Integration breakthrough offers 6 instruments in 1 oscilloscope.

The MDO3000 Series of Mixed Domain Oscilloscopes has been released by Tektronix . The ultimate integrated oscilloscope that includes a spectrum analyser, logic analyser, protocol analyser, arbitrary function generator and digital voltmeter, the MDO3000 clears the design bench of costly, specialised equipment and provides the tools needed to test and debug virtually any embedded design. In addition, Tektronix has developed the MDO3000 to be completely customisable enabling customers to select the functionality and performance needed now - and later.

With the complexity of modern embedded designs coupled with the growth of wireless, it has become increasingly costly to give designers all the tools they need for efficient debug and troubleshooting. The MDO3000 fundamentally changes the rules by offering the functionality of six independent instruments without the significant cost of separate instruments.

“The case for integrated, multi-instrument oscilloscopes is extremely compelling on multiple levels,” said Dave Farrell, general manager, Mainstream Oscilloscopes at Tektronix. “In addition to cost savings, the MDO3000 saves space on the engineer’s bench, improves usability with the same basic controls for multiple instruments and ensures engineers always have access to all the instruments they need. There’s no need to track down a spectrum analyser or function generator when it’s already built into your scope.”

Integrated spectrum analyser!
Recent research shows over 25% of oscilloscope users now use a spectrum analyser multiple times per week1, and over 40% of embedded design projects include some form of wireless capability2. As the world’s only oscilloscope with a built-in spectrum analyser, the MDO3000 Series is uniquely positioned to address this paradigm shift for today’s designers. Now engineers can access both time domain and frequency domain analysis in a single instrument. When compared to both standalone oscilloscopes and basic spectrum analysers in this class, the MDO3000 Mixed Domain Oscilloscope provides best-in-class performance and features, providing the convenience of a single instrument without performance trade-offs.

Fully upgradeable platform
With the MDO3000 Series, engineers can start with the minimum performance and functional levels they need to accomplish the project at hand with the knowledge that their test platform can be upgraded in the field without delay. Performance upgrades include analog bandwidth of the oscilloscope and input frequency of the spectrum analyser. Functional upgrades include the addition of digital channels, protocol analysis, arbitrary function generation or digital voltmeter measurements.

Six Instruments, One Oscilloscope, Infinite Versatility
The MDO3000 Series oscilloscopes feature 2 or 4 analog input channels with bandwidth ranging from 100 MHs to 1 GHs, 16 digital channels (optional) and one RF input channel matching the bandwidth of the oscilloscope (9 kHs up to analog bandwidth). The RF input frequency on any model can be extended to 3 GHs.

Based on the MSO/DPO3000 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope Series, the MDO3000 provides industry leading debug functionality. With the new FastAcq feature, the MDO3000 oscilloscopes offer a more than 280,000 waveforms per second capture rate displayed on a vibrant 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 MHs AFG functionality is more than two times faster than competitive offerings 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, easy-to-read display that makes changes in your readings instantly visible. The DVM feature is available free of charge when an MDO3000 product is registered.

Adding to the value story, MDO3000 instruments are the first in the industry to offer 3.9 pF passive voltage probing on instruments with a starting price of €2,700/£2,250. For higher speed applications, 1 GHs passive voltage probes are offered standard with 1 GHs instruments – the only in the industry. These low capacitance probes minimise the impact on devices under test while reducing signal distortion and cleanly passing the signal to the oscilloscope for measurement.

“The trend toward integrated instrumentation is one that we plan to embrace wholeheartedly. We can now give our engineers the full set of tools they need while lowering overall cost of ownership,” said Scott Ausborn, test engineer supervisor, Logitech, UE. “But what makes the MDO3000 particularly attractive is the integrated spectrum analyser. Wireless is showing up in more products every day, and EMI challenges come up regularly, so having a spectrum analyser tightly integrated into our scopes isn’t just a nice to have, it’s becoming a core requirement.”