The Tektronix MSO68B6BW8000 8 GHz, 8-FlexChannel, Up to 50 GS/s Mixed Signal Oscilloscope, 62.5 Mpoints Record Length provides the best signal fidelity for analyzing and debugging today's embedded systems with GHz clock and bus speeds. The remarkably innovative pinch-swipe-zoom touchscreen user interface coupled with the industry's largest high definition display and MSO68B 6-BW-8000 FlexChannel inputs that let users measure one analog or eight digital signals per channel, the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 is ready for today's toughest challenges and tomorrow's too.

Never let a lack of channels slow down verification and debug processes again

The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 offers better visibility into complex systems by offering four, six and eight-channel models with a large 15.6-inch high-definition (1,920 x 1,080) display. Many applications, such as embedded systems, three-phase power electronics, automotive electronics, power supply design, and Power Integrity require the observation of more than four analog signals to verify and characterize device performance and to debug challenging system issues.

Most engineers can recall situations in which they were debugging a particularly difficult problem and wanted greater system visibility and context, but the oscilloscope they were using was limited to two or four analog channels. Using a second oscilloscope involves significant effort to align the trigger points, difficulty in determining the timing relationships across the two displays, and documentation challenges.

Users might assume that a six and eight-channel oscilloscope would cost 50% or 100% more than a four-channel oscilloscope, and will be pleasantly surprised to find that six-channel models are only ~25% more than four channel models and eight-channel models are only ~67% (or less) more than four channel models. The additional analog channels can pay for themselves quickly by enabling users to keep current and future projects on schedule.

FlexChannel Technology

FlexChannel technology enables maximum flexibility and broader system visibility

The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 redefines what a Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO) should be. FlexChannel technology enables each channel input to be used as a single analog channel, eight digital logic inputs (with the TLP058 logic probe), or simultaneous analog and spectrum views with independent acquisition controls for each domain. Imagine the flexibility and configurability this provides.

Users can change the configuration at any time by simply adding or removing TLP058 logic probes, so that they always have the right number of digital channels.

TLP058 Probe

Previous-generation MSOs required tradeoffs, with digital channels having lower sample rates or shorter record lengths than analog channels. The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 offers a new level of integration of digital channels. Digital channels share the same high sample rate (up to 50 GS/s), and long record length (up to 1 Gpoints) as analog channels.

TLP058 Logic Probe

Spectrum View

Stacked Display

Unprecedented signal viewing capability

The stunning 15.6" (396 mm) display in the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 is the largest display in the industry. It is also the highest resolution display, with full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080), enabling users to see many signals at once with ample room for critical readouts and analysis.

The viewing area is optimized to ensure that the maximum vertical space is available for waveforms. The Results Bar on the right can be hidden, enabling the waveform view to use the full width of the display.

The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 offers a revolutionary new Stacked display mode. Historically, scopes have overlaid all waveforms in the same graticule, forcing difficult tradeoffs:

Simultaneous Viewing

The new Stacked display eliminates this tradeoff. It automatically adds and removes additional horizontal waveform 'slices' (additional graticules) as waveforms are created and removed. Each slice represents the full ADC range for the waveform. All waveforms are visually separated from each other while still using the full ADC range, enabling maximum visibility and accuracy. And it's all done automatically as waveforms are added or removed. Channels can easily be reordered in stacked display mode by dragging and dropping the channel and waveform badges in the Settings bar at the bottom of the display. Groups of channels can also be overlaid within a slice to simplify visual comparison of signals.

The massive display in the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 also provides plenty of viewing area not only for signals, but also for plots, measurement results tables, bus decode tables and more. Users can easily resize and relocate the various views to suit the application.

Exceptionally easy-to-use user interface lets users focus on the task at hand

The Settings Bar - key parameters and waveform management

Waveform and scope operating parameters are displayed in a series of "badges" in the Settings Bar that runs along the bottom of the display. The Settings Bar provides Immediate access for the most common waveform management tasks. With a single tap, users can:

Trigger Configuration Menu

The Results Bar - analysis and measurements

The Results Bar on the right side of the display includes immediate, onetap access to the most common analytical tools such as cursors, measurements, searches, measurement and bus decode results tables, plots, and callouts.

DVM, measurement and search results badges are displayed in the Results Bar without sacrificing any waveform viewing area. For additional waveform viewing area, the Results Bar can be dismissed and brought back at any time.

Capacitive touch Display

Touch interaction finally done right

Scopes have included touch screens for years, but the touch interface has been an afterthought. The MSO68B 6-BW-8000's 15.6" display includes a capacitive touchscreen and provides the industry's first oscilloscope user interface truly designed for touch.

