Need an Oscilloscope Capable of Tackling Your Toughest Problems?

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The new Agilent 6000 Series oscilloscopes deliver more powerful features and higher performance than any other scopes in their price range.

To improve efficiency of system communication and to reduce cost, all of today’s automotive designs employ a variety of serial bus communication protocols. The I²C and SPI protocols are most often used for chip-to-chip communication within electronic control units (ECUs). For long haul serial communication between various automotive subsystems such as anti-lock brakes, airbag deployment, engine control and GPS navigation, the CAN, LIN, and most protocols are the most popular serial buses implemented in today’s vehicles. Unfortunately, long haul communication is often susceptible to signal integrity problems caused by the naturally harsh environment found in automobiles, including signal interference from ignition systems and random system noise, which can sometimes create errors during critical communication cycles.

 

 

By definition, automotive electronic systems are embedded mixed-signal systems because they feature multiple analog sensors and analog motor controls under digital control. For years, traditional oscilloscopes have been the primary tool-of-choice among automotive electronic system design engineers to measure the quality of both analog and digital signals. But traditional analog and digital oscilloscopes have many limitations, including lack of complex serial triggering and limited input channels of acquisition. However, a new class of measurement tools called mixed signal oscilloscopes (MSOs) offers many advantages for debugging and verifying proper operation of today’s automotive designs.

While synchronizing on and capturing a CAN differential signal that digitally transmits analog sensor data to an ECU, the MSO was also used to repetitively capture and measure the output amplitude of a remote analog input sensor. At the same time, the MSO also was used to capture multiple SPI control signals within the ECU. But before we explore this particular automotive CAN design and explain how the MSO was used to debug and discover a signal integrity problem, let’s first define what we mean by “MSO.”

 

 

What is a Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO)?
An MSO is a hybrid test instrument that synergistically combines all of the measurement capabilities of a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) (including Autoscale, trigger holdoff, infinite-persistence on analog and digital channels, probe/ channel de-skew, and equivalent-time sampling) with some of the measurement capabilities of a logic analyzer – into a single instrument. With an MSO, you are able to see multiple time-aligned analog and digital waveforms on the same display, as shown in Figure 1.

One of the primary advantages of an MSO is its use model. You use an MSO in much the same way you use an oscilloscope. Design and test engineers often avoid using a logic analyzer – even when one may be required to effectively debug a complex design – because of the time required to learn, or relearn, how to use one. Even if an engineer knows how to use a logic analyzer, setting one up to make particular measurements usually takes much longer than setting up oscilloscope measurements. And finally, the advanced measurement capabilities of a logic analyzer add complexity and are often overkill for many of today’s MCU- and DSP-based designs.

 

 

N2914A DSO to MSO Upgrade Kit Upgrade your 2-channel or 4-channel 100MHz or 300MHz 6000 Series DSO with 16 logic channels for enhanced triggering and signal viewing   FEATURES Enables 16 logic channel MSO features to DSO models For 100MHz or 300MHz 6000 Series scopes

N2915A DSO to MSO Upgrade Kit Upgrade your 2-channel or 4-channel 500MHz or 1GHz 6000 Series DSO with 16 logic channels for enhanced triggering and signal viewing   FEATURES Enables 16 logic channel MSO features to DSO models For 500MHz or 1GHz 6000 Series scopes

 

 

Product Bandwidth Channels Sample Rate Memory Depth Maximum Description 6000 Series 100MHz Oscilloscopes with MegaZoom III Technology 100MHz 2, 4 DSO, 2+16, 4+16 MSO 2 GSa/s 1 Mpts std. 2 or 8 Mpts optional DSO and MSO for 8- or 16-bit microcontroller applications 6000 Series 300MHz Oscilloscopes with MegaZoom III Technology 300MHz 2, 4 DSO, 2+16, 4+16 MSO 2 GSa/s 1 Mpts std. 2 or 8 Mpts optional DSO and MSO for high performance MCU systems 6000 Series 500MHz Oscilloscopes with MegaZoom III Technology 500MHz 2, 4 DSO, 2+16, 4+16 MSO 4 GSa/s 1 Mpts std. 2 or 8 Mpts optional Scopes with performance for today's and future needs 6000 Series 1GHz Oscilloscopes with MegaZoom III Technology 1GHz 2, 4 DSO, 2+16, 4+16 MSO 4 GSa/s 1 Mpts std. 2 or 8 Mpts optional Deep memory for every day use

 

 

See Agilent's 6000 Series Oscilloscopes in Action: Video Demos

NOTE: Windows® MediaPlayer 9 Series must be installed on your computer to view this multimedia demo. Download Windows® MediaPlayer 9.

See Agilent's new 6000 series oscilloscopes with side-by-side comparisons against traditional analog scopes, as well as Tek's TDS3000 and DPO4000 series oscilloscope. A variety of measurement applications are shown demonstrating Agilent's superior display quality and waveform update rate when capturing complex-modulated signals and infrequent glitches.

 

• Expanding Beyond Two Dimensions - 6000 Series Oscilloscopes (6:30) See video demo
• NEW Lower trigger jitter yields more accurate timing measurements (10:44) See video demo
• NEW Debugging CAN-based Designs with Hardware-accelerated Decode (10:20) See video demo
• NEW Oscilloscope probing hints and comparisons for 1 GHz bandwidth measurements See video demo
• NEW Evaluating oscilloscope Sample Rate vs. Sampling Fidelity See video demo
• NEW See Agilent's MegaZoom technology in action (5:50) See video demo

 

MegaZoom III - MOST Responsive Deep Memory

Do I really need deep memory in my oscilloscope?
How much memory does your scope need for measurements? Many people think of deep memory in oscilloscopes as expensive and difficult to use with slow update rates, and they use it primarily as a special-purpose feature for capturing long and complex signals. But deep memory doesn't have to be expensive, nor does it have to be difficult to use. And having deep memory in an oscilloscope can be fundamental in achieving high measurement resolution by maintaining high sample rate in a broad range of general-purpose measurement applications - not just special-purpose applications.

