Since the introduction of the ZT4210 series of oscilloscopes in late April, engineers have discovered that these new scopes have the flexibility, performance and specifications necessary to solve a myriad of ATE, embedded, and portable test applications. Features such as flexible input signal conditioning and on-board waveform math and analysis, and key specifications, such as 300 MHz bandwidth and 256M samples of memory make the ZT4210 a powerful all-around oscilloscope. Additionally, ZTEC’s software applications, tools, and programming examples enable users to easily integrate the ZT4210 into test systems and to interface programmatically with the instrument. This article discusses just a few of the ZT4210’s many features and capabilities as they relate to solving common ATE, embedded and general purpose testing needs.
High Voltage, Flexible Inputs
“One of the design goals of the ZT4210 was to create an oscilloscope with input signal conditioning that was robust enough to handle high voltage inputs while also having enough input ranges to support accurate measurement of small, medium and large signals,” said David DeBonis, ZTEC’s Director of Research & Development. The +/-300 Vpeak maximum input voltage is an important feature for engineers who have already evaluated the ZT4210. Additionally, input ranges from 40 V/div to 1.25 mV/div give users the ability to address multiple applications without the need for external probes or signal conditioning. “Often times it is difficult or impossible with ATE systems to switch probes, amplifiers or attenuation, when switching from one test to another. Having so many ranges inside the instrument adds convenience for the operator, plus it improves the speed and accuracy of the measurements,” said DeBonis. Last but not least, the ZT4210 provides 1 Mohm and 50 ohm input impedance paths.
Powerful Oscilloscope Features and Specifications
The ZT4210, like all of ZTEC’s modular digital oscilloscopes, has on-board waveform math and waveform analysis capabilities. Advanced on-board math and analysis reduces the time and effort associated with exporting data to another PC or controller for additional calculations. For most applications, from basic waveform capture and analysis to complex ATE and embedded test applications, on-board waveform math and analysis results in increased test throughput and simplified programming.
The ZT4210 can simultaneously capture waveform data on two (PCI, PXI, and VXI) or four (VXI) input channels. On-board math functions include basic arithmetic (add, subtract, multiply), integration, differentiation, mask and limit testing, FFT (frequency analysis), waveform parameter trending, and more. The ZT4210 automatically calculates over 40 waveform parameters related to voltage, time, and frequency (FFT). “The ZT4210 provides the advanced waveform analysis functions found in today’s benchtop oscilloscopes, while also providing the channel density and modular flexibility of PCI, PXI, and VXI,” Boyd Shaw, ZTEC’s Director of Sales & Marketing, said.
FFT using ZScope control software
Specifications
Basic instrument specifications are almost always the starting point when selecting an instrument, whether it is a benchtop oscilloscope, a modular oscilloscope, or even a basic digitizer. The ZT4210 was designed to be a full-performance oscilloscope with the specs required to address a wide range of military, aerospace, and embedded test requirements commonly solved with large benchtop scopes. The ZT4210 has a typical analog bandwidth of 300 MHz (250 MHz minimum), up to 1 GS/s real-time sampling rates, and record lengths of up to 256M samples. For applications requiring more bandwidth and/or faster sampling, ZTEC offers the ZT4610 series of oscilloscopes. The ZT4610 series has the same advanced on-board waveform math and analysis as the ZT4210. The ZT4610’s analog bandwidth is 1 GHz (900 MHz minimum), with real-time sampling up to 4 GS/s.
Software – ZScope, LabVIEW, LabWindows, IVI, and more
ZTEC provides free quality software applications, drivers, and programming examples that help users easily integrate oscilloscopes into their test systems. ZTEC’s ZScope control software is an intuitive, easy-to-use application that gives users complete manual control of the instrument. ZTEC’s drivers, wrappers, and programming examples support key programming environments and standards including LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Visual Basic, MATLAB, IVI, and others. Software can be downloaded for free from the ZTEC Support Center.
For more information, please visit the ZT4210 Series page. Here you can read more about the ZT4210, review detailed instrument specifications, download free ZScope control software and instrument drivers, and request pricing. If you would like to schedule a demonstration of the ZT4210, call 1-866-ZTEC-NOW.
