Scopes offer embedded designers high-end performance from under $12,000

Scopes offer embedded designers high-end performance from under $12,000

The MSO/DPO5000 Series portable mixed-signal/digital-phosphor oscilloscopes provide the industry’s best digital timing resolution in this class of oscilloscope, correlating all analog and digital inputs. With the included TPP series high-performance passive probes, the new instruments claim to offer embedded-systems designers unmatched performance/analysis tools for complex component- and system-level debug and validation tasks — all at prices starting under $12,000.

The series consists of eight four-analog-channel models with bandwidths of 350 MHz, 500 MHz, 1 GHz, and 2 GHz; sample rates from 5 to 10 Gsample/s; and record lengths from 12.5 to a large 250 Mpoints. The four MSO models offer 16 digital channels with built-in parallel-bus trigger and decode functionality, and the four DPO models are field upgradable to MSO models.

The scopes bring many of the popular features found in the company’s higher performance models to this class of instruments, features such as FastAcq — whose >250,000 waveforms/s capture rate speeds and simplifies discovery of rare, elusive problems — and FastFrame — whose segmented memory acquisition and long record length let users capture long time periods at high resolution. Also built in are over 50 automated measurements, plus advanced waveform math, histograms, statistics and other tools for in-depth analysis of complex designs. A Windows-based user interface eases operation, and all capabilities are available either through the instruments’ knobs and buttons, or using their touchscreen interface.

Over 350 trigger combinations, including extensive triggers for serial and parallel bus content, let users capture unique events the first time. Built-in Wave Inspector search capability can automatically look through an entire 250-Mpoint acquisition to find user-specified events and mark every occurrence for fast navigation to problem areas.

All 16 digital channels on MSO models are fully integrated, letting users trigger across all analog and digital input channels and automatically time correlating all signals. MagniVu ultra-high-resolution acquisition mode acquires up to 10,000 points at up to 16.5 Gsamples/s (60.6-ps resolution) for making accurate setup-and-hold, clock-delay, signal-skew, and glitch-characterization measurements. Support for automated trigger and decode of I2 C, SPI, RS-232, and USB 2.0 serial buses is optional, as is support for jitter / eye-pattern analysis, limit and mask testing, serial compliance tests, power measurements, and DDR.

With performance similar to an active probe, 1-GHz TPP1000 and 500-MHz TPP0500 passive voltage probes deliver high input dynamic range, robust mechanical design, and lower cost. They have a 10-MΩ input resistance and capacitive loading of just 3.9 pF at the probe tip to minimize circuit loading. (U.S. MSRP, $10,400 to $20,300; additional probes: TPP1000, $885; TPP0500, $585 — available now.)

Tektronix , Beaverton , OR
Information 800-833-9200
http://www.tek.com