Tektronix MSO44 4-BW-200 – MSO Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (4 Channels, 200 MHz)

Tektronix MSO44 4-BW-200 – MSO Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (4 Channels, 200 MHz)

The Tektronix MSO44 4-BW-200 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope offers better visibility into complex systems by offering four channels models with a 13.3-inch high-definition (1,920 x 1,080) display. Many applications, such as embedded systems, three-phase power electronics, automotive electronics, power supply design, and DC-to-DC power converters, require the observation of more than four analog signals to verify and characterize device performance, and to debug challenging system issues.

Most engineers can recall situations in which they were debugging a particularly difficult problem and wanted greater system visibility and context, but the scope they were using was limited to two or four analog channels. Using a second scope involves significant effort to align trigger points, difficulty in determining timing relationships across the two displays, and documentation challenges.

FlexChannel technology enables each channel input to be used as a single analog channel, eight digital logic inputs (with the TLP058 logic probe), or simultaneous analog and spectrum views ⁴ with independent acquisition controls for each domain. Imagine the flexibility and configurability this provides.

Each FlexChannel provides:

• One analog signal that can be displayed as a waveform view, a spectrum view (optional and upgradable ) or both simultaneously
• Eight digital logic inputs with TLP058 logic probe

Arbitrary/Function Generator (Optional and upgradable)

• 50 MHz waveform generation
• Waveform Types: Arbitrary, Sine, Square, Pulse, Ramp, Triangle, DC Level, Gaussian, Lorentz, Exponential Rise/Fall, Sin(x)/x, Random Noise, Haversine, Cardiac

Digital voltmeter 2 (Free with product registration)

• 4-digit AC RMS, DC, and DC+AC RMS voltage measurements

Touch interaction finally done right

Scopes have included touch screens for years, but the touch interface has been an afterthought. The Tektronix MSO44 4-BW-200 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope display includes a capacitive touchscreen and provides the industry’s first oscilloscope user interface truly designed for touch.

Smooth, responsive front panel controls allow you to make adjustments with familiar knobs and buttons, and you can add a mouse or keyboard as a third interaction method.

Variable font size

Historically, oscilloscope user interfaces have been designed with fixed font sizes to optimize viewing of waveforms and readouts. This implementation is fine if all users have the same viewing preferences, but they don’t.

Users spend a significant amount of time staring at screens, and Tektronix recognizes this. The Tektronix MSO44 4-BW-200 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope offers a user preference for variable font sizes; scaling down to 12 points or up to 20 points. As you adjust the font size, the user interface dynamically scales so you can easily choose the best size for your application.

Visual Trigger areas isolate an event of interest, saving time by only capturing the events you want to see.

FastAcq revealed the presence of a runt pulse in a digital data stream prompting further investigation.

Custom, multiple segment mask capturing the presence of a signal glitch and runt pulse in a waveform.

The Power Analysis measurements display a variety of waveforms and plots.

Integrated help answers your questions rapidly without having to find a manual or go to the internet.

FastAcq’s high waveform capture rate enables you to discover infrequent problems common in digital design.

Callouts

1. Note – Write and Position a text box on the screen.
2. Arrow – Write and position a text box, then add an arrow to a specific location on the screen.
3. Rectangle – Write text and outline a specific region on the screen indicated by a resizable box.
4. Bookmark – Create a dynamic readout at a specified time relative to a trigger point. This readout includes text, magnitude of the signal, signal units, as well as a line and target indicating the bookmark reference point.

Spectrum View

It is often easier to debug an issue by viewing one or more signals in the frequency domain. Oscilloscopes have included math-based FFTs for decades in an attempt to address this need. However, FFTs are notoriously difficult to use for two primary reasons. First, when performing frequency-domain analysis, you think about controls like Center Frequency, Span, and Resolution Bandwidth (RBW), as you would typically find on a spectrum analyzer. But then you use an FFT, where you are stuck with traditional scope controls like sample rate, record length and time/div and have to perform all the mental translations to try to get the view you’re looking for in the frequency-domain.

