Accessory PicoScope 3000
5 of 5 Article
The two- and four-channel PicoScope 3000 Series models and the mixed-signal models (MSO models, which have an additional 16 digital channels) offer the features of an oscilloscope plus a logic analyser (on the MSO models), spectrum analyser, function generator, arbitrary waveform generator and serial bus analyser that supports 15 protocols as standard. They are powered via USB and housed in an ultra-portable case that can be easily carried in a laptop bag.
Supported by advanced PicoScope software, these units provide an ideal, cost-effective package for many applications, including embedded systems development, research, testing, education, service and repair.
| PicoScope model | 3203D and 3203D MSO | 3403D and 3403D MSO | 3204D and 3204D MSO | 3404D and 3404D MSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input channels | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Bandwidth (-3 dB) | 50 MHz | 50 MHz | 70 MHz | 70 MHz |
| Rise time (calculated) | 7.0 ns | 7.0 ns | 5.3 ns | 5.3 ns |
- MSO models offer additional 16 digital channels (2 x 8)
| PicoScope model | 3205D and 3205D MSO | 3405D and 3405D MSO | 3206D and 3206D MSO | 3406D and 3406D MSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input channels | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Bandwidth (-3 dB) | 100 MHz | 100 MHz | 200 MHz | 200 MHz |
| Rise time (calculated) | 3.5 ns | 3.5 ns | 1.75 ns | 1.75 ns |
- MSO models offer additional 16 digital channels (2 x 8)
Special Features
Advanced Display
PicoScope software dedicates almost all of the display area to the waveform. This ensures that the maximum amount of data is seen at once.
With a large display area available, you can also create a customizable split-screen display, and view multiple channels or different views of the same signal at the same time. As the example shows, the software can even show multiple oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer traces at once. Additionally, each waveform shown works with individual zoom, pan, and filter settings for ultimate flexibility.
The PicoScope software can be controlled by mouse, touchscreen or keyboard shortcuts.
Fast capture rate
Oscilloscopes with high waveform capture rates provide better insight into signal behavior and dramatically increase the probability that the oscilloscope will quickly capture transient anomalies such as jitter, runt pulses and glitches.
The PicoScope 3000 oscilloscopes use hardware acceleration to capture up to 100,000 waveforms per second.
Deep-memory
Some oscilloscopes struggle when you enable deep memory; the screen update rate slows and controls become unresponsive. The PicoScope 3000 Series avoids this limitation with use of a dedicated hardware acceleration engine inside the oscilloscope. Its massively parallel design effectively creates the waveform image to be displayed on the PC screen and allows the continuous capture and display to the screen of over 440 million samples every second.
The PicoScope 3000 series is fitted with third-generation hardware acceleration (HAL3). This speeds up areas of oscilloscope operation such as allowing waveform update rates in excess of 100,000 waveforms per second and the segmented memory/rapid trigger modes. The hardware acceleration engine ensures that any concerns about the USB connection or PC processor performance being a bottleneck are eliminated.
All-inclusive
PicoScopes already include features such as serial decoding, mask limit testing, advanced math channels, segmented memory and a signal generator without additional costs.
Waveform buffer and navigator
Ever spotted a glitch on a waveform, but by the time you’ve stopped the scope it has gone? With PicoScope you no longer need to worry about missing glitches or other transient events. PicoScope can store the last ten thousand oscilloscope or spectrum waveforms in its circular waveform buffer.
The buffer navigator provides an efficient way of navigating and searching through waveforms, effectively letting you turn back time. Tools such as mask limit testing can also be used to scan through each waveform in the buffer looking for mask violations.
Digital triggering
The majority of digital oscilloscopes still use an analog trigger architecture based on comparators. This causes time and amplitude errors that cannot always be calibrated out and often limits the trigger sensitivity at high bandwidths.
In 1991 Pico pioneered the use of fully digital triggering using the actual digitized data. This technique reduces trigger errors and allows our oscilloscopes to trigger on the smallest signals, even at the full bandwidth. Trigger levels and hysteresis can be set with high precision and resolution.
The reduced rearm delay provided by digital triggering, together with segmented memory, allows the capture of events that happen in rapid sequence. On many PicoScopes, rapid triggering can capture a new waveform every microsecond until the buffer is full.
Portable & personal
PicoScope 3000 Series USB-powered PC oscilloscopes are small, light, and portable and can easily slip into a laptop bag while offering a range of high-performance specifications.
On the bench a PicoScope saves valuable space and allows the scope to be placed right by the unit under test.
Laptop users benefit even more: with no power supply required you can now carry an oscilloscope with you all the time in your laptop bag. Perfect for the engineer on the move.
FFT spectrum analyzer
The spectrum view plots amplitude against frequency, revealing details that would otherwise be hidden in an oscilloscope view. It is ideal for finding noise, crosstalk or distortion in signals.
You can display multiple spectrum views alongside oscilloscope views of the same data. A comprehensive set of automatic frequency-domain measurements can be added to the display, including THD, THD+N, SNR, SINAD and IMD. A mask limit test can be applied to a spectrum and you can even use the AWG and spectrum mode together to perform swept scalar network analysis.
