PicoScope-9404A-16 |Neurotech

Details

Specifications marked with * are checked during performance verification.
Specifications marked with † are valid after a 30-minute warm-up period and ±2 °C from firmware calibration temperature.

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25	PicoScope 9404A-33
Vertical
Number of input channels		4 (all channels are identical and digitized simultaneously)
Analog bandwidth (-3 dB)^†	Full bandwidth*	DC to 6 GHz	DC to 16 GHz	DC to 25 GHz	DC to 33 GHz
	Middle bandwidth	DC to 500 MHz		N/A
	Narrow bandwidth	DC to 100 MHz	DC to 100 MHz	DC to 18 GHz	N/A
Passband flatness		±1 dB to 3 GHz	±1 dB to 5 GHz	±1 dB to 4 GHz	±1 dB to 8 GHz
Calculated rise time (Tr), typical Calculated from the bandwidth. For 10 to 90%, T_r = 0.35/BW. For 20 to 80%, T_r = 0.25/BW.	Full bandwidth	10 to 90%: ≤ 58.4 ps 20 to 80%: ≤ 41.7 ps	10 to 90%: ≤ 21.9 ps 20 to 80%: ≤ 15.6 ps	10 to 90%: ≤ 14 ps 20 to 80%: ≤ 10 ps	10 to 90%: ≤ 10.9 ps 20 to 80%: ≤ 7.8 ps
	Middle bandwidth	10 to 90%: ≤ 700 ps 20 to 80%: ≤ 500 ps		N/A
	Narrow bandwidth	10 to 90%: ≤ 3.5 ns 20 to 80%: ≤ 2.5 ns		10 to 90%: ≤ 19.5 ps 20 to 80%: ≤ 13.9 ps	N/A
RMS noise	Full bandwidth*	1.8 mV max, 1.6 mV typ.	2.4 mV max, 2.2 mV typ.	2.9 mV max, 2.7 mV typ.	2.95 mV max, 2.8 mV typ.
	Middle bandwidth	0.9 mV max, 0.75 mV typ.		N/A
	Narrow bandwidth	0.7 mV max, 0.6 mV typ.		2.5 mV max, 2.3 mV typ.	N/A
Input ranges (sensitivity)		10 mV/div to 250 mV/div		10 mV/div to 200 mV/div
		Adjustable in a 10-12.5-15-20-25-30-40-50-60-80-100-125-150-200-250 mV/div sequence		Adjustable in a 10-12.5-15-20-25-30-40-50-60-80-100-125-150-200 mV/div sequence
		Also adjustable in 1% fine increments or better With manual or calculator data entry, the increment is 0.1 mV/div
DC gain accuracy*		±1.5% of full scale (±1.0% typical)		±2.0% of full scale (±1.5% typical)	±2.5% of full scale (±2.0% typical)
Position range		±4 divisions from center screen
DC offset range		Adjustable from −1 to +1 V in 10 mV increments (coarse) or 2 mV increments (fine)		Adjustable from −800 to +800 mV in 10 mV (coarse) or 2 mV (fine) increments
DC offset range		Manual or calculator data entry: increment is 0.01 mV for offsets between −99.9 and +99.9 mV, and 0.1 mV for offsets between –999.9 and +999.9 mV. (−799.9 and +799.9 mV for -25 and -33 models) Referenced to center of display graticule.
Offset accuracy*		±(2 mV + 1.5%) of offset setting, max; ±(1 mV + 1%) typical		±(2 mV + 2%) of offset setting, max; ±(1 mV + 1%) typical
Operating input voltage		±1 V		±800 mV
Vertical zoom and position		For all input channels, waveform memories, or functions Vertical factor: 0.01 to 100 Vertical position: ±800 divisions maximum of zoomed waveform
Channel-to-channel crosstalk (channel isolation)		≥ 50 dB (316:1) for input frequency DC to 1 GHz ≥ 40 dB (100:1) for input frequency > 1 GHz to 3 GHz
Channel-to-channel crosstalk (channel isolation)		≥ 36 dB (63:1) for 3 GHz > input frequency ≥ 5 GHz	≥ 36 dB (63:1) for 3 GHz > input frequency ≥ 16 GHz	≥ 40 dB (100:1) for 3 GHz > input frequency ≥ 16 GHz ≥ 36 dB (63:1) for 16 GHz > input frequency ≥ 25 GHz	TBD
Delay between channels		≤ 10 ps, typical, between any two channels, full bandwidth, random sampling
ADC resolution		12 bits
Hardware vertical resolution		0.5 mV/LSB without averaging		0.4 mV/LSB without averaging
Overvoltage protection		±1.4 V (DC + AC peak)		±1.5 V (DC + AC peak)
Input impedance*		50 ± 1.5 Ω. 50 ± 1 Ω, typical
Input match		Reflections for 70 ps rise time: 10% or less	Reflections for 50 ps rise time: 10% or less	Reflections for 20 ps rise time: 10% or less
Input coupling		DC
Input connectors		SMA (f)		2.92 mm (K) (f), compatible with SMA

