Oscilloscope Fundamentals - Oct 2013

06/2009 | Fundamentals of DSOs | 1
Modern Digital Oscilloscopes

Understanding the Fundamentals
James Allman
Oscilloscope BDM

October 2013 UBC

Agenda Modern Digital Oscilloscopes
l Introduction
l Motivation to measure in the time domain
l From analog to digital the evolution of the scope
l Different scopes for different applications

l The Function Blocks of a Digital Oscilloscope
l Vertical System
l Sampling & Acquisition
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis
l Statistics and math functions

l Probes
l The different probe types
l Principal of passive, active, current probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

Time Domain and Its Relation to Frequency Domain
Two sine signals
overlay
Time
Domain
Frequency
Domain
Discrete components
of the combined signal

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

R&S Measurement Equipment that already
Measures Time Domain Signals
Power Meter NRP Audio Analyzer UPV
Pulse profile analysis
Up to 250 kHz an audio analyser
can be used for waveform analysis
Signal Analyzer FSx
Time domain power measurement
on a radar signal baseband analysis

All of the presented measurement equipment is capable of
doing some measurements in the time domain
but
this is not their main purpose!!!
R&S Measurement Equipment that already
Measures Time Domain Signals

Motivation to Measure in the Time Domain
An oscilloscope is a window
into the electronic world

Power signals
Baseband TV signals
Digital signals

Measurement Equipment that can Measure
Time Domain Signals
For this we need an

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

1899: Jonathan Zenneck adds a second
deflection structure, allowing two-
dimensional viewing

1931: Vladimir K. Zworykin reliable
production, high-vacuum CRT with a
thermionic emitter allows the General Radio
Oscilloscope to be built.
From Analog to Digital The Evolution of the Scope
The General Radio Oscilloscope (1931),
with sweep circuit (right).
1897: Karl Ferdinand Braun, a
German inventor & physicist builds
the first cathode ray tube
oscilloscope

1985: Walter Lecroy introduces the
first Digital Storage Oscilloscope

1997: Hewlett-Packard introduces
the first Mixed Signal Oscilloscope
The General Radio Oscilloscope (1931),
with sweep circuit (right).
1946: Howard Vollum sees scopes
in Germany. With Jack Murdock
they invent the triggered-sweep
oscilloscope, the Tektronix 511.

From Analog to Digital The Analog Scope
Principal Block Diagram of an Analog Real Time Oscilloscope (ART)

From Analog to Digital The Analog Scope
l Real time signal display -> tube technology
l Consist of vertical and horizontal deflection
system with deflection plates
l Voltage applied to these deflection plates
causes a glowing dot to move
l An electronic beam hitting phosphor inside the
cathode ray tube (CRT) creates a glowing trace

Short comings of analog oscilloscopes
l Requires a CRT display, no color graded display
l Measurement bandwidth is limited to several hundred MHz
l No advanced trigger functionality available, no pre-trigger capability
l Limited storage capabilities and limited data processing

1980
Computers
LSI (Large Scale Integration)
Digital data
Mixed signal environments
Faster microprocessor clock
rates
System integration
Quality assurance
Signal data
High-frequency
effects
Documentation
Market
Drivers
Customer
Challenges
1950
Military
Vacuum tube
technology
Emerging solid
state technology
Broadcast video
Device
characterization
Signal edges and
waveshapes
Digital Analog
Scope Technology

l The Vertical System allows adjustment of the analog voltage, and conditions
the signal for the analog-to-digital converter (ADC)

l The probe interface allows selectable impedances, powers and reads active
probes

l The ADC in the acquisition system samples the signal at discrete points in
time converts the signal's voltage at these points to digital values called
sample points
l The sample points from the ADC are stored in memory as waveform points;
these waveform points make up one waveform record

l The trigger system monitors the analog conditioned input to the ADC and evaluates it
to determine when to trigger the Horizontal System, or when to trigger the Acquistion
Systems storage of acquired data for the Display System (depending on the design)

l The Horizontal System's sample clock determines how often the ADC takes a sample;
the rate at which the clock "ticks" is called the sample rate and is measured in
samples per second

Different Scopes for Different Applications
Handheld
(Basic capability, field portable)
General Purpose Scopes
(Device power up, Debugging, Embedded design, Research)
High Performance Scopes
(Fast Serial busses, data interfaces, compliance testing)
Extreme Performance
(Optical, Very High Speed Digital)

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

The Function Blocks of a Digital Oscilloscope
The Vertical System

Acquisition
Processing
Memory
Post-
Processing

Display
Trigger
System
Horizontal
System
Att.
Amp
Amp
Vertical System
ADC

Vertical System Overview
l The controls of the Vertical System are used to scale and position the
input waveform vertically.

l The Vertical System controls Bandwidth to the Acquisition System of
the scope.

Scale Position
DC Offset Bandwidth
Input Coupling

Bandwidth Definition
l Bandwidth is THE single-most
crucial parameter used for the
oscilloscope selection:
Ensure the scope has enough
bandwidth (& risetime) for the
application!
l Oscilloscope bandwidth is
specified at -3dB (-29.3%)

Frequency
A
t
t
e
n
u
a
t
i
o
n

0dB
-3dB
f
BW
Bandwidth x Risetime = 0.35
(for analog response)
e.g. 100 MHz Bandwidth = 3.5 nsec Risetime
0 dB
6 div at 50 kHz
- 3 dB
4.2 div at bandwidth

Harmonic Sine Waves in Rectangular Signals
Animation

Bandwidth Requirements of the Test Signal
l Required scope bandwidth depends
on test signals frequency components
l e.g. digital square waveform is composed
of odd sine wave harmonics

Frequency
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e

f
Fundamental
f
3rd harm.
f
5th harm.
Rule of thumb:
BW
Scope
= 3 5x f
max
of Test Signal

Bandwidth Amplitude Measurement Accuracy
Frequency / Scope BW
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e

M
e
a
s
u
r
e
m
e
n
t

A
c
c
u
r
a
c
y

100%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
-3 dB
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.8 1.0
3.0% 1.0%
~30.0%
Measurement Error
dB 3 707 . 0 log 20 = -
DUT
measure
U
U
log 20-
Amplitude
Error
Amplitude
Accuracy
Attenuation
dB
1 % 99 % -0.09 dB
3 % 97 % -0.26dB
5% 95% -0.45dB
10% 90 % -0.9 dB
Attenuation [dB]:

