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into a foreign language) without prior agreement and written consent from Agilent
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States and international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
54709-97000
Edition
First edition, October 2012
Printed in Malaysia
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
1900 Garden of the Gods Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80907 USA
Print History
54709-97000, October 2012
Trademarks
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are trademarks or registered trademarks of
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countries.
Warranty
The material contained in this document is provided “as is,” and is subject to being changed, without notice,
in future editions. Further, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable
law, Agilent disclaims all warranties,
either express or implied, with regard
to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not
limited to the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Agilent shall not be
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terms covering the material in this
document that conflict with these
terms, the warranty terms in the separate agreement shall control.
Technology Licenses
The hardware and/or software described in
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and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license.
Restricted Rights Legend
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applicable in any technical data.
Safety Notices
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating procedure, practice, or the like
that, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in damage
to the product or loss of important
data. Do not proceed beyond a
CAUTION notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result
in personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING
notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and
met.
• 2- and 4- channel digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) models.
• 2+16- channel and 4+16- channel mixed- signal oscilloscope (MSO)
models.
An MSO lets you debug your mixed- signal designs using analog signals
and tightly correlated digital signals simultaneously. The 16 digital
channels have a 1.25 GSa/s sample rate, with a 250 MHz toggle rate.
• 12.1 inch SVGA touchscreen display. The touchscreen makes the
oscilloscope easier to use:
• You can "touch" inside alpha- numeric keypad dialogs to enter file,
label, network, and printer names, etc., instead of using softkeys and
the Entry knob.
• You can drag a finger across the screen to draw rectangular boxes
for zooming in on waveforms or setting up Zone triggers.
• You can touch the blue menu icon in the sidebar to display
information or control dialogs. You can drag (undock) these dialogs
out of the sidebar, for example, to view cursor values and
measurements at the same time.
• You can touch other areas of the screen as substitutes for using
front panel keys, softkeys, and knobs.
• Interleaved 4 Mpts or non-interleaved 2 Mpts MegaZoom IV memory
for the fastest waveform update rates, uncompromised.
• All knobs are pushable for making quick selections.
• Trigger types: edge, edge then edge, pulse width, pattern, OR, rise/fall
time, Nth edge burst, runt, setup & hold, video, and zone.
• Serial decode/trigger options for: CAN/LIN, FlexRay, I
UART/RS232, MIL- STD- 1553/ARINC 429, and USB. There is a Lister
for displaying serial decode packets.
• Math waveforms: add, subtract, multiply, divide, FFT, d/dt, integrate,
square root, Ax+B, square, absolute value, common logarithm, natural
logarithm, exponential, base 10 exponential, low pass filter, high pass
filter, averaged value, magnify, measurement trend, chart logic bus
timing, and chart logic bus state.
• Reference waveform locations (4) for comparing with other channel or
math waveforms.
• Many built-in measurements and a measurement statistics display.
• Built- in, license- enabled 2- channel waveform generator with: arbitrary,
sine, square, ramp, pulse, DC, noise, sine cardinal, exponential rise,
exponential fall, cardiac, and Gaussian pulse. Modulated waveforms on
WaveGen1 except for arbitrary, pulse, DC, and noise waveforms.
• USB and LAN ports make printing, saving, and sharing data easy.
• VGA port for displaying the screen on a different monitor.
• A Quick Help system is built into the oscilloscope. Press and hold any
key to display Quick Help. Complete instructions for using the quick
help system are given in “Access the Built- In Quick Help" on page 60.
For more information about InfiniiVision oscilloscopes, see:
• Chapter 19, “Print (Screens),” starting on page 323
• Chapter 20, “Utility Settings,” starting on page 329
• Chapter 21, “Web Interface,” starting on page 349
For reference information, see:• Chapter 22, “Reference,” starting on page 367
TIP
When using licensed serial bus
triggering and decode features, see:
• Chapter 23, “CAN/LIN Triggering and Serial Decode,”
starting on page 387
• Chapter 24, “FlexRay Triggering and Serial Decode,”
starting on page 405
• Chapter 25, “I2C/SPI Triggering and Serial Decode,”
starting on page 415
• Chapter 26, “I2S Triggering and Serial Decode,”
starting on page 435
• Chapter 27, “MIL-STD-1553/ARINC 429 Triggering and
Serial Decode,” starting on page 445
• Chapter 28, “UART/RS232 Triggering and Serial
Decode,” starting on page 461
• Chapter 29, “USB 2.0 Triggering and Serial Decode,”
starting on page 471
Abbreviated instructions for pressing a series of keys and softkeys
Instructions for pressing a series of keys are written in an abbreviated manner. Instructions
for pressing [Key1], then pressing Softkey2, then pressing Softkey3 are abbreviated as
follows:
Press [Key1] > Softkey2 > Softkey3.
The keys may be a front panel [Key] or a Softkey. Softkeys are the six keys located directly
Draw Rectangles for Waveform Zoom or Zone Trigger Set
Up45
Drag Waveforms Left and Right to Change the Horizontal
Position46
Select Sidebar Information or Controls47
Undock Sidebar Dialogs by Dragging48
Select Dialog Menus and Close Dialogs49
Drag Cursors49
Touch Softkeys and Menus On the Screen49
Enter Names Using Alpha-Numeric Keypad Dialogs50
Change Waveform Offsets By Dragging Ground Reference
Icons51
Access Controls and Menus Via the Spark Icon52
Turn Channels On/Off and Open Scale/Offset Dialogs54
Access the Horizontal Menu and Open the Scale/Delay
Dialog54
Access the Trigger Menu, Change the Trigger Mode, and Open
the Trigger Level Dialog55
Use a USB Mouse and/or Keyboard for Touchscreen
Controls56
Learn the Rear Panel Connectors56
Learn the Oscilloscope Display58
Access the Built-In Quick Help60
2Horizontal Controls
To adjust the horizontal (time/div) scale65
To adjust the horizontal delay (position)65
Panning and Zooming Single or Stopped Acquisitions66
To change the horizontal time mode (Normal, XY, or Roll)67
XY Time Mode68
To display the zoomed time base71
To change the horizontal scale knob's coarse/fine adjustment
setting73
To position the time reference (left, center, right)73
To set up Generic video triggers192
To trigger on a specific line of video193
To trigger on all sync pulses194
To trigger on a specific field of the video signal195
To trigger on all fields of the video signal196
To trigger on odd or even fields197
Serial Trigger200
Zone Qualified Trigger201
11Trigger Mode/Coupling
To select the Auto or Normal trigger mode206
To select the trigger coupling208
To enable or disable trigger noise rejection209
To enable or disable trigger HF Reject209
To set the trigger holdoff210
External Trigger Input210
12Acquisition Control
Running, Stopping, and Making Single Acquisitions (Run
Overview of Sampling215
Maximum voltage at oscilloscope external trigger input211
Control)213
Sampling Theory215
Aliasing215
Oscilloscope Bandwidth and Sample Rate216
Base250
Overshoot250
Preshoot251
Average252
DC RMS252
AC RMS253
Ratio255
Time Measurements255
Period256
Frequency256
Counter257
+ Width258
– Width258
Burst Width258
Duty Cycle258
Rise Time259
Fall Time259
Delay259
Phase260
X at Min Y262
X at Max Y262
To save setup files311
To save BMP or PNG image files311
To save CSV, ASCII XY, or BIN data files312
Length Control314
To save Lister data files315
To save reference waveform files to a USB storage device315
To save masks316
To save arbitrary waveforms316
To navigate storage locations317
To en t e r file n a mes317
Recalling Setups, Masks, or Data318
To recall setup files319
To recall mask files319
To recall reference waveform files from a USB storage
To establish a LAN connection331
Stand-alone (Point-to-Point) Connection to a PC332
File Explorer333
Setting Oscilloscope Preferences335
To choose "expand about" center or ground335
To disable/enable transparent backgrounds336
To load the default label library336
To set up the screen saver336
To set AutoScale preferences337
Setting the Oscilloscope's Clock338
Setting the Rear Panel TRIG OUT Source339
Setting the Reference Signal Mode339
To supply a sample clock to the oscilloscope340
Maximum input voltage at 10 MHz REF connector340
To synchronize the timebase of two or more instruments341
Performing Service Tasks342
To perform user calibration342
To perform hardware self test344
To perform front panel self test345
To display oscilloscope information345
To display the user calibration status345
To clean the oscilloscope345
To check warranty and extended services status346
To contact Agilent346
To return the instrument346
Real Scope Remote Front Panel352
Simple Remote Front Panel353
Browser-Based Remote Front Panel354
Remote Programming via the Web Interface355
Remote Programming with Agilent IO Libraries356
Save/Recall357
Saving Files via the Web Interface357
Recalling Files via the Web Interface358
Inspect the Package Contents27
Tilt the Oscilloscope for Easy Viewing 30
Power-On the Oscilloscope 30
Connect Probes to the Oscilloscope31
Input a Waveform 32
Recall the Default Oscilloscope Setup 33
Use Auto Scale 33
Compensate Passive Probes 35
Learn the Front Panel Controls and Connectors 36
Learn the Touchscreen Controls 45
Learn the Rear Panel Connectors 56
Learn the Oscilloscope Display 58
Access the Built-In Quick Help 60
This chapter describes the steps you take when using the oscilloscope for
the first time.
