High Resolution
Oscilloscope Guide 2024

1

Table of Contents
Key Specifications.......................................................................................................................................... 3
Sampling Rate ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Resolution ................................................................................................................................................. 4
Memory Depth .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Bandwidth/filtering ................................................................................................................................... 6
Key Design Features ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Noise ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Gain Accuracy ............................................................................................................................................ 8
Isolation..................................................................................................................................................... 9
Design for Signal Quality ........................................................................................................................... 9
Visualization Tools ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Vertical Zoom .......................................................................................................................................... 10
Scale Offset.............................................................................................................................................. 11
FFT Quality .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Analysis Tools .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Histogram & Statistical Measurements ................................................................................................... 14Power Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 15
Serial Decode .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Zone Trigger............................................................................................................................................. 16
Search & Navigate ................................................................................................................................... 17
Bode Plot Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 18
Advanced Communication Analysis with the SDS7000A Series .................................................................. 19
Jitter Analysis & Real Time Eye Diagrams ................................................................................................ 19
Compliance Packages .............................................................................................................................. 21
High Resolution Key Applications................................................................................................................ 22
Mixed Domain Debugging ....................................................................................................................... 22
Logic Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 22
Signal on Signal Analysis.......................................................................................................................... 23
Power Supply Design Testing................................................................................................................... 24
Frequency Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 24
SIGLENT High Resolution Comparison Chart............................................................................................... 25
Resource & Document Links ....................................................................................................................... 262

Key Specifications
When comparing oscilloscopes or determining their value in a given
application, there are a few top-level specifications that usually comeup:
• Sampling Rate
• Resolution• Memory• Bandwidth/filtering
These 4 specifications actually work together in a number of ways thatcreate tradeoffs and capability for a number of applications. Let's lookat what they each mean and how theyinteract in common use cases.
Sampling Rate
Sampling rate and sampling precisionaffect analysis and measurements oftime and frequency. We measure this in
GSa/sec. This is especially true forfrequency measurements made by FFT.
One downside is that higher frequency
sampling will capture and display higher bandwidth noise. This is also
true of higher actual bandwidth.
What sampling do we typically see in High-Resolution scopes? There area wide range of 10 and 12 bit oscilloscopes available on the market.
Start by selecting an oscilloscope with at least 2.5 times the frequency
you want to measure or analyze. Many oscilloscopes’ sampling canchange with the number of active channels.
3

As we will see, having extra oversampling capability can be very
important to signal analysis because it allows the engineer flexibility inbandwidth and filtering to optimize their signal fidelity.
SeriesMax Sampling

Max 4 channel Sampling

SDS800X HD

2 GSamples/sec

500 MSamples/sec

SDS1000X HD

2 GSamples/sec

500 MSamples/sec

SDS2000X HD

2 GSamples/sec

1 GSamples/sec

SDS3000X HD

4 GSamples/sec

2 GSamples/sec

SDS7000A H12

20 GSamples/sec

10 GSamples/sec

Resolution
True Resolution is equivalent to the number of bits captured by the ADC
for each sample. Additional bits of resolution are often discussed as aresult of filtering or averaging. But we need to start with true
resolution.
Quantization error is thevoltage difference
between consecutive
values on the A2D itself.
Each additional bit drops
the quantization error in
half. Everything else being equal, a 12-bit ADC has a quantization errorof 1/16th of an 8 bit ADC. As we will see though, if you design an
oscilloscope for signal fidelity everything else isn’t equal.
From a specification perspective, the quantization is typically rolled into
the offset error for a given scope range.

4Memory Depth
Memory, Bandwidth, and filtering are specifications that work withsample rate and resolution to create opportunities and tradeoffs.
First, memory and sampling work together to bound the longest timethat can be captured with maximum sampling and bandwidth.
For instance, an oscilloscope like the SDS7000A with up to 1 billion
points of memory can capture a channel at 20 GSa/sec for 50 ms total.
This means you can set the horizontal to 5 ms/div and still fully capture
the 4 GHz signal. This is useful for slow developing signals or rare signal
artifacts. The SDS7000A can then zoom in millions of times to view fast
signal artifacts in context.

