pico Technology PicoScope 9400 Series User manual

www.picotech.com
SXRTO sampler-extended real-time oscilloscopes
PicoScope®9400 Series
16 GHz and 5 GHz bandwidth models
PicoScope 9404-16
11.3 Gb/s clock recovery
16 GHz bandwidth, 22 ps transition time
5 TS/s (0.2 ps resolution) equivalent time sampling
PicoScope 9404-05
5 GHz bandwidth, 70 ps transition time
1 TS/s (1 ps resolution) equivalent-time sampling
Four 12-bit 500 MS/s ADCs
Pulse, eye and mask testing down to 45 ps and up to 11 Gb/s
Intuitive and congurable touch-compatible Windows user interface
Comprehensive built-in measurements, zooms, data masks and histograms
±800 mV full-scale input range into 50 ohms
±10 mV/div to ±0.25 V/div ranges provided by digital gain
Up to 250 kS trace length, shared between channels

PicoScope®9400 Series
Product overview
The PicoScope 9404 SXRTO Series have four high-bandwidth 50 Ω input channels with market-leading ADC, timing and display resolutions for accurately measuring and visualizing
high-speed analog and data signals. They are ideal for capturing pulse and step transitions down to 22 ps, impulse down to 45 ps, and clocks and data eyes to 11 Gb/s.
The PicoScope SXRTOs offer equivalent time sampling (ETS) that can readily analyze high bandwidth applications that involve repetitive signals or clock-related streams.
The SXRTO is fast: ETS, persistence displays and statistics all build quickly.
The PicoScope 9404 Series have a built-in trigger on every channel, with pretrigger ETS capture to well above the Nyquist sampling rate. Up to 16 GHz bandwidth behind a 50 ohm
SMA(f) input, and three acquisition modes—real time, ETS and roll—all capture at 12-bit resolution into a shared memory of up to 250 kS.
The touch-compatible PicoSample 4 software is derived from our existing, and revered, sampling oscilloscope software PicoSample 3 which embodies over ten years of
development, customer feedback and optimization.
The display can be resized to t any window and fully utilize available display resolution, 4k and even larger or across multiple monitors. Four independent zoom channels can show
you different views of your data down to a resolution of 0.2 ps. Most of the controls and status panels can be shown or hidden according to your application, allowing you to make
optimal use of the display area.
A 2.5 GHz direct trigger can be driven from any input channel, and a built-in divider can extend the off-channel trigger bandwidth to 5 GHz. On the 9404-16 a further external
prescaled trigger input allows stable trigger from signals of up to 16 GHz bandwidth and from the internal triggers, recovered clock trigger is available at up to 11.3 Gb/s. On this
model, recovered clock and data are both made available via SMA outputs on the rear panel.
The price you pay for your PicoScope SXRTO is the price you pay for everything – we don’t
charge you for software features or updates.
Typical applications
• Telecom and radar test, service and manufacturing
• Optical ber, transceiver and laser testing (optical to electrical conversion not included)
• RF, microwave and gigabit digital system measurements
• Signal, eye, pulse and impulse characterization
• Precision timing and phase analysis
• Digital system design and characterization
• Eye diagram, mask and limits test up to 11 Gb/s
• Clock and data recovery at up to 11 Gb/s
• Ethernet, HDMI 1, PCI, SATA and USB 2.0
• Semiconductor characterization
• Signal, data and pulse/impulse integrity and pre-compliance testing

PicoScope®9400 Series
ETS (equivalent-time sampling)
PicoScope 9400 Series SXRTOs use equivalent-time sampling (ETS) to capture high-
bandwidth repetitive or clock-derived signals without the expense or jitter of a very high-
speed real-time oscilloscope.
On the 16GHz model transition time is 22ps and on the 5GHz model 70ps, both
typically faster than competing equivalent bandwidth models. ETS mode enables timing
resolution down to 0.2 ps and 1 ps respectively.
Bandwidth limit lters
A selectable analog bandwidth limiter (100 or 450 MHz) on each input channel can be
used to reject high frequencies and associated noise. The narrow setting can be used as
an anti-alias lter in real-time sampling modes.
Frequency counter
A built-in fast and accurate
frequency counter shows
signal frequency (or period)
at all times, regardless of
measurement and timebase
settings and with a resolution of
1 ppm.
Trigger modes
Simply feed your
signal into one of the
input channels.
The oscilloscopes
have a DC to 2.5GHz
internal direct trigger
from each input
channel and 5GHz
from each channel via
a divider. The 9404-16
has an external 16GHz
prescaled trigger input
and an internal trigger-
from-recovered-clock
capability, fed from the
internal off-channel trigger paths. On this model recovered clock and data signals are made available
on rear panel SMA connectors.
Clock and data recovery
Clock and data outputs on rear
panel (9404-16 only)

PicoScope®9400 Series
Channel deskew
The deskew variable adjusts the horizontal position (time offset) of one active channel
with respect to another on the instrument display. The deskew function has a ±50ns
range. Coarse increment is 100ps, ne increment is 10ps. With manual or calculator
data entry the increment is four signicant digits or 1ps.
Use the deskew to compensate the time offset between two or more channels. This
might result from different cable or probe lengths or might allow an aligned comparison
of an input and output waveshape.
Below, deskew is used to precisely align a differential pair. Addition of the traces (right
half of the waveform display) allows sensitive alignment for minimum common mode.
Segmented acquisition mode
Segmented acquisition mode in the Acquire menu partitions the available trace memory
length into multiple trace lengths (segments or buffers). Up to 1024 traces can then be
captured and either layered or individually selected to display on screen. This is helpful
for capturing and viewing rarely occurring events.
Having captured an anomalous event you can scroll through, or close gates around,
an ever smaller block of overlaid traces, until the anomalous trace or traces are found.
There is also a segment nder which uses a binary search method to address larger
numbers of trace segments:
Anomaly Trace overlays
Selected segment with an anomaly
Segment nder
Selected
segment
spin-box

