The RSA7100B wideband RF signal analyzer and streaming recorder targets engineers working on the latest wideband designs in communications, radar, and electronic warfare. The solution offers more than 2.5 hours of streaming RF storage at 800-MHz real-time bandwidth and its 16 kHz to 26.5 GHz frequency range covers a broad range of analysis needs. In […]
Tektronix
Do you really need a VNA when a scalar network analyzer might do?
Network analyzers measure network parameters of electrical networks, such as two-port amplifiers and filters. The instruments characteristically operate at 5 Hz to 1.05 THz, mostly at the higher end, though some models are sensitive down to 1 Hz. These instruments are available in two varieties: scalar network analyzers, which measure only the amplitude of the […]
Signal acquisition in the Tektronix MDO3000 series oscilloscope
Most modern digital storage oscilloscopes have either two or four analog channels. One or two channels suffice for most work, but it is just good to know you have four, notwithstanding the substantial cost differential. As for the digital channel count, it is typically 16, handy when working on a parallel bus. All these digital […]
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 […]
Source measurement unit software simulates classic curve tracer functions
Keithley I-V Tracer software brings many of the features loved in classic curve tracers to Keithley SourceMeter Source Measure Units (SMU). Because an SMU can source voltage or current while measuring voltage and current, it has similar hardware qualities to a curve tracer. The new software leverages the touchscreen interface of 2400 Series Graphical SMUs […]
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 […]