Tektronix MSO2012B 2-channel oscilloscope, Digital Storage oscilloscope, Bandwidth 100 MHz MSO2012B:A1:L3 Information Guide

Product codes
MSO2012B:A1:L3
Page of 30
MATCHING PROBES 
Precision measurements start at the probe tip. The probe’s bandwidth must 
match that of the oscilloscope (
the ‘five times rule’ again), and must not 
overload the Device Under Test (DUT). 
What you need
 
„
 Probes actually become a critical part of the circuit, introducing resistive, capacitive 
and inductive loading that alters the measurement. To minimize the effect it’s best to 
use probes from the same manufacturer as the scope, forming an integrated solution.
 
„
 Loading is critical. Resistive loading of standard passive probes is usually an 
acceptable 10 MΩ or better. Capacitive loading of 10, 12 or even 15 picoFarads (pF) 
at high frequencies is a real problem though.
 
„
 When selecting a 
mid-range scope choose probes with capacitive loadings of  
< 10 pF. The best passive probes offer 1GHz bandwidth with a capacitive load <4 pF. 
Probing for answers: Do you plan to measure voltage, 
current or both? What frequency is your signal? How 
large is the amplitude? Does the DUT have low or high 
source impedance? Do you need to measure the signal 
differentially? What you want to do determines the probes 
you need.
9
 
    
12 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING AN OSCILLOSCOPE
www.tek.co.uk
CONTENTS
1 2
3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 CONTACT
INTRO