PicoScope®9400 Series
SXRTO explained
The basic real-time oscilloscope
Real-time oscilloscopes (RTOs) are designed with a high enough sampling rate to capture a transient, non-repetitive signal with the instrument’s specied analog bandwidth. This
will reveal a minimum width impulse, but is far from satisfactory in revealing its shape, let alone measurements and characterization. Typical high-bandwidth RTOs exceed this
sampling rate by perhaps a factor of two, achieving up to four samples per cycle, or three samples in a minimum-width impulse.
Equivalent-time sampling
For signals close to or above the RTO’s Nyquist limit, many RTOs can switch to a mode called equivalent-time sampling (ETS). In this mode the scope collects as many samples
as it can for each of many trigger events, each trigger contributing more and more samples and detail in a reconstructed waveform. Critical to alignment of these samples is a
separate and precise measurement of time between each trigger and the next occurring sample clock.
After a large number of trigger events the scope has enough samples to display the waveform with the desired time resolution. This is called the effective sampling resolution (the
inverse of the effective sampling rate), which is many times higher than is possible in real-time (non-ETS) mode.
As this technique relies on a random relationship between trigger events and the sampling clock, it is more correctly called random equivalent-time sampling (or sometimes random
interleaved sampling, RIS). It can only be used for repetitive signals – those with relatively stable waveshape around the trigger event.
The sampler-extended real-time oscilloscope (SXRTO)
The PicoScope 9404-16 maximum effective sampling rate in ETS is 5 TS/s, with
a timing resolution of 0.2 ps, which is 10000 times higher than the scope’s actual
sampling rate.
The PicoScope 9404-05 has a maximum effective sampling rate of 1 TS/s; a
resolution of 1 ps and 2000 times faster than actual sampling rate.
With an analog bandwidth of up to 16 GHz, the PicoScope 9404 SXRTO would
require a sampling rate exceeeding 32 GS/s to meet Nyquist’s criterion and
somewhat more than this (perhaps 80 GS/s) to reveal wave and pulse shapes.
Using ETS, the 9404 gives us 312 sample points in a single cycle or a generous
110 samples between 10% and 90% of its fastest transition time.
So is the SXRTO a sampling scope?
All this talk of sampling rates and sampling modes may suggest that the SXRTO
is a type of sampling scope, but this is not the case. The name sampling scope,
by convention, refers to a different kind of instrument. A sampling scope uses
a programmable delay generator to take samples at regular intervals after each
trigger event. The technique is called sequential equivalent-time sampling and is
the principle behind the PicoScope 9300 Series sampling scopes. These scopes
can achieve very high effective sampling rates but have two main drawbacks: they
cannot capture data before the trigger event, and they require a separate trigger
signal – either from an external source or from a built-in clock-recovery module.
We’ve compiled a table to show the differences between the types of scopes
mentioned on this page. The example products are all compact, 4-channel, USB
PicoScopes.
Real-time scope SXRTO Sampling scope
Model PicoScope 6407 PicoScope 9400 Series PicoScope 9300 Series
Analog
bandwidth 1 GHz* Up to 16 GHz Up to 25 GHz
Real-time
sampling? 5 GS/s 500 MS/s 1 MS/s
Sequential
equivalent-time
sampling?
No No 15 TS/s
Random
equivalent-time
sampling?
200 GS/s Up to 5 TS/s 250 MS/s
Trigger on input
channel? Yes Yes
Yes, but only to 100 MHz
bandwidth – requires external
trigger or internal clock
recovery option
Pretrigger
capture? Yes Yes No
Vertical
resolution 8 bits 12 bits 16 bits
Cost (2019
prices) $10k $19.5k $22k
* Higher-bandwidth real-time oscilloscopes are available from other manufacturers. For example, a
16GHz analog bandwidth, 80 GS/s, 8 bit sampling model is available for a $119,500 starting price.

PicoScope®9400 Series
The PicoConnect 910 kit includes six 4 - 5
GHz probes at the three division ratios and
AC (>160 kHz) and DC couplings.
The PicoConnect 920 kit includes six 6 - 9
GHz gigabit probes at the three division
ratios and AC (>160 kHz) and DC couplings.
All probes (chargeable additions) are
available individually or as a kit and are
supplied with precision low-loss cables, spare probe tips
and a solder-in kit all within a convenient storage case.
Features of the PicoConnect 900 Series probes
• Extremely low loading capacitance of < 0.3 pF typical, 0.4 pF upper test limit for all
models
• Slim, ngertip design for accurate and steady probing or solder-in at ne scale
• Interchangeable SMA probe heads at division ratios of 5:1, 10:1 and 20:1, AC or DC
coupled
• Accurate probing of high-speed transmission lines for Z0 = 0 Ω to 100 Ω
• Class-leading uncorrected pulse/eye response and pulse/eye disturbance
PicoConnect®900 Series high-frequency passive probes
The PicoConnect 900 Series is a range of minimally invasive, high-frequency passive
probes, designed for microwave and gigabit applications up to 9 GHz and 18 Gb/s. They
deliver unprecedented performance and exibility at a low price and are an obvious
choice to use alongside the PicoScope 9400 Series scopes.
Software
Application-congurable PicoSample 4 oscilloscope software
The PicoSample 4 workspace takes full advantage of your available single or multiple
display size and resolution, allowing you to resize the window to t any display resolution
supported by Windows.
You decide how much space to give to the trace display and the measurements display,
and whether to open or hide the control menus. The user interface is fully touch- or
mouse-operable, with grabbing and dragging of traces, cursors, regions and parameters.
In touchscreen mode, an enlarged parameter control is displayed to assist adjustments
on smaller touchscreen displays.
To zoom, either draw a zoom window or use the numerical zoom and offset controls.
You can display up to four different zoomed views of the displayed waveforms.
“Hidden trace” icons show a live view of any channels that are not currently displayed on
the main display.
The interaction of timebase, sampling rate and capture size is normally handled
automatically, but there is also an option to override this and specify the order of priority
of these three parameters.
A choice of screen formats
When working with multiple traces, you can display them all on one grid or separate
them into two or four grids. You can also plot signals in XY mode with or without
additional voltage-time grids. The persistence display
modes use color-contouring or shading to show
statistical variations in the signal. Trace display can be
in either dots-only or vector format and all these display
settings can be independent, trace by trace. Custom
trace labeling is also available.

