Mixed-Signal Scopes Reach 10-GHz Bandwidth with 4, 6, or 8 Channels

Sept. 28, 2020

Increased bandwidth, lower noise, and more channels than similar products in its class distinguish these mixed-signal instruments.

David Maliniak

Related To: Tektronix

In oscilloscopes, banner specifications are marquee items, and for its new 6 Series B mixed-signal oscilloscopes, Tektronix can festoon the marquee with some appealing ones: bandwidths up to 10 GHz and sampling rates up to 50 Gsamples/s. Aimed at embedded-system designers evaluating high-speed serial data channels, the 6 Series B scopes boast 12-bit ADCs, extremely low noise, and up to 8 FlexChannel inputs. Alongside the 6 Series B MSO, Tektronix is also introducing the new TDP7710 TriMode probe, which meshes with the capabilities of the new instruments.

Embedded systems, by dint of a fast-growing array of sensors and attendant data, are becoming so complex that their design, test, and functional verification requires instruments with a balance of speed and measurement accuracy. The 6 Series B scopes strive to meet that challenge in diverse applications including semiconductors, power integrity, automotive, defense, aerospace, research, and more.

On the signal fidelity front, the scope contributes less than 51.1 µV of noise at 1 mV/div and 1 GHz, and less than 1.39 mV of noise at 50 mV/div and 10 GHz. The 6 Series B MSO is said to be the industry’s first oscilloscope with bandwidth more than 2 GHz to offer 4, 6, or 8 channels. Each FlexChannel input can be converted into 8 digital channels using a TLP058 logic probe for added visibility.

The 6 Series B MSO offers a range of options to streamline protocol decoding, compliance testing for serial standards, jitter analysis, and power analysis. Built-in digital downconverters (DDCs) behind every channel enable multi-channel spectrum analysis, and spectrum measurements are synchronized with time-domain waveforms to enable correlation between RF and time events.

When it comes to user experience, the 6 Series B MSO’s responsive 15.6” HD capacitive pinch-zoom-swipe touch display is (along with displays on some Teledyne LeCroy instruments) the industry’s largest, providing an intuitive drag-and-drop, object-oriented user interface. This series expansion includes what’s claimed as the world’s first 10-GHz oscilloscope that can switch between Windows 10 and closed operating systems without loss of performance or ease-of-use.

The 6 Series B MSO contains a removable solid-state drive which, along with optional security licenses, enables use of the oscilloscope in secure environments by minimizing cybersecurity threats. The TekVPI probe interface communicates seamlessly with a wide range of probes to simplify setup and reduce errors. One example, the new TDP7710 TriMode probe, offers 10-GHz bandwidth and the ability to switch from making differential to common-mode to single-ended measurements without having to reconnect the probe.

Available now worldwide, the 6 Series B MSO starts at $26,500. Each unit carries a one-year warranty on the instrument and includes one TPP1000 1-GHz voltage probe per channel.

Tektronix, www.tek.com

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.