USB oscilloscopes can be highly useful design, development, and testing tools. Like many tools, they need to be optimized for specific use cases. This second FAQ looks at specifications for triggering, input ranges and probes, zooming, and control software. Part 1 considered specifications for the number and types of channels, bandwidth, sample rate, refresh rate, […]
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What is PCIe gen 6 and how do I test it? Part 2
PAM4 modulation boosts throughput but adds test challenges. Part 1 of this two-part series described the evolution of the PCI Express (PCIe) standard, including the move from non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signaling in PCIe 5 to four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM4) signaling in PCIe 6. What unique test challenges does PCIe 6 present? As mentioned in Part 1, […]
What is jitter and what can I do about it (part 2 of 2)?
Operations on acquired jitter data help quantify jitter values. Part 1 of this article described the oscilloscope eye diagram and unit interval (UI) and focused on a single ideal rising edge with 28 additional edges representing some degree of jitter (Figure 1). We determined the peak-to-peak jitter to be 15 ps, based on the edges […]
What is jitter and what can I do about it (part 1 of 2)?
Measuring and quantifying jitter are the first steps toward controlling it. Jitter is a measure of the timing performance of a digital data stream such as Ethernet, USB, PCIe, or HDMI. It defines when data transitions occur in relation to an ideal waveform. Excess jitter can lead to signal-integrity problems that result in high bit-error […]
Automate double-pulse testing in WBG devices
By automating double-pulse testing of wide bandgap devices such as SiC and GaN power devices, you can cut setup and analysis time. The need to reduce carbon emissions drives investments in electrical technologies, particularly in data centers and electric vehicles. In its most recent Elective Vehicle Outlook report, Bloomberg estimates a 27% increase in global […]
What are insertion loss and return loss and how can I measure them?
These basic RF measurements often uncover system problems in wired and wireless communications. If you observe a signal traveling from a source to a load through a passive system of some sort, you will notice that the signal attenuates by the time it reaches the load, and you will also notice that some of the […]
How to run video games on an oscilloscope
Spend enough time on YouTube and you’ll uncover numerous videos showing some kind of video game being played on an oscilloscope. The most popular game choices for these videos seem to be the old Doom and Quake games and Pong, the first real video game released in 1972. Perhaps the main reason for Doom’s popularity […]
Margin tester checks out PCIe Gen 3, Gen 4 designs
The new TMT4 Margin Tester breaks conventions of PCIe testing, delivering fast test times. Plug-and-play set up and easy-to-use interface combine to deliver in minutes results that, until now, required hours or even days of set up and testing, often stretching costs to seven figures. “TMT4 Margin Tester is the latest example of how Tektronix […]
Tektronix wins coveted 2022 Leap Award
Instrument maker Tektronix took home a bronze medal in the recently completed 2022 Leap Awards. The LEAP Awards celebrates the most innovative and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space. Tektronix won in the test and measurement category covering equipment as typically used by design and development engineers engaged in product design and development. The […]
PCIe 6.0 transmitter/receiver test setup delivers shorter test times
An intuitive new PCIe 6.0 Receiver Test Solution equips engineers to test PCIe 6.0 (Base) receivers and addresses ever-growing performance demands of the next generation of high performance systems. With this release, Tektronix provides a cohesive PCIe 6.0 transmitter and receiver test solution that delivers faster test times, higher-quality measurements, and an intuitive user interface. […]
