Teledyne MXs-B User Manual

Getting Started
Manual

WaveSurfer® MXs-B
Oscilloscopes

WaveSurfer® MXs-B

Series Oscilloscopes

Getting Started Manual

January, 2013

700 Chestnut Ridge Road
Chestnut Ridge, NY, 10977-6499
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
teledynelecroy.com

© 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 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

NOTE: THE WARRANTY BELOW 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. TELEDYNE LECROY SHALL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER IN
CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE. THE CUSTOMER IS 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 TRANSPORT
PREPAID.

The oscilloscope is warranted for normal use and operation, within specifications, for a
period of three years from shipment. Teledyne LeCroy will either repair or, at our option,
replace any product returned to one of our authorized service centers within this period.
However, in order to do this we must first examine the product and find that it is defective
due to workmanship or materials and not due to misuse, neglect, accident, or abnormal
conditions or operation.

Teledyne LeCroy shall not be responsible for any defect, damage, or failure caused by any of
the following: a) attempted repairs or installations by personnel other than Teledyne LeCroy
representatives or b) improper connection to incompatible equipment, or c) for any damage
or malfunction caused by the use of non-Teledyne LeCroy supplies. Furthermore, Teledyne
LeCroy shall not be obligated to service a product that has been modified or integrated
where the modification or integration increases the task duration or difficulty of servicing
the oscilloscope. Spare and replacement parts, and repairs, all have a 90-day warranty.

The oscilloscope's firmware has been thoroughly tested and is presumed to be functional.
Nevertheless, it is supplied without warranty of any kind covering detailed performance.
Products not made by Teledyne LeCroy are covered solely by the warranty of the original
equipment manufacturer.

922172-00 Rev A
January 2013

Getting Started Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome .................................................................................................. 1

Safety Instructions .................................................................................... 2

Symbols.................................................................................................. 2

Precautions ............................................................................................ 2

Operating Environment ......................................................................... 3

Cooling ................................................................................................... 3

Cleaning ................................................................................................. 4

Power ..................................................................................................... 4

When Your Oscilloscope is Delivered ........................................................ 5

Check that You Have Everything ............................................................ 5

Maintenance Agreements ..................................................................... 5

Software ................................................................................................... 6

Adding a New Option............................................................................. 6

Restarting the Application ..................................................................... 6

Rebooting the Oscilloscope ................................................................... 6

Windows® License Agreement .............................................................. 6

Basic Controls ........................................................................................... 7

Front Panel ............................................................................................ 7

Vertical Controls .................................................................................... 8

Horizontal Controls ................................................................................ 9

Trigger Controls ..................................................................................... 9

AutoSetup Button ................................................................................ 10

Measure, Zoom, and Math Quick Buttons .......................................... 10

Cursor Knobs and Buttons ................................................................... 10

Adjust Knob ......................................................................................... 11

Print Button ......................................................................................... 11

Clear Sweeps........................................................................................ 11

Touch Screen ....................................................................................... 11

Intensity/Acquisition Mode ................................................................. 11

Probe and Signal Connection Interfaces .............................................. 12

Display Dashboard .................................................................................. 13

Menu Bar ............................................................................................. 14

Grid Area .............................................................................................. 15

922172-00 Rev A i

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscope

Descriptor Labels .................................................................................. 17

Message Bar ......................................................................................... 18

Alternative Access Methods ................................................................. 18

Turning on Channels and Traces .............................................................. 19

Vertical Setup ......................................................................................... 20

Coupling................................................................................................ 20

Deskew ................................................................................................. 20

Probe Attenuation ................................................................................ 20

Bandwidth Limiting .............................................................................. 21

Averaging Your Signal ........................................................................... 21

Interpolation Settings ........................................................................... 21

Noise Filtering (ERES) ........................................................................... 21

Using Shortcut Toolbar ......................................................................... 21

TimeBase ................................................................................................ 22

Timebase Setup and Control ................................................................ 22

Sampling Modes ................................................................................... 23

Single-shot Sampling Mode .................................................................. 23