Inspect the Package Contents
• Inspect the shipping container for damage.
If your shipping container appears to be damaged, keep the shipping
container or cushioning material until you have inspected the contents
of the shipment for completeness and have checked the oscilloscope
mechanically and electrically.
27
s1
1Getting Started
• Verify that you received the following items and any optional
accessories you may have ordered:
• InfiniiVision 4000 X- Series oscilloscope.
• Power cord (country of origin determines specific type).
The air intake and exhaust areas must be free from obstructions.
Unrestricted air flow is required for proper cooling. Always ensure that
the air intake and exhaust areas are free from obstructions.
The fan draws air in from the left side and bottom of the oscilloscope and
pushes it out behind the oscilloscope.
When using the oscilloscope in a bench- top setting, provide at least 2"
clearance at the sides and 4" (100 mm) clearance above and behind the
oscilloscope for proper cooling.
1 Connect the power cord to the rear of the oscilloscope, then to a
suitable AC voltage source. Route the power cord so the oscilloscope's
feet and legs do not pinch the cord.
2 The oscilloscope automatically adjusts for input line voltages in the
range 100 to 240 VAC. The line cord provided is matched to the country
of origin.
Always use a grounded power cord. Do not defeat the power cord ground.
3 Press the power switch.
The power switch is located on the lower left corner of the front panel.
The oscilloscope will perform a self- test and will be operational in a few
seconds.
Connect Probes to the Oscilloscope
1 Connect the oscilloscope probe to an oscilloscope channel BNC
connector.
2 Connect the probe's retractable hook tip to the point of interest on the
circuit or device under test. Be sure to connect the probe ground lead
to a ground point on the circuit.
CAT I 300 Vrms, 400 Vpk; transient overvoltage 1.6 kVpk
Ω input: 5 Vrms Input protection is enabled in 50 Ω mode and the 50 Ω load will
50
disconnect if greater than 5 Vrms is detected. However the inputs could still be
damaged, depending on the time constant of the signal. The 50
functions when the oscilloscope is powered on.
With 10073C 10:1 probe: CAT I 500 Vpk, CAT II 400 Vpk
With N2871A, N2872A, N2873A 10:1 probe: CAT I 400 Vpk, transient overvoltage
1.25 kVpk, CAT II 300 Vpk
Do not float the oscilloscope chassis
Defeating the ground connection and "floating" the oscilloscope chassis will probably
result in inaccurate measurements and may also cause equipment damage. The probe
ground lead is connected to the oscilloscope chassis and the ground wire in the power
cord. If you need to measure between two live points, use a differential probe with
sufficient dynamic range.
Ω input protection only
Do not negate the protective action of the ground connection to the oscilloscope. The
oscilloscope must remain grounded through its power cord. Defeating the ground
creates an electric shock hazard.
Input a Waveform
The first signal to input to the oscilloscope is the Demo 2, Probe Comp
signal. This signal is used for compensating probes.
1 Connect an oscilloscope probe from channel 1 to the Demo 2 (Probe
Comp) terminal on the front panel.
2 Connect the probe's ground lead to the ground terminal (next to the
To recall the default oscilloscope setup:
1 Press [Default Setup].
The default setup restores the oscilloscope's default settings. This places
the oscilloscope in a known operating condition. The major default settings
are:
Table 2Default Configuration Settings
HorizontalNormal mode, 100 µs/div scale, 0 s delay, center time reference.
Getting Started1
Use Auto Scale
Vertical (Analog)
TriggerEdge trigger, Auto trigger mode, 0 V level, channel 1 source, DC coupling,
OtherAcquire mode normal, [Run/Stop] to Run, cursors and measurements off.
LabelsAll custom labels that you have created in the Label Library are preserved (not
In the Save/Recall Menu, there are also options for restoring the complete
factory settings (see “Recalling Default Setups" on page 321) or performing
a secure erase (see “Performing a Secure Erase" on page 321).
Use [Auto Scale] to automatically configure the oscilloscope to best display
the input signals.
1 Press [Auto Scale].
Channel 1 on, 5 V/div scale, DC coupling, 0 V position, 1 M
rising edge slope, 40 ns holdoff time.
erased), but all channel labels will be set to their original names.
Ω impedance.
You should see a waveform on the oscilloscope's display similar to this:
2 If you want to return to the oscilloscope settings that existed before,
press Undo AutoScale.
3 If you want to enable "fast debug" autoscaling, change the channels
autoscaled, or preserve the acquisition mode during autoscale, press
Fast Debug, Channels, or Acq Mode.
These are the same softkeys that appear in the AutoScale Preferences
Menu. See “To set AutoScale preferences" on page 337.
If you see the waveform, but the square wave is not shaped correctly as
shown above, perform the procedure “Compensate Passive Probes" on
page 35.
If you do not see the waveform, make sure the probe is connected
securely to the front panel channel input BNC and to the left side,
Demo 2, Probe Comp terminal.
Auto Scale analyzes any waveforms present at each channel and at the
external trigger input. This includes the digital channels, if connected.
Auto Scale finds, turns on, and scales any channel with a repetitive
waveform that has a frequency of at least 25 Hz, a duty cycle greater than
0.5%, and an amplitude of at least 10 mV peak- to- peak. Any channels
where no signal is found are turned off.
The trigger source is selected by looking for the first valid waveform
starting with external trigger, then continuing with the lowest number
analog channel up to the highest number analog channel, and finally (if
digital probes are connected) the highest number digital channel.
During Auto Scale, the delay is set to 0.0 seconds, the horizontal time/div
(sweep speed) setting is a function of the input signal (about 2 periods of
the triggered signal on the screen), and the triggering mode is set to Edge.
Compensate Passive Probes
Each oscilloscope passive probe must be compensated to match the input
characteristics of the oscilloscope channel to which it is connected. A
poorly compensated probe can introduce significant measurement errors.
1 Input the Probe Comp signal (see “Input a Waveform" on page 32).
Getting Started1
2 Press [Default Setup] to recall the default oscilloscope setup (see “Recall
the Default Oscilloscope Setup" on page 33).
3 Press [Auto Scale] to automatically configure the oscilloscope for the
Probe Comp signal (see “Use Auto Scale" on page 33).
4 Press the channel key to which the probe is connected ([1], [2], etc.).
5 In the Channel Menu, press Probe.
6 In the Channel Probe Menu, press Probe Check; then, follow the
instructions on- screen.
If necessary, use a nonmetallic tool (supplied with the probe) to adjust
the trimmer capacitor on the probe for the flattest pulse possible.
On the N2862/63/90 probes, the trimmer capacitor is the yellow
adjustment on the probe tip. On other probes, the trimmer capacitor is
located on the probe BNC connector.
