PicoScope® 9400 Series
SXRTO Sampler-extended real-time oscilloscopes

Key features

5 GHz bandwidth, 70 ps transition time
1 TS/s (1 ps) equivalent-time sampling
Four 12-bit 500 MS/s ADCs
Up to 2 million triggered captures per second
Pulse, eye and mask testing to 70 ps and 3 Gb/s
Logical, intuitive and configurable touch-compatible Windows user interface
Comprehensive built-in measurements, zooms, data masks and histograms±800 mV full-scale input range into 50 ohms
±10 mV/div to ±0.25 V/div ranges provided by digital gain
Up to 250 kS trace length, shared between channels

www.picotech.com

Product overview
The PicoScope 9404 has four high-bandwidth 50 Ω input channels with market-leading ADC, timing and display resolutions for accurately measuring and visualizing high-speed
analog and data signals. It is ideal for capturing pulse and step transitions to 70 ps, impulse down to 140 ps, clocks and data eyes to 3 Gb/s. Most high-bandwidth applications
involve repetitive signals or clock-related data streams that can be readily analyzed by equivalent-time sampling (ETS).
The SXRTO is fast: ETS, persistence displays and statistics all build quickly, with fast acquisitions running at up to 2 million triggered captures per second.
The PicoScope 9404 has a built-in full-bandwidth trigger on every channel, with pretrigger ETS capture to well above the Nyquist sampling rate. The oscilloscope has 5 GHz
bandwidth behind a 50 ohm SMA(f) input, and there are three acquisition modes—real time, ETS and roll—all capturing at 12-bit resolution into a shared memory of up to 250 kS.
The PicoSample 4 software is derived from our existing PicoSample 3 and PicoScope 9000 products, which together embody over ten years of development, customer feedback
and optimization.
The high-resolution display can be resized to fit any window, filling 4k and even larger or multiple monitors. Four independent zoom channels can show you different views of yourdata down to a resolution of 1 ps. Most of the controls and status panels can be shown or hidden according to your application, allowing you to make optimal use of the display
area.
The oscilloscope has a 2.5 GHz direct trigger that can be driven from any input channel, and a built-in prescaler can extend the trigger bandwidth to 5 GHz. The price you pay foryour PicoScope SXRTO is the price you pay for everything – we don’t charge you for software features or updates.

Typical applications•

Telecom and radar test, service and manufacturing•

Optical fiber, transceiver and laser testing (optical to electrical conversion not included)•RF, microwave and gigabit digital system measurements•

Signal, eye, pulse and impulse characterization•

Precision timing and phase analysis•

Digital system design and characterization•

Eye diagram, mask and limits test to 3 Gb/s•

Ethernet, HDMI 1, PCI, SATA and USB 2.0•

Semiconductor characterization•

Signal, data and pulse/impulse integrity and pre-compliance testing

PicoScope® 9400 Series

ETS (equivalent-time sampling)

Trigger modes

PicoScope 9400 Series SXRTOs use equivalent-time sampling (ETS) to capture highbandwidth repetitive or clock-derived signals without the expense or jitter of a very
high-speed real-time oscilloscope. The 5 GHz bandwidth is matched by a guaranteed 70
ps rise time, better than some instruments with equal or even higher bandwidths. ETS
mode enables timing resolution down to 1 ps, and can quickly build waveforms with up
to 2 million triggers per second.

Simply feed your signal into one of the input channels
The oscilloscope has a 2.5 GHz direct trigger that can be driven from any input channel,
and a built-in prescaler can extend the trigger bandwidth to 5 GHz.

Bandwidth limit filters
Frequency counter
A dedicated frequency counter shows signal frequency (or period) at all times,
regardless of measurement and timebase settings, with a resolution of 1 ppm.

A selectable analog bandwidth limiter (100 or 500 MHz) on each input channel can beused to reject high frequencies and associated noise. The narrow setting can be used as
an anti-alias filter.

PicoScope® 9400 Series

SXRTO explained
The basic real-time oscilloscope
Real-time oscilloscopes (RTOs) are designed with a high enough sampling rate to capture a transient, non-repetitive signal with the instrument’s specified analog bandwidth.
According to Nyquist’s sampling theorem, for accurate capture and display of the signal the scope’s sampling rate must be at least twice the signal bandwidth. Typical highbandwidth RTOs exceed this sampling rate by perhaps a factor of two, achieving up to four samples per cycle, or three samples in a minimum-width impulse.

