PicoScope 4824 (R) HIGH-PRECISION PC OSCILLOSCOPE 8 CHANNELS * 12 BIT RESOLUTION 256 MS BUFFER MEMORY * LOW COST * PORTABLE High-performance arbitrary waveform generator SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface Split-screen waveform viewing Low sine and pulse distortion Advanced digital triggers Serial bus decoding APPLICATIONS Power supply start sequencing 7-channel audio systems Multi-sensor systems Multi-phase drives and controls General-purpose and precision testing Complex embedded system development 20 MHz 80 MS/s 12 bit bandwidth sampling rate vertical resolution 1% 10 mV to 50 V 10 000 segment DC accuracy input ranges waveform buffer 14 bit resolution AWG 80 MS/s AWG update rate www.picotech.com PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope 8 channel oscilloscope The PicoScope 4824 is a low cost, portable solution for multiinput applications. APPLICATIONS Power measurements With 8 high-resolution analog channels you can easily analyze audio, ultrasound, vibration, power, and timing of complex systems, and perform a wide range of precision measurement tasks on multiple inputs at the same time. Although the scope has the same small footprint as Pico's existing 2- and 4channel models, the BNC connectors still accept all common probes and accessories with ample spacing of 22 mm. Despite its compact size, there is no compromise on performance. With a high 12-bit vertical resolution, bandwidth of 20 MHz, 256 MS buffer memory, and a fast sampling rate of 80 MS/s, the PicoScope 4824 has the power and functionality to deliver accurate results. It also features deep memory to analyze multiple serial buses such as UART, I2C, SPI, CAN and LIN plus control and driver signals. Arbitrary waveform and function generators In addition, the PicoScope 4824 has a built-in low-distortion, 80 MS/s, 14 bit arbitrary waveform generator (AWG), which can be used to emulate missing sensor signals during product development, or to stress test a design over the full intended operating range. Waveforms can be imported from data files or created and modified using the graphical AWG editor included. A function generator is also included, with sine, square, and triangle waves up to 1 MHz, along with DC level, white noise, and many more standard waveforms. As well as level, offset and frequency controls, advanced options allow you to sweep over a range of frequencies. Combined with the spectrum peak hold option, this creates a powerful tool for testing amplifier and filter responses. The PicoScope 4824 is ideal for making a range of power measurements on high voltages and currents and low-voltage control signals. For the best results, use a Pico differential voltage probe (TA041 or TA057) in combination with a current clamp (TA167). To improve the efficiency and reliability of power designs, the scope can display and analyze standby power dissipation, inrush current, and steady-state power consumption. PicoScope's built-in measurements and statistics of parameters such as true RMS, frequency, peaktopeak voltage and THD allow accurate analysis of power quality. Nonlinear loads and modern power-conversion equipment produce complex waveforms with significant harmonic content. These harmonics reduce efficiency by causing increased heating in equipment and conductors, misfiring in variable speed drives, and torque pulsations in motors. The 12-bit PicoScope 4824 has the precision to measure distortion typically up to the 100th harmonic. On the supply side, power quality issues such as sags and dips, swells and spikes, flicker, interruptions and long-term voltage and frequency variations can also be checked for regulatory compliance. In a 3-phase distribution Data Acquisition system, it is important to With 256 Msamples of buffer characterize and balance memory the scope can capture loads across phases. With 8 over 5 minutes of continuous channels the PicoScope 4824 50/60 Hz waveform data with can monitor waveforms of high timing resolution. Using current and voltage on all the Software Development Kit 4 conductors of a 3-phase (SDK) you can write custom plusneutral system. This applications with storage limited helps to identify mismatches only by the PC hard disk size. that can cause breaker tripping, or transformer and conductor overheating. Complex embedded systems When debugging an embedded system with a scope, you can quickly run out of channels. You may need to look at an I2C or SPI bus at the same time as multiple power rails, DAC outputs and logic signals. With eight channels, the PicoScope 4824 can cope with all of this. Choose whether to decode up to eight serial buses, with analog waveforms and decoded data both visible, or a combination of serial buses and other analog or digital signals. PicoScope provides advanced triggering on all channels, so you can search for runt pulses, drop-outs and noise as well as looking for data patterns using the 4-input Boolean logic trigger. PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope Split-screen display The PicoScope 6 software can display up to 16 scope and spectrum views at once, making comparisons and analysis even clearer. The split-screen display can be customized to show whichever combination of waveforms you need, to display multiple channels or different variants of the same signal. As the example above shows, the software can even show both oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer traces at once. Additionally, each waveform shown works with individual zoom, pan, and filter settings for ultimate flexibility. This flexibility, alongside the facility to use monitors many times larger than a fixed scope display, are further benefits to choosing a USB oscilloscope over a traditional benchtop model. USB connectivity Zoom in and capture every last detail The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 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. The PicoScope zoom function lets you take a closer look at the fine detail on your signals. Using simple point-and-click tools you can quickly zoom in on both axes and reveal every last detail of the signal, whilst the undo zoom function lets you return to the previous view. PicoScope performance and reliability With over 20 years' experience in the test and measurement industry, we know what's important in an oscilloscope. The PicoScope 4824 delivers value for money by including a wide range of high-end features as standard. The PicoScope 6 software includes options such as serial decoding and mask limit testing, and new functionality is regularly delivered through free upgrades to ensure that your device does not quickly become outdated. All Pico Technology devices are optimized with the help of feedback from our customers. The image below shows four views of the same waveform, at x1, x32, x256, and x6500 zoom. PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope Color persistence modes Automatic measurements PicoScope allows you to automatically display a table of calculated measurements for troubleshooting and analysis. Using the built-in measurement statistics you can see the average, standard deviation, maximum and minimum of each measurement as well as the live value. You can add as many measurements as you need on each view. Each measurement includes statistical parameters showing its variability. For information on the measurements available in scope and spectrum modes, see Automatic Measurements in the Specifications table. Advanced display modes allow you to see old and new data superimposed, with new data in a brighter color or shade. This makes it easy to see glitches and dropouts and to estimate their relative frequency. Choose between analog persistence, digital color, or custom display modes. Spectrum analyzer With the click of a button, you can open a new window to display a spectrum plot of selected channels up to the full bandwidth of the oscilloscope. A comprehensive range of settings gives you control over the number of spectrum bands, window types and display modes. > 60 dB SFDR 15 scope mode measurements A comprehensive set of automatic frequency-domain measurements can be added to the display, including THD, THD+N, SINAD, SNR and IMD. You can even use the AWG and spectrum mode together to perform swept scalar network analysis. Math channels With PicoScope 6 you can perform a variety of mathematical calculations on your input signals and reference waveforms. Use the built-in list for simple functions such as addition and inversion, or open the equation editor and create complex functions involving trigonometry, exponentials, logarithms, statistics, integrals and derivatives. 11 spectrum mode measurements PicoScope 4824 Channel Oscilloscope 2000 8 Series Oscilloscopes Serial decoding The PicoScope 4824 includes serial decoding capability across all 8 channels as standard. The decoded data can be displayed in the format of your choice: In view, In window, or both at once. * In view format shows the decoded data beneath the waveform on a common time axis, with error frames marked in red. These frames can be zoomed to investigate noise or distortion. * 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. PicoScope can also import a spreadsheet to decode the hexadecimal data into user-defined text strings. Serial protocols UART/RS-232 SPI I2C I2S CAN LIN FlexRay High-speed data acquisition and digitizing High signal integrity The supplied driver and software development kit allow you to both write your own software and interface to popular third-party software packages such as LabVIEW and MATLAB. Most oscilloscopes are built down to a price. PicoScopes are built up to a specification. The driver supports data streaming, a mode that captures gap-free continuous data over USB 3.0 direct to the PC's RAM or hard disk at a rate of 10 MS/s when using PicoScope 6 software (160 MS/s across all channels when using supplied SDK), so you are not limited by the size of the scope's buffer memory. Sampling