Lecroy 9300C User Manual

Operator’s Manual

LeCroy
9300C Series
Digital Oscilloscopes

Revision A — January 1998

LeCroy Corporation

700 Chestnut Ridge Road
Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977–6499
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]

LeCroy SA

2, rue du Pré-de-la-Fontaine
1217 Meyrin 1/Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]

Internet: www.lecroy.com

Copyright © January 1998, LeCroy. All rights reserved. Information in this publication supersedes all
earlier versions. Specifications subject to change.

LeCroy, ProBus and SMART Trigger are registered trademarks of LeCroy Corporation. MathCad is
a registered trademark of MATHSOFT Inc. Centronics is a registered trademark of Data Computer
Corp. Epson is a registered trademark of Epson America Inc. PowerPC is a registered trademark of
IBM Microelectronics. MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. DeskJet,
ThinkJet, QuietJet, LaserJet, PaintJet, HP 7470 and HP 7550 are registered trademarks of Hewlett­Packard Company. I

Manufactured under
an ISO 9000
Registered
Quality Management
System
Visit www.lecroy.com
to view the certificate.

2

C is a trademark of Philips.

This electronic product is
subject to disposal and
recycling regulations that
vary by country and
region. Many countries
prohibit the disposal of
waste electronic
equipment in standard
waste receptacles.
For more information
about proper disposal
and recycling of your
LeCroy product, please
visit
www.lecroy.com/recycle.

93XXC-OM-E Rev A 0198

Chapter 1 — Read This First!

Product and Client Care..............................................................1–1

Chapter 2 — Instrument Architecture

General Designed Capabilities................................................2–1

Block Diagrams.................................................................................2–4

Chapter 3 — Installation and Safety

Installation for Safe and Efficient Operation...................3–1

Chapter 4 — Introduction to the Controls

The Front Panel.................................................................................4–1

The Main Controls.......................................................................... 4–3

Choosing and Navigating in Menus.......................................4–4

System Setup and Menu Controls..........................................4–6

Screen Topography ........................................................................4–8

Contents

Chapter 5 — CHANNELS, Coupling and Probes

Channel Controls..................................................................... 5–1

Coupling...............................................................................................5–3

Probes and Probe Calibration ..................................................5–4

Chapter 6 — TIMEBASE + TRIGGER

TIMEBASE + TRIGGER Controls..............................................6–1

Chapter 7 — Timebase Modes and Setup

Timebase Sampling Modes........................................................7–1

Timebase Setup ...............................................................................7–5

iii

Chapter 8 — Triggers and When to Use Them

Choosing the Right Trigger .......................................................8–1

Edge or SMART? ..............................................................................8–2

Edge Trigger ......................................................................................8–3

TRIGGER SETUP: Edge................................................................8–9

SMART Triggers.............................................................................8–10

TRIGGER SETUP: SMART ........................................................ 8–29

Chapter 9 — ZOOM + MATH

Zoom and Math Controls............................................................. .9–1

Chapter 10 — Zoom, Mathematics and Math Setup

Zooming for Precise Waveform Measurements...........10–1

Math Functions and Options ..............................................10–2

Using Waveform Mathematics...........................................10–5

Configuring for Zoom and Math.........................................10–6

Setting Up FFT Span and Resolution .............................10–17

Contents

Chapter 11 — Display

Chapter 12 — UTILITIES

Setting Up the Display........................................................ 11–1

Printing, Storing, Using Special Modes ........................... 12–1

Hardcopy Setup............................................................................12–2

Time/Date Setup...........................................................................12–4

GPIB/RS232 Setup.......................................................................12–5

Mass Storage Utilities .............................................................. 12–7

Special Modes ........................................................................ 12–19

CAL BNC Setup.............................................................................12–21

iv

Chapter 13 — WAVEFORM STORE & RECALL

Waveform Store......................................................................13–1

Waveform Recall....................................................................13–4

Chapter 14 — CURSORS/MEASURE & Parameters

Cursors: Tools for Measuring Signal Values.................14–1

Parameters: Automatic Measurements ..........................14–4

Pass/Fail Testing...................................................................14–13

Chapter 15 — PANEL SETUPS

Saving and Recalling Panel Setups...............................15–1

Chapter 16 — SHOW STATUS

The Complete Picture — Summarized............................ 16–1

Appendix A — Specifications
Appendix B — Enhanced Resolution
Appendix C — Fast Fourier Analysis (FFT)
Appendix D — Parameter Measurement
Appendix E — ASCII-Stored Files

v

1

Read This First!