1.Power switchPress once to switch power on; press again to switch power off. See
“Power-On the Oscilloscope" on page 30.
2.SoftkeysThe functions of these keys change based upon the menus shown on the
display directly above the keys.
The Back/Up key moves up in the softkey menu hierarchy. At the
top of the hierarchy, the Back/Up key turns the menus off, and
oscilloscope information is shown instead.
3.[Intensity] keyPress the key to illuminate it. When illuminated, turn the Entry knob to
adjust waveform intensity.
You can vary the intensity control to bring out signal detail, much like an
analog oscilloscope.
Digital channel waveform intensity is not adjustable.
More details about using the Intensity control to view signal detail are on
4.Entry knobThe Entry knob is used to select items from menus and to change values.
The function of the Entry knob changes based upon the current menu
and softkey selections.
Note that the curved arrow symbol above the entry knob
illuminates whenever the entry knob can be used to select a value. Also,
note that when the Entry knob symbol appears on a softkey, you
can use the Entry knob, to select values.
Often, rotating the Entry knob is enough to make a selection. Sometimes,
you can push the Entry knob to enable or disable a selection. Pushing the
Entry knob also makes popup menus disappear.
5.Waveform keys[Analyze] key — Press this key to access analysis features like:
• Trigger level setting.
• Measurement threshold setting.
• Video trigger automatic set up and display.
• Mask testing (see Chapter 15, “Mask Testing,” starting on page 271).
• The DSOX4PWR power measurement and analysis application.
• Digital voltmeter (DVM) (see Chapter 16, “Digital Voltmeter,” starting
on page 283).
The [Acquire] key lets you select Normal, Peak Detect, Averaging, or
High Resolution acquisition modes (see “Selecting the Acquisition
Mode" on page 219) and use segmented memory (see “Acquiring to
Segmented Memory" on page 228).
The [Display] key lets you access the menu where you can enable
persistence (see “To set or clear persistence" on page 151), clear the
display, and adjust the display grid (graticule) intensity (see “To adjust
the grid intensity" on page 153).
[Touch] key — Press this key to disable/enable the touchscreen.
6.Trigger controlsThese controls determine how the oscilloscope triggers to capture data.
See Chapter 10, “Triggers,” starting on page 165 and Chapter 11, “Trigger
Mode/Coupling,” starting on page 205.
Getting Started1
7.Horizontal
controls
The Horizontal controls consist of:
• Horizontal scale knob — Turn the knob in the Horizontal section that
is marked to adjust the time/div (sweep speed) setting.
The symbols under the knob indicate that this control has the effect of
spreading out or zooming in on the waveform using the horizontal
scale.
• Horizontal position knob — Turn the knob marked to pan through
the waveform data horizontally. You can see the captured waveform
before the trigger (turn the knob clockwise) or after the trigger (turn
the knob counterclockwise). If you pan through the waveform when
the oscilloscope is stopped (not in Run mode) then you are looking at
the waveform data from the last acquisition taken.
• [Horiz] key — Press this key to open the Horizontal Menu where you
can select XY and Roll modes, enable or disable Zoom, enable or
disable horizontal time/division fine adjustment, and select the
trigger time reference point.
• Zoom key — Press the zoom key to split the oscilloscope
display into Normal and Zoom sections without opening the
Horizontal Menu.
•[Search] key — Lets you search for events in the acquired data.
•[Navigate] keys — Press these keys to navigate through captured
data via time, search events, or segmented memory acquisition. See
“Navigating the Time Base" on page 75.
For more information see Chapter 2, “Horizontal Controls,” starting on
page 63.
8.Run Control
keys
9.[Default Setup]
key
When the [Run/Stop] key is green, the oscilloscope is running, that is,
acquiring data when trigger conditions are met. To stop acquiring data,
press [Run/Stop].
When the [Run/Stop] key is red, data acquisition is stopped. To start
acquiring data, press [Run/Stop].
To capture and display a single acquisition (whether the oscilloscope is
running or stopped), press [Single]. The [Single] key is yellow until the
oscilloscope triggers.
For more information, see “Running, Stopping, and Making Single
Acquisitions (Run Control)" on page 213.
Press this key to restore the oscilloscope's default settings (details on
“Recall the Default Oscilloscope Setup" on page 33).
When you press the [AutoScale] key, the oscilloscope will quickly
determine which channels have activity, and it will turn these channels
on and scale them to display the input signals. See “Use Auto Scale" on
page 33.
The additional waveform controls consist of:
•[Math] key — provides access to math (add, subtract, etc.) waveform
functions. See Chapter 4, “Math Waveforms,” starting on page 89.
•[Ref] key — provides access to reference waveform functions.
Reference waveforms are saved waveforms that can be displayed and
compared against other analog channel or math waveforms. Also,
measurements can be made on reference waveforms. See Chapter 5,
“Reference Waveforms,” starting on page 119.
•[Digital] key — Press this key to turn the digital channels on or off
(the arrow to the left will illuminate).
When the arrow to the left of the [Digital] key is illuminated, the
upper multiplexed knob selects (and highlights in red) individual
digital channels, and the lower multiplexed knob positions the
selected digital channel.
If a trace is repositioned over an existing trace the indicator at the left
edge of the trace will change from Dnn designation (where nn is a one
or two digit channel number from 0 to 15) to D*. The "*" indicates that
two or more channels are overlaid.
You can rotate the upper knob to select an overlaid channel, then
rotate the lower knob to position it just as you would any other
channel.
For more information on digital channels see Chapter 6, “Digital
Channels,” starting on page 123.
•[Serial] key — This key is used to enable serial decode. The
multiplexed scale and position knobs are not used with serial decode.
For more information on serial decode, see Chapter 7, “Serial
Decode,” starting on page 143.
• Multiplexed scale knob — This scale knob is used with Math, Ref, or
Digital waveforms, whichever has the illuminated arrow to the left.
For math and reference waveforms, the scale knob acts like an analog
channel vertical scale knob.
• Multiplexed position knob — This position knob is used with Math,
Ref, or Digital waveforms, whichever has the illuminated arrow to the
left. For math and reference waveforms, the position knob acts like an
analog channel vertical position knob.
13.File keysPress the [Save/Recall] key to save or recall a waveform or setup. See
14.Tools keysThe Tools keys consist of:
The measure controls consist of:
• Cursors knob — Push this knob to select cursors from a popup menu.
Then, after the popup menu closes (either by timeout or by pushing
the knob again), rotate the knob to adjust the selected cursor
position.
• [Cursors] key — Press this key to open a menu that lets you select
the cursors mode and source.
•[Meas] key — Press this key to access a set of predefined
measurements. See Chapter 14, “Measurements,” starting on page
241.
Chapter 18, “Save/Recall (Setups, Screens, Data),” starting on page 309.
The [Print] key opens the Print Configuration Menu so you can print the
displayed waveforms. See Chapter 19, “Print (Screens),” starting on page
323.
• [Utility] key — Press this key to access the Utility Menu, which lets
you configure the oscilloscope's I/O settings, use the file explorer, set
preferences, access the service menu, and choose other options. See
Chapter 20, “Utility Settings,” starting on page 329.
• [Quick Action] key — Press this key to perform the selected quick
action: measure all snapshot, print, save, recall, freeze display, and
more. See “Configuring the [Quick Action] Key" on page 347.
• [Wave Gen1], [Wave Gen2] keys — Press these keys to access
waveform generator functions. See Chapter 17, “Waveform
Generator,” starting on page 287.
15.[Help] keyOpens the Help Menu where you can display overview help topics and
select the Language. See also “Access the Built-In Quick Help" on
page 60.
• Analog channel on/off keys — Use these keys to switch a channel on
or off, or to access a channel's menu in the softkeys. There is one
channel on/off key for each analog channel.
• Vertical scale knob — There are knobs marked for each
channel. Use these knobs to change the vertical sensitivity (gain) of
each analog channel.
• Vertical position knobs — Use these knobs to change a channel's
vertical position on the display. There is one Vertical Position control
for each analog channel.