rates in streaming mode are subject to PC specifications and application loading. Careful front- end design and shielding reduces noise, crosstalk and harmonic distortion, meaning we are proud to publish the specifications for our scopes in detail. Decades of oscilloscope design experience can be seen in both improved pulse response and bandwidth flatness, and low distortion. The scope features 12 input ranges from 10 V to 50 V full scale, a huge dynamic range, and 60 dB SFDR. The result is simple: when you probe a circuit, you can trust in the waveform you see on the screen. PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope Digital triggering Mask limit testing Most digital oscilloscopes still use an analog trigger architecture based on comparators. This can cause time and amplitude errors that cannot always be calibrated out. The use of comparators often limits the trigger sensitivity at high bandwidths and can also create a long trigger re-arm delay. PicoScope allows you to draw a mask around any signal with user-defined tolerances. This has been designed specifically for production and debugging environments, enabling you to compare signals. Simply capture a known good signal, draw a mask around it, and then attach the system under test. PicoScope will capture any intermittent glitches and can show a failure count and other statistics in the Measurements window. For over 20 years Pico have been pioneering the use of full digital triggering using the actual digitized data. This reduces trigger errors and allows our oscilloscopes to trigger on the smallest signals, even at the full bandwidth. All triggering is digital, resulting in high threshold resolution with programmable hysteresis and optimal waveform stability. The reduced re-arm delay provided by digital triggering, together with segmented memory, allows the capture of events that happen in rapid sequence. At the fastest timebase, rapid triggering can capture a new waveform every 3 microseconds until the buffer is full. The mask limit testing function helps to detect waveforms that fail to meet your specifications. Advanced triggers As well as the standard range of triggers found on most oscilloscopes, the PicoScope 4824 has a comprehensive set of advanced triggers built in to help you capture the data you need. These include pulse width, windowed, and dropout triggers to help you find and capture your signal quickly. The numerical and graphical mask editors can be used separately or in combination, allowing you to enter accurate mask specifications, modify existing masks, and import and export masks as files. Digital low-pass filtering Each input channel has its own digital low-pass filter with independently adjustable cut-off frequency from 1 Hz to the full bandwidth of the scope. This enables you to reject noise on selected channels while viewing highbandwidth signals on the others. Custom probe settings High-end features as standard Buying a PicoScope is not like making a purchase from other oscilloscope companies, where optional extras considerably increase the price. With our scopes, high-end features such as resolution enhancement, mask limit testing, serial decoding, advanced triggering, automatic measurements, math channels, XY mode, segmented memory, and a signal generator are all included in the price. To protect your investment, both the PC software and firmware inside the scope can be updated. Pico Technology have a long history of providing new features for free through software downloads. We deliver on our promises of future enhancements year after year, unlike many other companies in the field. Users of our products reward us by becoming lifelong customers and frequently recommending us to their colleagues. The custom probes menu allows you to correct for gain, attenuation, offsets and nonlinearities of probes and transducers, or convert to different measurement units. Definitions for standard Pico-supplied probes are built in, but you can also create your own using linear scaling or even an interpolated data table, and save them to disk for later use. PicoScope 6 Software PicoScope: The display can be as simple or as detailed as you need. Begin with a single view of one channel, and then expand the display to include up to eight live channels, math channels and reference waveforms. Tools > Serial decoding: Decode multiple serial data signals and display the data alongside the physical signal or as a detailed table. Tools > Reference channels: Store waveforms in memory or on disk and display them alongside live inputs. Ideal for diagnostics and production testing. Tools > Masks: Automatically generate a test mask from a waveform or draw one by hand. PicoScope highlights any parts of the waveform that fall outside the mask and shows error statistics. Channel options: Set axis offset and scaling, DC offset, zero offset, resolution enhancement, custom probes, and filtering here. Auto setup button: Configures the timebase and voltage ranges for stable