Sequence Sampling Mode – Working with Segments .......................... 24

RIS Sampling Mode - For Higher Sampling Rates ................................. 26

Roll Mode ............................................................................................. 26

WaveStream Fast Viewing Mode / Intensity ........................................ 27

Triggering ................................................................................................ 28

Overview .............................................................................................. 28

Trigger Terms ....................................................................................... 28

Trigger Setup ........................................................................................ 29

Basic Triggers ........................................................................................ 33

SMART Triggers .................................................................................... 34

Serial Trigger and Decode (Optional) ................................................... 35

Viewing Waveforms ................................................................................ 37

Display Setup ........................................................................................ 37

Zooming your Channels ........................................................................ 37

Analyzing Waveforms ............................................................................. 42

Measuring with Cursors ....................................................................... 42

Turning On Cursors ............................................................................... 43

ii 922172-00 Rev A

Getting Started Manual

Cursor Types ........................................................................................ 43

Reading Cursor Information ................................................................ 45

Measuring with Parameters ................................................................... 46

Overview .............................................................................................. 46

Setting Up Parameter(s) ...................................................................... 46

Understanding Parameter Displays ..................................................... 48

Parameter Gates (Windows) ............................................................... 50

Measurement Statistics ....................................................................... 50

Turning Off Parameters ....................................................................... 51

WaveScan™ Advanced Search and Analysis ............................................ 51

Introduction to WaveScan ................................................................... 51

Working with Sampling Modes ............................................................ 61

Using the Math Trace ............................................................................. 64

Overview .............................................................................................. 64

Description of math functions ............................................................. 65

Setting up a Math Trace ...................................................................... 67

Using Dual Operators........................................................................... 68

Math Descriptor Label ......................................................................... 69

Zooming Math ..................................................................................... 69

Toolbar Shortcuts ................................................................................ 70

Pass/Fail Testing ..................................................................................... 71

Overview .............................................................................................. 71

Mask Tests ........................................................................................... 71

Actions ................................................................................................. 71

Setting Up Pass/Fail Testing................................................................. 72

Mask Testing Setup .............................................................................. 73

Saving and Recalling Waveforms ......................................................... 74

Overview .............................................................................................. 74

Saving and Recalling Memories ........................................................... 74

Saving and Recalling Waveform Data .................................................. 76

Saving Screen Images .......................................................................... 78

Saving and Recalling Setups ................................................................. 81

Sharing Data & Communicating .............................................................. 82

Overview .............................................................................................. 82

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WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscope

Standard outputs .................................................................................. 83

Documenting Your Work Using LabNotebook ..................................... 84

Connecting to a Network ..................................................................... 84

Sending E-mail from the Oscilloscope .................................................. 85

Controlling and Viewing Remotely ....................................................... 85

Accessing the Desktop .......................................................................... 86

Annotating Image Files / Creating Labels ............................................. 86

Saving Data Files and Images ............................................................... 87

Creating Reference Waveforms (Memories)........................................ 87

Printing ................................................................................................. 88

Print Management ............................................................................... 88

Utilities and Preferences ......................................................................... 90

Overview .............................................................................................. 90

Status .................................................................................................... 90

Remote Communication ...................................................................... 90

Aux Output ........................................................................................... 92

Setting the Date and Time .................................................................... 93

Options ................................................................................................. 94

Service .................................................................................................. 94

Show Windows Desktop ....................................................................... 94

Touch-Screen Calibration ..................................................................... 94

Preferences .......................................................................................... 95

Acquisition Status ................................................................................. 97

Remote Control Operation ................................................................... 97

Automation .......................................................................................... 98

Standards.............................................................................................. 98

System Recovery .................................................................................. 99

Software Recovery Application .......................................................... 100

Reference .............................................................................................. 102

Certifications ...................................................................................... 102

Contact Teledyne LeCroy .................................................................... 106

X-Stream Software End-User License Agreement .............................. 107

Windows® License Agreement ............................................................ 115

iv 922172-00 Rev A

Getting Started Manual

922172-00 Rev A 1

Welcome

Thank you for purchasing a Teledyne LeCroy product. This Operator's
Manual includes important safety and installation information for your
WaveSurfer Oscilloscope, along with operating procedures for capturing,
viewing, and analyzing waveforms.