Bandwidth Application Mapping
l Data rates of typical I/O interfaces
Interface Data Rate
Clock
Frequency
Oscilloscope Bandwidth
Requirement
Oscilloscope
Classes
3rd harmonic 5th harmonic
I2C 3.4 Mbps 1.7 MHz 5.1 MHz 8.5 MHz Value
LAN 1G 125 Mbps 62.5 MHz 187.5 MHz 312.5 MHz Lower mid-range
USB 2.0 480 Mbps 240 MHz 720 MHz 1200 MHz
Mid-range
DDR II 800 Mbps 400 MHz 1.2 GHz 2.0 GHz
SATA I 1.5 Gbps 750 MHz 2.25 GHz 3.75 GHz Upper Mid-range
PCIe 1.0 2.5 Gbps 1.25 GHz 3.75 GHz 6.25 GHz High-end entry
PCIe 2.0 5.0 Gbps 2.5 GHz 7.5 GHz 12.5 GHz High-end

Bandwidth Analog Rise Time Accuracy
l Measured rise time depends on intrinsic rise time of the scope

l Example:
l maximum 3% error for 2ns rise time
l limit of measured rise time: 2.06 ns
<=0.5 ns intrinsic rise time (~700 MHz Bandwidth)

t
rise_measure
2
= t
rise_intrinsic
2
+ t
rise_signal
2

BW * t
rise_10-90
= 0.35
t
rise_10-90
= 0.35 / BW
BW = 0.35 / t
rise_10-90

Bandwidth Technology Mapping
Logic
Family
Typical
Signal
Rise
Time
Calculated
Signal
Bandwidth
Oscilloscope Band-
width Requirement
TTL 2 ns 175 MHz 525 - 875 MHz
CMOS 1.5 ns 230 MHz 690 - 1150 MHz
LVDS 400 ps 875 MHz 2625 - 4375 MHz
ECL 100 ps 3.5 GHz 10.5 - 17.5 GHz
l Digital technologies have characteristic rise times
Bandwidth Instrument
Rise Time pS
500 MHz 700
600 MHz 590
1 GHz 350
2 GHz 175
2.5 GHz 140
3 GHz 117
3.5 GHz 100
4 GHz 87
6 GHz 58
8 GHz 44
12 GHz 30
16 GHz 22
20 GHz 18
25 GHz 14
30 GHz 12
35 GHz 10

The Function Blocks of a Digital Oscilloscope
Analog-to-Digital Converter

ADC
Acquisition
Processing

Display
Trigger
System
Horizontal
System
Att.
Amp
Amp
Vertical System
Memory
Post-
Processing

Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
l The Analog-To-Digital converter is one of the critical components of an
oscilloscope

l Most Oscilloscopes use 8-bit ADCs

l ADC for a scope is not available off the shelf
l Technology is highly sensitive
l Sample rate: Clock rate of ADC typically 5 times higher than oscilloscope
bandwidth

Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
Sampling
l Samples are equally spaced in time
l Sample Rate measured in Samples/Second (Sa/s, kSa/s, MSa/s, GSa/s)
Taking samples of an input signal at specific points in
time.
Samples
Hold Time
Needed for
Digitizing
Sample Interval T
I
Interpolated
Waveform
{

Analog-to-Digital Converter
What Happens To The Samples in a DSO
Memory
Storage
1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1

1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
. . . . .
Sampling
Digitizing
(Sample & Hold)
(Convert to
Number)
(Sequence
Store)
1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1
Scope
Screen

Analog to Digital Converter - Resolution
l Vertical quantization defined by input voltage and number of bits
l Example: Input voltage = 5 V, 8-bit ADC => 19.5 mV / bit

l Zooming is a mathematical magnification
l Samples are interpolated
l Resolution is NOT changed at ADC level
Example: Zoom

Input Range
l Input range and position directly affects the resolution of the waveform
amplitude
l The 10 vertical scales correspond to the full ADC input range
Signal amplitude:
0.5 V
Scale/div = 50 mV/div Scale/div = 100 mV/div
Best ADC resolution
8 bit => 0.2 mV / bit
reduced ADC resolution
8 bit => 0.4 mV / bit

Data Decimation & Waveform Arithmetics
l Differentiated analysis with up to 3 simultaneous waveforms per
channel
1 Channel
Original
Waveform
Envelope
Waveform
Hi-Res
Waveform

Input Range Overdrive Recovery
l Poor overdrive recovery will not allow vertical selection of part of the
waveform to provide higher digitizer resolution on part of the waveform.
100 mV/div
20 mV/div

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis
l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

Vertical System

ADC
Acquisition
Processing

Display
Trigger
System
Horizontal
System
Att.
Amp
Amp
Sampling Methods & Acquisition Modes
Memory
Post-
Processing

Aliasing Too Slow sampling
l Nyquist Rule is violated:
l Sampling rate is smaller than 2x highest signal frequency
l Signal is not sampled fast enough -> aliasing
l False reconstructed (alias) waveform is displayed !!!
Example
-Input: 1 GHz sine wave
-Sample rate: 750 MSa/s
-Alias: 250 MHz
Actual Input Signal
Alias Displayed

Sampling Methods Sample Rate Effects
A 10 kHz Sine Wave Signal (no interpolation)
Nyquist/ Shannon
The sampling rate
must be:

i S
f f - > 2
S
f
S
f
: sampling frequency
i
f
: frequency of the
input signal
Input Signal: 10kHz Sine Wave
Sampling Rate: 200kHz
Sampling Rate: 12.5kHz

Sampling Methods:
Interpolation between points
>10 samples
Real-time Sampling
over-sampling following Nyquist rule
Interpolation
linear sine
(sin(x)/x)
>2 samples; improves interpretation of the samples
Dots
I Dots - no interpolation

ILinear - interpolation computes record
points between actual acquired samples
by using a straight line fit.

I Sin(x)/x - interpolation computes record
points using a curve fit between the actual
values acquired.

Low Noise Front End
l Noise floor directly affects the sensitivity of the
oscilloscope
l Noise floor is determined by the noise characteristics of the
components in the signal path of the front end
l Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA)
l ADC
l Front end Layout and shielding

* Specified Performance. Typically lower
ADCs
Front end
& Amplifiers
Input channels
Channel-to-Channel Isolation
> 60dB!
Benefit of lower noise:
- Better Test Margin

Single Core ADC

Single Core ADC
l Effective Number of Bits (ENOB): A Number for Signal Fidelity

l Higher ENOB => lower quantization error and higher SNR
Better accuracy
Effective
Bits (N)
Quantization
Levels
Least Significant
Bit V
4 16 62.5 mV
5 32 31.3 mV
6 64 15.6 mV
7 128 7.8 mV
8 256 3.9 mV
Offset Error
Gain Error Nonlinearity Error Aperture Uncertainty
And Random Noise
+ + +
LDB Error
Quantatized
Digital
Level
Sample
Points
Analog Waveforms
<
Ideal ADC vertical 8bits =
256 Quantatizing levels
8 bits Effective
Number of Bits !
Ideal
RTO
Others

Multiple ADC Problems
l Conventional ADC-Design:
l Multiple ADCs used in parallel
to increase sampling rate
l Errors in the phase delay and
mismatch of the ADCs result
in signal distortion

Interleaving distortions
In Time Domain
Phase Errors
Spurious
Frequency
Interleaving
Artifact
Signal
Interleaving distortions
In Frequency Domain

4 GHz Multiple ADC Spurious Products

Single Core ADC vs. Multiple ADCs
400MHz Sine Wave. 5mV/div
Non-Interleave
Interleave Distortion

ADCs Vertical Bits Resolution
l Input range and position directly affects the resolution of
the waveform amplitude
l Scaling the signal to less than full scale increases the
quantization step size and decreases accuracy.

