Product category:
Board-Level Instruments
News Release from: Pico Technology | Subject: PicoScope 5204
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 14 November 2006
PC oscilloscope doesn't compromise its
specs
Dual-channel PC oscilloscope combines a bandwidth of 250MHz, a memory depth of 128 million samples and a real-time sampling rate of 1Gsample/s.
Pico Technology has unveiled the PicoScope 5204, a dual-channel PC oscilloscope with a bandwidth of 250MHz, a memory depth of 128 million samples and a real-time sampling rate of 1Gsample/s All other oscilloscopes in this price range force you to compromise on one of the three key specifications: sampling rate, bandwidth or memory depth
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 10 Apr 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Linux drivers provide licence-free test option
Pico Technology has added Linux drivers to its complete range of data acquisition and DSO products.
PC-based DSO gains faster sampling option
Pico Technology has added equivalent time sampling (ETS) to its high-performance, high resolution ADC-212/100 digital storage oscilloscope.
The PicoScope 5204 excels in all three of these areas, making it a no compromise oscilloscope at a price every engineer can afford.
The PicoScope 5204 connects to the USB port of any Windows laptop or desktop PC and offers an array of high-end oscilloscope features, including advanced triggering and an equivalent-time sampling mode that can boost the sampling rate to 20Gsample/s for repetitive waveforms.
Other advanced functions include a built-in 250MHz spectrum analyser and a 12 bit, 125Msample/s arbitrary waveform generator.
Further reading
Current monitor checks up on three-phase supplies
The EL040 is a three-channel AC current monitoring device from Pico Technology.
PC-based package runs full set of automotive tests
A novel all-in-one automotive diagnostics package enables measurements including: starter current; ignition, injector and ABS signals; and rotary sensor outputs.
Adapter puts testers on USB
Pico Technology has developed a USB to parallel port adapter for use with all its popular low-cost parallel-port-based test and measurement products.
The PicoScope 5204 is supplied with PicoScope 6, the latest release of Pico's oscilloscope software, which takes advantage of the power of a modern PC to offer high-end oscilloscope features with an easy-to-use Windows interface.
New features include a waveform buffer that automatically records the last 32 waveforms, and a "probe manager" that includes support for custom probes such as current clamps and allows users to define their own probes, even those requiring nonlinear corrections.
With its USB streaming capability at speeds of up to 6Msample/s, the oscilloscope is ideal for high-speed data acquisition, as it can record huge sequences of gap-free data limited only by the memory of the PC.
PicoScope 6 can also display automated measurements that range from a simple multimeter style voltage readout to advanced statistical and monitoring functions.
Alan Tong, Managing Director of Pico Technology, explained: "The release of the PicoScope 5000 range is a major milestone for us".
"PC oscilloscopes (PCOs) have been seen for some years now as alternatives to traditional benchtop scopes for low-bandwidth applications, but with this level of performance they can now be seen as direct replacements for benchtop scopes".
"Most benchtop oscilloscopes at this price are crippled by having tiny buffer memories of 10,000 samples or less, while we offer a market-leading 128 million samples, which means that our scope can capture complex waveforms at long timebases without the drop in sampling rate seen with other models".
The novel design of the enclosure allows the oscilloscope to be placed either vertically or horizontally to take up the minimum of valuable desk space, and when used for mobile applications the PicoScope 5204 is small enough to be carried in the same bag as your laptop.
The oscilloscope is supplied in a handy carry case and includes switchable probes, power supply, software and documentation.
Drivers and examples are supplied for popular programming languages as well as third-party applications such as LabView, VEE and Excel.
Software updates are available free of charge for the lifetime of the product from the Pico Technology website.
The PicoScope 5204 is available now, priced at GBP 1795.
Also available is the PicoScope 5203, with a 32 million sample buffer, at GBP 1195.
• Pico Technology: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
