Eight-channel automotive oscilloscope delivers high-speed performance

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

Pico Technology’s PicoScope 4823, a high-speed, high-resolution, eight-channel automotive oscilloscope, is fast enough for decoding serial protocols used in vehicles, such as CAN, CAN FD, and FlexRay. The 4823 operates with the PC-based PicoScope Automotive software that includes more than 150 guided automotive tests and provides access to thousands of automotive reference signal comparisons in Pico’s Waveform Library. Software tools include the waveform buffer, mask limit test, and serial decode.

The 4823 scope provides eight common-ground signal input channels with a maximum input range of 50 V and protection to 100 V. With a maximum sample rate of 80 MS/s (10 MS/s when using all eight channels), the oscilloscope can see subtle signal anomalies in vehicle sensor output.

Specs include 12-bit resolution, 20-MHz bandwidth, a 256-MS buffer memory, and a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface. The deep memory can capture several seconds of data at the full sampling rate, which is suited for evaluating long serial data records or intermittent glitches. In addition, the PicoScope 4823, which includes a low-voltage arbitrary waveform generator and is powered from a USB port, is a good fit for field use.

Diagnostic applications include:

• V6/V8 Cam timing (4/6 cams plus crank, and sometimes a WPS) and VVT timing systems
• Trucks, construction, and agriculture equipment analysis that typically requires a mix of electrical and hydraulic measurements on multiple valves simultaneously to diagnose problems with system interactions
• Broad system diagnosis on multiple components (including power, ground, signals, and current)
• Diagnosing faults on multiple serial busses (CAN, CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay)

The PicoScope 4823 comes as a scope-only (PQ185) or as an eight-channel Professional Kit (PQ184) with multiple probes and accessories. The scope and kit are available through their U.S. technical distributor, Saelig Company, Inc.