What is the best way to choose a scope?
Smart choosers typically let their S I G N A L S determine the primary
specifications (Sample Rate, BW, Memory Depth, Trigger BW, etc.) and let
their A P P L I C A T I O N determine secondary specifications (I/O,
Measurement, DSP, etc.).
The chart below can serve as a good template for scope comparisons:
(Specifications To Compare) Model A Model B Model C
(Front End) Max Sample Rate on 4 Channels Max Sample Rate on 2 Channels Max Sample Rate on 1 Channel Analog BW Timebase Range Max Timebase Range Minimum Volts/div (range) (Memory) Number Of Channels Max Samples On 4 Channels Max Samples On 2 Channels Max Samples On 1 Channel Reference Memories USB Flash Drive Support (Y/N) Hard Disk (Y/N) Network Connection (Y/N) (Trigger and Acquisition Modes) Edge Trigger (Y/N) Holdoff By Time (Y/N) Holdoff By Events (Y/N) Pattern (Y/N) Glitch (Y/N) Interval (Y/N) State Qualified (Y/N) Dropout (Y/N) Exclusion (Y/N) Video Trigger (Y/N) Maximum # Of Triggers/second Trigger Segments W/ Time Stamps (Y/N) Trigger Pass/fail W/ Masks and Parameters (Y/N) External Trigger Input (Y/N) Peak Detect W/ Timing (Y/N) Roll Mode Acquisitions (Y/N) Display Update Rate (Display) Display Size (diagonal) (# Inches) Multiple Zooms per Trace (Y/N If Y, #?) Multiple Grids For Full 8 Bits (Y/N) Multiple Cursors per Screen (Y/N If Y, #?) (CPU Performance) CPU (Model and Clock Speed) Max Record Size On Math (Y/N) (Measurements and DSP) Pulse Parameters (#total/#viewable) Statistics On Parameters (Y/N) Chained Math Operations (Y/N If Y, #?) Histogramming (Y/N) Advanced Mathematics (Y/N) Jitter Tracks (Y/N) FFT (Y/N) (If New, Terms and Conditions) Standard Warranty (# Of Years) Free Firmware Upgrades (Y/N If Y, #?) Memory Upgrades (Y/N) BW Upgrades (Y/N) Prices W/ All Options ($)
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