Pereles, Dave

Most systems use several sets of power rails and verifying proper power supply sequencing requires multiple oscilloscope input channels. This article describes the basics of checking the power-on and power-off sequence of an AC-DC power supply and how an oscilloscope with more than 4 channels can expedite the process.

At first glance, it’s clear that the recently unveiled Tektronix 5 Series MSO mixed signal oscilloscope looks much different from other oscilloscopes in its class. For one, the screen takes up 85 percent of the front panel compared to about 50 percent on most scopes. Your next clue that this is not just another oscilloscope is the number of analog inputs — up to eight — compared to the more typical four. As you power on the scope and connect it up your device for testing, you’ll see that this is something more than just a warmed-over version of last year’s scope. It’s a complete end-to-end redesign.