Tektronix debuts USB 2.0 test module for bench oscilloscopes

The module is designed to address the challenges facing designers of embedded systems where the use of USB is exploding, for both system-to-system as well as chip-to-chip communications. These systems include toys, medical equipment, industrial systems, digital cameras and video recorders.

To speed time to market for these applications, the module automates key measurement and analysis tasks on USB 2.0 low-speed, full-speed and high-speed buses, enabling engineers to more quickly troubleshoot and debug their designs.

For USB 2.0 low-speed and full-speed data rates, it triggers on user-defined packet content and then displays the results as time-correlated waveforms and data packets. For all USB 2.0 data speeds including high-speed, the module enables the oscilloscope to automatically decode packet streams, showing critical information like SYNC, handshake packets, token packets, data packets and more. Using the oscilloscope's standard Wave Inspector tools, designers can search packet-level content and mark points of interest, and then navigate among these with the Next and Previous keys and the Pan/Zoom controls.

Pricing and availability
The new application module is compatible with Tektronix oscilloscopes in the MSO4000 Series (three models) and the DPO4000 Series (three models). For high-speed USB 2.0 support, a 1 GHz model is required. U.S. MSRP list price for the DPO4USB serial triggering and analysis module is $1,500 and will be available for purchase on December 9, 2009.

Datasheets: www.tektronix.com/usb

Product How-To: Using oscilloscopes for debugging USB buses
This article provides background information on USB and how it works, followed by a hands-on example of using an oscilloscope for validating and troubleshooting a USB 2.0 bus.

Video: Validating and troubleshooting a USB bus.
Tektronix's technical marketing manager, Gina Bonini, shows you how to use the MSO4000 to validate operation of the USB serial bus.