Tektronix P6243 User manual

xx
P6243
1 GHz 10X Active Probe
ZZZ
Instructions
*P070940804*
070-9408-04
Advanced Test Equipment Rentals
www.atecorp.com 800-404-ATEC (2832)
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P6243
1 GHz 10X Active Probe
ZZZ
Instructions
xx
www.tektronix.com
070-9408-04

Copyright ©Tektronix. All rights reserved. Licensed software products are
owned by Tektronix or its subsidiaries or suppliers, and are protected by
national copyright laws and international treaty provisions.
Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and
pending. Information in this publication supercedes that in all previously
published material. Specifications and price change privileges reserved.
TEKTRONIX, TEK, TEKPROBE, and SureFoot are registered trademarks of
Tektronix, Inc. KlipChip is a trademark of Tektronix. Inc.
Contacting Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc.
14200 SW Karl Braun Drive
P.O. Box 500
Beaverton, OR 97077
USA
For product information, sales, service, and technical support:
HIn North America, call 1-800-833-9200.
HWorldwide, visit www.tektronix.com to find contacts in your area.

Warranty
Tektronix warrants that this product will be free from defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of shipment. If any such product
proves defective during this warranty period, Tektronix, at its option, either will repair
the defective product without charge for parts and labor, or will provide a replacement
in exchange for the defective product. Parts, modules and replacement products used by
Tektronix for warranty work may be new or reconditioned to like new performance. All
replaced parts, modules and products become the property of Tektronix.
In order to obtain service under this warranty, Customer must notify Tektronix of the
defect before the expiration of the warranty period and make suitable arrangements for the
performance of service. Customer shall be responsible for packaging and shipping the
defective product to the service center designated by Tektronix, with shipping charges
prepaid. Tektronix shall pay for the return of the product to Customer if the shipment is to
a location within the country in which the Tektronix service center is located. Customer
shall be responsible for paying all shipping charges, duties, taxes, and any other charges
for products returned to any other locations.
This warranty shall not apply to any defect, failure or damage caused by improper use or
improper or inadequate maintenance and care. Tektronix shall not be obligated to furnish
service under this warranty a) to repair damage resulting from attempts by personnel other
than Tektronix representatives to install, repair or service the product; b) to repair damage
resulting from improper use or connection to incompatible equipment; c) to repair any
damage or malfunction caused by the use of non-Tektronix supplies; or d) to service a
product that has been modified or integrated with other products when the effect of such
modification or integration increases the time or difficulty of servicing the product.
THIS WARRANTY IS GIVEN BY TEKTRONIX WITH RESPECT TO THE
PRODUCT IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
TEKTRONIX AND ITS VENDORS DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. TEKTRONIX’
RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IS THE
SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY PROVIDED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR
BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY. TEKTRONIX AND ITS VENDORS WILL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER TEKTRONIX OR THE VENDOR HAS
ADV
ANCE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
[W2 – 15AUG04]

P6243 Instructions i
Table of Contents
General Safety Summary iii............................
Getting Started 1.....................................
Customer Support 1...................................
Features and Accessories 2..............................
Configuration 6.......................................
Functional Check or Probe Compensation 6................
Operating Basics 9...................................
Maximum Non-destructive Input Voltage 9.................
Input Linear Dynamic Range 9..........................
Ground Lead Length 10.................................
Probe Tip Test Points 14.................................
Specifications 15......................................

Table of Contents
ii P6243 Instructions
List of Figures
Figure 1: Probe Compensation Connections 7...............
Figure 2: Waveform Distortion from Ground Lead Length 10...
Figure 3: Ground Lead Equivalent Circuit 11................
Figure 4: Low-inductance Grounding 12....................
Figure 5: Using a SureFoot Adapter for Grounding 13.........
Figure 6: Using a Probe Tip as a Test Point 14...............
Figure 7: Typical Frequency Response 17...................
Figure 8: Typical Linearity Error vs. VIN 18.................
Figure 9: Typical Input Impedance vs. Frequency 19..........
Figure 10: Typical Non-Destructive Peak Voltage Derating vs.
Frequency 20.......................................

P6243 Instructions iii
General Safety Summary
Review the following safety precautions to avoid injury and prevent
damage to this product or any products connected to it.
Only qualified personnel should perform service procedures.
Injury Precautions
Avoid Electric Overload. To avoid electric shock or fire hazard, do not
apply a voltage to a terminal that is outside the range specified for
that terminal.
Do Not Operate Without Covers. To avoid electric shock or fire hazard,
do not operate this product with covers or panels removed.
Do Not Operate in Wet/Damp Conditions. To avoid electric shock, do
not operate this product in wet or damp conditions.
Do Not Operate in an Explosive Atmosphere. To avoid injury or fire
hazard, do not operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.
Product Damage Precautions
Use Proper Power Source. Do not operate this product from a power
source that applies more than the voltage specified.
Do Not Operate With Suspected Failures. If you suspect there is
damage to this product, have it inspected by qualified service
personnel.
Do Not Immerse in Liquids. Clean the probe using only a damp cloth.
The cloth must be dampened with either isopropyl alcohol or a mild
detergent and water solution. Do not use any other chemicals or
abrasives to clean the probe.

