October 4, 2012. Tektronix Inc. has announced that it has expanded its MDO4000 Series of mixed domain oscilloscopes to include two new entry level models. With the same features and functionality of the MDO4000, the new models put time and frequency-domain analysis in the hands of engineers at a more affordable price level.
Inexpensive RF technologies are being integrated into everyday applications from apparel tags, to livestock monitoring clips, price displays on store shelves, and short-range wireless remote control of household objects. While many of these are lower-performance applications, the addition of RF presents significant debug challenges. The new MDO4000 models address this trend by providing a low-entry point instrument that allows engineers to capture time-correlated analog, digital, and RF signals for a complete system view, saving days or even weeks of debug time.
“The market and customer response to the MDO4000 has been overwhelmingly positive, providing a 2x return on investment in the first year alone,” said Dave Farrell, general manager for mainstream oscilloscopes at Tektronix. “The use of RF in embedded applications continues to accelerate. The MDO4000 is the ideal debug tool for these mass market applications because it includes both oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer functionality, and adds the unique capability to capture time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals.”
The new MDO4014-3 and MDO4034-3 models offer four analog channels, 16 digital channels, and one RF channel. To achieve prices starting at $12,200, the new models offer lower analog bandwidth of 100 MHz or 350 MHz, respectively, sufficient for many embedded designs incorporating RF. RF frequency range for both models extends from 50 kHz to 3 GHz.
In addition to the new MDO4000 models, Tektronix also announced the TPA-N-PRE pre-amplifier for use on all MDO4000 Series oscilloscopes. This new pre-amplifier accessory lowers the noise floor of the RF channel, enabling engineers to see low level signals without reducing dynamic range.
Tektronix is also adding two new 100-MHz models, featuring a 10.4″ display, to the MSO4000B and DPO4000B Series of oscilloscopes, with prices starting at $7,150.