Scale/div = 50 mV/div Scale/div = 100 mV/div
Best ADC resolution
8 bit => 2 mV / bit
(Best measurement result!)
Reduced ADC resolution
8 bit => 4 mV / bit
(Equivalent to 7 bits resolution)
8 bit

8 bit
Multi-Grid Display
Benefit of Multigrid Display:
- Better Accuracy

Input Sensitivity
l Do you expect your scope to perform with its Full
Bandwidth Specification at all time?

BNC Input
Channel
Amplifiers Position Input Coupling
ADC
Offset
Vertical Input
Sensitive Range
Use with x10
Active Probe
R&S RTO102x
50 1M
>= 10 mV/div >=100 mV/div Full BW 500MHz
5 mV/div 9.9
mV/div
50 mV/div 99.9
mV/div
Full BW 500MHz
2 mV/div 4.99
mV/div
20 mV/div 49.8
mV/div
Full BW 500MHz
1 mV/div 1.99
mV/div
10 mV/div 19.9
mV/div
Full BW 500MHz
True Accuracy => no BW limitation!
True Resolution => no software magnification!
Benefit of dedicated amplifiers:
Ability to analyze weak signal

l Oscilloscopes have significant blind-times!
typical ratio: max. 0.5% active > 99.5% blind (= 50,000 wfm/s)
Waveform Update Rate - Important Specification!
acquisition
of 1st wfm
blind time
acquisition
of 2nd wfm
acquisition cycle
for 1 waveform
e.g. 100 ns e.g. 19.9 us
Scope display
is missing the
critical signal
faults!

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

Horizontal System
Vertical System

ADC
Acquisition
Processing

Display
Trigger
System
Horizontal
System
Att.
Amp
Amp
Memory
Post-
Processing

Sampling Rate
Record Length
Resolution
Time Scale
Acquisition time
Sample Rate
Time
Scale
# of
Divs
Record
Length
total # samples
time/div
10 x time/div A time between
2 samples
x x =
e.g. 10 GS/s x 100 ps/div x 10 Divs = 1000 samples
10 GS/s x 100 s/div x 10 Divs = 10M samples
Acquisition time
1 / Resolution
Horizontal System
Control Parameters
samples/sec

Horizontal System
Memory
l ADC Samples stored in the memory
l Deep memory stores more samples (more to manipulate)
l Longer time periods at high sample rate allow better signal
reproduction & zoom

1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1

Sampling
Digitizing
(Sample & Hold)
(Convert to
Number)
1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
(Sequence
Store)
Scope Screen
Memory Storage

Horizontal System
Memory

l Advantage of Deep Memory
l Maintain high sample rate in long time captures
l Allow greater waveform count in segmented memory

l Advantage of High Sample Rate
l Signal fidelity increased (more accurate signal reproduction)
l Better resolution between sample points
l Higher probability of capturing high speed glitches or anomalies

l Better Zoom Capability
Horizontal System
Memory

Acquisition Memory Implementation
RTO Unique History View Mode
l Each waveform
acquisition:
l is being stored in
memory automatically
l Can be played back
anytime!!

l Memory segmentation
controllable by user.

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

Channel
Input
Vertical System

ADC
Acquisition
Processing

Display
Trigger
System
Horizontal
System
Att.
Amp
Amp
Memory
Post-
Processing
Trigger System

Trigger System
l Motivation
l Get stable display of repetitive waveforms
In 1946 the triggered oscilloscope was
invented, allowing engineers to display a
repeating waveform in a coherent, stationary
manner on the phosphor screen

l Isolate events & capture signal before and after
(Pre-trigger not possible with analog scopes)

l Define condition for acquisition display in digital
oscilloscopes, trigger the acquisition to start in
analog oscilloscopes

Trigger Accuracy
l Key accuracy parameter:
l Minimum detectable glitch (a small signal spike):
what is the smallest pulse that can be triggered on
typically [ps] (related to trigger bandwidth)

l Sensitivity:
minimum voltage amplitude required for valid trigger
typically [mV or div]

l Jitter:
timing uncertainty of trigger,
determines smallest measurable signal jitter
typically [ps rms]

Unique Digital Trigger System
Challenges of Traditional Analog Triggering
l Traditional: Analog trigger
Separate paths for signal and trigger different time-invariant
behavior of hardware components causes measurement errors
which cannot be compensated in real-time

l Comparison of Digital and Analog triggering architecture

Innovative
Digital
Trigger
Traditional

Challenges of Analog Triggering
l Separate paths for signal and trigger cause measurement errors

l Analog trigger jitter often corrected by using post processed DSP
techniques slowing down trigger/waveform rates and consuming
computing resources, and transferring jitter to other channels

Implementation Benefits
l Digital Triggering in Realtime is unique to the RTO:
Real time, no DSP post correction!
l Benefits over Analog Triggering
l Industry leading Trigger Jitter <1ps rms without using DSP
correction
l High trigger sensitivity down to 0.1 div for small signal amplitude
l Adjustable trigger hysteresis for stable trigger
l Flexible trigger filtering (user-defined low pass filter) for noisy
signals

What you can see,
you can trigger on!

l Edge Trigger is the original, most basic and common trigger type

l Triggering is executed once a signal crosses a certain threshold
(and passed the hysteresis)
l Bi-Directional trigger for unknown signal direction, e.g. electric discharge

Trigger Types (I)
rising edge falling edge rising and falling edge

l Auto
Trigger is injected automatically to
ensure there is a regular update rate on
the display. The scope will also trigger
off the trigger circuit.
Useful for DC voltage measurement
and to assist in instrument setup.
l Normal
Trigger will only come from trigger
circuitry.
No trigger = No display update
l Free Run
Trigger generated by the scope and
trigger circuit ignored completely.
No signal synchronization!
Trigger Types (I)
Trigger Modes
l Beware!
Auto will inject triggers in to a
slow trigger rate, causing an
unstable display

