The functions of a 100 million samples/s dual-channel digital oscilloscope and a 50 MHZ spectrum analyser are combined in a PC-based virtual instrument from Britain costing at least 50% less than comparable benchtop equipment.
In addition to performing all the operations of a standard oscilloscope, the ADC 200-100, from Pico Technology, offers the many advantages of PC connection, such as the ability to annotate, save and print traces. Other benefits include context-sensitive help, and a facility to `copy and paste` waveforms straight into a word processor. For education and training applications where a number of people need to see the display, the large clear PC screen offers a big advantage over a standard oscilloscope.
Advanced functions provided by the PicoScope software supplied with the instrument include simultaneous display of oscilloscope, spectrum analyser and meters. It is also possible to overlay a current trace with a stored reference trace, and powerful triggering modes help to capture intermittent or unusual events. For example the `save on trigger` function saves every trigger event to disk, complete with data and time stamp.
Tasks that are difficult with an oscilloscope , such as identifying the source of noise on power lines, are simplified by the spectrum analyser. Even when there are multiple noise sources, the analyser makes it easy to identify the signature of the noise and so determine its source. The 0 - 50 MHZ spectrum analyser range covers all the frequencies required for EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) conducted noise tests.
Possibilities for data analysis are unlimited, owing to the ease of transfer to other applications such as spreadsheets; it is also possible to automate data collection and analysis using the drivers supplied.