5Bandwidth/filtering
Most applications, even for performance scopes, don't require max
bandwidth for most measurements. This is where the memory can beused flexibly and purposed specifically to the application.
This is effectively a type of boxcar filtering where combining consecutive
samples in groups allows us to further reduce the quantization error by
estimating voltage levels between actual bits. This ability to optimize isdramatically reduced if the scope starts out short on memory or sample
rate.
These tradeoffs create opportunities to improve and optimize noise andultimately signal fidelity within a smaller bandwidth. Using this method,effectively reduces the bandwidth along with the sampling reduction.
Here is an example of the filtering options available on the SDS7404A.
Exceptionally deep memory means that even when consuming a
number of samples to generate a single filtered data point, theinstrument can still capture long enough events for debug and analysis.

Make sure to understand the tradeoffs and requirements for memory,
sampling, and bandwidth in the application.

6

Key Design Features
Overall design quality is more important to the actual signal fidelity
than just the number of bits on the analog to digital converter. Thereare 3 key facets of design for signal fidelity where SIGLENT’s highresolution oscilloscopes excel:• Noise• Gain Accuracy• Isolation
Noise
Low noise design starts with component selection, EMI, and power
cleanliness in the front end. Noise increases with bandwidth andsampling rate. An oscilloscope’s noise can be characterized by range,
bandwidth, and configuration. It’s important to start with good
performance at full bandwidth and sampling, but then as we saw in the
SDS7000A table above, the noise can be optimized by trading off
bandwidth and sampling via filtering. SIGLENT oscilloscopes have anadditional channel independent hardware bandwidth limit filter thatcan further address noise. In some tests, these limits are more effective
than filtering. In this excerpt from the SDS7000A table with anadditional line, we see that the BW limit eliminates more noise than thestep beyond it in filtering:
Setup
ERES 2.5 bits
2.5 ERES bits + BW
Limit 200 MHz
ERES 3 bits
7

Bandwidth (MHz)280µVrms Noise
52

200

38

140

42

Gain Accuracy
Measurement precision requires
careful design and innovation
throughout the instrument. DC Gain
Accuracy is an important componentof precision that defines the error ina measurement as the signal moves
further away from ground. SIGLENT’s
HD Oscilloscopes improve upon gain
accuracy beyond competitive
oscilloscopes. This makes it possible to accurately visualize signals evenas they ride on top of other signals or voltage levels. This is critical toexpanded scale offsets which is an important visualization tool.
Compare SIGLENT Oscilloscopes to the specifications for competitive
midrange and performance oscilloscopes:

8

Brand

SeriesRange

DC GainAccuracy

SIGLENTAll X HD Scopes≥5mV/div

0.5%

R&S

RTB2000>5mV/div

1.5%

Keysight

MSOX2000A≥10mV/div

3%

Tektronix

MSO 2 Series

all

3%

SIGLENT

SDS7000A≥5mV/div

0.5%

Tek

MSO64B≥2mV/div

1%

Keysight

EXR

all

1%

R&S

RTO2000≥5mV/div

1.5%

Isolation
Isolation - often expressed as a ratio. This is the error injected to oursignal from another channel's signal path. This is largely related tolayout, part quality, and EMI design considerations. It can be important
to look out for oscilloscopes with surprisingly low isolation as this may
also leave them susceptible to other coupling or noise sources.

