Fast scope range

Tektronix has released what it claims are the world's fastest, most capbale, real-time oscilloscopes and a new probe that will facilitate designs in the computing, communications and consumer electronics industries based on second-generation serial data standards such as second-generation PCI-Express, SATAIII and double XAUI.

The TDS6000 family of digital storage oscilloscopes - the 12 GHz TDS6124C and the 15 GHz TDS6154C - along with the P7313 Z-Active low-loading probe are designed to keep pace with the explosion of high-speed technologies at serial data rates of more than 4 Gbps.

Based on third-generation silicon germanium integrated circuits developed in partnership with IBM, the oscilloscopes offer high bandwidth, long record length and timing resolution, low noise floor and analysis capabilities for current and emerging serial data standards.

The oscilloscopes and probe will help engineers designing ultra-high-speed electronics.

The TDS6154C is claimed to be the only oscilloscope able to capture the fifth harmonic of the highest frequency pattern for serial standards such as 5 to 6.25 Gbps second-generation PCI-Express, 6 Gbps SATA III, and 6.25 Gbps double XAUI.

The instrument is also said to be the only device able to capture the third harmonic of a 10 Gbps signal.

It provides 12 GHz analog bandwidth and user-selectable DSP for channel-to-channel and unit-to-unit matching. It also includes user-selectable DSP for channel-to-channel and unit-to-unit matching plus bandwidth extensions to 15 GHz.

Both the TDS6124C and TDS6154C provide 40 GS/s sample rate on two channels simultaneously and up to 64 M optional record length on two channels (2 M on four channels standard).

This equates to the longest time window of 1.6 ms at full bandwidth and 25 ps sample interval ensuring the best resolution at full performance compared with other instruments.

The family provides a random jitter noise floor of 420 fs RMS (typical) for jitter measurements.

The SiGe Z-active probing architecture of the P7313 offers high speed (>12.5 bandwidth, typical), high DC impedance, fast rise time (25 ps 20/80% and the stable high frequency loading of Z0 probes to provide high bandwidth, flat frequency response, low loading and low noise differential for high-speed circuit designers.

At the heart of the new oscilloscopes and probe are third-generation 0.18 µm BiCMOS SiGe (7HP process) ASICs.

The technology offers peak performance for applications requiring high-speed transfer of data, low noise, high linearity and low power consumption.

IBM's SiGe technology uses a heterojunction bipolar transistor which includes a graded germanium profile to increase electron transfer.