This WaveSurfer Manual is organized in the following manner:

 Hardware (physical features) and Basic Controls
 Viewing Waveforms, includes instructions on setting up the Display
 Vertical and Horizontal Settings, Sampling Modes, and Triggering
 Analyzing Waveforms using parameter Measurements, Math

functions, and Reference Waveforms

 Saving and Recalling oscilloscope setups, waveforms, .CSV files, and

waveform images. This section also provides procedures to recall
factory settings.

 Reference section including certification and contact information.

When oscilloscope is delivered, verify that all items on the packing list or
invoice copy have been shipped to you. Contact your nearest Teledyne
LeCroy customer service center or national distributor if anything is missing
or damaged. If you do not contact us immediately, we cannot be
responsible for replacement. Contact us for support if you have any
difficulties using the product. You can also refer to additional support
materials at teledynelecroy.com.

We truly hope these materials provide increased comprehension when
using Teledyne LeCroy's fine products.

Sincerely,

David C. Graef

Teledyne LeCroy

Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

2 922172-00 Rev A

CAUTION of damage to instrument, or WARNING of hazard to
health. Attend to the accompanying information to protect
against personal injury or damage. Do not proceed until
conditions are fully understood and met.

WARNING. Risk of electro-shock.

Measurement ground connection.
Safety (protective) ground connection.

Alternating Current.

Safety Instructions

This section contains instructions that must be observed to keep the
instrument 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 instrument is the
responsibility of the assembler of the system.

Symbols

These symbols appear on the instrument's front or rear panels and in its
documentation to alert you to important safety considerations.

Precautions

 Use proper power cord. Use only the power cord shipped with this

instrument and certified for the country of use.

 Maintain ground. This product is grounded through the power cord

grounding conductor. To avoid electric shock, connect only to a
grounded mating outlet.

 Connect and disconnect properly. Do not connect/disconnect

probes or test leads while they are connected to a voltage source.

Getting Started Manual

922172-00 Rev A 3

 Observe all terminal ratings. Do not apply a voltage to any input

(C1, C2, C3, C4 or EXT) that exceeds the maximum rating of that
input. Refer to the front of the oscilloscope for maximum input
ratings.

 Use only within operational environment listed. Do not use in wet

or explosive atmospheres.

 Use indoors only.
 Keep product surfaces clean and dry.
 Do not block the cooling vents. Leave a minimum six-inch (15 cm)

gap between the instrument and the nearest object. Keep the
underside clear of papers and other objects.

 Do not remove the covers or inside parts. Refer all maintenance to

qualified service personnel.

 Do not operate with suspected failures. Do not use the product if

any part is damaged. Obviously incorrect measurement behaviors
(such as failure to calibrate) might indicate impairment due to
hazardous live electrical quantities. Cease operation immediately
and sequester the instrument from inadvertent use.

Operating Environment

Temperature: 10 to 40 °C.

Humidity: Maximum relative humidity 80 % for temperatures up to 31 °C

decreasing linearly to 50 % relative humidity at 40 °C (or at the upper
operational temperature limit).

Altitude: Up to 10,000 ft (3,048 m) at or below 25 °C.

Cooling

The instrument relies on forced air cooling with internal fans and vents.
Take care to avoid restricting the airflow to any part of the oscilloscope.
Around the sides and rear, leave a minimum of 15 cm (6 inches) between
the instrument and the nearest object. At the bottom, the oscilloscope feet
(up or down) provide adequate clearance.

CAUTION. Do not block oscilloscope vents. Always keep the area

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

4 922172-00 Rev A

beneath the oscilloscope clear of paper and other items.

The instrument also has internal fan control circuitry that regulates the fan
speed based on the ambient temperature. This is performed automatically
after start-up.

