TEK TDS524A Digitizing Oscilloscope

Features

• 500 MHz bandwidth
• Sample rates to 1 GS/s
• 2 and 4 input channels
• Pulse width, 1 ns glitch, runt, pattern and state triggering
• 1 mV/div -10 V/div sensitivity
• Infinite and variable persistence displays
• Record lengths to 50,000 points
• 8-bit vertical resolution and up to 12 bits with HiRes Acquisition Mode
• High resolution color monitor (TDS 524A only)
• 3.5 inch DOS floppy disk drive
• Vertical accuracy to 1%
• Tek TriStar^TM (DSP) processor
• Slew Rate and Setup & Hold Violation triggers
• Waveform pass/fail testing
• 25 automatic measurements
• Full GPIB programmability
• Desktop publishing outputs
• HDTV Video trigger option
• Segmentable acquisition memory
• VGA output

Specifications

Channels:
4 (TDS 540A)
2+2 auxiliary (TDS 520A/524A)

Samplers:
2 (TDS 520A/524A)
4 (TDS 540A)

Bandwidth*:
500 MHz**

* Reduce the upper bandwidth frequencies by 2.5 MHz for each degree C above 30 degree C.

*** 1 mV/div: 250 MHz, 2 mV/div: 350 MHz.

CH1, CH2: 1 mV to 10 V/div

CH3, CH4: 1 mV to 10 V/div (TDS 540A)

AUX 1, AUX 2:
100 mV, 1.0 V, 10 V/div (TDS 520A)

Position Range: ±5 Divisions.

CH1, CH2:
±1 V from 1 to 99.5 mV/div

CH3, CH4:
±1 V from 1 to 99.5 mV/div (TDS 540A)

AUX 1, AUX 2:
10 mV/div ±.5 V, 1 V/div ±5.0 V, 10 V/div ±50 V (TDS 520A/524A)

Any One Channel:
500 MS/s (TDS 520A/524A)
1 GS/s (TDS 540A)

Any Two Channels:
250 MS/s (TDS 520A/524A)
500 MS/s (TDS 540A)

Four Channels:
250 MS/s (TDS 540A)

Any One Channel:
15K pts (50K opt.) (TDS 520A/524A)
50K (TDS 540A)

Any Two Channels:
15K pts (50K opt.) (TDS 520A/524A)
50K (TDS 540A)

Any Four Channels:
50K (TDS 540A)

Time Bases: Main, Delayed.

Time Base Range: 500 ps to 10 s/div.

Time Base Accuracy (over any interval >/=1 ms):
±25 ppm

Pre-Trigger Position:
0% to 100% of any record

Delay Between Channels (any 2 channels with equal V/div and coupling):
</=250 ps

DC Gain Accuracy:
±1.0%

Vertical Resolution: 8 bits (256 levels over 10.24 vertical divisions). >12 bits with HiRes ; >11 bits with averaging.

Analog Bandwidth Selections:
20 MHz, 100 MHz, and full (Except Aux 1 and Aux 2 on TDS 520A/524A are full BW only)

Step Response Setting: </=0.5% error within 20 ns of a </=2 V step.

Effective Bits:
6.0 Bits (500 MHz at 1 GS/s) HiRes

Input Coupling: AC, DC or GND.

Input Impedance Selections: 1 Megohm in parallel with 10 pF, or 50 ohm (AC and DC coupling).

Maximum Input Voltage: ±400 V (DC+ peak AC). Derate at 20 dB/decade above 1 MHz. 1 Megohm or GND coupled.

Channel Isolation: >/=100:1 at 100 MHz and >/=30:1 at bandwidth for any two channels having equal Volts/div settings.

AC Coupled Low Frequency Limit: </=10 Hz when AC 1 Megohm coupled. </=200 kHz when AC 50 ohm coupled.

Peak Detect: High frequency and random glitch capture. Captures glitches of 4 ns using acquisition hardware at all real-time sampling rates.

Sample: Sample data only.

Envelope: Max/min values acquired over one or more acquisitions.

Average: Waveform averages selectable from 2 to 10,000.

HiRes: Vertical resolution improvement and noise reduction on low-frequency signals, e.g. 12 bits at 50 µs/div and slower .

FastFrame[TM]: Acquisition memory size segmentable with trigger rate up to 50,000 per second from 50 to 5,000 points per frame (independent of the number of channels).

