Although the oscilloscope may not be the most technically demanding instrument in the hardware world, it remains the one that engineers are most familiar with and is the largest segment in the test equipment market. To better understand its capabilities, we interviewed several industry leaders in the high-bandwidth oscilloscope sector. Starting from a hardware perspective, we explore the core components that define an oscilloscope’s performance.
Bandwidth, sampling rate, and memory depth are the three most critical factors that determine an oscilloscope's market value. Among these, bandwidth is the most straightforward indicator of performance. The sampling rate is closely related to bandwidth, and its value directly affects the final price of the device. This parameter is largely determined by the analog front-end hardware, which plays a central role in signal processing.
The architecture of analog oscilloscopes has evolved over decades, and digital oscilloscopes have seen significant development over the past 20 years, leading to a more stable design structure. According to Xing Fei, vice president of RIGOL, modern digital oscilloscopes consist of four main parts: the analog front end (responsible for signal conditioning), the analog-to-digital converter (which digitizes the conditioned signal), the data acquisition, storage, and signal processing unit, and finally, the display and user interface. The first two components are responsible for most of the oscilloscope’s performance specifications and are considered its core elements.
Bandwidth and the Analog Front End
Bandwidth is the most fundamental parameter when selecting an oscilloscope. From 30 GHz in 2004 to the introduction of 45 GHz models, it took five years. The 60 GHz model only emerged three years ago, and in the last 12 months, top-tier oscilloscopes have been updated rapidly, reminiscent of the performance arms race from 2002 to 2004.
In April of this year, LeCroy lost its title as the provider of the highest bandwidth digital oscilloscope since 2004, as Agilent introduced the Infiniium 90000Q with a maximum bandwidth of 63 GHz, surpassing the 60 GHz of the LeCroy LabMaster 10Zi. With both major players now offering 60 GHz models, the next question is how Tektronix will respond.
The key factor determining bandwidth is the oscilloscope’s analog front end, which includes attenuators, amplifiers, and associated circuits. It acts as the gateway through which the measured signal enters the device. In many cases, the oscilloscope’s test signal bandwidth is directly influenced by the bandwidth of the analog front end, which also affects the noise floor and dynamic range. Designing the analog front end accounts for more than half of the hardware development workload and ultimately defines the oscilloscope’s overall performance.
Key performance metrics of the analog front end include:
- Analog bandwidth, including amplitude-frequency response, rise time, and overshoot characteristics.
- Input signal amplitude dynamic range, from the lowest to the highest vertical sensitivity before digital processing.
- DC gain accuracy and offset accuracy, along with their initial error and temperature drift characteristics.
- Input impedance, including resistance and parallel parasitic capacitance, which can affect the circuit under test.
If the analog front end is the heart of the oscilloscope, it plays a crucial role in signal integrity. Like a camera lens, a well-designed front end ensures clarity and precision. Poorly designed analog front ends can lead to increased system noise, making it difficult to capture small signals or causing the signal-to-noise ratio to drop. Insufficient isolation between signal paths can result in cross-channel interference. Additionally, linearity and saturation resistance are essential for accurate measurements.
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