APRIL 27, 2010 By Stephen Hardy and Meghan Fuller Hanna -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) has introduced the Infiniium 90000 X-Series oscilloscope family, which features real-time bandwidth of 32 GHz.
The 10 models in the series range from 16 GHz to 32 GHz and are bandwidth upgradable. Agilent asserts the new scopes offer the industry’s lowest noise (2 mV at 50 mV/div, 32 GHz) and the lowest jitter measurement floor (~150 femtoseconds) in the industry.
The companion probing system offers browsing to 30 GHz with what Agilent describes as “a full range” of accessories rated to 28 GHz as well as the ability to upgrade bandwidth in the future. The 90000 X-Series scopes also offer more than 40 measurement-specific application packages including jitter, triggering, measurement, and analysis tools as well as compliance certification test suites.
Real-time oscilloscopes have become increasingly important in optical communications equipment design. In particular, optical modulation analyzers from companies such as Agilent and Optametra pair with real-time scopes to measure phase-modulated transmission of serial 40- and 100-Gbps signals. The faster the oscilloscope, the less complex the test setup. (For more details, see “Measuring complex optical modulation in fiber” from the February issue of Lightwave. It should be noted that optical modulation analyzers from companies such as EXFO and Aragon Photonics are based on approaches that do not rely on such real-time oscilloscopes. See “Characterizing advanced modulation formats using optical sampling” and “New approach aids advanced 40/100-Gbps modulation format characterization.”)
Agilent has incorporated an internally developed InP circuit process in the design of the Infiniium 90000X Series. The oscilloscope’s front-end multi-chip module features several InP-based custom ASICs, including two pre-amplifier chips, rated to 32 GHz; an edge trigger chip greater than 20 GHz; and a 32-GHz new sampler/filter.
Agilent has discovered an added benefit of designing in an InP environment: The Infiniium 90000X Series “comes in at even lower intrinsic jitter properties than we were expecting,” reports Brigham Asay, product manager of high-performance oscilloscopes at Agilent. In the optical world, low jitter translates directly to lower phase noise, enabling system designers to use their budget on the design of the system rather than the oscilloscope. In fact, claims the company, the Infiniium 90000X Series provides up to an additional 68% of margin.
Moreover, intrinsically low long-term jitter is important in the testing of DP-QPSK signals because there are four channels under test, requiring the synchronization of a pair of two-channel 32-GHz oscilloscopes. Low long-term jitter “means we’re talking one or two degrees of phase difference between the two scopes as opposed to four and five degrees difference in phase,” notes Asay.
He confirms that eventually, the industry will develop four-channel oscilloscopes to facilitate the testing of all four channels of QPSK modulation in a single box. “We’re working on it,” he says, “but it takes time.”
Agilent Infiniium 90000 X-Series products can be ordered today at the prices listed below. Limited shipments will begin in July.
(4 channel)Bandwidth
(2/4 channel)
Sample rate
(2/4 channel)Max memory PriceDSOX91604A16/16 GHz 80/40 Gsa/s 2 Gpts
$ | 131,000 |
$ | 146,000 |
$ | 161,000 |
$ | 178,000 |
$ | 199,000 |
$ | 217,000 |
$ | 226,000 |
$ | 246,000 |
$ | 266,000 |
$ | 286,000 |