Tektronix TAP2500 User manual

TAP2500 and TAP3500
2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz Probes
Instruction Manual
www.tektronix.com
071-1836-01

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 supersedes that in all previously
published material. Specifications and price change privileges reserved.
TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks of Tektronix, Inc.
TekVPI is a trademark of Tektronix, Inc.
Contacting Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc.
14200 SW Karl Braun Drive
P.O. Box 5 0 0
Beaverton, OR 97077
USA
For product information, sales, service, and technical support:
In North America, call 1-800-833-9200.
Worldwide, visit www.tektronix.com to find contacts in your area.

Warranty 2
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
ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
General Safety Summary .. ................................................................................................................. v
Environmental Considerations ............................................................................................................. ix
Preface...................................................................................................................................... xi
Documentation........................................................................................................................ xi
Conventions Used in this Manual .................................................................................................... xi
Returning the Probe for Servicing...................................................................................................xii
Key Features ............................................................................................................................... 1
Installation .................................................................................................................................. 2
Connecting to the Host Instrument ................................................................................................... 2
Probe Controls and Indicators........................................................................................................ 3
Functional Check ........................................................................................................................... 6
Required Equipment.................................................................................................................. 6
Calibration .................................................................................................................................. 8
Prerequisites.......................................................................................................................... 8
Required Equipment.................................................................................................................. 8
Test Procedure........................................................................................................................ 9
Basic Operation............................................................................................................................ 13
Probe Head Assembly...............................................................................................................13
Probe Input........................................................................................................................... 14
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual i

Table of Contents
Probe Offset.......................................................................................................................... 16
Accessories and Options.................................................................................................................. 19
Using Standard Accessories . .. ..................................................................................................... 19
Optional Accessories ................................................................................................................ 29
Options............................................................................................................................... 32
Probing Principles ......................................................................................................................... 33
Ground Lead Length .. ............................................................................................................... 33
Ground Lead Inductance .................................................................................................................. 34
Low-inductance Grounding. ............................................................................................................... 35
SureFoot™ Grounding . ................................................................................................................... 36
Probe Tip Test Points...................................................................................................................... 37
Probe Tip Stabilization..................................................................................................................... 38
Specifications.............................................................................................................................. 39
Warranted Characteristics........................................................................................................... 40
Typical Characteristics............................................................................................................... 41
Nominal Characteristics ............................................................................................................. 46
Performance Verification .................................................................................................................. 47
Equipment Required................................................................................................................. 47
Equipment Setup..................................................................................................................... 49
DC Gain Accuracy ................................................................................................................... 50
Rise Time ............................................................................................................................ 53
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Table of Contents
Test Record .......................................................................................................................... 61
Maintenance............................................................................................................................... 63
Error Condition....................................................................................................................... 63
Replacement Parts .................................................................................................................. 63
Cleaning.............................................................................................................................. 64
Index
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual iii

Table of Contents
iv TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual

General Safety Summary
General Safety Summary
Review the following safety precautions to avoid injury and prevent damage to this product or any products connected to it.
To avoid potential hazards, use this product only as specified.
Only qualified personnel should perform service procedures.
While using this product, you may need to access other parts of a larger system. Read the safety sections of the other component
manuals for warnings and cautions related to operating the system.
To Avoid Fire or Personal Injury
Connect and Disconnect Properly. Do not connect or disconnect probes or test leads while they are connected to a voltage
source.
Connect and Disconnect Properly. Connect the probe output to the measurement instrument before connecting the probe to the
circuit under test. Connect the probe reference lead to the circuit under test before connecting the probe input. Disconnect the probe
input and the probe reference lead from the circuit under test before disconnecting the probe from the measurement instrument.
Ground the Product. This product is indirectly grounded through the grounding conductor of the mainframe power cord. To avoid
electric shock, the grounding conductor must be connected to earth ground. Before making connections to the input or output
terminals of the product, ensure that the product is properly grounded.
Observe All Terminal Ratings. To avoid fire or shock hazard, observe all ratings and markings on the product. Consult the
product manual for further ratings information before making connections to the product.
Connect the probe reference lead to earth ground only.
Do not apply a potential to any terminal, including the common terminal, that exceeds the maximum rating of that terminal.
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual v