Attenuation ( Attenuation factors are optional scaling factors that can be used to scale the oscilloscope if external attenuators are connected to the channel inputs.)
Range	0.0001:1 to 1 000 000:1
Units	Ratio or dB
Scale	Volt, watt, ampere, or unknown

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25
Horizontal
Timebase		Internal timebase common to all input channels
Timebase range Full horizontal scale is ten divisions.	Total available range	50 ps/div to 1000 s/div	20 ps/div to 1000 s/div	10 ps/div to 1000 s/div
	Real-time sampling	10 ns/div to 1000 s/div
	Random equivalent-time sampling	50 ps/div to 5 μs/div	20 ps/div to 5 μs/div	10 ps/div to 5 μs/div
	Roll	100 ms/div to 1000 s/div
Segmented		Total number of segments: 2 to 1024. Rearm time between segments: < 1 µs (trigger hold-off setting dependent)
Horizontal zoom and position		For all input channels, waveform memories or functions Horizontal factor: From 1 to 2000 Horizontal position: From 0% to 100% non-zoomed waveform
Timebase clock accuracy (500 MHz timebase clock)	Initial set tolerance @ 25 ± 3 °C	±0.5 ppm
	Overall frequency stability over operating temperature range	±2 ppm
	Aging (over 10 years @ 25 °C)	±3 ppm
Timebase resolution (with random sampling)		1 ps	0.4 ps	0.2 ps
Delta time measurement accuracy*		±(0.5 ppm × reading + 0.1% × screen width + 2 ps)
Pre-trigger delay		Record length / current sampling rate maximum at zero variable delay time
Post-trigger delay		0 to 4.28 s. Coarse increment is one horizontal scale division, fine increment is 0.1 horizontal scale division, manual or calculator increment is 0.01 horizontal scale division
Channel-to-channel deskew range		±50 ns range. Coarse increment is 100 ps, fine is 10 ps. With manual or calculator data entry the increment is four significant digits or 1 ps

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25
Acquisition
Sampling models	Real-time	Captures all of the sample points used to reconstruct a waveform during a single trigger event
	Random	Acquires sample points over several trigger events, requiring the input waveform to be repetitive
	Roll	Acquisition data is displayed in a rolling fashion starting from the right side of the display and continuing to the left side of the display (while the acquisition is running)
Maximum sampling rate	Real-time	500 MS/s per channel simultaneously
Maximum sampling rate	Random	Up to 1 TS/s, or 1 ps trigger placement resolution	Up to 2.5 TS/s, or 0.4 ps trigger placement resolution	Up to 5 TS/s, or 0.2 ps trigger placement resolution
Record length	Real-time	From 50 S/ch to 250 kS/ch for one channel, to 125 kS/ch for two channels, to 50 kS/ch for three and four channels
Record length	Random sampling	From 500 S/ch to 250 kS/ch for one channel, to 125 kS/ch for two channels, to 50 kS/ch for three and four channels
Duration at highest real-time sampling rate		0.5 ms for one channel, 0.25 ms for two channels, 0.125 ms for three and four channels
Acquisition modes	Sample (normal)	Acquires first sample in decimation interval and displays results without further processing
	Average	Average value of samples in decimation interval. Number of waveforms for average: 2 to 4096
	Envelope	Envelope of acquired waveforms. Minimum, Maximum or both Minimum and Maximum values acquired over one or more acquisitions. Number of acquisitions is from 2 to 4096 in ×2 sequence and continuously
	Peak detect	Largest and smallest sample in decimation interval. Minimum pulse width: 1/(sampling rate) or 2 ns @ 50 µs/div or faster for single channel
	High resolution	Averages all samples taken during an acquisition interval to create a record point. This average results in a higher-resolution, lower-bandwidth waveform. Resolution can be expanded to 12.5 bits or more, up to 16 bits
	Segmented	Number of segments: 1 to 1024, rearm time: < 3 μs or user defined holdoff time, whichever is larger (minimum time between trigger events). User can view selected segment, overlaid segments or selected plus overlay. Search segments: step through, gated block and binary search. Segments are delta and absolute time-stamped

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06
Trigger
Trigger sources		Internal from any of four channels, external direct, external prescaled (if available)
Trigger mode	Free run	Triggers automatically but not synchronized to the input in absence of trigger event
	Normal (triggered)	Requires trigger event for oscilloscope to trigger
	Single	Software button that triggers only once on a trigger event. Not suitable for random sampling
Trigger holdoff mode		Time or random
Trigger holdoff range		Holdoff by time: Adjustable from 500 ns to 15 s in a 1-2-5-10 sequence or in 4 ns fine increments. Random: This mode varies the trigger holdoff from one acquisition to another by randomizing the time value between triggers. The randomized time values can be between the values specified in the min holdoff and max holdoff

