B+K precision 2540B User manual

Model: 2540B, 2542B, 2540B-GEN,
2542B-GEN
Digital Storage
Oscilloscopes
USER MANUAL

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Safety Summary
The following safety precautions apply to both operating and
maintenance personnel and must be observed during all phases
of operation, service, and repair of this instrument. Before
applying power, follow the installation instructions and become
familiar with the operating instructions for this instrument.
If this device is damaged or something is missing, contact the
place of purchase immediately.
This manual contains information and warnings that must be
followed to ensure safe operation as well as to maintain the
oscilloscope in a safe condition.
GROUND THE INSTRUMENT
To minimize shock hazard, the instrument chassis and cabinet
must be connected to an electrical ground. This instrument is
grounded through the ground conductor of the supplied,
three-conductor ac power cable. The power cable must be
plugged into an approved three-conductor electrical outlet. Do
not alter the ground connection. Without the protective ground
connection, all accessible conductive parts (including control
knobs) can render an electric shock. The power jack and
mating plug of the power cable must meet IEC safety standards.
DO NOT OPERATE IN AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE
Do not operate the instrument in the presence of flammable
gases or fumes. Operation of any electrical instrument in such
an environment constitutes a definite safety hazard.

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KEEP AWAY FROM LIVE CIRCUITS
Instrument covers must not be removed by operating personnel.
Component replacement and internal adjustments must be made
by qualified maintenance personnel. Disconnect the power
cord before removing the instrument covers and replacing
components. Under certain conditions, even with the power
cable removed, dangerous voltages may exist. To avoid
injuries, always disconnect power and discharge circuits before
touching them.
DO NOT SERVICE OR ADJUST ALONE
Do not attempt any internal service or adjustment unless another
person, capable of rendering first aid and resuscitation, is
present.
DO NOT SUBSTITUTE PARTS OR MODIFY THE INSTRUMENT
Do not install substitute parts or perform any unauthorized
modifications to this instrument. Return the instrument to
B&K Precision for service and repair to ensure that safety
features are maintained.
WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
WARNING and CAUTION statements, such as the following
examples, denote a hazard and appear throughout this manual.
Follow all instructions contained in these statements.
A WARNING statement calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or condition, which, if not followed
correctly, could result in injury or death to personnel.

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A CAUTION statement calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or condition, which, if not followed
correctly, could result in damage to or destruction of part or all
of the product.
CAUTION:
Before connecting the line cord to the AC mains,
check the rear panel AC line voltage indicator.
Applying a line voltage other than the indicated
acceptable
voltage can destroy the instrument.
CAUTION:
This product uses components which can be
damaged by electro
-
static discharge (ESD). To
avoid damage, be sure to follow proper procedures
for handling, storing and transporting parts and
subassemblies which contain ESD
-
sensitive
components.

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Compliance Statements
Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic Equipment
(Applicable in the European
Union and other European countries with separate
collection systems)
This product is subject to Directive
2002/96/EC of the European
Parliament and the Council of the
European Union on waste
electrical and electronic equipment
(WEEE) , and in jurisdictions
adopting that Directive, is marked as
being put on the market after August
13, 2005, and should not be
disposed of as unsorted
municipal waste. Please utilize your
local WEEE collection facilities in
the disposition of this product and
otherwise observe all applicable
requirements.

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Safety Symbols
Chassis (or earth) ground symbol.
This symbol on an instrument indicates caution.
For details, the user should refer to the operating
instructions in the manual.
Electrical Shock hazard.
On (Power). This is the In position of the power
switch when instrument is ON.
Off (Power). This is the Out position of the
power switch when instrument is OFF.
This symbol is a power switch located at the top
of the oscilloscope. Pressing this button toggles
the oscilloscope’s state between power on and
power off mode.

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CAT I
(400V) IEC Measurement Category I.
Inputs may be connected to
mains (up to 400 VAC) under
Category I overvoltage conditions.
Environmental Conditions
Operating
Environment
0 °C to 40 °C
Storage Humidity
0 – 80% R.H.
Storage Environment -20 °C to +50 °C
Pollution degree Pollution degree 2
Notations
TEXT –Denotes buttons on the oscilloscope.
Text – Denotes softkeys from the menu system, selectable
by pressing corresponding menu softkey buttons.

