Cambridgeshire-based PC scope maker Pico Technology has released a 12GHz sampling oscilloscope that plugs into a PC USB port.

The dual-channel machine has a 20ps sample window and with its 12GHz analogue bandwidth offers 5Tsample/s equivalent sampling at up to 200ksample/s.

"With 200ksample/s the display pops up as soon as you put the probe on the pin," Pico MD Alan Tong told EW. "With some other sampling scopes you have to waits seconds for the waveform to build up on the screen."

Triggering is available on signals up to 10GHz, and vertical resolution is 16 bits.

Dubbed PicoScope 9201, "it really shows the benefit of our approach to test and measurement", said Tong. "We have taken our understanding of low-cost PC oscilloscopes and applied it to a high-end, specialised instrument, and the result is a fully specified sampling scope that's within the budget of most engineering and test departments."

The bandwidth allows acquisition and measurement of signals with a transient response of 50ps. "Timebase stability, accuracy, and a sampling interval of 200fs allow timing characterisation of jitter in the most demanding applications," said Pico.

Waveform performance analysis is included, with automated direct or statistical measurements on both single-valued signals (sine-wave, pulse, impulse) and multi-valued signals (non-return to zero (NRZ) and RZ).

Markers and histograms, math and FFT analysis, colour-graded display, parametric limit testing, eye diagrams and mask template testing can be used independently or in concert.

"Accurate eye-diagram analysis for NRZ and RZ signal types is essential for characterising the quality of electrical and optical transmitters to beyond 7Gbit/s," said Pico. "The scope was designed specifically for the complex task of analysing digital communications waveforms. Compliance mask and parametric testing no longer require a complicated sequence of set-ups and configurations."

The scope is 170x255x40mm, weighs under 1kg, and is priced just under £6,000 +vat.

Pico is taking orders from May, with around 12 weeks lead time for delivery.