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25
Internal trigger
Trigger style	Edge	Triggers on a rising and falling edge of any source within frequency range DC to 2.5 GHz
	Divide	The trigger source is divided down four times (/4) before being applied to the trigger system. Maximum trigger frequency 6 GHz
	Clock recovery (optional)	Triggers on the rising edge of the recovered clock
	Clock recovery (optional)	6.5 Mb/s to 5 Gb/s	6.5 Mb/s to 8 Gb/s	6.5 Mb/s to 11.3 Gb/s
Bandwidth and sensitivity	Low sensitivity	100 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz, increasing linearly from 100 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 200 mV p-p at 6 GHz. Pulse width: 80 ps @ 200 mV p-p typical
Bandwidth and sensitivity	High sensitivity*	30 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz, increasing linearly from 30 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 70 mV p-p at 6 GHz. Pulse width: 100 ps @ 70 mV p-p
Level range		−1 to +1 V in 10 mV increments (coarse). Also adjustable in fine increments of 1 mV
Edge trigger slope	Positive	Triggers on rising edge
	Negative	Triggers on falling edge
	Bi-slope	Triggers on both edges of the signal
RMS jitter* Combined trigger and interpolator jitter.	Edge and divided triggers	1.5 ps + 0.1 ppm of delay, maximum 1.2 ps + 0.1 ppm of delay, typical Tested at 2.5 GHz/600 mV p-p sine wave for edge trigger, and at 6 GHz/600 mV p-p sine wave for divided trigger
RMS jitter* Combined trigger and interpolator jitter.	Clock recovery trigger (optional)	2 ps + 1.0% of unit interval + 0.1 ppm delay, maximum
Coupling		DC

PicoScope model	PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25
External prescaled trigger
Coupling	N/A	50 Ω, AC coupled, fixed level zero volts
Bandwidth and sensitivity*		100 mV p-p from 1 GHz to 16 GHz	100 mV p-p from 1 GHz to 20 GHz
RMS jitter* For trigger input slope > 2 V/ns. Combined trigger and interpolator jitter.		1.5 ps, maximum. 1.2 ps, typical
Prescaler ratio		Divided by 8, fixed
Maximum safe input voltage		±3 V (DC + AC peak)
Input connector		SMA (f)

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25
External direct trigger
Style	Edge	Triggers on a rising and falling edge of any source from DC to 2.5 GHz
	Divide	Trigger source divided by 4 before input to the trigger system. Max. trigger frequency 6 GHz
	Clock recovery (optional)	Triggers on the rising edge of the recovered clock.
	Clock recovery (optional)	6.5 Mb/s to 5 Gb/s	6.5 Mb/s to 8 Gb/s	6.5 Mb/s to 11.3 Gb/s
Coupling		DC
Bandwidth and sensitivity	Low sensitivity*	100 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz, increasing linearly from 100 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 200 mV p-p at 6 GHz Pulse width: 80 ps @ 200 mV p-p typical
Bandwidth and sensitivity	High sensitivity	30 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz, increasing linearly from 30 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 70 mV p-p at 6 GHz Pulse width: 80 ps @ 70 mV p-p
Level range		−1 to 1 V in 10 mV coarse increments or 1 mV fine increments
Slope		Rising, falling, bi-slope
RMS jitter	Edge and divided*	1.5 ps + 0.1 ppm of delay, maximum 1.2 ps + 0.1 ppm of delay, typical Tested at 2.5 GHz/600 mV p-p sine wave for edge trigger, and at 6 GHz/600 mV p-p for divided trigger
RMS jitter	Clock recovery (optional)	2 ps + 1.0% of unit interval + 0.1 ppm of delay, maximum
Maximum safe input voltage		±3 V (DC + AC peak)
Input connector		SMA (f)

Display
Persistence	Off	No persistence
	Variable persistence	Time that each data point is retained on the display. Persistence time can be varied from 100 ms to 20 s
	Infinite persistence	In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever
	Variable gray scaling	Five levels of a single color that is varied in saturation and luminosity. Refresh time can be varied from 1 s to 200 s
	Infinite gray scaling	In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever in five levels of a single color
	Variable color grading	With variable color grading selected, historical timing information is represented by a temperature or spectral color scheme providing "z-axis" information about rapidly changing waveforms. Refresh time can be varied from 1 to 200 s
	Infinite color grading	In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever by a temperature or spectral color scheme
Style	Dots	Displays waveforms without persistence, each new waveform record replaces the previously acquired record for a channel
Style	Vector	This function draws a straight line through the data points on the display. Not suited to multi-value signals such as an eye diagram
Graticule	Full	Full grid
	Axes	Displays axes with tick marks
	Frame	Displays frame with tick marks only
	Off	No graticule
Format	Auto	Automatically places, adds or deletes graticules as you select more or fewer waveforms to display
	Single XT	All waveforms are superimposed and are eight divisions high
	Dual YT	With two graticules, all waveforms can be four divisions high, displayed separately or superimposed
	Quad YT	With four graticules, all waveforms can be two divisions high, displayed separately or superimposed
	When you select dual or quad screen display, every waveform channel, memory and function can be placed on a specified graticule
	XY	Displays voltages of two waveforms against each other. The amplitude of the first waveform is plotted on the horizontal X axis and the amplitude of the second waveform is is plotted on the vertical Y axis
	XY + YT	Displays both XY and YT pictures. The YT format appears on the upper part of the screen, and the XY format on the lower part of the screen. The YT format display area is one screen and any displayed waveforms are superimposed
	XY + 2YT	Displays both YT and XY pictures. The YT format appears on the upper part of the screen, and the XY format on the lower part of the screen. The YT format display area is divided into two equal screens
	Tandem	Displays graticules to the left and to the right
Colors		You may choose a default color selection, or select your own color set. Different colors are used for displaying selected items: background, channels, functions, waveform memories, FFTs, TDR/TDTs and histograms
Trace annotation		The instrument gives you the ability to add an identifying label, bearing your own text, to a waveform display. For each waveform, you can create multiple labels and turn them all on or all off. Also, you can position them on the waveform by dragging or by specifying an exact horizontal position

