Embedded World: PC scope has eight 20MHz 12bit channels

Pico Technology has released an eight channel PC oscilloscope.

Called PicoScope 4824, it has 12bit resolution, a USB 3.0 interface, an integrated 14bit arbitrary waveform generator (AWG), and is powered over the USB cable.

Input bandwidth is 20MHz (50mV-50V vertical sensitivity, or 10 MHz (10 and 20mV)

Sample rate is 40Msample/s/channel with all channels in use, which can be doubled to 80Msample/s/channel if only four channels are needed.

The buffer holds 256Msamples and, for long-term monitoring, data streaming to the host PC is possible – at 10Msample/s (PicoScope 6 software on PC), or 80Msample/s/channel (160Msample/s total max) using the supplied API on a fast PC.

“The eight-channel PicoScope has the same footprint [190x170x40mm] as Pico’s existing 2 and 4-channel models,” said company MD Alan Tong.

Applications are expected in power supply start sequencing, seven- channel audio, 3 phase voltage and current measurement, and multi-phase motor drives.

As standard comes a 20MHz FFT spectrum analyser, segmented memory for bursts of up to 10,000 captures in less than 30ms, math channels, automatic measurements, colour persistence display mode, digital triggering, mask limit testing and serial decoding (SPI, I2C, I2S, RS-232/UART, CAN, LIN and FlexRay).

A free SDK is included for developing applications in languages including: C, Visual Basic, LabVIEW and MATLAB. Example code is available.

Price is £1395 ($2302 or €1688) including USB 2.0 and 3.0 cables, and a five year warranty.

Pico Technology makes its scopes in the UK.

The PicoScope 4824 data sheet is here.