MDO4104C SA3 Tektronix Mixed Domain Oscilloscope New

Product Summary

In summary, the MDO4104C SA3 is a 1 GHz, 4-channel Mixed Domain Oscilloscope from Tektronix combining a world-class digital phosphor oscilloscope, optional spectrum analyzer, optional arbitrary/function generator, optional 16-channel logic analyzer, serial protocol analyzer, and a 4-digit digital voltmeter with 5-digit frequency counter — six instruments integrated into one bench-top platform configured with the integrated 9 kHz – 3 GHz spectrum analyzer (Option SA3). With 5 GS/s maximum sample rate, 20 M record length on all channels, and a 340,000 wfm/s FastAcq® waveform capture rate, the time-domain oscilloscope and the dedicated RF input are time-synchronized in a single acquisition system, eliminating the need to manage and re-learn a separate spectrum analyzer.

What is the MDO4104C used for?

The MDO4104C is used to debug, validate, and characterize embedded systems that contain a mix of analog signals, digital buses, and RF activity in a single device under test. Typical applications include embedded design and debug, power supply characterization, EMI troubleshooting, wireless integration with Bluetooth / 802.11 / ZigBee, education in mixed-signal and RF coursework, and manufacturing test or troubleshooting stations where bench space is constrained.

Why integrate spectrum analysis into an oscilloscope?

The MDO4000C Series is the world's first oscilloscope with a built-in spectrum analyzer. The integration enables time-correlated capture of analog, digital, and RF signals from a single trigger event, so an engineer investigating an EMI emission or a wireless transmit/receive event can see the time-domain cause and the frequency-domain effect in one acquisition — something a separate scope and spectrum analyzer cannot do because each has its own independent acquisition system and trigger.

Factually, the MDO4104C provides 4 analog channels at 1 GHz bandwidth with 350 ps rise time, 5 GS/s maximum sample rate, and a 20 M record length on every channel. Compared to traditional swept spectrum analyzers that typically offer 10 MHz capture bandwidth, the MDO4000C delivers ≥1 GHz of capture bandwidth in the frequency domain — at spans of 1 GHz and below the spectrum is generated from a single acquisition, eliminating the gaps inherent to swept architectures.

The MDO4000C platform supports automated trigger, decode, and search on the principal embedded and industrial serial standards (I²C, SPI, RS-232/422/485/UART, USB 2.0, Ethernet 10/100BASE-T/TX, CAN, CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay, MIL-STD-1553, I²S/LJ/RJ/TDM) and aligns with widely deployed standards including LXI Core 2011, IEEE 488.1 (GPIB via TEK-USB-488), CISPR-class EMC pre-screening workflows, and the IEC 61000-3-2 power-quality framework when the DPO4PWR power analysis option is installed.

Where the MDO4104C fits in the Tektronix mid-range

• Versus an MSO/DPO2000B series scope, the MDO4000C adds the integrated spectrum analyzer option, deeper 20 M record length, 4 analog channels standard, and FastAcq® at >270,000 wfm/s (>340,000 wfm/s on the 1 GHz model) for visibility into rarely occurring events.
• Versus an MDO3000 series scope, the MDO4000C extends the spectrum analyzer ceiling from 3 GHz to an optional 6 GHz, adds Ethernet and BroadR-Reach decode workflows on the protocol side, and provides Vector Signal Analysis and spectrogram displays not available on the MDO3000.
• Versus an MSO/DPO5000B series scope, the MDO4000C trades a portion of vertical analysis depth for the integrated spectrum analyzer that the 5000B series does not include — making it the correct choice when RF-domain visibility is required in the same instrument as the digital and analog channels.

Accessories Supplied

Warranty: Three-year warranty covering all parts and labor on the MDO4000C instrument. One-year warranty covering parts and labor on included probes.

Product Core & Specifications

The MDO4104C pairs Tektronix' Digital Phosphor display technology with FastAcq® waveform capture for fast insight into device behavior. The intensity-graded persistence, Wave Inspector® navigation and search, and more than 125 trigger combinations are designed for engineers locating infrequent anomalies — runt pulses, glitches, setup/hold violations, and serial packet content — inside long records.

Oscilloscope — Analog Channels

Trigger System

Modes

Auto, Normal, Single

Coupling

DC, AC, HF reject (>50 kHz), LF reject (<50 kHz), noise reject

Holdoff range

20 ns to 8 s

Trigger types

Edge, Sequence (B-trigger), Pulse Width, Timeout, Runt, Logic, Setup and Hold, Rise/Fall Time, Video, Extended Video (optional), Parallel (with Option MDO4MSO)

Frequency readout

6-digit frequency readout of triggerable events

Acquisition Modes

• Sample — acquires sampled values
• Peak Detect — captures glitches as narrow as 800 ps (without SA3/SA6 or with ≤ 2 channels) or 1.6 ns at all sweep speeds
• Averaging — 2 to 512 waveforms
• Envelope — min-max envelope over 1 to 2000 acquisitions, or infinity
• Hi Res — real-time boxcar averaging for noise reduction and 11-bit vertical resolution
• Roll — scrolling at sweep speeds ≤ 40 ms/div
• FastAcq® — 340,000 wfm/s waveform capture rate, intensity-graded display

Spectrum Analyzer — Option SA3

Optional Modules & Capabilities

• MDO4MSO — Adds 16 digital channels (D0–D15) via P6616 logic probe. Main: 500 MS/s (2 ns). MagniVu®: 16.5 GS/s (60.6 ps). Input impedance 100 kΩ, 3 pF loading, 1 ns minimum detectable pulse, toggle rates >500 MHz.
• MDO4AFG — Arbitrary/function generator. 50 MHz sine, 25 MHz square/pulse, 13 predefined waveforms (sine, square, pulse, ramp/triangle, DC, noise, Sin(x)/x, Gaussian, Lorentz, exponential rise/decay, Haversine, Cardiac, Arbitrary). 128 k arbitrary record length. 250 MS/s sample rate. Compatible with Tektronix ArbExpress® waveform creation software.
• MDO4TRIG — Advanced RF power-level triggering for Sequence, Pulse Width, Timeout, Runt, and Logic trigger types on the spectrum analyzer input.
• MDO4SEC — Enhanced instrument security with password-protected control of instrument ports and firmware update functionality.
• Serial protocol modules — DPO4EMBD (I²C, SPI), DPO4COMP (RS-232/422/485/UART), DPO4USB (USB LS/FS/HS — HS available only on 1 GHz models), DPO4ENET (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX), DPO4AUTO (CAN, CAN FD, LIN), DPO4AUTOMAX (adds FlexRay), DPO4AERO (MIL-STD-1553), DPO4AUDIO (I²S, LJ, RJ, TDM). DPO4BND bundles all of the above plus DPO4PWR, DPO4LMT, DPO4VID.
• DPO4PWR — Power Analysis: V_RMS, V_Crest, frequency, I_RMS, I_Crest, true / apparent / reactive power, power factor, phase angle; switching loss; harmonics (THD-F, THD-R, IEC 61000-3-2 Class A, MIL-STD-1399 §300A); ripple; modulation; safe operating area; dV/dt and dI/dt slew rate.
• DPO4LMT — Limit and mask testing with included ITU-T, ANSI T1.102, USB standard masks plus user-defined templates.
• DPO4VID — Extended video triggering on NTSC/PAL/SECAM and HDTV/custom standards (480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p variants).

Digital Voltmeter & Frequency Counter

Display, I/O & Platform

Power & Physical

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