•[Label] key — Press this key to access the Label Menu, which lets
you enter labels to identify each trace on the oscilloscope display. See
Chapter 9, “Labels,” starting on page 157.
For more information, see Chapter 3, “Vertical Controls,” starting on
page 79.
Attach oscilloscope probes or BNC cables to these BNC connectors.
With the InfiniiVision 4000 X-Series oscilloscopes, you can set the input
impedance of the analog channels to either 50
specify channel input impedance" on page 83.
The InfiniiVision 4000 X-Series oscilloscopes also provide the AutoProbe
interface. The AutoProbe interface uses a series of contacts directly
below the channel's BNC connector to transfer information between the
oscilloscope and the probe. When you connect a compatible probe to the
oscilloscope, the AutoProbe interface determines the type of probe and
sets the oscilloscope's parameters (units, offset, attenuation, coupling,
and impedance) accordingly.
• Demo 2 terminal — This terminal outputs the Probe Comp signal
which helps you match a probe's input capacitance to the
oscilloscope channel to which it is connected. See “Compensate
Passive Probes" on page 35. With certain licensed features, the
oscilloscope can also output demo or training signals on this terminal.
• Ground terminal — Use the ground terminal for oscilloscope probes
connected to the Demo 1 or Demo 2 terminals.
• Demo 1 terminal — With certain licensed features, the oscilloscope
can output demo or training signals on this terminal.
Getting Started1
19.USB Host portsThese ports are for connecting a USB mass storage device, printer,
mouse, or keyboard to the oscilloscope.
Connect a USB compliant mass storage device (flash drive, disk drive,
etc.) to save or recall oscilloscope setup files and reference waveforms
or to save data and screen images. See Chapter 18, “Save/Recall
(Setups, Screens, Data),” starting on page 309.
To print, connect a USB compliant printer. For more information about
printing see Chapter 19, “Print (Screens),” starting on page 323.
You can also use the USB port to update the oscilloscope's system
software when updates are available.
You do not need to take special precautions before removing the USB
mass storage device from the oscilloscope (you do not need to "eject"
it). Simply unplug the USB mass storage device from the oscilloscope
when the file operation is complete.
CAUTION:Do not connect a host computer to the oscilloscope's
USB host port. Use the device port. A host computer sees the
oscilloscope as a device, so connect the host computer to the
oscilloscope's device port (on the rear panel). See “I/O Interface
Settings" on page 329.
There is a third USB host port on the back panel.
20.EXT TRIG IN
connector
21.Waveform
generator
outputs
External trigger input BNC connector. See “External Trigger Input" on
page 210 for an explanation of this feature.
Built-in, license-enabled 2-channel waveform generator can output
arbitrary, sine, square, ramp, pulse, DC, noise, sine cardinal, exponential
rise, exponential fall, cardiac, or Gaussian pulse waveforms on the
Gen Out 1 or Gen Out 2 BNC connectors. Modulated waveforms are
available on WaveGen1 except for arbitrary, pulse, DC, and noise
waveforms. Press the [Wave Gen1] or [Wave Gen2] keys to set up the
waveform generator. See Chapter 17, “Waveform Generator,” starting on
page 287.
Front Panel Overlays for Different Languages
Front panel overlays, which have translations for the English front panel
keys and label text, are available in 10 languages. The appropriate overlay
is included when the localization option is chosen at time of purchase.
To install a front panel overlay:
1 Gently pull on the front panel knobs to remove them.
2 Insert the overlay's side tabs into the slots on the front panel.
8.USB Host portThis port functions identically to the USB host port on the front panel.
9.USB Device
port
10.LAN portLets you print to network printers (see Chapter 19, “Print (Screens),”
Connect the digital probe cable to this connector (MSO models only). See
Chapter 6, “Digital Channels,” starting on page 123.
Lets you connect an external monitor or projector to provide a larger
display or to provide a display at a viewing position away from the
oscilloscope.
The oscilloscope's built-in display remains on even when an external
display is connected. The video output connector is always active.
For optimal video quality and performance, we recommend you use a
shielded video cable with ferrite cores.
USB Host Port is used for saving data from the oscilloscope and loading
software updates. See also USB Host port (see page 43).
This port is for connecting the oscilloscope to a host PC. You can issue
remote commands from a host PC to the oscilloscope via the USB device
port. See “Remote Programming with Agilent IO Libraries" on page 356.
starting on page 323) and access the oscilloscope's built-in web server.
See Chapter 21, “Web Interface,” starting on page 349 and “Accessing
the Web Interface" on page 350.
Learn the Oscilloscope Display
The oscilloscope display contains acquired waveforms, setup information,
measurement results, and the softkey definitions.
Status lineThe top line of the display contains vertical, horizontal, and trigger setup
Display areaThe display area contains the waveform acquisitions, channel identifiers, and
information.
analog trigger, and ground level indicators. Each analog channel's information
appears in a different color.
Signal detail is displayed using 256 levels of intensity. For more information
about viewing signal detail see “To adjust waveform intensity" on page 149.
For more information about display modes see Chapter 8, “Display Settings,”
starting on page 149.
Menu lineThis line normally contains menu name or other information associated with
Softkey labelsThese labels describe softkey functions. Typically, softkeys let you set up
The sidebar information area can contain summary, cursors, measurements,
or digital voltmeter information dialogs or it can contain navigation and other
control dialogs.
For more information, see:
• “Select Sidebar Information or Controls" on page 47
• “Undock Sidebar Dialogs by Dragging" on page 48
the selected menu.
additional parameters for the selected mode or menu.
Pressing the Back/Up key at the top of the menu hierarchy turns off
softkey labels and displays additional status information describing channel
offset and other configuration parameters.
Access the Built-In Quick Help
To view Q ui ck
Help
1 Press and hold the key or softkey for which you would like to view
Press and hold front panel key or softkey
(or right-click softkey when using web browser remote front panel).
To s elect th e us er
interface and
Quick Help
language
Quick Help remains on the screen until another key is pressed or a knob
is turned.
To select the user interface and Quick Help language:
1 Press [Help], then press the Language softkey.
2 Repeatedly press and release the Language softkey or rotate the Entry
knob until the desired language is selected.
The following languages are available: English, French, German, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and
Traditional Chinese.
To adjust the horizontal (time/div) scale 65
To adjust the horizontal delay (position) 65
Panning and Zooming Single or Stopped Acquisitions66
To change the horizontal time mode (Normal, XY, or Roll) 67
To display the zoomed time base 71
To change the horizontal scale knob's coarse/fine adjustment setting 73
To position the time reference (left, center, right)73
Searching for Events 74
Navigating the Time Base 75
The horizontal controls include:
• The horizontal scale and position knobs.
• The [Horiz] key for accessing the Horizontal Menu.
• The zoom key for quickly enabling/disabling the split- screen zoom
display.
• The [Search] key for finding events on analog channels or in serial
decode.
• The [Navigate] keys for navigating time, search events, or segmented
memory acquisitions.
• Touchscreen controls for setting the horizontal scale and position
(delay), accessing the Horizontal Menu, and navigating.
The following figure shows the Horizontal Menu which appears after
pressing the [Horiz] key.
63
s1
2Horizontal Controls
Trigger
point
Sample rate
Time
reference
Delay
time
Time/
div
Trigger
source
Trigger level
or threshold
XY or Roll
mode
Normal
time mode
Zoomed
time base
Fine
control
Time
reference
Figure 2Horizontal Menu
The Horizontal Menu lets you select the time mode (Normal, XY, or Roll),
enable Zoom, set the time base fine control (vernier), and specify the time
reference.
The current sample rate is displayed in the right- side information area.
1 Turn the large horizontal scale (sweep speed) knob marked to
change the horizontal time/div setting.
You can also make this adjustment using the touchscreen. See "Access
the Horizontal Menu and Open the Scale/Delay Dialog" on page 54.
Notice how the time/div information in the status line changes.
The ∇ symbol at the top of the display indicates the time reference point.