Product and Client Care

We recommend you thoroughly inspect the contents of the
scope packaging at once. Check all the contents against
the packing list/invoice copy shipped with the instrument
and the list on page 1–3 of this manual. Unless LeCroy is
notified promptly of a missing or damaged item, we cannot
accept responsibility for its replacement. Contact your
national LeCroy Customer Service Department or local
office immediately (contact numbers follow index).

Warranty LeCroy warrants its oscilloscope products for normal use and

operation within specifications for a period of three years from
the date of shipment. Calibration each year is recommended to
ensure in-spec performance. Spares, replacement parts and
repairs are warranted for 90 days. The instrument's firmware has
been thoroughly tested and is thought to be functional, but is
supplied without warranty of any kind covering detailed
performance. Products not made by LeCroy are covered solely
by the warranty of the original equipment manufacturer.

In exercising its warranty, LeCroy will repair or, at its option,
replace any product returned within the warranty period to the
Customer Service Department or an authorized service center.
However, this will be done only if the product is determined by
LeCroy’s examination to be defective due to workmanship or
materials, and the defect has not been caused by misuse,
neglect or accident, or by abnormal conditions or operation.

Note: This warranty replaces all other warranties,
expressed or implied, including but not limited to any
implied warranty of merchantability, fitness, or adequacy
for any particular purpose or use. LeCroy shall not be liable
for any special, incidental, or consequential damages,
whether in contract or otherwise. The client will be
responsible for the transportation and insurance charges
for the return of products to the service facility. LeCroy will
return all products under warranty with transport prepaid.

1–1

Read This First!

Product Assistance Help on installation, calibration, and the use of LeCroy

equipment is available from the LeCroy Customer Service
Department in your country (see contact numbers following the
index).

Maintenance Agreements We provide a variety of customer support services. Maintenance

agreements give extended warranty and allow our clients to
budget maintenance costs after the initial three-year warranty
has expired. Other services such as installation, training,
enhancements and on-site repairs are available through special
Supplemental Support Agreements.

Staying Up to Date LeCroy is dedicated to offering state-of-the-art instruments,

continually refining and improving the performance of our
products. Because of the speed with which physical
modifications may be implemented, this manual and related
documentation may not agree in every detail with the products
they describe. For example, there might be small discrepancies
in the values of components affecting pulse shape, timing or
offset, and — infrequently — minor logic changes.

However, be assured the scope itself is in full order and
incorporates the most up-to-date circuitry.

We frequently update firmware or software during servicing to
improve scope performance, free of charge during warranty. We
will keep you up to date with such changes, through new or
revised manuals and other publications.

But you should retain this, the original manual, for future
reference to your scope’s unchanged hardware
specifications.

Service and Repair Please return products requiring maintenance to the Customer

Service Department in your country or to an authorized service
facility. LeCroy will repair or replace any product under warranty
free of charge. The customer is responsible for transportation
charges to the factory, whereas all in-warranty products will be
returned to you with transportation prepaid. Outside the warranty
period, you will need to provide us with a purchase order
number before we can repair your LeCroy product. You will be

1–2

billed for parts and labor related to the repair work, and for
shipping.

1–3

Read This First!

How to Return a ProductContact your country’s Customer Service Department or local

field office to find out where to return the product. All returned
products should be identified by model and serial number. You
should describe the defect or failure, and provide your name
and contact number. And in the case of products returned to the
factory, a Return Authorization Number (RAN) should be used.
The RAN can be obtained by contacting the Customer Service
Department.

Return shipments should be made prepaid. We cannot accept
COD (Cash On Delivery) or Collect Return shipments. We
recommend air-freighting.

It is important that the RAN be clearly shown on the outside of
the shipping package for prompt redirection to the appropriate
LeCroy department.

