Tektronix MDO34 3-BW-500 Mixed Domain Oscilloscope New

Quick Reference Summary

In summary, the Tektronix MDO34 500 MHz is a 500 MHz, 4-channel Mixed Domain Oscilloscope from the 3 Series MDO family — an integrated platform that combines a world-class oscilloscope with optional spectrum analyzer, 16 digital channels, 50 MHz arbitrary function generator, digital voltmeter, frequency counter, and serial bus decode. It delivers up to >230,000 wfms/s waveform capture rate via digital phosphor FastAcq technology, an 11.6-inch HD capacitive touchscreen (the largest in its class), 10 M record length on all channels, and 2.5 GS/s maximum sample rate. The 3 Series MDO is the only oscilloscope family to offer an integrated, hardware-based spectrum analyzer with up to 3 GHz of ultra-wide capture bandwidth, and it is fully bandwidth-upgradable in the field up to 1 GHz.

What is the Tektronix MDO34 500 MHz used for?

The Tektronix MDO34 500 MHz is used by design engineers, embedded systems developers, power electronics designers, RF-adjacent engineers, educators, and manufacturing test teams to visualize and characterize electrical signals as waveforms while simultaneously analyzing their frequency-domain content. The 500 MHz bandwidth tier is the core of the professional oscilloscope market — the sweet spot where embedded systems work, power electronics characterization, motor drive analysis, and general digital design converge. Applying the 3–5× bandwidth rule, this model accurately measures signals up to roughly 167 MHz fundamental frequency, including the harmonic content that defines square-wave edges and fast transients. The "Mixed Domain" designation matters: where a standard oscilloscope only shows you time-domain signals, the 3 Series MDO can also display the frequency spectrum on the same instrument — making it the right choice when a customer needs to see RF interference, switching-supply noise in the frequency domain, EMC pre-screening, or IoT and most consumer wireless standards alongside their digital and analog signals.

How does the 3 Series MDO compare to a standard digital storage oscilloscope?

A standard DSO captures signals in the time domain only. The 3 Series MDO integrates an oscilloscope, a hardware-based spectrum analyzer (9 kHz – 1 GHz or 3 GHz), a 16-channel logic analyzer, a 50 MHz arbitrary function generator, a digital voltmeter, and serial bus decode for a wide library of protocols into one 4-channel chassis with an 11.6-inch HD capacitive touchscreen. The integrated, hardware-based spectrum analyzer is unique to the Tektronix MDO series — no other oscilloscope manufacturer offers this on a benchtop oscilloscope. A standard DSO user would need to add a separate spectrum analyzer, logic analyzer, function generator, and DMM to replicate the bench footprint of a single 3 Series MDO unit.

Included, Optional, and Recommended Accessories

Standard Accessories (Ship with every MDO34)

• TPP0500B passive voltage probe — 500 MHz bandwidth, 10X, 3.9 pF capacitive loading. One per analog channel.
• P6316 16-channel logic probe and accessories — included when ordered with the 3-MSO option (two eight-channel pods, 8 pF capacitive loading, 101 kΩ input impedance)
• 071-3608-00 Installation and Safety Instructions, printed manual (English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese)
• 016-2144-xx Accessory bag
• Power cord (select region — see Power Cord Options below)
• OpenChoice® Desktop Software (download from tek.com)
• Calibration certificate documenting traceability to National Metrology Institute(s) and ISO 9001 quality system registration

Factory or Field Instrument Options

3-AFG — Arbitrary Function Generator

Adds an arbitrary function generator with 13 predefined waveform types (Sine, Square, Pulse, Ramp/Triangle, DC, Noise, Sin(x)/x, Gaussian, Lorentz, Exponential Rise, Exponential Decay, Haversine, Cardiac) plus Arbitrary. 50 MHz waveform generation, 128 k arbitrary generator record length, 250 MS/s arbitrary generator sample rate.

3-MSO — 16 Digital Channels

Adds 16 digital channels for mixed-signal analysis. Includes P6316 digital probe and accessories. 10 M record length on all channels, 121.2 ps timing resolution via MagniVu™ high-speed acquisition (10,000 points at up to 8.25 GS/s). Main digital acquisition mode captures up to 10 M at 500 MS/s (2 ns resolution).

3-SA1 — Spectrum Analyzer (9 kHz to 1 GHz)

Adds the integrated hardware-based spectrum analyzer covering 9 kHz to 1 GHz with capture bandwidth to 1 GHz.