The horizontal scale knob works (in the Normal time mode) while
acquisitions are running or when they are stopped. When running,
adjusting the horizontal scale knob changes the sample rate. When
stopped, adjusting the horizontal scale knob lets you zoom into acquired
data. See "Panning and Zooming Single or Stopped Acquisitions" on
page 66.
Horizontal Controls2
Note that the horizontal scale knob has a different purpose in the Zoom
display. See "To display the zoomed time base" on page 71.
To adjust the horizontal delay (position)
1 Turn the horizontal delay (position) knob ().
The trigger point moves horizontally, pausing at 0.00 s (mimicking a
mechanical detent), and the delay value is displayed in the status line.
You can also make this adjustment using the touchscreen. See "Drag
Waveforms Left and Right to Change the Horizontal Position" on
page 46 and "Access the Horizontal Menu and Open the Scale/Delay
Dialog" on page 54.
Changing the delay time moves the trigger point (solid inverted triangle)
horizontally and indicates how far it is from the time reference point
(hollow inverted triangle ∇). These reference points are indicated along
the top of the display grid.
Figure 2 shows the trigger point with the delay time set to 200 µs. The
delay time number tells you how far the time reference point is located
from the trigger point. When delay time is set to zero, the delay time
indicator overlays the time reference indicator.
All events displayed left of the trigger point happened before the trigger
occurred. These events are called pre- trigger information, and they show
events that led up to the trigger point.
Everything to the right of the trigger point is called post- trigger
information. The amount of delay range (pre- trigger and post- trigger
information) available depends on the time/div selected and memory
depth.
The horizontal position knob works (in the Normal time mode) while
acquisitions are running or when they are stopped. When running,
adjusting the horizontal scale knob changes the sample rate. When
stopped, adjusting the horizontal scale knob lets you zoom into acquired
data. See "Panning and Zooming Single or Stopped Acquisitions" on
page 66.
Note that the horizontal position knob has a different purpose in the
Zoom display. See "To display the zoomed time base" on page 71.
Panning and Zooming Single or Stopped Acquisitions
When the oscilloscope is stopped, use the horizontal scale and position
knobs to pan and zoom your waveform. The stopped display may contain
several acquisitions worth of information, but only the last acquisition is
available for pan and zoom.
The ability to pan (move horizontally) and scale (expand or compress
horizontally) an acquired waveform is important because of the additional
insight it can reveal about the captured waveform. This additional insight
is often gained from seeing the waveform at different levels of abstraction.
You may want to view both the big picture and the specific little picture
details.
The ability to examine waveform detail after the waveform has been
acquired is a benefit generally associated with digital oscilloscopes. Often
this is simply the ability to freeze the display for the purpose of
measuring with cursors or printing the screen. Some digital oscilloscopes
go one step further by including the ability to further examine the signal
NOTE
details after acquiring them by panning through the waveform and
changing the horizontal scale.
There is no limit imposed on the scaling ratio between the time/div used
to acquire the data and the time/div used to view the data. There is,
however, a useful limit. This useful limit is somewhat a function of the
signal you are analyzing.
Zooming into stopped acquisitions
The screen will still contain a relatively good display if you zoom-in horizontally by a factor
of 1000 and zoom-in vertically by a factor of 10 to display the information from where it was
acquired. Remember that you can only make automatic measurements on displayed data.
To change the horizontal time mode (Normal, XY, or Roll)
Horizontal Controls2
1 Press [Horiz].
2 In the Horizontal Menu, press Time Mode; then, select:
• Normal — the normal viewing mode for the oscilloscope.
In the Normal time mode, signal events occurring before the trigger
are plotted to the left of the trigger point (▼) and signal events after
the trigger plotted to the right of the trigger point.
• XY — XY mode changes the display from a volts-versus- time display
to a volts-versus-volts display. The time base is turned off. Channel 1
amplitude is plotted on the X- axis and Channel 2 amplitude is
plotted on the Y- axis.
You can use XY mode to compare frequency and phase relationships
between two signals. XY mode can also be used with transducers to
display strain versus displacement, flow versus pressure, volts versus
current, or voltage versus frequency.
Use the cursors to make measurements on XY mode waveforms.
For more information about using XY mode for measurements, refer
to "XY Time Mode" on page 68.
• Roll — causes the waveform to move slowly across the screen from
right to left. It only operates on time base settings of 50 ms/div and
slower. If the current time base setting is faster than the 50 ms/div
limit, it will be set to 50 ms/div when Roll mode is entered.
In Roll mode there is no trigger. The fixed reference point on the
screen is the right edge of the screen and refers to the current
moment in time. Events that have occurred are scrolled to the left of
the reference point. Since there is no trigger, no pre- trigger
information is available.
If you would like to pause the display in Roll mode press the [Single]
key. To clear the display and restart an acquisition in Roll mode,
press the [Single] key again.
Use Roll mode on low-frequency waveforms to yield a display much
like a strip chart recorder. It allows the waveform to roll across the
display.
XY Time Mode
ExampleThis exercise shows a common use of the XY display mode by measuring
The XY time mode converts the oscilloscope from a volts- versus- time
display to a volts-versus- volts display using two input channels. Channel 1
is the X- axis input, channel 2 is the Y-axis input. You can use various
transducers so the display could show strain versus displacement, flow
versus pressure, volts versus current, or voltage versus frequency.
the phase difference between two signals of the same frequency with the
Lissajous method.
1 Connect a sine wave signal to channel 1, and a sine wave signal of the
same frequency but out of phase to channel 2.
2 Press the [AutoScale] key, press the [Horiz] key; then, press Time Mode
and select "XY".
3 Center the signal on the display with the channel 1 and 2 position ( )
knobs. Use the channel 1 and 2 volts/div knobs and the channel 1 and
2 Fine softkeys to expand the signal for convenient viewing.
The phase difference angle (θ) can be calculated using the following
formula (assuming the amplitude is the same on both channels):
When you select the XY display mode, the time base is turned off. Channel 1 is the X-axis
input, channel 2 is the Y-axis input, and the EXT TRIG IN is the Z-axis input. If you only want
to see portions of the Y versus X display, use the Z-axis input. Z-axis turns the trace on and
off (analog oscilloscopes called this Z-axis blanking because it turned the beam on and off).
When Z is low (<1.4 V), Y versus X is displayed; when Z is high (>1.4 V), the trace is turned
off.
To display the zoomed time base
Zoom, formerly called Delayed sweep mode, is a horizontally expanded
version of the normal display. When Zoom is selected, the display divides
in half. The top half of the display shows the normal time/div window and
the bottom half displays a faster Zoom time/div window.
The Zoom window is a magnified portion of the normal time/div window.
You can use Zoom to locate and horizontally expand part of the normal
window for a more detailed (higher-resolution) analysis of signals.
To turn on (or off) Zoom:
Horizontal Controls2
1 Press the zoom key (or press the [Horiz] key and then the Zoom
These markers show the
beginning and end of the
Zoom window
Normal
window
Time/div
for zoomed
window
Time/div
for normal
window
Delay time
momentarily displays
when the Horizontal
position knob is turned
Zoom
window
Signal
anomaly
expanded
in zoom
window
Select
Zoom
The area of the normal display that is expanded is outlined with a box
and the rest of the normal display is ghosted. The box shows the portion
of the normal sweep that is expanded in the lower half.
To change the time/div for the Zoom window, turn the horizontal scale
(sweep speed) knob. As you turn the knob, the zoomed window time/div
is highlighted in the status line above the waveform display area. The
Horizontal scale (sweep speed) knob controls the size of the box.
The Horizontal position (delay time) knob sets the left- to- right position of
the zoom window. The delay value, which is the time displayed relative to
the trigger point) is momentarily displayed in the upper- right portion of
the display when the delay time () knob is turned.
Negative delay values indicate you're looking at a portion of the waveform
before the trigger event, and positive values indicate you're looking at the
waveform after the trigger event.
To change the time/div of the normal window, turn off Zoom; then, turn
the horizontal scale (sweep speed) knob.
For information about using zoom mode for measurements, refer to "To
isolate a pulse for Top measurement" on page 249 and "To isolate an event
for frequency measurement" on page 256.