Channelisolation

High-Res Competitor

SDS2000X HD>100:1,< 500 MHz>1000:1, < 500 MHz> 3000:1, < 350 MHz

Improved isolation, gain accuracy, and noise performance work
together to provide a high signal fidelity platform for measurements
and analysis of signals.
Design for Signal Quality
T-MDO34

T-MDO4
R-RTA4000
R-MXO44
L-4000HD
S-SDS2000X HD
S-SDS100X HD
S-SDS800X HD
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Noise @ 200 MHz BW, rms, 50Ω, often typical in µVrms

160

180

SIGLENT’s design for signal quality means we have some of the mostaccurate high-resolution scopes on the market. When compared tobrand label high resolution scopes (per their datasheets above), ouroverall accuracy is very competitive. When compared to 8 bit
oscilloscopes or value high resolution models, SIGLENT demonstrates
exceptional accuracy and signal fidelity.
9Visualization Tools
Many oscilloscope applications focus on signal visualization forverification. The tools and capabilities provided to improve the visualexperience of an oscilloscope are some of the most important forengineers. Three key visualization tools that are improved by SIGLENT’s
high resolution design are:
• Vertical Zoom
• Scale Offset• FFT
Vertical Zoom
While all modern scopes have zoom capability, not all have a powerfulvertical zoom. With high resolution and a good design, signal artifacts
can be discovered in less than 0.1% of the capturing range. The zoom
window (bottom half) shows a 20X zoom on the vertical scale for asmall section of the time base.

10

Scale Offset
Wider offset capabilities are important as they allow engineers to get
more out of the high resolution by using a smaller range to visualize asignal away from ground. This reduces quantization noise, improving
zoom function.
Remember 8 to 12 bits is a 16X decrease in quantization error. In manycases, SIGLENT’s wider range allows for 8X the offset meaning thatwhen testing applications like evaluating a small signal riding on a larger
signal, scale offset can be as valuable as 3 extra bits of resolution.
SIGLENT High-Res Scopes ≤ 1 GHz
1 MΩ: 0.5 mV/div ~ 5 mV/div: ±1.6 V;
5.1 mV/div ~ 10 mV/div: ±4 V;
10.2 mV/div ~ 20 mV/div: ±8 V;
20.5 mV/div ~ 100 mV/div: ±16 V;
102 mV/div ~ 200 mV/div: ±80 V;
205 mV/div ~ 1 V/div: ±160 V;
1.02 V/div ~ 10 V/div: ±400 V
50 Ω: 0.5 mV/div ~ 5 mV/div: ±1.6V;

RIGOL DS70000
1 MΩ:
1 mV/div ~ 50 mV/div: ±1 V;
51 mV/div ~ 260 mV/div: ±30 V;
265 mV/div ~ 10 V/div: ±100 V;
50 Ω:

1 mV/div ~ 100 mV/div: ±1 V;
102 mV/div ~ 1 V/div: ±4 V;

5.1 mV/div ~ 10 mV/div: ±4 V;
10.2 mV/div ~ 20 mV/div: ±8 V;
20.5 mV/div ~ 1 V/div: ±10 V

R&S RTO2000
1 MΩ:

50 Ω:

11

1 mV/div ~ 31.6 mV/div : ±1 V;
31.6 mV/div ~ 100 mV/div: ±1.15 V;
100 mV/div ~ 316 mV/div: ±10 V;
316 mV/div ~ 1 V/div: ±11.5 V;
1 V/div ~ 3.16 V/div: ±100 V;
3.16 V/div ~ 10 V/div: ±115 V
1 mV/div ~ 100 mV/div: ±1 V;
100 mV/div ~ 316 mV/div: ±3 V;
316 mV/div ~ 1 V/div: ±10 V;

Tek MSO6
1
MΩ:

50 Ω:

0.5 mV/div ~63 mV/div: ±1 V;
64 mV/div ~ 999 mV/div: ±10 V;
1 V/div ~ 10 V/div: ±100 V;
1 mV/div ~ 99 mV/div: ±1 V;
100 mV/div ~ 1 V/div: ±10 V;

With more ranges and more range offset capability, SIGLENT scopes canutilize lower ranges for more signals, further improving usability of thenoise and resolution. See how the SIGLENT lowers quantization error
when measuring signals offset nd:

At many offset voltages, SIGLENT’s range is 10x better for small signal
capture than competitive oscilloscopes.
The combination of vertical zoom and robust scaling on the front end
provides excellent flexibility in usability and visualization for a wide
range of signals.

