HIGH-PRECISION PC OSCILLOSCOPE
www.picotech.com
High-performance arbitrary waveform generator
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface
Split-screen waveform viewing
Low sine and pulse distortion
Advanced digital triggers
Serial bus decoding
256 MS BUFFER MEMORY • LOW COST • PORTABLE
Power supply start sequencing
7-channel audio systems
Multi-sensor systems
Multi-phase drives and controls
General-purpose and precision testing
Complex embedded system development
±10 mV to ±50 V
input ranges
12 bit
vertical resolution
80 MS/s
AWG update rate
1%
DC accuracy
APPLICATIONS
20 MHz
bandwidth
10 000 segment
waveform buffer
80 MS/s
sampling rate 14 bit
resolution AWG
PicoScope® 4824
8 CHANNELS • 12 BIT RESOLUTION
8 channel oscilloscope
The PicoScope 4824 is a low cost,
portable solution for multi-input
applications.
With 8 high-resolution analog
channels you can easily analyze
audio, ultrasound, vibration, power, and timing of complex
systems, and perform a wide range of precision measurement tasks
on multiple inputs at the same time. Although the scope has the
same small footprint as Pico’s existing 2- and 4-channel models, the
BNC connectors still accept all common probes and accessories
with ample spacing of 22 mm.
Despite its compact size, there is no compromise on performance.
With a high 12-bit vertical resolution, bandwidth of 20 MHz, 256 MS
buffer memory, and a fast sampling rate of 80 MS/s, the PicoScope
4824 has the power and functionality to deliver accurate results.
It also features deep memory to analyze multiple serial buses such
as UART, I2C, SPI, CAN and LIN plus control and driver signals.
Arbitrary waveform and function generators
In addition, the PicoScope 4824 has a built-in low-distortion,
80 MS/s, 14 bit arbitrary waveform generator (AWG), which
can be used to emulate missing sensor signals during product
development, or to stress test a design over the full intended
operating range. Waveforms can be imported from data files or
created and modified using the graphical AWG editor included.
A function generator is also included, with sine, square, and triangle
waves up to 1 MHz, along with DC level, white noise, and many
more standard waveforms. As well as level, offset and frequency
controls, advanced options allow you to sweep over a range of
frequencies. Combined with the spectrum peak hold option, this
creates a powerful tool for testing amplifier and filter responses.
APPLICATIONS
Power measurements
The PicoScope 4824 is ideal for making a range of power
measurements on high voltages and currents and low-voltage control
signals. For the best results, use a Pico differential voltage probe
(TA041 or TA057) in combination with a current clamp (TA167). To
improve the efficiency and reliability of power designs, the scope can
display and analyze standby power dissipation, inrush current, and
steady-state power consumption. PicoScope’s built-in measurements
and statistics of parameters such as true RMS, frequency, peak-to-
peak voltage and THD allow accurate analysis of power quality.
Nonlinear loads and modern power-conversion equipment
produce complex waveforms with significant harmonic content.
These harmonics reduce efficiency by causing increased heating in
equipment and conductors, misfiring in variable speed drives, and
torque pulsations in motors. The 12-bit PicoScope 4824 has the
precision to measure distortion typically up to the 100th harmonic.
On the supply side, power quality issues such as sags and dips,
swells and spikes, flicker, interruptions and long-term voltage and
frequency variations can also be checked for regulatory compliance.
In a 3-phase distribution
system, it is important to
characterize and balance
loads across phases. With 8
channels the PicoScope 4824
can monitor waveforms of
current and voltage on all
4 conductors of a 3-phase
plus-neutral system. This
helps to identify mismatches
that can cause breaker
tripping, or transformer and conductor overheating.
Complex embedded systems
When debugging an embedded system with a scope, you can quickly
run out of channels. You may need to look at an I2C or SPI bus
at the same time as multiple power rails, DAC outputs and logic
signals. With eight channels, the PicoScope 4824 can cope with all
of this. Choose whether to decode up to eight serial buses, with
analog waveforms and decoded data both visible, or a combination
of serial buses and other analog or digital signals. PicoScope provides
advanced triggering on all channels, so you can search for runt
pulses, drop-outs and noise as well as looking for data patterns using
the 4-input Boolean logic trigger.
PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope
Data Acquisition
With 256 Msamples of buffer
memory the scope can capture
over 5 minutes of continuous
50/60 Hz waveform data with
high timing resolution. Using
the Software Development Kit
(SDK) you can write custom
applications with storage limited
only by the PC hard disk size.
PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope
Split-screen display
The PicoScope 6 software can display up to 16 scope and spectrum views at once, making comparisons and analysis even clearer.
Zoom in and capture every last detail
The PicoScope zoom function lets you take a closer look at the
fine detail on your signals. Using simple point-and-click tools you
can quickly zoom in on both axes and reveal every last detail of
the signal, whilst the undo zoom function lets you return to the
previous view.
The image below shows four views of the same waveform, at x1,
x32, x256, and x6500 zoom.
The split-screen display can be customized to show whichever combination of waveforms you need, to display multiple channels
or different variants of the same signal. As the example above shows, the software can even show both oscilloscope and spectrum
analyzer traces at once. Additionally, each waveform shown works with individual zoom, pan, and filter settings for ultimate flexibility.
This flexibility, alongside the facility to use monitors many times larger than a fixed scope display, are further benefits to choosing a USB
oscilloscope over a traditional benchtop model.
USB connectivity
The SuperSpeed USB 3.0
connection not only allows
high-speed data acquisition and
transfer, but also makes printing,
copying, saving, and emailing your data from the field quick and
easy. USB powering removes the need to carry around a bulky
external power supply, making the kit even more portable for the
engineer on the move.
PicoScope performance and reliability
With over 20 years’ experience in the test and measurement
industry, we know what’s important in an oscilloscope.
The PicoScope 4824 delivers value for money by including a wide
range of high-end features as standard. The PicoScope 6 software
includes options such as serial decoding and mask limit testing, and
new functionality is regularly delivered through free upgrades to
ensure that your device does not quickly become outdated. All Pico
Technology devices are optimized with the help of feedback from
our customers.
PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope
Color persistence modes
Advanced display modes allow you to see old and new data
superimposed, with new data in a brighter color or shade. This
makes it easy to see glitches and dropouts and to estimate their
relative frequency. Choose between analog persistence, digital
color, or custom display modes.
Spectrum analyzer
With the click of a button, you can open a new window to display a
spectrum plot of selected channels up to the full bandwidth of the
oscilloscope. A comprehensive range of settings gives you control
over the number of spectrum bands, window types and display
modes.
A comprehensive set of automatic frequency-domain measurements
can be added to the display, including THD, THD+N, SINAD, SNR
and IMD. You can even use the AWG and spectrum mode together
to perform swept scalar network analysis.
Math channels
With PicoScope 6 you
can perform a variety of
mathematical calculations on
your input signals and reference
waveforms.
Use the built-in list for simple
functions such as addition and
inversion, or open the equation
editor and create complex
functions involving trigonometry,
exponentials, logarithms, statistics, integrals and derivatives.
Automatic measurements
PicoScope allows you to automatically display a table of
calculated measurements for troubleshooting and analysis.
Using the built-in measurement statistics you can see the
average, standard deviation, maximum and minimum of each
measurement as well as the live value. You can add as many
measurements as you need on each view. Each measurement
includes statistical parameters showing its variability. For
information on the measurements available in scope and
spectrum modes, see Automatic Measurements in the
Specifications table.
15 scope mode measurements
11 spectrum mode measurements
> 60 dB SFDR
Serial decoding
PicoScope 2000 Series Oscilloscopes
PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope
The PicoScope 4824 includes serial decoding capability across all 8 channels as standard. The decoded data can be
displayed in the format of your choice: In view, In window, or both at once.
•In view format shows the decoded data beneath the waveform on a common time axis, with error frames marked
in red. These frames can be zoomed to investigate noise or distortion.
