PicoScope 3206D MSO 200MHz 2-Ch 8-bit Oscilloscope (PP933)

The PicoScope 3206D MSO Series USB-powered PC oscilloscopes are small, light, and portable and can easily slip into a laptop bag while offering a range of high performance specifications.

This oscilloscope offers 2 analog channels, plus 16 digital channels and a built in function / arbitrary waveform generator.  Key performance specifications:

• 200 MHz analog bandwidth
• Up to 1 GS/s real-time sampling
• 512 MS buffer memory
• 100,000 waveforms per second
• 16 channel logic analyzer
• Arbitrary Waveform Generator
• USB 3.0 connected and powered
• Serial decoding and mask testing as standard
• Windows, Linux and Mac software

Supported by the advanced PicoScope 6 software, these devices offer an ideal, cost-effective package for many applications, including embedded systems design, research, test, education, service, and repair.

High bandwidth and sampling rate

Despite a compact size and low cost, there is no compromise on performance with bandwidths up to 200 MHz.  This bandwidth is matched by a real-time sampling rate of up to 1 GS/s, allowing detailed display of high frequencies. For repetitive signals, the maximum effective sampling rate can be boosted to 10 GS/s by using Equivalent Time Sampling (ETS) mode.

Other oscilloscopes have high maximum sampling rates, but without deep memory they cannot sustain these rates on long timebases. The PicoScope 3000D MSO Series offers memory depths up to 512 million samples, more than any other oscilloscope in this price range, which enables the PicoScope 3406D MSO to sample at 1 GS/s all the way down to 50 ms/ div (500 ms total capture time).

Managing all this data calls for some powerful tools. There’s a set of zoom buttons, plus an overview window that lets you zoom and reposition the display by simply dragging with the mouse or touchscreen. Zoom factors of several million are possible.  Other tools such as the waveform buffer, mask limit test, serial decode and hardware acceleration work with the deep memory making the PicoScope 3000D MSO one of the most powerful oscilloscopes on the market.

Mixed-signal capability / Logic Analyzer

The PicoScope 3206D Series Mixed-Signal Oscilloscopes include 16 digital inputs alongside the standard 2 analog channels, so that you can view digital and analog signals simultaneously.

The digital inputs of your PicoScope 3000D MSO can be displayed individually or in named groups with binary, decimal or hexadecimal values shown in a bus-style display. A separate logic threshold from -5 V to +5 V can be defined for each 8–bit input port. The digital trigger can be activated by any bit pattern combined with an optional transition on any input. Advanced logic triggers can be set on either the analogue or digital input channels, or both to enable complex mixed–signal triggering.

The digital inputs bring extra power to the serial decoding options.  You can decode serial data on all analogue and digital channels simultaneously, giving you up to 20 channels of data.  You can for example decode multiple SPI, I²C, CAN bus, LIN bus and FlexRay signals all at the same time.

Serial bus decoding & protocol analysis

The PicoScope 3000D MSO series include serial decoding capabilities as standard. The decoded data can be displayed in the format of your choice: In graph, In table, or both at once.

In view format shows the decoded data (in hex, binary, decimal or ASCII) in a databus timing format, beneath the waveform on a common time axis, with error frames marked in red. These frames can be zoomed to investigate noise or signal integrity issues.

In window format shows a list of the decoded frames, including the data and all flags and identifiers. You can set up filtering conditions to display only the frames you are interested in, search for frames with specified properties, or define a start pattern to signal when the program should list the data.  The statistics option reveals more detail about the physical layer such as frame times and voltage levels.  PicoScope can also import a spreadsheet to decode the hexadecimal data into user-defined text strings.

PicoScope can decode I²C, RS-232/UART, SPI, I²S, USB, FlexRay, LIN and CAN bus data.  Expect this list to grow over time with future free software upgrades.  Any of the analog and digital inputs of the PicoScope 3000D MSO can be used to capture serial data channels, enabling decode of several different protocols at one time, which is valuable for thorough analysis of modern embedded systems and the proliferation of serial buses.

Arbitrary waveform and function generator

All PicoScope 3000D MSO units have a built-in function generator (sine, square, triangle, DC level, white noise, PRBS etc.). As well as basic controls to set level, offset and frequency, more advanced controls allow you to sweep over a range of frequencies. Combined with the spectrum peak hold option this makes a powerful tool for testing amplifier and filter responses.

Trigger tools allow one or more cycles of a waveform to be output when various conditions are met such as the scope triggering or a mask limit test failing.

An arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) is also included. AWG waveforms can be created or edited using the built-in AWG editor, imported from oscilloscope traces, or loaded from a spreadsheet.

Spectrum Analyzer

With the click of a button you can display a spectrum plot of selected channels up to the full bandwidth of the oscilloscope. A full range of settings gives you control over the number of spectrum bands, window types, and display modes (instantaneous, average, or peak-hold).

You can display multiple spectrum views with different channel selections and zoom factors, and place these alongside time-domain views of the same data. A comprehensive set of automatic frequency-domain measurements can be added to the display, including THD, THD+N, SNR, SINAD and IMD. You can even use the AWG and spectrum mode together to perform swept scalar network analysis.

Signal Integrity

Most oscilloscopes are built down to a price. PicoScopes are built up to a specification.

Careful front-end design and shielding reduces noise, crosstalk and harmonic distortion. Years of oscilloscope design experience can be seen in improved bandwidth flatness and low distortion. We are proud of the dynamic performance of our products, and publish their specifications in detail.

The result is simple: when you probe a circuit, you can trust in the waveform you see on the screen.

USB Connectivity

The USB connection not only allows high-speed data acquisition and transfer, but also makes printing, copying, saving, and emailing your data from the field quick and easy. USB powering removes the need to carry around a bulky external power supply, making the kit even more portable for the engineer on the move.

PicoScope 3000 Series mixed signal oscilloscopes feature a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connection, making the already-optimized process of data transfer and waveform update rates even faster. Further benefits of a USB 3.0 connection include faster saving of waveforms and faster gap-free continuous streaming of up to 125 MS/s when using the SDK, while the scope is still backward- compatible with older USB systems.