Rohde & Schwarz provides a highly compact oscilloscope that packs a 12-inch screen, a 12-bit ADC, and up to 8 channels. It supports both digital triggering and high-speed FFT, resulting in an impressive yet highly portable piece of test equipment.

Thanks to the high-resolution touchscreen, which can also be controlled with an attached USB mouse, the MXO38 has significant computing power under its hood. Running a Rohde & Schwarz-customized Linux ensures fast boot-up times and access to a wide range of decoders. This explicitly includes cutting-edge protocols, such as an I3C decoder, as well as various protocols intended for military and aerospace applications.

Bandwidths From 100 MHz to 1 GHz.

Rohde & Schwarz supports cost-conscious designers by providing an array of bandwidth and memory options. Base units with a 100- or 200-MHz bandwidth can be upgraded via field upgrades to increase the bandwidth. In addition, the standard memory complement of 125 megapoints can be expanded to 500.

The ADC operates at a 12-bit resolution. Enabling high-resolution mode yields a resolution of 18 bits. This is complemented by extremely low noise and a wide offset even at very sensitive amplifier settings.

Value-Added Spectral Capabilities

Some circuit behaviours are best seen in the spectral domain. Thanks to the embedded computer performance, the Rohde & Schwarz MXO34 can emulate a spectrum analyzer. In this special regimen, the FFT-derived results are displayed in a manner similar to what is seen on a hardware spectrum analyzer.

This is backed up by the extremely high-speed data acquisition. This means the unit can also be used for EMI debugging and similar tests where throughput is critical.

A commendable and unique feature is the high-precision digital trigger. Not only does it work with extremely fine sensitivity, but it also offers extremely fast rearm time and even a zone trigger, which can be used on analog, spectrum, and even math-function-computed signals.

Various SKUs Available

Designers desiring the 100 MHz base model with 8 channels should order SKU MXO38-1PK. The four-channel version is to be ordered via SKU MXO34-1PK. If the full 1 GHz bandwidth is required after purchase, selecting SKUs MXO38-1000 and MXO34-1000 leads to the correct oscilloscopes.

The oscilloscopes also have a mixed-signal option that provides an additional 16 channels of digital input for logic analyzer capability. Finally, an arbitrary waveform generator can be added to generate ad hoc stimuli for the device under test.

Conclusion

Designers seeking a compact, yet accurate and powerful oscilloscope with a wide variety of innovative software features are best served by the Rohde & Schwarz MXO3. Thanks to its large touchscreen and the embedded Linux operating system, the product remains comfortable to use even when performing advanced analytics. In short, a Swiss knife that is at home both on the desktop and as a travel oscilloscope.