Pico Technology Ltd. Product Descriptions

Checkout the new standard in performance for high speed, high resolution PC based virtual instruments.

Pico Technology offers PC based test instruments that offer all the functions of conventional equipment, and also many features not normally available in this price range. Virtual instruments replace bulky and expensive test equipment, saving money and workbench space. They make switching between equipment quick and easy.

Virtual instruments are more powerful yet easier to use than traditional test equipment: simple to use software and on screen help makes you an expert within minutes. By integrating several instruments (digital oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, multimeter) into one small unit, a virtual instrument is lighter and more portable. When used with a notebook computer, field engineers can carry a complete electronics lab in their PC.

The PC has made personal computing affordable: now Pico Technology has made test equipment affordable too.

Pico Technology offers virtual instrument solutions for a broad range of applications and budgets. With prices ranging from around $230 for the PS2104 to just over $3000 for the PS5204 there is a solution that will fit within almost any budget. All Pico virtual instruments are provided with the same software packages and come with the oscilloscope/spectrum test software, PicoScope, and the data logger software, PicoLog as well as drivers for various application programs like Labview and user developed applications programs.

With A/D converter resolutions ranging from 8 bits to 12 bits one can do spectrum analysis that ranges from the rudimentary up to performance suitable for quality audio applications. The highest speed units can provide spectral analysis from DC up to 250 MHz with dynamic ranges as high as almost 80 dB.

Oscilloscope Comparison Chart

Pico oscilloscope range - specifications

PicoScope

Pico Virtual Instruments are supplied with PicoScope software which turns a PC into an oscilloscope, spectrum analyser and a meter. PicoScope provides many advantages over conventional instruments, such as multiple views of the same signals and on screen display of voltages and times. Waveforms can be annotated with notes and printed, saved or exported to other applications. PicoScope is both flexible and easy to use. For example, user defined test menus can be set up to automate common tasks. A click on a menu option can load up an example waveform, set the instrument up to make a comparison measurement and even display instructions and a photo showing where to connect the probe.

Oscilloscope

The real time digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) combines all the functionality of a conventional 'benchtop' scope with all the benefits of a PC. Regular scope users will feel at home with the usual timebase, trigger options etc, but will welcome the advantages of other useful features. Advanced display options include averaging for noise reduction, accumulate to capture one off glitches and a min/max envelope mode to highlight signal jitter.

A chart recorder option is included to trend slowly changing signals. Trigger options include a 'save to disk' mode which makes tracking down elusive intermittent faults easy. The ability to save waveforms means service engineers can have a library of waveforms on disk showing working instruments and likely faults.

Main features: Auto, repeat and single shot trigger modes. Selectable time out and save to disk trigger options. Selectable trigger source, level, slope and pre / post trigger delay. X and Y multipliers to 'zoom in' on signals. Rulers to show amplitude and time information. User defined scaling ranges. Support for Pico signal conditioning products.

Spectrum analyser

The spectrum analyser shows the amount of energy in each of a number of frequency bands. It is especially useful for tracking down the cause of noise in measured signals. As an example, a peak at 50 or 60Hz would suggest noise due to the electric power grid pick up. Higher frequency peaks may be easily identified as switching noise from power supplies or noise from digital circuits. An averaging mode is provided to reduce the effects of random noise and a peak detect mode is useful for testing amplifier bandwidths. The spectrum analyser has the same trigger options as the oscilloscope. This makes it possible to capture the spectrum of a 'one time' event such a single drum beat. When used with a high resolution unit like the ADC-212 or ADC-216, it is ideal for audio spectrum analysis and noise and vibration measurements.

Main features: FFT based spectrum analyser. Normal, average and peak detect modes. Linear/Log scales for both amplitude and frequency. Rulers to show amplitude, frequency and phase. Seven window types. Variable number of spectrum bands. Same trigger functions as oscilloscope.

XY scope

The XY scope is used to plot one parameter against another. This is useful when comparing the phase of two signals.

Meter

The meter displays one or more parameters as numbers, together with an optional bar graph. The multimeter displays AC volts (true RMS), DC volts, decibels or frequency for a signal simultaneously. Other parameters can be displayed (e.g. pressure or acceleration) by adding custom ranges.

Composite view

A composite view displays up to four other views to compare traces on the screen. Views can be overlaid for comparison or positioned side by side.

Note: PicoLog is described on the Data Logger web page.

Oscilloscope Comparison Chart

Pico oscilloscope range - specifications

CONTACT ATC DIRECT for Pico Pricing: 800-980-9806

Allison Technology Corporation is a U.S. dealer
for Pico Technology Ltd.

Pico Technology
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PC Data Loggers

EnviroMon

DrDAQ

PS-5000	Ultrahigh performance 250MHz deep multimegasample buffer, usb,dual channel, 8 bit resolution
PS-3000	High performance dual channel 8 and 12 bit usb to 200 MHz
PS-2000	Low cost single and dual channel 8 bit usb to 25MHz
ADC-212	High resolution 12 bit dual channel to 50MHz parallel port
ADC-216	High resolution 16 bit dual channel low bandwidth parallel port

Allison Technology Corporation