 

Deep memory provides sustained high sample rates

Besides bandwidth, one of the most fundamental specifications in a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) is its specified maximum sample rate. However, a DSO's sample rate is actually based on the scope's time base setting. At the faster time base settings, all oscilloscopes will capture waveforms using their specified maximum sample rates. But as you adjust the time base setting to slower ranges in order to capture longer waveforms, all scopes will automatically reduce their sample rates because of their limited memory depths. Deeper memory in an oscilloscope means that the scope can sustain its maximum sample rate on more time base settings enabling you to see more details of your signals.

 

Deep memory doesn't have to be difficult to use

In most oscilloscopes deep memory is a special, user-selected mode of operation. They are designed this way because using deep memory usually results in slower oscilloscope display update rates, which can make using an oscilloscope a frustrating experience. But with MegaZoom III technology in Agilent's 6000 Series oscilloscopes, deep memory operation is automatic, with update rates exceeding 100,000 real-time waveforms per second, the industry's fastest.

 

MegaZoom III – HIGHEST Definition Color Display

With Agilent's MegaZoom III technology, the 6000 Series oscilloscopes provide the highest-definition display of oscilloscope waveforms in the industry, even exceeding the quality of traditional analog scopes. This is achieved by mapping up to 8,000,000 digitized points to a color XGA display (768x1024) with 256 levels of intensity grading.

Display intensity gradation can be extremely important when you are looking for signal anomalies, especially when you are viewing complex-modulated analog signals such as video, read-write disk head signals, and digitally controlled motor drive signals. Intensity gradation is also helpful in a wide variety of mixed-signal applications found in embedded microprocessor and microcontroller technologies common in the automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. But even when you are viewing purely digital waveforms, intensity gradation can show statistical information about edge jitter, vertical noise, and the relative occurrence of anomalies.

 

MegaZoom III - FASTEST Waveform Update Rates, Without Compromise

With Agilent's MegaZoom III technology, the 6000 Series oscilloscopes provide the fastest waveform update rates in the industry, without compromise. These scopes can produce up to 100,000 real-time waveforms per second, without the need to select special acquisition modes that may entail tradeoffs in oscilloscope performance and functionality.

Update rates in this range can be extremely important when you are trying to capture very infrequent events and signal anomalies such as dynamic jitter and random glitches. The image on this page shows an example of a high-speed signal that includes jitter (near left side of screen), vertical noise (top and bottom of waveform), and a very infrequent glitch (near center of screen). With fast waveform update rates, we can clearly see the dynamic nature of the jitter, which appears to be dominated by deterministic jitter (DJ). However, the biggest benefit of fast waveform update rates is this scope's ability to easily capture the very infrequent glitch, which is actually a metastable state. This particular glitch only occurs approximately 1 time every 50,000 cycles of the input data signal that we are observing. With 100,000 real-time waveforms per second, we are able to see this glitch displayed on the scope's screen multiple times a second.

If you were using another scope in this class that has a maximum update rates of just 3500 waveforms per second, you would have to maintain probe contact with the test point for more than 14 seconds (on average) in order to capture just one glitch. But if you were using the typical debugging method of moving your probe from test point to test point every few seconds, you would probably miss capturing this glitch using a scope with slower update rates.

 

 

Related Links

High-Resolution Frequency Measurements with Agilent 6000 Series
Oscilloscope users often need to make higher-resolution frequency measurements than their conventional oscilloscope is designed to handle.

Improve Your Ability to Capture Elusive Events:
This application note uses a debugging application - an attempt to capture a random and infrequently occurring metastable state - to illustrate the importance of waveform update rates.

Using an Agilent 6000 Series MSO To Debug an Automotive CAN Bus
Agilent Technology's triggering and decode options for the 6000 Series oscilloscopes offer hardware-accelerated decode to help you debug I²C, SPI, CAN and LIN serial buses using the industry's fastest decode update rates.

Oscilloscope Display Quality Impacts Ability to Uncover Signal Anomalies
Your scopes' display quality makes a big difference in troubleshooting your designs effectively. View a variety of analog/digital signals using Agilent's 6000 Series and Tektronix' TDS3000 Series.

Deep Memory Oscilloscopes: The New Tools of Choice
AN 1446 examines how deep memory oscilloscopes enable the user to view longer time spans and maintain the maximum sample rate over a broader range of sweep speeds.

Oscilloscope Display Quality Impacts Ability to Uncover Signal Anomalies
Your scopes' display quality makes a big difference in troubleshooting your designs effectively. View a variety of analog/digital signals using Agilent's 6000 Series and LeCroy's WaveSurfer 400 Series.

Evaluating Oscilloscope Vertical Noise Characteristics
Although engineers often overlook vertical noise characteristics when they evaluate oscilloscopes for purchase, these characteristics should be carefully evaluated as they can impact signal integrity measurements in several ways.

 

 

 Featured Products

Part Number		Description	Data Sheet	App. Notes
N2914A		MSO Upgrade Kit for MSO/DSO601xA/603xA Models
N2915A		MSO Upgrade Kit for DSO605xA/610xA Models

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