Teledyne AP033 User Manual
Operator’s
Manual
AP033 Active
Differential Probe
AP033 Active Differential Probe
Operator’s Manual
May 2013
© 2013 Teledyne LeCroy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized duplication of Teledyne LeCroy documentation materials other than for internal sales
and distribution purposes is strictly prohibited. However, clients are encouraged to distribute and
duplicate Teledyne LeCroy documentation for their own internal educational purposes.
WaveSurfer, WaveRunner, and Teledyne LeCroy are registered trademarks of Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other product or brand names are
trademarks or requested trademarks of their respective holders. Information in this publication
supersedes all earlier versions. Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Warranty
Teledyne LeCroy warrants this oscilloscope accessory for normal use and operation within
specification for a period of one year from the date of shipment. Spare parts, replacement parts and
repairs are warranted for 90 days.
In exercising its warranty, Teledyne LeCroy, at its option, will either repair or replace any assembly
returned within its warranty period to the Customer Service Department or an authorized service
center. However, this will be done only if the product is determined by Teledyne LeCroy’s
examination to be defective due to workmanship or materials, and the defect is not caused by
misuse, neglect, accident, abnormal conditions of operation, or damage resulting from attempted
repair or modifications by a non-authorized service facility.
The customer will be responsible for the transportation and insurance charges for the return of
products to the service facility. Teledyne LeCroy will return all products under warranty with
transportation charges prepaid.
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 purposes or use.
Teledyne LeCroy shall not be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, whether in
contract or otherwise.
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Operator’s Manual
Table of Contents
Safety Instructions ............................................................................................... 1
Symbols .................................................................................................................. 1
Precautions ............................................................................................................. 1
Operating Environment .......................................................................................... 2
Overview ............................................................................................................ 3
Description ............................................................................................................. 3
Applications ............................................................................................................ 3
Standard Accessories ............................................................................................. 4
Optional Accessories .............................................................................................. 4
Oscilloscope Software Compatibility...................................................................... 4
Specifications ...................................................................................................... 5
Operation ........................................................................................................... 8
Connecting the Probe to the Test Instrument ....................................................... 8
Connecting the Probe to the Test Circuit ............................................................... 8
Probe Input Loading ............................................................................................. 10
Grounding the Probe ............................................................................................ 10
Selecting the Proper Range .................................................................................. 11
Operation with Teledyne LeCroy Oscilloscopes ................................................... 12
Adding Offset........................................................................................................ 14
Autobalance ......................................................................................................... 15
Designing Test Fixtures for the AP033 Probe ....................................................... 16
Maintenance ..................................................................................................... 17
Cleaning ................................................................................................................ 17
Calibration Interval ............................................................................................... 17
Service Strategy .................................................................................................... 17
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 18
Returning a Probe ............................................................................................. 20
Available Accessories......................................................................................... 21
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AP033 Active Differential Probe
Matching Procedure for ÷10 Plugs ...................................................................... 22
Equipment Required .............................................................................................22
Procedure .............................................................................................................23
Performance Verification ................................................................................... 25
Test Equipment Required .....................................................................................25
Preliminary Procedure ..........................................................................................27
Procedure .............................................................................................................27
Adjustment Procedure ....................................................................................... 35
Introduction ..........................................................................................................35
Test Equipment Required .....................................................................................36
Preliminary Procedure ..........................................................................................38
Procedure .............................................................................................................39
Reference Information ....................................................................................... 48
Differential Mode and Common Mode ................................................................48
Differential Mode Range and Common Mode Range ..........................................48
Common Mode Rejection Ratio ...........................................................................49
Certifications ........................................................................................................50
Contact Teledyne LeCroy .................................................................................... 53
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Operator’s Manual
HIGH VOLTAGE, risk of electric shock.
CAUTION of Potential damage to probe or instrument it is connected to, or
WARNING of potential bodily injury. Attend to the accompanying
information to protect against personal injury or damage. Do not proceed
until conditions are fully understood and met.
ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE (ESD) HAZARD. The probe is susceptible to
damage if anti-static measures are not taken.