PicoScope®9400 Series
PicoSample 4 software
The PicoSample 4 software interface provides access to commands that control all of the instrument’s features and functions.
Main menu
Provides access
to commands that
control all instrument
features and
functions.
System controls
Select whether the oscilloscope is
running or stopped. Other buttons allow
you to reset the oscilloscope to default
status, Autoscale or erase waveforms
from the display.
Status area
Displays acquisition status, mode and
number of acquisitions. Also trigger
status, date, time and a quick reference to
record length and horizontal parameters.
Measurement area
Allows you to view
measurement results within
the following scrolling tabs:
• Scales
• Color grade
• Marker
• Measure
• Histogram
• Eye diagram
• Mask test
Resize the display area
using the Auto, Max, Min
and Mid buttons to show as
much or as little data as you
require.
Right side menu
Right-click, or long-touch
on a touch screen, a
button on the Toolbar to
add the specied menu to
the right side menu area.
Left side menu
Left-click with your
mouse, or tap a button
on the Toolbar using a
touch screen to add the
specied menu to the
left side menu area.
Display area
View live, reference and math waveforms. Drag
waveforms to reposition them and drag or draw
zoom windows. You can drag markers, bounds and
thresholds to congure measurements on the screen.
On-screen controls can be hidden to increase trace
area.
Vertical histogram
Both horizontal and
vertical (illustrated)
histograms with
periodically updated
measurements allow
statistical distributions
to be analyzed and
displayed over a user-
dened region of the
signal.
Histogram window
Determines which part of the database is
used to analyze and display the histogram
(in red). You can set the size and position
of this window within the horizontal and
vertical scaling limits of the oscilloscope.
Waveform
Trigger level
Click or tap and drag the
T icon or use the Trigger
position control to change
the trigger level for the
selected trigger source.
Trigger position
This T icon represents the trigger
position. You can move it by adjusting
the Trigger position control.
Toolbar
12 buttons to select and set-up oscilloscope operating modes: Channels,
Acquire, Trigger and Display. You can also set up and execute waveform
measurements: Marker, Measure, Histogram and Eye Diagram, control
le management tasks (Save/Recall) and perform waveform analysis
(Math and Mask Test). In addition you can set up and execute instrument
calibration and use the demonstration mode (Utility).
Permanent controls
The most common functions
that affect the waveform
display.

PicoScope®9400 Series
Measurements
Standard waveforms and eye parameters
The PicoScope 9400 Series oscilloscopes quickly measure well over 40 standard
waveforms and over 70 eye parameters, either for the whole waveform or gated between
markers. The markers can also make on-screen ruler measurements, so you don’t
need to count graticules or estimate the waveform’s position. Up to ten simultaneous
measurements are possible. The measurements conform to IEEE standard denitions,
but you can edit them for non-standard thresholds and reference levels using the
advanced menu, or by dragging the on-screen thresholds and levels. You can apply limit
tests to up to four measured parameters.
Waveform measurements with statistics
Waveform parameters can be measured in both X and Y axes including X period,
frequency, negative or positive cross and jitter. In the Y axis measurements such as max,
min, DC RMS and cycle mean are available. Measurements can be within a single trace
or trace-to-trace such as phase, delay and gain.
Selection of a measurement parameter displays its values, thresholds and bounds on
the main display.

PicoScope®9400 Series
Eye diagram measurements
The PicoScope 9400 Series scopes quickly measure more than 70 fundamental
parameters used to characterize non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signals and return-to-zero (RZ)
signals.
Eye diagram analysis can display data including: bit rate, period, crossing time,
frequency, eye width, eye amplitude, mean, area and jitter RMS. Also shown on the graph
are left and right RMS jitter markers. These measurements are selectable from within
the Eye Diagram side menu and are listed on screen below the graph.
The measurement points and levels used to generate each parameter can optionally be
drawn on the trace.
Eye-diagram analysis can be made even more powerful with the addition of mask
testing, as described below.
Measurement thresholds and bounds are displayed for the last selected measurement
parameter.

PicoScope®9400 Series
PicoSample 4 has a built-in library of over 130 masks for testing data eyes. It can count
or capture mask hits or route them to an alarm or acquisition control. You can stress-
test against a mask using a specied margin, and locally compile or edit masks.
There’s a choice of gray-scale and color-graded display modes, and a histogramming
feature, all of which aid in analyzing noise and jitter in eye diagrams. There is also a
statistical display showing a failure count for both the original mask and the margin.
The extensive menu of built-in test waveforms is invaluable for checking your mask test
setup before using it on live signals.
Mask testing Powerful mathematical analysis
The PicoScope 9400 Series scopes support up to four simultaneous mathematical
combinations or functional transformations of acquired waveforms.
You can select any of the mathematical functions to operate on either one or two
sources. All functions can operate on live waveforms, waveform memories or even other
functions. There is also a comprehensive equation editor for creating custom functions
of any combination of source waveforms.
• Choose from 60 math functions, or
create your own.
• Add, subtract, multiply, divide,
invert, absolute, exponent,
logarithm, differentiate, integrate,
inverse, FFT, interpolation,
smoothing, trending and boolean
bit operation.
Mask test features Masks Number of masks
9404-05 9404-16
• Standard predened mask
• Automask
• Mask saved on disk
• Create new mask
• Edit any mask.
SONET/SDH 8
Ethernet 7
Fibre channel 23 30
PCI Express 29 41
InniBand 12 15
XAUI 4
RapidIO 9
Serial ATA 24
ITU G.703 14
ANSI T1.102 7
Trending
Trending allows you to plot a measured
time parameter, such as pulse width,
period or transition time as an
additional trace.

