T&M Companies Release New Oscilloscopes for Dense Computing Designs
Three oscilloscopes from Keysight, Quantifi Photonics, and Rigol promise improvements to electronic testing and measurement.
Modern electronics are more complex and advanced than ever before. Considering the clock rates, density, and operating voltages of devices today, designers face a minuscule margin for error when developing both analog and digital systems.
With this complexity comes a need for more sophisticated and reliable electronic test and measurement (T&M) equipment. Rising to this call, a number of T&M manufacturers have released in recent months solutions with a heavy emphasis on new oscilloscope technology.
Keysight Releases Infiniium MXR B-Series
The first oscilloscope we'll highlight in our roundup is Keysight's new Infiniium MXR B-Series.
The eight-channel hardware-accelerated oscilloscope offers automated analysis tools designed to speed up debugging and testing processes. According to Keysight, the device's dedicated hardware accelerators give the scope a 60% faster analysis rate compared to most competitors for tasks like rapid fault detection, power integrity analysis, and protocol decoding of over 50 serial protocols.
The Keysight Infiniium MXR B-Series. Image used courtesy of Keysight Technologies
According to the datasheet, the device covers a frequency range of up to 6 GHz and offers an industry-low noise floor as low as 43 uV. Other notable specs include a high effective number of bits (ENOB) up to 9.0 and an exceptionally low system jitter—as low as 118 fs. These features make it a promising option for engineers requiring precise measurements and visualizations.
The MXR B-Series also incorporates real-time spectrum analysis (RTSA) and a 50 MHz waveform generator. The scope’s sample rate is up to 16 Giga samples per second (GSa/s), and the update rate is greater than 200,000 waveforms per second. These built-in tools and features not only save bench space but also offer an all-in-one solution for various testing needs.
Quantifi Photonics Reveals DSO-1000 Oscilloscope
Quantifi Photonics offers its new DSO-1000 Series, estimated for release in 2024.
Designed to address the challenges of high-volume manufacturing in AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and cloud applications, the DSO-1000 Series aims to eliminate the cost and performance bottlenecks that have traditionally plagued the scaling of next-generation interconnect technologies.
A PAM4 signal captured by the DSO-1000 Series. Image used courtesy of Quantifi Photonics
To this end, the DSO-1000 Series places emphasis on high-density, parallel testing. The device couples ultra-low jitter performance with high instrument density, enabling high-precision, parallel measurements. This capability is crucial for manufacturers optimizing test throughput since it reduces the overall cost of testing in high-volume production scenarios. Quantifi also says the platform is versatile enough to handle the testing requirements of densely packed compute and switch ASICs. More technical specifications about the device are not yet public.
Rigol Adds DHO800/900 Series
For its part, Rigol Technologies has expanded its high-resolution oscilloscope offerings with its DHO800/900 Series.
The DHO900 stands out with its 50 Mpts memory depth and bandwidth range of 125–250 MHz. It also supports 16 digital channels and simultaneously analyzes both analog and digital signals. This makes it particularly useful for embedded design and test scenarios. The series also boasts a capture rate of up to 1,000,000 wfms/s in UltraAcquire Mode, making it a robust tool for capturing and analyzing complex waveforms.
A DH0900 Series oscilloscope. Image used courtesy of Rigol Technologies
The DHO800 Series offers a 25 Mpts memory depth and a bandwidth range of 70–100 MHz. Like the DHO900, it also features a capture rate of up to 1,000,000 wfms/s in UltraAcquire Mode. While it doesn't support digital channels, it still offers a high level of performance for its price point, making it a cost-effective solution for design, debug, and test needs.
Both series come equipped with a 7-inch intuitive touchscreen display and support for type-C power, enhancing their user-friendliness. Additionally, they both feature a true 12-bit resolution, which, when coupled with the low noise from Rigol's custom ASIC chipset, enables engineers to analyze smaller signal artifacts with greater accuracy and speed.
If you were to add an oscilloscope to your workbench, what features would you consider most valuable? Why? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