DOUBLE INSULATION
PROTECTIVE (EARTH) TERMINAL
Safety Instructions
This section contains instructions that must be observed to keep this oscilloscope accessory
operating in a correct and safe condition. You are required to follow generally accepted safety
procedures in addition to the precautions specified in this section. The overall safety of any system
incorporating this accessory is the responsibility of the assembler of the system.
Symbols
These symbols may appear on the probe body or in this manual to alert you to important safety
considerations.
Precautions
To avoid personal injury, or damage to the probe or test instrument, comply with the following
safety precautions.
Use product only as specified.
Connect and disconnect properly. Connect probe to the measurement instrument before
connecting the test leads to a circuit/signal being tested.
Use only accessories compatible with the probe. Use only accessories that are rated for the
application. Ensure connections between probe input leads and probe accessories are secure
before connecting them to a voltage source.
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AP033 Active Differential Probe
Do not overload. To avoid electric shock, do not apply any potential that exceeds the maximum
rating of the probe and/or the probe accessory, whichever is less. Observe all terminal ratings of
the instrument before connecting the probe.
Be careful not to damage the insulation surface when making measurements.
Use only within operational environment listed. Do not use in wet or explosive atmospheres.
Keep product surfaces clean and dry. Use indoors only.
Handle with care. Probe accessory tips are sharp. They can puncture skin or cause other bodily
injury if not handled properly.
Keep fingers behind the finger guard of the probe accessories.
Do not operate with suspected failures. Before each use, inspect the probe and accessories for any
damage such as tears or other defects in the probe body, cable jacket, accessories, etc. If any part
is damaged, cease operation immediately and sequester the probe from inadvertent use.
Operating Environment
Only use the product within this operating environment:
Temperature: 0° to 50° C
Humidity: Maximum relative humidity 90 % for temperatures up to 31° C decreasing linearly to
50% relative humidity at 40° C
Altitude: Up to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
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Operator’s Manual
Overview
Description
The AP033 is a wide band differential active probe. The probe features low noise, low input
capacitance, high common mode rejection, and FET-buffered inputs in the probe head. User
selectable attenuation and offset give the probe flexibility to measure a large range of signal
amplitudes. Plug-on attenuator and AC coupling accessories further extend the application range.
Interconnect accessories included allow connection to surface mount and through-hole
components with minimal signal degradation. The input receptacles in the probe head are
compatible with standard 0.025 in. (0.635 mm) square pins. This provides a convenient low cost
method of creating device characterization test fixtures.
The probe is powered directly from a Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscope through the ProBus® interface.
The ProBus interface also allows local control of the probe through the oscilloscope user interface
and remote control through the interface buses, (GPIB, RS-232). The optional ADPPS power supply
allows the AP033 to be used with other instruments such as spectrum analyzers, network
analyzers, and oscilloscopes without ProBus interface.
Applications
The AP033 is ideal for acquiring high speed differential signals such as those found in disk drive
read channels, differential LAN, video, etc. It can also be used with spectrum analyzers to acquire
signals in some RF systems (for example, balanced IF mixers in hand held cellular telephones). The
high impedance characteristics of both inputs allow the probe to be used as a FET probe to make
single-ended measurements in digital systems without introducing a ground loop, as a conventional
FET probe would.
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AP033 Active Differential Probe
Standard Accessories
Hard Case
÷10 Plug-on Attenuator
Plug-on AC Coupler
Probe Connection Accessory Kit:
Flex Lead Set (1)
Mini Clip, 0.8 mm (3)
Mini Clip, 0.5 mm (2)
Ground Lead (1)
Offset Pins, Round (4)
Square Pin Header Strip (1)
Manual, AP033 Active Differential Probe Operator’s Manual
Optional Accessories
ADPPS Power Supply
Oscilloscope Software Compatibility
For full control functionality of the probe, Teledyne LeCroy LC series oscilloscopes must have
software version 8.1.0 or higher loaded; all X-Stream oscilloscopes are compatible. The software
version installed in a Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscope can be verified by pressing the SHOW STATUS
button on the front panel (where available), then selecting the System menu choice. The probe can
be used with earlier versions of software; however, probe offset can only be controlled through the
buttons on the probe body. Also, the scale factor will be displayed incorrectly in some modes.
