Beaverton, OR. Tektronix Inc. today introduced the 6 Series MSO mixed-signal oscilloscope. The new oscilloscope extends the performance threshold of midrange oscilloscopes to 8 GHz and delivers a 25-GS/s sample rate simultaneously on all four channels to accommodate the needs of designers working on faster, more complex embedded-systems designs. With a 25-GS/s sample rate on all channels, designers can accurately view up to four high-speed signals at one time. For example, a DDR3 clock and three DDR3 data channels can be viewed and analyzed simultaneously, decreasing the time it takes to fully characterize a design with an instrument that shares sampling systems between channels.
Based on the same platform as the 5 Series MSO, the 6 Series MSO provides easy upgradeability for long-term investment protection. Introduced last year, the 5 Series MSO was the result of a clean-sheet design. It features a host of innovations that carry over to the 6 Series MSO including an intuitive user interface, a capacitive pinch-zoom-swipe 15.6-inch touchscreen, innovative FlexChannel inputs, a 12-bit ADC that can deliver up to 16 bits of vertical resolution, a completely new industrial design, and optional Windows 10 operating system.
“The trend toward higher performance in embedded systems is now in full swing with no end in sight,” said Chris Witt, general manager, Time Domain Business Unit, Tektronix. “Our customers developing these systems need more bandwidth and lower-noise inputs, but they also still want the usability, convenient probing, and compact packaging of midrange scopes. With the 6 Series MSO we’re delivering a compelling combination of class-leading performance and usability that will boost productivity and shorten time to market.”
To meet the need for more insight on faster signals, the 6 Series MSO incorporates a new low-noise preamplifier ASIC, the TEK061, that lowers noise, especially on signals that are in the hundreds of millivolts peak-to-peak. With its 25-GS/s sample rate on four channels, the instrument delivers 16-bit resolution at 200 MHz when using the High Res mode. This means that not only can designers see the interfering signals on their power rail, but they can measure them with a level of accuracy, that until now has not been possible on a scope.
Like the 5 Series MSO, the 6 Series MSO is upgradeable and is available with a built-in arbitrary/function generator, a free DVM and trigger frequency counter with product registration, protocol options, and a choice of operating system. Also, like the 5 Series MSO, adding a TLP058 logic probe turns any of the instrument’s four FlexChannel inputs into eight digital inputs, providing the most flexible MSO configurations available. The 6 Series MSO also has upgradeable bandwidth, starting at 1 GHz and extending up to 8 GHz with a license upgrade.
For its next-generation platforms, Tektronix said it is committed to adding capabilities to meet rapidly evolving market requirements, giving engineers the confidence that they’re making the right choice when they select these scopes. Since the launch of the 5 Series MSO, Tektronix has added the following capabilities that will be available on both platforms:
- options for decode and trigger support for CAN FD, MIL-STD-1553, ARINC429, and SENT bus;
- options for serial compliance testing for Automotive Ethernet and USB 2.0;
- an advanced power analysis option with two rounds of free enhancements; and
- free capabilities including FastFrame segmented memory and enhanced autoset.
High-performance probe options
For easier connection to fast signals, Tektronix is also launching a series of new higher performance probes suited to the performance levels of the 6 Series MSO. The TDP7700 is a series of TriMode probes with bandwidths of 4, 6, or 8 GHz. TriMode probes enable engineers to make the single-ended, differential, and common-mode signal measurements required for high-speed bus analysis, without moving or changing probes. These probes use the TekFlex connector technology, which places active buffers at the probe tip for the best signal fidelity while limiting mechanical stress on tiny test points and supports a variety of connectivity methods to the device under test including solder-in tips, direct connection, and handheld browsing.
Additionally, the TAP4000 and TDP4000 probes extend the range of Tektronix’s active single-ended and differential probes, respectively, and now support up to 4-GHz bandwidth.