General Safety Summary
Do Not Operate Without Covers. Do not operate this product with covers or panels removed.
Do Not Operate With Suspected Failures. If you suspect that there is damage to this product, have it inspected by qualified
service personnel.
Avoid Exposed Circuitry. Do not touch exposed connections and components when power is present.
Do Not Operate in Wet/Damp Conditions.
Do Not Operate in an Explosive Atmosphere.
Keep Product Surfaces Clean and Dry.
vi TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual

General Safety Summary
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.
Symbols and 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.
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual vii

General Safety Summary
The following symbols may appear on the product:
viii TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual

Environmental Considerations
Environmental Considerations
This section provides information about the environmental impact of the product.
Product End-of-Life Handling
Observe the following guidelines when recycling an instrument or component:
Equipment Recycling. Production of this equipment required the extraction and use of natural resources. The equipment may
contain substances that could be harmful to the environment or human health if improperly handled at the product’s end of life. In
order to avoid release of such substances into the environment and to reduce the use of natural resources, we encourage you to
recycle this product in an appropriate system that will ensure that most of the materials are reused or recycled appropriately.
The symbol shown below indicates that this product complies with the European Union’s requirements according to Directive
2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). For information about recycling options, check the
Support/Service section of the Tektronix Web site (www.tektronix.com).
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual ix

Environmental Considerations
Restriction of Hazardous Substances
This product has been classified as Monitoring and Control equipment, and is outside the scope of the 2002/95/EC RoHS Directive.
This product is known to contain lead, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium.
xTAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual

Preface
Preface
This manual describes the installation and operation of the TAP2500 and TAP3500 active probes. Basic probe operations and
concepts are presented in this manual. The TAP2500 probe is used in all illustrations in this manual, unless noted otherwise. You
can access this document and other related information from the Tektronix Web site.
Documentation
To read about Use these documents *
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Probes: First Time Operation, Functional Check,
Operating Basics, Specifications, Performance Verification
Read this Instruction Manual.
In-depth oscilloscope operation, user interface help, GPIB commands Access the online help from the Help menu on
the host instrument.
*To access the documentation that is installed on your instrument, click Start in the taskbar and select Programs > TekApplications .
Conventions Used in this Manual
The following icon is used throughout this manual to indicate a step sequence.
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual xi

Preface
Returning the Probe for Servicing
If your probe requires servicing, you must return the probe to Tektronix. If the original packaging is unfit for use or not available, use
the following packaging guidelines:
Preparation for Shipment
1. Use a corrugated cardboard shipping
carton having inside dimensions at
least one inch greater than the probe
dimensions. The box should have a carton
test strength of at least 200 pounds.
2. Put the probe into an antistatic bag or wrap
it to protect it from dampness.
3. Place the probe into the box and stabilize it
with light packing material.
4. Seal the carton with shipping tape.
5. Refer to Contacting Tektronix at the
beginning of this manual for the shipping
address.
xii TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual

Key Features
Key Features
The TAP2500 and TAP3500 active probes enable you to make accurate measurements with minimal circuit loading from DC to
2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz respectively, using oscilloscopes featuring the new Tektronix TekVPI oscilloscope interface. Key features
include:
Bandwidth
DC to ≥2.5 GHz (TAP2500)
DC to ≥3.5 GHz (TAP3500)
±4 Volts Dynamic Range with ±10 volt
offset capability
10X Attenuation
40 kΩInput Resistance
<0.8 pF Input Capacitance
TekVPI Interface
Small, low-mass probe head for probing
dense circuitry
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual 1

Installation
Installation
Connecting to the Host Instrument
1. Slide the probe into the TekVPI receptacle.
The probe snaps when fully engaged.
When the probe is connected, the host
instrument reads information from the
probe and identifies the device.
2. To disconnect, press the latch release
button and pull away from the instrument.
2TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual

Installation
Probe Controls and Indicators
Status LED
When the probe is powered on, the multicolor
Status LED:
Glows green after successfully completing
the power-on self test routine. The probe is
in normal operating mode.
Glows red if an error condition exists. (See
page 63, Error Condition.)
TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual 3

Installation
Menu Button
1. Press the probe Menu button to display the
Probe Control screen on the oscilloscope.
2. Use the touch-screen buttons on the
instrument to set the probe parameters.
3. Press the probe Menu buttonagainto
close the Probe Control screen.
4TAP2500 and TAP3500 Instruction Manual