Save/Recall
Management	Store and recall setups, waveforms and user mask files to any drive on your PC. Storage capacity is limited only by disk space
File extensions	Waveform files: .wfm for binary format, .txt for verbose format (text), .txty for Y values formats (text) Database files: .wdb Setup files: .set User mask files: .pcm
Operating system	Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and 10, 32-bit and 64-bit; Windows 11, 64-bit
Waveform save/recall	Up to four waveforms may be stored into the waveform memories (M1 to M4), and then recalled for display
Save to/recall from disk	You can save or recall your acquired waveforms to or from any drive on the PC. To save a waveform, use the standard Windows Save as dialog box. From this dialog box you can create subdirectories and waveform files, or overwrite existing waveform files. You can load, into one of the Waveform Memories, a file with a waveform you have previously saved and then recall it for display
Save/recall setups	The instrument can store complete setups in the memory and then recall them
Screen image	You can copy a screen image into the clipboard with the following formats: Full screen, full window, client part, invert client part, oscilloscope screen
Autoscale	Pressing the Autoscale key automatically adjusts the vertical channels, the horizontal scale factors, and the trigger level for a display appropriate to the signals applied to the inputs The Autoscale feature requires a repetitive signal with a frequency greater than 100 Hz, duty cycle greater than 0.2%, amplitudes greater than 100 mV p-p. Autoscale is operative only for relatively stable input signals

Markers
Marker type	X-marker	Vertical bars (measure time)
	Y-marker	Horizontal bars (measure volts)
	XY-marker	Waveform markers
Marker measurements		Absolute, delta, volt, time, frequency and slope
Marker motion	Independent	Both markers can be adjusted independently
Marker motion	Paired	Markers can be adjusted together
Ratiometric measurements		Provide ratios between measured and reference values. Results in such ratiometric units as %, dB and degrees

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25
Measurements
Automated measurements		Up to ten simultaneous measurements are supported
Automatic parametric		53 automatic measurements available
Amplitude measurements		Maximum, minimum, top, base, peak-peak, amplitude, middle, mean, cycle mean, DC RMS, cycle DC RMS, AC RMS, cycle AC RMS, positive overshoot, negative overshoot, area, cycle area
Timing measurements		Period, frequency, positive width, negative width, rise time, fall time, positive duty cycle, negative duty cycle, positive crossing, negative crossing, burst width, cycles, time at maximum, time at minimum, positive jitter p-p, positive jitter RMS, negative jitter p-p, negative jitter RMS
Inter-signal measurements		Delay (8 options), phase deg, phase rad, phase %, gain, gain dB
FFT measurements		FFT magnitude, FFT delta magnitude, THD, FFT frequency, FFT delta frequency
Measurement statistics		Displays current, minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation on any displayed waveform measurements
Method of top-base definition		Histogram, min/max or user-defined (in absolute voltage)
Thresholds		Upper, middle and lower horizontal bars settable in percentage, voltage or divisions. Standard thresholds are 10–50–90% or 20–50–80%
Margins		Any region of the waveform may be isolated for measurement using left and right margins (vertical bars)
Measurement mode		Repetitive, single-shot
Counter	Source	Internal from any of four channels, external direct, external prescaled (if available)
	Resolution	7 digits
	Maximum frequency, internal or external direct trigger	6 GHz
	Maximum frequency, external prescaled trigger	N/A	16 GHz	20 GHz
	Measurements	Frequency, period
	Time reference	Internal 250 MHz reference clock

Spectrum/FFT
Frequency span	Span = sample rate / 2 = Record length / (2 × timebase range)
Frequency resolution	Frequency resolution = Sample rate / record length
Windows	Rectangular, Hamming, Hann, flat-top, Blackman-Harris, Kaiser-Bessel Windows allow optimization of frequency resolution, transients and amplitude accuracy
Marker measurements	Frequency, delta frequency, magnitude, delta magnitude
Automated measurements	Magnitude, delta magnitude, THD, frequency, delta frequency