Cleaning

Clean only the exterior of the oscilloscope using a damp, soft cloth. Do not
use harsh chemicals or abrasive elements. Under no circumstances
submerge the instrument or allow moisture to penetrate it. Avoid electric
shock by unplugging the power cord from the AC outlet before cleaning.

CAUTION. Do not attempt to clean internal parts. Refer to qualified
service personnel.

Power

Power Consumption

The instrument operates from a single-phase, 100 to 240 V
power source at 50/60 Hz (+/-5%), or single-phase 100 to 120 V
AC power source at 400 Hz (+/-5%).

No manual voltage selection is required because the instrument
automatically adapts to line voltage.

Depending on the accessories installed (front panel probes, PC port plug­ins, etc.), the instrument can draw up to 340 W (340 VA) max – all 4
channel models and 290 W (290 VA) max – all 2 channel models.

(+/-10%) AC

rms

(+/-10%)

rms

Power and Ground Connections

The instrument is provided with a grounded cord set containing a molded
three-terminal polarized plug and a standard IEC320 (Type C13) connector
for making line voltage and safety ground connection.

The AC inlet ground is connected directly to the frame of the instrument.
For adequate protection again electric shock, connect to a mating outlet
with a safety ground contact.

WARNING. Interrupting the protective conductor inside or outside
the oscilloscope, or disconnecting the safety ground terminal,

creates a hazardous situation. Intentional interruption is prohibited.

Getting Started Manual

922172-00 Rev A 5

Standby Power

The Power (Standby) button controls the operational state of the
oscilloscope. Press the button to switch the instrument On or into Standby
mode (Off). Always use the Power button or the File > Shutdown menu
option to execute a proper shut down process and preserve settings before
powering down.

Powering off does not disconnect the oscilloscope from the AC power
supply. The only way to fully power down the instrument is to shut down
then unplug the AC power cord from the outlet.

We recommend unplugging the instrument if it will be unused for a long
period of time.

When Your Oscilloscope is Delivered

Check that You Have Everything

First, verify that all items on the packing list or invoice copy have been
shipped to you. Contact your nearest Teledyne LeCroy customer service
center or national distributor if anything is missing or damaged. If there is
something missing or damaged, and you do not contact us immediately, we
cannot be responsible for replacement.

Maintenance Agreements

We offer a variety of services under the heading of Maintenance
Agreements. These give extended warranty and allow you to budget
maintenance costs after the initial three-year warranty has expired.
Installation, training, enhancements, and on-site repairs, among other
services, are available through special supplemental support agreements.
Inquire at your Teledyne LeCroy customer service center or national
distributor.

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

6 922172-00 Rev A

Software

Find out the oscilloscope's software and hardware configuration by
choosing Utilities → Status from the menu bar.

Adding a New Option

New software options can be added after purchasing a code and then
enabling the option on the oscilloscope. Call Teledyne LeCroy Customer
Support to place an order and receive the code.

Restarting the Application

Upon initial power-up, the oscilloscope loads the instrument application
software automatically.

 If you exit the application and want to reload it, touch the shortcut icon

on the desktop:

 If you minimize the application, touch the desktop icon to maximize it:

Rebooting the Oscilloscope

If you need to restart the Windows® operating system, you must reboot
the oscilloscope by pressing the power switch, and then turning the power
back on after a ten-second wait.

Windows® License Agreement

Teledyne LeCroy's agreement with Microsoft prohibits users from running
software on Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscopes that is not relevant to
measuring, analyzing, or documenting waveforms.

922172-00 Rev A 7

Basic Controls

Front Panel

Getting Started Manual

The WaveSurfer MXs-B front
panel is designed to allow you to
operate basic oscilloscope
functions without having to open
software dialogs. Use the
Horizontal and Vertical controls as
you would for any other
oscilloscope. This topic provides
descriptions of the various
controls.

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

8 922172-00 Rev A

Vertical Controls are multiplexed for each
channel. The lighted channel button indicates
which channel the controls are active for.