PicoScope®9400 Series
FFT analysis
All PicoScope 9400 Series oscilloscopes can calculate
real, imaginary and complex Fast Fourier and Inverse
Fast Fourier Transforms of input signals using a range
of windowing functions. The results can be further
processed using the math functions. FFTs are useful for
nding crosstalk and distortion problems, adjusting lter
circuits, testing system impulse responses and identifying
and locating noise and interference sources.
Histogram analysis
Behind the powerful measurement and display
capabilities of the 9400 Series lies a fast, ecient data
histogram capability. A powerful visualization and
analysis tool in its own right, the histogram is a probability
graph that shows the distribution of acquired data from a
source within a user-denable window.
Histograms can be constructed on waveforms on either
the vertical or horizontal axes. The most common use
for a vertical histogram is measuring and characterizing
noise and pulse parameters. A horizontal histogram is
typically used to measure and characterize jitter.
Envelope acquisition
Pulsed RF carriers lie at the heart of our modern
communications infrastructures, yet the shape,
aberrations and timings of the nal carrier pulse (at an
antenna, for example) can be challenging to measure. If
we choose demodulation, we are subject to the limitations
of the demodulator; its bandwidth and distortions.
Envelope acquisition mode allows waveform acquisition
and display showing the peak values of repeated
acquisitions over a period of time.
Shown above on a PicoScope 9404 SXRTO is a real time
capture of pulsed amplitude 2.4 GHz carrier.
The yellow trace is an alias of the 2.4 GHz carrier
displayed at a timebase of 100µs/div. The blue trace,
offset slightly for clarity, is a Max Envelope capture of the
yellow trace.
The enveloped waveform shows the maximum excursions
of the carrier envelope and its pulse parameters can then
be measured (bottom left of the image).
This measurement is limited by the maximum real time
sampling rate of the SXRTO (500 MS/s) and so has a
Nyquist demodulation bandwidth of 250 MHz. Three other
channels on the oscilloscope remain available to monitor,
for example, modulating data and power supply voltages
or currents feeding to the sourcing RF power amplier.
Software development kit
The PicoSample 4 software can operate as a standalone oscilloscope
program or under ActiveX remote control. The ActiveX control
conforms to the Windows COM interface standard so that you can
embed it in your own software. Unlike more complex driver-based
programming methods, ActiveX commands are text strings that
are easy to create in any programming environment. Programming
examples are provided in Visual Basic (VB.NET), MATLAB, LabVIEW
and Delphi, but you can use any programming language or standard
that supports the COM interface, including JavaScript and C.
National Instruments LabVIEW drivers are also available. All the
functions of the PicoScope 9400 and the PicoSample software are
accessible remotely.
We supply a comprehensive programmer’s guide that details
every function of the ActiveX control. The SDK can control the
oscilloscope over the USB or the LAN port.

PicoScope®9400 Series
9404-05 front panel
4 x 5 GHz 50 ohm inputs Calibration output
Trigger output
Status/trigger LED
Power LED
Power LED: Green under normal operation
Status/trigger LED: Indicates connection
progress and trigger
Channel inputs: The PicoScope 9404 has four
input channels: Ch 1 to Ch 4. You can enable
any number of channels without affecting the
sampling rate; only the capture memory (250 kS)
is shared between the enabled channels.
Built-in CAL test signal: The calibrator output
(CAL OUT) provides a DC, 1 kHz or variable
frequency square wave output. This can be used
to verify the scope’s inputs.
TRIGGER OUT: Can be used to synchronize an
external device to the PicoScope 9404’s rising
edge, falling edge and end of holdoff triggers
PRESCALE (9404-16 only): 16 GHz external
prescaled trigger.
PicoScope 9400 Series inputs, outputs and indicators
RST (reset button)
USB: The USB 2.0 port is used to connect the
oscilloscope to the PC. If no USB host is found,
the oscilloscope tries to connect through the LAN
port.
LAN: LAN settings must be supplied initially by
connecting to the USB port. Once congured, the
oscilloscope uses the LAN port if no USB host is
detected.
One of up to eight PicoScope 9400 units can be
addressed from PicoSample 4 software.
CLK & DATA: Recovered clock and data from the
currently selected trigger source and the built-in
clock recovery module.
12 V DC input: Use only the earthed mains
adaptor supplied with the oscilloscope
9400 Series rear panel
Ethernet (LAN) port
USB port
RST (reset button)
9404-16 front panel 16 GHz prescaled
trigger input
DC power input
(AC adaptor
supplied)
Earth terminal
Recovered clock
(9404-16 only)