For information on upgrading the software in your oscilloscope, see
teledynelecroy.com/support/softwaredownload, or contact your local Teledyne LeCroy
representative.
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Operator’s Manual
Specifications
Nominal Characteristics
Nominal characteristics describe parameters and attributes that have are guaranteed by design,
but do not have associated tolerances.
Input Configuration: True Differential (+ and – Inputs); with shield Ground connector.
Effective Gain1: X1, X10, ÷10, ÷100
2
Input coupling: DC. AC Coupling obtained by installing AC Coupling Adapter.
Differential Mode Range:
(10X Gain): ±40 mV (÷1 Attenuation)
±400 mV (÷10 Attenuation)
±4 V (÷100 Attenuation)
(1X Gain): ±400 mV (÷1 Attenuation)
±4 V (÷10 Attenuation)
±40 V (÷100 Attenuation)
Common Mode Range: ±4.2 V (÷1 Attenuation)
±42 V (÷10 Attenuation)
±42 V (÷100 Attenuation)
Maximum Input Voltage: ±42 V either input from ground
1
From combination of gain, internal and external attenuation.
2
Use external plug-on ÷10 attenuator for ÷100.
Warranted Electrical Characteristics
Warranted characteristics are parameters with guaranteed performance. Unless otherwise noted,
tests are provided in the Performance Verification Procedure for all warranted specifications.
LF Gain Accuracy: 2% into 50 Ωload
3
, measured at 1 kHz with 0 V offset
Common Mode Rejection Ratio4 (Probe head grounded, DC Coupled, ÷1 attenuation without
external attenuator): 70 Hz ≥ 3160:1 (70 dB)
1 MHz ≥ 1000:1 (60 dB)
250 MHz ≥ 5:1 (14 dB)
3
Output impedance 50 Ω, intended to drive 50 Ω. Add uncertainty of termination impedance to accuracy.
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AP033 Active Differential Probe
4
Teledyne LeCroy measures CMRR with a fixture that connects the probe tip ground to the signal source
ground. This method is necessary to obtain a reproducible CMRR measurement. Often, users leave the
probe tip ungrounded when measuring high frequency signals. Not grounding the probe tip can actually
improve CMRR by allowing some of the common mode signal to be impressed across the entire length of
the probe cable instead of from probe tip to probe ground. The CMRR improvement obtained without
grounding the probe tip depends on proximity to probe cable ground, and is therefore non-reproducible.
Teledyne LeCroy has chosen to use a reproducible method of measurement, rather than obtain a more
optimistic measurement.
Typical Electrical Characteristics
Typical characteristics are parameters with no guaranteed performance. Tests for typical
characteristics are not provided in the Performance Verification Procedure.
Bandwidth, probe only (-3 dB): DC to 500 MHz
Risetime, probe only: ≤ 700 ps (÷10 Attenuation)
≤ 875 ps (÷1 Attenuation)
Residual Autobalance Offset (Ref. to input): ≤ 100 μV (÷1 Attenuation)
≤ 1.5 mV (÷10 Attenuation)
Differential Offset Range: ±400 mV (÷1 Attenuation)
± 4 V (÷10 Attenuation)
± 40 V (÷100 Attenuation)
CMRR: See Figure 1.
Input Resistance (each side to ground): 1 M Ω
Input Capacitance (between inputs): < 1.6 pF (÷10 Attenuation)
(each side to ground): < 3.1 pF (÷1 Attenuation)
Noise (referred to input, 5 to 1000 MHz): 6 nV/√Hz (÷1 Attenuation, 10X Gain)
10 nV/√Hz (÷1 Attenuation, 1X Gain)
60 nV/√Hz (÷10 Attenuation, 10X Gain)
115 nV/√Hz (÷10 Attenuation, 1X Gain)
Output Impedance: 50 Ω nominal, intended to drive 50 Ω
Harmonic Distortion (3rd order distortion): -52 dB below fundamental (200 mV
output at 100 MHz)
p-p
(3rd order intercept): +15 dBm (at 100 MHz measured at output)
AC Coupling LF Cutoff (-3dB): 16 Hz
6 922260-00 Rev A
Figure 1, Typical CMRR Graphs
General Characteristics
Temperature: 0° to 50° C Operating
-40° to 75° C Storage
Operator’s Manual
Input Connectors: Compatible with 0.025” (0.635 mm) square pins.