12

FFT Quality
The combination of high resolution and excellent design quality has alarge impact on RF measurements as well. Visualizing signals using the
FFT is improved by these factors and is important in many mixed
domain, EMI, and analysis applications.
SIGLENT high-resoultion oscilloscopes offer up to 32 Mpts of 12 bit datain the FFT.
For instance, you can set up a 100 MHz span with 4 MPt that has a 386
Hz RBW. With the full 32 MPts you can produce a 1 GHz span with 482
Hz RBW and a sample rate of 10 GSa/sec. This creates frequency points
less than 300 Hz apart across that span:

Combine this with markers, peak readings, and scaling tools to capture
signals equivalent to a wideband Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer that you
can correlate with your other time domain signals.
Isolation is critical in these applications as well since RF signals areespecially good at creating crosstalk on adjacent channels.
13

Analysis Tools
Many oscilloscope applications require advanced statistical analysis.
Increased resolution and a design for signal quality make these tools
even more productive.
Histogram & Statistical Measurements
View more than 50 measurements of channel data or view multiple
histograms for additional debugging and analysis:

14Power Analysis
Power Analysis is used to verify and debug power supply designs. Usinga combination of FFTs and arithmetic functions on current and voltage
readings, important aspects of a power design can be analyzed
including safe operating area, harmonics, ripple, inrush current, andmore.
Low noise, isolation, filtering, and FFT quality all have an important
impact on these measurements.

Use the DF2001A deskew fixture to simplify setup.

All SIGLENT high resolution oscilloscopes can conduct power analysis,
but select for advanced ERES filtering capabilities and automatic probe
interfaces on the SDS3000X HD or SDS7000A series.

15Serial Decode
Serial bus decoding is important for design and debug of manyelectronics including IoT systems. Analyzing RF and analog signals
together is the best way to determine root cause and improve firmware
or hardware operation. This type of mixed domain analysis is an
important application for high resolution oscilloscopes.

All SIGLENT high resolution
oscilloscopes offer:
I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN

Advanced models also offer:
CAN FD, FlexRay, I2S, MILSTD-1553B, SENT, Manchester, ARINC429, and USB2.0

Zone Trigger
On the SDS2000X HD, SDS3000X HD and SDS7000X HD add visual zone
triggering to traditional
triggering options. Utilize
zone triggering to identify
infrequent or unusual events
or combinations of eventsfor complex debugging
challenges.

16Additional debugging capabilities include methods to search throughcaptured signals for anomalies and ultimately find root cause.

Search & Navigate
Search and mark events, thennavigate by time or frames toreview on screen.

Split the memory into segments andreview these sequences of trigger
events using Sequence mode andcombine this with temperature
display mode, zone trigger, andpersistence views.
Or use the history mode to automatically capture and allow playback ofwaveforms to locate signals of interest over time.
Search Analysis Capabilities for SIGLENT High Resolution Oscilloscopes:
SeriesHistory or sequence frames

Sequence minimum interval

SDS800X HD

80,0002 µsecSDS1000X HD

80,0002 µsecSDS2000X HD

80,0002 µsecSDS3000X HD

80,0001.2 µsec

SDS7000A H12124,000

0.9 µsec17

Bode Plot Analysis
Frequency Analysis is a specialized application for devices like
amplifiers, filters, and attenuators that graphs gain and phaserelationship changes over frequency on a bode plot. This is an exampleof RF or high-speed device testing that is an important capability forhigh resolution oscilloscopes.
Frequency analysis benefits from improved signal quality for accuracy ingain measurements as well as sampling and resolution to monitor
phase changes. With multiple channels and an automated test
sequence, isolation and range optimization are also important.
Power supply loop response is a popular test using this configuration.
All SIGLENT high resolution oscilloscopes can conduct bode plot
analysis, but select for 50 Ohm capabilities, embedded or separate
generators, and display size.