display of signals. Oscilloscope controls: Controls such as voltage range, channel enable, timebase and memory depth are placed on the toolbar for quick access, leaving the main display area clear for waveforms. Waveform replay tools: PicoScope automatically records up to 10,000 of the most recent waveforms. You can quickly scan through to look for intermittent events, or use the Buffer Navigator to search visually. Zoom and pan tools: PicoScope makes it easy to zoom into large waveforms. Either use the zoom-in, zoom-out and pan tools, or click and drag in the Zoom Overview window for fast navigation. Views: PicoScope is carefully designed to make the best use of the display area. The waveform view is much bigger and of a higher resolution than with a typical benchtop scope. You can add new scope and spectrum views with automatic or custom layouts. Rulers: Each axis has two rulers that can be dragged across the screen to make quick measurements of amplitude, time and frequency. Signal generator: Generates standard signals or arbitrary waveforms. Includes frequency sweep mode. Trigger marker: Drag to adjust trigger level and pre-trigger time. Movable axes: The vertical axes can be dragged up and down. This feature is particularly useful when one waveform is obscuring another. There's also an Auto Arrange Axes command. Ruler legend: Absolute and differential ruler measurements are listed here. Trigger toolbar: Quick access to main controls, with advanced triggers in a pop-up window. Aut omat ic mea sure me nt s: Display calculated measurements for troubleshooting and analysis. You can add as many measurements as you need on each view. Each measurement includes statistical parameters showing its variability. Zoom overview: Click and drag for quick navigation in zoomed views. Spectrum view: View FF T data alongside scope view or independently. PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope Specifications AT A GLANCE Model Input channels Bandwidth (-3 dB) Maximum sampling rate Buffer memory Arbitrary waveform generator 8 20 MHz 80 MS/s 256 MS 80 MS/s PicoScope 4824 DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS VERTICAL Input channels Connector type Bandwidth (-3 dB) Rise time (calculated) Vertical resolution Software-enhanced vertical resolution Input ranges Input sensitivity Input coupling Input characteristics DC accuracy Analog offset range (vertical position adjustment) Overvoltage protection 8 BNC, 20 mm spacing 20 MHz (50 mV to 50 V ranges) 10 MHz (10 mV and 20 mV ranges) 17.5 ns (50 mV to 50 V ranges) 35.0 ns (10 mV and 20 mV ranges) 12 bits Up to 16 bits 10 mV to 50 V full scale, in 12 ranges 2 mV/div to 10 V/div (10 vertical divisions) AC / DC 1 M 19 pF 1% of full scale 300 V 250 mV (10 mV to 500 mV ranges) 2.5 V (1 V to 5 V ranges) 25 V (10 V to 50 V ranges) 100 V (DC + AC peak) HORIZONTAL (TIMEBASE) Maximum sampling rate (real-time) Maximum sampling rate (streaming) Timebase ranges (real time) Buffer memory (shared between active channels) Buffer memory (streaming mode) Waveform buffer Timebase accuracy Sample jitter DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE (typical) Crosstalk (full bandwidth) Harmonic distortion SFDR Noise ADC ENOB Pulse response Bandwidth flatness (at scope input) TRIGGERING Source Trigger modes Advanced trigger types Trigger types Trigger sensitivity Maximum pre-trigger capture Maximum post-trigger delay Trigger re-arm time Maximum trigger rate Advanced digital trigger levels Advanced digital trigger time intervals 80 MS/s (1 to 4 channels in use) 40 MS/s (5 to 8 channels in use) 10 MS/s using PicoScope 6 software 80 MS/s per channel using supplied API. 160 MS/s total across all channels. (PC dependent) 20 ns/div to 5000 s/div 256 MS 100 MS in PicoScope software. Up to available PC memory when using supplied API 10 000 segments 20 ppm (+5 ppm/year) 25 ps RMS typical 20 000:1, DC to 20 MHz < -60 dB, 10 mV range < -70 dB, 20 mV and higher ranges > 60 dB, 20 mV and 10 mV ranges > 70 dB, 50 mV and higher ranges 45 V RMS on 10 mV range 11.3 bits < 1% overshoot DC to full bandwidth (+0.2 dB, -3 dB) Channels A to H None, auto, repeat, single, rapid (segmented memory) Edge, window, pulse width, window pulse width, dropout, window dropout, interval, runt, logic Rising or falling edge Digital triggering provides 1 LSB accuracy up to full bandwidth Up to 100% of capture size Up to 4 billion samples < 3 s on fastest timebase Up to 10 000 waveforms in a 30 ms burst All trigger levels, window levels and hysteresis values settable with 1 LSB resolution across input range All time intervals settable with 1 sample resolution from 1 sample (minimum 12.5 ns) up to 4 billion sample intervals PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope Specifications continued... FUNCTION GENERATOR Standard output signals Standard signal frequency Sweep modes Triggering Output frequency accuracy Output frequency resolution Output voltage range Output voltage adjustments Amplitude flatness DC accuracy SFDR Output characteristics Overvoltage protection ARBITRARY WAVEFORM GENERATOR Update rate Buffer size Resolution Bandwidth Rise time (10% to 90%) SPECTRUM ANALYZER Frequency range Display modes Windowing functions Number of FFT points Sine, square, triangle, DC voltage, ramp, sinc, Gaussian, half-sine, white noise, PRBS DC to 1 MHz Up, down, dual with selectable start/stop frequencies and increments Can trigger a counted number of waveform cycles or sweeps (up to 1 billion) from the scope trigger or manually from software. 