Tektronix 8 Series sampling oscilloscope platform

Tektronix has announced the 8 Series sampling platform — a disaggregated modular instrument series featuring parallel acquisition, with up to four channels per mainframe and high measurement accuracy for PAM4 optical signals on multiple inputs simultaneously.

The series consists of the TSO820 Sampling Oscilloscope Mainframe, optical sampling modules and TSOVu — a software platform that runs independent of the mainframe on host PC for both live and offline processing of acquired data. The company also introduces the TCR801 external optical clock recovery module, which covers dual band ranges around both 26 and 53 GBd. The instruments and software provide a platform solution for fast acquisition and analysis.

The 8 Series’ mainframe is a configurable, compact instrument measuring just 3U high. Built to maximise the utilisation of the rack space, the instrument is suitable for optical manufacturing applications, where users can quickly add analysis capabilities and reconfigure test systems to support upcoming standards and changes in workflow. Offline and remote modes of operation extend the analysis and visualisation capability of the TSO820 beyond the oscilloscope to a user computing environment, facilitating seamless transition from design phase to debug, characterisation and manufacturing test.

The optical clock recovery instrument works with new and existing test equipment, including the TSO820 and DSA8300. This single-mode, external instrument has a FC/PC optical connection for PAM4 and NRZ and utilises external optical splitters.

The software platform enables an external computing environment with a comprehensive programmatic interface boosting automation. It also offers plug-in measurement architecture, enabling quick iterations of existing measurements as well as future customer-defined measurements.

The series helps solve critical problems by delivering a scalable platform that should reduce test times while also providing fast and repeatable test results.