Scopes with digital triggers

Test & Measurement

9 November 2011 Test & Measurement

Rohde & Schwarz developed a digital oscilloscope that employs a real-time digital trigger. Designated the RTO series, the instrument is designed to aid in debugging embedded systems.

The real-time digital trigger in the RTO uses a common signal path for both the trigger and acquired data. This eliminates time and amplitude offset between the trigger and signal, enabling signals to be displayed with the least possible trigger jitter and allowing precise results to be achieved when measuring complex waveforms.

Analog triggers typically have a long re-arm cycle, and while re-arming, the instrument cannot react to trigger events, which means signal properties that should act as triggers are masked. Because the RTO scopes’ digital trigger does not need to re-arm, every sample can trigger data acquisition to avoid missing events. In addition, errors in serial interfaces are often caused by sporadic signal faults at the physical layer, so high acquisition rates are essential in order to detect them. Since these new instruments acquire and display signals using hardware, blind time is minimised and errors are located quickly.

Also, many embedded systems employ serial data interfaces to control external devices and simply viewing the waveform is not sufficient to fully debug the operation of these systems. The RTO features an integrated trigger and decode feature that allows users to trigger on protocol-specific features and to display the captured waveform in binary, ASCII or HEX formats. The trigger and decode feature supports SPI, I²C, CAN, LIN and RS232.

For more information contact Trevor Grundlingh, Protea Electronics, +27 (0)11 719 5700, [email protected], www.protea.co.za

Share this article:

Locate underground cable faults faster with the Fluke AF2082 A-Frame
Comtest Editor's Choice Test & Measurement
Underground cable faults can lead to costly downtime, service disruptions, and extensive excavation if the fault location is uncertain. The AF2082 simplifies this process by guiding operators directly to the fault point.

Read more...

Precision power for electronics testing
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
The PeakTech 6168 switching power supply is a versatile and reliable solution designed for professional applications in laboratories, development environments, service centres, and training facilities.

Read more...

12-bit 1-wire temperature sensing
RS South Africa Test & Measurement
The DS18B20 digital thermometer from Analog Devices provides 9-bit to 12-bit Celsius temperature measurements in the range -55°C to 125°C.

Read more...

Ultra-fast wideband RF insight
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
The Harogix PXE-200 is a high-performance real-time spectrum analyser designed for demanding RF environments up to 20 GHz.

Read more...

Field calibration made easy
Instrotech Test & Measurement
Built around modern component technology, an intuitive interface, and a rugged IP54-rated housing, Instrotech’s Calog series is engineered for the demands of real industrial field calibration work.

Read more...

Rugged two-pole voltage tester
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
A key advantage of the PeakTech 1094 is its battery-free operation, ensuring the tester is always ready for use whenever required by professional electricians or maintenance personnel.

Read more...

Rapid IoT prototyping simplified
Future Electronics Test & Measurement
The STEVAL-MKBOXPRO from STMicroelectronics is a compact, ready-to-use wireless development kit designed to accelerate the creation of intelligent IoT and wearable applications.

Read more...

Categories

Test & Measurement

Scopes with digital triggers

Further reading:

Publications by Technews