Turn channels ON by pressing the
corresponding channel button.

Channels are made active by pressing the
channel button again.

Turn channels OFF by pressing the channel
button (activating it), and then pressing again
to turn it OFF.

Inactive Channel

Active Channel

Vertical Controls

When a channel is active, its descriptor label changes appearance.

When a channel is turned OFF, the next channel in sequence becomes the
active channel.

If no front panel channel buttons are lit, it means either that no channels
are turned ON, or that a Math, Zoom, or Memory trace is active. In that
case, the vertical offset and sensitivity knobs adjust the vertical position
and vertical scale of the Math, Zoom, or Memory (Reference Waveform)
trace.

922172-00 Rev A 9

Horizontal Controls

Set up the timebase by using the front panel Horizontal
controls, just as for analog oscilloscopes. The
WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscope allocates memory as
needed to maintain the highest sample rate possible for
the timebase setting.

The WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscope can acquire in
either Real-Time up to 5 GS/s per channel, Random
Interleaved Sampling (RIS, up to 50 GS/s), or Roll mode
(up to 5 MS/s).

At certain very low time/division settings, the
oscilloscope defaults to RIS mode of operation to
maintain the highest sample rate.

At long time/division settings, the oscilloscope defaults
to Roll mode operation so the signal shown on the
screen are not delayed by the long acquisition time.
Maximum sample rate in Roll mode operation is 5 MS/s.

Stop

Cancels the capture in Auto, Normal, or Single trigger mode

Auto

Triggers the oscilloscope after a time-out, even if the trigger
conditions are not met.

Normal

Triggers the oscilloscope each time a signal is present that
meets the conditions set for the type of trigger selected.

Single

Arms the oscilloscope to trigger once (single-shot acquisition)
when the input signal meets the trigger conditions set for the
type of trigger selected. If the oscilloscope is already armed, it
forces a trigger.

Setup

Displays the Trigger setup screen.

Getting Started Manual

Trigger Controls

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

10 922172-00 Rev A

Automatically sets timebase, trigger, and sensitivity to
display a wide range of repetitive signals.

Measure – Press once to open the measure dialog.
Press again to close the dialog.

QuickZoom – Press once to create zooms of all
displayed channels. Press again to unzoom.

Math – Press once to turn on the Math trace, and
display the Math Setup dialog. Press again to close the
dialog.

The WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscope has dedicated dual
cursor knobs for cursor control. Cursors always default
to a relative state (two cursors ON).

Knobs – Rotate to adjust cursor position. If Cursors are
OFF, rotating either knob turns Cursors ON. At this
point, push in the button to set it as the default
position.

Type Button – Pressing the Type button once turns
Cursors ON to Horizontal (Time) measurements.
Pressing the button again changes it to Vertical
(Amplitude) measurements. Pressing it a third time
turns the Cursors OFF.

AutoSetup Button

Measure, Zoom, and Math Quick Buttons

Cursor Knobs and Buttons

922172-00 Rev A 11

Adjust Knob

The adjust knob can be used to make adjustments to a
value when a dialog is open and the selected control
has a yellow highlight.

Push the knob in to toggle between coarse and fine
adjustments.

This button can be programmed to print the screen to
a file, a printer, or the clipboard. It can also send the
file as an e-mail attachment. Select the instrument and
format it under the Utilities  Hardcopy dialog.

Clears data from multiple sweeps (acquisitions)
including: persistence displays, parameter
(measurement) statistics, and averaged traces.

The Touch Screen lighted pushbutton indicates if the
oscilloscope touch screen is operational. If the button
is lighted, the touch screen is ON. If the button is not
lighted, the touch screen is turned OFF. The button
toggles between these two states.

The INTENSITY knob adjusts the brightness of your

trace. Pushing the button toggles between
WaveStream fast-viewing mode (indicator lamp on)
and real-time mode (lamp off).

Print Button

Clear Sweeps

Getting Started Manual

Touch Screen

Intensity/Acquisition Mode

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

12 922172-00 Rev A

Current Probes

Available from 30 A to 500 A.

