PicoScope 5000 Series Announced

Thanks to a new architecture, multiple high-resolution ADCs can be applied to the input channels in different series and parallel combinations to boost either the sampling rate or the resolution. In series mode, the ADCs are interleaved to provide 1 GS/s at 8 bits. Interleaving reduces the performance of the ADCs, but the result (60 dB SFDR) is still much better than oscilloscopes that interleave 8-bit ADCs, the company says. This mode can also provide 500 MS/s at 12 bits resolution.

In parallel mode, multiple ADCs are sampled in phase on each channel to increase the resolution and dynamic performance. Resolution is increased to 14 bits at 125 MS/s per channel (70 dB SFDR). If only two channels are required, then resolution can be increased to 15 bits, and in single-channel mode all the ADCs are combined to give a 16-bit mode at 62.5 MS/s.

The oscilloscopes also have ultra-deep memory buffers of up to 512 MS to allow long captures at high sampling rates. They also include, as standard, software features such as serial decoding, mask limit testing and segmented memory.

For more information, visit Pico Technology.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.