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Table of Contents
1 GETTING STARTED .....................................................14
1.1 Introduction .....................................................15
1.2 Package Contents...........................................16
1.3 Input Power Requirements..............................17
1.4 Panel and Screen Display...............................18
Front Panel Display ..................................................... 18
Back Panel Display...................................................... 21
LCD Main Screen Display............................................ 22
1.5 Quick Check....................................................24
Power On Check.......................................................... 24
Basic Check................................................................. 25
1.6 Probe Safety ...................................................27
1.7 Probe Attenuation............................................28
1.8 Probe Compensation.......................................28
2 BASIC OPERATION...................................................31
2.1 Using Quick Help.............................................32
2.2 Using Autoset..................................................33
2.3 Vertical Controls..............................................35
Vertical Position Knob (CH1, CH2).............................. 35
Vertical Scale Control (CH1, CH2) .............................. 36
Channel Keys CH1, CH2 ............................................ 37
CH1, CH2 Menu .......................................................... 37
MATH Functions.......................................................... 46
REF Function............................................................... 52

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2.4 Horizontal Controls ......................................... 55
Horizontal Position Control...........................................56
Horizontal Scale Control...............................................56
Main - Horizontal Mode ................................................58
Delayed - Horizontal Mode...........................................60
X-Y Horizontal Mode.....................................................62
Roll - Horizontal Mode..................................................63
2.5 Trigger Controls.............................................. 65
2.6 RUN Controls ................................................. 78
3 MENU OPERATION................................................... 79
3.1 UTILITY Menu ................................................ 80
I/O Setup.......................................................................84
System Setup ...............................................................91
Service..........................................................................96
Pass/Fail.......................................................................98
3.2 MEASURE Menu.......................................... 102
Voltage Measurements...............................................103
Time Measurements...................................................107
3.3 ACQUIRE Menu ........................................... 115
Record Wavefrom.......................................................119
Playback Record.........................................................120
Save/Recall the Record..............................................122
Exit Record Function ..................................................123
3.4 SAVE/LOAD Menu ....................................... 124
Internal Storage..........................................................125

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External Storage........................................................ 127
Firmware Update ....................................................... 131
3.5 CURSOR Menu.............................................132
Manual Mode............................................................. 133
Track Mode................................................................ 135
AUTO Mode............................................................... 137
3.6 DISPLAY Menu.............................................138
4 SHORTCUT MENU (2540B/2542B only)..................141
4.1 Shortcut Controls...........................................142
CUSTOM Button........................................................ 142
MEASALL Button....................................................... 144
RECORD Button........................................................ 145
COUNTER/LOCAL Button......................................... 145
5 ARBITRARY WAVEFORM GENERATOR
(2540B-GEN/2542B-GEN only) .....................................147
5.1 Waveform Generator Controls.......................148
MENU/GRAPH Button............................................... 148
FREQ/CAPTURE Button........................................... 150
AMPL/LOCAL Button................................................. 151
ON/OFF Button.......................................................... 152
5.2 Generator Menu............................................152
Sine Output................................................................ 153
Square Output ........................................................... 154
Pulse Output.............................................................. 155
Built-in Arbitrary Waveform Output............................ 156
User Programmable Arbitrary Waveform Output....... 160

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AM Modulation............................................................168
FM Modulation............................................................170
Pulse Width Modulation..............................................172
DC Offset Modulation (DCOM)...................................174
Frequency Sweep.......................................................176
Burst Frequency .........................................................178
FSK and PSK Modulation...........................................180
5.3 Output Terminals.......................................... 182
GEN OUT ...................................................................182
MOD OUT...................................................................182
6 QUICK START GUIDE............................................. 185
6.1 Making Simple Measurements...................... 186
6.2 Capture Single Shot Signal........................... 188
6.3 Reduce Random Noise on a Signal.............. 190
6.4 Triggering a Video Signal.............................. 192
6.5 PASS/FAIL Measurement............................. 194
6.6 Using Waveform Recorder............................ 196
6.7 Making Cursor Measurements...................... 200
6.8 Output Basic Sine Waveform........................ 206
6.9 Output Amplitude Modulated Waveform ....... 207
6.10 Create Waveform with Added Noise............. 210
6.11 Capture and Output Math Waveform ............ 211
7 REMOTE CONTROL................................................ 213
7.1 Comsoft Software......................................... 214
7.2 Web Browser GUI......................................... 214
8 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE ................................. 215

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8.1 System Message...........................................216
8.2 General Problems .........................................220
9 SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................223
9.1 Digital Storage Oscilloscope Specifications...224
9.2 Arbitrary Waveform Generator Specifications231
9.3 General Specifications ..................................236
9.4 Certification...................................................237
Appendix A: Performance Verification Procedure .....238
DC Gain Accuracy ...................................................239
Bandwidth................................................................241
Trigger Sensitivity ....................................................242
Time Scale Accuracy...............................................243
Appendix B: Disabling Auto Function.........................244