To change the horizontal scale knob's coarse/fine adjustment setting
1 Push the horizontal scale knob (or press [Horiz] > Fine) to toggle between
fine and coarse adjustment of the horizontal scale.
When Fine is enabled, turning the horizontal scale knob changes the
time/div (displayed in the status line at the top of the display) in smaller
increments. The time/div remains fully calibrated when Fine is on.
When Fine is turned off, the Horizontal scale knob changes the time/div
setting in a 1- 2- 5 step sequence.
To position the time reference (left, center, right)
Time reference is the reference point on the display for delay time
(horizontal position).
1 Press [Horiz].
2 In the Horizontal Menu, press Time Ref; then, select:
• Left — the time reference is set to one major division from the left
edge of the display.
• Center — the time reference is set to the center of the display.
• Right — the time reference is set to one major division from the right
edge of the display.
A small hollow triangle (∇) at the top of the display grid marks the
position of the time reference. When delay time is set to zero, the trigger
point indicator (▼) overlays the time reference indicator.
The time reference position sets the initial position of the trigger event
within acquisition memory and on the display, with delay set to 0.
Turning the Horizontal scale (sweep speed) knob expands or contracts the
waveform about the time reference point (∇). See "To adjust the horizontal
(time/div) scale" on page 65.
Turning the Horizontal position () knob in Normal mode (not Zoom)
moves the trigger point indicator (▼) to the left or right of the time
reference point (∇). See "To adjust the horizontal delay (position)" on
page 65.
Searching for Events
You can use the [Search] key and menu to search for Edge, Pulse Width,
Rise/Fall Time, Runt, and Serial events on the analog channels.
Setting up searches (see "To set up searches" on page 74) is similar to
setting up triggers. In fact, except for Serial events, you can copy search
setups to trigger setups and vice- versa (see "To copy search setups" on
page 75).
Searches are different than triggers in that they use the measurement
threshold settings instead of trigger levels.
Found search events are marked with white triangles at the top of the
graticule, and the number of events found is displayed in the menu line
just above the softkey labels.
To set up searches
1 Press [Search].
2 In the Search Menu, press Search; then, turn the Entry knob to select
the search type.
3 Press Settings, and use the Search Settings Menu to set up the selected
search type.
Setting up searches is similar to setting up triggers:
• For setting up Edge searches, see "Edge Trigger" on page 168.
• For setting up Pulse Width searches, see "Pulse Width Trigger" on
page 172.
• For setting up Rise/Fall Time searches, see "Rise/Fall Time
Trigger" on page 180.
• For setting up Runt searches, see "Runt Trigger" on page 183.
• For setting up Serial searches, see Chapter 10, “Triggers,” starting on
page 165 and "Searching Lister Data" on page 146.
Remember that searches use the measurement threshold settings instead
of trigger levels. Use the Thresholds softkey in the Search Menu to access
the Measurement Threshold Menu. See "Measurement Thresholds" on
page 265.
To copy search setups
Except for Serial event search setups, you can copy search setups to
trigger setups and vice- versa.
Horizontal Controls2
1 Press [Search].
2 In the Search Menu, press Search; then, turn the Entry knob to select
the search type.
3 Press Copy.
4 In the Search Copy Menu:
• Press Copy to Trigger to copy the setup for the selected search type to
the same trigger type. For example, if the current search type is
Pulse Width, pressing Copy to Trigger copies the search settings to the
Pulse Width trigger settings and selects the Pulse Width trigger.
• Press Copy from Trigger to copy the trigger setup for the selected search
type to the search setup.
• To undo a copy, press Undo Copy.
The softkeys in the Search Copy Menu may not be available when one
of the settings cannot be copied or there is no trigger type that
corresponds to the search type.
Navigating the Time Base
You can use the [Navigate] key and controls to navigate through:
• Pressing the Scroll Lister softkey lets you use the Entry knob to scroll
through data rows in the Lister display.
You can also access navigation controls on the touchscreen. See "Select
Sidebar Information or Controls" on page 47.
To navigate se gments
When the segmented memory acquisition is enabled and acquisitions are
stopped, you can use the navigation controls to play through the acquired
segments.
1 Press [Navigate].
2 In the Navigate Menu, press Navigate; then, select Segments.
3 Press Play Mode; then, select:
• Manual — to play through segments manually.
In the Manual play mode:
Horizontal Controls2
• Press the back and forward keys to go to the previous or
next segment.
• Press the softkey to go to the first segment.
• Press the softkey to go to the last segment.
• Auto — to play through segments in an automated fashion.
In the Auto play mode:
• Press the navigation keys to play backward, stop, or
play forward in time. You can press the or keys multiple
times to speed up the playback. There are three speed levels.
You can also access navigation controls on the touchscreen. See "Select
To turn waveforms on or off (channel or math) 80
To adjust the vertical scale 81
To adjust the vertical position 81
To specify channel coupling 82
To specify channel input impedance 83
To specify bandwidth limiting 83
To change the vertical scale knob's coarse/fine adjustment setting 84
To invert a waveform 84
Setting Analog Channel Probe Options85
The vertical controls include:
• The vertical scale and position knobs for each analog channel.
• The channel keys for turning a channel on or off and accessing the
channel's softkey menu.
• Touchscreen controls for setting the vertical scale and position (offset)
and accessing the Channel menus.
The following figure shows the Channel 1 Menu that appears after
pressing the [1] channel key.
The ground level of the signal for each displayed analog channel is
identified by the position of the icon at the far-left side of the display.
1 Press an analog channel key turn the channel on or off (and to display
the channel's menu).
When a channel is on, its key is illuminated.
You can also do this using the touchscreen. See "Turn Channels On/Off
and Open Scale/Offset Dialogs" on page 54.
NOTE
Turning channels off
You must be viewing the menu for a channel before you can turn it off. For example, if
channel 1 and channel 2 are turned on and the menu for channel 2 is being displayed, to
turn channel 1 off, press [1] to display the channel 1 menu; then, press [1] again to turn
channel 1 off.
To adjust the vertical scale
1 Turn the large knob above the channel key marked to set the
vertical scale (volts/division) for the channel.
You can also do this using the touchscreen. See "Turn Channels On/Off
and Open Scale/Offset Dialogs" on page 54.
The vertical scale knob changes the analog channel scale in a 1- 2- 5 step
sequence (with a 1:1 probe attached) unless fine adjustment is enabled
(see "To change the vertical scale knob's coarse/fine adjustment setting" on
page 84).
Vertical Controls3
The analog channel Volts/Div value is displayed in the status line.
The default mode for expanding the signal when you turn the
volts/division knob is vertical expansion about the ground level of the
channel; however, you can change this to expand about the center of the
display. See "To choose "expand about" center or ground" on page 335.
To adjust the vertical position
1 Turn the small vertical position knob ( ) to move the channel's
waveform up or down on the display.
You can also make this adjustment using the touchscreen. See "Change
Waveform Offsets By Dragging Ground Reference Icons" on page 51 and
"Turn Channels On/Off and Open Scale/Offset Dialogs" on page 54.
The offset voltage value represents the voltage difference between the
vertical center of the display and the ground level () icon. It also
represents the voltage at the vertical center of the display if vertical
expansion is set to expand about ground (see "To choose "expand about"
center or ground" on page 335).
To specify channel coupling
Coupling changes the channel's input coupling to either AC (alternating
current) or DC (direct current).
If the channel is DC coupled, you can quickly measure the DC component of the signal by
simply noting its distance from the ground symbol.
If the channel is AC coupled, the DC component of the signal is removed, allowing you to
use greater sensitivity to display the AC component of the signal.
1 Press the desired channel key.
2 In the Channel Menu, press the Coupling softkey to select the input
channel coupling:
• DC — DC coupling is useful for viewing waveforms as low as 0 Hz
that do not have large DC offsets.
• AC — AC coupling is useful for viewing waveforms with large DC
offsets.
When AC coupling is chosen, you cannot select 50Ω mode. This is
done to prevent damage to the oscilloscope.
