Released in 2011, the new MDO4000 Mixed Domain Oscilloscope Series features an integrated RF Spectrum Analyzer and is commonly utilized as a standalone test device that can be externally controlled by a computer running its programming environment.

“For 25 years, LabVIEW has been programmatically controlling test equipment like Tek’s new MDO4000 Series scope,” said Brian Spears, head of Sixclear’s video instruction.

“Quite commonly, we see LabVIEW automating an entire suite of devices at once, and when the new piece of equipment comes in, someone has to learn how to program and integrate it with the rest of the application.”

Although new users were informed that the oscilloscopes can be programmed easily with LabVIEW, the customers remain hesitant, noted Luke Graham, Consulting Account Manager at Tektronix.

“Having a video tutorial walk the user through the scope setup process and into programming some simple code is invaluable.”

Spears explained that the set of four tutorials walks a user first “through installation of the driver, explores the driver structure, looks over example programs, explains how the scope is recognized and configured with the NI-VISA driver.

Then it shows the users “how to configure and acquire single and multiple channels, demonstrates how to save waveforms and set up triggering, and finally how to acquire off the digital logic channels and the RF channel.”

The high-resolution video tutorial can be accessed for free at sixclear.com/tek.

Test & Measurement Tips

Oscilloscopes can generally store huge amounts of waveform data even after longer periods of time. The GDS-3352 prevents users from selecting the wrong file from the numerous waveform files stored in the oscilloscope through its screen capture preview function. This allows users to view the waveform file without opening it, making the oscilloscope operation more convenient and efficient.

Offering an optional software upgrade as well as an additional feature built-in environment, the oscilloscope also allows users to install additional application software at its user site. This added flexibility makes the oscilloscope always up-to-date.

Users can easily capture data from the oscilloscope using the FreeWave remote monitoring software and its USB host port. The FreeWave enables users to save a screenshot as an image file (.jpg or .bmp), log waveform data (.csv) and record movie files (.wmv) in real time. Aside from recording and monitoring waveforms, FreeWave also allows users to view previously recorded waveforms.

The instrument settings of the oscilloscope can be configured easily, eliminating the need for users to learn complex command line syntax. The robust features and simple user interface of the FreeWave allows users to get the most out of the GDS-3352 with minimal effort.

Test & Measurement Tips

Featuring 100 MHz bandwidth, the PicoScope 2207 is the first USB-powered oscilloscope that can deliver a maximum real-time sampling rate of one GS/s, a vertical resolution of up to eight bits and a rise time of 3.5 ns. For repetitive signals, the oscilloscope’s sampling rate can be optimized to as much as 10 GS/s through equivalent-time sampling mode.

PicoScope 2207 USB oscilloscope seamlessly combines high sampling rate with large buffer memory of up to 32 kS, making it ideal for use in various applications.

This compact oscilloscope can easily fit into laptop bags, providing users a portable advanced test and measurement lab. It also features the same PicoScope software fitted into high-end oscilloscopes. This enables users to use the PicoScope 2207 as a spectrum analyzer, multimeter, arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and function generator.

The oscilloscope eliminates the need for external power supply or batteries as it derives its power from the USB 2.0 interface. Its USB port provides users with a high-resolution, responsive display as it delivers high-speed data to the PC.

The PicoScope 2207 features familiar Windows controls and interface that make the software easy to learn and use. This powerful oscilloscope also allows users to save data in various formats that include CSV text, GIF and PNG images as well as MATLAB binary files. It comes with a software development kit (SDK), which contains example code and drivers, to help users create their own applications.

Test & Measurement Tips

Ideal for technicians and engineers in troubleshooting during on-site inspection and performing complex measurements, the oscilloscopes feature bandwidths ranging between 1 GSa/s and 25 GSa/s. The A0110004 series handheld digital storage oscilloscopes is designed with 27 automatic measurement functions, and  offer various advanced triggering functions such as pulse, edge, alternative and video. In addition, the oscilloscopes can perform cursor tracking measurements and provide special recording, playback as well as storage functions.

Aside from the auto scale and mathematical functions, Gao Tek’s oscilloscopes also feature FFT spectrum analysis and automatic parameter measurements. They boast powerful shortcut keys and multifunctional dials, which enable users to save time during operation. Gao Tek has also equipped the oscilloscopes with automatic settings functions for faster set up.

The A0110004 series handheld digital storage oscilloscopes is part of the company’s Portable Digital Oscilloscopes portfolio, which includes a vast array of digital oscilloscopes with various bandwidths such as 60 MHz Dual Channel Portable Digital Oscilloscope. Also included in the line-up is a Potable Digital Oscilloscope with FFT that is usually used for circuit testing, electronic debugging, education and training, design and manufacture as well as automobile maintenance and testing.

