30GHz USB sampling oscilloscope

One way to look at sampling scopes is that: you have to put up with the repetitive-signal-only restriction but, for a given amount of money you get higher bandwidth and better fidelity compared with real-time oscilloscopes that can capture non-repetitive transients.

The 30GHz model, as well as the 20GHz version, are part of the company’s PicoScope 9300 range and are direct-to-sampler sequential sampling oscilloscopes.

They sample with 16bit ADC resolution and timing resolution down to 64fs (equivalent to 15Tsample/s real-time) which is “more than adequate detail for transitions and impulses down to 12ps or 24ps respectively”, according to Pico.

For reference: the 5GHz and 16GHz models (PicoScope 9400 types) are more traditional real-time scopes that rely on ‘random equivalent time’ sampling. They sample at 12bit ADC resolution and at intervals down to 200ps (2.5Tsample/s) – “plentiful detail to address transition and impulse capture down to 22ps or 44ps”, said Pico.

With the 30GHz scope comes software for Gbit comms physical layer test and characterisation including: serial data eye diagram display with auto set-up and mask alignment, histogramming plus statistical measurements to support NRZ and RZ eye characterisations, and 160 standard protocol masks with hit count, alarms and acquisition control.

There is also pulse and waveshape characterisations with IEEE 181 compliant pulse, impulse, transition and waveform auto-measurements; algebraic, trigonometric, logarithmic, derivative and Boolean trace maths functions; imaginary and vector Fourier transforms with six window functions.

Then there is broadband modulated envelope characterisation which is “particularly valuable to broadband pulse or data modulator and envelope track amplifier debug and verification”, said Pico.

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