Equivalent-time sampling
For signals close to or above the RTO’s Nyquist limit, many RTOs can switch to a mode called equivalent-time sampling (ETS). In this mode the scope collects as many samples
as it can after a trigger event, and then continues to collect samples on subsequent trigger events. Because the scope’s sampling clock is independent of the trigger event, eachtrigger has a random time offset relative to the scope’s clock. The scope measures this offset and displays the samples at their correct times. After a large number of trigger events
the scope has enough samples to display the waveform with the desired time resolution, called the effective sampling resolution (the inverse of the effective sampling rate), which
is many times higher than is possible in real-time (non-ETS) mode. As this technique relies on a random relationship between trigger events and the sampling clock, it is morecorrectly called random equivalent-time sampling (or sometimes random interleaved sampling, RIS). It can only be used for repetitive signals – those that vary little from one trigger
event to the next.
Uniquely, the PicoScope 9404 SXRTO has a maximum effective sampling rate in
ETS of 1 TS/s. This corresponds to a timing resolution of only 1 ps, 20,000x higher
than its actual maximum sampling rate.

The sampler-extended real-time oscilloscope (SXRTO)
Now that we have a technique (ETS) for extending the sampling rate of a real-time
oscilloscope, we find that we can achieve an effective sampling rate far higher thanis needed to match the instrument’s analog bandwidth. In order to make better useof these high effective sampling rates, we can increase the analog bandwidth of
the scope. Pico has developed a way to achieve this at a moderate cost, comparedto the very high cost of increasing the real-time sampling rate. The result is the
sampler-extended real-time oscilloscope (SXRTO).

Real-time scopeModel

All this talk of sampling rates and sampling modes may suggest that the SXRTO
is a type of sampling scope, but this is not the case. The name sampling scope,by convention, refers to a different kind of instrument. A sampling scope uses
a programmable delay generator to take samples at regular intervals after eachtrigger event. The technique is called sequential equivalent-time sampling and is
the principle behind the PicoScope 9300 Series sampling scopes. These scopes
can achieve very high effective sampling rates but have two main drawbacks: theycannot capture data before the trigger event, and they require a separate clock
signal – either from an external source or from a built-in clock-recovery module.

Sampling scope

PicoScope 6407 PicoScope 9404-05

PicoScope 9300 Series

Analog bandwidth

1 GHz*

5 GHz

20 GHzReal-time sampling?

1 GS/s500 MS/s

1 MS/sNo

No

15 TS/s

100 GS/s

1 TS/s250 MS/s

Yes

Yes

No** – requires external clockor internal clock recovery
optionPretrigger capture?

Yes

Yes

No**

Vertical resolution

8 bits

12 bits

16 bits

Cost†

$10k

$15k

$22k

Sequential equivalent-timesampling?
Random equivalent-time

The PicoScope 9404-05 SXRTO has an analog bandwidth of 5 GHz. This means that sampling?
it requires a sampling rate of at least 10 GS/s, but for an accurate reconstructionof wave shape without interpolation, we need far higher than this. The 9404 gives
Trigger on input channel?
us 200 sample points in a single cycle at 5 GHz and 140 points in a minimum-width
impulse.

So is the SXRTO a sampling scope?

SXRTO* Higher-bandwidth real-time oscilloscopes are available from other manufacturers. For example, a
5 GHz analog bandwidth, 25 GS/s sampling model is available for about $57,000.
**These functions are possible at low sampling rates, up to 1 MS/s.
†
2019 prices

We’ve compiled a table to show the differences between the types of scopes mentioned on this page. The example products are all compact, 4-channel, USB PicoScopes.

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesPicoConnect® 900 Series high-frequency passive probes

Software

The PicoConnect 900 Series is a range of minimally invasive, high-frequency passive
probes, designed for microwave and gigabit applications up to 9 GHz and 18 Gb/s. They
deliver unprecedented performance and flexibility at a low price and are an obvious
choice to use alongside the PicoScope 9400 Series scopes.

Application-configurable PicoSample 4 oscilloscope software

Features of the PicoConnect 900 Series probes
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Extremely low loading capacitance of < 0.3 pF typical, 0.4 pF upper test limit for allmodelsSlim, fingertip design for accurate and steady probing or solder-in at fine scaleInterchangeable SMA probe heads at division ratios of 5:1, 10:1 and 20:1, AC or DC
coupledAccurate probing of high-speed transmission lines for Z0 = 0 Ω to 100 ΩClass-leading uncorrected pulse/eye response and pulse/eye disturbance

The PicoScope 9404 is supplied either
without probes or with a PicoConnect 910
kit consisting of all six PicoConnect 4 to
5 GHz RF microwave and pulse probes tosupport probing at three division ratios(/5, /10, /20) and either AC or DC coupledmodels and cables.

The PicoSample 4 workspace takes full advantage of your available simgle or multiple
display size and resolution, allowing you to resize the window to fit any display
resolution supported by Windows.
You decide how much space to give to the trace display and the measurements display,
and whether to open or hide the control menus. The user interface is fully touch- or
mouse-operable, with grabbing and dragging of traces, cursors, regions and parameters.
In touchscreen mode, an enlarged parameter control is displayed to assist adjustments
on smaller touchscreen displays.
To zoom, either draw a zoom window or use the numerical zoom and offset controls.
You can display up to four different zoomed views of the displayed waveforms.
“Hidden trace” icons show a live view of any channels that are not visible on the main
display.
The interaction of timebase, sampling rate and capture size is normally handled
automatically, but there is also an option to override this and specify the order of priorityof these three parameters.