0.036” (0.91 mm) maximum diameter (for round pins)
Power Requirements: Powered from oscilloscope through ProBus interface
or with ADPPS power supply.
Dimensions
Control Housing: Length: 3.625 in (9.2 cm)
Width: 1.50 in (3.8 cm)
Height: 1.00 in (2.5 cm)
Head: Length: 4.0 in (10.1 cm) w/o Attenuator or AC Coupler
Width: 2.25 in (2.25 cm)
Height: 0.625 in (1.6 cm)
Cable: Length: 42 in (106 cm)
Diameter: 0.275 in (7.0 mm)
Weight: Probe only: 6.4 oz (0.18 kg)
Shipping: 2 lbs, 8.4 oz (1.15 kg)
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AP033 Active Differential Probe
Operation
CAUTION: The input circuits in the AP033 incorporate components that protect the probe
from damage resulting from electrostatic discharge (ESD). Keep in mind that this is an active probe,
and it should be handled carefully to avoid damage. When using the AP033, you are advised to take
precautions against potential instrument damage due to ESD.
Connecting the Probe to the Test Instrument
When using the AP033 Active Differential Probe with a Teledyne LeCroy Oscilloscope equipped
with ProBus, attach the probe output connector to the oscilloscope input connector. The
oscilloscope will recognize the probe, set the oscilloscope input termination to 50Ω, and activate
the probe control functions in the user interface.
To use the AP033 Active Differential Probe with instrumentation not equipped with a ProBus
interface, it is necessary to use the ADPPS Power Supply. Attach the ADPPS connector to the probe
output connector. The output connector of the ADPPS is a standard male BNC that can be directly
connected to another instrument. If necessary, the output of the ADPPS can be interconnected
with a 50 Ω coaxial cable. To minimize the effect of skin loss, this cable should be 1 m or less in
length. The AP033 Active Differential Probe is designed to drive a 50 Ω load. The gain will be
uncalibrated if the output is not correctly terminated. If you are using the probe with an instrument
with a high input impedance, place a 50 instrument input before attaching the ADPPS..
Connecting the Probe to the Test Circuit
At the probe tip, two inputs and a ground connection are available for connecting the probe to a
circuit under test. For accurate measurements, both the + and – inputs must always be connected
to the test circuit. The ground connection is optional. Positive voltages applied to the + input
relative to the – input will deflect the oscilloscope trace toward the top of the screen.
Positive voltages applied to the + input relative to the – input will deflect the oscilloscope trace
toward the top of the screen.
To maintain the high performance capability of the probe in measurement applications, user care
in connecting the probe to the test circuit. Increasing the parasitic capacitance or inductance in the
input paths may introduce a “ring,” or slow the rise time of fast signals. To minimize these effects,
use the shortest length possible when connecting the probe to the circuit under test. Input leads
that form a large loop area (even shielded coaxial cables) will pick up any radiated magnetic field
that passes through the loop, and may induce noise in the probe inputs. Because this signal will
appear as a differential mode signal, the probe’s common mode rejection will not remove it. You
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Operator’s Manual
can greatly reduce this effect by using short interconnection leads, and twisting them together to
minimize the loop area.
High common mode rejection requires precise matching of the relative gain or attenuation in the +
and – input signal paths. Mismatches in additional parasitic capacitance, inductance, delay, and a
source impedance difference between the + and – signal paths will lower the common mode
rejection ratio. Therefore, it is desirable to use the same length and type of wire and connectors for
both input connections. When possible, try to connect the inputs to points in the circuit with
approximately the same source impedance.
If AC coupling is desired, install the AC coupling accessory on the probe tip before connecting it to
the test circuit. The low-frequency cutoff (–3 dB point) of the AC coupler is approximately 16 Hz.
