Which bandwidth is right for you?

A systems bandwidth determines a scope’s fundamental ability to measure an analog signal, the maximum frequency range that it can accurately measure. A bandwidth of 100MHz can accurately (within 2%) show the amplitude of sine-wave signals up to 20MHz.

The right sample rate?

We’d recommend using a sample rate of 5x your circuit’s highest frequency component to ensure you get sufficient waveform detail.

The longer, the better

Time captured = record length/sample rate. So, with a record length of 1 Mpoints and a sample rate of 250 MS/sec, the oscilloscope will capture a signal 4 ms in length. A good basic scope will store over 2000 points, which is more than enough for a stable sine-wave signal (which needs perhaps 500 points). But to find the causes of timing anomalies in a complex digital data stream you should consider an oscilloscope with a record length of 1 Mpoints or more.

How many channels do you need?

The more time-correlated analog and digital channels your scope has, the more points in a circuit you can measure at the same time and the easier it is to decode a wide parallel bus, for instance. Select the amount of channels to suit your application. 2 or 4 analog channels will allow you to view and compare signals timings of your waveforms, while debugging a digital system with parallel data needs an additional 8 or 16 digital channels and sometimes more.

Do you need mixed signal debugging?

Adds digital timing channels which indicate high or low states and can be displayed together as a bus waveform.

Do you need advanced triggering?

All scopes provide edge triggering and most offer pulse width triggering. To acquire anomalies and make best use of the scope’s record length, look for a scope that offers advanced triggering on more challenging signals. The wider the range of trigger options available, the more versatile the scope and the faster you get to the root cause of the problem.

What is Wave Inspector^® navigation?

Tek Wave Inspector^® navigation controls provide easy navigation and automated search of waveform data

The more, the better.

Tools to automate the search process and accelerate your time to answer include zoom and pan, play and pause, markers and advanced search.

What is TekVPI^TM ?

TekVPI™ not only supports standard BNC probes, but also allows you to use latest-generation active voltage and current probes. It provides wide application coverage and you don't have to worry about scale factors.

What’s included?

HelpEverywhere provides helpful on-screen tips.

Built-in Scope Intro handbook provides operating instructions and oscilloscope fundamentals.

Dedicated tools for Educators

Courseware function presents lab exercise guidance on the display.
Fully compatible with TekSmartLab lab management software for education.