Portable Scope Tackles Debugging Chores

Feb. 11, 2016

Rohde & Schwarz developed custom chips so its new portable Scope Rider could address debugging chores normally handled by desktop oscilloscopes....

William G. Wong

Rohde & Schwarz developed custom chips so its new portable Scope Rider (Fig. 1) could address debugging chores normally handled by desktop oscilloscopes. It has a 10-bit ADC resolution whereas most handheld scopes have an 8-bit resolution. It grabs 5 Gsamples/s and 50 K acquisitions/s to support a 500 MHz bandwidth. It can handle low-voltage measurement installation sources up to 600 V that meet CAT IV standards and CAT III up to 1000 V. The scope is designed for rugged environments with an IP51 certified housing. It also has a built-in four-digit digital multimeter (DMM).

Electronicdesign Com Sites Electronicdesign com Files Uploads 2016 02 Fig1 2a Scope Rider

1. Scope Rider has a 10-bit resolution and a 500 MHz bandwidth. It is also a four-digit multimeter.

The handheld oscilloscope has a large, 7-in. capacitive touchscreen that operates like a tablet. The large buttons can be operated with gloves on. It weighs in at 2.4 kg and has a four-hour battery life.

The R&S Scope Rider features a precise digital trigger system. It has eight digital input channels allowing it to operate as a logic analyzer. It can handle serial protocols like I2C, UART, and SPI with decoding and triggering support. There are also 33 automatic measurement functions built in as well as mask test and XY diagram modes.

There is an SD card slot that handles up to 32 Gbytes of flash storage. This allows the system to operate as a data logger.

The Scope Rider also has built-in Ethernet and Wi-Fi support. The Wi-Fi can operate as an access point or as a client connected to an existing network. The Web-based interface is platform-agnostic, allowing remote operation and data downloads using a PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. The interface can mirror what is on the scope’s display.

The rugged platform is ideal for mobile installation and maintenance work in addition to handling more demanding development and debug chores. It is available in two- and four-channel versions.

About the Author

William G. Wong | Senior Content Director - Electronic Design and Microwaves & RF

I am Editor of Electronic Design focusing on embedded, software, and systems. As Senior Content Director, I also manage Microwaves & RF and I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, programmers, developers and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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I earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters in Computer Science from Rutgers University. I still do a bit of programming using everything from C and C++ to Rust and Ada/SPARK. I do a bit of PHP programming for Drupal websites. I have posted a few Drupal modules.

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