Math channels
Waveform math		Up to four math waveforms can be defined and displayed, using math functions F1 to F4
Categories and math operators	Arithmetic	Add, subtract, multiply, divide, ceil, floor, fix, round, absolute, invert, common, rescale
	Algebra	Exponentiation (base e, 10 or arbitrary), logarithm (base e, 10 or arbitrary), differentiate, integrate, square, square root, cube, arbitrary power, inverse, square root of sum
	Trigonometry	Sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, arc sine, arc cosine, arc tangent, arc cotangent, hyperbolic sine, hyperbolic cosine, hyperbolic tangent, hyperbolic cotangent
	FFT	Complex FFT, FFT magnitude, FFT phase, FFT real part, FFT imaginary part, complex inverse FFT, FFT group delay
	Boolean operators	AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, XNOR, NOT
	Miscellaneous	Autocorrelation, correlation, convolution, track, trend, linear interpolation, sin(x)/x interpolation, smoothing
	Formula editor	Build math waveforms from the above operators using the formula editor control window
Operands		Any channel, memory waveform, math function, spectrum or constant can be selected as a source for one of two operands

Histogram
Axes	Horizontal or vertical Both vertical and horizontal histograms allow statistical distributions to be analyzed over any region of the signal
Measurements	Scale, offset, hits in box, waveforms, peak hits, peak-peak, median, mean, standard deviation, mean ±1/2/3 standard deviations, min, max, max-max
Windows	Histogram windows determine the part of the database used to plot the histogram. The window can be set to any size within the horizontal and vertical scaling limits of the scope

Eye diagrams
Overview		PicoSample can automatically characterize an NRZ or RZ eye pattern. Measurements are based on statistical analysis of the waveform
Measurements	NRZ	X: area, cycle area, bit rate, bit time, crossing time, duty cycle distortion (%, s), eye width (%, s), rise time, fall time, frequency, period, jitter (peak-peak, RMS) Y: RMS, AC RMS, noise (peak-peak, RMS; one, zero) crossing %, crossing level, eye amplitude, eye height (linear, dB), max, min, mean, mid, positive overshoot, negative overshoot, zero level, one level, peak-peak, signal-to-noise ratio (linear, dB)
	RZ	X: Area, cycle area, bit rate, bit time, eye width (%, s), rise time, fall time, jitter (peak-peak, RMS; rise, fall), positive crossing, negative crossing, positive duty cycle, pulse width, pulse symmetry Y: RMS, AC RMS, noise (peak-peak, RMS; one, zero), contrast ratio (dB, %, ratio), eye amplitude, eye high (linear, dB), max, min, mean, mid, eye opening factor, zero level, one level, peak-peak, signal-to-noise ratio
	PAM4	X: Eye width (upper, middle and lower), eye skew (upper, middle and lower), level ISI (3, 2, 1, 0), level skew (3, 2, 1, 0), eq. bit rate, symbol rate, unit interval Y: eye height (2-3, 1-2, 0-1), eye level (2-3, 1-2, 0-1), level mean (3, 2, 1, 0), level RMS (3, 2, 1, 0), level pk-pk (3, 2, 1, 0), linearity, level deviation, ES2 level, ES1 level, level thickness, peak-to-peak, overshoot, undershoot Optical: Transmit rise time, transmit fall time, average power, extinction ratio, OMA outer, TDECQ

PicoScope model		PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25	PicoScope 9404A-33
Mask tests
Overview		Acquired signals are tested for fit outside areas defined by up to eight polygons. Any samples that fall within the polygon boundaries result in test failures. Masks can be loaded from disk, created automatically or created manually. The following gives an overview of the available masks. For a full list, see the 9400A User's Guide
Standard masks	SONET/SDH	From: STM-0/OC-1 (51.84 Mb/s)
	SONET/SDH		To: STM-64/OC-48 with FEC (2.6666 Gb/s)	To: STM-64/OC-192 with FEC (10.664 Gb/s)	To: FC-1600 (14.025 Gb/s)
	Fibre channel	From: FCC133 (132.8 Mb/s)
	Fibre channel		To: FC2125E (2.125 Gb/s)	To: 10x Fibre channel (10.5188 Gb/s)
	Ethernet	From: 100Base-BX10 (125 Mb/s)
	Ethernet	To: 10GBase-CX4 (3.125 Gb/s)	To: 10xGb Ethernet (12.5 Gb/s)
	InfiniBand	From: 2.5G Infiniband (2.5 Gb/s)
	InfiniBand	To: 5.0G Infiniband (5.0 Gb/s)	To: FDR (14.0845 Gb/s)
	XAUI	XAUI near end, far end; XAUI-E near, far (3.125 Gb/s)
	ITU G.703	DS1, 100 Ω twisted pair (1.544 Mb/s) to 155 Mb, 75 Ω coax (155.520 Mb/s)
	ANSI T1.102	DS1 (1.533 Mb/s) to STS3 (155.52 Mb/s)
	RapidIO	RapidIO from 1.25 Gb/s to 3.125 Gb/s
	PCI Express	From: R1.0a/R1.1a 2.5G (2.5 Gb/s) to R2.0/R2.1 5.0G (5 Gb/s)
	Serial ATA	1.5G (1.5 Gb/s) and 3.0G (3 Gb/s)
	USB	From: USB 2.0 low, full and high speed (1.5, 12 and 480 Mb/s)
	USB	N/A	To: USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gb/s)
	CEI_OIF	N/A		CEI 11G LR/MR and SR (11.1982 Gb/s)
	SFF	N/A	SFF-8431 (10.3125 Gb/s)
Mask margin		Available for industry-standard mask testing
Automask creation		Masks are created automatically for single-valued voltage signals. Automask specifies both delta-X and delta-Y tolerances. The failure actions are identical to those of limit testing
Data collected during test		Total number of waveforms examined, number of failed samples, number of hits within each polygon boundary

