Daniel Bogdanoff

Here at Keysight Oscilloscope HQ, we talk a lot about ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). But why? Who cares about the internal architecture of a cheap oscilloscope? All that matters is how well it works, right? We agree. That’s why we design and use custom oscilloscope-specific chips.

How, though? It’s not like custom ASICs just appear out of thin air; it takes years of meticulous planning and R&D effort. We develop ASICs for three main reasons: performance, reliability… Show more

Here at Keysight Oscilloscope HQ, we talk a lot about ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). But why? Who cares about the internal architecture of a cheap oscilloscope? All that matters is how well it works, right? We agree. That’s why we design and use custom oscilloscope-specific chips.

How, though? It’s not like custom ASICs just appear out of thin air; it takes years of meticulous planning and R&D effort. We develop ASICs for three main reasons: performance, reliability, and cost. Let’s take a quick look at the performance aspect, and then a longer look at how an ASIC is made. Show less

I get it—life in the lab isn’t leisurely. Impending deadlines and unexpected time sinks always seem to pull you away from what you need to be doing. And, in the test-and-measurement field, we spend a lot of time telling you how to make the highest-quality measurement or how to test your device to the most stringent possible specifications. Today I’m going to sing a different tune. Sometimes, you can take the easy road and still get your job done.

Literally hundreds of different oscilloscope probes are available, so how do you choose the right one? There's no signal answer because all designs are different. Learn about some of the different probe characteristics you'll want to consider.

Arguably, the most important capability of an oscilloscope is its ability to trigger on a signal. This ability, which we often take for granted or ignore in lieu of snazzier features, is fundamental to an oscilloscope’s ability to display a usable signal.

Let’s first look at how oscilloscope triggers work, and then explore some of the under-utilized trigger capabilities available that will make you a trigger-fu master.

To the dismay of Google fanboys (like me), Google just cancelled their “Lego phone,” officially dubbed "Project Ara”. The phone was developed by Google ATAP (the guys who brought you Project Soli) and would have been built around a bare-bones “endoskeleton” that featured interchangeable hardware modules. Unfortunately, the phone was going to be too costly and bulky for mainstream production.

Let’s take a look at the stand-out capabilities that both doomed the project and elevated it to a… Show more

To the dismay of Google fanboys (like me), Google just cancelled their “Lego phone,” officially dubbed "Project Ara”. The phone was developed by Google ATAP (the guys who brought you Project Soli) and would have been built around a bare-bones “endoskeleton” that featured interchangeable hardware modules. Unfortunately, the phone was going to be too costly and bulky for mainstream production.

Let’s take a look at the stand-out capabilities that both doomed the project and elevated it to a technologically-legendary status. Show less

While jitter will always be present in your designs, being able to identify causes and sources of jitter will allow you to confidently design and debug your systems.

Essentially, jitter is where your signal’s edges actually are compared to where you want them to be. If your signal’s edges are too far off, it will cause errors in your system. “Total jitter” can be broken down into a number of components that have different root causes with different implications for your designs… Show more

While jitter will always be present in your designs, being able to identify causes and sources of jitter will allow you to confidently design and debug your systems.

Essentially, jitter is where your signal’s edges actually are compared to where you want them to be. If your signal’s edges are too far off, it will cause errors in your system. “Total jitter” can be broken down into a number of components that have different root causes with different implications for your designs. Learning the various jitter components and a few key analysis skills (interpreting eye diagrams) is essential when designing and debugging high-speed systems. Show less

The movement from analog to digital oscilloscopes has opened up a new world of measurement opportunities for engineers. By using an ADC paired with a plotter instead of a sweep generator paired with a CRT, you can change how your signal is acquired. Extracting the most confidence from your oscilloscope readings requires understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different acquisition modes. Learn how normal, averaging, and high resolution modes work, and when you should use each one.

In oscilloscopes today, making a good signal measurement is easy. However, making a great measurement takes some expertise. As edge speeds increase and voltages decrease, your signal’s margin of error becomes smaller and smaller. So, making a great oscilloscope measurement could mean the difference between meeting and not meeting your design parameters.

Digital oscilloscopes have turned manual measurements into an automated process, allowing you to make adequate measurements quickly and… Show more

In oscilloscopes today, making a good signal measurement is easy. However, making a great measurement takes some expertise. As edge speeds increase and voltages decrease, your signal’s margin of error becomes smaller and smaller. So, making a great oscilloscope measurement could mean the difference between meeting and not meeting your design parameters.

Digital oscilloscopes have turned manual measurements into an automated process, allowing you to make adequate measurements quickly and easily. However, turning that good measurement into a great measurement requires a little extra knowledge and effort. Following some key best practices will give you much higher accuracy and confidence in your measurements. Signal scaling and bits of resolution will impact the quality of your measurement, so it’s crucial to understand how to get the most out of your oscilloscope.4 Show less

Learn about the unique advantages and benefits of the often overlooked logic analyzer. As mixed signal oscilloscopes become more prevalent as a replacement for logic analyzer, it’s important for engineers to understand the additional benefits of using a dedicated logic analyzer for debugging systems. The logic analyzer benefits described in this article include state mode, memory depth, high channel count, advanced custom triggering, protocol compliance testing, and performance analysis.

Learn about the unique advantages of having touch screens in your test and measurement equipment.