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Tek’s MDO3000 scopes are six-instruments-into-one

Tek’s MDO3000 scopes are six-instruments-into-one

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By eeNews Europe



Instruments that are extensible – in terms of their feature set – and upgradeable, in parametric terms, are popular: as the manufacturers’ documentation says, you are protecting your investment by not having to purchase a new unit when you move your own technology on. As more and more of the features of T&M instrumentation has come to be defined in software, it has also become common that the instrument you buy is capable, and fully-equipped, to operate at a higher specification than the one you initially purchase. A software key, that you subsequently purchase, enables more advanced performance than you bought at the outset. This benefits the manufacturers, who can limit the number of variants that they build (and they lock you in as a customer): and it means that your instrument is not obsoleted quickly, and does not have to return to its maker to receive an upgrade. It also enables the T&M vendor to offer you an “entry-point” specification – as distinct from an entry-point instrument – at a price that may fall into a lower capital-expenditure category.

Tektronix has applied all of these marketing strategies to its new MDO3000 series of oscilloscopes – or, not just scopes, as Tek refers to this range as six instruments in one, the six being scope, spectrum analyser, logic analyser, protocol analyser, arbitrary function generator and DVM. The spectrum analyser function follows the pattern that Tek set with the MDO4000 series in that it is a separate full-function channel, and not an FFT-derived analysis function applied to the main oscilloscope inputs.

By applying the expansion options approach outlined above, Tek offers an entry point that starts at €2,700/£2,250, and you get a spectrum analysis function to match the scope bandwidth you initially order; Tek says its customer research shows that over 25% of oscilloscope users now use a spectrum analyser multiple times per week – and that over 40% of embedded design projects include some form of wireless capability. EMI test is a major use of the spectrum analysis function.

The 3000 instrument “platform” can be upgraded in the field. Performance upgrades include analogue bandwidth of the oscilloscope and input frequency of the spectrum analyzer. Functional upgrades include the addition of digital channels, protocol analysis, arbitrary function generation or digital voltmeter measurements. Bandwidth upgrades, for both scope and spectrum analyser, are tied to the specific serial number of the instrument – although you enable the upgrade by software key, Tek will send you a new front-panel label in the mail. Certain other features – such as the protocol analyser, and specific protocols that you might purchase, are enabled by plug-in tokens that you can transfer between similar instruments. The DVM is not enabled at purchase, but you get that in return for registering the instrument.

The MDO3000 Series oscilloscopes feature 2 or 4 analogue input channels with bandwidth ranging from 100 MHz to 1 GHz, 16 digital channels (optional) and one RF input channel matching the bandwidth of the oscilloscope (9 kHz up to analogue bandwidth). The RF input frequency on any model can be extended to 3 GHz.


A “FastAcq” feature enables the MDO3000 oscilloscopes ton run at more than 280,000 waveforms per second capture rate displayed on a digital phosphor display for easily finding infrequent anomalies in a signal. More than 125 available trigger combinations, automated serial and parallel bus analysis, innovative Wave Inspector controls, and optional automated power measurements round out the feature-set, and ensure comprehensive tools for every stage of debug. This functionality is extended with the addition of 9 optional serial protocol analysis packages – I2C, SPI, RS-232, USB 2.0, CAN, LIN, FlexRay, MIL-STD-1553, and Audio.

The integrated, optional 50 MHz AFG functionality is more than twice as fast as competitive offerings, Tek says, with eight times the arbitrary waveform record length. While the integrated digital voltmeter (DVM) provides 4-digit AC RMS, DC, or AC+DC RMS voltage measurements, as well as 5-digit frequency measurements in a large, display that makes changes in your readings instantly visible.

MDO3000 also get 3.9 pF passive voltage probing on instruments with a starting price of €2,700/£2,250. For higher speed applications, 1 GHz (3-dB bandwidth) passive voltage probes are offered standard with 1 GHz instruments. 12-20 pF has been more typical of existing passive probes, Tek says.

When operating the instrument, the basic choice is analogue-scope or RF mode; otherwise, all enabled options can run at the same time. Differentiation between the 3000 series and the MDO4000 range – which also gets a restructuring of its pricing and feature set structure – is maintained by, among other aspects, the correlation between time-domain and RF measurements; the 4000 retains more capability in that respect.

There are ten pre-configured model options, 2 or 4 channels at 100, 200, 350, and 500 MHz, and 1 GHz, bandwidth. All use the 2.5 Gsample/sec ADCs that Tek developed for existing scopes, that can be interleaved to 5 Gsamples/sec. A 2-channel, 100-MHz unit costs €2,700; a 4-ch 1GHz scope is around €11,200. Expanding the spectrum analyser from as-purchased bandwidth to 3 GHz costs $2500; the 16-ch digital input costs $1500, and the ARB, $750. And so on, through an extensive menu of retrofit options – for example, each serial protocol you need will add €908.

Tek is holding an “online launch event”, starting February 25, 2014 at 8 a.m. PDT (17:00 CET/ 4 pm BST) including demos, webinars, product videos and a chance to win a MDO3000 Mixed Domain Oscilloscope; www.tek.com/ultimatescope

Tektronix; www.tektronix.com

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