Advantages of using the P6516 Logic Probe in oscilloscopes
Tektronix's new MSO4000 series of mixed-signal oscilloscopes is designed for engineers who need to debug embedded systems efficiently and accurately. The system also includes the new P6516 logic probe, which was developed as a key component of the MSO4000 series architecture.The P6516 allows designers to be more productive and focus on the results of their measurements.
The MSO4000 series includes 16 digital (logic channels) and two/four analogue channels. In some comparable MSO products, the interface for the logic probes is placed on the back of the instrument, a location where most users happen to find the connections cumbersome and not easily visible. In contrast, the P6516 probe concentrates all 16 digital signals into a single input connector on the front panel of the instrument. Using the front panel connector, users can easily attach and detach the P6516 probe to or from the oscilloscope.
8-Channel Adaptor Clip to Support Remote Measurements
The probe's 16 channels are divided into two 8-channel "adaptor clips" which are connected to the oscilloscope via a flat ribbon cable up to 4 ft (122 cm) long. Importantly, both the ribbon cable and the channel leads are made of strong coaxial cable, which is "flexible enough" to be easily managed and tangle-free. In this way, engineers can now probe test points up to 8 ft (244 cm) apart, a distance sufficient to cover the full height of a 3-bay rack system. Because the entire path from the probe tip to the instrument is coaxial, signal fidelity is maximised and external noise and crosstalk are minimised.
Colour coding eliminates connector confusion
On each adaptor clip, the coaxial cable of the smallest channel in the sequence is coloured blue, making it easy to identify. It is common practice in testing to connect the digital leads in Bit order on the parallel bus, i.e. Channel 0 connects to Bit 0, Channel 1 connects to Bit 1, and so on. The blue lead is connected to the corresponding 8-channel group of the lowest validity of the bit, you can more easily track this order.
Secondly, more advanced colour-coded identification accurately links a specific adaptor channel to the corresponding trace on the display. each channel of the 8-channel adaptor is marked with a colour code corresponding to the resistor on the adaptor base and probe head, which plots the trace of the specific channel on the MSO4000 Series display. this signalling colour-code on the MSO4000 Series speeds up understanding of measurements while minimising errors.
As designers focus all their attention on the digital connections, it is easy to overlook the minuscule ground terminal. Most of today's instruments come with a fixed length earth wire with terminals specified by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, earth wires can be lost or the fixed length may not be ideal for the application (e.g., a spare wire may be too short to reach a distant chassis ground point.) The P6516 probe is unique in that it uses a commercially available self-propelled lug to connect the earth wire to an adapter clip. The user can economically ground a custom length of cable without the use of proprietary devices.
