Out in Front: March 1, 1996
New scope models cut cost of high-duty-cycle displays
Less than $10,000 now buys a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) that, in seconds, captures elusive transient events that many other DSOs take more than an hour to detect. Tektronix has added three models to its lineup of scopes that incorporate InstaVu, a proprietary feature that increases to 400,000 the number of waveforms/second a DSO can capture. Most DSOs—even those that offer wide bandwidth and high sample rates—capture only a few hundred waveforms/second. Instead of storing waveform samples in fast RAM as most DSOs do, the scopes achieve high display rates in the InstaVu mode by using a proprietary IC to convert waveform samples to screen pixels that go directly to the display subsystem. The feature was EDN readers' choice for most innovative test-and-measurement product of 1994 (EDN, April 13, 1995, pg 19).
Tek has added three models to the family: the $9500 TDS 520B; the $12,200 TDS 724A; and the $14,950 TDS 540B. The company has also upgraded the specifications of the existing models, the $17,950 TDS 744A and the $34,495 TDS 784A. Except for the 1-GHz-bandwidth TDS 784A, all of the InstaVu scopes offer 500-MHz bandwidth. The two new models that have the lowest prices contain only two ADCs, whereas the other scopes have four. All models have four inputs with full attenuation, however, and the units with two ADCs can display any two of the input signals. The two TDS 500-series InstaVu scopes have monochrome displays; the others have full-color displays, thanks to a proprietary LCD shutter system.
Other new features include channel deskew and advanced trigger conditions—including slew rate, time-out, and setup and hold. A dual-window zoom feature lets you view an entire waveform while expanding a small section to view details. Each TDS 700-series unit includes a floppy-disk drive, RS-232C and Centronics ports, and waveform-math capabilities based on a proprietary DSP. These features are optional on TDS 500-series units.
—by Dan Strassberg
Tektronix Inc, Beaverton, OR. (800) 426-2200.
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