CIE Components in Electronics
Tektronix has unveiled the MDO3000 Series of Mixed Domain Oscilloscopes, incorporating six instruments into one device. This integrated oscilloscope includes a spectrum analyzer, logic analyzer, protocol analyzer, arbitrary function generator and digital voltmeter and is intended to 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.
According to Tektronix the complexity of modern embedded designs coupled with the growth of wireless, means that it has become increasingly costly to give designers all the tools they need for efficient debug and troubleshooting. The MDO3000 looks to fundamentally change 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 analyzer or function generator when it’s already built into your scope.”
Recent research shows over 25% of oscilloscope users now use a spectrum analyzer several times per week, and over 40% of embedded design projects include some form of wireless capability. Designed with a built-in spectrum analyzer, the MDO3000 Series is positioned to address this shift in usage and engineers can now access both time domain and frequency domain analysis in a single instrument.
With the MDO3000 Series, engineers can start with the minimum performance and functional levels they need but than are able to upgrade the test platform in the field without delay. 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.
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.
Based on the MSO/DPO3000 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope Series, the MDO3000 offers a new FastAcq feature, with a 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 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.
