pico Technology PicoScope 6000 Series Use and care manual

Performance Verification Procedure
for
PicoScope 6000 Series Oscilloscopes
models
PicoScope 6402, 6402A/B/C/D
PicoScope 6403, 6403A/B/C/D
PicoScope 6404, 6404A/B/C/D

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Contents
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................1
2. Equipment list ...............................................................................................................................1
3. PicoScope settings files.................................................................................................................1
4. Check DC gain accuracy ..............................................................................................................2
5. Check timebase accuracy.............................................................................................................6
6. Check channel bandwidth ............................................................................................................7
7. Check trigger ................................................................................................................................9
8. Check AUX input.........................................................................................................................9
9. Check input impedance (resistance) .........................................................................................10
10. Check probe compensation output..........................................................................................13
11. Appendix 1 –DC gain accuracy setup......................................................................................14
12. Appendix 2 –Timebase setup ...................................................................................................14
13. Appendix 3 –Channel bandwidth setup...................................................................................14
14. Appendix 4 –AUX trigger setup..............................................................................................14
15. Appendix 5 –Input impedance setup .......................................................................................14

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1. Introduction
This document describes the performance verification procedure for the PicoScope 6000
Series oscilloscopes and provides space to record the test results. No adjustments are
made to the hardware: the procedure only checks if the instrument is within the
specifications.
If the measured value is outside the instrument’s specification, it should be returned to
Pico Technology so that the calibration values can be updated or the unit repaired to
bring the instrument within specification.
2. Equipment list
Fluke 9500B oscilloscope calibrator
6 dB attenuator
x1 oscilloscope probe
3. PicoScope settings files
The following PicoScope settings files are packaged with this document. You can obtain
the complete package from www.picotech.com (navigate to the information page for
your oscilloscope and click the ‘Brochures and Manuals’ icon):
Prerequisite.pssettings
1 DC Gain Accuracy.pssettings
2 Timebase Accuracy.pssettings
3 Channel Bandwidth.pssettings
4 Channel Linearity.pssettings
5 Aux trigger.pssettings
6 Input resistance.pssettings

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Performance verification procedure
4. Check DC gain accuracy
4.1 Equipment required
Fluke 9500B Oscilloscope Calibrator
4.2 Prerequisites
Allow the instrument to stabilize in the laboratory for a period of not less than 30
minutes before any measurements are made. During the warm-up period the instrument
must be set to free-running trigger, timebase to 10 ms and all channels switched on,
with the scope running.
The ambient temperature and relative humidity throughout the calibration must be
maintained between these limits:
20 °C to 30 °C
5 %RH to 80 %RH
Load the settings file “Prerequisite.pssettings”referred to above.
4.3 Procedure
The DC Gain Accuracy will be checked only for the ranges that have 1 MΩinput
impedance. The oscilloscope’s inputs have the same characteristics when set to 50 Ω
input impedance.
Set the output of the DC calibration generator to Off or 0 V
Set the DC impedance of the generator to 1 MΩ
Connect the output of the generator to the PicoScope Channel A input
Load the PicoScope settings file “1 DC Gain Accuracy” referred to above.
oor enter manual setup (see Appendix 1 –DC gain accuracy)

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4.4 DC gain accuracy 1 MΩ
Add a ‘DC Average’ measurement to Channel A:
oIn the menu bar, click Measurements > Add Measurement
oSet the channel to A
oSet the type of measurement to DC Average
oClick OK
Apply voltages from Table 1 to the corresponding range. See Figure 1 for an example
of the PicoScope display at this stage.
Record the results of the ‘DC Average’ measurement in Table 1
Repeat for all channels
Record results in Tables 2 to 4
Disconnect
Figure 1 - Example of +40 mV deflection with DC Average measurement