PicoScope®9400 Series
PicoScope 9404 specications
9404-05 9404-16
Vertical
Number of input channels Four channels. All channels are identical and digitized simultaneously.
*Analog bandwidth (–3 dB)[1]
Full: DC to 5 GHz Full: DC to 16 GHz
Middle: DC to 450 MHz
Narrow: DC to 100 MHz
*Passband atness Full: ±1 dB to 3 GHz Full: ±1 dB to 5 GHz
Calculated rise time (Tr), typical
Calculated from the bandwidth: 10% to 90%: calculated from Tr = 0.35/BW; 20% to 80%: calculated from Tr = 0.25/BW
Full: 10% to 90%: ≤ 70 ps, 20% to 80%: ≤ 50 ps Full: 10% to 90%: ≤ 22 ps, 20% to 80%: ≤ 15.7 ps
Middle: 10% to 90%: ≤ 780 ps, 20% to 80%: ≤ 560 ps
Narrow: 10% to 90%: ≤ 3.5 ns. 20% to 80%: ≤ 2.5 ns
Step response, typical (full
bandwidth) Overshoot and ringing: ±8% to 3 ns, ±4% to 100ns, ±2% to 400 ns. Overshoot and ringing: ±8% to 3 ns, ±4% to 100 ns, ±2% to 400 ns in 10GHz bandwidth
*RMS noise
Full: 1.8 mV, maximum, 1.6 mV, typical Full: 2.4 mV, maximum, 2.2 mV, typical
Middle: 0.8 mV, maximum, 0.65 mV, typical
Narrow: 0.6 mV, maximum, 0.45 mV, typical
Scale factors (sensitivity)
10 mV/div to 250 mV/div
Full scale is 8 vertical divisions
Adjustable in a 10-12.5-15-20-25-30-40-50-60-80-100-125-150-200-250 mV/div sequence.
Also adjustable in 1% ne increments or better.
With manual or calculator data entry the increment is 0.1 mV/div.
*DC gain accuracy ±2% of full scale. ±1.5% of full scale, typical
Position range ±4 divisions from center screen
DC offset range
Adjustable from –1 V to +1 V in 10 mV increments (coarse).
Also adjustable in ne increments of 2 mV.
With manual or calculator data entry the increment is 0.01 mV for offset between –99.9 and 99.9 mV, and 0.1 mV for offset between –999.9
and 999.9 mV.
Referenced to the center of display graticule.
* Offset accuracy ±2 mV ±2% of offset setting. ±1 mV ±1% of offset setting, typical
Operating input voltage ±800 mV
Vertical Zoom and Position
For all input channels, waveform memories, or functions
Vertical factor: 0.01 to 100
Vertical position: ±800 divisions maximum of zoomed waveform
Channel-to-channel crosstalk
(channel isolation)
≥ 50 dB (316:1) for input frequency DC to 1 GHz
≥ 40 dB (100:1) for input frequency > 1 GHz to 3 GHz
≥ 36 dB (63:1) for input frequency > 3 GHz to ≤ 5 GHz
Delay between channels ≤ 10 ps, typical
Between any two channels, full bandwidth, equivalent time
ADC resolution 12 bits

PicoScope®9400 Series
9404-05 9404-16
Hardware vertical resolution 0.4 mV/LSB without averaging
Overvoltage protection ±1.4 V (DC + peak AC)
* Input impedance (50 ±1.5) Ω. (50 ±1) Ω, typical
Input match Reections for 70 ps rise time: 10% or less, <–20 dB Reections for 30 ps rise time: 10% or less, <–20 dB
Input coupling DC
Input connectors SMA female
Internal probe power 6.0 W total maximum with PSU as supplied.
Probe power per probe 3.3 V: 100 mA maximum
12 V: 500 mA maximum to total probe power stated above.
Attenuation
Attenuation factors may be entered to scale the oscilloscope for external attenuators connected to the channel inputs.
Range 0.0001:1 to 1 000 000:1
Units Ratio or dB
Scale Volt, Watt, Ampere, or unknown
Horizontal
Timebase Internal timebase common to all input channels.
Timebase range
Full horizontal scale is 10 divisions
Real time sampling: 10 ns/div to 1000 s/div
Random equivalent time sampling: 50 ps/div to 5 µs/div 10 ps/div to 5 µs/div
Roll: 100 ms/div to 1000 s/div
Segmented: Total number of segments: 2 to 1024. Rearm time between segments: <1 µs (trigger hold-off setting dependent)
Horizontal zoom and position
For all input channels, waveform memories, or functions
Horizontal factor: From 1 to 2000
Horizontal position: From 0% to 100% non-zoomed waveform
Timebase clock accuracy
Frequency: 500 MHz
Initial set tolerance: ±10 ppm @ 25 °C ±3 °C
* Overall frequency stability: ±50 ppm over operating temperature range
Aging ±7 ppm over 10 years @ 25 °C
Timebase resolution (with random
equivalent time sampling) 1 ps 0.2 ps
* Delta time measurement
accuracy ±(50 ppm * reading + 0.1% * screen width + 5 ps)
Pre-trigger delay Record length ÷ current sampling rate (when delay = 0)
Post-trigger delay 0 to 4.28 s. Coarse increment is one horizontal scale division, ne increment is 0.1 horizontal scale division, manual or calculator increment is
0.01 horizontal scale division.

PicoScope®9400 Series
9404-05 9404-16
Channel-to-channel deskew range ±50 ns range. Coarse increment is 100 ps, ne increment is 10 ps. With manual or calculator data entry the increment is four signicant digits
or 0.4 ps (9404-16).
Acquisition
Sampling modes
Real time: Captures all of the sample points used to reconstruct a waveform during a single trigger event
Random equivalent time: Acquires sample points over several trigger events, requiring the input waveform to be repetitive
Roll: Acquisition data is displayed in a rolling fashion starting from the right side of the display and continuing to the left side of the display
(while the acquisition is running)
Maximum sampling rate
Real time: 500 MS/s per channel simultaneously
Random equivalent time: Up to 1 TS/s or 1 ps trigger placement
resolution
Random equivalent time: Up to 5 TS/s or 0.2 ps trigger placement
resolution
Record length
Real time sampling: From 50 S/ch to 250 kS/ch for one channel, to 125 kS/ch for two channels, to 50 kS/ch for three and four channels
Random equivalent time sampling: From 500 S/ch to 250 kS/ch for one channel, to 125 kS/ch for two channels, to 50 kS/ch for three and four
channels
Duration at highest sample rate 0.5 ms for one channel, 0.25 ms for two channels, 0.125 ms for three and four channels
Acquisition modes
Sample (normal): Acquires rst sample in decimation interval and displays results without further processing
Average: Average value of samples in decimation interval. Number of waveforms for average: 2 to 4096.
Envelope: Envelope of acquired waveforms. Minimum, Maximum or both Minimum and Maximum values acquired over one or more
acquisitions. Number of acquisitions is from 2 to 4096 in ×2 sequence and continuously.
Peak detect: Largest and smallest sample in decimation interval. Minimum pulse width: 1/(sampling rate) or 2 ns @ 50 µs/div or faster for
single channel.
High resolution: Averages all samples taken during an acquisition interval to create a record point. This average results in a higher-resolution,
lower-bandwidth waveform. Resolution can be expanded to 12.5 bits or more, up to 16 bits.
Segmented: Number of segments: 1 to 1024.
Rearm time: <1 μs or user dened hold-off time, whichever is larger (minimum time between trigger events).
User can view selected segment, overlaid segments or selected plus overlay.
Search segments: step through, gated block and binary search. Segments are delta and absolute time stamped.
Trigger
Trigger sources Internal from any of four channels Internal from any of four channels, external prescaled
Trigger mode
Freerun: Triggers automatically but not synchronized to the input in absence of trigger event.
Normal (triggered): Requires trigger event for oscilloscope to trigger.
Single: SW button that triggers only once on a trigger event. Not suitable for random equivalent time sampling.
Trigger holdoff mode Time or random
Trigger holdoff range
Holdoff by time: Adjustable from 500 ns to 15 s in a 1-2-5-10 sequence or in 4 ns ne increments.
Random: This mode varies the trigger holdoff from one acquisition to another by randomizing the time value between triggers. The
randomized time values can be between the values specied in the Min Holdoff and Max Holdoff.
Trigger frequency counter
Direct trigger: 1 µHz to 2.5 GHz
Resolution: ≥100 Hz ≤1 ppm, <100 Hz ≤5 ppm ±0.25 µHz
Read rate: 1.5 s or 31 cycles (whichever is greater)
Range extends to 6 GHz for trigger off channel via divider.
Range extends 500 MHz to 16 GHz for trigger from external prescale input.