What Comes with Your Scope The following items are shipped

together with the standard configuration of this oscilloscope:

Ø Front Scope Cover
Ø 10:1 10 MΩ Passive Probe — one per channel
Ø ProBus Single-Channel Adapter (9354C, 9374C, 9384C

SERIES ONLY)

Ø Two 250 V T-rated Fuses (5 A or 6.3 A depending on model

— see Chapter 3)

Ø AC Power Cord and Plug
Ø Operator’s Manual (this manual)
Ø Remote Control Manual
Ø Hands-On Guide
Ø Performance Certificate
Ø Declaration of Conformity
Ø Warranty

Note: Wherever possible, please use the original shipping
carton. If a substitute carton is used, it should be rigid and
packed so that that the product is surrounded by a minimum
of four inches or 10 cm of shock-absorbent material.

1–4

2

Instrument

Architecture

General Designed Capabilities

Your oscilloscope is the newest
version of a series that set the
standard for monochrome DSOs
(Digital Storage Oscilloscopes).
Each of the scope’s channels has an
8-bit ADC (Analog–to–Digital Converter).
On the higher-range models, combining two channels doubles
the scope’s sampling rate. While on high-range, four-channel
models, combining all channels increases the original rate by
four times.

Processors The central microprocessor performs the scope’s computations and

controls its operation. A wide range of peripheral interfaces allow
remote control, storage and printing. A support processor constantly
monitors the front-panel controls, rapidly reconfiguring setups. Data
processing is also rapid, with data being transferred to the display
memory for direct waveform display or stored in the reference
memories (see below).

Note: Wherever a feature is specific to a particular model,
or not included with a model, it is indicated thus:
9314C ONLY, for example.
For the complete list of specifications for each
model, see the section on that model or its series in
Appendix A.

ADCs The instrument’s multiple-ADC architecture ensures absolute

amplitude and phase correlation, maximum ADC performance for
multi-channel acquisitions, large record lengths and excellent time
resolution.

Memories The copious acquisition memories simplify transient capture by

producing long waveform records that capture even when trigger­timing or signal-speed is uncertain. Combining channels also
increases the acquisition memory length. There are four memories
for temporary storage, and four more for waveform zooming and
processing.

2–1

Instrument

Architecture

RIS Repetitive signals can be acquired and stored at a Random

Interleaved Sampling (RIS) rate of 10 GS/s. RIS is a high­precision digitizing technique that enables measurement of
repetitive signals to the instrument's full bandwidth, with an
effective sampling interval of 100 ps and measurement
resolution of 10 ps. (See Chapter 7).

Trigger System The Trigger System offers an extensive range of capabilities,

selected according to the character of the signal, using on­screen menus and front-panel controls. In standard trigger mode
these menus and controls enable the selection and setting of
parameters such as pre- and post-trigger recording, as well as
special modes. The trigger source can be any of the input
channels, line (synchronized to the scope’s main input supply) or
external. The coupling is selected from AC, LF REJect, HF
REJect, HF, and DC; the slope from positive and negative. (See
Chapter 8.)

Automatic Calibration The oscilloscope’s automatic calibration ensures an overall

vertical accuracy of typically 1% of full scale. Vertical gain and
offset calibration take place each time the volts/div setting is
modified. In addition, periodic calibration is performed to ensure
long-term stability at the current setting.

Display System The display’s interactive, user-friendly interface is controlled by

push-buttons and knobs (see Chapter 4).
The large, 12.5 × 17.5 cm (nine-inch diagonal) screen shows

waveforms and data with enhanced resolution on a variety of
grid styles (see Chapter 11). Up to four waveforms can be
displayed at once, while the parameters controlling signal
acquisition are simultaneously reported. The screen presents
internal status and measurement results, as well as operational,
measurement, and waveform-analysis menus.

Printing or copying the screen on plotter, printer or to a
recording medium is done by pressing the front-panel SCREEN­DUMP button(See Chapter 12).

2–2

Manual or Remote
Control

Despite being a truly digital instrument, the scope has a front­panel layout and controls that will be familiar to users of analog
oscilloscopes. Rapid instrument response and instant
representation of waveforms on the high-resolution screen add
to this impression.

Four front-panel setups can be stored internally and recalled
either manually or by remote control, thus ensuring rapid front­panel configuration. When the power is switched off, the current
front-panel settings are automatically stored for subsequent
recall at the next power-on.

The oscilloscope has also been designed for remote control
operation in automated testing and computer-aided
measurement applications — operations described in the
Remote Control Manual. The entire measurement process,
including cursor and pulse-parameter settings, dynamic
modification of front-panel settings, and display organization, is
controlled through the rear-panel GPIB (IEEE-488) and
RS-232-C ports (see Chapter 12).

