Brochure

Technical Brief
www.tektronix.com/oscilloscopes2
Custom Integrated Circuits
The TBS/TDS Series platform is built around custom-designed
integrated circuits (ASICs). This design choice has advantages
in both performance and reliability of the oscilloscopes.
The Tektronix custom ASICs are able to deliver
best-in-class sampling rates of up to 2 GS/s on
all channels simultaneously.
At the same time use of these ASICs greatly simplifies
the design and complexity of the electronic circuitry inside
the oscilloscope:
− Far fewer electronic components than most other
oscilloscopes in their class, which often rely on commer-
cial off-the-shelf components.
− Fewer components reduces the potential points of failure
and variability in performance.
Another advantage that comes from using custom
integrated circuits rather than commercial off-the-shelf
components is improved thermal performance.
− The high level of integration makes the power
consumption low, less than 30W.
No Cooling Fan
The low power consumption means TBS/TDS Series
oscilloscopes do not require a cooling fan.
Cooling fans involve moving parts and often present weak
links for the reliability of an oscilloscope:
− Prone to ingesting dust and pollutants, which can possibly
have detrimental effects on the performance and life-time
of other electronic and mechanical components inside the
oscilloscope.
− An advantage of the fan-free design of the TBS/TDS oscil-
loscopes is the products’ quiet operation, an attribute that
engineers who spend much time using their oscilloscopes
appreciate.
Figure 1. From top to bottom the Tektronix TDS2000C, the Rigol DS1000E, and the
GW Instek GDS1000A-U.
Tektronix TDS2000C
Rigol DS1000E
GW Instek GDS1000A-U