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Internal trigger
Internal trigger style
Edge: Triggers on a rising and falling edge of any source from DC to
2.5 GHz.
Divider: The trigger source is divided down four times (/4) before
being applied to the trigger system. It has a trigger frequency range up
to 5GHz.
Edge: Triggers on a rising and falling edge of any source from DC to
2.5 GHz.
Divider: The trigger source is divided down four times (/4) before
being applied to the trigger system. It has a trigger frequency range up
to 5GHz.
Clock recovery: This trigger is used when the trigger signal is an NRZ
data pattern with any data rate between 6.5 Mb/s and 11.3 Gb/s
Internal trigger bandwidth and
sensitivity
Low sensitivity: 100 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz increasing linearly from 100 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 200 mV p-p at 5 GHz. Pulse Width: 100 ps @
200 mV p-p typical.
* High sensitivity: 30 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz increasing linearly from 30 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 70 mV p-p at 5 GHz. Pulse Width: 100 ps @ 70
mV p-p.
Internal trigger level range –1 V to +1 V in 10 mV increments (coarse). Also adjustable in ne increments of 1 mV.
Internal edge trigger slope
Positive: Triggers on rising edge
Negative: Triggers on falling edge
Dual slope: Triggers on both edges of the signal
* Internal RMS trigger jitter Combined trigger and interpolator jitter + delay clock stability
Edge and divided trigger: <1.5 ps + 0.02 ppm of delay, maximum
Combined trigger and interpolator jitter + delay clock stability
Edge and divided trigger: <1.5 ps + 0.02 ppm of delay, maximum
Clock recovery trigger: 2 ps + 1.0% of unit interval + 0.02 ppm delay,
maximum
Internal trigger coupling DC
External prescaled trigger
External prescaled trigger
coupling 50 Ω, AC coupled, xed level zero volts
*External prescaled trigger
bandwidth and sensitivity N/A 200 mV p-p from 1 GHz to 16 GHz (sine wave input)
*External prescaled RMS trigger
jitter 1.5 ps + 0.02 ppm of delay, maximum. For trigger input slope > 2 V/ns. Combined trigger and interpolator jitter + delay clock stability
Prescalar ratio Divided by 1 / 2 /4 / 8, programmable.
External prescaled trigger
maximum safe input voltage ±2 V (DC+peak AC)
External prescaled trigger input
connector SMA female

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Display
Persistence
Off: No persistence
Variable persistence: Time that each data point is retained on the display. Persistence time can be varied from 100 ms to 20 s.
Innite persistence: In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever.
Variable Gray Scaling: Five levels of a single color that is varied in saturation and luminosity. Refresh time can be varied from 1 s to 200 s.
Innite Gray Scaling: In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever in ve levels of a single color.
Variable Color Grading: With Color Grading selected, historical timing information is represented by a temperature or spectral color scheme
providing “z-axis” information about rapidly changing waveforms. Refresh time can be varied from 1 to 200 s.
Innite Color Grading: In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever by a temperature or spectral color scheme.
Style Dots: Displays waveforms without persistence, each new waveform record replaces the previously acquired record for a channel.
Vector: This function draws a straight line through the data points on the display. Not suited to multi-value signals such as an eye diagram.
Graticule Full Grid, Axes with tick marks, Frame with tick marks, Off (no graticule).
Format
Auto: Automatically places, adds or deletes graticules as you select more or fewer waveforms to display.
Single XT: All waveforms are superimposed and are eight divisions high.
Dual YT: With two graticules, all waveforms can be four divisions high, displayed separately or superimposed.
Quad YT: With four graticules, all waveforms can be two divisions high, displayed separately or superimposed.
When you select dual or quad screen display, every waveform channel, memory and function can be placed on a specied graticule.
XY: Displays voltages of two waveforms against each other. The amplitude of the rst waveform is plotted on the horizontal X axis and the
amplitude of the second waveform is is plotted on the vertical Y axis.
XY + YT: Displays both XY and YT pictures. The YT format appears on the upper part of the screen, and the XY format on the lower part of the
screen. The YT format display area is one screen and any displayed waveforms are superimposed.
XY + 2YT: Displays both YT and XY pictures. The YT format appears on the upper part of the screen, and the XY format on the lower part of
the screen. The YT format display area is divided into two equal screens.
Tandem: Displays graticules to the left and to the right.
View Color You may choose a default color selection, or select your own color set. Different colors are used for displaying selected items: background,
channels, functions, waveform memories, FFTs, TDR/TDTs, and histograms.
Trace annotation
The instrument gives you the ability to add an identifying label, bearing your own text, to a waveform display. For each waveform, you can
create multiple labels and turn them all on or all off. Also, you can position them on the waveform by dragging or by specifying an exact
horizontal position.
Save/Recall
Management Store and recall setups, waveforms and user mask les to any drive on your PC. Storage capacity is limited only by disk space.
File extensions
Waveform les:
.wfm for binary format
.txt for verbose format (text)
.txty for Y values formats (text)
Database les: .wdb
Setup les: .set
User mask les: .pcm
Operating system Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and 10, 32-bit and 64-bit.
Waveform save/recall Up to four waveforms may be stored into the waveform memories (M1 to M4), and then recalled for display.

