2 Ch, 16 bit USB oscilloscopes

An Oscillocope for analog world

Most digital oscilloscopes have been designed for viewing fast digital signals. The trend has been to use new technology solely to increase sampling rate and bandwidth. With the PicoScope 4262, however, we have focused on what’s important for measuring analog signals: increasing the resolution, improving dynamic range, and reducing noise and distortion.

The result is an oscilloscope / FFT analyzer that has a level of performance to put most audio analyzers to shame yet has a 5 MHz bandwidth making it equally suitable for vibration and ultrasound signals as well as a wide range of precision measurement tasks.

Many applications such as vibration analysis require long captures at high sampling rates, which requires a deep capture memory. The PicoScope 4262 has a 16 million sample buffer memory so can capture at 10 MS/s for timebases as long as 100 ms/div. If you require longer times, the USB streaming mode can sample directly into PC memory.

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. The viewing area is much bigger and of a higher resolution than with a traditional benchtop scope.

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.

FFT spectrum analyzer

The spectrum view plots amplitude vs frequency and is ideal for finding noise, crosstalk or distortion in signals. The spectrum analyzer in PicoScope is of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) type which, unlike a traditional swept spectrum analyzer, can display the spectrum of a single, non-repeating waveform.

A full range of settings gives you control over the number of spectrum bands (FFT bins), window types, scaling (including log/log) and display modes (instantaneous, average, or peak-hold).

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.

Arbitrary waveform and function generator

The PicoScope 4262 has a built-in 20 kHz function generator (sine, square, triangle, DC voltage, ramp, sinc, Gaussian, half–sine, white noise and PRBS). The function generator offers an outstanding sine wave distortion performance of 102 dB SFDR.

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.

As well as the standard waveforms available from the function generator, custom waveforms can be created using the 16 bit / 192 kS/s arbitrary waveform generator (AWG). AWG waveforms can be created or edited using the built-in editor, imported from oscilloscope traces, or loaded from a spreadsheet.

More Information

Specifications

Oscilloscope — vertical
Input channels	2
Bandwidth ±20 mV range ±10 mV range	5 MHz 4 MHz 3 MHz
Hardware bandwidth limiter	200 kHz, switchable
Rise time (calculated) ±20 mV range ±10 mV range	70 ns 88 ns 117 ns
Input type	Single-ended, BNC connector
Vertical resolution	16 bits
Enhanced vertical resolution	20 bits
Input sensitivity	2 mV/div to 4 V/div (10 vertical divisions)
Input ranges (full scale)	±10 mV to ±20 V in 11 ranges
Input coupling	Software-selectable AC/DC
Input characteristics	1 MΩ ±2% \|\| 15 pF ±2 pF
DC accuracy (% of full scale) ±50 mV range ±20 mV range ±10 mV range	±0.25% ±0.5% ±1% ±2%
Overvoltage protection	±50 V (DC + AC peak)

Oscilloscope — horizontal
Maximum sampling rate (real-time)	10 MS/s
Maximum sampling rate (continuous streaming mode) Using PicoScope Using the SDK	10 MS/s 10 MS/s one channel (PC-dependent) 6.7 MS/s two channels (PC-dependent)
Timebase ranges	1 µs/div to 5000 s/div
Buffer memory	16 MS shared between active channels
Streaming buffer memory (PicoScope)	100 MS (shared)
Streaming buffer memory (SDK)	Up to available PC memory
Maximum buffer segments (PicoScope)	10,000
Maximum buffer segments (SDK)	32,768
Maximum waveforms per second	9,100 (typical)
Timebase accuracy	±50 ppm
Sample jitter	< 10 ps RMS

Dynamic performance (typical)
Crosstalk	> 50,000:1
Harmonic distortion	–95 dB typical @ 10 kHz, –1 dBfs input
SFDR	96 dB typical @ 10 kHz, –1 dBfs input
Noise	8.5 µV RMS (on most sensitive range)
Bandwidth flatness	[+0.25 dB, –3 dB] from DC to full bandwidth
Pulse response	< 1% overshoot on all ranges

Triggering (general)
Trigger modes	Free run, auto, repeat, single, rapid (segmented memory)
Maximum pre–trigger capture	Up to 100% of capture size
Maximum post–trigger delay	Up to 4 billion samples
Trigger rearm time	< 10 µs on fastest timebase

Triggering (main inputs)
Source	Ch A, Ch B
Trigger types	Rising, falling, adjustable hysteresis, window, pulse width, window pulse width, dropout, window dropout, interval, logic, runt pulse
Trigger level	Adjustable over whole of selected voltage range
Trigger sensitivity	Digital triggering provides 1 LSB accuracy up to full bandwidth of scope
Maximum pre–trigger capture	Up to 100% of capture size
Maximum post–trigger delay	Up to 4 billion samples
Trigger rearm time	< 10 µs on fastest timebase