Trigger output
Timing	Positive transition equivalent to acquisition trigger point. Negative transition after user holdoff
Low level	−0.2 V ± 0.1 V into 50 Ω
Amplitude	900 mV ± 200 mV into 50 Ω
Rise time	10 to 90%: ≤ 0.45 ns 20 to 80%: ≤ 0.3 ns
RMS jitter	≤ 2 ps
Output delay	4 ns ± 1 ns
Output coupling	DC
Output connector	SMA (f)

PicoScope model	PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25
Clock and data recovery (optional)
Recovered data output
Data rate	6.5 Mb/s to 5 Gb/s	6.5 Mb/s to 8 Gb/s	6.5 Mb/s to 11.3 Gb/s
Eye amplitude	250 mV p-p, typical
Eye rise/fall time (20 to 80%, typical)	75 ps	50 ps
RMS jitter	2 ps + 1% of unit interval
Output coupling	AC
Output connector	SMA (f)
Recovered clock output
Output frequency (half-full-rate clock output)	3.25 MHz to 3 GHz	3.25 MHz to 4 GHz	3.25 MHz to 5.65 GHz
Output amplitude	250 mV, typical
Output coupling	AC
Output connector	SMA (f)

PicoScope model	PicoScope 9404A-06	PicoScope 9404A-16	PicoScope 9404A-25	PicoScope 9404A-33
General
Power supply voltage	+12 V ± 5%
Power supply current	2.7 A max.	2.8 A max.	2.4 A max.	2.5 A max.
Power supply protection	Automatic shutdown on excess or reverse voltage
AC-DC adaptor	Universal adaptor supplied
PC connection	USB 2.0 (high speed). Compatible with USB 3.0 Ethernet LAN
Software	Windows 7, 8 and 10 (32-bit and 64-bit versions) Windows 11 (64-bit only)
PC requirements	Processor, memory and disk space: as required by the operating system
Ambient temperature range	Operating: +5 to 40 °C for normal operation; +15 to 25 °C for quoted accuracy Storage: −20 to +50 °C
Humidity range	Operating: Up to 85 %RH (non-condensing) at +25 °C Storage: Up to 95 %RH (non-condensing)
Altitude range	Up to 2000 m
Pollution degree	EN 61010 pollution degree 2: "Only nonconductive pollution occurs except that occasionally a temporary conductivity caused by condensation is expected"
Dimensions	244 × 54 × 233 mm
Net weight	1.52 kg
Compliance	EN 61010-1 (LVD), EN61326-1 (EMC), CFR-47 (EMC)
Warranty	3 years