18Advanced Communication Analysis with
the SDS7000A Series
Jitter Analysis & Real Time Eye Diagrams
Take analysis even further with applications packages that utilize thehistogram and deep memory capabilities of the SDS7000A series
including Jitter and Real Time Eye:The Jitter toolkit includes multiple views for analyzing random,
deterministic, period jitter, and more. Combine histograms, trends, andspectrum views for signals of interest. The bathtub display is an
important view for jitter decomposition.
High sample rate and deep memory enable accurate characterization of
frequency changes within the clock signal with enough signal fidelity to
debug and analyze the underlying statistics.
19

Real Time Eye visualizes communication signals with bandwidth, noise,and jitter. It includes eye measurements as well as custom mask
settings. Deep memory is folded over into frames within the eye
diagram to generate statistical data for these communication signals.
Jitter and Real-Time Eye are available in the SDS7000A-EJ option.
Custom mask testing is a hardware function available on all SIGLENT
high resolution oscilloscopes, but is especially useful in eye diagram
testing on the SDS7000A.

20Compliance Packages
Also available on the SDS7000A series are compliance packages for USB
2.0, 100Base-TX, 1000Base-T, 100Base-T1, and 1000Base-T1.
These are automated test that work with an accessory fixture tocomplete the test and generate a report that can be viewed or archived.

Fixtures:21

High Resolution Key Applications
Mixed Domain Debugging
Compare digital, analog, and RF
signals to find the root cause of anissue on the first try.
Utilize decoding, FFT quality,
window views, and SIGLENT
design for signal quality to quickly
debug complex IoT devices andsystems.

Logic Analysis
Add Logic Analysis to any
SIGLENT high resolution
oscilloscope to analyze 16
channels of digital signals
alongside the analog channels byadding one of the logic probes
and the 16LA option license:

22

Series

Logic Probe

Max Memory

Max Sampling

SDS800X HD

SLA101610 MPts/ch

1 GSa/sec

SDS1000X HD

SLA101610 MPts/ch

1 GSa/sec

SDS2000X HD

SPL201650 MPts/ch

500 MSa/sec

SDS3000X HD

SPL2016100 MPts/ch

1 GSa/sec

SDS7000A H12

SPL2016100 MPts/ch

1 GSa/sec

Signal on Signal Analysis
Capture and analyze small signals with precision and accuracy even in
the presence of larger signals or offsets.
EMI, isolation, and other signal fidelity challenges can cause design andreliability problems.
Quickly identify and resolve issues with SIGLENT’s design for quality thatprovides a low noise environment with visualization tools to debug on
the fly.
This image shows a small aberrant pulse train on top of large squarewave with overshoot making it difficult to trigger on. Dynamic ranges
and vertical zoom work together with persistence modes to make thissignal easy to capture.

23

Power Supply Design TestingPower supply
design challenges
require complex
and accurate
signal analysis.
Utilize thevisualization tools,
probe options, and power analysis toolkit to characterize
the complete power system with high resolution andimproved signal fidelity.
New SCP5000 series current probes are powered directlyfrom the probe interface on the SDS3000X HD or
SDS7000A oscilloscopes.

Frequency Analysis
Bode plot analysis characterizes how devices operate across frequency.
Enable this advanced function by adding an external waveformgenerator or enabling a builtin generator along with the
FG option license dependingon the oscilloscope model.
Accurate measurements
across frequency extends thevalue of a bench top
oscilloscope with added
automation and capabilities.