General Safety Summary
iv P6243 Instructions
Safety Terms and Symbols
Terms in This Manual. These terms may appear in this manual:
WARNING. Warning statements identify conditions or practices that
could result in injury or loss of life.
CAUTION. Caution statements identify conditions or practices that
could result in damage to this product or other property.
Terms on the Product. These terms may appear on the product:
DANGER indicates an injury hazard immediately accessible as you
read the marking.
WARNING indicates an injury hazard not immediately accessible as
you read the marking.
CAUTION indicates a hazard to property including the product.
Symbols on the Product. These symbols may appear on the product:
Protective Ground
(Earth) Terminal
ATTENTION
Refer to Manual
Double
Insulated
DANGER
High Voltage

P6243 Instructions 1
Getting Started
The Tektronix P6243 is a 1 GHz, 10X active FET probe with less
than 1 pF input capacitance. The low input capacitance and high
input resistance of the probe minimize circuit loading over a wide
bandwidth. The probe has a small profile and low-mass that makes
probing crowded circuits fast and easy. The accessory tips and
adapters allow for a wide variety of circuit connections.
The P6243 Active Probe obtains power from the host oscilloscope
through the TEKPROBE™interface. For oscilloscopes and
instruments that do not have the TEKPROBE interface, use the
optional Tektronix 1103 Probe Power Supply.
For service information, including part numbers of standard and
optional accessories, refer to the P6243 Service Manual
(070-9409-XX).
Customer Support
To help you get the best performance from your probe, Tektronix
offers the following customer support:
Using Your Probe
If you need assistance using your probe, please call 1-800-TEK-
WIDE (1-800-835-9433) and ask for the Customer Support Center. If
you are outside the United States or Canada, please contact your
nearest Tektronix Service Center.
Servicing Your Probe
For service and service related questions, please contact your nearest
Tektronix Service Center.

Getting Started
2P6243 Instructions
Features and Accessories
The P6243 Active Probe has features and accessories to make
probing and measurement a simpler task. Please take a moment to
familiarize yourself with these items and their uses.
Probe Tip
Socket
Ground
Socket
Probe Head Assembly — The probe head is
designed for ease of use and high performance.
Its small size makes it easy to handle in tight
areas.
The probe tip socket is sized to easily press onto
0.025 inch pins for direct access. The ground
socket provides a short ground path for high
fidelity ground connections.
TEKPROBE™Interface — The TEKPROBE
interface provides power, signal, and probe
characteristic data transfer.
If your oscilloscope does not support the
TEKPROBE interface, you can use the optional
1103 probe power supply as an effective
interface. Contact your local Tektronix representa-
tive for more information.
Push-In Probe Tip
Push-in Probe Tip — Use the push-in probe tip
for general purpose probing by hand. The tip may
also be used as a temporary test point. See page
14 for more information.
The push-in probe tip may also be used with the
other socketed leads and adapters.

Getting Started
P6243 Instructions 3
Installing the Push-in Probe Tip — Attach the
push-in probe tip by seating the tip into the probe
tip socket and pushing the tip in until it is seated.
Either end of the tip may be used.
Do not force the tip. Also, be careful not to poke
yourself with the sharp probe-tip. To remove the
tip, gently grab the tip with small pliers and pull
the tip out.
Right Angle
Adapter
Right-angle adapter — Use the right-angle
adapter for low-profile probing of 0.025-inch
diameter square pins.
The right-angle adapter allows the P6243 to lie
flat against a circuit board. This enables probing
in vertical circuits such as computer or commu-
nications backplanes, or in tight areas such as
between circuit cards.
The right-angle adapter can be used directly with
the probe head, or attached to the Y-lead adapter
or ground leads.
The right-angle adapter is attached the same way
as the push-in probe tip, and can be easily
removed by hand.
Y-lead
Adapter
“Y-lead” adapter— Use the Y-lead adapter to
extend the physical reach of the probe and
ground when necessary. The Y-lead adapter
accepts any of the probe tips or adapters, and
can be pushed directly onto 0.025 inch pins.
When selecting the grounding connection,
maintain as short a ground path as possible.
Refer to page 10 for more information.
To attach the Y-lead adapter, gently press the
lead pins into the probe head tip and ground
receptacles. Using the black lead for ground is
recommended.

Getting Started
4P6243 Instructions
3 and 6 inch ground leads—Usethethree-
and six-inch ground leads for general probing.
The socketed end of the leads may be connected
to any of the probe tips and adapters, or fitted
onto 0.025 inch pins.
To attach the ground leads, press and rotate the
lead pin connector into the ground socket on the
probe head. The lead may be removed by simply
pulling the pin out by hand.
When selecting the grounding connection,
maintain as short a ground path as possible.
Refer to page 10 for more information.
Low-inductance ground lead—Usethe
low-inductance ground adapter to substantially
reduce ground lead inductance. Because the
ground lead simply touches the ground reference,
you can easily move the probe to different points
on the device under test.
To attach, press the ground lead into the
probe-head ground socket.
When selecting the grounding connection,
maintain as short a ground path as possible.
Refer to page 10 for more information.
Signal Ground
Adapter
FlexLead
Adapter
Signal- Ground Adapter — The signal-ground
adapter is ideal for use with signal/ground pairs
on 0.100 inch header pins (such as FlexLead™
adapters).
Attach the signal-ground adapter by gently
pressing it into the ground socket on the probe
head.