Test & Measurement Tips

Digitizing oscilloscopes have different forms — the sampling oscilloscope, the digital phosphor oscilloscope (DPO) and the digital storage oscilloscope (DSO).

Ideally suited for low-repetition signals with narrow pulse widths or fast edges, the DSO can easily capture transients and one-time events, and is the best solution for multi-channel, high-speed design applications.

The DPO, on the other hand, is the perfect tool for digital troubleshooting, for identifying intermittent signals and for various kinds of mask testing and eye diagram. The extraordinary waveform capture rate of the DPO overlays sweep after sweep of data more easily and quickly than other oscilloscope, offering frequency-of-occurrence details, in intensity and colour, with unrivalled clarity.

The digital sampling oscilloscope is the tool of choice when the real-time oscilloscope’s bandwidth is not enough. It is ideal for capturing repetitive signals with much higher frequency components than the sample rate of the oscilloscope. Measuring signals faster than other oscilloscopes, the digital sampling oscilloscope can also achieve up to 100 GHz bandwidth using sequential equivalent-time sampling of repetitive signals.

In selecting an oscilloscope, users should take note of several performance considerations that affect the quality of signal integrity measurements. These include rise time, bandwidth, record length, waveform capture rate, triggering flexibility and sample rate.

Rise time measurements are important in the digital world. Rise time is the more appropriate consideration when selecting an oscilloscope to measure digital signals such as steps and pulses.

Generally, an oscilloscope with rapid rise time can more accurately capture the fast transition’s critical details. The rise time taken by oscilloscope depends on both the rise time of the oscilloscope and the actual rise time. Faster oscilloscope rise time results to more accurate rise time measurements.

Meanwhile, oscilloscope bandwidth is critical when troubleshooting designs with fast rise time signals or high data rates. The digital signal’s rise time carries higher frequency components than what is implied by its repetition rate. To capture the higher frequency components, the oscilloscope should have adequate bandwidth while showing signal transitions accurately.

The oscilloscope cannot resolve high-frequency changes without sufficient bandwidth, while its special features and strengths will mean nothing.

Record length refers to the number of samples that an oscilloscope can store and digitise in one acquisition. With the oscilloscope storing only a limited number of samples, the length of time captured or the waveform duration will be inversely proportional to the sample rate of the oscilloscope.

Expressed as waveforms per second (wfms/s), the oscilloscope’s waveform capture rate determines how often the oscilloscope captures a signal, while the oscilloscope’s sample rate shows how frequently it samples the input signal in a cycle or waveform.

Oscilloscopes nowadays provide triggers for various analog events, including slew rate conditions and edge levels; low-amplitude events and events width conditions; pulse characteristics; serial data patterns as well as setup and hold time violations.

These trigger types assist engineers in isolating and detecting signal integrity problems. The digitizing oscilloscope also features various combinations of timing, logic triggers and voltage as well as specialty triggers, for applications like serial data compliance testing.

Test & Measurement Tips

Rigol’s DS4000 series digital oscilloscope incorporates many advanced technologies and processes to make detecting signal and device characteristics easier than ever. These scopes can help find system glitches with 140 million points of memory depth and 110,000 waveforms per second acquisition rate. In addition, DS4000 series can search and navigate within up to 200,000 triggered waveforms with mask tests.

DS4000 digital oscilloscopes feature Rigol’s innovative UltraVision technology and a 9 inch WVGA display to offer an intensity grading display and real-time waveform recording and waveform visualization and replay, with customizable real-time hardware filters available.

Designed to target the requirements of R&D engineers, production test engineers and advanced researchers, the easy-to-use DS4000 series is ideal for applications in the communications, aerospace/defense, research and education, industrial and consumer electronics, computing and instrumentation industries.

Pricing for the DS4000 series oscilloscopes begins at $1999, and is dependent upon configurations and quantity.

Rigol Technologies, Inc.
www.Rigolna.com

Test & Measurement Tips

Its advanced triggers include Pulse Width Trigger as well as Line-selectable Video Trigger, while its math functions include Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), add, subtract, divide and multiply. These functions allows users to easily analyze, troubleshoot and characterize circuits, making the oscilloscope ideal for use in applications in various fields such as education and training; design and debug; service and repair as well as in manufacturing test and quality control.

The oscilloscope’s simple user interface features classic analog-style controls, enabling users to increase efficiency while reducing learning time. It is also designed with innovative features such as Probe Check Wizard, Context-sensitive Help Menu and Autoset Menu, which help optimise instrument operation and setup.