The touch interactions that people use with phones and tablets, and expect in a touch enabled device, are supported in the MSO68B 6-BW-8000.

Smooth, responsive front panel controls allow users to make adjustments with familiar knobs and buttons, and they can add a mouse or keyboard as a third interaction method.

Variable font size

Scaling User Interface

Historically, oscilloscope user interfaces have been designed with fixed font sizes to optimize viewing of waveforms and readouts. This implementation is fine if all users have the same viewing preferences, but they don't. Users spend a significant amount of time staring at screens, and Tektronix recognizes this. The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 offers a user preference for variable font sizes; scaling down to 12 points or up to 20 points. As users adjust the font size, the user interface dynamically scales so that they can easily choose the best size for the application.

Front Panel

Attention to detail in the front-panel controls

Traditionally, the front face of a scope has been roughly 50% display and 50% controls. The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 display fills about 85% of the face of the instrument. To achieve this, it has a streamlined front panel that retains critical controls for simple intuitive operation, but with a reduced number of menu buttons for functions directly accessed via objects on the display.

Color-coded LED light rings indicate trigger source and vertical scale/ position knob assignments. Large, dedicated Run/ Stop and Single Sequence buttons are placed prominently in the upper right, and other functions like Force Trigger, Trigger Slope, Trigger Mode, Default Setup, Auto-set and Quick-save functions are all available using dedicated front panel buttons.

Windows or not - you choose

The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 offers users the choice of whether to include a Microsoft Windows operating system.

The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 comes with a standard removable SSD that contains a closed embedded operating system that will boot as a dedicated scope with no ability to run or install other programs. An optional SSD with Windows 10 operating system is available that will boot to an open Windows 10 configuration, so users can minimize the oscilloscope application and access a Windows desktop where they can install and run additional applications on the oscilloscope, or they can connect additional monitors and extend the desktop. Simply swap the drives as needed through an access panel on the bottom of the instrument.

Whether users run Windows or not, the oscilloscope operates in exactly the same way with the same look and feel and UI interaction.

Need higher channel density?

The 6 Series is also available as a low-profile digitizer - the LPD64. With four SMA input channels plus an auxiliary trigger input, in a 2U high package and 12-bit ADC's, the 6 Series Low Profile Digitizer sets a new standard for performance in applications where extreme channel density is required.

Experience the performance difference

With up to 10 GHz analog bandwidth, 50 GS/s sample rates, standard 62.5 Mpts record length and a 12-bit analog to digital converter (ADC), the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 has the performance users need to capture waveforms with the best possible signal fidelity and resolution for seeing small waveform details.

FastAcq

Digital Phosphor technology with FastAcq highspeed waveform capture

To debug a design problem, first the user must know it exists. Digital phosphor technology with FastAcq provides users with fast insight into the real operation of the device. Its fast waveform capture rate - greater than 500,000 waveforms per second - gives users a high probability of seeing the infrequent problems common in digital systems: runt pulses, glitches, timing issues, and more. To further enhance the visibility of rarely occurring events, intensity grading indicates how often rare transients are occurring relative to normal signal characteristics.

Industry leading vertical resolution

The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 provides the performance to capture the signals of interest while minimizing the effects of unwanted noise when users need to capture high-amplitude signals while seeing smaller signal details. At the heart of the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 are 12-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that provide 16 times the vertical resolution of traditional 8-bit ADCs.

Vertical Resolution

A new High Res mode applies a hardware-based unique Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter based on the selected sample rate. The FIR filter maintains the maximum bandwidth possible for that sample rate while preventing aliasing and removing noise from the oscilloscope amplifiers and ADC above the usable bandwidth for the selected sample rate.

High Res mode always provides at least 12 bits of vertical resolution and extends all the way to 16 bits of vertical resolution at ≤ 625 MS/s sample rates and 200 MHz of bandwidth. The following table shows the number of bits of vertical resolution for each sample rate setting when in High Res.

New lower-noise front end amplifiers further improve the MSO68B 6-BW-8000's ability to resolve fine signal detail.

A new TEK061 front end amplifier sets a new standard for low-noise acquisition providing the best signal fidelity to capture small signals with high resolution.

A key attribute to being able to view fine signal details on small, high-speed signals is noise. The higher a measurement systems' intrinsic noise, the less true signal detail will be visible. This becomes more critical on an oscilloscope when the vertical settings are set to high sensitivity (like ≤ 10mV/div) in order to view small signals that are prevalent in high-speed bus topologies. The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 has a new front-end ASIC, the TEK061, that enables breakthrough noise performance at the highest sensitivity settings. The 'B' version of the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 has a new 50 GS/s low noise interleave sample rate on up to two channels that reduces noise by almost 3 dB at higher volts/div settings, furthering the advantage over competitive scopes in low noise performance. The table below shows a comparison of typical noise performance of the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 and prior generations of Tektronix oscilloscopes in this bandwidth range.

