250-MHz PC scopes transfer data with USB 3.0

Laying claim to being the first PC oscilloscopes to have a USB 3.0 interface, the 250-MHz PicoScope 3207A and 3207B dual channel oscilloscopes from Pico Technology let users move data from scope to USB 3.0-compatible personal computer at SuperSpeed rates up to 4.8 Gbits/s — much faster than previous PC scopes could. Back-compatible with earlier USB 2.0 ports, the instruments also let PC-scope users capture larger data sets with deep aquisition memory — to 512-Msamples — than previously.

Powered from the USB port, both scopes have dual channels with a 1 Gsample/s rate, timebase ranges of 100 ps/div to 1,000 s/div, and timebase accuracy of ±2 ppm ±1ppm/yr. Other features include digital triggering for accurate, stable waveform display, and equivalent-time sampling, which boosts the effective sampling rate to 10 GS/s for repetitive signals.

The 3207A model has a 256-Msample buffer memory as well as a built-in function generator with frequency resolution 2 C, CAN, LIN, and FlexRay data. Software updates are free, as is a software development kit (SDK) that lets users write their own data-acquisition programs to take full advantage of LabVIEW and USB 3.0 capabilities. Example code in a number of languages is included, as are two probes and a USB 3.0 cable. (3207A, $1,813; 3207B, $1,978 — available now.)