For convenient and easy transfer of data, the TDS1001B digital storage oscilloscope is fitted with USB host and device ports that allow removable data storage, direct printing and seamless PV connectivity.

In addition, its integrated OpenChoice PC Communications Software enables users to easily save, capture and analyze measurement results by simply pulling waveform data and screen images directly into Microsoft Excel and Word or into the stand-alone desktop application. To complement the software, National Instruments SignalExpress Tektronix Edition Software offered users with extended capabilities, such as live waveform analysis, remote oscilloscope control and advanced analysis.

Meanwhile, images can be directly printed to any PictBridge-compatible printer via the oscilloscope’s USB device port.

Test & Measurement Tips

The enhancement to the firm’s N5467A user-defined application software allows engineers to develop extensions, which they can plug into current compliance applications for PCIe(R), USB, SATA, DDR, MIPI, HDMI, Ethernet and other technologies. With the add-in capability, engineers can quickly automate custom measurements on the Infiniium oscilloscopes, effectively saving time and effort.

The add-ins may be designed as external instruments for probe switches, pattern generators, temperature chambers and other devices; pre- and post-processing scripts such as LabVIEW, MATLAB, C++, Python and Visual Basic; complete custom test with connection prompts and configuration variables; and device-under-test controllers to alter test modes, transmit specific test patterns and others.

“Engineers have been asking for the ability to extend the capability of our huge list of compliance applications,” remarked Jay Alexander, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent’s Oscilloscope Products Division.

“We are excited to give our customers the flexibility to automate custom measurements and measurements with external instruments so they can test more efficiently.”

The add-ins allows engineers to take advantage of the lowest noise floor as well as the flattest response of Infiniium 90000 and 90000 X-Series oscilloscopes. Agilent’s add-in development environment can be used by engineers to develop the standalone applications and add-ins they need. When installed into a compliance application, the add-in can be fully run with the application.

Test & Measurement Tips

Sampling at 200 MSa/s, the compact entry-level oscilloscope can display simultaneously-clocked analog waveforms as well as digital data in phase using its easy-to-use and efficient FrontPanel software.

With a maximum sampling rate of 200 MSa/s and 60 MHz bandwidth, the oscilloscope captures a 60 MHz signal in single shot mode, or faster repetitive signals using a repetitive sampling rate of one GSa/s. Its FFT Spectrum Analyzer offers up to 100 MHz frequency spectrum information for analog input signals, while controlling FFT windows, FFT resolution and FFT type.

In addition, I2C and SPI serial bus protocols can be decoded and displayed, or utilised as 32-bit wide trigger sources. I2C and SPI signals can also be viewed as a state list display or as timing waveforms.

The MSO-28’s FrontPanel software offers Auto-Set up and simple controls, making the operation intuitive. It also allows default setups to be saved to disks for easier recall in the future, while screen shots can be annotated and pasted into documents as required in presentations and reports.

Unlike standalone oscilloscopes, the MSO-28 offers multiple signals that can be viewed as large as a projection screen or LCD or on dual monitor PCs.

Offered with two passive x1/x10 probes, a USB cable and a logic cable with test hooks, the oscilloscope’s buffers and high speed samplers perform all the high speed data acquisition. Thus, the actual PC speed does not pose as a performance limiter.

Test & Measurement Tips

Featuring a large, bright 7.5-inch display, the WaveJet 314A features four channels, a maximum real-time sampling rate of one Gs/s and a memory length of up to 500 kpts, allowing users to easily capture and view all the details of the waveform. Its USB ports offer a quick way to store or print images, save waveforms or connect to a PC.

Aside from edge triggering, advanced triggering capabilities of the oscilloscope include Period, Pulse Width, Pulse Count as well as TV. Its long memory length eliminates the tradeoff between high sample rate and long capture rate, making the WaveJet 314A a great tool for viewing high frequency as well as low frequency signals including signals with fast edges.

In addition, the oscilloscope’s integrated six-digit frequency counter helps users simplify work, while its 26 automatic measurement parameters enables users to save precious time.

For additional analysis, the WaveJet 314A offers math capabilities, which include functions such as difference, sum, product as well as FFT. Using the cursors or parameters, measurements can also be made on the calculated waveforms to provide added debug and analysis capabilities.

Its equivalent time acquisition and peak detect modes provide users with flexibility in capturing and measuring signals. Peak detect allows the oscilloscope to capture glitches as tiny as one ns, while equivalent time sampling enables it to achieve a maximum sampling rate of 100 GS/s.

Test & Measurement Tips