Active Probes

Single-ended to >1 GHz.

Differential Probes

Differential from 15 MHz to >1 GHz.

Passive Probes

The PP009 and PP011 passive probes guarantee full
instrument bandwidth at the probe tip. Other passive
probes can be used with performance limitations.

High Voltage Probes

For measuring up to 20 kV.

Probe and Signal Connection Interfaces

Teledyne LeCroy WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscopes contain probe interfaces
that provide a complete measurement solution from probe tip to
oscilloscope display. All probe interfaces permit automatic recognition of
connected probes. For active single-ended and differential voltage probes
and current probes, these interfaces upload data regarding the
attenuation, offset and units from the probe EEPROM's.

The Teledyne LeCroy WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscopes include ProBus
probe interfaces. The ProBus interface offers both 50 Ω/1 MΩ input
impedance and provides probe power and control for a wide range of
probes such as high impedance passive probes, high impedance active
probes, current probes, high voltage probes, and differential probes.

Probe Calibration

The passive probe supplied with your WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscope is
calibrated for the WaveSurfer MXs-B input impedance. If using other
passive probes with your WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscope, be sure to
calibrate them using the 1 kHz square wave signal available on the AUX
OUT terminal before using them for signal measurements.

Teledyne LeCroy offers a variety of other passive and active probes for use
with your WaveSurfer MXs-B Series oscilloscope. Visit teledynelecroy.com
for specifications and ordering information.

Getting Started Manual

922172-00 Rev A 13

Passive Probe Compensation

Passive probes must be compensated to flatten overshoot. This is
accomplished by means of a trimmer at the connector end of the probe.

Attach the connector end of your passive probe to any channel.

Connect the probe end to the CAL output connector at the front of the
oscilloscope. Ground the probe.

Adjust the trim pot at the connector end of the probe until the square
wave is as flat as possible.

Display Dashboard

The WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscope’s display contains valuable information
about the current settings of your Vertical (channel), Horizontal
(Timebase), and Trigger controls. In addition, there are many shortcuts that
are available by using the touch screen capability of your display to quickly
access information or to open dialogs.

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

14 922172-00 Rev A

Menu Bar

The top menu bar provides access to various software dialogs. It is very
similar to the File menu on any Windows program. For common

oscilloscope operations, you don’t need to use the top menu bar (since you

can access most dialogs from the Front Panel or from the Descriptor
Labels). However, it is the only way to access setup or other dialogs for the
following:

 Display Setup
 Save or Recall Waveform
 Save or Recall Setups
 Print Setup
 Vertical (Channel), Horizontal, or Trigger Status
 Memory (Reference Waveform) Setup
 Pass/Fail Setup
 Utilities and Preferences Setup

At the right-hand end of the top menu bar is an Undo button.

This button appears after the AutoSetup front panel button is pressed, and
after Zooming. If you want to perform an Undo operation, it must be the
very next operation after you perform the Autosetup or Zoom operation.

Getting Started Manual

922172-00 Rev A 15

The trigger delay Indicator is a color-coded triangle
that is positioned horizontally on the grid.

Trigger delay horizontally positions the
oscilloscope trace on the display so you can
observe the signal prior to the trigger time. It
adjusts the pre- and post-trigger time.

Grid Area

The grid area is divided into 8 vertical divisions and 10 horizontal divisions.
There are several indicators on the grid to help you understand the
following:

 Trigger Delay setting
 Trigger Level Setting
 Trace Zero Level

These indicators are color-coded to the same color as the channel that the
oscilloscope is currently set to trigger on.

Trigger Delay Indicator

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

16 922172-00 Rev A

Post-trigger delay is indicated by a color-coded
arrow pointing to the left.

All trigger delay values (including post-trigger
delay, shown here) are displayed in the timebase
descriptor label.

The trigger level Indicator is a color-coded triangle
that is positioned vertically on the grid.

In Stop trigger mode, the solid triangle also appears
with a hollow triangle of the same color if the level
is changed at that time. The hollow triangle
indicates what the trigger level is for the next valid
trigger.