20 ppm < 20 mHz 2 V Signal amplitude and offset within 2V range. Adjustable in approx 300 V steps. < 0.5 dB to 1 MHz typical 1% of full scale 87 dB typical Rear panel BNC, 600 output impedance 10 V 80 MS/s 16 kS 14 bits 1 MHz 150 ns DC to 20 MHz Magnitude, average, peak hold Rectangular, Gaussian, triangular, Blackman, Blackman-Harris, Hamming, Hann, flat-top Selectable from 128 up to 1 million in powers of 2 MATH CHANNELS Functions Operands -x, x+y, x-y, x*y, x/y, x^y, sqrt, exp, ln, log, abs, norm, sign, sin, cos, tan, arcsin, arccos, arctan, sinh, cosh, tanh, freq, derivative, integral, min, max, average, peak, delay Input channels A to H, reference waveforms, time, AUTOMATIC MEASUREMENTS Scope mode Spectrum mode Statistics SERIAL DECODING Protocols MASK LIMIT TESTING Statistics DISPLAY Interpolation Persistence modes GENERAL PC connectivity Power requirements Dimensions (including connectors) Weight Temperature range Humidity range Safety approvals Compliance Software included PicoScope software PC requirements Languages (full support) Languages (UI only) AC RMS, true RMS, cycle time, DC average, duty cycle, falling rate, fall time, frequency, high pulse width, low pulse width, maximum, minimum, peak to peak, rise time, rising rate. Frequency at peak, amplitude at peak, average amplitude at peak, total power, THD %, THD dB, THD+N, SFDR, SINAD, SNR, IMD Minimum, maximum, average and standard deviation CAN, LIN, IC, IS, UART/RS-232, SPI, FlexRay Pass/fail, failure count, total count Linear or sin(x)/x Digital color, analog intensity, custom, or none SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 compatible) Powered from single USB 3.0 port or two USB 2.0 ports 190 x 170 x 40 mm < 0.55 kg Operating: 0 C to 45 C (20 C to 30 C for stated accuracy). Storage: -20 C to +60 C. Operating: 5% to 80% RH non-condensing. Storage: 5% to 95% RH non-condensing. Designed to EN 61010-1:2010 RoHS, WEEE, and LVD compliant. Tested to meet EN61326-1:2006 and FCC Part 15 Subpart B. PicoScope 6. Windows and Linux SDK. Example programs (C, Visual Basic, Excel VBA, LabVIEW). Microsoft Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 (not Windows RT) English, Chinese (simplified), French, German, Italian, Spanish Chinese (traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Turkish Pack contents * PicoScope 4824 oscilloscope * USB 3.0 cable 1.8 m * USB 2.0 cable 1.8 m, double-headed * Quick Start Guide * Software and reference CD Input channels A to H Optional accessories Passive voltage probe 60 MHz x1/x10 MI007 Active differential probe 25 MHz x10/x100, 700 V CAT III TA041 Active differential probe 25 MHz x20/x200, 1400 V CAT III TA057 Optional power supply PS008 For use with the TA041 and TA057 active differential probes. 2000 A AC/DC current clamp TA167 Ideal for use with industrial controls, photovoltaic inverters, and uninterruptible power supplies. A general purpose probe providing an economic way to connect test signals to the scope. Arbitrary waveform generator output USB port Earth terminal Ideal for motor speed controls, uninterruptible and switch mode power supplies, and process controllers. PicoScope 2000 Series PicoScope 3000 Series PicoScope 4000 Series PicoScope 5000 Series PicoScope 6000 Series PicoScope 9000 Series Ultra-compact and handheld General-purpose and MSO models High precision 12 to 16 bits Flexible resolution 8 to 16 bits High performance Up to 1 GHz Sampling scopes and TDR to 20 GHz Ordering information ORDER CODE PP916 MI007 TA041 TA057 PS008 TA167 DESCRIPTION PicoScope 4824 8 channel oscilloscope 60 MHz x1/x10 passive voltage oscilloscope probe 25 MHz x10/x100 active differential probe, 700 V CAT III 25 MHz x20/x200 active differential probe, 1400 V CAT III Optional power supply for TA041 and TA057 probes 2000 A AC/DC current clamp UK headquarters: Pico Technology James House Colmworth Business Park St. Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 8YP United Kingdom US headquarters: Pico Technology 320 N Glenwood Blvd Tyler Texas 75702 United States +44 (0) 1480 396 395 +44 (0) 1480 396 296 sales@picotech.com +1 800 591 2796 +1 620 272 0981 sales@picotech.com Errors and omissions excepted. Windows is a registered trade mark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Pico Technology and PicoScope are internationally registered trade marks of Pico Technology Ltd. MM052u.en-2. Copyright (c) 2014 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. www.picotech.com