3-SA3 — Spectrum Analyzer (9 kHz to 3 GHz)

Adds the integrated hardware-based spectrum analyzer covering 9 kHz to 3 GHz with ultra-wide capture bandwidth to 3 GHz — enabling spectral analysis on IoT and most consumer wireless standards.

3-SEC — Enhanced Instrument Security

Enables password protected control of turning on/off all instrument ports and instrument firmware update functionality.

Triggering and Analysis Software Options

3-BND — Application Bundle

Includes all serial options and the power analysis option.

3-SREMBD — Embedded Serial Triggering and Analysis

Adds I²C and SPI trigger, decode, and search.

3-SRCOMP — Computer Serial Triggering and Analysis

Adds RS-232/422/485/UART trigger, decode, and search.

3-SRUSB2 — USB Serial Triggering and Analysis

Adds USB LS and FS trigger and decode (HS decode is available only on 1 GHz models).

3-SRAUTO — Automotive Serial Triggering and Analysis

Adds CAN, CAN FD, LIN, and FlexRay trigger, decode, and search.

3-SRAERO — Aerospace Serial Triggering and Analysis

Adds MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC429 trigger, decode, and search.

3-SRAUDIO — Audio Serial Triggering and Analysis

Adds I²S, LJ, RJ, and TDM trigger, decode, and search.

3-PWR — Power Measurement and Analysis

Adds automated power quality, switching loss, harmonics, ripple, modulation, safe operating area, and slew rate (di/dt, dv/dt) measurements.

Recommended Probes

• TPP0250 — 250 MHz, 10X attenuation passive probe with TekVPI® interface
• TPP0500B — 500 MHz, 10X attenuation passive probe with TekVPI® interface
• TPP0502 — 500 MHz, 2X attenuation passive probe with TekVPI® interface
• TPP0850 — 2.5 kV, 800 MHz, 50X TekVPI® passive high-voltage probe
• TPP1000 — 1 GHz, 10X TekVPI® passive voltage probe, 1.3 meter cable
• TDP0500 — 500 MHz TekVPI® differential voltage probe, ±42 V differential input
• TDP1000 — 1 GHz TekVPI® differential voltage probe, ±42 V differential input
• THDP0100 — ±6 kV, 100 MHz TekVPI® high-voltage differential probe
• THDP0200 — ±1.5 kV, 200 MHz TekVPI® high-voltage differential probe
• TMDP0200 — ±750 V, 200 MHz TekVPI® high-voltage differential probe
• TIVM1 / L — Isolated Probe, 1 GHz, ±50 V, TekVPI, 10 meter cable
• TCP0020 — 20 A AC/DC TekVPI® current probe, 50 MHz BW
• TCP0030A — 30 A AC/DC TekVPI® current probe, 120 MHz BW
• TCP0150 — 150 A AC/DC TekVPI® current probe, 20 MHz BW
• P6316 — 16 Channel Logic Probe (included with 3-MSO option)

RF Accessories and Other Recommended Accessories

• TPA-N-PRE — Preamplifier, 12 dB nominal gain, 9 kHz – 6 GHz (provides 10 dB nominal gain across 9 kHz – 3 GHz to assist investigation of lower-amplitude signals)
• TPA-N-VPI — N-to-TekVPI adapter (enables 50 Ω TekVPI probes on the Spectrum Analyzer input)
• 119-4146-00 — Near field probe set, 100 kHz – 1 GHz
• 119-6609-00 — Flexible monopole antenna
• TPA-BNC — TekVPI® to TekProbe™ BNC adapter
• TEK-DPG — TekVPI Deskew pulse generator signal source
• 067-1686-xx — Power measurement deskew and calibration fixture
• TEK-USB-488 — GPIB-to-USB adapter
• RM3 — Rackmount kit (6U)
• HC3 — Hard transit case
• SC3 — Soft transit case (includes front protective cover)

Power Cord Options

• Opt. A0 — North America (115 V, 60 Hz)
• Opt. A1 — Universal Euro (220 V, 50 Hz)
• Opt. A2 — United Kingdom (240 V, 50 Hz)
• Opt. A3 — Australia (240 V, 50 Hz)
• Opt. A5 — Switzerland (220 V, 50 Hz)
• Opt. A6 — Japan (100 V, 50/60 Hz)
• Opt. A10 — China (50 Hz)
• Opt. A11 — India (50 Hz)
• Opt. A12 — Brazil (60 Hz)
• Opt. A99 — No power cord

Service Options

• Opt. C3 / C5 — Calibration Service 3 / 5 Years
• Opt. D1 — Calibration Data Report
• Opt. D3 / D5 — Calibration Data Report 3 / 5 Years
• Opt. R5 — Repair Service 5 Years (including warranty)
• Opt. T3 / T5 — Three / Five Year Total Protection Plan (includes repair or replacement coverage from wear and tear, accidental damage, ESD or EOS plus preventative maintenance, 5-day turnaround, priority customer support)

Detailed Product Information

The Mixed Domain Advantage — Time, Frequency, Analog, Digital, and Stimulus in One

The oscilloscope is the heart of the engineer's bench. It is the instrument that translates invisible electricity into a picture an engineer can reason about — voltage plotted against time, with every distortion, glitch, edge, and ripple made visible. The Tektronix 3 Series MDO extends that core capability into the frequency domain through an integrated, hardware-based spectrum analyzer — a capability unique to the Tektronix MDO product line on a benchtop oscilloscope. For RF-adjacent design work, IoT product development, power electronics characterization, and any application where time-domain events must be correlated with frequency-domain responses, the 3 Series MDO eliminates the need for a separate spectrum analyzer, logic analyzer, function generator, and DMM.

Per Tektronix's own positioning, the 3 Series MDO was built for "the largest display. The versatility to work on any bench. The greatest experience." The 11.6-inch HD (1,920 × 1,080) capacitive touchscreen is the largest in its class, and the next-generation user interface was designed for touch from the ground up — drag, pinch, swipe, and tap interactions work the way they do on a phone or tablet, with smooth, responsive front-panel knobs and buttons for engineers who prefer physical controls.

Typical Applications

Embedded design and IoT

Discover and solve issues quickly by performing system level debug on mixed signal embedded systems including today's most common serial bus technologies with the 3 Series MDO and support for a broad set of common serial buses.

Power design

Make reliable and repeatable voltage, current, and power measurements using automated power quality, switching loss, harmonics, ripple, modulation, and safe operating area measurements with the widest selection of power probes in an affordable solution.

Education

Managing multiple instruments on a bench can be troublesome. The 3 Series MDO combines analog, digital, and RF measurements with a signal source in a single, small (5.9 in., 149 mm deep) instrument. The combination of a small instrument and high level of integration aids in the teaching of various electronics principles as well as in its usage for more sophisticated lab experiments. Full upgradeability enables adding functionality over time as needs change or budgets allow.

Manufacturing Test and Troubleshooting

Size and space constraints can play havoc on a manufacturing floor. The 3 Series MDO minimizes rack or bench space by integrating multiple instruments into one small package. Integration reduces cost associated with utilizing multiple different instrument types in manufacturing test or troubleshooting stations.

Service Installation and Maintenance

Having the right instruments when and where you need them is critical. The 3 Series MDO combines analog waveforms, digital logic, and spectrum analysis in a lightweight (11.7 lbs, 5.3 kg), portable package — making it the perfect choice where space is limited and flexibility is desired.

Powerful Waveform Capture — FastAcq™ Digital Phosphor Technology

To debug a design problem, first you must know it exists. Digital phosphor technology provides fast insight into the real operation of your device. The MDO34 500 MHz's >230,000 wfms/s maximum waveform capture rate with FastAcq gives you a high probability of quickly seeing the infrequent problems common in digital systems: runt pulses, glitches, timing issues, and more. Intensity grading indicates how often rare transients occur relative to normal signal characteristics, with four available palettes (Temperature, Spectral, Normal, Inverted) and infinite or variable persistence to control how long waveforms stay on display.

Triggering — Over 125 Trigger Combinations

The 3 Series MDO contains over 125 trigger combinations providing a complete set of triggers — including edge, runt, logic, pulse width/glitch, setup and hold violation, serial packet, and parallel data — to help quickly locate your event of interest. Combined with up to 10 M record length, you can capture many events of interest, even thousands of serial packets, in a single acquisition for further analysis while maintaining high resolution to zoom in on fine signal details.

Complete Specifications — Tektronix MDO34 500 MHz

Trigger System Specifications

Acquisition System and Measurements

• Acquisition modes: Sample, Peak Detect (captures glitches as narrow as 2.0 ns), Averaging (2 to 512 waveforms), Envelope, Hi Res, Roll, FastAcq®
• Cursors: Waveform and Screen
• Automatic measurements (time domain): 30 measurements, up to four displayed on-screen — Period, Frequency, Delay, Rise Time, Fall Time, Positive/Negative Duty Cycle, Positive/Negative Pulse Width, Burst Width, Phase, Positive/Negative/Total Overshoot, Peak to Peak, Amplitude, High, Low, Max, Min, Mean, Cycle Mean, RMS, Cycle RMS, Positive/Negative Pulse Count, Rising/Falling Edge Count, Area and Cycle Area
• Automatic measurements (frequency domain): Channel Power, Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR), Occupied Bandwidth (OBW)
• Measurement statistics: Mean, Min, Max, Standard Deviation
• Waveform math: Add, subtract, multiply, divide; Integrate, differentiate, FFT; Spectrum math; Advanced math with equation editor
• FFT windows: Rectangular, Hamming, Hanning, Blackman-Harris
• Act on Event: Stop acquisition, save waveform, save screen image, print, AUX OUT pulse, SRQ, e-mail notification, visual notification (1 to 1,000,000 events)

Spectrum Analyzer Specifications (Requires 3-SA1 or 3-SA3 Option)

Arbitrary Function Generator Specifications (Requires 3-AFG Option)

• Waveforms: Sine, Square, Pulse, Ramp/Triangle, DC, Noise, Sin(x)/x (Sinc), Gaussian, Lorentz, Exponential Rise, Exponential Decay, Haversine, Cardiac, Arbitrary
• Sine frequency range: 0.1 Hz to 50 MHz
• Sine amplitude range: 20 mVp-p to 5 Vp-p into Hi-Z; 10 mVp-p to 2.5 Vp-p into 50 Ω
• Square / Pulse frequency range: 0.1 Hz to 25 MHz
• Pulse width minimum (typical): 10 ns
• Rise/fall time (typical): 5 ns (10% – 90%)
• Ramp/Triangle frequency range: 0.1 Hz to 500 kHz
• Arbitrary memory depth: 1 to 128 k
• Arbitrary repetition rate: 0.1 Hz to 25 MHz
• Arbitrary sample rate: 250 MS/s
• DC offset range: ±2.5 V into Hi-Z; ±1.25 V into 50 Ω

Logic Analyzer Specifications (Requires 3-MSO Option)

Serial Bus Decode, Triggering and Search (Optional)

Digital Voltmeter and Frequency Counter (Free with Product Registration)

• Sources: Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3, Channel 4
• Measurement types: ACrms, DCrms, AC+DCrms (volts or amps); frequency count
• Voltage resolution: 4 digits
• Frequency resolution: 5 digits
• Frequency accuracy: ±(10 µHz/Hz + 1 count)
• Measuring rate: 100 times/second; display updated 4 times/second

Power Measurements (Optional 3-PWR)

• Power quality: VRMS, VCrest Factor, Frequency, IRMS, ICrest Factor, True Power, Apparent Power, Reactive Power, Power Factor, Phase Angle
• Switching loss: Ton, Toff, Conduction, Total power loss and energy loss
• Harmonics: THD-F, THD-R, RMS measurements; test to IEC61000-3-2 Class A and MIL-STD-1399, Section 300A
• Ripple measurements: VRipple and IRipple
• Modulation analysis: +Pulse Width, -Pulse Width, Period, Frequency, +Duty Cycle, -Duty Cycle
• Safe operating area: Graphical display and mask testing
• dV/dt and dI/dt: Cursor measurements of slew rate

Connectivity and I/O

• USB 2.0 high-speed host ports: Two on front, one on rear — supports USB mass storage devices and keyboard
• USB 2.0 device port: Rear-panel — communication/control via USBTMC or GPIB (with TEK-USB-488 adapter)
• LAN port: RJ-45 connector, 10/100 Mb/s, LXI Core 2011 v1.4 compatible
• HDMI port: 19-pin Type A connector for external monitor or projector
• Aux Out: Rear-panel BNC — V OUT (Hi) ≥2.25 V open circuit / ≥1.0 V into 50 Ω; configurable for trigger pulse, AFG trigger, or event out
• Probe compensator: 0 to 2.5 V at 1 kHz
• Kensington-style lock: Rear-panel security slot
• Software: OpenChoice® Desktop (USB/LAN transfer of settings, waveforms, measurements, screen images); IVI driver (LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Microsoft .NET, MATLAB); e*Scope® web-based interface

Physical, Environmental, and Regulatory Specifications

Factual Grounding — Specifications and Industry Context

The Tektronix MDO34 500 MHz delivers 500 MHz analog bandwidth with a calculated rise time of 800 ps, 2.5 GS/s maximum sample rate, 10 M record length on all channels, and >230,000 wfms/s FastAcq waveform capture rate. The 11.6-inch HD capacitive touchscreen displays 1,920 × 1,080 pixels — the largest in its class. The 3 Series MDO supports over 125 trigger combinations, 30 automated time-domain measurements, three automated RF measurements (Channel Power, ACPR, Occupied Bandwidth), and the optional MagniVu™ acquisition mode samples digital channels at 8.25 GS/s (121.2 ps resolution). Net weight is just 11.7 lbs (5.31 kg) and depth is only 5.85 inches (148.6 mm), making the instrument easy to move between labs while preserving valuable bench space. The 3-year warranty on the instrument and 1-year warranty on included probes reduce total cost of ownership compared to typical 1-year industry warranties.

Entity Authority — Tektronix and the Mixed Domain Oscilloscope Category

For decades, "oscilloscope" and "Tektronix" were functionally synonymous in engineering labs worldwide. Tektronix holds the largest global installed base of oscilloscopes and is the inventor of the Mixed Domain Oscilloscope category — no other oscilloscope manufacturer offers an integrated, hardware-based spectrum analyzer on a benchtop oscilloscope. The 3 Series MDO sits in the mid-range tier where brand recognition most directly drives professional purchasing decisions, with full upgrade paths covering bandwidth (up to 1 GHz), spectrum analyzer frequency range (1 GHz or 3 GHz), 16 digital channels, arbitrary function generator, and serial bus decode for I²C, SPI, RS-232/422/485/UART, USB 2.0, CAN, CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay, MIL-STD-1553, ARINC429, and Audio standards. Compliance and quality certifications align with IEC 61010-1 safety, EC Directive 2004/108/EC EMC, MIL-PRF-28800 Class 3 vibration and shock testing, and ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 registration by SRI Quality System Registrar.

How does the MDO34 500 MHz compare to industry baseline oscilloscopes?

• Integrated spectrum analyzer: Unique to the Tektronix MDO series — competing benchtop oscilloscopes require a separate spectrum analyzer (and typically max out at 10 MHz capture bandwidth, sometimes 20, 40, or 160 MHz with expensive options). The 3 Series MDO provides up to 3 GHz of capture bandwidth in a single acquisition with the 3-SA3 option.
• Display size: 11.6-inch HD (1,920 × 1,080) capacitive touchscreen — the largest display in its class — versus typical 7-inch or 8.5-inch displays on competing mid-range oscilloscopes.
• Record length: 10 M on all channels — far deeper than the typical 1–4 Mpts standard on competing mid-range oscilloscopes.
• Waveform capture rate: >230,000 wfms/s with FastAcq digital phosphor technology — dramatically improving the probability of capturing rare, intermittent, or metastable events.
• Bandwidth upgradability: Field-upgradable from 100 MHz all the way up to 1 GHz, with upgrades to 500 MHz performable in the field and 1 GHz upgrades installed at a Tektronix service center.
• Probe loading: 3.9 pF on standard passive probes — industry-best capacitive loading that minimizes impact on devices under test.

What software and licensed options expand the MDO34 500 MHz?

• 3-AFG: 50 MHz arbitrary function generator with 13 predefined waveforms and 128 k arbitrary memory
• 3-MSO: 16 digital channels with P6316 logic probe — adds full mixed-signal capability
• 3-SA1 / 3-SA3: Integrated spectrum analyzer covering 9 kHz to 1 GHz or 3 GHz with up to 3 GHz capture bandwidth
• 3-SREMBD / 3-SRCOMP / 3-SRUSB2 / 3-SRAUTO / 3-SRAERO / 3-SRAUDIO: Serial bus trigger, decode, and search for embedded, computer, USB, automotive, aerospace, and audio buses
• 3-PWR: Power quality, switching loss, harmonics, ripple, modulation, safe operating area, and slew rate analysis
• 3-BND: Application bundle covering all serial options plus power analysis
• 3-SEC: Enhanced security with password-protected port and firmware control