Second, FFTs are driven by the same acquisition system that’s delivering the analog time-domain view.When you optimize acquisition settings for the analog view, your frequency-domain view isn’t what you want. When you get the frequency-domain view you want, your analog view is not what you want. With math-based FFTs, it is virtually impossible to get optimized views in both domains.

Spectrum View changes all of this. Tektronix’ patented technology provides both a decimator for the time-domain and a digital downconverter for the frequency-domain behind each FlexChannel. The two different acquisition paths let you simultaneously observe both time- and frequency-domain views of the input signal with independent acquisition settings for each domain. Other manufacturers offer various ‘spectral analysis’ packages that claim ease-of-use, but they all exhibit the limitations described above. Only Spectrum View provides both exceptional ease-of-use and the ability to achieve optimal views in both domains simultaneously.

Three-phase electrical analysis (optional)

Measurements and analysis of the three-phase power systems are inherently more complex than on the single-phase systems. Although oscilloscopes can capture voltage and current waveforms with high sample rates, further calculations are required to generate the key power measurements from the data. The oscilloscope based threephase solution captures the three-phase voltage and current waveforms with the higher sample rates and longer record lengths using the HiRes acquisition mode up to 16-bits. Also, the three-phase solution generates the key power test results with the support of automated measurements. The power converters based on the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) can complicate measurements since it is very important to extract precise zero crossings for the PWM signals, thus making an oscilloscope a recommended test tool for validation and troubleshooting for designers.

The software is designed specially to automate the power analysis that simplifies the important three-phase power measurements on the PWM systems and helps the engineers to get faster insights into their designs. The three-phase analysis (Option 4-3PHASE) solution from Tektronix helps the engineer’s design better and more efficient threephase systems, taking full advantage of the advanced user interface, six analog input channels, and ‘High Res’ mode (16 bits) on the 4 Series MSO. The solution provides fast, accurate, and repeatable results for the supported electrical measurements. It can also be configured to measure DC to three-phase AC converters, such as those used in the electric vehicles.

PC-based analysis and remote connection to your oscilloscope

Get the analysis capability of an award-winning oscilloscope on your PC. Analyze the waveforms anywhere and anytime. The basic package is free and lets you scale and measure the waveforms. Purchased options add an advanced capabilities such as multi-scope analysis, bus decoding, power analysis, and jitter analysis.

Arbitrary/Function Generator (AFG)

The instrument contains an optional integrated arbitrary/function generator, perfect for simulating sensor signals within a design or adding noise to signals to perform margin testing. The integrated function generator provides output of predefined waveforms up to 50 MHz for sine, square, pulse, ramp/triangle, DC, noise, sin(x)/x (Sinc), Gaussian, Lorentz, exponential rise/fall, Haversine and cardiac. The AFG can load waveform records up to 128 k points in size from an internal file location or a USB mass storage device. The AFG feature is compatible with Tektronix’ Arb Express PC-based waveform creation and editing software, making creation of complex waveforms fast and easy.
 

Digital Voltmeter (DVM) and Trigger Frequency Counter

The instrument contains an integrated 4-digit digital voltmeter (DVM) and 8-digit trigger frequency counter. Any of the analog inputs can be a source for the voltmeter, using the same probes that are already attached for general oscilloscope usage. The trigger frequency counter provides a very precise readout of the frequency of the trigger event on which you’re triggering. Both the DVM and trigger frequency counter are available for free and are activated when you register your product.
 

Enhanced security option

The optional 4 -SEC enhanced security option enables password protected enabling/disabling of all instrument I/O ports and firmware upgrades. In addition, option 4 -SEC provides the highest level of security by ensuring that internal memory never stores user settings or waveform data, in compliance with National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) DoD 5220.22-M, Chapter 8 requirements and Defense Security Service Manual for the Certification and Accreditation of Classified Systems under the NISPOM. This ensures that you can confidently move the instrument out of a secure area.