Digilent Announces its 3000 Series Oscilloscope Family

The Analog Discovery Pro Series comes with 12 built-in instruments, offering benchtop functionality in a convenient, portable form. It’s appropriate for university education, and also provides everything an electrical engineer would need for their at-home work bench.

The Analog Discovery Pro 3000 Series. Image courtesy of Digilent

 

The Analog Discovery Pro Series is listed as four separate units, but the main difference between them is that the ADP3450 features four channels, and the ADP3250 sports just two. Both devices come with or without BNC probes and P2150 oscilloscope probes, so technically speaking, there are four models. The four channel unit (without the probes) is slated for availability on February 17 of this year.

 

About the Oscilloscope Itself

The unit’s 3dB bandwidth is 55 MHz when used with a probe with adequate frequency response. Resolution is 14 bits, input impedance is 1MΩ, 15pF.

Absolute resolution on a scale of less than 200 mV/division is 0.125mV, with accuracy of ±10mV, ±0.5%. If the scale is greater than 200 mV/div, the resolution is 3.05mV, and here accuracy is  ±100 mV ± 0.5%.

Input range is ±25 V to ground, or 50 V peak-to-peak. Overvoltage protection kicks in at ±50 VDC or ±30 VRMS.

 

Twelve Built-In Instruments

The  ADP3450/3250 is A LOT of machine for the price. Here’s a list of what comes standard. 

• Waveform Generator
• Power Supplies
• Voltmeter
• Data Logger
• Logic Analyzer
• Pattern Generator
• Static I/O
• Spectrum Analyzer
• Network Analyzer
• Impedance Analyzer
• Protocol Analyzer
• Script Editor

 

Tutorials are available in Digilent’s Reference Guide. Most of these additions require the installation of the company’s free Waveforms Software on the user’s computer. Digilent has cautioned that these descriptions are classified as “Under Construction”

In addition to what’s listed below, the Analog Discovery Pro Series features four USB A ports and auto-negotiate 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet through an RJ-45 interface

Some of the highlights:

 

Waveform Generator

There are two channels with 14-bit resolution. The maximum sample rate is 125 MS/second and the 3dB bandwidth is over 15 MHz. Maximum buffer size 32 kS/channel. The output is ±5 volts with 50Ω output impedance. 

 

Logic Analyzer

There are 16 channels. The maximum sample rate is 125 MS/second per channel, and the maximum buffer size is 16 kS/channel. Logic level is CMOS (1.2 to 3.3 volts), and 5 volts can be tolerated.

 

Spectrum Analyzer

The spectrum analyzer shares the four (or two) channels with the oscilloscope. It can operate over a frequency range of 0 to 50MHz.

 

Network Analyzer

Shares inputs and outputs with the oscilloscope and the waveform generator. The frequency sweep range is from 1 to 10 MHz. Frequency steps are 1 to 10,001

 

Impedance Analyzer

Again, the inputs and outputs are shared with the Waveform Generator and the Oscilloscope. Available plots include Inductance, Capacitance, Impedance and Admittance.

 

Analog Discovery Pro’s Linux Mode

In addition to the 12 built-in instruments that are animated by WaveForms, the company introduces its Linux Mode, a terminal-based operating system. Teaming up with the WaveForms SDK, it provides a starting point for a variety of custom tests and applications. 

Linux Mode allows users to employ data streaming via Ethernet. And, the on-device storage enables millions of data samples.