Single Sequence: Use Run/Stop button to capture a single triggered acquisition at a time which may be automatically saved to NVRAM with AutoSave.

EDGE (main and delayed): Conventional level driven trigger. Positive or negative slope on any channel or rear panel auxiliary input (Except TDS 520A/524A). Coupling Selections: DC, AC, noise reject, HF reject, LF reject.

PULSE (main):

WIDTH: Trigger on width of positive or negative pulse either within or not within selectable time limits. Time limits settable from 2 ns to 1 s.

GLITCH: Trigger on or reject glitches of positive, negative or either polarity. Minimum glitch width threshold is 2.0 ns , with 200 ps resolution.

RUNT: Trigger on a pulse that crosses one threshold but fails to cross a second threshold before crossing the first again.

PATTERN: Specifies a logical combination (AND, OR, NAND, NOR) of the four input channels (Hi, Lo, Don't Care). Trigger when pattern stays True or False for user specified time.

STATE: Any logical pattern of channels 1, 2 and 3 (AUX1 on TDS 520A/524A) plus clock edge on channel 4 (AUX2 on TDS 520A/524A). Triggerable on positive or negative clock edge.

Video (Optional) NTSC, PAL, HDTV, FlexFormat[TM]: Trigger on a particular line of individual, odd/even, or all fields. Trigger on a specific pixel of a line by using video trigger with delay by events. Choose horizontal sync polarity. Choose from popular HDTV formats (1125/60, 1050/60 1250/50, 787.5/60) or use FlexFormat[TM] for other HDTV-type formats by defining frame rep rate, number of lines and fields, and sync timing structure.

Triggers: Main, Delayed.

Main Trigger Modes: Auto, Normal, Single.

Delayed Trigger: Delayed by time, events, or events and time.

Time Delay Range: 16 ns to 250 s.

Events Delay Range: 1 to 9,999,999 events.

External Rear Input: (except TDS 520A/524A) >/=1.5 kilohm; Max input voltage is ±20 V (DC + AC peak).

Waveform Style: Dots, vectors, variable persistence selectable from 250 ms to 10 s, infinite persistence, and intensified samples.

Color: Standard palettes and user definable colors for waveforms, text, graticules, and cursors. Measurement text and cursor colors matched to waveform. Waveform collision areas highlighted with different color. Statistical waveform distribution shown with color grading through variable persistence.

Color Grading: (TDS 524A only) With variable persistence selected, historical timing information is represented by temperature or spectral color scheme providing "z-axis" information about rapidly changing waveforms.

Gray Scaling: With variable persistence selected, waveform points time-decay through 16 levels of intensity.

Waveform Capture Rate: For 500 point waveforms with infinite persistence mode selected: 150/sec

Graticules: Full, grid, cross hair, frame. NTSC and PAL with video trigger option.

Format: YT and XY.

Fit to Screen: Entire acquisition memory displayed on screen.

The zoom feature allows waveforms to be expanded or compressed in both vertical and horizontal axes. Allows precise comparison and study of fine waveform detail without affecting ongoing acquisitions. When used with HiRes or Average acquisition modes, Zoom provides an effective vertical dynamic range of 1000 divisions or 100 screens.

Automatic Waveform Measurements: Period, Frequency, High, Low, + Width, -Width, Maximum, Minimum, Rise, Fall, Peak to Peak, Amplitude, + Duty cycle, -Duty cycle, + Overshoot, -Overshoot, Propagation Delay, Burst Width, Mean, Cycle Mean, RMS, Cycle RMS, Area, Cycle Area, Phase.

Continuous update of up to four measurements on any combination of waveforms.

Thresholds: Settable in percentage or voltage.

Gated: Any region of the record may be isolated for measurement using vertical bars.

Snapshot: Performs all measurements on any one waveform showing results from one instant in time.

Cursor Measurements: Absolute, Delta; Volts, Time, Frequency. NTSC IRE and Line Number with video trigger option.

Time Measurements Accuracy: (Single Shot Typical)
<160 ps @ 1 GS/s (TDS 540A)
<305 ps @ 500 MS/s (TDS 520A/524A)

Cursor Types: Horizontal bars (volts); Vertical bars (time); operated independently or in tracking mode.

Waveform Functions: Interpolate-selectable sin(x)/x or linear, Average, Envelope.

Advanced Waveform Functions: (Standard on TDS 524A) FFT, Integration, Differentiation.

Arithmetic Operators: Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide, Invert.

Autosetup: Single button, automatic setup on selected input signal for vertical, horizontal and trigger systems.

Waveform Limit Testing: Compares incoming or math waveform to a reference waveform's upper and lower limits.

GPIB (IEEE-488.2) Programmability: Full talk/listen modes. Control of all modes, settings, and measurements.

Printer: HPThinkjet, Epson, Interleaf, Deskjet, Laserjet, PostScript, TIFF, PCX, BMP (Microsoft Windows), DPU 411/412, RLE.

Plotter: HPGL.

Interface: GPIB standard.

Hardcopy Interface: (Standard on TDS 524A/544A) Centronics and RS-232.

Waveforms:
4 full 50 K point records.

Setups: 10 front panel setups.

Floppy Drive: (Standard on TDS 524A) Store reference waveforms, setups, and image files on 3.5 inch 1.44 MByte or 720 KByte DOS format floppy disk.

Type: (TDS 520A/540A) 7 in. diagonal, magnetic deflection. Horizontal raster-scan. P4 White phosphor.

Type: (TDS 524A) 7 in. diagonal, NuColor^TM liquid crystal full color shutter display. 256 color levels.

Resolution: 640 horizontal by 480 vertical displayed pixels (VGA).

Line Voltage Range: 90 to 250 V RMS.

Line Frequency: 45 to 440 Hz.

Power Consumption: 300 Watts max.

Temperature:
Operating: +4 to +50 degree C (floppy not used).
+10 to +50 degree C (floppy in use).
Nonoperating: -22 to +60 degree C.

Humidity:
Operating (floppy not used): To 80% RH at </=32 degree C. Derates to 30% RH at +45 degree C.
Operating (floppy in use): To 80% RH at </=32 degree C. Derates to 30% RH at +45 degree C.
Nonoperating: To 90% RH at 3 405C. Derates to 30% RH at +60 degree C.

Altitude:
Operating: 15,000 ft.
Nonoperating: 40,000 ft.

Electromagnetic Compatibility: Meets or exceeds Vfg. 243/1991 amended per Vfg. 46/1992; FCC 47 CFR, Part 15, Subpart B, Class A; EN 50081-1; and EN 50082-1.

Safety: Listed UL 1244; CSA - C22 No. 23; Tektronix self-certification to comply with IEC 348 recommendations.

Dimensions:
Height (with feet): 193 mm (7.6 in.)
Height (without feet): 178 mm (7.0 in.)
Width (with handle): 445 mm (17.5 in.)
Depth (with front cover installed): 434 mm (17.1 in)
Net Weight: approx. 14.1 kg (31 lb.)
Shipping Weight: approx. 25.4 kg (56 lb.)

Ordering Information

TEK TDS524A Digitizing Oscilloscope

Includes: Two each P6139A 2 ch probes; four each P6139A 4 ch probes; Reference Manual (070-8711-01); User Manual (070-8710-01); Technical Reference Manual (070-8712-01); Programmer Manual (070-8709-06); Front cover (200-3696-01); U.S. Power Supply (161-0230-01).

Opt. 05: Add Video Trigger; NTSC, PAL, HDTV, FlexFormat[TM].

Opt. 1F: (TDS 520A/540A only) Add 3.5 inch floppy disk drive.

Opt. 1K: K420 scope cart without power strip.

Opt. 1M:
50K Memory Length. (TDS 520A/524A)

Opt. 1R: Rack Mount.

Opt. 2D: (TDS 520A/524A only) Delete 2 ea standard probes.

Opt. 2F: (TDS 520A/540A only) Extended waveform math; FFT, Integration, Differentiation.

Opt. 2P: (TDS 524A only) Tektronix Phaser[TM] 200e thermal wax transfer color printer.

Opt. 4D: (TDS 540A only) Delete 4 ea standard probes.

Opt. 13: (TDS 520A/540A only) Add RS 232C and Centronics hardcopy interfaces.

Opt. 22: (TDS 520A/524A only) Two additional P6139A Probes.

Opt. 23: Add 2 ea P6205 active probes.

Opt. 95: NIST, MIL-STD-45662A and ISO 9000 calibration certification.

Opt. 96: Calibration data.