AC coupling places a 10 Hz high-pass filter in series with the input
waveform that removes any DC offset voltage from the waveform.
Note that Channel Coupling is independent of Trigger Coupling. To change
trigger coupling see "To select the trigger coupling" on page 208.
When you connect an AutoProbe, self-sensing probe, or a compatible InfiniiMax probe, the
oscilloscope automatically configures the analog input channels to the correct impedance.
1 Press the desired channel key.
2 In the Channel Menu, press Imped (impedance); then, select either:
• 50 Ohm — matches 50 ohm cables commonly used in making high
frequency measurements, and 50 ohm active probes.
When 50 Ohm input impedance is selected, it is displayed with the
channel information on- screen.
When AC coupling is selected (see "To specify channel coupling" on
page 82) or excessive voltage is applied to the input, the oscilloscope
automatically switches to 1M Ohm mode to prevent possible damage.
Vertical Controls3
• 1M Ohm — is for use with many passive probes and for
general- purpose measurements. The higher impedance minimizes the
loading effect of the oscilloscope on the device under test.
This impedance matching gives you the most accurate measurements
because reflections are minimized along the signal path.
See Also• For more information on probing, visit:
"www.agilent.com/find/scope_probes"
• Information about selecting a probe can be found in document number
"Agilent Oscilloscope Probes and Accessories Selection Guide (part
number 5989- 6162EN)", available at "www.agilent.com".
To specify bandwidth limiting
1 Press the desired channel key.
2 In the Channel Menu, press the BW Limit softkey to enable or disable
When bandwidth limit is on, the maximum bandwidth for the channel is
approximately 20 MHz. For waveforms with frequencies below this, turning
bandwidth limit on removes unwanted high frequency noise from the
waveform. The bandwidth limit also limits the trigger signal path of any
channel that has BW Limit turned on.
To change the vertical scale knob's coarse/fine adjustment setting
1 Push the channel's vertical scale knob (or press the channel key and
then the Fine softkey in the Channel Menu) to toggle between fine and
coarse adjustment of the vertical scale.
You can also do this using the touchscreen. See "Turn Channels On/Off
and Open Scale/Offset Dialogs" on page 54.
When Fine adjustment is selected, you can change the channel's vertical
sensitivity in smaller increments. The channel sensitivity remains fully
calibrated when Fine is on.
The vertical scale value is displayed in the status line at the top of the
display.
When Fine is turned off, turning the volts/division knob changes the
channel sensitivity in a 1- 2- 5 step sequence.
To invert a waveform
1 Press the desired channel key.
2 In the Channel Menu, press the Invert softkey to invert the selected
channel.
When Invert is selected, the voltage values of the displayed waveform are
inverted.
Invert affects how a channel is displayed. However, when using basic
triggers, the oscilloscope attempts to maintain the same trigger point by
changing trigger settings.
Inverting a channel also changes the result of any math function selected
in the Waveform Math Menu or any measurement.
1 Press the probe's associated channel key.
2 In the Channel Menu, press the Probe softkey to display the Channel
Probe Menu.
This menu lets you select additional probe parameters such as
attenuation factor and units of measurement for the connected probe.
The Channel Probe Menu changes depending on the type of probe
connected.
For passive probes (such as the N2862A/B, N2863A/B, N2889A, N2890A,
10073C, 10074C, or 1165A probes), the Probe Check softkey appears; it
guides you through the process of compensating probes.
Vertical Controls3
For some active probes (such as InfiniiMax probes), the oscilloscope can
accurately calibrate its analog channels for the probe. When you
connect a probe that can be calibrated, the Calibrate Probe softkey
appears (and the probe attenuation softkey may change). See "To
calibrate a probe" on page 87.
See Also• "To specify the channel units" on page 85
• "To specify the probe attenuation" on page 86
• "To specify the probe skew" on page 86
To specify the channel units
1 Press the probe's associated channel key.
2 In the Channel Menu, press Probe.
3 In the Channel Probe Menu, press Units; then, select:
• Volts — for a voltage probe.
• Amps — for a current probe.
Channel sensitivity, trigger level, measurement results, and math functions
will reflect the measurement units you have selected.
This is set automatically if the oscilloscope can identify the connected
probe. See Analog channel inputs (see page 42).
The probe attenuation factor must be set properly for accurate
measurement results.
If you connect a probe that is not automatically identified by the
oscilloscope, you can manually set the attenuation factor as follows:
1 Press the channel key.
2 Press the Probe softkey until you have selected how you want to specify
the attenuation factor, choosing either Ratio or Decibels.
3 Turn the Entry knob to set the attenuation factor for the
connected probe.
When measuring voltage values, the attenuation factor can be set from
0.1:1 to 10000:1 in a 1- 2- 5 sequence.
When measuring current values with a current probe, the attenuation
factor can be set from 10 V/A to 0.0001 V/A.
When specifying the attenuation factor in decibels, you can select values
from -20 dB to 80 dB.
If Amps is chosen as the units and a manual attenuation factor is chosen,
then the units as well as the attenuation factor are displayed above the
Probe softkey.
To specify the probe skew
When measuring time intervals in the nanoseconds (ns) range, small
differences in cable length can affect the measurement. Use Skew to
remove cable-delay errors between any two channels.
1 Probe the same point with both probes.
2 Press one of the probes associated channel key.
4 In the Channel Probe Menu, press Skew; then, select the desired skew
value.
Each analog channel can be adjusted ±100 ns in 10 ps increments for a
total of 200 ns difference.
The skew setting is not affected by pressing [Default Setup] or [Auto Scale].
To calibrate a probe
The Calibrate Probe softkey guides you through the process of calibrating
probes.
For certain active probes, such as InfiniiMax probes, the oscilloscope can
accurately calibrate its analog channels for the probe. When you connect a
probe that can be calibrated, the Calibrate Probe softkey in the Channel
Probe Menu becomes active.
To calibrate one of these probes:
Vertical Controls3
1 First, plug your probe into one of the oscilloscope channels.
This could be, for example, an InfiniiMax probe amplifier/probe head
with attenuators attached.
2 Connect the probe to the left side, Demo 2, Probe Comp terminal, and
the probe ground to the ground terminal.
When calibrating a differential probe, connect the positive lead to the Probe Comp terminal
and the negative lead to the ground terminal. You may need to connect an alligator clip to
the ground lug to allow a differential probe to span between the Probe Comp test point and
ground. A good ground connection ensures the most accurate probe calibration.
3 Press the Channel on/off key to turn the channel on (if the channel is
off).
4 In the Channel Menu, press the Probe softkey.
5 In the Channel Probe Menu, the second softkey from the left is for
specifying your probe head (and attenuation). Repeatedly press this
softkey until the probe head selection matches the attenuator you are
using.
To display math waveforms 89
To adjust the math waveform scale and offset 91
Units for Math Waveforms 91
Math Operators 92
Math Transforms 94
Math Filters 110
Math Visualizations 112
You can define up to four math functions. One math function waveform
can be displayed at a time. The math function waveform is displayed in
light purple.
Math functions can be performed on analog channels or they can be
performed on lower math functions when using operators other than add,
subtract, multiply, or divide.
To display math waveforms
1 Press the [Math] key on the front panel to display the Waveform Math
Menu.
2 Press the Display Math softkey and turn the Entry knob to select the
math function you want to display. Then, either push the Entry knob or
89
s1
4Math Waveforms
TIP
press the Display Math softkey again to display the selected math
function.
3 Use the Operator softkey to select an operator, transform, filter, or
visualization.
For more information on the operators, see:
• "Math Operators" on page 92
• "Math Transforms" on page 94
• "Math Filters" on page 110
• "Math Visualizations" on page 112
4 Use the Source 1 softkey to select the analog channel (or lower math
function) on which to perform math. You can rotate the Entry knob or
repetitively press the Source 1 softkey to make your selection.
Higher math functions can operate on lower math functions when using
operators other than the simple arithmetic operations (+, - , *, /). For
example, if Math 1 is set up as a subtract operation between channels 1
and 2, the Math 2 function could be set up as a FFT operation on the
Math 1 function. These are called cascaded math functions.
