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Evaluating Oscilloscope Sample Rates vs. Sampling Fidelity:: How To Make The Most Accurate Digital Measurements
Evaluating Oscilloscope Sample Rates vs. Sampling Fidelity:: How To Make The Most Accurate Digital Measurements
Introduction
Digital storage oscilloscopes (DSO) are
the primary tool used today by digital
designers to perform signal integrity
measurements such as setup/hold
times, eye margin, and rise/fall times.
The two key banner specifications than
affect an oscilloscope’s signal integrity
measurement accuracy are bandwidth
and sample rate. Most engineers
have a good idea of how much
bandwidth they need for their digital sample rates, this application note
Table of Contents
measurements. However, there is often demonstrates a counterintuitive Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
a lot confusion about required sample concept: scopes with higher sample Nyquist’s Sampling Theorem. . . . . . . . . 2
rates — and engineers often assume rates can exhibit poorer signal fidelity Interleaved Real-Time Sampling . . . . . . 6
that scopes with the highest sample because of poorly aligned interleaved Testing for Interleave Distortion . . . . . . 8
rates produce the most accurate digital analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Effective number of bits analysis . . . 8
This application note also will show Visual sine wave comparison tests . 9
measurements. But is this true?
how to easily characterize and Spectrum analysis comparison
compare scope ADC sampling fidelity tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
When you select an oscilloscope Digital clock measurement stability .
for accurate, high-speed digital using both time-domain and frequency-
comparison tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
measurements, sampling fidelity domain analysis techniques. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
can often be more important than Related Agilent Literature . . . . . . . . . . 15
maximum sample rate. Using side-by- Let’s begin with a discussion of Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
side measurements on oscilloscopes minimum required sample rate and a
with various bandwidths and review of Nyquist’s sampling theorem.
Nyquist’s Sampling Theorem
How much sample rate do Nyquist Sampling Theorem What Nyquist calls fMAX is what
you need for your digital For a limited bandwidth signal with we usually refer to as the Nyquist
measurement applications? frequency (fN), which is not the
a maximum frequency fMAX, the
Some engineers have total trust same as oscilloscope bandwidth
in Nyquist and claim that just equally spaced sampling frequency
(fBW). If an oscilloscope’s band-
2X sampling over the scope’s fS must be greater than twice of
width is specified exactly at
bandwidth is sufficient. Other the maximum frequency fMAX, in
the Nyquist frequency (fN), this
engineers don’t trust digital order to have the signal be uniquely
implies that the oscilloscope
filtering techniques based on reconstructed without aliasing.
Nyquist criteria and prefer that has an ideal brick-wall response
their scopes sample at rates that that falls off exactly at this same
are 10X to 20X over the scope’s frequency, as shown in Figure 2.
bandwidth specification. The Nyquist’s sampling theorem can Frequency components below the
truth actually lies somewhere be summarized into two simple Nyquist frequency are perfectly
in between. To understand why, rules — but perhaps not-so-simple passed (gain =1), and frequency
you must have an understanding for DSO technology. components above the Nyquist
of the Nyquist theorem and how frequency are perfectly eliminat-
it relates to a scope’s frequency 1. The highest frequency ed. Unfortunately, this type of fre-
response. Dr. Harry Nyquist component sampled must be quency response filter is impos-
(Figure 1) postulated: less than half the sampling sible to implement in hardware.
frequency.
2. The second rule, which is often
forgotten, is that samples must
be equally spaced.
2
Nyquist’s Sampling Theorem (continued)
3
Nyquist’s Sampling Theorem (continued)
4
Nyquist’s Sampling Theorem (continued)
6
Interleaved Real-Time Sampling (continued)
7
Testing for Interleave Distortion
8
Testing for Interleave Distortion (continued)
Figure 12b: 2.5-GHz sine wave captured on the Agilent Infiniium DSO80304A
sampling at 40 GSa/s (interleaved)
10
Testing for Interleave Distortion (continued)
11
Testing for Interleave Distortion (continued)
Spectrum analysis
comparison tests
12
Testing for Interleave Distortion (continued)
13
Testing for Interleave Distortion (continued)
40 GSa/s Distortion
Figure 16a shows the spectrum of
{
a 400-MHz clock captured on an
Agilent 3-GHz bandwidth scope
sampling at 40 GSa/s. The only
observable frequency spurs are
the fundamental, third harmonic,
fifth harmonic, and seventh
harmonic — along with some
minor even harmonics. All other
spurs in the spectrum are well
below the scope’s in-band noise Figure 16b: FFT analysis on 400-MHz clock using a Tektronix DPO7254 2.5-
floor. GHz bandwidth oscilloscope
Figure 16b shows the spectrum harmonics, but we also see several
of a 400-MHz clock captured on spurs at higher frequencies clus-
a Tektronix 2.5-GHz bandwidth tered around 10 GHz and 40 GHz.
scope — also sampling at 40 GSa/s. These imaging spurs are directly
In this FFT analysis, we not only related to this scope’s poorly
see the fundamental frequency aligned interleaved ADC system.
component and its associated
14
Summary Related Agilent literature
As you’ve read in this application Publication Description Publication
note, there’s more to oscilloscope number
signal fidelity than just sample Agilent 7000B Series InfiniiVision Oscilloscopes Data sheet 5990-4769EN
rate. In some cases a lower-sam-
Agilent 9000 Series Infiniium Oscilloscopes Data sheet 5990-3746EN
ple-rate scope may produce more
Agilent 90000 X-Series Infiniium Oscilloscopes Data sheet 5990-5271EN
accurate measurement results.
Agilent InfiniiVision Series Oscilloscope Probes and Data sheet 5968-8153EN
Accessories
To satisfy Nyquist criteria, you
need a scope that samples at Evaluating Oscilloscope Bandwidths for Your Application note 5989-5733EN
Applications
least 3 to 5 times higher than
the scope’s bandwidth specifica- Advantages and Disadvantages of Using DSP Filtering Application note 5989-1145EN
on Oscilloscope Waveforms
tion, depending on the scope’s
frequency roll-off characteristics. Understanding Oscilloscope Frequency Response and Application note 5988-8008EN
Its Effect on Rise Time Accuracy
Achieving higher sample rates
Evaluating Oscilloscope Vertical Noise Characteristics Application note 5989-3020EN
often requires that scope ven-
dors interleave multiple real-time Evaluating Oscilloscopes for Best Waveform Application note 5989-7885EN
Update Rate
ADCs. But if real-time interleav-
ing is employed, it is critical that Evaluating Oscilloscopes to Debug Mixed-Signal Application note 5989-3702EN
Designs
the interleaved ADCs be verti-
cally matched and the timing of
phase-delayed clocking must be
precise. It should be noted that To download these documents, insert the publication number in the URL: http://
the problem is not the number of cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/xxxx-xxxxEN.pdf
interleaved ADCs; the issue is the
level of precision of interleaving. Product Web site
Otherwise, Nyquist’s second rule For the most up-to-date and complete application and product information, please
(equally-spaced samples) can be visit our product Web site at: www.agilent.com/find/scopes
violated, thereby producing
distortion and often negating
the expected benefit of higher
sample rates.
15
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