The trigger level indicator is not shown if the
triggering channel is not displayed.

The zero volts level indicator is a color-coded label
that is positioned vertically on the grid.

Change the zero level by using the front panel

OFFSET knob in the VERTICAL control area. Rotate

this knob to adjust, or push to set to zero volts.
Push again to toggle back to the previous offset
setting.

Trigger Level Indicator

Zero Level Indicator

922172-00 Rev A 17

Descriptor Labels

Channel trace labels show the vertical settings for
the signal. The title bar (colored area) of the label
shows the channel number on the far left.

Other information is indicated on the title bar, as
follows:

 Coupling (AC 1M, DC 1M, DC 50, GND)
 Deskew (DSQ) set to non-zero value
 Bandwidth Limiting (BWL) ON
 Averaging (AVG) ON
 Interpolation
 Inversion
 Probe attenuation
 Enhanced Resolution (ERES) ON

Some of these indicators may be abbreviated if
several are on at one time.

Touch a channel descriptor label once to make the
front panel vertical controls active for that channel.
Touch it again to open the software dialog for
further adjustment.

If cursors are ON, cursor information for this channel
appears on this trace label.

The title bar of the TimeBase (Horizontal) label
shows the trigger delay setting at the far right. Time
per division, sample rate, and number of samples
are indicated below the title bar.

Information is contained in rectangular boxes called descriptor labels.
These labels contain status information, and also act as shortcuts to the full
dialog when you touch them. Channel descriptor labels are displayed only
for channels that are turned on. Timebase and trigger descriptor labels are
always displayed.

Getting Started Manual

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

18 922172-00 Rev A

Touch the timebase descriptor label once to open
the software dialog for further adjustment.

The title bar of the Trigger label shows the triggered
channel and the trigger coupling at the far right.
Trigger mode (Stopped), trigger type (Edge), level (0
mV), and slope (Positive) are indicated below the
title bar.

Touch the trigger descriptor label once to open the
software dialog for further adjustment.

Descriptor labels are also displayed for the math trace, zoom traces, and
memory (reference waveform) traces. These descriptor labels are only
displayed when their traces are turned ON.

Message Bar

At the bottom of the oscilloscope display is a narrow message bar. The
current date and time are displayed at the far right. Status, error, or other
messages are also shown in this area.

Alternative Access Methods

The front panel and display controls provide the most common ways to

access your oscilloscope’s capability. However, the instrument often gives

you more than one way to access dialogs and to make changes.

Top Menu Bar

If you prefer to drive the oscilloscope with the familiarity of Windows, you
might prefer to access dialogs from the menu bar at the top of the display.
This opens dialog boxes at the bottom of the screen, where adjustments
can be made.

The dialog area occupies the bottom one-third of the display. Expand the
signal display area by minimizing each dialog by touching the Close tab at
the right of the dialog box.

In some limited cases, the menu bar is the only way to access certain
functionality, but generally speaking, the most common oscilloscope
functionality can be controlled from the front panel.

Getting Started Manual

922172-00 Rev A 19

Mouse and Keyboard Operation

In the procedures, we focus on using the front panel for common
operations, and the touch screen for making selections. But, if you have a
mouse connected to the instrument, you can click on objects instead of
touching them. Likewise, if you have a keyboard connected, you can use it
to enter data instead of using the virtual keyboard provided by the
instrument.

Turning on Channels and Traces

Connect a signal to a channel (we’ll assume you connected to channel 1 in
this example and that the channel was not already ON).

Press the channel 1 button on the front panel to turn on channel 1. The
button lights and the descriptor label for that channel are shown.

If the signal is not on the grid, press the AUTO trigger button and adjust
Horizontal and Vertical front panel controls to adjust the settings and
display the signal, or simply press the AUTOSETUP button to quickly bring
most repetitive signals onto the grid.

If you need to change probe attenuation, coupling,
or bandwidth limiting, open the channel setup dialog
for channel 1 by touching the descriptor label for
channel 1. Press this button twice if it is not the
active trace.

