USB-powered oscilloscopes feature real-time 1G-sample/sec rates

Fran Granville, EDN

Pico Technology recently introduced the USB-powered PicoScope 2000 series oscilloscopes, which have real-time sampling rates of 1G samples/sec. Targeting engineers and technicians needing a complete test bench in a single unit, the devices feature two channels, bandwidths of 50 to 200 MHz, a built-in function generator, an arbitrary-waveform generator, and an external trigger input.

The scopes are supplied with a full version of PicoScope oscilloscope software. In addition to standard oscilloscope and spectrum-analyzer functions, PicoScope includes additional features, such as serial decoding, mask-limit testing, segmented memory, and advanced triggers. Other advanced features include intensity- and color-coded persistence displays, math channels, automatic measurements with statistics, and decoding of I²C, UART, RS-232, SPI, and CAN-bus data. The vendor frequently releases free software updates.

The PicoScope 2000 series devices use digital triggering, which ensures lower jitter, greater accuracy, and higher voltage resolution than the analog triggers on many other scopes, according to the vendor. The advanced trigger types include pulse width, interval, window, window pulse width, level dropout, window dropout, runt pulse, variable hysteresis, and logic.

A free software-development kit allows you to control the scopes from your own custom applications. The kit includes example programs in C, C++, Excel, and LabView. The software-development kit and PicoScope are compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Prices range from £349 (approximately $550) for the 50-MHz PicoScope 2206 to £599 (approximately $942) for the 200-MHz PicoScope 2208 and include a five-year warranty.

PicoScope 2206 to 2208 Specifications