•In window format shows a list of the decoded frames, including the data and all flags and identifiers. You can set
up filtering conditions to display only the frames you are interested in, search for frames with specified properties,
or define a start pattern to signal when the program should list the data.
PicoScope can also import a spreadsheet to decode the hexadecimal data into user-defined text strings.
Serial protocols
UART/RS-232
SPI
I2C
I2S
CAN
LIN
FlexRay
High-speed data acquisition and digitizing
The supplied driver and software
development kit allow you to both
write your own software and
interface to popular third-party
software packages such as LabVIEW
and MATLAB.
The driver supports data streaming,
a mode that captures gap-free
continuous data over USB 3.0 direct
to the PC’s RAM or hard disk at a rate
of 10 MS/s when using PicoScope 6 software (160 MS/s across
all channels when using supplied SDK), so you are not limited by
the size of the scope’s buffer memory. Sampling rates in streaming
mode are subject to PC specifications and application loading.
Most oscilloscopes are built down to
a price. PicoScopes are built up to a
specification.
Careful front-end design and
shielding reduces noise, crosstalk and
harmonic distortion, meaning we are
proud to publish the specifications
for our scopes in detail. Decades of
oscilloscope design experience can be
seen in both improved pulse response
and bandwidth flatness, and low distortion. The scope features
12 input ranges from ±10 V to ±50 V full scale, a huge dynamic
range, and 60 dB SFDR. The result is simple: when you probe
a circuit, you can trust in the waveform you see on the screen.
High signal integrity
PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope
Digital triggering
Most digital oscilloscopes still use an analog trigger architecture
based on comparators. This can cause time and amplitude errors
that cannot always be calibrated out. The use of comparators often
limits the trigger sensitivity at high bandwidths and can also create
a long trigger re-arm delay.
For over 20 years Pico have been pioneering the use of full digital
triggering using the actual digitized data. This reduces trigger errors
and allows our oscilloscopes to trigger on the smallest signals,
even at the full bandwidth. All triggering is digital, resulting in high
threshold resolution with programmable hysteresis and optimal
waveform stability.
The reduced re-arm delay provided by digital triggering, together
with segmented memory, allows the capture of events that happen
in rapid sequence. At the fastest timebase, rapid triggering can
capture a new waveform every 3 microseconds until the buffer is
full. The mask limit testing function helps to detect waveforms that
fail to meet your specifications.
Advanced triggers
As well as the standard range of triggers found on most
oscilloscopes, the PicoScope 4824 has a comprehensive set of
advanced triggers built in to help you capture the data you need.
These include pulse width, windowed, and dropout triggers to help
you find and capture your signal quickly.
High-end features as standard
Buying a PicoScope is not like making a purchase from other
oscilloscope companies, where optional extras considerably
increase the price. With our scopes, high-end features such as
resolution enhancement, mask limit testing, serial decoding,
advanced triggering, automatic measurements, math channels, XY
mode, segmented memory, and a signal generator are all included
in the price.
To protect your investment, both the PC software and firmware
inside the scope can be updated. Pico Technology have a long
history of providing new features for free through software
downloads. We deliver on our promises of future enhancements
year after year, unlike many other companies in the field. Users
of our products reward us by becoming lifelong customers and
frequently recommending us to their colleagues.
Mask limit testing
PicoScope allows you to draw a mask around any signal with
user-defined tolerances. This has been designed specifically for
production and debugging environments, enabling you to compare
signals. Simply capture a known good signal, draw a mask around
it, and then attach the system under test. PicoScope will capture
any intermittent glitches and can show a failure count and other
statistics in the Measurements window.
The numerical and graphical mask editors can be used separately or
in combination, allowing you to enter accurate mask specifications,
modify existing masks, and import and export masks as files.
Digital low-pass filtering
Each input channel has its own digital low-pass filter with
independently adjustable cut-off frequency from 1 Hz to the
full bandwidth of the scope. This enables you to reject noise on
selected channels while viewing high-bandwidth signals on the
others.
