilloscope: part 2
Modern scopes add a variety of new measurement and math features to the vertical, horizontal, and trigger controls used over a span of decades. In part 1 of this series, we looked at the features, such as the vertical, horizontal, and trigger controls that have appeared on oscilloscopes since the mid-20th century and that remain […]
