Pico Technology, the market leader in PC-based oscilloscopes, announces the new PicoScope 5000E Series oscilloscopes, a new family of compact, USB-C oscilloscopes for engineers. Addressing the need to measure sensitive, low-amplitude signals and move quickly between analog, digital and mixed-signal debugging.

The PicoScope 5000E Series delivers true 16-bit resolution with bandwidths up to 200 MHz, sample rates of 2.5 GS/s and 1 GS capture memory. The PicoScope 5000E Plus Series models add a switchable 8-bit high-speed mode with bandwidths up to 500 MHz, sampling rate of 5 GS/s and 2 GS of deep memory, giving engineers the advantage of a high-resolution precision oscilloscope and a faster 500 MHz debug oscilloscope in one portable instrument.

Low-noise, high-dynamic range measurements

Today’s engineers are measuring smaller signals in noisier systems: millivolt-level ripple on DC rails, low-level sensor outputs, precision audio, analog front ends, medical electronics and mixed-signal designs where a rare glitch can matter as much as the main waveform.

The PicoScope 5000E Series 16-bit resolution offers an industry-leading noise floor below 22 µV root mean square (RMS) and better than –73 dB total harmonic distortion (THD). This high-dynamic range helps engineers maximize the usable resolution, finding small amplitude components, ripple, distortion and anomalies that lower-resolution or noisier instruments can hide.

Specifications and features

The latest additions to the PicoScope range combine cutting-edge technology with a user-friendly design to meet the diverse needs of analog engineers. Key features include:

• True 16-bit acquisition: Bandwidths up to 200 MHz, sampling up to 2.5 GS/s and 1 GS capture memory for low-noise analog and power integrity measurements.
• 5000E Plus high-speed mode: Switchable 8-bit operation extends bandwidth to 500 MHz, sampling to 5 GS/s and memory to 2 GS for digital edges, higher-frequency analog signals and rapid mixed-signal debug.
• Ultra-low-noise front end: Less than 22 µV RMS noise floor and better than –73 dB of THD for measuring low-amplitude signals.
• Deep capture memory: 1 GS of sample storage on standard models, doubling to 2 GS on Plus models in 8-bit mode, for capturing long-duration signals at maximum speeds.
• 7-in-1 instrument versatility: Functions as an Oscilloscope, FFT Spectrum Analyzer, 200 MS/s 14-bit AWG, Function Generator, Frequency Counter, Protocol Analyzer and Logic Analyzer (on MSO models).
• Portable, USB-C design: A compact, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Type-C connected device that leverages your PC’s high-fidelity monitor to visualize complex data.
• PicoSDK^® support: Interface directly with the PicoScope 5000E Series using our latest multi-series API and write custom applications using C, C#, C++, Python, MATLAB or LabVIEW.

PicoScope 7 turns the PicoScope 5000E Series into a versatile test platform that benefits from lifetime software upgrades to continuously expand its technical capabilities. For debug and validation, PicoScope 7 includes more than 40 serial protocol decoders, advanced math channels, automated measurements including power analysis, DeepMeasure for multi-capture analysis, measurement and mask limit testing and Actions for code-free test automation.

“With the PicoScope 5000E Series, we focused on the measurements engineers struggle to make on conventional scopes: small ripple and intermittent anomalies that are easy to miss. Pair that with a switchable 16 or 8-bit resolution, it’s a versatile piece of equipment that every electronics lab should include.” said James Mackey, Senior Product Marketing Executive at Pico Technology.

Availability

The PicoScope 5000E Series oscilloscopes are available as 4-channel or 4 + 16-channel mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) variants. The standard PicoScope 5000E Series is available in 60, 100 and 200 MHz bandwidth models. The Plus models expand this offering, available in 60/200 MHz, 100/350 MHz and 200/500 MHz models (reflecting their dual 16-bit/8-bit bandwidth capabilities, respectively).