Or, use the Vertical  Channel 1 Setup selection
from the menu bar to open the channel 1 setup
dialog.

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

20 922172-00 Rev A

At this point, the following dialog is shown at the bottom of the display,
and the grid area shortens until this dialog is closed (by touching the Close
button on the upper right hand corner of this dialog).

Vertical Setup

Coupling

Coupling choices are as follows:

 DC 50 Ω
 GROUND
 DC 1 MΩ
 AC 1 MΩ

Select coupling by touching inside the Coupling field and choosing a
coupling mode from the pop-up menu.

NOTE: The coupling choices for a channel change if a ProBus probe is
connected to a channel.

Deskew

Deskew allows you to compensate for different lengths of cables, probes,
or anything else that might cause timing mismatches between signals.
Connect all probes to the desired channels, then probe a common signal
with each probe and adjust for timing differences using Deskew.

Probe Attenuation

If you use a Teledyne LeCroy ProBus compatible active probe, or a probe
compatible with Probe Ring, the attenuation is automatically set by the
oscilloscope. If it is not automatically set, select a value here by touching
inside the Probe Atten field selecting a value from the pop-up menu.

Getting Started Manual

922172-00 Rev A 21

Bandwidth Limiting

You may sometimes want to limit high frequency noise on a very low
bandwidth input signal. If this is the case, you can limit the channel
bandwidth to less than the full bandwidth of the oscilloscope. Select a
different bandwidth by touching inside the Bandwidth field and selecting a
value from the pop-up menu.

Averaging Your Signal

The WaveSurfer MXs-B oscilloscope allows you the opportunity to
continuously average your signal to reduce signal noise and aid in signal
evaluation. If you want to use averaging, select a value here by touching
inside the Averaging field and entering a value up to 1 million sweeps on
the pop-up keypad.

Interpolation Settings

Linear interpolation, which inserts a straight line between sample points, is
best used to reconstruct straight-edged signals such as square waves.
(Sinx)/x interpolation, on the other hand, is suitable for reconstructing
curved or irregular wave shapes, especially when the sample rate is 3 to 5
times the system bandwidth.

Noise Filtering (ERES)

The instrument's enhanced resolution feature improves vertical resolution
by a fixed amount for each filter. This real increase in resolution occurs
whether or not the signal is noisy, or your signal is single-shot or repetitive.
The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement you gain is dependent on the
form of the noise in the original signal. The enhanced resolution filtering
decreases the bandwidth of the signal, filtering out some of the noise.

Using Shortcut Toolbar

These shortcut buttons can be used to perform specific actions for the
channel corresponding to the current setup dialog.

For more information on Measure, Zoom, Math, and Memories (Reference
Waveforms), refer to the section dealing with that subject.

WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes

22 922172-00 Rev A

Opens a Measurement selection pop-up menu. You can then
select up to 6 parameters (measurements) for the active
channel from this menu without leaving the Channel Setup
dialog. The parameter automatically appears below the grid.

Creates a zoom trace of the channel signal. The zoom trace
becomes active, and you can use the Vertical and Horizontal
controls to modify its scale and position.

Opens a Math selection pop-up menu. You can then select a
math function for the active channel from this menu without
leaving the Channel Setup dialog. The Math trace is then
displayed in its own grid.

Copies the channel trace into its corresponding Memory
(Reference Waveform) location. For instance, C1 is loaded
into M1, C2 is loaded into M2, etc.

Automatically performs a vertical scaling that fits the
waveform into the grid.

Opens a Labeling pop-up menu that allows user-defined
labels tied to the waveform.

TimeBase

Timebase Setup and Control

Set up the Timebase by using the front panel Horizontal controls or the
Timebase menu bar, trace descriptor label and dialog box.

1. Touch Timebase → Horizontal Setup on the menu bar. The

Timebase dialog is shown.

2. Touch inside the Time/Division data entry field and enter a value.

3. Touch inside the Delay data entry field and enter a value.