Tektronix has introduced the DPO70000SX 70GHz ATI Performance Oscilloscope, which features the lowest noise and highest effective bits of any ultra-high-bandwidth real-time oscilloscope available on the market, the company claims.
The new oscilloscope incorporates a number of innovations that enable it to more effectively meet the current and future needs of engineers and scientists developing high-speed coherent optical systems or performing leading-edge research, Tektronix says.
Key advancements in the DPO70000SX ATI Performance Oscilloscope that set it apart from traditional ultra-high-bandwidth oscilloscopes include Tektronix’ patented Asynchronous Time Interleaving (ATI) technology that preserves signal-to-noise ratio for higher fidelity. This means that users can more accurately capture and measure their signals at higher speeds than possible with any other oscilloscope available today. The oscilloscope provides an ‘impressive’ 200GS/s sample rate with 5ps/sample resolution.
Described as 'the most scalable oscilloscope system on the market', the instrument also supports Tektronix’ patent pending UltraSync architecture that provides precise data synchronisation across multi-unit systems. Precise multi-channel timing synchronisation is key to meeting acquisition requirements in applications such as 100G and faster coherent optical modulation analysis.
“For advanced applications like coherent optical, wideband radar and high-energy physics, customers need more from their oscilloscope than just raw bandwidth,” said Brian Reich, general manager performance oscilloscopes, Tektronix. “Looking at the full range of customer needs drove us to look beyond banner specs to drive important innovations in the DPO70000SX 70GHz ATI Performance Oscilloscope around signal fidelity, flexibility and scalability. We see many of these innovations as having long-term influence on oscilloscope architectures.”
As engineers develop products and systems with higher data rates, they face a continued number of test challenges. In particular, as speeds go up and amplitudes go down, system noise becomes a major problem because it obscures important signal details. Through the use of ATI technology, the DPO70000SX oscilloscope enables engineers to see more of their signal details with less noise and distortion so they can make better measurements and understand their system operation better.
To achieve ultra-high bandwidths, other oscilloscope vendors use a frequency interleaving technique that splits the signal into high- and low-frequency bands which are digitised separately. Digitising the bands separately like this introduces noise and causes phase, amplitude and other mismatches, which are very difficult to overcome when the two bands are reassembled. With Tektronix' patented ATI technology – based on time interleaving rather than frequency interleaving to achieve high sample rates – the full signal spectrum is digitised by each of two symmetrical signal paths with matched performance, which substantially reduces noise when the full spectrum is recovered.
The DPO70000SX oscilloscopes are packaged in a 5¼-inch-tall form factor. The compact form factor enables the instrument to be positioned close to the device under test (DUT), which enables shorter cable lengths that also help to preserve signal fidelity at very high frequencies. This compact packaging means that engineers can stack two oscilloscopes in the same space as a standard bench oscilloscope.
High-speed coherent optical applications also require precise multi-instrument timing synchronisation. UltraSync meets this requirement with a high-performance synchronisation and control bus that allows multiple DPO70000SX oscilloscopes to work together to deliver the precise high-speed multi-channel acquisitions needed for these applications.
UltraSync includes a 12.5GHz sample clock reference and coordinated trigger bus for inherent acquisition-to-acquisition jitter equivalent to typical channel-to-channel jitter within a single instrument. In addition, it includes a high-speed data path to transfer waveforms from extension units to the master unit for analysis. Since each oscilloscope fully processes its acquired signals, only completed waveforms are sent to the master unit, maintaining performance as more channels are added. UltraSync allows optical test software to manage a multi-instrument acquisition system for the most precise optical modulation analysis available.
The DPO70000SX also provides the flexibility to use one channel at 70GHz, 200GS/s or two channels at 33GHz, 100GS/s. Available dual unit systems synchronise two DPO70000SX units providing two channels at 70GHz, 200GS/s each, or four channels at 33GHz, 100GS/s operating as a single, coordinated instrument. A DPO7AFP auxiliary front panel gives direct control of common instrument settings to provide a typical bench oscilloscope experience – for a single unit or a multi-unit system.
The multi-unit system can easily scale up to support more channels as testing requirements evolve. For instance, four channels at 33GHz with insight on two channels at 70GHz may be sufficient for many of today’s applications. As needs change, two additional units can be added to the configuration to provide four channels at 70GHz – all functioning as a single instrument.
DPO70000SX oscilloscopes are available to order worldwide with export restrictions for certain countries. The 70GHz ATI units start at €250,000 / £208,000 with a two-unit system starting at €381,000 / £317,000. In addition, a 33GHz non-ATI unit is available starting at €226,000 / £189,000 with a two-unit system starting at €295,000 / £245,000.