If the voltage in the test circuit requires more than ÷10 attentuation, add the external ÷10
attenuator to the probe tip. If using both the external attenuator and AC coupler, install the
attenuator on the probe tip first, then install the AC coupler on the attenuator input.
In addition to being compatible with the included lead set, the probe input connectors will mate
with standard 0.025 in. (0.635 mm) square pins in any rotational orientation. To avoid damaging
the input connectors, do not attempt to insert connectors or wire larger than 0.036 in. (0.91 mm) in
diameter. Avoid rotating square pins after they are inserted into the input connectors.
The included accessories simplify the task of connecting the probe to the test circuit:
Use the small (0.5 mm) mini clips with the flexible lead set when connecting to fine-pitch
surface mount IC leads.
Use the larger (0.8 mm) mini clips to connect to through-hole leaded components.
Use the offset round pins for hand-held probing applications. Reposition the pins by
rotating them to obtain the required spacing.
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AP033 Active Differential Probe
Probe Input Loading
Attaching any probe to a test circuit will add some loading. In most applications, the high
impedance of the AP033 Active Differential Probe inputs imparts an insignificant load to the test
circuit. However at very high frequencies, the capacitive reactance of the probe’s input capacitance
may load the circuit enough to affect measurement accuracy. The equivalent model of the probe
input circuits is shown below:
Figure 2, AP033 Equivalent Input Model
Grounding the Probe
The single lead along with one of the larger (0.8 mm) mini clips can be used to ground the probe to
the test circuit. Insert the pin end of the lead into the receptacle marked:
CAUTION: Do not use the attenuator encoding receptacle (unmarked socket near the – input)
to ground the probe. Connection to the encoding receptacle will not provide adequate grounding
and may result in an incorrect effective gain indication.
In many cases it is not necessary to ground the probe to the circuit under test. However, if the test
circuit is isolated from earth ground, it is usually necessary to connect the probe ground to a point
in the circuit. Grounding test circuits that are referenced to earth ground may improve the fidelity
of high frequency components in the waveforms. The potential for improvement with grounding
will vary depending on the common mode source impedance. However, connecting the probe
ground to a circuit that is referenced to earth ground can create a ground loop that may add noise
to low amplitude signals. The rejection of high frequency common mode signals is improved when
the probe head is ungrounded.
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The best recommendation for connecting or not connecting the probe ground is to try both
configurations and select the one that performs the best.
NOTE The AP033 Active Differential Probe transmits the measured signal differentially through the
probe cable. This essentially eliminates signal degradation from ground loop effects within the
probe. However, creating a ground loop may introduce signal distortions in the test circuit itself, or
in any coaxial cable between the ADPPS power supply and the test instrument.
Selecting the Proper Range
The AP033 has two independent controls that set the common mode range and equivalent
volts/division. The probe gain can be set to x1 or x10. The gain control (GAIN) only affects the
differential mode range of the probe. A separate input attenuation control (ATTEN) sets the probe
input attenuator to either ÷ or ÷10. See Figure 3.
Figure 3, AP033 Block Diagram
The attenuator is located at the probe input and, therefore, affects both the differential mode and
common mode ranges. (Refer to the Reference Section for definitions of Common Mode and
Differential Mode.) By using the plug-on attenuator, you can extend the attenuation range to ÷100.
The maximum ranges are given in Table 1.
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AP033 Active Differential Probe
÷1 Attenuation
÷10 Attenuation
÷100 Attenuation
Common Mode Range
•±4.2 V
•±42 V •
±42 V
Differential Mode Range with
x1 Gain*
•±400 mV •
±4 V •
±40 V
Differential Mode Range with
x10 Gain*
•±40 mV •
±400 mV •
±4 V
Input Capacitance, each side to Ground
6.0 pF
3.0 pF
1.9 pF
Input Capacitance each side to Ground
with AC Coupler
7.3 pF
4.3 pF
3.2 pF
Table 1, AP033 Dynamic ranges and input capacitance at different attenuator settings
*Offset moves the center point of this range.