Trigger Types (I)
Holdoff
l Holdoff - Forces a delay before the next trigger event.

l Time User adjusted fixed time

l Events Skip number of valid trigger events
before triggering

l Random User limited variable times inserted to
ensure no synchronization of trigger with DUT

l Auto Delay by a multiplication factor of the
horizontal timebase full scale

l Off Instrument triggers as fast as possible

Trigger Types (II) Advanced
Glitch
Glitch
l typically a narrow pulse, e.g. caused by cross-talk

Width
Width
l defined pulse width, e.g. observing Inter-Symbol-Interference (ISI)

Runt
Runt
l Limited amplitude, e.g. meta-stable conditions in digital systems, bus contention

Window and Time Out
Window
l event that enters / exits a window , e.g. capture bus contentions
Time Out
l dead time, e.g. system errors by a lack of
activity such as a system hang or delay

Interval
Interval
l Period cycle timing, e.g. Pulse Width Modulated systems

Slew Rate
Slew Rate (Transition Time)
l Slow/Fast edges, e.g. circuit instability / radiation of troublesome energy

Setup and Hold (Data to Clock)
Setup & Hold
l timing relation between 2 channels, e.g. synchronous data interface to IC

State and Pattern
State
l Qualify the desired signals trigger by
the logical combination of other
channels, e.g. troubleshooting parallel
busses using clock and control lines
Pattern
l Trigger on a valid parallel pattern by the
logical combination of any channels
with the capability to include or exclude
the desired channel as a trigger.

Serial Pattern (Synchronous Data)
Serial Pattern
l Decode and trigger on synchronous serial data patterns, e.g. clocked data interface to IC

Analog Television
TV
l Trigger analog television signals, e.g. composite video, component high definition video,
display VITS, Teletext

A-> B -> Reset
A -> B -> Reset/Timeout
l Allow complex triggers with time and/or count periods, plus time or event reset capability to
qualify time dependant events filtered by other events.

Trigger Hysteresis (Noise Reject)
Trigger Hysteresis
l Usually fixed, more advanced instruments have fixed level choices, or fully adjustable

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

Analyzing Waveforms
Cursors
Cursors
- Horizonal/Vertical
- Track Waveform
- Couple
- Labels
- Peak Search (FFT only)
- Rhombus
(Like S/A markers for FFT)

Analyzing Waveforms
Measurements
Measurements
- Can be gated to control where the measurement is made in the waveform
- Statistics available
- Eye specific
- FFT specific
- Probemeter (with equipped Active probes)
- Pass / Fail tests
- Long term plotting on screen

Analyzing Waveforms
Measurement Example Setup and Hold

Analyzing Waveforms
Measurement Basic Eye/Jitter Measurement

Analyzing Waveforms
Measurement Basic Spectrum Measurement on FFT

Analyzing Waveforms
Measurement Histograms

Analyzing Waveforms
Measurement Measurement Plot, Mask Test, Statistics

Analyzing Waveforms
Display

Analyzing Waveforms
Display

Analyzing Waveforms
Math Basic
Basic Math
- Simple waveform math
- FFT
- Multiple source selection
- Waveform averaging
- Up to four simultaneous
math waveforms
- Vertical controls also
control math like an input
channel
- Scaling can be manually
or automatically controlled

Analyzing Waveforms
Math Advanced
Advanced Math
- Advanced waveform math
allows complex equations

- Equation Inputs
-Channels
-Math
-Reference waveforms
-Digital Bus
-Measurements

- Digital filtering is possible

- Selectable units & multipliers

Analyzing Waveforms
Math FFT

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary

l

Probes
l Intro
l Probing Fundamentals
l probe types overview
l Passive (Voltage) Probes
l 1x type, 10x type, Low-Z type
l R&S RT-ZP10
l compensation
l Probing Limitations
l loading, filtering, resonance, reference ground
l Active (Voltage) Probes
l single-ended
l differential
l R&S RT-ZS20/30
l Current Probes
l Safety Aspects
l Selection Summary

Probes
l Probes become necessary when the electrical signal is not
available at a socket/connector, or a simple cable connection
cannot transport the signal properly due to the characteristics
of the source.

l A probe is more than a cable with a clip-on tip. It is a high-
quality connector, carefully designed not to pick up stray radio
and power line noise.

l Probes are designed to minimize the impact to the behavior of
the circuit you are testing. However, no measurement device
can act as a perfectly invisible observer. The unintentional
interaction of the probe and oscilloscope with the circuit being
tested is called circuit loading.

Probes introduction
l If every connection to our
DUTs was easy

nobody would talk about
probing.

l But the real world will look like
this

and then probing becomes an
essential part of solving the
problem!

Next Topic
l Intro
l R&S RT-ZP10
l compensation
l single-ended
l differential
l R&S RT-ZS20/30
l Current Probes
l Safety Aspects
l Selection Summary

l Task:
l Bring the signal to be measured to the scope

l The Challenge:
l The oscilloscope itself can only display voltages in a rather limited range (typ.
1mV5V)
l The probe should not load (and thus alter) the signal to be measured
l The connection may introduce or suppress signal components (hum, noise, filter)

l The Solution depends on the quantity to measure with respect to
l Signal type
Voltage (single-ended or differential), current, power, pressure, optical, etc.
l Signal amplitude
a few mVolts to 10 Volts are easy to handle. Smaller or much larger signals require specialized
equipment
l Signal frequency
Higher frequencies require advanced equipment and/or techniques in order to get correct results
l Source characteristic
The source impedance is a decisive factor when choosing the suitable connection.
Probing Fundamentals

l The ideal connection properties:

l Easy to establish
Reliable, safe (to circuit and user) contacts

l No degradation or distortion of the transferred signal
Linear phase behavior
Zero attenuation
Infinite bandwidth
High noise immunity

l No loading of the signal source
No energy taken from circuit

Probing Fundamentals

Probing Fundamentals real connection
l Frequently Encountered:
l Signal is not easy to reach
l Source impedance can vary
widely
l Setup is sensitive to noise
and will be frequency
dependent
l Probe hookup has severe
bandwidth limitations
l Differences in signal
propagation delay create
slight timing offsets (skew)
between multiple
measurement channels

Different Types of Probes voltage probes
Low Impedance

Next Topic
l Intro
l R&S RT-ZP10
l compensation
l single-ended
l differential
l R&S RT-ZS20/30
l Current Probes
l Safety Aspects
l Selection Summary

Passive Voltage Probes
l No active components so no need for
external power
l Low cost
l Robust
l Wide input voltage range

