New Deep–Memory Mixed–Signal Oscilloscopes!
The new PicoScope 3000 Series mixed–signal oscilloscopes combine a deep–memory 2–channel USB oscilloscope with a 16–bit logic analyzer. These instruments can debug, measure and test mixed–signal hardware while taking up very little space on your workbench. As they are USB–powered, there’s no need to carry an external power supply: just connect to the nearest PC, run the PicoScope software and your oscilloscope is ready for use.
- 8 to 128 MS buffer sizes
- 60 to 200 MHz analog bandwidths
- 100 MHz digital channels
- 500 MS/s real–time sampling
- 10 GS/s equivalent–time sampling
- Advanced digital triggers
- 60 to 200 MHz spectrum analyzer
- Built–in function generator and AWG
- USB–connected and powered
Unlike many competing oscilloscopes, these devices contain deep memory as standard. This enables you to capture at high sampling rates even on long timebases. For example, the PicoScope 3206 MSO can capture at 500 MS/s even on the 20 ms/division timebase, allowing you to collect large amounts of high–resolution data. You can use this feature with the built–in serial decoding function to capture long sequences of data for later analysis. Instead of trying to set up complex triggers to find obscure events, just capture everything and use the search tools to find event of interest.
New PicoScope 3000 Series Driver for MATLAB
The MATLAB Generic Instrument Driver allows you to acquire data from the PicoScope 3000 Series High–Performance Oscilloscopes and control the signal generator. The data could be processed in MATLAB using functions from Toolboxes such as the Signal Processing Toolbox. Example scripts are included to illustrate block and streaming modes and use of the signal generator.
Download the “PicoScope 3000 Series — MATLAB Generic Instrument Driver” free of charge from mathworks.com. Please let us know what you think of the driver, either by using the feedback link on the download page or by email.
Latest Training Videos: PicoScope Mixed–Signal Oscilloscopes
Our youtube channel is the home of a large collection of training videos on a variety of oscilloscope–related subjects. There are now over 60 videos on new features in the PicoScope software, persistence display mode, spectrum analysis, serial decoding, advanced triggering, the PicoScope 9000 Series sampling scopes, and many more subjects.
We have recently added a set of videos on the use of the PicoScope Mixed–Signal Oscilloscopes. These videos apply to all PicoScope MSOs including the PicoScope 2205 MSO and the new PicoScope 3000 Series MSOs.
Win a PicoScope 3406B Oscilloscope!
There are just two weeks until our PicoScope 3406B prize draw!
The PicoScope 3406B is a high–performance 4–channel USB oscilloscope that’s perfect for a wide range of analog and digital design, troubleshooting, testing and measurement tasks. With 200 MHz bandwidth, 128 MS deep buffer memory, built–in signal generator and arbitrary waveform generator, it gives you a complete test bench in one compact unit.
Enter the PicoScope 3406B Prize Draw (the competition code is CM128). Closing date 30th November 2012.
If you can’t wait for the prize draw then the PicoScope 3406B can be yours for only £1349 (about US$2225 or €1632 at current exchange rates). Other models in the PicoScope 3000 Series are also available from only £399 (about US$658 or €483).
Tech Tips
Glitches and filtering in PicoScope
Q. We are in the transition period of moving from a handheld scope to a PicoScope 4424. One of the useful features of the handheld scope was called “Display Glitches”. This was used to remove noise from a waveform to allow a clear view of the near average waveform lying beneath all the noise. Does the PicoScope have a similar feature with a different name?
A. Glitch capture is usually a feature fitted to scopes with small buffer memories. Handheld scopes have only a few K of memory which means they cannot sample for long periods and keep all the samples without filling up the memory. To allow you to capture at longer timebases without missing glitches and noise, the scope runs the ADC at high speed and keeps only the highest and lowest values. If you turn off glitch capture it samples more slowly and misses high speed signals which has the effect of removing high frequency noise.
The PicoScope has thousands of times more memory so this compromise is avoided as it can sample at its maximum sampling rate for long periods of time.
To get a clean signal, click the channel options button (e.g. the “A” icon for channel A) and enable the low pass filter option. You can set the filter to remove the unwanted noise, but still keep the signal you want to see.
Delayed math channels
Q. Can I create a delayed version of a signal using PicoScope’s math channels?
A. Yes, you can. In the math editor, click the button corresponding to the source signal (for example, ‘A’). In the text box, add a negative number, in units of seconds, in square brackets after the ‘A’. If the resulting equation is, for example, ‘A[-0.001]’, then the math channel will be equal to input channel A delayed by 1 millisecond.
Events
Please visit Pico Exhibitions for the latest list of exhibitions and trade shows that Pico and its representatives will be attending.
We're hiring!
Thanks to our continuing success and growth Pico are always seeking talented people to join our company.
Please visit https://jobs.picotech.com/ to see our current vacancies. We look forward to hearing from you!
Software releases
Our latest software releases are available as free downloads. To check which release you are using, start the software and select Help > About.
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Contact details
UK Headquarters:
Pico Technology, James House, Colmworth Business Park, St. Neots,
Cambridgeshire, PE19 8YP, United Kingdom
Tel.: 01480 396395 (+44 1480 396395)
Fax: 01480 396296 (+44 1480 396296)
North America Office:
Pico Technology, 320 N Glenwood Blvd, Tyler TX 75702, United States
Tel:+1 800 591 2796 (Toll Free)
Asia-Pacific Office:
Pico Technology, Room 2252, 22/F, Centro, 568 Hengfeng Road, Zhabei District,
Shanghai 200070, PR China
Tel: +86 21 2226-5152
Email: sales@picotech.com