More Information

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Specifications	A new class of sampling scope The PicoScope 9400A Series combines the huge analog bandwidth of sampling oscilloscopes with the triggering architecture of real-time oscilloscopes to create a whole new type of oscilloscope - the Sampler-Extended Real-Time Oscilloscope (SXRTO). Packed with features The PicoScope 9400A Series random equivalent-time sampling architecture is ideal for measuring high speed interfaces, such as gigabit digital systems, with repetitive signals or clock streams. Unlike a traditional sampling oscilloscope, an SXRTO can capture the trigger event itself and the waveform immediately before it. With four channels available, the PicoScope 9400A Series is invaluable for validating Signal Integrity (SI) in electronics and telecoms systems designs. With these applications in mind, the free PicoSample 4 software is packed with useful measurements and features. Draw eye diagrams with ease and analyze them with one of over 200 built-in masks (or create your own), plus quickly set up measurements for RZ, NRZ or PAM4 physical layers. Then, plot trends in your data such as pulse width or period over time. Add the optional Clock and Data Recovery module and unlock measurements exactly as your transceiver would see them, plus triggering of downstream instruments. Control of the PicoScope 9400A Series oscilloscopes can also be automated, including over USB or LAN using ActiveX control. Fast setup for fast signals Unlike a traditional sampling oscilloscope, an SXRTO can trigger directly off the input signal. For measurements up to 6 GHz, no longer do you need a complicated set-up with an external trigger source; just plug in your signal and start measuring. For higher bandwidth signals up to 20 GHz, use a splitter to feed the signal to the external trigger. Take advantage of the effective sampling rate up to 5 TS/s and analog bandwidth up to 33 GHz without the extra complications of a traditional sampling oscilloscope. The optional clock and data recovery module can recreate the clock and data signals up to an impressive 11.3 Gb/s - perfect for triggering other instruments in the same system. Unlike many real-time oscilloscopes, models in the PicoScope 9400A Series maintain their 12-bit resolution throughout their bandwidth, no matter how many channels are enabled. How oscilloscopes store data A real-time oscilloscope has a free running ADC that constantly puts data into a memory buffer. Each data point consists of a time stamp and a voltage value. When a trigger happens the data is aligned on the screen around that point. The memory buffer is circular so that when it has filled up the data at the beginning starts being overwritten. Because the RTO captures data constantly, the trigger can be at any point in the data on the screen; it is just the point around which all the data is aligned. This enables you to line it all up on the left of your screen and see what happened after the trigger, or line it up on the right of your screen to see what led up to the trigger event occurring. Triggering on a real-time oscilloscope The trigger on a digital oscilloscope is typically based around a threshold. When the threshold is exceeded, the trigger will fire. The threshold in question can be quite complex, like with Pico's advanced triggering options. However, the fact remains that there will be a sample where the trigger conditions were not met, followed by a sample where those conditions were met, and so the trigger fires. A real-time oscilloscope as standard has no way of determining when, between those two samples, the trigger criteria was met. This leads to some difficulty aligning successive waveforms and places a fundamental limit on the time resolution of the system. The smearing that results is referred to as jitter. The waveform can be made to appear better using interpolation but that is fundamentally an approximation that can introduce error and uncertainty. Triggering on an SXRTO Pico's range of SXRTO models store data in the same manner as a real-time oscilloscope, using continuous capturing and a circular memory buffer. The difference between a real-time oscilloscope and an SXRTO is the triggering. A PicoScope SXRTO uses an analog trigger so it works on the input signal directly rather than a digitized version of it. The bandwidth of the oscilloscope is significantly higher than its sampling rate, which contravenes Nyquist sampling theory. However, for a repetitive signal, successive samples can be overlaid. As the oscilloscope sampling rate is random with respect to the input signal, the effective sampling rate is much higher as the oscilloscope fills in all of the gaps with successive waveforms. What is a PicoScope SXRTO? Real-Time Oscilloscopes (RTOs) - capture any signal A real-time oscilloscope has a free-running ADC. RTOs use digital triggers to record when the signal exceeds a threshold and therefore align the signals in time. RTOs rely on oversampling - the sample rate must be much higher than the maximum signal frequency. To generate an accurate view of the signal, many scopes will sample at three or even five times their maximum input bandwidth. Sequential sampling oscilloscopes - see repetitive signals far beyond Nyquist A sequential sampling oscilloscope relies on repeated signals. They only capture a single sample per trigger event and this sample is at least 40 ns after the trigger event itself. The individual samples from multiple trigger events are then recombined to build up a picture of the overall signal. A sampling scope cannot trigger directly on the signal itself and instead needs a separate trigger signal from an external source. Sampling scopes rely on accurate triggering to overlay the repeated signals so that even with a sampling rate significantly below the signal frequency, they can display an accurate version of the overall signal. Sampler-Extended Real-Time Oscilloscopes combine both approaches A PicoScope SXRTO triggers on the input signal, like an RTO. It builds up a complete picture of the signal by overlaying successive captures, like a sequential sampling oscilloscope. However, the SXRTO's sampling is not synchronized with the input signal and so the captures are effectively randomly positioned in time. Using a free-running ADC and a trigger with jitter better than 1.5 ps (far more accurate than a typical RTO's digital trigger), the SXRTO can achieve bandwidths that compete with a traditional sampling oscilloscope, but with the ability to store data before and immediately after the trigger point. Key features of the PicoScope 9400A Series Hardware features The PicoScope 9400A Series is available with up to 33 GHz bandwidth, plus the following key specifications: Capture step transitions down to 14 ps and impulses down to 22 ps wide. The maximum sample rate of 5 TS/s equates to a timing resolution of 0.2 ps, using random sampling. Multiple trigger options include direct triggering on the signal or triggering on an external trigger signal, up to 20 GHz (depending on model), with trigger jitter as low as 1.2 ps + 0.1 ppm RMS (typical). 