Passive Voltage Probes
Special Types
l High voltage passive probes:
l High resistance for measuring high voltages
l Usually has a selectable divider ratio
l Limits: Reduced bandwidth

l Low impedance passive probes:
l Minimal capacitive loading that will impact the timing behavior
l Higher bandwidth at constant impedance
l Limits: Relatively heavy resistive loading that may impact the source

l High Impedance Passive Cable Divider
l 10:1 probe with BNC connector instead of probe tip
l Mechanically robust and reliable

Passive Probe High Impedance 1X
l 1:1 passive High-Z probe (uses 1 Meg Ohm scope input impedance)

l Advantages:
Sensitivity (no attenuation)
Inexpensive
Mechanically rugged

Passive Probe High Impedance 10x
l 10:1 passive High-Z probe (uses 1 Meg Ohm scope input impedance)

l Advantages:
Wide dynamic range
Mechanically and electrically rugged
Increased input R and low input C as compared to a 1x probe

Passive Probes R&S RT(M)-ZP10
l One probe per channel included

l Optimized bandwidth if connected
to RTO/RTM

l Attenuation factor detectable by
instrument through read-out pin

l Specs:
l 500 MHz (-3dB) system BW
l 1:10 attenuation
l Input C 9.5 pF typ.
l Input R 10 Meg Ohm
l Input voltage 300 V rms max

Passive Probes
Accessories

R
cable
C
Cable
Probe
R
Scope
C
Scope
Oscilloscope
R
HFcomp
R
p
C
p
Compensate your Passive Probe before Use
Under Compensated Signal
Over Compensated Signal
Properly Compensated Signal
This maintains probe attenuation ratio and flatness over the rated bandwidth

Detailed Passive Voltage Probe Adjustment
R
p
C
p
R
cable
R
HFcomp
R
Scope C
Scope
C
Cable
Probe Oscilloscope
LOW FREQUENCY (e.g.
1kHz) ADJ UST of RC
resonators by trimming
the probe capacitance C
p
HIGH FREQUENCY
(e.g. 1MHz) ADJ UST of
electrical cable length to
used frequency by
trimming the probe
resistance R
HFcable
( )
p
p RCprobe
C f
C f Z
t 2
1
~ ,
Scope Scope p p
RC
C R C R
=
1 1
~
!
t
Scope
p
p
Scope
R
R
C
C
!
=

Passive Probe Transmission Line 10x
l 10:1 passive probe (uses the 50 scope input impedance)
l Alternative terms: Low Impedance Probe, Low-Z Probe, Low Capacitance Probe,
Transmission Line Probe, Z0-Probe, Resistive / Passive Divider Probe
l Probe impedance variation over frequency is low
l Not BW limited by high impedance 1M input of the scope
l The load on the source is high due to the low nominal impedance of 500

Probe
50 Ohms

Oscilloscope DUT
R
source
450 Ohms
0.1 pF

Cable
50 Ohms
L
ground lead

Passive Probe typical parameters
l High impedance 1x:
l Bandwidth 10 - 5 MHz, input 1 MOhm, capacitance 80-100 pF

l High impedance 10x:
l Bandwidth 100 - 600 MHz, input 10 MOhm, capacitance 7-15 pF

l High impedance high voltage 100x/1000x:
l Bandwidth 25 - 400 MHz, input 50100 MOhm, capacitance 3-7.5 pF

l Low impedance 10x:
l Bandwidth 1.5 - 9 GHz (!), input 500 ohms, capacitance 0.15-1.5 pF ,
max. voltage 12-25 volts

High Voltage passive probes
l High Voltage passive probes

l Large physical dimensions on very high
voltage
l Low bandwidth
l Safety considerations as rated by category
( CAT II, III, IV...)
l Not as popular with less products
containing CRT based displays

Safety Aspects Measurement Category
l CAT I Measurements on circuits not
directly connected to a mains supply
l CATII Measurements on circuits
directly connected to the low voltage
building installation (non-stationary
equipment in labs, offices,
households)
l CAT III Measurements directly on
the building installation
(distribution and breaker boards, wall
outlets, stationary equipment)
l CAT IV Measurements at the
source of the installation
(electricity meters, primary over-
current protection)
IEC/EN 61010-1
Overvoltage Protection
Category, Phase to Earth
Transient
Test
Voltage
CAT II 600 V
4000V
CAT III 300 V
CAT III 600 V
6000V
CAT IV 300 V
CAT II 1000V
8000V
CAT IV 600V

l Bandwidth: 400 MHz
l Max input voltage: 1kV RMS, 4 kV Peak
l Attenuation factor
RT-Z10 100:1
RT-ZH11 1000:1
l Read-out pin RTO / RTM automatically detect attenuation factor
l Basically the same as the RT-ZP10 but with higher attenuation and
longer cable (also needs probe compensation adjustment on first use)
High voltage passive probes
R&S High voltage probe example
RT-ZH10 / RT-ZH11

Active Probes

Active Probes - Different Manufacturers
l Scopes from different vendors have different probe-sockets
at the scope interface

l Consequence: active probing solutions will only work with
the respective vendors oscilloscope

l However: numerous probes are created by third-party
manufacturers who adapt their products to different base
units. These probes often come with a standard BNC plug,
possibly a read-out pin, and a power source like a battery,
USB-cable, or external AC adaptor.

Active Probes
l Single-ended or differential versions available
l Requires operation power from instrument
l Proprietary interface to instrument
l Accessory interface for use with RF instruments
Example single-ended probe schematic:

Probe Schematic
R&S Single-ended Active Probe
R
F

A
m
p

P
r
e
c

D
C

A
m
p

24 bit
AD-Conv
Divider Amplifiers Hybrid Cable Probe Box
Control
RF Signal
Micro Button
&
ProbeMeter
C

Laser
Trimming
Tip Scope input

R&S Single-ended Active Probe
Micro-electronics and Mechanics


l Advantage:
l low loading on signal source
l adjustable DC offset at probe tip allows high resolution on small AC
signals which are superimposed on DC levels
l automatically recognized by base unit no adjustment needed

l Disadvantage:
l integrated buffer amplifier works only on limited voltage range
l the probe impedance is still strongly dependent on the signal frequency
l the DC impedance is lower than with a 10x passive probe

Active Probes

Active Probes Differential
l Why measure in differential mode?
l There are signals that are by principle referenced against each other, not against
ground, e.g. signal lines like twisted-pair or LVDS

l In general: voltages which are not referenced to ground
l across a resistor or other electronic component
l generated by an inductive pick-up or secondary side of a transformer
l OR: if the signal ground is noisy or subject to crosstalk

l A major parameter is the Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR):

l CMRR is degraded:
over signal frequency
by any mismatch between the probes or instrument inputs
by differences in the source impedance