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4.4.1 Channel A
1 MΩinput impedance
Specified tolerance (%): 3% on all ranges
Range
(±volts)
Test
voltage
(volts)
Allowable
error
(±volts)
Accuracy limits
DC
Average
(volts)
Pass/Fail
50 mV
+40 mV
1.5 mV
+38.5 mV to +41.5 mV
100 mV
+90 mV
3 mV
+87 mV to +93 mV
200 mV
+180 mV
6 mV
+174 mV to +186 mV
500 mV
+450 mV
15 mV
+435 mV to +465 mV
1 V
+900 mV
30 mV
+870 mV to +930 mV
2 V
+1.8 V
60 mV
+1.74 V to +1.86 V
5 V
+4.5 V
150 mV
+4.35 V to +4.65 V
10 V
+9.0 V
300 mV
+8.7 V to +9.3 V
20 V
+18 V
600 mV
+17.4 V to +18.6 V
Table 1
4.4.2 Channel B
1 MΩinput impedance
Specified tolerance (%): 3% on all ranges
Range
(±volts)
Test
voltage
(volts)
Allowable
error
(±volts)
Accuracy limits
DC
Average
(volts)
Pass/Fail
50 mV
+40 mV
1.5 mV
+38.5 mV to +41.5 mV
100 mV
+90 mV
3 mV
+87 mV to +93 mV
200 mV
+180 mV
6 mV
+174 mV to +186 mV
500 mV
+450 mV
15 mV
+435 mV to +465 mV
1 V
+900 mV
30 mV
+870 mV to +930 mV
2 V
+1.8 V
60 mV
+1.74 V to +1.86 V
5 V
+4.5 V
150 mV
+4.35 V to +4.65 V
10 V
+9.0 V
300 mV
+8.7 V to +9.3 V
20 V
+18 V
600 mV
+17.4 V to +18.6 V
Table 2

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4.4.3 Channel C
1 MΩinput impedance
Specified tolerance (%): 3% on all ranges
Range
(±volts)
Test
voltage
(volts)
Allowable
error
(±volts)
Accuracy limits
DC
Average
(volts)
Pass/Fail
50 mV
+40 mV
1.5 mV
+38.5 mV to +41.5 mV
100 mV
+90 mV
3 mV
+87 mV to +93 mV
200 mV
+180 mV
6 mV
+174 mV to +186 mV
500 mV
+450 mV
15 mV
+435 mV to +465 mV
1 V
+900 mV
30 mV
+870 mV to +930 mV
2 V
+1.8 V
60 mV
+1.74 V to +1.86 V
5 V
+4.5 V
150 mV
+4.35 V to +4.65 V
10 V
+9.0 V
300 mV
+8.7 V to +9.3 V
20 V
+18 V
600 mV
+17.4 V to +18.6 V
Table 3
4.4.4 Channel D
1 MΩinput impedance
Specified tolerance (%): 3% on all ranges
Range
(±volts)
Test
voltage
(volts)
Allowable
error
(±volts)
Accuracy limits
DC
Average
(volts)
Pass/Fail
50 mV
+40 mV
1.5 mV
+38.5 mV to +41.5 mV
100 mV
+90 mV
3 mV
+87 mV to +93 mV
200 mV
+180 mV
6 mV
+174 mV to +186 mV
500 mV
+450 mV
15 mV
+435 mV to +465 mV
1 V
+900 mV
30 mV
+870 mV to +930 mV
2 V
+1.8 V
60 mV
+1.74 V to +1.86 V
5 V
+4.5 V
150 mV
+4.35 V to +4.65 V
10 V
+9.0 V
300 mV
+8.7 V to +9.3 V
20 V
+18 V
600 mV
+17.4 V to +18.6 V
Table 4

