Multi-domain signal analysis is blurring the line between real-time oscilloscopes and real-time spectrum and signal analyzers. Fernando Gomez, Tektronix Inc. Multi-domain signal analysis is enabled by advanced oscilloscope features such as 12-bit ADC, digital down conversion (DDC), and flexible channel inputs where each can be either analog or digital. As Signal Integrity (SI) and Power […]
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Scope-based diagnosis of three-phase motor drives
Ordinary oscilloscopes can view basic parameters in modern motor drives, but operational insights generally require specialized power analyzers. Variable frequency drives (VFD) generate carefully controlled pulse-width modulated (PWM) waveforms to modulate the speed of industrial ac motors. Often, the motors involved are three phase. Three-phase ac induction motors (ACIMs) are widely used though they are […]
EMI testing for IoT transceivers
A few oscilloscope measurements can give insight into sources of electromagnetic interference that garble the operation of wireless IoT devices. Examine a typical wireless device with an internet of things connection and you’ll likely find multiple RF receivers squeezed together in close proximity onto a circuit board. Cramped quarters characterize modern IoT electronics, so sensitive […]
Review: Working with the Tektronix MDO3104
The model number on the Tektronix MDO3104 oscilloscope denotes that it is a 3000-Series Mixed-Domain Oscilloscope. The mixed domain moniker means it is capable of displaying a waveform simultaneously in the time domain and in the frequency domain. The time domain is more familiar, the way we envision a sine wave when amplitude is plotted […]
Back-packable MSO offers benchtop-level performance
The 2 Series Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO) can go seamlessly from the bench to the field and back, enabling workflows previously unimagined on a scope. It is the first portable oscilloscope to offer benchtop performance and the award-winning Tektronix user interface. Weighing less than four pounds and 1.5 inches thin, the 2 Series MSO can […]
The difference between signal under-sampling, aliasing, and folding
Most engineers today are sensitive to problems that arise when digital measurement instruments try to capture signals containing frequencies that are too high for the sampling circuitry to handle–undergrad EE programs typically cover Nyquist’s sampling theorem. Nevertheless, there are terms associated with sampling problems that sometimes get confused. Probably the three concepts most likely to […]
Scope test regime validates PCIe 6.0 standard transmitters
An oscilloscope software pack implements PCI Express 6.0 compatible Base transmitter tests. PCIe 6.0 is an important and scalable standard for data-intensive markets such as data center, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), and high-performance computing. To meet ever growing performance demands, PCIe 6.0 standard transitions to PAM4 signaling and new innovative error correcting techniques. The Tektronix […]
Upgraded MSO features auxiliary trigger input, offline analysis and cloud data storage
The newest version of the award-winning 5 Series mixed signal oscilloscope (MSO) features numerous enhancements and more versatility while continuing to provide high-fidelity waveforms, unique spectrum analysis capabilities, and flexible signal access appreciated by engineers around the world. Built on the performance and integrity that engineers rely on with the original 5 Series MSO, the […]
Odd ball application department: Using a scope to display SEM images
The Applied Science YouTube channel run by Ben Krasnow (who in his day job is a hardware engineer at Verily, Google Life Sciences) focuses on interesting applications of science and technology. One video in particular caught our eye where Kranow uses an oscilloscope to help view digital images captured by a scanning electron microscope made […]
Catch that glitch: Finding race conditions
Among the problems circuit designers have to contend with in their fast and complex electronic environment are race conditions. The term used to be exclusively applied to electronic logic problems but has now been adopted by software engineers working on multithreaded programs. Briefly, software race conditions arise in multithreaded software when multiple threads attempt to […]