12-bit vertical resolution with a wide ±1 V/±800 mV input range (model dependent). Software features Meanwhile, the touchscreen-compatible PicoSample 4 software is packed with features to simplify design and test: Over 200 mask tests for common protocols including SONET/SDH, fibre channel and USB. Over 70 automatic measurements across time, frequency and histograms available, over 130 eye diagram measurement parameters, plus over 50 built-in math functions. The configurable display with multiple independent zoom regions lets you see every detail in your data - take advantage of high resolution PC monitors instead of being limited by a built-in screen. Every feature in PicoSample 4 is included with the price - no additional hidden costs. PicoSample 4 can be run in demo mode: try it out yourself to see how it can accelerate your workflow. PicoScope 9400A Series inputs, outputs and indicators The front panel of the oscilloscope brings together the power indicator, the four high-bandwidth 50 Ω channel inputs and the trigger inputs and outputs. The power/status/trigger LED is green under normal operation but is also used to indicate connection progress and trigger. You can enable any number of the four input channels without affecting the sampling rate; only the capture memory (250 kS) is shared between the enabled channels. The external direct trigger input supports up to 6 GHz and is positioned alongside a prescale trigger input (up to 20 GHz on 25 and 33 GHz models). The trigger output connection can be used to synchronize an external device to the PicoScope 9400A’s rising edge, falling edge and end of holdoff triggers. The USB 2.0 port connects the oscilloscope to the PC. If no USB host is found, the oscilloscope tries to connect through the LAN port. However, LAN settings must be supplied initially by connecting to the USB port. Once configured, the oscilloscope uses the LAN port if no USB host is connected. Via LAN connections, the PicoSample 4 software can address up to eight PicoScope 9400 units. The recovered clock and data from the currently selected trigger source and the built-in clock recovery module are optional features. Please see the request form at the bottom of this page to contact our applications engineers about the clock and data recovery option. Measure fast pulses with an SXRTO A researcher contacted Pico, wanting to measure a fast laser pulse with a rise time of less than 50 ps and a pulse width of less than 200 ps. An SXRTO showed them exactly what they needed to see. To measure the output of the laser it was connected to a PicoScope 9400A Series oscilloscope via an optical-electrical adaptor. As the scope can trigger directly off the signal input, the laser pulses could be unequally spaced but would be captured in their entirety, both before and after the trigger point. The PicoScope 9404A Series has a rise time of as little as 11 ps - the customer could be confident that the pulse displayed on the screen is an accurate representation of the laser pulse with minimal influence from the measurement setup. The PicoScope 9400A-33 can also capture pulses down to 22 ps so even shorter pulses could be measured accurately. Every detail in the laser's pulse response is easy to see because the vertical resolution is 12 bits, even at the highest frequencies. Some real-time oscilloscopes will limit their resolution at higher frequencies. This might be because of limitations of the analog-to-digital hardware or because of data bandwidth limitations. Because the PicoScope 9400A Series uses random equivalent-time sampling to push the bandwidth far beyond Nyquist, neither the timebase nor the number of active channels restricts the resolution. Why should you choose an SXRTO? Digital system design With over 200 built-in masks covering protocols such as XAUI, InfiniBand and Ethernet, plus a powerful custom mask creator, you can make sure your system design is correct from the start. Timing and phase analysis Locate the source of timing errors with confidence: the PicoScope 9400A has trigger jitter less than 1.5 ps + 0.1 ppm RMS. Then use customizable histograms to precisely characterize system performance. Telecom and radar testing Check signal, pulse and impulse integrity of RF systems up to 33 GHz. Use instant automated measurements for PAM4, RZ and NRZ links and be confident your system meets standards before expensive compliance testing. Service and manufacturing With quicker and simpler setup than a sequential sampling oscilloscope, an SXRTO is perfectly suited to a service environment. Save and recall setup files for common tests and reduce the time taken to repair equipment. Clock and data recovery Clock and data recovery (CDR) is available as a factory-fit optional trigger feature on the PicoScope 9400A Series oscilloscopes. High-speed serial data is often not accompanied by a separate clock signal as accumulated timing skew and jitter between the two paths would prevent accurate decoding. Instead, a receiver will recover the clock from the incoming data stream, using this locally generated version during decoding. The optional CDR option allows your PicoScope 9400A Series oscilloscope to generate a local clock from the data stream. Using a PLL-based technique, the local clock is kept in phase with the encoded signal. The recovered clock can be used to trigger the oscilloscope, providing the ultimate in eye diagram measurements and signal quality characterization by recording exactly what a receiver would “see”. In addition, the recovered clock and the data stream can be output using two SMA connectors fitted to the rear panel, allowing one clock recovery module to trigger multiple pieces of test equipment in the same setup. The CDR module can trigger on signals up to 5, 8 or 11.3 Gb/s (6, 16 or 25/33 GHz models).

Reviews

PicoScope-9404A-16

PicoScope-9404A-16 SXRTO PQ405

A new class of sampling scope

Packed with features

Fast setup for fast signals

What is a PicoScope SXRTO?

Real-Time Oscilloscopes (RTOs) - capture any signal

Sequential sampling oscilloscopes - see repetitive signals far beyond Nyquist

Sampler-Extended Real-Time Oscilloscopes combine both approaches

Key features of the PicoScope 9400A Series

Hardware features

Software features

PicoScope 9400A Series inputs, outputs and indicators

Measure fast pulses with an SXRTO

Why should you choose an SXRTO?

Digital system design

Timing and phase analysis

Telecom and radar testing

Clock and data recovery