Active Probes Differential

l A differential signal can be
displayed through a two-
channel setup as in figure a.

l A setup according to figure b
is superior with respect to
l symmetry (same amplification,
cable length, ... on both paths)
l Common Mode Rejection Ratio
l immunity to interference/noise
l only one scope channel used
l Bandwidth

Why Differential?
l Most high speed signaling systems use differential transmission.
(better noise immunity)

l Logic swing voltage levels are getting lower as speeds get
faster. (fast rise times & higher voltages consume power)

l Thus, noise amplitudes are increasing as a percentage of logic
voltage swing.

l Noise superimposed on the transition edges add jitter in single
ended signaling.

l With differential, the threshold detection is based on crossing
point of both lines not fixed voltage as in single ended. (common
mode noise removed)

Differential Probing Reduces Noise
l In single ended systems, noise superimposed on the edge adds time
uncertainty to the exact threshold crossing point.

l In differential, the noise injected in both lines is almost identical in
amplitude and phase. It does not alter the crossover point
lowering jitter.
+ =
V
TH
+
-
+
-

Dynamic Ranges
l Differential Mode Range (DMR)
l Maximum voltage instantaneous between + and - inputs.
l Verify on scope.

l Common Mode Range (CMR)
l Maximum voltage between either input and ground.
l Normally not seen.
l Verify by grounding one input at a time (use of diff. probe as active
single-ended probe)
Differential Mode Range
Maximum voltage
between inputs
Common Mode Range
Maximum voltage from
either input to ground

Operating Voltage Window
l If the operating voltage window of the probe is exceeded,
unwanted signal clipping may happen.
l RT-ZD probes offer high operating voltage window of +/- 5V.
l An additional offset range of +/- 5V is available.
Operating voltage window
Differential offset compensation voltage

Differential Terminology
( )
d c
in in
c in in d out
A A
V V
A V V A V
<<
|
|
.
|
\
|
+
+ =
+
+
2
l Differential Mode - the voltage difference between the + and - input as
referenced to ground.
l Processed by the amplifier
l Common Mode - the voltage common in amplitude and phase on both
inputs.
l Ignored by the amplifier
V
CM

+
in
V
in
V
+
-
V
d
V
c

V pk-pk versus Vpk
l Differential Mode Range (DMR) = maximum instantaneous
voltage which can appear between inputs.
l Maximum voltage between + and - inputs.
l Generally symmetrical with polarity (but not always)
l Peak to peak voltage is 2 times this value

l Example: 1V can handle 2 Vpk-pk signal max voltage between
inputs = 1 V. This does not mean the amplifier has a 2 V range!

Differential Mode Range
Maximum voltage
between inputs
+ 1 V
0 V
- 1 V

Common Mode Rejection
l Common Mode Rejection is the ability of the differential amplifier to
eliminate the common mode voltage from the output.
l Real world differential amplifiers do not remove all of the common mode
signal.
l The measure of how effective the differential amplifier is in removing
common mode is Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR).
( )
c
d
d c
in in
c in in d out
A
A
CMRR
A A
V V
A V V A V
=
<<
|
|
.
|
\
| +
+ =
+
+
2

Why do we care about CMRR?
l Common mode feedtrough sums with the V
DM
(signal of
interest) into the output of the differential amplifier,
becoming indistinguishable from the true signal.
l Essentially, lower CMRR equates to greater noise.
l Example above for a CMRR or 20 dB (10:1)
+5V
+4V
( ) 45 . 0 sin + = t V
out
e

What is Quasi-Differential?
l Quasi-differential acquisition is a
method of acquiring a differential
signal without a differential probe.

l Uses two single ended probes and
scope channels to acquire the + and
sides of the signal.

l A math waveform of A-B is used to
generate the differential waveform.

l Commonly used with direct cabled
fixtures (e.g. SMA connectors on
target or fixture) and when active
differential probes with sufficient
bandwidth are not available.

Quasi-differential limitations
l Quasi-differential has many problems in other
applications, but can work for high speed
digital systems.
l Possible issues:
l Consumes 2 channels for each signal.
l Difficult or impossible to trigger when CM component is
large relative to DM.
Most scopes cannot trigger on math waveform.
l Requires very good channel matching.

Probing Limitations overview
l Loading
l Resistive (mainly relevant for DC measurements)
l Capacitive (relevant for AC measurements)

l Resonance effects
l Mostly due to ground lead effects

l Filtering
l Due to the system (probe + scope) bandwidth, higher frequencies tend to
be attenuated (bandwidth limitation)

l Stability of (reference) ground
l Single-ended probes need an invariable signal ground
l If not available, use differential probes

Probing Limitations resistive loading

l Example: Voltmeter Loading Effect
Loading Effect
Current Flows
The example demonstrates a substantial error of -34% introduced by resistive loading.

If a scope with 1 M input and a 10:1 probe was used, the error could be
reduced to a value under 10%.

Probing Limitations capacitive loading

l The input capacitance
(combined probe and scope
contribution) will introduce an
capacitance in parallel to R
in
.

l As a result, rise time is slowed
R
source

Probing Limitations inductive loading

l The ground lead (or any
additional lead between probe
tip and signal source) will
introduce an inductance.

l This inductance, in
combination with C
in
, forms a
resonator with a ringing
frequency

l As a result, the step response
is distorted with overshoot and
long settling times.
R
source

Probe Loading
l All probes will add a load to the test circuit, which will
change the characteristics of the waveform.
l Severe loading can alter the operation of the circuit.
l The input impedance of all probes becomes lower as the
frequency increases.
Probe loading vs. frequency

Probe Loading
Input Capacitance vs. Impedance
l Our customers are asking:

What is the input C?
l For frequency components over 1 GHz, this is
the wrong question. They should ask:

What is the input impedance over frequency

l Input resistance:
l Determines the loading of the DUT at DC and very low frequencies (< 100 kHz).
l Note that a low input resistance can also disturb measurements of high-frequency signals
as it influences the DC operating point of active components.
l Input Capacitance:
l Causes the input impedance to decrease in the medium-frequency range (100 kHz to
1.0 GHz).
l Note: Affects the settling time of the input voltage in the case of fast transients
impedance dominated by
capacitance
resistance
inductance

Probe Loading
Input Resonance
l The input capacitance of
the probe, acting on the
inductance of the input tip
or leads, forms a series
resonate circuit.
l At resonance, the Z
IN
drops
very low.
l If the resonance is in the
passband, serious
waveform distortion can
result.
Frequency
Input
Impedance
O
DC 4 GHz
0
avoid
resonance
area

Probing Limitations ground lead effects (1)

l Examples for ground lead connections:

