- Rohde & Schwarz announces the launch of the RTC1000, RTM3000 and RTA4000 oscilloscopes.
- These three families of oscilloscopes do not have the same performance, but they share the same scalability capabilities in terms of bandwidth and some features later on when purchasing instruments.
- Like the RTB2000 model, launched in March 2017, the RTM3000 and RTA4000 oscilloscopes feature 10-inch touch screen, 10-bit converters and have a start-up time of less than 10 seconds. Equipped with 2 to 4 channels, their bandwidth ranges from 100 MHz to 1 GHz depending on the model.
- The RTC1000 has two analog inputs and a scalable bandwidth from 50 MHz to 300 MHz. With a price starting at 835 euros, it targets the most common measurement applications.
- The RTC1000, RTM3000 and RTA4000 oscilloscopes join, with the RTB2000, the Value Instruments range, which Rohde & Schwarz mainly markets via its distribution network.
- The instruments of the German brand Hameg, acquired in 2005 by Rohde&Schwarz, will no longer be marketed.
The German manufacturer is therefore continuing its conquest of the oscilloscope market, which began in June 2010 with the launch of the RTM and RTO ranges. With the launch of the RTC1000, RTM3000 and RTA4000 models, Rohde & Schwarz’s offering now includes six families of benchtop oscilloscopes, covering bandwidths ranging from 50 MHz to 6 GHz, as well as a portable oscilloscope, the R&S Scope Rider, with two to four channels and a bandwidth of up to 500 MHz.
In March 2017, Rohde & Schwarz introduced the entry-level, two-channel RTB2000 model with its 10-inch touch screen, 10-bit signal digitization, 10 Mpts memory depth, 16 digital inputs and scalability in function and bandwidth (70-300 MHz).
At the beginning of this year, the range of products offered by the Munich-based manufacturer is being expanded at the entry-level with the launch of the RTC1000 model. This oscilloscope offers two analog inputs, a 50 to 300 MHz bandwidth, a sampling rate of up to 2 GS/s and a memory depth of 2 Mpts. “It is an electronic measuring instrument for everyday use and stands out for its excellent price-performance ratio”, says Françoise Sango, sales manager of Rohde & Schwarz France.
In fact, the RTC1000 is sold from 835 €. It is equipped with a 6.5-inch screen, 8-bit analog/digital converters and features scalable bandwidth and functionality after purchase.
# The R&S RTC1000 combines six test and measurement functions in one instrument :
- 8 digital inputs (MSO):
- Arbitrary generator (50 kHz)
- Pattern generator (50 Mbit/s): SPI, I2C, UART, counter, programmable
- Voltmeter
- Passive component tester (RLC)
- Mask test
« The component testing function is not common on this range of oscilloscopes. The RTC1000 also includes a Web Server function that enables remote control via its Ethernet interface without the need to download specific software », says Arnaud Combe, Business Developer Oscilloscope at Rohde&Schwarz France.
While the RTC1000 falls short of the RTB2000 in terms of functionality and performance, the new RTM3000 and RTA4000 models, launched jointly on the market, have superior measurement characteristics that are between RTB2000 and the existing RTE and RTO series. Apart from the number of analog channels, various functions can be added per software after the purchase of the oscilloscope.
# Main features of the R&S RTM3000:
- Bandwidth: 100 MHz, 200 MHz, 350 MHz, 500 MHz, and 1 GHz
- Number of analog inputs : 2 or 4 (50 Ohms + 1 MOhms)
- Maximum sampling rate: 2.5 GS/s, 5 GS/s on two channels
- ADC resolution: 10-bit
- Memory depth: 40 Mpts x4, 80 Mpts x2
- 16 digital inputs : at 2,5 GS/s and 40 Mpts per channel (option MSO)
- Time base accuracy: 2 ppm + 1 ppm/year
- 50 µV/div on vertical scale over full bandwidth
- Display: 10.1’’ capacitive touchscreen
- Price: from 3190 euros
# Main features of the R&S RTA4000:
- Bandwidth: 200 MHz, 350 MHz, 500 MHz, and 1 GHz
- Number of analog inputs: 4 (50 Ohms + 1 MOhms)
- Maximum Sampling Speed: 5 GS/s.
- Memory depth: 100 Mpts x4, 200 Mpts x2
- 16 digital inputs : at 2,5 GS/s and 40 Mpts per channel (option MSO)
- Time base accuracy: 0.5 ppm + 0.2 ppm/year
- 50 µV/div on vertical scale over full bandwidth
- Noise level: 0.4% (1 mV/div, 200 MHz, 50 Ohms, % full scale)
- Price: from 5230 euros
The IHM of the RTM3000 and RTA4000 oscilloscopes has been designed to address all generations of technicians and engineers and adapt to all applications. “These instruments can be controlled and configured via their touch screen or traditional front panel,” says Arnaud Combe. For example, it is possible to split the screen into several adjustable windows by sliding your fingers, or to make annotations on a waveform or to surround a detail with your fingers before it is recorded. The screenshot is made via a dedicated command. The IP address of the instrument can also be obtained directly from an icon on the touch screen.
# Main features offered by the RTM3000 and RTA4000 oscilloscopes:
- Segmented memory mode up to 400 Mpts for the RTM3000,1 Gpts for the RTA4000 (option).
- Advanced mathematical functions.
- Analysis of power, current, consumption…
- Spectrum analyzer with spectrogram display of a recorded signal (option).
- Bus triggering and decoding functions: SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, LIN, MIL1553, ARINC429, Audio, etc.
Oscilloscopes can’t, of course, be dissociated from probes that connect to the device under test. These must be adapted to the specifics of the signals to be measured. “While expanding our range of oscilloscopes, we have not neglected this essential aspect by developing a range of probes that now includes no less than 40 models. For example, we will soon be launching a differential high-voltage probe operating up to 6 kV and 200 MHz”, reports Stéphane Crochetet, Business Developer Oscilloscope at Rohde&Schwarz France.