2–3

Block Diagrams

Program memory

Microprocessor

Storage devices

Ø 9304C, 9310C, 9314C

Instrument

Architecture

Series

Hi-Z, 50 Amplifiers + Attenuators

CH1

CH2

External

trigger

CH3

CH4

W

Sample

& Hold

Sample

& Hold

Sample

& Hold

Sample

& Hold

Trigger

logic

8-bit

Flash ADC

8-bit

Flash ADC

Timebase

8-bit

Flash ADC

8-bit

Flash ADC

Fast

memory

Fast

memory

Fast

memory

Fast

memory

processor

Display

Centronics

RS-232-C

GPIB

Coprocessor

Front-panel

processor

Real-time

clock

Data memories

2–4

Ø 9344C, 9350C, 9354C

Program memory

Microprocessor

Series

Ø 9370C, 9374C Series
Ø 9384C Series

Hi-Z, 50 Amplifiers + Attenuators

CH1

CH2

External

trigger

CH3

CH4

W

Sample

& Hold

Sample

& Hold

Sample

& Hold

Sample

& Hold

8-bit ADC

8-bit ADC

Trigger

logic

8-bit ADC

8-bit ADC

Peak

detect

Peak

detect

Timebase

Peak

detect

Peak

detect

Fast

memory

Fast

memory

Fast

memory

Fast

memory

Display

processor

Storage devices

Centronics

RS-232-C

GPIB

Coprocessor

Front-panel

processor

Real-time

clock

Data memories

2–5

3

Installation and Safety

Installation for Safe and Efficient Operation

The oscilloscope will operate to its specifications if the
operating environment is maintained within the following
parameters:

Operating Environment

Safety Symbols Where the following symbols or indications appear on the

Symbol Meaning

Ø Temperature..........................5 to 40 °C (41 to 104 °F) rated.

Ø Humidity................................Maximum relative humidity 80 % RH

(non-condensing) for temperatures up
to 31 °C decreasing linearly to 50 %
relative humidity at 40 °C

Ø Altitude ..................................< 2000 m (6560 ft)

The oscilloscope has been qualified to the following EN61010-1
category:

Ø Protection Class.........................................I

Ø Installation (Overvoltage) Category...........II

Ø Pollution Degree.........................................2

instrument’s front or rear panels, or elsewhere in this manual, they
alert the user to an aspect of safety.

CAUTION: Refer to accompanying documents (for Safety­related information).

See elsewhere in this manual wherever the symbol is present,
as indicated in the Table of Contents.

CAUTION: Risk of electric shock.

x

On (Supply).

3–1

Installation and Safety

Symbol Meaning

Off (Supply)

Earth (Ground) Terminal

Protective Conductor Terminal

Chassis Terminal

Earth (Ground) Terminal on BNC Connectors

Denotes a hazard. If a WARNING is indicated on the

WARNING

WARNING Any use of this instrument in a manner not specified by the

Power RequirementsThe oscilloscope operates from a 115 V (90 to 132 V) or 220 V (180

instrument, do not proceed until its conditions are
understood and met.

manufacturer may impair the instrument’s safety
protection. The oscilloscope has not been designed to
make direct measurements on the human body. Users who
connect a LeCroy oscilloscope directly to a person do so at
their own risk. Use only indoors.

to 250 V) AC power source at 45 Hz to 66 Hz.

3–2

No voltage selection is required, since the instrument automatically
adapts to the line voltage present.

Fuses The oscilloscope’s power supply is protected against short-circuit and

overload by means of two “T”-rated fuses of type according to scope
model:

Ø 6.3 A/250 V AC 9344C, 9350C, 9354C, 9370C, 9374C, 9384C Series
Ø 5 A/250 V AC 9304C, 9310C, 9314C Series.

The fuses are located above the mains plug. Disconnect the power
cord before inspecting or replacing a fuse. Open the fuse box by
inserting a small screwdriver under the plastic cover and prying it open.
For continued fire protection at all line voltages, replace only with fuses
of the specified type and rating (see above).

Ground The oscilloscope has been designed to operate from a single-phase

power source, with one of the current-carrying conductors (neutral
conductor) at ground (earth) potential. Maintain the ground line to
avoid an electric shock. None of the current-carrying conductors
may exceed 250 V rms with respect to ground potential. The
oscilloscope is provided with a three-wire electrical cord containing a
three-terminal polarized plug for mains voltage and safety ground
connection. The plug's ground terminal is connected directly to the
frame of the unit. For adequate protection against electrical hazard,
this plug must be inserted into a mating outlet containing a safety
ground contact.