Probe Loading
Performance Impact of Probe Accessories
l The connection accessories impacts the signal fidelity
Typical Characteristic:
Conn. Inductance: ~4 nH ~8 nH ~20 nH ~60 nH
Rise Time: 110 ps 120 ps 500 ps >ns
Bandwidth: 3.2 GHz 3.0 GHz 1 GHz <500 MHz
Solder-in pins Browser Flex-adapter 4cm Micro-clips + 6cm leads
Browser
Pins
Leads
Flex
adapter


l ground lead effect:
step response of different ground connections:

Probing Limitations ground lead effects

l Passive probe with
l 150mm (blue) ground lead
l 15 mm spring hook (magenta)
l Active probe with
l 15 mm ground lead (black)

Frequency Response vs. Step Response
l The Frequency Response filter characteristic determines
the Step Response in the time domain
l Key parameter of Step Response:
l rise time
l overshoot
l ringing
Overshoot
Rise time


l Ground lead effect: different probe types

Probe type
Passive 10x
Active High
Impedance
Passive Low-Z
10x
Input Capacitance Cin 14 pF 0.9 pF 0.25 pF
Resonance frequency with
Lcon = 10nH (~ 2 cm wire)
425 MHz 1.68 GHz 3.18 GHz
Resonance frequency with
Lcon = 150nH (~ 30 cm wire)
109 MHz 433 MHz 821 MHz

Never extend input leads !
l Adding extension wires to probe input leads increases the inductance, lowering
the resonance frequency.
l Only 1 cm added to tip and ground reduce Zin from 159 O to 8.3 O at 1 GHz!

100 kO 1 pF
10 nH
10 nH
Frequency (MHz)
Input Impedance
(Ohms)
0 cm
2 cm
5 cm
10 cm
1
10
100
1k
10 k
1 G 1 10 100 10 G

Probe loading Active + Passive
l Probe TTL B with the RT-ZS30 Active Probe, then add the RT-ZP10 Passive probe.

Frequency response accuracy
l +/- 2 dB response deviation is OK for routine digital design (S/H
timing, etc), but not serial data.
l Accurate weighting of fundamental to odd harmonics (3
rd
and 5
th
)
needed for eye patterns.

l Peaking or nulling harmonics create distortions:
l Peanut shaped eyes possible mask violations
l Reduce or increase apparent Trise reduced jitter accuracy

Probe vs. system bandwidth
l The graph displays a system behavior relative to a nominal BW
l Please note: the combination of probe and scope approximately
determines the system bandwidth according to:

l Recommendation: choose the probe bandwidth at least 1.5 times higher
than the scope BW
)
BW
(1/ )
BW
(1/
)
BW
(1/
scope probe

system
2 2
+ =
nominal bandwidth

Frequency content in eyes
l The ideal eye pattern is a trapezoid square wave with finite rise
and fall times.
l Each bit time slot (Unit Interval) occupies of the square wave.
1 UI = period
Fundamental frequency = data rate

Harmonic weighting
l Problems result when data rate and 3
rd
harmonic fall on null and
peak.
1/ 2 Data Rate
3 / 2 Data Rate

Results in Peanut shaped eye
l Reduced mask margin.

Accessories
l Solder-in pins
l for small probing points
l insolated wires prevent short
circuits
l Maximize probe performance
with short length

Accessories
l Differential Probe Accessories

Long reach solder in adapters for
tough to reach measurement
points

Flexible square pin adapter

Adjustable spacing browser

Mini/Micro clips

Accessories Adapter to 50 inputs
l For high impedance
measurements on spectrum
and network analyzers

l Usable at any instrument with
USB for power supply

l On some analyzer types
(e.g. R&S FSV), the probe is
recognized by the firmware
and the scaling is
automatically adjusted


l Active Probe allows AC plus DC measurements
l DC flux compensation avoids core saturation

Current Probes
Current Probe AC & DC

l The clamp introduces:
l An inductance that creates an insertion impedance (or transfer
impedance). Careful with low impedance sources!
l A (parasitic) capacitance between conductor and ground. Together
with the impedance, a low-pass is created.

Current Probes
Loading Effect
l The core in the current probe can retain its magnetized state
l This can cause a bias to appear on the DC output even before the
DUT is active
l Current probes have a demagnetizing feature (usually a button) that
creates a random magnetic field similar to erasing a magnetic
recording tape
l The probe should be demagnetized before each measurement
Demagnetization

l Ampere-Second product
l This specification is unique to current
probes
l The integral of current over time shall not
exceed the specification, otherwise the
core within the probe becomes saturated
and the measurement result is clipped.

l Maximum AC Peak Current, DC Peak Current,
and RMS Current
l The measured current must not exceed either one of
these values.
Current Probes
Key Specifications

l Current flow in the direction of the arrow
l Demagnetize before measuring
l Use high-res acquisition mode when
measuring low current
l Increase sensitivity by looping wire
through the probe several times
l Sensitivity increases by N = the number of
loops (Bandwidth is slightly reduced due
to phase delay of each loop)
Current Probes
Connecting Current Probes

l Introduction

l Vertical System
l Sampling Methods & Acquisition
l Horizontal System
l Trigger System

l Waveform Analysis

l Probes
l Probe calibration

l Summary But first, the MSO!

MSO What does it stand for
Mixed Signal Oscilloscope

MSO is a hybrid test instrument combining measurement capabilities of a
l Digital Storage Oscilloscope (DSO) with
l some of the measurement capabilities of a logic analyzer,
l along with some serial protocol analysis
into a single, synergistic instrument.
+
=

Digital Oscilloscope
l Digital oscilloscopes have Analog channels
l Display the signal amplitude over time
l Typically 2 or 4 input channels
l High sample rate & bandwidth
Measure signal amplitudes & timing parameters
ADC

Logic Analyzer
l Logic Analyzer Digital" channels
l Display the logic level over time comparator to distinguish between
high and low state
l High number of input channels from 30 to hundreds
l Lower bandwidth & sample rate
Evaluate logic states
Threshold
Vth
Logic 0 Logic 1 Logic 0
Logic 1
Logic 0

MSO Mixed Signal Oscilloscope
MSO combines the strength of both the analog & digital channels

Display analog & digital signals on screen to give time-correlated comparison.