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Save to/recall from disk
You can save or recall your acquired waveforms to or from any drive on the PC. To save a waveform, use the standard Windows Save as
dialog box. From this dialog box you can create subdirectories and waveform les, or overwrite existing waveform les.
You can load, into one of the Waveform Memories, a le with a waveform you have previously saved and then recall it for display.
Save/recall setups The instrument can store complete setups in the memory and then recall them.
Screen image You can copy a screen image into the clipboard with the following formats: Full Screen, Full Window, Client Part, Invert Client Part,
Oscilloscope Screen and Oscilloscope Screen.
Autoscale
Pressing the Autoscale key automatically adjusts the vertical channels, the horizontal scale factors, and the trigger level for a display
appropriate to the signals applied to the inputs.
The Autoscale feature requires a repetitive signal with a frequency greater than 100 Hz, duty cycle greater than 0.2%, amplitudes greater than
100 mV p-p. Autoscale is operative only for relatively stable input signals.
Marker
Marker type
X-Marker: vertical bars (measure time)
Y-Marker: horizontal bars (measure volts)
XY-Marker: waveform markers
Marker measurements Absolute, Delta, Volt, Time, Frequency and Slope
Marker motion Independent: both markers can be adjusted independently.
Paired: both markers can be adjusted together.
Ratiometric measurements Provide ratiometric measurements between measured and reference values. These measurements give results in such ratiometric units as %,
dB, and degrees.
Measure
Automated measurements Up to ten simultaneous measurements are supported.
Automatic parametric 53 automatic measurements available.
Amplitude measurements Maximum, Minimum, Top, Base, Peak-Peak, Amplitude, Middle, Mean, Cycle Mean, DC RMS, Cycle DC RMS, AC RMS, Cycle AC RMS, Positive
Overshoot, Negative Overshoot, Area, Cycle Area.
Timing measurements
Period, Frequency, Positive Width, Negative Width, Rise Time, Fall Time, Positive Duty Cycle, Negative Duty Cycle, Positive Crossing, Negative
Crossing, Burst Width, Cycles, Time at Maximum, Time at Minimum, Positive Jitter p-p, Positive Jitter RMS, Negative Jitter p-p, Negative Jitter
RMS.
Inter-signal measurements Delay (8 options), Phase Deg, Phase Rad, Phase %, Gain, Gain dB.
FFT measurements FFT Magnitude, FFT Delta Magnitude, THD, FFT Frequency, FFT Delta Frequency.
Measurement statistics Displays current, minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation on any displayed waveform measurements.
Method of top-base denition Histogram, Min/Max, or User-Dened (in absolute voltage).
Thresholds Upper, middle and lower horizontal bars settable in percentage, voltage or divisions. Standard thresholds are 10–50–90% or 20–50–80%.
Margins Any region of the waveform may be isolated for measurement using left and right margins (vertical bars).
Measurement mode Repetitive or Single-shot
Mathematics
Waveform math Up to four math waveforms can be dened and displayed using math functions F1 to F4

