"Laptop" oscilloscope sets benchmark for portability

Primary target for the instrument is the embedded market where says Lee Morgan, Senior Technical Marketing Manager, EMEA for Tektronix “There are more buses to debug, signals are smaller and time to market is critical.”

Morgan described the MSO as a “tablet oscilloscope designed for flexibility and portability.”

The 2 Series is offered with two- or four analogue channel inputs, while 16 digital channels will be available pending a future software release.

Bandwidths range from 70MHz to 500MHz – “the first entry level oscilloscope to surpass 200MHz,” Morgan observes. Sampling speed is 2.5Gs/s.

The instruments form factor frees up desk space, and the 10.1-inch capacitive touch display offers what Tektronix says is “class-leading screen to body ratio.”

Coloured LED ring lights around the knobs indicate active sources or parameters to adjust or to indicate status.

There is an optional battery pack which delivers up to eight hours of power.

The black fascia front panel has been simplified to include only the most critical controls and boasts buttons to meet customer preferences.

Customers can choose to include an optional 50MHz, one channel arbitrary function generator and a hardware capable pattern generator with software to be available in a future release.

This versatility is enhanced by the inclusion of a voltmeter and frequency counter

“This breakthrough product was a direct result of our proven Growth Accelerator innovation process and continued focus on our customers,” said Tami Newcombe, Tektronix President. “Our team worked closely with engineers to deeply understand their unique needs. We cannot wait to see how the 2 Series MSO improves the way our customers work.”

The Series price range targets the education market, technicians and engineers working from home

Natively integrated software tools allow engineers to collaborate, troubleshoot, and debug designs across time zones. The 2 Series MSO includes TekDrive, a test and measurement data workspace in the cloud where engineers can upload, store, organise, and share any file from a connected device. Users can also perform analysis on a waveform and save it back to the cloud for immediate viewing and feedback from peers.

The 2 Series MSO is designed for easy set up and immediate use, an attribute welcomed by university lecturers. One commented, “I can stop teaching students how to use an oscilloscope and get on with teaching them electronics.”

Weighing less than 1.8kilograms, and 38mm thin, the oscilloscope will fit into a small backpack. Users can buy an optional protective case that can protect against a 40-inch drop. Also available as an option is a rack mount kit attached to a VESA mount.

To extend and enhance the level of service, Tektronix includes options to extend the warranty from one to three or five years.

To provide 2 Series MSO owners protection in the event of accidental damage, Tektronix is offering an introductory promotional price on a Total Product Protection service plan when purchased with the oscilloscope.

The 2 Series Mixed Signal Oscilloscope is available globally from Tektronix and distributors.