Getting Started
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1 GETTING STARTED
•Introduction
•Package Contents
•Input Power Requirements
•Panel and Screen Display
•Quick Check
•Probe Safety
•Probe Attenuation
•Probe Compensation

Getting Started
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1.1 Introduction
The 2540B and 2542B are part of a series of portable digital
storage oscilloscopes (DSOs) that offer up to 100 MHz
bandwidth with a 1 GSa/s sample rate. The 2540B-GEN
and 2542B-GEN models offer the same, with the addition of a
built-in arbitrary waveform generator in the same form factor.
Features
•60/100 MHz bandwidth (60 MHz: 2540B, 2540B-GEN
/ 100 MHz: 2542B, 2542B-GEN)
•1 GSa/s sample rate
•Bright 5.7” TFT color display
•Deep waveform memory up to 2.4 Mpts (accessible
via remote interface)
•Shortcut keys for quick access of frequently used
functions (for models 2540B and 2542B only)
•Built-in arbitrary waveform generator (for models
2540B-GEN and 2542B-GEN only)
•Versatile triggering capabilities including pulse width,
line-selectable video, slope, and alternating trigger
•24 automatic measurements
•Digital filter with adjustable limits, pass/fail testing,
and waveform recorder mode
•Ten different language user interfaces
•For educators – ability to disable the Auto Set button

Getting Started
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•LAN and USB device connectivity for remote PC
control through Comsoft PC software
•USB host port for convenient storing and recalling of
waveform data, setups, and screenshots on a USB
flash drive
1.2 Package Contents
The digital storage oscilloscopes are shipped with the
following contents:
•2540B/2542B/2540B-GEN/2542B-GEN Digital
Storage Oscilloscope
•User Manual
•Certificate of calibration
•USB (Type A to B) communication cable
•AC Power Cord
•Two 150 MHz 1x/10x passive oscilloscope probes
•One BNC-to-BNC cable (for models 2540B-GEN and
2542B-GEN only)
Please locate each item from the original packaging and
contact B&K Precision immediately if something is missing.

Getting Started
17
1.3 Input Power Requirements
The 2540B, 2542B, 2540B-GEN, and 2542B-GEN DSOs do
not require a line fuse when different voltage lines are used
for powering the instrument. The power input requirements
are:
Input Voltage Range: ~99 V to 242 VAC
Input Frequency: 47 Hz to 440 Hz
Rating: 50VA Max.
Before connecting the instrument from an AC outlet, please
verify that the above power input requirements are met.
Connecting incorrect AC power input to the instrument is
dangerous and may damage the instrument, voiding its
warranty.

Getting Started
18
1.4 Panel and Screen Display
Front Panel Display
1
2
4
5
7
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
11
6
3
(top)
(top)
(bottom)
Figure 1 - Model 2540B

Getting Started
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1. Power ON/OFF button (top panel)
2. LCD display screen
3. Carrying handle (top panel)
4. Menu ON/OFF button
5. Adjustment knob
6. AUTO SET button
7. UTILITY & SAVE/LOAD menu buttons
8. MEASURE & CURSOR menu buttons
9. ACQUIRE & DISPLAY menu buttons
10. RUN control ( SINGLE & RUN/STOP) buttons
12
23
14
Figure 2 - Model 2542B-GEN

Getting Started
20
11. TRIGGER controls
12. (for models 2540B/2542B) Shortcut buttons & Local
key (Alternate function of COUNTER button; used to
set unit to local mode when in remote mode)
(for models 2540B-GEN/2542B-GEN) Function keys
to setup arbitrary waveform generator:
MENU / GRAPH button
FREQ / CAPTURE button
AMPL / LOCAL button
ON/OFF button
13. HORIZONTAL controls
14. EXT TRIG BNC terminal
(For models 2540B-GEN/2542B-GEN) EXT TRIG and
MOD OUT BNC terminal
15. Channel 2 BNC input
16. VERTICAL controls
17. Channel 1 BNC input
18. FUNCTION buttons (for soft panel menu)
19. PRINT button
20. Probe compensation terminal
21. USB host interface (supports most USB flash drives)
22. Tilt feet (bottom)
23. (For models 2540B-GEN/2542B-GEN only) GEN
OUT BNC terminal