Getting Started
P6243 Instructions 5
KlipChip
Y-lead
Adapter
SMT KlipChip™— Use the SMT KlipChip test
clips to access fragile, dense circuitry.
KlipChip test clips connect to the Y-lead or three-
or six-inch ground leads. Simply press the lead
socket into the KlipChip handle.
The KlipChip body freely turns, allowing better
probe orientation. To reduce stress and provide a
lower profile on components being tested, the
flexible sleeve of the KlipChip bends up to a 35
degree angle.
Color Marker
Bands
Color Marker Bands — Attach matching pairs
of the color marker bands onto the cable at the
head and compensation box of each probe. The
marker bands enable quick verification of which
probe is connected to which instrument channel.
SureFoot™probe tip (optional) —The
SureFoot tip is an integral probe tip and miniature
guide that enables fault-free probing of fine-pitch
SMD packages. Attach the SureFoot adapters the
same way as the push-in probe tips. They can be
used with any of the socketed accessory leads.
SF502 -- The blue SureFoot tip is compatible with
0.025 inch JEDEC and 0.65 mm EIAJ packages.
SF503 -- The red SureFoot tip is compatible with
0.5 mm EIAJ packages.

Getting Started
6P6243 Instructions
Configuration
The P6243 Active Probe provides the oscilloscope with the probe
model number, serial number, and attenuation factor. When
connected to a TEKPROBE oscilloscope, display readouts are
corrected for the probe attenuation factor, the instrument input is set
to 50 Ω, and the coupling is set to DC.
CAUTION. Do not attempt to install the P6243 Active Probe on a
non-TEKPROBE connector. Damage to the probe and connector may
result. If your oscilloscope does not support the TEKPROBE
interface, use the optional Tektronix 1103 Probe Power Supply.
If the P6243 Active Probe is used with the Tektronix 1103 Probe
Power Supply, be sure to have a 50 Ωtermination at the oscillo-
scope. Also, set the oscilloscope channel coupling to DC.
Functional Check or Probe Compensation
After installing the probe on the oscilloscope, perform a functional
check or compensate the probe using the PROBE COMPENSA-
TION connections on the front panel of the oscilloscope. See
Figure 1. (The ground connection is not necessary for a functional
check.)
NOTE. You can compensate the probe only if your oscilloscope
supports the TEKPROBE interface and has a calibration routine for
that purpose. For instructions, refer to the user manual of your
oscilloscope.

Getting Started
P6243 Instructions 7
Figure 1: Probe Compensation Connections
1. Connect the probe to the oscilloscope.
2. Set the oscilloscope to display the probe channel.
3. If you intend to compensate the probe, connect a ground lead and
an SMT KlipChip to the GND terminal.
4. Using a standard tip, hold the probe to the SIGNAL terminal.
5. Press AUTOSET (or adjust the oscilloscope) to display the
waveform specified for the compensation output.
6. If you intend to compensate the probe, refer to the user manual
for your oscilloscope and perform the calibration routine now.
7. Disconnect the probe tip from the SIGNAL terminal and connect
it to the GND terminal. The oscilloscope display should be at the
ground reference.

Getting Started
8P6243 Instructions

P6243 Instructions 9
Operating Basics
Please follow these operating guidelines to get optimum performance
from your P6243 Active Probe.
Maximum Non-destructive Input Voltage
The P6243 Active Probe is electrically protected against static
voltage; however, applying voltages above its design limits may
damage the probe tip amplifier. Please refer to the Specifications
section of this manual for the maximum non-destructive input
voltage and frequency derating information.
Input Linear Dynamic Range
The probe head amplifier used by the P6243 Active Probe has a
limited linear operating range. To keep the input linearity error less
than 4% you must limit the signal input voltage to ±8V(DC+
peak AC).
NOTE. The probe can tolerate input voltages of ±15 V without
damage; however, the linearity error specification does not apply to
input voltages exceeding ±8 V (DC + peak AC).

Operating Basics
10 P6243 Instructions
Ground Lead Length
When you are probing a circuit, you should always use as short a
ground lead as possible between the probe head and circuit ground.
The input capacitance of the P6243 and the inductance of the ground
lead results in a resonant circuit that can ring. Using a shorter ground
lead will minimize ringing. See Figure 2.
Low-inductance
Ground
Three-inch
Ground
Six-inch
Ground
Figure 2: Waveform Distortion from Ground Lead Length
Figure 3 illustrates the resistance, capacitance, and inductance that
the probe and ground lead adds to a circuit.