To cascade math functions, select the lower math function using the
Source 1 softkey.
When cascading math functions, to get the most accurate results, be sure to vertically
scale lower math functions so that their waveforms take up the full screen without being
clipped.
5 If you selected an arithmetic operator for the math function, use the
Source 2 softkey to select the second source for the arithmetic operation.
6 To re-size and re- position the math waveform, see "To adjust the math
If the analog channel or math function is clipped (not fully displayed on screen) the
resulting displayed math function will also be clipped.
Once the function is displayed, the analog channel(s) may be turned off for better viewing
of the math waveform.
The vertical scaling and offset of each math function can be adjusted for ease of viewing
and measurement considerations.
The math function waveform can be measured using [Cursors] and/or [Meas].
To adjust the math waveform scale and offset
1 Make sure the multiplexed scale and position knobs above and below
the [Math] key are selected for the math waveform.
Math Waveforms4
If the arrow to the left of the [Math] key is not illuminated, press the
key.
2 Use the multiplexed scale and position knobs above and below the
[Math] key to re-size and re-position the math waveform.
Math Scale and Offset are Set Automatically
Any time the currently displayed math function definition is changed, the function is
automatically scaled for optimum vertical scale and offset. If you manually set scale and
offset for a function, select a new function, then select the original function, the original
function will be automatically rescaled.
See Also• "Units for Math Waveforms" on page 91
Units for Math Waveforms
Units for each input channel can be set to Volts or Amps using the Units
softkey in the channel's Probe Menu. Units for math function waveforms
are:
* When the FFT source is channel 1, 2, 3 or 4, FFT units will be displayed in dBV when channel
units is set to Volts and channel impedance is set to 1 MΩ. FFT units will be displayed in dBm
when channel units is set to Volts and channel impedance is set to 50
displayed as dB for all other FFT sources or when a source channel's units has been set to Amps.
2
, A2, or W (Volt-Amp)
V
Vs or As (V-seconds or A-seconds)
page 103.
1/2
1/2
V
, A
, or W
1/2
(Volt-Amp)
Ω. FFT units will be
A scale unit of U (undefined) will be displayed for math functions when
two source channels are used and they are set to dissimilar units and the
combination of units cannot be resolved.
Math operators perform arithmetic operations (like add, subtract, or
multiply) on analog input channels.
• "Add or Subtract" on page 92
• "Multiply or Divide" on page 93
Add or Subtract
When you select add or subtract, the Source 1 and Source 2 values are
added or subtracted point by point, and the result is displayed.
You can use subtract to make a differential measurement or to compare
two waveforms.
If your waveforms' DC offsets are larger than the dynamic range of the
oscilloscope's input channels you will need to use a differential probe
instead.
Figure 5Example of Subtract Channel 2 from Channel 1
See Also• "Units for Math Waveforms" on page 91
Multiply or Divide
When you select the multiply or divide math function, the Source 1 and
Source 2 values are multiplied or divided point by point, and the result is
displayed.
The divide by zero case places holes (that is, zero values) in the output
waveform.
Multiply is useful for seeing power relationships when one of the channels
is proportional to the current.
Figure 6Example of Multiply Channel 1 by Channel 2
Math transforms perform a transform function (like differentiate, integrate,
FFT, or square root) on an analog input channel or on the result of an
arithmetic operation.
d/dt (differentiate) calculates the discrete time derivative of the selected
source.
You can use differentiate to measure the instantaneous slope of a
waveform. For example, the slew rate of an operational amplifier may be
measured using the differentiate function.
Because differentiation is very sensitive to noise, it is helpful to set
acquisition mode to Averaging (see "Selecting the Acquisition Mode" on
page 219).
d/dt plots the derivative of the selected source using the "average slope
estimate at 4 points" formula. The equation is:
Math Waveforms4
Where:
• d = differential waveform.
• y = channel 1, 2, 3, 4, or Math 1, Math 2, Math 3 (lower math function)
dt (integrate) calculates the integral of the selected source. You can use
integrate to calculate the energy of a pulse in volt- seconds or measure the
area under a waveform.
dt plots the integral of the source using the "Trapezoidal Rule". The
equation is:
• y = channel 1, 2, 3, 4, or Math 1, Math 2, Math 3 (lower math function)
data points.
• co = arbitrary constant.
• i = data point index.
The integrate operator provides an Offset softkey that lets you enter a DC
offset correction factor for the input signal. Small DC offset in the
integrate function input (or even small oscilloscope calibration errors) can
cause the integrate function output to "ramp" up or down. This DC offset
correction lets you level the integrate waveform.
FFT is used to compute the fast Fourier transform using analog input
channels or a lower math function. FFT takes the digitized time record of
the specified source and transforms it to the frequency domain. When the
FFT function is selected, the FFT spectrum is plotted on the oscilloscope
display as magnitude in dBV versus frequency. The readout for the
horizontal axis changes from time to frequency (Hertz) and the vertical
readout changes from volts to dB.
Use the FFT function to find crosstalk problems, to find distortion
problems in analog waveforms caused by amplifier non- linearity, or for
adjusting analog filters.
1 Press the Display Math softkey and turn the Entry knob to select the
math function you want to display. Then, either push the Entry knob or
press the Display Math softkey again to display the selected math
function.
2 Press the [Math] key. Then, press the Display Math softkey and select the
math function you want to use. Then, press the Operator softkey and
select FFT.
• Source 1 — selects the source for the FFT.
• Span — sets the overall width of the FFT spectrum that you see on
the display (left to right). Divide span by 10 to calculate the number
of Hertz per division. It is possible to set Span above the maximum
available frequency, in which case the displayed spectrum will not
take up the whole screen. Press the Span softkey, then turn the Entry
knob to set the desired frequency span of the display.
• Center — sets the FFT spectrum frequency represented at the center
vertical grid line of the display. It is possible to set the Center to
values below half the span or above the maximum available
frequency, in which case the displayed spectrum will not take up the
whole screen. Press the Center softkey, then turn the Entry knob to
set the desired center frequency of the display.
• Scale — lets you set your own vertical scale factors for FFT expressed
in dB/div (decibels/division). See "To adjust the math waveform scale
and offset" on page 91.
• Offset — lets you set your own offset for the FFT. The offset value is
in dB and is represented by the center horizontal grid line of the
display. See "To adjust the math waveform scale and offset" on
page 91.
• More FFT — displays the More FFT Settings Menu.
3 Press the More FFT softkey to display additional FFT settings.
• Window— selects a window to apply to your FFT input signal:
• Hanning — window for making accurate frequency measurements or
for resolving two frequencies that are close together.
• Flat Top — window for making accurate amplitude measurements of
frequency peaks.
• Rectangular — good frequency resolution and amplitude accuracy,
but use only where there will be no leakage effects. Use on
self- windowing waveforms such as pseudo- random noise, impulses,
sine bursts, and decaying sinusoids.
• Blackman Harris — window reduces time resolution compared to a
rectangular window, but improves the capacity to detect smaller
impulses due to lower secondary lobes.
• Vertical Units — lets you select Decibels or V RMS as the units for the
FFT vertical scale.
• Auto Setup — sets the frequency Span and Center to values that will
cause the entire available spectrum to be displayed. The maximum
available frequency is half the FFT sample rate, which is a function
of the time per division setting. The FFT resolution is the quotient of
the sampling rate and the number of FFT points (f
FFT Resolution is displayed above the softkeys.
/N). The current
S
Scale and offset considerations
If you do not manually change the FFT scale or offset settings, when you turn the horizontal
scale knob, the span and center frequency settings will automatically change to allow
optimum viewing of the full spectrum.
If you do manually set scale or offset, turning the horizontal scale knob will not change the
span or center frequency settings, allowing you see better detail around a specific
frequency.
Pressing the FFT Auto Setup softkey will automatically rescale the waveform and span and
center will again automatically track the horizontal scale setting.
4 To make cursor measurements, press the [Cursors] key and set the