Triggering

Discovering a device fault is only the first step. Next, users must capture the event of interest to identify root cause. The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 provides a complete set of advanced triggers, including:

Trigger Menu

With up to a 1 Gpoint record length, users can capture many events of interest, even thousands of serial packets in a single acquisition, providing high-resolution to zoom in on fine signal details and record reliable measurements.

Visual trigger - Finding the signal of interest quickly

Finding the right cycle of a complex bus can require hours of collecting and sorting through thousands of acquisitions for an event of interest. Defining a trigger that isolates the desired event speeds up debug and analysis efforts.

Visual Trigger extends the MSO68B 6-BW-8000's triggering capabilities by scanning through all waveform acquisitions and comparing them to onscreen areas (geometric shapes). An unlimited number of areas can be created using a mouse or touchscreen, and a variety of shapes (triangles, rectangles, hexagons, or trapezoids) can be used to specify the desired trigger behavior. Once shapes are created, they can be edited interactively to create custom shapes and ideal trigger conditions.

By triggering only on the most important signal events, Visual Trigger can save hours of capturing and manually searching through acquisitions. In seconds or minutes, users can find the critical events and complete the debug and analysis efforts. Visual Trigger even works across multiple channels, extending its usefulness to complex system troubleshooting and debug tasks.

Once multiple areas are defined, a Boolean logic equation can be used to set complex trigger conditions using on-screen editing features.

Visual Trigger

Multiple Channel Triggering

Boolean Logic Trigger Qualification

TekVPI Probe Interface

The TekVPI probe interface sets the standard for ease of use in probing. In addition to the secure, reliable connection that the interface provides, many TekVPI probes feature status indicators and controls, as well as a probe menu button right on the comp box itself. This button brings up a probe menu on the oscilloscope display with all relevant settings and controls for the probe. The TekVPI interface enables direct attachment of current probes without requiring a separate power supply. TekVPI probes can be controlled remotely through USB or LAN, enabling more versatile solutions in ATE environments. The MSO68B 6-BW-8000 provides up to 80 W of power to the front panel connectors, sufficient to power all connected TekVPI probes without the need for an additional probe power supply.

TPP1000 Probe

Convenient high speed passive voltage probing

The TPP Series passive voltage probes included with every MSO68B 6-BW-8000 offer all the benefits of general-purpose probes - high dynamic range, flexible connection options, and robust mechanical design - while providing the performance of active probes. Up to 1 GHz analog bandwidth enables users to see high frequency components in signals, and extremely low 3.9 pF capacitive loading minimizes adverse effects on circuits and is more forgiving of longer ground leads.

An optional, low-attenuation (2X) version of the TPP probe is available for measuring low voltages. Unlike other low-attenuation passive probes, the TPP0502 has high bandwidth (500 MHz) as well as low capacitive loading (12.7 pF).

TDP7700 Series Probe

TDP7700 Series TriMode Probes

The TDP7700 Series TriMode probes provide the highest probe fidelity available for real-time oscilloscopes. The TDP7700 is designed for use with the MSO68B 6-BW-8000, with full AC calibration of the probe and tip's signal path based on unique S-parameter models. The probe communicates the Sparameters to the scope via the TekVPI probe interface and the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 includes them to achieve the very best signal fidelity possible from probe tip to acquisition memory. Connectivity innovations such as solderdown tips with the probe's input buffer mounted only a few millimeters from the end of the tip, the TDP7700 Series probes provide unmatched usability for connecting to today's most challenging electronic designs.

With TriMode probing one probe setup makes differential, single ended, and common mode measurements accurately. This unique capability allows users to work more effectively and efficiently, switching between differential, single ended and common mode measurements without moving the probe's connection point.

IsoVu Measurement System

IsoVu Isolated Measurement System

Whether designing an inverter, optimizing a power supply, testing communication links, measuring across a current shunt resistor, debugging EMI or ESD issues, or trying to eliminate ground loops in the test setup, common mode interference has caused engineers to design, debug, evaluate, and optimize "blind" until now.

Tektronix' revolutionary IsoVu technology uses optical communications and power-over-fiber for complete galvanic isolation. When combined with the MSO68B 6-BW-8000 equipped with the TekVPI interface, it is the first, and only, measurement system capable of accurately resolving high bandwidth, differential signals, in the presence of large common mode voltage with: