Brochure

Backgrounder
WAVEFORMS IN LIVING COLOR
Formerly an exclusive feature in costly lab instruments, color liquid crystal displays are now a
reality for some entry-level DSOs, such as the TDS2000 Series. Color brings an added
dimension of information to the display, and makes troubleshooting with this class of
instruments easier than ever.
A waveform is just a trace on a screen. How can it benefit by being presented in color? The
value of color becomes clear when viewing multiple traces. Each of four traces has its own
unique color. This color-coding scheme continues on the front panel, where the yellow-coded
knobs control the yellow waveform, which is coming in via the yellow probe connector. The
scheme can be extended all the way out to the probe tip or even to the device-under-test,
marking test points with colored tags. The color oscilloscope display is a productivity solution
that is foolproof in the best sense of the word—it minimizes the small human errors that can
cost hours of troubleshooting time.
Color is also helpful when superimposing two traces to compare their differences; in addition,
certain colors may be more legible in compromised lighting conditions.
CONCLUSION
Low-cost DSOs, such as the TDS2000 Series, bring important new capabilities to bear against
the challenges of troubleshooting embedded digital systems. With increased bandwidth,
significant enhancements in triggering, and other new features, these instruments are keeping
pace with the market’s demand for tools that will get the job done quickly and easily.
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