Datasheet

Advanced triggers
As well as the standard
range of triggers found
on all oscilloscopes, the
PicoScope 3000 Series
offers an industry-leading
set of advanced triggers
including pulse width,
windowed and dropout
triggers to help you capture
the data you need. All advanced trigger types have adjustable thresholds
and hysteresis. The MSOs have a further set of digital triggers that can
detect any data pattern with optional edge-sensitivity. The logic trigger
applies the selected Boolean operation to any number of analog, EXT or
MSO digital inputs.
Digital triggering
Most digital oscilloscopes sold today still use an analog trigger architecture
based on comparators. This can cause time and amplitude errors that
cannot always be calibrated out. The use of comparators often limits the
trigger sensitivity at high bandwidths.
In 1991 we pioneered the use
of fully digital triggering using
the actual digitized data. This
technique reduces trigger errors
and allows our oscilloscopes to
trigger on the smallest signals, even at the full bandwidth. Trigger levels
and hysteresis can be set with high precision and resolution.
Digital triggering also reduces re-arm delay and this, combined with the
segmented memory, allows the triggering and capture of events that
happen in rapid sequence. At the fastest timebase you can use rapid
triggering to collect 10,000 waveforms in under 20 milliseconds (USB 2.0)
or 10 milliseconds (USB 3.0). Our mask limit testing function can then scan
through these waveforms to highlight any failed waveforms for viewing in
the waveform buffer.
Arbitrary waveform and function generator
All units have a built-in function generator with at least sine, square,
triangle and DC modes. As well as basic controls to set level, offset and
frequency, more advanced controls allow you to sweep over a range of
frequencies and trigger the generator from a specified event. Combined
with the spectrum peak hold option, this becomes a powerful tool for
testing amplifier and filter responses.
The PicoScope 3000 Series B and MSO models include additional
built-in waveforms, such as white noise and PRBS, as well as an arbitrary
waveform generator (AWG). Waveforms can be created or edited using
the built-in AWG editor, copied from oscilloscope traces, or loaded from
a spreadsheet.
PicoScope: power, portability and versatility
Pico Technology continues to push the
limits of USB-powered oscilloscopes.
The PicoScope 3000 Series offers the
highest performance available from any
USB-powered oscilloscope on the market
today and includes the industry’s first
USB 3.0 oscilloscope.
Pico USB-powered oscilloscopes are small, light and portable. They easily
slip into a laptop bag making them ideal for the engineer on the move.
There is no need for an external power supply, making them ideal for
field use in many applications, such as design, research, test, education,
service and repair.
High bandwidth, high sampling rate
With input bandwidths as high as 250 MHz, the PicoScope 3000 Series
scopes can be used for a wide range of signal types from DC and baseband
all the way up VHF. To avoid problems such as aliasing and loss of high-
frequency detail, we recommend using a sampling rate of 4 or 5 times
the signal bandwidth. Most USB-powered oscilloscopes have real-time
sampling rates of only 100 or 200 MS/s, but the PicoScope 3000 Series
offers up to 1 GS/s. For repetitive signals only, ETS (equivalent-time
sampling) mode boosts the effective rate to 10 GS/s, allowing even more
detailed display of high frequencies.
Huge buffer memory
The PicoScope 3000 Series offers memory depths up to 512 million
samples, more than any other oscilloscope in this price range.
Other oscilloscopes have high maximum sampling rates, but without
deep memory they cannot sustain these rates on long timebases. Using
it s 512 MS buffer, the PicoScope 3207B can sample at 1 GS/s all the way
down to 50 ms/div (500 ms total capture time).
Managing all this data calls for some powerful tools. There’s a set of zoom
buttons, plus an overview window that lets you zoom and reposition the
display by simply dragging with the mouse. Zoom factors of several million
are possible.
Each captured waveform
is stored in a segmented
buffer so you can rewind
and review up to 10,000
previous waveforms. No
longer will you see a glitch
on the screen only for it to
vanish before you stop the
scope. Combined with mask limit testing, the buffer navigator can be
instructed to show only waveforms that are out of specification.
x1
x256
x32
x6500
PicoScope 3000 Series PC Oscilloscopes