When you are using a differential probe or amplifier, be careful not to exceed the common mode
range. Because the common mode signal is rejected by the probe, and not displayed, changes in
the amplitude of the common mode component are not apparent. Exceeding the common mode
range may introduce distortion into the AP033 output. To reduce the possibility of errors caused by
exceeding the common mode range, the probe monitors the input voltage. If the common mode
range is exceeded when the ÷ input attenuator is selected, the probe will automatically switch to
the ÷attenuator. If the voltage on either input exceeds 55 volts, both the ÷ and
÷attenuator lights will alternately flash to alert the user to the over-range condition. There are
two combinations which result in x1 effective gain. A ÷attenuation with x10 gain results in
higher common mode range and lower input capacitance, but it increases the noise referred to the
input. Conversely, ÷ attenuation with x1 gain reduces the noise at the expense of less common
mode range and greater input capacitance.
Circuitry in the probe decodes the effective gain of the probe based on the settings of the gain,
internal attenuation and the presence of the external attenuator. The resulting effective gain is
displayed on the probe front panel.
Operation with Teledyne LeCroy Oscilloscopes
When the AP033 probe is connected to a Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscope equipped with the ProBus
interface, the displayed scale factor and measurement values will be adjusted to account for the
effective gain of the probe.
When the AP033 probe is first connected to the oscilloscope, the following message will appear:
“WARNING: Probe offset buttons are locked”. This is to alert the user that offset control must be
made through the oscilloscope, rather than through the buttons located on the probe. It does not
indicate a failure in the probe or oscilloscope.
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With oscilloscope software versions 7.6.0 and higher, the probe gain, internal attenuation, and
offset can be conveniently controlled through the oscilloscope’s user interface. The common mode
range is also displayed. Manual control through the oscilloscope user interface can be found in the
COUPLING menu or the Channel dialog of the channel to which the probe is connected. The
appearance and functionality of the control menu has changed with incremental versions of the
oscilloscope software.
With software versions 8.1.0 and higher, there are two modes of gain control: Auto and Manual.
The oscilloscope defaults to Auto mode when the probe is first attached. In Auto mode, the
VOLTS/DIV knob controls the oscilloscope’s scale factor, AP033 gain, and AP033 attenuation to give
the full available dynamic range: 200 μV/div to 1 V/div (without external attenuator), or 2 mV/div
to 10 V/div (with external ÷attenuator installed). Some of the transitions in scale factor will
result in a change of the attenuation in the AP033 probe. The common mode range, input
capacitance, and noise level of the probe will change with the probe attenuator setting. For
Volts/Div settings which can be produced with more than one combination of probe gain and
attenuation settings, Auto mode selects the combination which results in greater common mode
range and lower input capacitance.
In some situations, you may wish to select probe settings optimized for the lowest noise
performance with lower common mode range. Likewise, you may require that the probe not
change input capacitance, noise, or common mode range as you change the VOLTS/DIV setting.
These requirements can be met by setting the probe to Manual gain control mode. When set to
Manual mode, the dynamic range of the VOLTS/DIV knob is limited to the scale factors that can be
obtained without changing the AP033 gain or attenuation. Thus in Manual gain control mode, only
the scale factor of the oscilloscope will be changed. In this mode, dedicated menu boxes are
displayed for Probe Attenuation and Probe Gain. (Refer to Figure 3). The available values that
appear in the Probe Atten menu box will change depending on the presence of the external
attenuator. When the external ÷10 attenuator is not installed, ÷10 and ÷1 will be displayed. With
the external ÷10 attenuator, only ÷100 will be displayed. In software versions 8.1.0 and higher, the
channel OFFSET knob will control the probe offset, rather than the offset at the oscilloscope input.
The OFFSET buttons on the probe body are disabled.
The Coupling Menu refers to the probe input. The common mode dynamic range (CMDR) for the
selected probe gain and attenuation settings are displayed in the Probe Attenuation menu In some
versions of software, the input capacitance from each input to ground is also displayed.
When using the AP033 with the ADPPS power supply on oscilloscopes without a ProBus interface,
use Table 2 to select the desired effective volts per division scaling.
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