An arbitrary function generator (AFG) produces oscillating energy that takes the form of periodic or one-shot waves. We should begin by asking: What is the difference between an AFG and an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG)? Also, what is meant in these contexts by “arbitrary?” Arbitrary as applied to waveform generation means that the user can […]
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Test suite accelerates EMI/EMC compliance testing
The EMCVu is a test suite targeting EMI/EMC pre-compliance testing and troubleshooting. Developed by Tektronix, EMCVu aims to give engineers an accurate, convenient and cost-effective approach to determine if their product designs will pass EMC emission compliance testing on the first try. At the core of the new solution are the Tektronix real-time USB spectrum […]
Making best use of acquisition memory in digital storage oscilloscopes
A typical computer contains at least two separate memory substructures: random-access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) also has two types of memory: acquisition and display memory, but beyond that the comparison is tenuous. In talking about a DSO, memory generally refers to acquisition memory. The highly complex interaction between […]
Care and maintenance of a digital storage oscilloscope
Today’s Digital Storage Oscilloscopes (DSOs) such as the Tektronix MDO3000 are capable of a wide range of complex operations, often involving substantial voltages from power sources having high available current. With proper care and maintenances, these instruments will last indefinitely. They seem never to wear out. Here are some suggestions for maximizing accuracy and longevity: […]
VIDEO: Signal Acquisition in the Tektronix MDO3000 Oscilloscope
Various types of signal acquisitions in a digital storage oscilloscope are examined and displayed. Hi again and welcome to our 81st Test and Measurement Video. For this demonstration we’ll return to the Tektronix MDO3000 oscilloscope and talk about the meaning and some details of signal acquisition. This concept is far more complex in the digital […]
VIDEO: Detecting and Measuring Short Distance Dynamic Signals in the Tektronix RSA306 Spectrum Analyzer
A PC-based spectrum analyzer built by Tektronix is used to receive and analyze short-distance dynamic 2.4 GHz signals that may create interference in the industrial, scientific and medical bands. Greetings and welcome to our 80th Test and Measurement Video. Again we’re focusing on the Tektronix RSA306 PC-Based Spectrum Analyzer. This instrument is an economical alternative […]
Basics of manual and automatic oscilloscope measurements
Other than displaying electrical signals in real-time and stored in memory, an outstanding capability of our modern digital storage oscilloscope is to measure those signals automatically or manually and to display the results. Metrics can appear above and below the onscreen waveforms or separately in table format. The accuracy surpasses, by orders of magnitude, that […]
Advanced math in the MDO3000 series oscilloscope
Advanced math functions in a digital storage oscilloscope involve, among other things, combining active and reference waveforms. First, we’ll see how reference waveforms are established in the instrument memory, and then return to advanced math. Active waveforms correspond to electrical energy that is present at the channel inputs. Often, however, the user has reason to […]
Basics of oscilloscope roll mode, act-on-event, and the trigger menu
Roll mode in a digital storage oscilloscope yields a display different from that of the usual time-based view. Viewing a low-frequency periodic signal, the trace moves from right to left along the Y-axis, resembling what you would see in an analog strip chart. The time base, rather than moving in response to triggering as in […]
Basics of math functions on oscilloscopes
Virtually every digital storage oscilloscope has math functionality. This goes beyond the instrument’s ability to measure, quantify and display the many waveform parameters of a signal at the input, although those properties are important too. If you push the Math button while the oscilloscope is operating in the time domain, you will instantly see these […]