24

SIGLENT High Resolution Comparison Chart

Specifications

SDS800X HD

Bandwidth
Vertical resolution
ERES bits
Analog channels
Max sample rate
All channels max sample rate
Max Memory depth
Normal Waveform capture rate
Impedance
Noise Floor (uVrms) (typ)ENOB (typ)Touchscreen size
Isolation
Zone Trigger

70-100 MHz

SDS1000X HD
100-200 MHz

25

SDS7000A
3-4 GHz

+4 bits
4
4 GSa/sec
2 GSa/sec
400 Mpts
200,000
1 MΩ and 50 Ω
125 uVrms @ 1 GHz
8.2
10.1”
50 dB up to 500 MHz
Supported+4 bits
4
20 GSa/sec
10 GSa/sec
500 Mpts (1Gpts opt)
1,000,000
1 MΩ and 50 Ω
220 uVrms @ 4 GHz
7.3
15.6”
60 dB up to 500 MHz
Supported

12 bits
2-4
2 GSa/sec
500 MSa/sec
50 Mpts
80,0001 MΩ
70 uVrms @ 200 MHz
8.4
7”
>40dB

2-4
2 GSa/sec
500 MSa/sec
100 Mpts
120,000
1 MΩ and 50 Ω
70 uVrms @ 200 MHz
8.4
10.1”
>40dB

I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN

I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN

I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN options:
CAN FD, FlexRay, I2S, MIL-STD1553B, SENT, Manchester,
ARINC429, USB 2.0

I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN options:
CAN FD, FlexRay, I2S, MIL-STD1553B, SENT, Manchester,
ARINC429, USB 2.0

80,000 with 2 us dead time
80,0002 Mpts80,000 with 2 us dead time
80,0002 Mpts80,000 with 1.2 us dead time
80,0004 Mptspassive

auto recognize passiveAll

124,000 with 0.9 us dead time
124,000
32 Mpts
HDMI, DisplayPort
All

Serial Decode
Sequence segments
History Frames
Max FFT Depth
Video Output
Probe Support

SDS3000X HD
350 MHz – 1 GHz

Resource & Document Links
Scope Family Documents
SDS800X HD Series Web Page
SDS800X HD Series Manuals
SDS1000X HD Series Web Page
SDS1000X HD Series Manuals
SDS3000X HD Series Web Page
SDS3000X HD Series Manuals
Additional Documents
Probe Datasheet

Signal Fidelity Webinar Video
Webinar video focused on the SDS7000A Series

Oscilloscope Usage Tips
Configuring Network Drives
Connecting to Wireless Networks

26

About SIGLENTSIGLENT is an international high-tech company, concentrating on
R&D, sales, production and services of electronic test & measurement
instruments.

Headquarters:
SIGLENT Technologies Co., Ltd
Add: Bldg No.4 & No.5, Antongda
Industrial Zone, 3rd Liuxian Road,
Bao'an District, Shenzhen, 518101,

SIGLENT first began developing digital oscilloscopes independently in
2002. After more than a decade of continuous development, SIGLENT
has extended its product line to include digital oscilloscopes, isolated
handheld oscilloscopes, function/arbitrary waveform generators,
RF/MW signal generators, spectrum analyzers, vector network
analyzers, digital multimeters, DC power supplies, electronic loads andother general purpose test instrumentation. Since its first oscilloscope
was launched in 2005, SIGLENT has become the fastest growing
manufacturer of digital oscilloscopes. We firmly believe that today
SIGLENT is the best value in electronic test & measurement.

China
Tel: + 86 755 3688 7876
Fax: + 86 755 3359 1582
Email: sales@siglent.com
Website: int.siglent.com
North America:
SIGLENT Technologies America, Inc
6557 Cochran Rd Solon, Ohio 44139
Tel: 440-398-5800
Toll Free: 877-515-5551
Fax: 440-399-1211
Email: info@siglentna.com
Website: www.siglentna.com
Europe:SIGLENT Technologies Germany GmbH
Add: Staetzlinger Str. 70
86165 Augsburg, Germany
Tel: +49(0)-821-666 0 111 0
Fax: +49(0)-821-666 0 111 22
Email: info-eu@siglent.com
Website: www.siglenteu.com
27

Follow us on
Facebook: SiglentTech