Custom probe settings
The custom probes menu allows you to correct for gain, attenuation,
offsets and nonlinearities of probes and transducers, or convert to
different measurement units. Definitions for standard Pico-supplied
probes are built in, but you can also create your own using linear
scaling or even an interpolated data table, and save them to disk
for later use.
PicoScope 6 Software
Oscilloscope controls: Controls such as voltage range, channel
enable, timebase and memory depth are placed on the toolbar for
quick access, leaving the main display area clear for waveforms.
Movable axes: The vertical
axes can be dragged up
and down. This feature is
particularly useful when
one waveform is obscuring
another. There’s also an Auto
Arrange Axes command.
Zoom overview:
Click and drag for
quick navigation
in zoomed views.
Spectrum view:
View FFT data
alongside scope view
or independently.
Ruler legend: Absolute and differential
ruler measurements are listed here.
Tools > Serial decoding: Decode multiple serial
data signals and display the data alongside the physical
signal or as a detailed table.
Tools > Reference channels: Store waveforms in
memory or on disk and display them alongside live
inputs. Ideal for diagnostics and production testing.
Tools > Masks: Automatically generate a test mask
from a waveform or draw one by hand. PicoScope
highlights any parts of the waveform that fall outside
the mask and shows error statistics.
Waveform replay tools: PicoScope automatically records up to
10,000 of the most recent waveforms. You can quickly scan through
to look for intermittent events, or use the Buffer Navigator to
search visually.
Channel options: Set axis offset and scaling,
DC offset, zero offset, resolution enhancement,
custom probes, and filtering here.
Trigger toolbar:
Quick access to
main controls,
with advanced
triggers in a
pop-up window.
Auto setup button: Configures
the timebase and voltage ranges
for stable display of signals.
PicoScope: The display can be as simple or as detailed as you
need. Begin with a single view of one channel, and then expand
the display to include up to eight live channels, math channels
and reference waveforms.
Automatic measurements:
Display calculated measurements
for troubleshooting and analysis.
You can add as many measurements
as you need on each view. Each
measurement includes statistical
parameters showing its variability.
Rulers: Each axis has two rulers that can be dragged across
the screen to make quick measurements of amplitude, time
and frequency.
Signal generator: Generates standard signals or arbitrary
waveforms. Includes frequency sweep mode.
Views: PicoScope is carefully designed to make the best use of
the display area. The waveform view is much bigger and of a higher
resolution than with a typical benchtop scope. You can add new
scope and spectrum views with automatic or custom layouts.
Zoom and pan tools: PicoScope makes it easy to zoom into large
waveforms. Either use the zoom-in, zoom-out and pan tools, or
click and drag in the Zoom Overview window for fast navigation.
Trigger marker: Drag
to adjust trigger level
and pre-trigger time.
AT A GLANCE
Model Input channels Bandwidth(−3dB) Maximum
sampling rate Buffer memory Arbitrary
waveform generator
PicoScope 4824 8 20 MHz 80 MS/s 256 MS 80 MS/s
DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS
PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope Specifications
VERTICAL
Input channels 8
Connector type BNC, 20 mm spacing
Bandwidth (−3 dB) 20 MHz (50 mV to 50 V ranges)
10 MHz (10 mV and 20 mV ranges)
Rise time (calculated) 17.5 ns (50 mV to 50 V ranges)
35.0 ns (10 mV and 20 mV ranges)
Vertical resolution 12 bits
Software-enhanced vertical resolution Up to 16 bits
Input ranges ±10 mV to ±50 V full scale, in 12 ranges
