10-2019

16 GHz Sampler-extended Realtime Scope
Pico Technology has introduced
the PicoScope 9404-16 SXRTO,
a 16 GHz sampler-extended
real-time oscilloscope. The new
model joins the 5 GHz 9404-
05 model launched earlier this
year. Ideally suited to repetitive
or clock-derived signals, both
models feature four high-resolution
12-bit channels, each supported
by real-time sampling to
500 MS/s per channel and up to
5 TS/s (0.2 ps) equivalent-time
sampling. These are voltage and
timing resolutions that match or
more typically exceed the best
available amongst broadband
real-time oscilloscopes today.
The wideband inputs, and fine
timing and voltage resolutions,
display and accurately measure
transitions as fast as 22 ps,
pulses and impulses down to 45
ps wide, and allow clock performance
and eye diagram analysis
of up to 11 Gb/s gigabit signals
(to third harmonic). Less than 2
ps RMS trigger jitter and 5 GHz
trigger support margin analysis
and characterization of today’s
high-speed serial data systems,
whilst integrated clock and data
recovery to 11 Gb/s and an external
prescaled trigger input extend
the SXRTO trigger capability to
the full bandwidth of the 16 GHz
model. In addition the real-time
broadband sampling modes can
support, for example, capture
of carrier envelope, baseband
modulation and other envelope
tracking signals around amplify,
route and transmit paths; including
major wireless communication
frequency bands such as
900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.5 GHz
and upwards.
SXRTO instrument
architecture
Pico’s SXRTO instrument architecture
vastly reduces the cost of
broadband time-domain sampling
for repetitive signal or
clock-related applications. Mark
Ashcroft, RF Business Development
Manager at Pico, observes
that the principal cost drivers
within the traditional real-time
oscilloscope (RTO) are data and
memory bandwidth. High-speed
real-time sampling requires data
bandwidth far in excess of the
analog system bandwidth, which
drives up the cost of those instruments.
Constrained by cost, existing
RTOs use ETS (random
equivalent time sampling) to
extend sampling density when
repetitive signals are available.
Pico’s SXRTO architecture
samples at a more cost-effective
lower rate of 500 MS/s and
instead develops the ETS technique
to achieve market-leading
sample rate multiplication of
x10,000 to 5 TS/s. The vastly
lower-cost SXRTO architecture
recognizes that many high-bandwidth
signals are or can be repetitive;
allowing the expense of
high sampling rate instruments
to be avoided.
In contrast to “sampling oscilloscopes”,
the ETS technique
supports trigger and pre-trigger
capture and the familiarity, convenience
and ease of real-time
oscilloscope operation. Pico’s
SXRTO technology seamlessly
transitions to single-event waveform
capture at sampling rates
at and below 500 MS/s and
both sampling modes capture
to memory of 250,000 samples
(single channel); particularly
valuable for the capture of slower
system signals, modulation
envelopes and repeating pulse or
data patterns, for example.
This USB-controlled instrument
is supplied with PicoSample 4
software. The touch-compatible
GUI controls the instrument and
presents waveforms, measurements
and statistics on your preferred
size and format of display.
There is full support for available
Windows display resolutions,
allowing the inspection of
waveform detail or presentation
of measurements, for example
on 4 k monitors or projection,
or across multiple monitors. A
wide range of automated and
user-configurable signal integrity
measurements, mathematics, statistical
views and limits test facilities
are included for validation
and trending of pulse and timing
performance, jitter, RZ and NRZ
eye diagrams. Industry-standard
communications mask tests such
as PCIe, GB Ethernet and Serial
ATA are included as standard.
Pico Technology
www.picotech.com
Broadband 50 W
Limiter
RFMW announces design and
sales support for Peregrine
Semiconductor’s PE45450,
adjustable power limiter providing
protection for up to 50
W pulsed RF input from 9 kHz
to 6 GHz. This broadband
limiter can handle up to 10 W
of power in CW applications.
The adjustable power limiting
threshold, from 25 to 35 dBm,
enables flexibility across different
platforms and architectures.
Peregrine’s UltraC-
MOS, monolithic solution is
8x smaller than comparable
GaAs PIN diode solutions
and no external components
are required. The PE45450
offers fast response and recovery
time of 1 ns making it
ideal for receiver protection
in military ECM applications,
radar, wireless infrastructure
and test & measurement. The
Peregrine PE45450 has an
ESD HBM of 8000 V to protect
sensitive circuits against
ESD surges.
RFMW
info@rfmw.com
www.rfmw.com
68 hf-praxis 10/2019