Cleaning and Maintenance Maintenance and repairs should be carried out exclusively by a LeCroy

technician (see Chapter 1). Cleaning should be limited to the exterior of
the instrument only, using a damp, soft cloth. Do not use chemicals or
abrasive elements. Under no circumstances should moisture be allowed
to penetrate the oscilloscope. To avoid electric shocks, disconnect the
instrument from the power supply before cleaning.

CAUTION Risk of electrical shock: No user-serviceable parts inside. Leave

repair to qualified personnel.

Power On Connect the oscilloscope to the power outlet and switch it on by pressing

the power switch located on the rear panel. After the instrument is
switched on, auto-calibration is performed and a test of the
oscilloscope's ADCs and memories is carried out. The full testing
procedure takes approximately 10 seconds, after which time a display
will appear on the screen.

3–3

4

Two-Channel Front Panel

Introduction to the

Controls

4–1

Four-Channel Front Panel

Introduction to the

Controls

4–2

The Main Controls

The front panel controls are divided into four main groups
of buttons and knobs: the System Setup and menu
controls, CHANNELS, TIMEBASE + TRIGGER and ZOOM +
MATH.

System Setup Dark-gray, menu-entry buttons, also represented in the other

groups of controls, provide access to the main on-screen menus
and the acquisition, processing and display modes of the
instrument.

The SCREEN DUMP, SHOW STATUS and CLEAR SWEEPS
buttons, respectively: copy or print the screen display, show on­screen summaries of the scope’s status, and restart operations that
require several acquisitions. See page 4–6.

Menu Buttons & Knobs The seven untitled buttons vertically aligned beside the screen,

RETURN and the two linked rotary knobs enable on-screen menu
selection. See following pages.

CHANNELS This group offers selection of displayed traces and adjustment of

vertical sensitivity and offset. See Chapter 5.

AUTO SETUP This singular blue button automatically adjusts the scope to acquire

and display signals on the input channels. See Chapter 6.

TIMEBASE + TRIGGER These controls allow direct adjustment of time/division, trigger level

and delay, as well as access to the “TIMEBASE” and “TRIGGER”
menu groups. See Chapters 6, 7 and 8.

ZOOM + MATH And this group controls trace selection, movement, definition, and

expansion with Zoom and Math functions. See Chapters 9 and 10.

See also “ Getting Started”, Part 2 of the
Hands-On Guide , for more on the front-panel
and a complete run-through of the controls…

4–3

Introduction to the

entry

Choosing and Navigating in Menus

On-screen menus — the panels running down the right­hand side of the screen — are used to select specific scope
actions and settings. All other on-screen text is for
information only. The menus are broadly grouped
according to function. The name of each menu group is
shown at the top of the column of menus. Individual menus
also have names in the top of their frames.

Each menu either contains a list of items or options — functions
to be selected or variables modified — or when selected
performs a specific action. Menus that perform certain actions
are indicated by capitalized text, as in the example shown at left.

Controls

Going to Menus and
Selecting from them

When a menu­configuration for its particular group of functions is immediately
displayed on-screen as a menu group. Once accessed, these
menus are controlled using the menu buttons and the two menu
knobs (illustrated at left).

A menu button is active and can be pressed to make
selections whenever a menu is visible beside it on-screen.

The two menu knobs work together with the two menu
buttons to which they are joined by lines. Both control the
menus currently shown beside them. Buttons and knobs are
used either for selecting entire menus, particular items from
menus, for moving up or down through menu lists, or for
changing the values listed in menus.

Some menus, referred to as primary, have secondary menus
beneath them whose existence is indicated by a heavy outline or
shadow, as illustrated at left. Pressing the corresponding menu
button reveals and activates these ‘hidden’ menus. Pressing the
RETURN button again displays the top, or primary, menu.

Changing a menu value normally changes the screen, because the
new value is immediately used in acquisition settings, processing or
display.

button is pressed, the set-up

4–4

Setting Menu Options The activated selection is highlighted in the menu. Press the

corresponding menu button and the field will advance to
highlight and select the next item on the menu. However, if
there is only one item on a menu, pressing its button will have
no effect.