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5. Check timebase accuracy
5.1 Equipment required
Fluke 9500B Oscilloscope Calibrator
5.2 Prerequisites
See “Check DC gain accuracy”.
5.3 Procedure
Ensure the Fluke 9500B calibration generator is in Amplitude mode, and then set it
for 0.8 V/div x 5, with the frequency set to 100 Hz.
Connect the output to channel A
Load settings “2 Timebase Accuracy” into PicoScope
oOr enter manual settings (see Appendix 2 –Timebase)
Set the trigger point to the centre of the screen with 10 ms delay
Set the timebase to 100 ns/div
Use the time rulers to make an accurate measurement of the time difference from
the centre vertical reference to where the trace crosses the centre horizontal
reference. If the error is small, you may need to zoom in to make the measurement.
Record results in Table 5 or Table 6 depending on the scope model.
Time marker input
Error[1]
(ns)
Allowable error[2]
(ns)
Pass/Fail
10 ms
±50 ns
Table 5 –PicoScope 6402 to 6404 original, A and B models
Time marker input
Error[1]
(ns)
Allowable error[2]
(ns)
Pass/Fail
10 ms
±20 ns
Table 6 –PicoScope 6402 to 6404 C and D models
Note 1: Error (ns) is the time difference, in nanoseconds, between the zero volts
crossing point of the trace and the central vertical reference at 10 ms. This difference
can be measured accurately by positioning two time rulers in PicoScope and noting the
delta (Δ) figure in the ruler legend.
Note 2: Allowable error (ns)is ±5 ppm of the reference time of 10 ms for original, A
and B models, or ±2 ppm for C and D models.

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6. Check channel bandwidth
6.1 Equipment required
Fluke 9500B Oscilloscope Calibrator
6.2 Prerequisites
See “Check DC gain accuracy”.
6.3 Procedure
This test verifies the bandwidth performance of the product. The products should exceed
specified bandwidth in this configuration. For this test the maximum sample rate of the
device is required (5 GS/s) so only enable the channel under test.
Load PicoScope settings file “3 Channel Bandwidth”
oOr use manual setup (Appendix 3 –Channel bandwidth)
Apply a 50 kHz sine wave from the generator to the scope channel
Set voltage close to 800 mV pk-pk
Record peak-to-peak voltage (use the built-in peak-to-peak measurement in
PicoScope, with the number of samples set to about 1000)
Set the timebase to 5 ns/div
Set frequency of the generator to fMAX:
ofMAX = 250 MHz for PicoScope 6402A/B/C/D
ofMAX = 350 MHz for PicoScope 6402, 6403, 6403A/B/C/D
ofMAX = 500 MHz for PicoScope 6404, 6404A/B/C/D
Record the peak-to-peak voltage using the built-in measurement function
Record result in Table 7
Repeat for channels B, C and D

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Channel
Pk-pk voltage
@ 50 kHz
(VLF)
Pk-pk voltage
@ fMAX
(VHF)
Pass
criterion[1]
Pass/Fail
A
> 0.729
B
> 0.729
C
> 0.729
D
> 0.729
Table 7
Note 1: The pass criterion for is the voltage ratio corresponding to a 3 dB loss
multiplied by the amplitude flatness error (±3%) of the Fluke 9500B in this frequency
range assuming a load VSWR of 1.6:1:
Reference: The Fluke 9500B Oscilloscope Calibrator (1626204 B-ENG-N A, DS255, 2001)

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7. Check trigger
7.1 Equipment required
None
7.2 Prerequisites
None
7.3 Procedure
The trigger circuit is a digital trigger. Therefore it is not necessary to check the trigger
sensitivity.
8. Check AUX input
Spec of AUX input: ±1 V, 25 MHz
8.1 Procedure
Load front panel settings file “5 Aux Trigger” referred to above.
oOr use manual setup (see Appendix 4 –AUX trigger)
Apply ±500 mV, frequency 25 MHz
Check PicoScope triggers