With PicoScope 3000 models FFTs of up to 1 million points can be computed in milliseconds giving superb frequency resolution. Increasing the number of points in a FFT also lowers the noise floor revealing otherwise hidden signals.
Arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and function generator
All PicoScope 3000D units have a built-in function generator (sine, square, triangle, DC level, white noise, PRBS etc.) on the front panel. PicoScope 3000D MSO models have the connector on the rear panel.
As well as basic controls to set level, offset and frequency, more advanced controls allow you to sweep over a range of frequencies. Combined with the spectrum peak hold option this makes a powerful tool for testing amplifier and filter responses.
Trigger tools allow one or more cycles of a waveform to be output when various conditions are met such as the scope triggering or a mask limit test failing.
A 14 bit 80 MSa/s arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) is also included. AWG waveforms can be created or edited using the built-in AWG editor, imported from oscilloscope traces, or loaded from a spreadsheet.
Download new features or write your own
The software development kit (SDK) allows you to write your own software and includes drivers for Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac (OS X) and Linux (including Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone).
There is also an active community of PicoScope users who share code and applications on the Pico forum and PicoApps section of the picotech.com web site.
Example code, hosted on the Pico Technology GitHub pages, shows how to interface to third-party software packages such as Microsoft Excel, National Instruments LabVIEW and MathWorks MATLAB and programming languages including:
- C
- C++
- C#
- Visual Basic .NET The drivers support USB data streaming, a mode that captures gap-free continuous data over USB direct to the PC’s RAM or hard disk at rates of up to 156.25 MS/s for USB 3.0 devices. Capture size is limited only by available PC storage. Sampling rates in streaming mode are subject to PC specifications, product specifications and application loading.
Math channels and filters
On many oscilloscopes waveform math just means simple calculations such as A + B. With a PicoScope it means much, much more.
With PicoScope software you can select simple functions such as addition and inversion, or open the equation editor to create complex functions involving filters (lowpass, highpass, bandpass and bandstop filters), trigonometry, exponentials, logarithms, statistics, integrals and derivatives.
Waveform math also allows you to plot live signals alongside historic peak, averaged or filtered waveforms.
You can also use math channels to reveal new details in complex signals. An example would be to graph the changing duty cycle or frequency of your signal over time.
Downloads
Datasheet
PicoScope 3000 series, data sheet
Language: German
Version: MM054.de-18
File Size: 6.80 MiB
Release Date: 23.05.2021
functions and specifications
PicoScope 3000 series, data sheet
Language: English
Version: MM054.en.dis-18
File Size: 6.85 MiB
Release Date: 23.05.2021
functions and specifications
Manual
PicoScope 3000 series, A API programmers guide
Language: English
Version: ps3000apg.en-15
File Size: 1.62 MiB
Release Date: 11.01.2022
This manual explains how to develop your own programs for collecting and analyzing data from the PicoScope 3000 Series oscilloscopes. It applies to all devices supported by the ps3000a application programming interface (API)
PicoScope 3000 series, users guide
Language: German
Version: ps3000d.de-3
File Size: 2.09 MiB
Release Date: 23.05.2021
Users guide
PicoScope 3000 series, users guide
Language: English
Version: ps3000d.en-3
File Size: 2.01 MiB
Release Date: 23.05.2021
Users guide
PicoScope 6 Software beginners guide
Language: English
Version: MM048.en-1
File Size: 1.48 MiB
Release Date: 24.05.2023
PicoScope 6 is the oscilloscope software supplied with all PicoScope® oscilloscopes. All the advertised features are included in the purchase price of your oscilloscope, so there are no expensive add-on software modules to buy later.
PicoScope 6 Software FAQ
Language: English
Version: AR332-4
File Size: 917.75 KiB
Release Date: 06.03.2022
PicoScope 6 is the oscilloscope software supplied with all PicoScope® oscilloscopes. All the advertised features are included in the purchase price of your oscilloscope, so there are no expensive add-on software modules to buy later.
PicoScope 6 Software training manual
Language: English
Version: DO226-3
File Size: 7.19 MiB
Release Date: 06.03.2022
PicoScope 6 is the oscilloscope software supplied with all PicoScope® oscilloscopes. All the advertised features are included in the purchase price of your oscilloscope, so there are no expensive add-on software modules to buy later.
PicoScope 6 Software users guide
Language: English
Version: psw.en r50
File Size: 9.34 MiB
Release Date: 28.01.2020
PicoScope 6 is the oscilloscope software supplied with all PicoScope® oscilloscopes. All the advertised features are included in the purchase price of your oscilloscope, so there are no expensive add-on software modules to buy later.
PicoScope 7 Software users guide
Language: English
Version: psw7.en-1
File Size: 59.37 MiB
Release Date: 07.05.2025
PicoScope 7 is the oscilloscope software that is available for all PicoScope® oscilloscopes. There are versions for Windows, macOS and Linux. All the advertised features are included in the purchase price of your oscilloscope, so there are no expensive add-on software modules to buy later.