Input sensitivity 2 mV/div to 10 V/div (10 vertical divisions)
Input coupling AC / DC
Input characteristics 1 MΩ ∥ 19 pF
DC accuracy ±1% of full scale ±300 μV
Analog offset range
(vertical position adjustment)
±250 mV (10 mV to 500 mV ranges)
±2.5 V (1 V to 5 V ranges)
±25 V (10 V to 50 V ranges)
Overvoltage protection ±100 V (DC + AC peak)
HORIZONTAL(TIMEBASE)
Maximum sampling rate (real-time) 80 MS/s (1 to 4 channels in use)
40 MS/s (5 to 8 channels in use)
Maximum sampling rate (streaming) 10 MS/s using PicoScope 6 software
80 MS/s per channel using supplied API. 160 MS/s total across all channels. (PC dependent)
Timebase ranges (real time) 20 ns/div to 5000 s/div
Buffer memory
(shared between active channels) 256 MS
Buffer memory (streaming mode) 100 MS in PicoScope software. Up to available PC memory when using supplied API
Waveform buffer 10 000 segments
Timebase accuracy ±20 ppm (+5 ppm/year)
Sample jitter 25 ps RMS typical
DYNAMICPERFORMANCE(typical)
Crosstalk (full bandwidth) 20 000:1, DC to 20 MHz
Harmonic distortion < −60 dB, 10 mV range
< −70 dB, 20 mV and higher ranges
SFDR > 60 dB, 20 mV and 10 mV ranges
> 70 dB, 50 mV and higher ranges
Noise 45 μV RMS on 10 mV range
ADC ENOB 11.3 bits
Pulse response < 1% overshoot
Bandwidth flatness (at scope input) DC to full bandwidth (+0.2 dB, −3 dB)
TRIGGERING
Source Channels A to H
Trigger modes None, auto, repeat, single, rapid (segmented memory)
Advanced trigger types Edge, window, pulse width, window pulse width, dropout, window dropout, interval, runt, logic
Trigger types Rising or falling edge
Trigger sensitivity Digital triggering provides 1 LSB accuracy up to full bandwidth
Maximum pre-trigger capture Up to 100% of capture size
Maximum post-trigger delay Up to 4 billion samples
Trigger re-arm time < 3 μs on fastest timebase
Maximum trigger rate Up to 10 000 waveforms in a 30 ms burst
Advanced digital trigger levels All trigger levels, window levels and hysteresis values settable with 1 LSB resolution across input range
Advanced digital trigger time intervals All time intervals settable with 1 sample resolution from 1 sample (minimum 12.5 ns)
up to 4 billion sample intervals
FUNCTION GENERATOR
Standard output signals Sine, square, triangle, DC voltage, ramp, sinc, Gaussian, half-sine, white noise, PRBS
Standard signal frequency DC to 1 MHz
Sweep modes Up, down, dual with selectable start/stop frequencies and increments
Triggering Can trigger a counted number of waveform cycles or sweeps (up to 1 billion)
from the scope trigger or manually from software.
Output frequency accuracy ±20 ppm
Output frequency resolution < 20 mHz
Output voltage range ±2 V
Output voltage adjustments Signal amplitude and offset within ± 2V range. Adjustable in approx 300 μV steps.
Amplitude flatness < 0.5 dB to 1 MHz typical
DC accuracy ±1% of full scale
SFDR 87 dB typical
Output characteristics Rear panel BNC, 600 Ω output impedance
Overvoltage protection ±10 V
ARBITRARY WAVEFORM GENERATOR
Update rate 80 MS/s
Buffer size 16 kS
Resolution 14 bits
Bandwidth 1 MHz
Rise time (10% to 90%) 150 ns
SPECTRUM ANALYZER
Frequency range DC to 20 MHz
Display modes Magnitude, average, peak hold
Windowing functions Rectangular, Gaussian, triangular, Blackman, Blackman-Harris, Hamming, Hann, flat-top
Number of FFT points Selectable from 128 up to 1 million in powers of 2
MATH CHANNELS
Functions −x, x+y, x−y, x*y, x/y, x^y, sqrt, exp, ln, log, abs, norm, sign, sin, cos, tan, arcsin,
arccos, arctan, sinh, cosh, tanh, freq, derivative, integral, min, max, average, peak, delay
Operands Input channels A to H, reference waveforms, time, π
AUTOMATIC MEASUREMENTS
Scope mode AC RMS, true RMS, cycle time, DC average, duty cycle, falling rate, fall time, frequency, high pulse width,
low pulse width, maximum, minimum, peak to peak, rise time, rising rate.