Where a menu is associated with one of the two menu knobs,
turning this knob in one direction or the other will cause the
selection to move either up or down the list in the menu.

Menus that extend along the length of two menu buttons can be
operated using both buttons. Pressing the lower of the two will
move the highlighting forward — down the list — while pushing
the upper will move the selector back up the list.

An arrow on the side of a menu frame indicates that by pressing
the button beside this arrow, the selection can be moved further
up or down the list. The arrow’s direction shows whether the
highlighting selector will move up or down. Arrows may also
indicate items that are not visible, either above or below on the
list. The respective arrow will disappear when the selection is at
the very beginning or end of the list.

As in the examples at left, some menu button and knob
combinations control the value of a continuously adjustable
variable. The knob is then used to set its value, while the button
either selects a value or makes a simple change in it.

Still other menu button and knob combinations control the value
of several continuously adjustable variables, with the knob used
to set the value and the button to highlight it.

Note: When the oscilloscope is placed in a remote state,
the REMOTE ENABLE menu will be displayed. It will
contain the command “GO TO LOCAL”, activated by menu
button if the action is possible. This is the only manual
way to turn off the REMOTE ENABLE menu. The scope
need not be in remote state to accept remote commands.

4–5

Introduction to the

System Setup and Menu Controls

As well as the menu buttons and knobs described on the
previous pages, the System Setup controls include the menu­entry buttons and others for copying displays, reporting
instrument status and restarting multiple-acquisition
operations.

The RETURN button is used to go back to the preceding
displayed menu group. Or it returns the display to a higher-level, or
primary menu. But when the display is at the highest possible menu
level, the button switches off that menu.

Each of the dark-gray menu-entry buttons activates a major set of
on-screen menus (those represented in the other control groups are

described in the following chapters, along with the other
elements in the groups).

The DISPLAY button provides entry to the
“DISPLAY SETUP” group of menus, controlling display
mode, grids, intensities, Dot Join and Persistence menus.
See Chapter 11.

Controls

The UTILITIES button gives access to the
“UTILITIES” menus, controlling hardcopy setups, GPIB
addresses and special modes of operation. Chapter 12.

The WAVEFORM STORE button
“STORE W’FORM” menus, used for storing waveforms
to internal or external memory. Chapter 13.

Whereas, WAVEFORM RECALL
“RECALL W’FORM”: menus for retrieving waveforms
stored in internal or external memory. Chapter 13.

CURSORS/MEASURE
menus, used for making precise cursor measurements on traces,
and “MEASURE”, for precise parameter measurements. Chapter

14.

4–6

offers up the “CURSORS” Setup

accesses the

calls up

And PANEL SETUPS gives access to the “PANEL SETUPS”
menus for saving and recalling a configuration of the instrument.

See Chapter 13.

SCREEN DUMP — prints or plots the screen display to an on-line hardcopy device,

via the GPIB, RS-232-C or Centronics interface ports, or directly to
an external thermal graphics printer. Hardcopies can also be
generated as data files onto floppy, memory card or portable hard
disk.

Once SCREEN DUMP is pressed, all displayed information will be
copied. However, it is possible to copy the waveforms without the
grid by turning the grid intensity to 0 with the “Display Setup” menu.

While a screen dump is taking place — indicated by the on-screen
“PRINTING” or “PLOTTING” message — it can be aborted by
pressing SCREEN DUMP a second time. It will take a certain
amount of time for the buffer to empty before copying stops.

CLEAR SWEEPS — restarts operations requiring several acquisitions, or sweeps,

including averaging, extrema, persistence and pass/fail testing, by
resetting the sweep counter(s) to zero.

SHOW STATUS — menu entry to “STATUS”, which shows summaries of the

instrument’s status for acquisition, system and other aspects. See

Chapter 16.

4–7

Screen Topography

Introduction to the

Controls

The sections of the screen shown here and described below, which surround the grid,
contain a variety of useful information as well as accessing specific commands and functions.

4–8

Real-Time Clock field: powered by a battery-backed real-time
clock, it displays the current date and time.

Displayed Trace Label indicates each channel or channel
displayed, the time/div and volts/div settings, and cursor
readings where appropriate. It indicates the acquisition
parameters set when the trace was captured or processed, while
the Acquisition Summary field (below) indicates the present
setting.

