Real-Time Digital Storage Scope Hits 13-GHz Bandwidth Milestone

Oct. 28, 2004
Is 13 unlucky? Not so, says Agilent, when it comes to the Infiniium DSO8000 series digital storage oscilloscope (DSO). The DSO is a real-time, four-channel, 13-GHz-bandwidth measurement system that achieves a maximum sampling rate of 40 Gsamples/s....

Is 13 unlucky? Not so, says Agilent, when it comes to the Infiniium DSO8000 series digital storage oscilloscope (DSO). The DSO is a real-time, four-channel, 13-GHz-bandwidth measurement system that achieves a maximum sampling rate of 40 Gsamples/s. For those suffering from the phobia, the scope also comes in 10- and 12-GHz versions (models 81004A and 81204A, respectively).

The 13-GHz bandwidth (model 81304A) is achieved via a DSP-based software package. Key to the oscilloscope's development was a proprietary 20-Gsample/s, 1-W monolithic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with 80 slices at 250 Msamples/s and a silicon-germanium (SiGe) buffer IC with a built-in 2-by-2 crossbar switch for interleaving. Both devices were created on STMicroelectronics' biCMOS 7 process. Other key elements included a revolutionary front end using an SiGe pre-amplifier and gallium-arsenide (GaAs) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) and attenuators.

Designed for the demands of today's high-speed serial buses, the scopes include the Agilent InfiniiMax II series of probing measurement systems. All three versions are available with memory depths of 256 to 512 kbytes. Active probes for the 10- and 12-GHz versions feature characterized probe tips, 2.5 mVRMS referred to the input, a 3.45:1 attenuation ratio, 3.3 V of differential dynamic range, a ±16-V range of dc offset, and ±30-V maximum voltage.

How much bandwidth does one need? Lon Hintze, DSO8000 product manager, points out that the 13-GHz version can measure a 30-ps rise/fall time of an 18.7-GHz signal within 10% accuracy. Even the 12-GHz version can measure a 40-ps rise/fall time, 14-GHz signal within 5% accuracy, and the 10-GHz version can measure a 50-ps rise/fall time, 11.2-GHz signal within 5% accuracy.

The oscilloscopes are priced at $94,000, $115,000, and $122,500, respectively, for the 10-, 12-, and 13-GHz versions. Option #001 (1 to 2 Mbytes of memory—32 Mbytes sampling up to 4 Gbytes/s) costs $6000. Option #002 (EZ-jitter software for jitter measurements, histograms, trends and spectrums) costs $4000. And, option #003 (SDA software for clock recovery, mask tests, real-time eye tests, and 8b/10b decodes) costs $8000.

Other items include a $9000 model 1169A InfiniiMax 12-GHz probe amplifier, a $6500 model 1168A InfiniiMax 10-GHz probe amplifier, and a $2500 12-GHz model N5380A differential SMA adapter probe head. The model N5381A 12-GHz differential solder probe head costs $400. The model N5382A 12-GHz differential browser probe head is priced at $600. Model N5398A upgrade software for the 12- and 13-GHz oscilloscopes costs $7500.

Agilent Technologieswww.agilent.com
(800) 429-4444, item #7938
About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.

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