Spectrum mode Frequency at peak, amplitude at peak, average amplitude at peak,
total power, THD %, THD dB, THD+N, SFDR, SINAD, SNR, IMD
Statistics Minimum, maximum, average and standard deviation
SERIAL DECODING
Protocols CAN, LIN, I²C, I²S, UART/RS-232, SPI, FlexRay
MASK LIMIT TESTING
Statistics Pass/fail, failure count, total count
DISPLAY
Interpolation Linear or sin(x)/x
Persistence modes Digital color, analog intensity, custom, or none
GENERAL
PC connectivity SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 compatible)
Power requirements Powered from single USB 3.0 port or two USB 2.0 ports
Dimensions (including connectors) 190 x 170 x 40 mm
Weight < 0.55 kg
Temperature range Operating: 0 °C to 45 °C (20 °C to 30 °C for stated accuracy). Storage: −20 °C to +60 °C.
Humidity range Operating: 5% to 80% RH non-condensing. Storage: 5% to 95% RH non-condensing.
Safety approvals Designed to EN 61010-1:2010
Compliance RoHS, WEEE, and LVD compliant. Tested to meet EN61326-1:2006 and FCC Part 15 Subpart B.
Software included PicoScope 6. Windows and Linux SDK. Example programs (C, Visual Basic, Excel VBA, LabVIEW).
PicoScope software PC requirements Microsoft Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 (not Windows RT)
Languages (full support) English, Chinese (simplified), French, German, Italian, Spanish
Languages (UI only) Chinese (traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian,
Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Turkish
PicoScope 4824 8 Channel Oscilloscope Specifications continued...
ORDER CODE DESCRIPTION
PP916 PicoScope 4824 8 channel oscilloscope
MI007 60 MHz x1/x10 passive voltage oscilloscope probe
TA041 25 MHz x10/x100 active differential probe, ±700 V CAT III
TA057 25 MHz x20/x200 active differential probe, ±1400 V CAT III
PS008 Optional power supply for TA041 and TA057 probes
TA167 2000 A AC/DC current clamp
Ordering information
UK headquarters:
Pico Technology
James House
Colmworth Business Park
St. Neots
Cambridgeshire
PE19 8YP
United Kingdom
+44(0)1480396395
+44(0)1480396296
sales@picotech.com
Errors and omissions excepted. Windows is a registered trade mark of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and other countries. Pico Technology and
PicoScope are internationally registered trade marks of Pico Technology Ltd.
MM052u.en-2. Copyright © 2014 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. www.picotech.com
US headquarters:
Pico Technology
320 N Glenwood Blvd
Tyler
Texas 75702
United States
+1 800 591 2796
+1 620 272 0981
sales@picotech.com
Input channels A to H
Optional accessories
PicoScope
4000 Series
High precision
12 to 16 bits
PicoScope
3000 Series
General-purpose
and MSO models
PicoScope
2000 Series
Ultra-compact
and handheld
PicoScope
5000 Series
Flexible resolution
8 to 16 bits
PicoScope
6000 Series
High performance
Up to 1 GHz
PicoScope
9000 Series
Sampling scopes
and TDR to 20 GHz
USB port
Arbitrary
waveform
generator
output Earth terminal
Pack contents
• PicoScope 4824 oscilloscope
• USB 3.0 cable 1.8 m
• USB 2.0 cable 1.8 m, double-headed
• Quick Start Guide
• Software and reference CD
Passive voltage probe
60 MHz x1/x10
MI007 A general purpose probe providing an economic
way to connect test signals to the scope.
Active differential probe
25 MHz x10/x100,
±700 V CAT III
TA041
Ideal for motor speed controls, uninterruptible
and switch mode power supplies, and process
controllers.
Active differential probe
25 MHz x20/x200,
±1400 V CAT III
TA057
Optional power supply PS008 For use with the TA041 and TA057 active
differential probes.
2000 A AC/DC current
clamp
T A167 Ideal for use with industrial controls, photovoltaic
inverters, and uninterruptible power supplies.