Acquisition Summary field: timebase, volts/div, probe
attenuation and coupling for each channel, with the selected
channel highlighted. It indicates the present setting, while the
acquisition parameters set when the trace was captured or
processed are indicated in the Displayed Trace label (above).

Trigger Level arrows on both sides of the grid that mark the
trigger voltage level relative to ground level.

Trigger Delay: an arrow indicating the trigger time relative to
the trace. The delay can be adjusted from zero to ten grid
divisions (pre-trigger), or zero to −10 000 (post-trigger) off­screen. Pre-trigger delay appears as the upward-pointing arrow,
while post-trigger is given as a delay in seconds.

Trigger Status field shows sample rate and trigger re-arming
status (AUTO, NORMAL, SINGLE, STOPPED). The small
square icon flashes to indicate that an acquisition has been
made.

Trigger Configuration field: icon indicating type of trigger, and
information on the trigger’s source, slope, level and coupling,
and other information when appropriate.

Trace and Ground Level: trace number and ground-level
marker.

4–9

Introduction to the

AUTO

SETUP

Controls

Other Fields

(not illustrated here)

Time and Frequency field: displays time and frequency relative
to cursors beneath the grid. For example, when the absolute
time cursor (the cross-hair) is activated by selection from the
“MEASURE” menu group, this field displays the time between
the cursor and the trigger point.

Message field: used to display a variety of messages, above
the grid, including warnings, indications and titles showing the
instrument’s current status.

General Instrument Reset: Simultaneously
press the AUTO SETUP button, the top menu
button, and the RETURN button. The scope will
revert to its default power-up settings.

Press:

!

+ +

4–10

5

Channel Controls

These enable selection
of displayed traces and
adjustment of vertical
sensitivity and offset.

TRACE ON/OFF Pressing these buttons either

displays or switches off the
corresponding channel trace.
When a channel is switched
on, the OFFSET and
VOLTS/DIV controls will
then be attributed to this, the
active channel. On two­channel models (right), each
channel has its own set of
unique, dedicated controls.

CHANNELS, Coupling & Probes

SELECT CHANNEL On four-channel models

(right), these buttons are
used to attribute all the
vertical controls to one
channel, independent of
whether or not it is the
channel displayed. The
selected channel number
is highlighted in the
Acquisition Summary
field (see previous
chapter).

OFFSET — vertically positions the

active channel.

5–1

CHANNELS, Coupling & Probes

FIND — automatically adjusts offset and volts/div to match the active

channel’s input signal.

VOLTS/DIV — selects the vertical sensitivity factor either in a 1–2–5 sequence

or continuously (see VAR, below ). The effect of gain changes on the
acquisition offset can be chosen from the “SPECIAL MODES”
menu.

VAR — allows the user to determine whether the VOLTS/DIV knob will

modify the vertical sensitivity in a continuous manner or in discrete
1–2–5 steps.

The format of the vertical sensitivity in the Acquisition Summary
field (bottom left of screen) shows whether the VOLTS/DIV knob is
operating in continuous or stepping mode.

COUPLING — menu-entry button that accesses the “Coupling” menus (see next

section).

5–2

Coupling

Coupling Menus Press for access to selection of:

Ø Coupling and grounding of each input channel
Ø ECL or TTL gain, offset and coupling preset for the

channel shown

Ø Bandwidth limiter for all channels
Ø Probe attenuation of each input channel.

Coupling

Used to select the input channel’s coupling. If an overload is
detected, the instrument will automatically set the channel to the
grounded state: the menu can then be reset to the desired coupling.

V/div Offset

When NORMAL is highlighted, pressing the corresponding menu
button sets the offset, Volts/div, and input coupling to display ECL
signals. Press the button a second time and the settings for TTL
signals are given. And a third time returns the settings to those used
at the last manual setup of the channel.

Global BWL

To turn the bandwidth limit “OFF” or “ON”. The bandwidth can be
reduced from 500 MHz or 1 GHz, to either 200 MHz or 25 MHz, or
30 MHz (–3dB), depending on the model (see Appendix A).
Bandwidth limiting can be useful in reducing signal and system
noise or preventing high-frequency aliasing, reducing — for
example — any high-frequency signals that may cause aliasing in
single-shot applications.

Note: This command is global and affects all input channels.

Probe Atten

Sets the probe attenuation factor related to the input channel (see
following for probe details).

5–3