Tektronix today introduced what it claims is the world’s first mixed domain oscilloscope that delivers the functionality of an oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer in a single instrument. The new MDO4000 Series is said to give engineers the ability to capture time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals for a complete system view, helping them to rapidly solve complicated design issues.
According to the company, the MDO4000 allows users to capture time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals across 4 analog, 16 digital and 1 RF channel. The RF input frequency range extends up to 6 GHz and provides a capture bandwidth of ≥1 GHz at all center frequencies. Users can see up to 4 decoded serial and/or parallel buses at one time on the same display. Due to this time correlation between domains, engineers can now make accurate timing measurements to understand delays and latencies between command / control events in their design and changes in the RF spectrum.
The MDO4000 allows designers to see the RF spectrum of a signal at any point in time within a long acquisition to see how the spectrum changes over time or with device state. By moving its patent pending Spectrum Time feature throughout the time domain acquisition, designers can see the RF spectrum for any point in their acquisition while simultaneously seeing their analog, digital and/or decoded buses at the same point in time.