Rohde & Schwarz introduces the R&S MXO 4 series, the next generation oscilloscopes for accelerated insight

Rohde & Schwarz is adding a completely new series to its oscilloscope portfolio that delivers a number of industry firsts. The new R&S MXO 4 series oscilloscopes feature the world’s fastest real-time update rate of over 4.5 million acquisitions per second. Development engineers can now see more signal detail and infrequent events than with any other oscilloscope. The 12-bit ADC in the R&S MXO 4 series has 16 times the resolution of traditional 8-bit oscilloscopes at all sample rates without any tradeoffs for more precise measurements. A standard acquisition memory of 400 Mpts on all four channels gives the instrument up to 100 times the standard memory of comparable instruments.

Rohde & Schwarz presents the new R&S®MXO 4 series, the first in the next generation of oscilloscopes. The R&S MXO 4 oscilloscopes come in four-channel models with bandwidths of 200 MHz, 350 MHz, 500 MHz, 1 GHz, and 1.5 GHz. They have a starting price of 7,600 euros, many unparalleled functions and excel in both performance and value.

Instant view of signal details

R&S MXO 4 series oscilloscopes boast the world’s fastest update rate of 4.5 M acquisitions per second, revealing more signal activity than any other available oscilloscope. Development teams can quickly see and isolate infrequent events, get a better understanding of physical layer signals and test faster. This is unparalleled in the industry.

A unique 200 Gbps processing ASIC makes this feature possible. It is one of several new technology blocks Rohde & Schwarz engineers developed and implemented for the first time in the R&S MXO 4 series. Dr. Andreas Werner, Vice President Oscilloscopes at Rohde & Schwarz, explains: “The new hardware and software technology blocks and architecture allowed our development team to achieve a once-in-a-decade engineering breakthrough. Our customers will experience a whole new level of performance, and all at a price more affordable than has ever been seen on the market.”

Lower measurement noise and the highest available vertical resolution

The R&S MXO 4 series incorporates a 12-bit ADC that operates across all the instrument sample rates with an 18-bit vertical resolution architecture for greater resolution precision than any other oscilloscope. The R&S MXO 4 series also has the lowest noise and largest offset range (+/- 5V with a 500uV/div scaling) in its class. Users can see DC and other signals with more precision than with any other oscilloscope on the market.

Deepest standard memory

In addition to bandwidth and sample rate, memory depth is an important factor and determines whether an oscilloscope can handle a large range of troubleshooting tasks. More acquisition memory enables oscilloscopes to capture more time and retain rated bandwidth information for shorter time base settings. With a simultaneous standard acquisition memory of 400 Mpts on all four channels, the R&S MXO 4 series has up to 100 times the standard memory of its primary competition. The additional memory also provides extra measurement capability when needed.

High-precision digital trigger

Once only available in higher performance oscilloscopes with higher price points, the digital trigger comes standard with all R&S MXO 4 series oscilloscopes. The trigger sensitivity of 1/10 000 division can isolate difficult-to-find small physical layer anomalies in the presence of large signals. No competitive oscilloscope has this degree of trigger sensitivity for isolating small signals. The digital trigger complements the 18-bit vertical architecture, allowing users to fully utilize the precision of the R&S MXO 4 series.

Superior RF measurement capability

Many development engineers need to debug products and test in both the time and frequency domains. In addition to time domain measurements, R&S MXO 4 series oscilloscopes have superior RF spectrum measurement capabilities. They are the first oscilloscopes to perform 45 000 FFTs (Fast Fourier Transforms) per second, while comparable oscilloscopes deliver fewer than 10 FFTs per second. This base feature lets engineers view more RF signals than with any other oscilloscope in its class.

Enhanced user experience

Using an oscilloscope is a visual experience, where a lot of time is spent viewing a display. The R&S MXO 4 series incorporates a 13.3” full-HD capacitive touchscreen and an intuitive user interface. The instrument’s small footprint, audible noise of less than a whisper, VESA mounting and a rackmount kit for installation in integrated environments make R&S MXO 4 oscilloscopes ideal for any engineering workspace.

When users have more demands, a number of upgrade options are available, including 16 integrated digital channels with a mixed signal oscilloscope (MSO) option, an integrated dual channel 100 MHz arbitrary generator, protocol decode and triggering options for a variety of industry standard buses and other options that expand the oscilloscope’s capabilities.

The new R&S MXO 4 series oscilloscopes are now available from Rohde & Schwarz and selected distribution channel partners.