1 GS/s USB–powered Oscilloscope

07 November 2011 - The three new oscilloscopes in the PicoScope 2000 Series are the first USB–powered oscilloscopes to offer a real–time sampling rate of 1 GS/s. With two channels, bandwidths ranging from 50 MHz to 200 MHz, a built–in function generator, arbitrary waveform generator and external trigger input, these compact and economical scopes are perfect for engineers and technicians needing a complete test bench in a single unit.

The scopes are supplied with a full version of the PicoScope oscilloscope software. As well as standard oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer functions, PicoScope includes valuable additional features such as serial decoding, mask limit testing, segmented memory and advanced triggers. It provides a large, clear display that shows waveforms in great detail and allows easy zooming and panning. Other advanced features include intensity– and color–coded persistence displays, math channels, automatic measurements with statistics, and decoding of I2C, UART/RS232, SPI and CAN bus data. Free updates to the software are released frequently.

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

A Software Development Kit (SDK), supplied free, allows you to control the new scopes from your own custom applications. The SDK includes example programs in C, C++, Excel and LabVIEW. The SDK and PicoScope are compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

The new PicoScope 2000 Series oscilloscopes are available now from Pico distributors worldwide and from www.picotech.com. Prices range from £349 for the 50 MHz PicoScope 2206 to £599 for the 200 MHz PicoScope 2208, including a 5–year warranty.