Typical MSO Applications
Embedded System Design
Telecommunication
Systems
- Telephone Switches
- Mobile Phones
- Routers
- Network Bridges
Consumer
Electronics
- DVD Players
- MP3
- Microwave ovens
- Cellular Phone
Automotive
- Airbag Controller
- Engineer Control Module (ECM)
- Tyre Pressure Controller
- Antilock brake controllers
Router Board
With WiFi
Embedded Computer
on Module
Engine Control Module
Definition
An embedded system is a computer system designed to do one or a few dedicated and/or
specific functions.
In contrast to that a PC is designed to be flexible to meet a wide range of end-user needs.
Embedded systems contain processing cores that are typically either microcontroller (MCU) or
digital signal processors (DSPs)

Variety of typical Embedded Design

Typical MSO Application
Embedded System Design (II)
Mixed-signal embedded design that
generates analog chirp outputs
based on analog, digital, and serial I/O
Embedded Systems
l Consist of analog & digital modules
l The relationship between the analog & digital signal
needs to be measured
l Resolving signal integrity issues in the system will
need the resolution & bandwidth of the analog channel
l Logic issues in the system will need decode feature &
complex trigger to isolate.

MSO at a Glance
l Key specification
l 16 digital channels
l max input freq. at 500 mV (Vpp) signal amplitude: 400 MHz
l sampling rate: max 5 GSample/s
l acquisition memory: max 200 MSample
l rich set of trigger option
l high acquisition rate of > 200,000 waveforms /s
MSO board
2x 8 channels

RTO-B1 Block Diagram
.
.
.
Skew
Front end
Decimation
Acquisition
Memory
Trigger events
Protocol trigger
Acquisition
Trigger
Display
Interpolation
Measurements
Graphic
Engine
Acquisition Processing
Measurement and Display
Cursors
Math Functions
FPGA
SW
D15
D14
Att
Att
Compare
Compare
.
.
.
.
.
.
D1 Att Compare
D0 Att
Compare
.
.
.
Mem
Con.
Generic Measurements

Architecture Highlights
Entire signal processing of a logic analyzer integrated into the
probe boxes

l Decision of the logic levels
Comparators
Microcontroller
HDMI connector

and the MSO board

l Sampling of the binary signals
l Trigger
l Math functions
l Measurements & cursors
l Graphic engine
l Acquisition memory
PCIe connector

Time-synchronous acquisition of analog and digital channels

l Necessity of the horizontal alignment
between analog and digital channels
l Automatic alignment between the
probe connectors of the analog channels
and the probe boxes of the digital channels
l Manual deskew of the analog probes
l Channel-to-channel skew <500ps
Automatic
Alignment

Definition - Input Impedance, Max. Input Freq.
Input Impedance
The loading of the probe to the probe point.
Max Input Frequency
Maximum toggle rate of the comparator determines the maximum input
frequency it can respond to.
Input Loading = 100 k || ~ 4 pF
=
100 k ~ 4 pF
Depending on the circuit nature, loading of the probes maybe cause
impact to the measurement or even cause circuit fail.

Definition: Minimum Input Voltage Swing
Minimum Input Voltage Swing
The smallest peak to peak swing across detection threshold required for
comparator to sense a toggle at the maximum input frequency.

Threshold
Min Input
Voltage Swing

Input Hysteresis
Noise rejection by requiring signal to
exceed a certain voltage, V
H
, before
detected as a input high or low.
- V
H
V
H
114 mV
97 mV
V
H
+/- 100mV
Normal Hysteresis Mode Maximum Hysteresis Mode
Threshold
1V
508 mV
509 mV
Threshold
1V
V
H
+/- 500mV
Definition: Input Hysteresis

Definition: Sampling Rate
Sampling Rate
Speed of the ADC latches analog signal & convert to digital signal.

Sampling Rate vs Max Input Frequency

Period
Pulse
Width
200 ps
Threshold
Rules of Thumb for oversampling:
Max input frequency = Sample Rate / > 5 Samples
R&S
Parameters RTO Opt. B1
Max Input Freq 400 MHz
Max Sampling Rate 5 GSa/s
Resolution 200 ps

Definition: Sampling Memory
Long Capture Time at 200 ps timing Resolution
Maximum Time Length = Memory Length / Sampling Rate
= 200 MSa / 5 GSa/s
= 40 ms
Deep memory allows longer capture times

Definition: Lost Pulse Display
Detection of pulses lost due to decimation
RTO-B1 detect minimum pulse width of 200 ps

Positions of lost pulses are highlighted in red color
1ns
Digitizing
Increase resolution
Low resolution causes decimation

Definition: Waveform Acquisition Rate
Wfm Acquisition Rate
Speed of the waveform capture defined by number of waveform per second

Acquisition and analysis rate up to 200,000 wfms/s reduces blind time
and allow faster error detection
Fast detection of infrequent events on
both Analog and Digital Channels

Definition: Trigger Jitter
Low Trigger Jitter
Trigger accuracy of digital channels depends on sample resolution
Timing measurement error = +/- 200 ps
Decision threshold
200ps 200ps
1
0
Analog
waveform
Binary
signal
1
0

Definition: Minimum Detectable Pulse Width
Minimum Detectable Pulse Width
Smallest pulse duration that can be detected. This factor mainly depends on the
sampling rate and detection architecture.

Detect min 200 ps pulse width to
help locating error due to glitches
and noise on sensitive circuits.

Definition: Serial Pattern Trigger
Serial Pattern Trigger
Logic channel detect and compare data against serial pattern to trigger on the
specified data pattern
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
Clock
Trigger
Serial Data

Definition: Automatic Measurements
Automatic Measurement
Rich set of automated timing-related
measurements for digital channels
available
Additional features:
I Long term statistics
I Limit Test

Definition: Bus Display
Bus Display
Flexible bus decoding definition
D0
D1
D2
D3
15 14 13 8 3 2 5 4 15 10 9 8
Digital
Channel
Digital Bus
Display
Analog Bus
Display
Displaying the integral value of the
bus in different code formats
Treat the logic signals like digital to
analog converter (DAC).

Definition: Analog Bus Display
Analog
Channel
Analog
BUS
Digital
Channel

Definition: Cursors
Cursor
Vertical cursors can be used to read out bus values
2
0
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
4
2
5
2
6
2
5
128
4
2 2
8
16
32
64
Sum
Y1= 134
Sum
Y2= 122
Integral
Values
+
+
+
+
+
+
=

=

Summary
l An oscilloscope is a very versatile instrument used in a lot of
different environments and applications (e.g. compliance testing)

l It displays voltage vs. time and most of the current available
instruments are build up digitally

l The better the horizontal and the vertical system is implemented the
higher the required signal fidelity is achieved

l A high trigger flexibility allows the user to set up the scope in a way
to capture also infrequent signals

l A good probe is essential to get the signal under test into the
measurement system; probe and oscilloscope are tightly connected
and determine the key parameters (bandwidth, rise-time, signal
fidelity etc.)

Oscilloscope Fundamentals - Oct 2013

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06/2009 | Fundamentals of DSOs | 1

Modern Digital Oscilloscopes

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