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9. Check input impedance (resistance)
Spec of input resistance: 1 MΩ ± 1%, 50 Ω ± 2%
9.1 Equipment required
Fluke 9500B Oscilloscope Calibrator
9.2 Prerequisites
See “Check DC gain accuracy”
9.3 Procedure
Load settings file “6 Input Resistance” referred to above.
oOr use manual setup (see Appendix 5 –Input impedance)
Connect the output of the oscilloscope calibrator to the Channel A input
Set the impedance to 1 MΩas follows:
Set the calibrator impedance to 1 MΩ
Use the calibrator to measure the input impedance of the oscilloscope and enter the
value in Table 8
Repeat for all vertical range settings in the test record
Repeat the tests at 50 Ωas follows:
Set the calibrator impedance to 50 Ω
Set the coupling menu to DC 50 Ω
Set the Vertical Range to the first range listed in Table 8
Use the calibrator to measure the input impedance of the oscilloscope and enter the
value in Table 8
Repeat for all vertical range settings in the test record
Repeat the procedure for all remaining channels as follows:
Select the next channel
Move the calibrator connection to the next channel to be tested
Repeat tests for 50 Ω and 1 MΩ input resistance
Record the results in Tables 9 to 11

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9.4 Channel A
Vertical
range
50 Ω input
49 Ωto 51 Ω
50 Ω
Pass / Fail
1 MΩ input
0.99 MΩ to 1.01 MΩ
1 MΩ
Pass /Fail
50 mV
100 mV
200 mV
500 mV
1 V
2 V
5 V
10 V
N/A
20 V
N/A
Table 8
9.5 Channel B
Vertical
range
50 Ω input
49 Ωto 51 Ω
50 Ω
Pass / Fail
1 MΩ input
0.99 MΩ to 1.01 MΩ
1 MΩ
Pass /Fail
50 mV
100 mV
200 mV
500 mV
1 V
2 V
5 V
10 V
N/A
20 V
N/A
Table 9

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9.6 Channel C
Vertical
range
50 Ω input
49 Ωto 51 Ω
50 Ω
Pass / Fail
1 MΩ input
0.99 MΩ to 1.01 MΩ
1 MΩ
Pass /Fail
50 mV
100 mV
200 mV
500 mV
1 V
2 V
5 V
10 V
N/A
20 V
N/A
Table 10
9.7 Channel D
Vertical
range
50 Ω input
49 Ωto 51 Ω
50 Ω
Pass / Fail
1 MΩ input
0.99 MΩ to 1.01 MΩ
1 MΩ
Pass /Fail
50 mV
100 mV
200 mV
500 mV
1 V
2 V
5 V
10 V
N/A
20 V
N/A
Table 11

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10.Check probe compensation output
Apply the oscilloscope probe compensation output to Channel A using a x1 probe
Set the voltage cursors to display the output voltage
Use these cursors as a reference to a known DC voltage applied to Channel A
Record the measured voltage in Table 12 below.
Nominal voltage
Actual measured voltage
2.000 V
Table 12

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Manual settings for PicoScope 6
If possible, use the settings files referred to above. Otherwise, PicoScope 6 can be
configured manually as follows.
Before starting any test, reset the oscilloscope with this procedure:
Select File > Startup Settings > Reset Startup Settings
Click the Home button
11.Appendix 1 –DC gain accuracy setup
Click the Auto Setup button
Select Trigger > None
Select from coupling menu DC
Select from Measurements menu DC Average
Set the Timebase to 10 ms
Set the number of samples to 100 K
12.Appendix 2 –Timebase setup
Select coupling DC 50 Ωfor Channel A
Set Channel A vertical scale to 500 mV
Set the horizontal scale to 1 ms/div
13.Appendix 3 –Channel bandwidth setup
Note: to improve accuracy, measure the VSWR loss from generator to load and include
in the accuracy calculations.
Select Channel A
Set coupling to DC 50 Ω
Select the 500 mV range
Set the Timebase to 10 µs/div
Add peak to peak measurement to the channel
14.Appendix 4 –AUX trigger setup
Select Channel A
Set Timebase to 1 ns
Set Vertical Range 500 mV
Select Trigger Repeat, AUXIO
Set the number of samples to 200 K
15.Appendix 5 –Input impedance setup
Select DC in the coupling menu
Set the Vertical Range to each range listed in Tables 8 to 11