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Categories and math operators
Arithmetic: Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide, Ceil, Floor, Fix, Round, Absolute, Invert, Common, Rescale
Algebra: Exponentiation (e), Exponentiation (10), Exponentiation (a), Logarithm (e), Logarithm (10), Logarithm (a), Differentiate, Integrate,
Square, Square Root, Cube, Power (a), Inverse, Square Root of the Sum
Trigonometry: Sine, Cosine, Tangent, Cotangent, ArcSine, Arc Cosine, ArcTangent, Arc Cotangent, Hyperbolic Sine, Hyperbolic Cosine,
Hyperbolic Tangent, Hyperbolic Cotangent
FFT: Complex FFT, FFT Magnitude, FFT Phase, FFT Real part, FFT Imaginary part, Complex Inverse FFT, FFT Group Delay
Bit operator: AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, XNOR, NOT
Miscellaneous: Autocorrelation, Correlation, Convolution, Track, Trend, Linear Interpolation, Sin(x)/x Interpolation, Smoothing
Formula editor: You can build math waveforms using the Formula Editor control window.
Operands Any channel, waveform memory, math function, spectrum, or constant can be selected as a source for one of two operands.
FFT
FFT frequency span: Frequency Span = Sample Rate / 2 = Record Length / (2 × Timebase Range)
FFT frequency resolution: Frequency Resolution = Sample Rate / Record Length
FFT windows: The built-in lters (Rectangular, Hamming, Hann, Flattop, Blackman–Harris and Kaiser–Bessel) allow optimization of frequency
resolution, transients, and amplitude accuracy.
FFT measurements: Marker measurements can be made on frequency, delta frequency, magnitude, and delta magnitude. Marker
measurements can be made on frequency, delta frequency, magnitude, and delta magnitude.
Automated FFT Measurements include: FFT Magnitude, FFT Delta Magnitude, THD, FFT Frequency, and FFT Delta Frequency.
Histogram
Histogram axis
Vertical, Horizontal or Off
Both vertical and horizontal histograms, with periodically updated measurements, allow statistical distributions to be analyzed over any region
of the signal.
Histogram measurement set Scale, Offset, Hits in Box, Waveforms, Peak Hits, Pk-Pk, Median, Mean, Standard Deviation, Mean ±1 Std Dev, Mean ±2 Std Dev, Mean ±3 Std
Dev, Min, Max-Max, Max
Histogram window The histogram window determines which part of the database is used to plot the histogram. You can set the size of the histogram window to
be any size that you want within the horizontal and vertical scaling limits of the scope.
Eye diagram
Eye diagram The PicoScope 9400 can automatically characterize an NRZ and RZ eye pattern. Measurements are based upon statistical analysis of the
waveform.
NRZ measurement set
X: Area, Bit Rate, Bit Time, Crossing Time, Cycle Area, Duty Cycle Distortion (%, s), Eye Width (%, s), Fall Time, Frequency, Jitter (p-p, RMS),
Period, Rise Time
Y: AC RMS, Crossing %, Crossing Level, Eye Amplitude, Eye Height, Eye Height dB, Max, Mean, Mid, Min, Negative Overshoot, Noise p-p (One,
Zero), Noise RMS (One, Zero), One Level, Peak-Peak, Positive Overshoot, RMS, Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Signal- to-Noise Ratio dB, Zero Level
RZ measurement set
X: Area, Bit Rate, Bit Time, Cycle Area, Eye Width (%, s), Fall Time, Jitter P-p (Fall, Rise), Jitter RMS (Fall, Rise), Negative Crossing, Positive
Crossing, Positive Duty Cycle, Pulse Symmetry, Pulse Width, Rise Time
Y: AC RMS, Contrast Ratio (dB, %, ratio), Eye Amplitude, Eye High, Eye High dB, Eye Opening Factor, Max, Mean, Mid, Min, Noise P-p (One, Zero),
Noise RMS (One, Zero), One Level, Peak-Peak, RMS, Signal-to-Noise, Zero Level
Mask test
Mask test Acquired signals are tested for t outside areas dened by up to eight polygons. Any samples that fall within the polygon boundaries result in
test failures. Masks can be loaded from disk, or created automatically or manually.

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Standard mask
Standard predened optical or standard electrical masks can be created.
SONET/SDH: OC1/STMO (51.84 Mb/s) to FEC 2666 (2.6666 Gb/s)
Fibre Channel: FC133 Electrical (132.8 Mb/s) to FC2125E Abs Gamma
Tx.mask (2.125 Gb/s)
Fibre Channel: FC133 Electrical (132.8 Mb/s) to FC2125E Abs Gamma
Tx.mask (2.125 Gb/s)
Fibre Channel: FC4250 Optical PI Rev13 (4.25 Gb/s) to FC4250E Abs
Gamma Tx.mask (4.25 Gb/s)
Ethernet: 100BASE-BX10 (125 Mb/s) to 3.125 Gb/s 10GBase-CX4 Absolute TP2 (3.125 Gb/s)
2.5 G InniBand driver test points (2.5 Gb/s). Ten masks. Test points
1 to 10
2.5 G InniBand driver test points (2.5 Gb/s). Ten masks, test points 1
to 10
5.0G InniBand driver test point 1 (5 Gb/s)
5.0G InniBand driver test point 6 (5 Gb/s)
5.0G InniBand transmitter pins (5 Gb/s)
XAUI: 3.125 Gb/s XAUI Far End (3.125 Gb/s) to XAUI-E Near (3.125 Gb/s)
ITU G.703: DS1, 100 Ω twisted pair (1.544 Mb/s) to 155 Mb 1 Inv, 75 Ω coax (155.520 Mb/s)
ANSI T1/102: DS1, 100 Ω twisted pair (1.544 Mb/s) to STS3, 75 Ω coax, (155.520 Mb/s)
RapidIO: RapidIO Serial Level 1, 1.25G Rx (1.25 Gb/s) to RapidIO Serial Level 1, 3.125G Tx SR (3.125 Gb/s)
PCI Express: R1.0a 2.5G Add-in Card Transmitter Non-Transition bit
mask (2.5 Gb/s) to R1.1 2.5G Transmitter Transition bit mask (2.5
Gb/s)
PCI Express: R1.0a 2.5G Add-in Card Transmitter Non- Transition bit
mask (2.5 Gb/s) to R1.1 2.5G Transmitter Transition bit mask
(2.5 Gb/s)
PCI Express: R2.0 5.0G Add-in Card 35 dB Transmitter Non-Transition
bit mask (5 Gb/s) to R2.1 5.0G Transmitter Transition bit mask
(5 Gb/s)
Serial ATA: Ext Length, 1.5G 250 Cycle, Rx Mask (1.5 Gb/s) to Gen1m, 3.0G 5 Cycle, Tx Mask (3 Gb/s)
Mask margin Available for industry-standard mask testing
Automask creation Masks are created automatically for single-valued voltage signals. Automask species both delta X and delta Y tolerances. The failure actions
are identical to those of limit testing.
Data collected during test Total number of waveforms examined, number of failed samples, number of hits within each polygon boundary
Calibrator output
Calibrator output mode DC, 1 kHz or variable frequency (15.266 Hz to 500 kHz) square wave
Output DC level Adjustable from –1 V to +1 V into 50 Ω. Coarse increment: 50 mV, ne increment: 1 mV.
* Output DC level accuracy ±1 mV ±0.5% of output DC level
Output impedance 50 Ω nominal
Rise/fall time 150 ns, typical
Output connectors SMA female
Trigger output
Timing Positive transition equivalent to acquisition trigger point. Negative transition after user holdoff.
Low level (–0.2 ±0.1) V. Measured into 50 Ω
Amplitude (900 ±200) mV. Measured into 50 Ω
Rise time 10% to 90%: ≤ 0.45 ns; 20% to 80%: ≤ 0.3 ns