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MSOs focus on serial buses
Test Measurement World Staff - December 1, 2008
The MSO2000 series of mixed-signal oscilloscopes from Tektronix can trigger on and decode low-speed serial buses such as I2C, SPI, RS-232, CAN, and LIN using their analog channels. The MSOs also provide 16 logic inputs for testing parallel buses and I/O lines.
Available in 100-MHz and 200-MHz models with two or four analog channels, the MSO2000 series incorporates Tek’s Wave Inspector, which lets you scan a captured waveform and zoom in on details. Wave Inspector lets you “bookmark” points in a waveform and tells you how many triggers occur in a 1-Msample captured waveform.
The MSO2000 also adds FilterVu, a digital variable low-pass filter that lets you reduce unwanted noise from a signal. Reducing noise can reduce false triggers, especially when using edge triggering.
Serial-bus decode eliminates the need to manually count bits and find characters transmitted on the bus. As you expand a captured waveform to see individual bits, the MSO2000 will determine the bits and frame them for easier reading.
Base price: $3580 for two 100-MHz analog channels and 16 logic channels. Tektronix, www.tektronix.com.
