HL8.MAY–Tektronix–wy
Low-cost DSO provides wide single-shot bandwidth
Oversampling ensures reliable single-shot capabilities to full 100-MHz
analog bandwidth
A $2,750 digital storage oscilloscope (DSO), the TDS 320 incorporates
oversampling to boost its single-shot bandwidth to its full 100-MHz analog
bandwidth. The scope uses thje same high-speed sampling techniques
employed in its maker's much-higher-performance and much-higher-priced
DSOs. Each of the TDS 320's two channels digitizes at 500
Msamples/s–twice the sampling rate of any 100-MHz DSO now available,
according to the manufacturer. In contrast with an analog scope, which
can accurately capture and display a single-shot waveform up to its full
bandwidth, most digital scopes–above what's called the DSO's single-shot
bandwidth–cannot sample and digitize enough data points after one trigger
event to represent the input signal. To accurately acquire and display
signals above this single-shot bandwidth, the DSO requires a repetitive
signal so it can piece the signal together over multiple trigger events.
And because high-speed sampling doesn't come cheap, the single-shot
bandwidth of low-cost DSOs, except for the TDS 320, is well below the
DSO's specified analog bandwidth. In addition to its single-shot
capability, the TDS 320 offers many other very useful features, such as 20
automatic measurements, four acquisition modes (sample, peak detect,
envelope, and average), and edge and basic video triggering. And GPIB and
Centronics-type interface options are available for hard-copy outputs. ($2,
795–stock.) Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR Marketing 800-426-2200 EEM
FILE 2900
CAPTION:
The TDS 320 digitizes at 500 Msamples/s on each of its two channels.
Advertisement