External trigger input
Trigger types	Edge, pulse width, dropout, interval, logic, delayed
Input characteristics	1 MΩ ±2% \|\| 15 pF ±2 pF
Input type	Rear-panel BNC connector
Threshold range	±5 V and ±500 mV, DC coupled
Sensitivity	25 mV p-p at 1 MHz, typical
DC accuracy	±1% of full scale
Bandwidth	5 MHz
Overvoltage protection	±50 V

Signal generator
Standard output signals	Sine, square, triangle, DC voltage, ramp, sinc, Gaussian, half–sine, white noise, PRBS
Standard signal frequency	DC to 20 kHz
Sweep modes	Up, down, dual
Frequency accuracy	±50 ppm
Frequency resolution	< 0.01 Hz
Voltage range	±1 V (no load)
Amplitude and offset adjustment	100 µV steps (within overall ±1 V range)
Amplitude flatness	< 0.1 dB to 20 kHz, typical
DC accuracy	±0.5% of full scale
SFDR	102 dB typical @ 10 kHz, -1 dBfs input
Connector type	Front-panel BNC
Output characteristics	600 Ω
Overvoltage protection	±10 V

Arbitrary Waveform Generator
Update rate	192 kS/s
Buffer size	4 096 samples
Resolution	16 bits
Bandwidth	20 kHz
Rise time (10% to 90%)	11 µs, typical

Spectrum analyzer
Frequency range	DC to 5 MHz
Display modes	Magnitude, peak hold, average
Windowing functions	Rectangular, Gaussian, triangular, Blackman, Blackman–Harris, Hamming, Hann, flat–top
Number of FFT points	Selectable from 128 to 1 million in powers of 2
Scale / units	X axis : linear or log 10 Y axis : logarithmic (dbV, dBu, dBm, arbitrary) or linear (volts)

Math channels
Functions	−x, x+y, x−y, x*y, x/y, x^y, sqrt, exp, ln, log, abs, norm, sign, sin, cos, tan, arcsin, arccos, arctan, sinh, cosh, tanh, freq, derivative, integral, min, max, average, peak, delay
Operands	A, B (input channels), T (time), reference waveforms, constants, Pi

Automatic measurements
Oscilloscope mode	AC RMS, true RMS, cycle time, DC average, duty cycle, falling rate, fall time, frequency, high pulse width, low pulse width, maximum, minimum, peak to peak, rise time, rising rate.
Spectrum mode	Frequency at peak, amplitude at peak, average amplitude at peak, total power, THD %, THD dB, THD plus noise, SFDR, SINAD, SNR, IMD
Statistics	Minimum, maximum, average and standard deviation

Serial decoding
Protocols	1-Wire, ARINC 429, CAN, DALI, DCC, DMX512, FlexRay, I²C, LIN, Manchester, PS/2, SENT, SPI, UART/RS-232, USB 1.0
Inputs	All input channels with any mixture of protocols

Mask limit testing
Mask generation	Auto generate from captured waveform, manual drawing, manual coordinate entry
Actions	Highlight on screen, select in buffer overview, activate alarm
Statistics	Pass/fail, failure count, total count

Alarms
Initiating events	Capture, buffer full, mask fail
Alarm actions	Beep, play sound, stop/restart capture, run executable, save current buffer/all buffers, trigger signal generator

Display
Interpolation	Linear or sin(x)/x
Persistence modes	Digital color, analog intensity, fast, custom

Data export
Output file formats	BMP, CSV, GIF, JPG, MATLAB 4, PDF, PNG, PicoScope data, PicoScope settings, TXT
Output functions	Copy to clipboard, print

Environmental
Temperature range (operating)	0 °C to 45 °C
Temperature range (stated accuracy)	20 °C to 30 °C
Temperature range (storage)	–20 °C to +60 °C
Humidity range (operating)	5% to 80% RH non-condensing
Humidity range (storage)	5% to 95% RH non-condensing

Physical properties
Dimensions (including connectors)	210 x 135 x 40 mm (approx 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.5 in)
Weight	< 500 g (approx 1.1 lb)

Software
Windows software	PicoScope for Windows Software development kit (SDK) Windows 7, 8 or 10 recommended (read more)
macOS software	PicoScope for macOS (beta: feature list) Software development kit (SDK) OS versions: see release notes
Linux software	PicoScope for Linux (beta: feature list) Software development kit (SDK) See Linux Software & Drivers for details of supported distributions
Languages	Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

General
Additional hardware (supplied)	2 x TA375 probes, USB 2.0 cable, user manuals
PC connectivity	USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 3.0; USB 1.1 not recommended)
Power requirements	Powered from USB port
Safety approvals	European LVD standard
EMC approvals	European EMC standard
Environmental approvals	RoHS compliant
Total satisfaction guarantee	In the event that this product does not fully meet your requirements you can return it for an exchange or refund. To claim, the product must be returned in good condition within 14 days.
Warranty	5 years

Reviews

PicoScope-4262

2 Ch, 16 bit USB oscilloscopes

2 Ch, 16 bit USB oscilloscopes

An Oscillocope for analog world

Advanced display

FFT spectrum analyzer

Arbitrary waveform and function generator