A choice of screen formats
When working with multiple traces, you can display them all on one grid or separate
them into two or four grids. You can also plot signals
in XY mode with or without additional voltage-time
grids. The persistence display modes use colorcontouring or shading to show statistical variations inthe signal. Trace display can be in either dots-only or
vector format and display settings can be independent,
trace by trace. Custom trace labelling is also available.

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesPicoSample 4 software
The PicoSample 4 software interface provides access to commands that control all of
the instrument features and functions.
Display area
Within this area you can view live, reference and math waveforms. You candrag to waveforms to reposition them and draw zoom boxes. A T icon canbe dragged to change the trigger level for the selected trigger source. You
can also drag markers to measure waveforms on the screen. On-screen
controls can be hidden to increase display area.

System controls
You can select whether theoscilloscope is running or
stopped. Other buttons allow
oscilloscope reset to default
status, Autoscale or erase
waveforms from the display.

Status area
This area displays acquisition
status, mode and number ofacquisitions. Also displayed
are trigger status, date,time and quick reference torecord length and horizontal
parameters.

Histogram window
This window determines which part of thedatabase is used to analyze and display
the histogram (in red). You can set thesize and position of this window within thehorizontal and vertical scaling limits of theoscilloscope.

Main menu
Provides accessto commands that
control all instrument
features andfunctions.
Left side menu
Left-click a button on
the Toolbar to add thespecified menu to theleft side menu area.

Right side menu
Right-click a button on
the Toolbar to add thespecified menu to theright side menu area.

Measurement area
Allows you to view
measurement results within
the following tabs:

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Waveform

ScalesColor grade
MarkerMeasureHistogram
Eye diagram
Mask test

Vertical histogram
Both horizontal and vertical(illustrated) histogramswith periodically updated
measurements allow
statistical distributions tobe analyzed and displayedover and region of thesignal.

The area required to show
as much or as little data as
you require can be set.
Permanent controls
The most common fuctions
that affect the waveform
can be found here.

Histogram currently
selected by a right mouseclick to show as a rightside menu.

Utility currently selectedby a left mouse click toshow as a left side menu

Toolbar
12 buttons are used to set up oscilloscope operating modes: Channels, Acquire,
Trigger and Display. Set up and execute waveform measurements: Marker,
Measure, Histogram and Eye Diagram. Control file management tasks (Save/
Recall) and perform waveform analysis (Math and Mask Test). Set up andexecute instrument calibration and use the demonstration mode (Utility).
Left clicking on any button with a mouse left click (or tap on a touch screen)displays the left side menu and right clicking the mouse on any button (or longpress on a touch screen) displays the right side menu.

PicoScope® 9400 Series

Measurements

Waveform measurements with statistics

Standard waveforms and eye parameters

Over 40 standard waveform parameters can be measured in both X and Y axes including
X period, frequency, negative or positive cross and jitter. In the Y axis measurements
such as max, min, DC RMS and cycle mean are available.

The PicoScope 9400 Series oscilloscopes quickly measure well over 40 standard
waveforms and over 40 eye parameters, either for the whole waveform or gated between
markers. The markers can also make on-screen ruler measurements, so you don’t
need to count graticules or estimate the waveforms position. Up to ten simultaneous
measurements are possible. The measurements conform to IEEE standard definitions,but you can edit them for non-standard thresholds and reference levels using theadvanced menu, or by dragging the on-screen thresholds and levels. You can apply limit
tests to up to four measured parameters.

PicoScope® 9400 Series

Eye diagram measurements
The PicoScope 9400 Series scopes quickly measure more than 70 fundamental
parameters used to characterize non‑return‑to‑zero (NRZ) signals and return-to-zero (RZ)
signals. Up to ten parameters can be measured simultaneously, with comprehensive
statistics also shown.

Eye diagram analysis can display data including: bit rate, period, crossing time,
frequency, eye width, eye amplitude, mean, area and jitter RMS. Also shown on the graph
are left and right RMS jitter markers. These measurements are selectable from within
the Eye Diagram side menu and are listed on screen below the graph.
The measurement points and levels used to generate each parameter can optionally bedrawn on the trace.

Eye-diagram analysis can be made even more powerful with the addition of mask
testing, as described below.

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesMask testingPowerful mathematical analysis

The PicoScope 9400 Series scopes support up to four simultaneous mathematical
combinations or functional transformations of acquired waveforms.
You can select any of the mathematical functions to operate on either one or twosources. All functions can operate on live waveforms, waveform memories or even otherfunctions. There is also a comprehensive equation editor for creating custom functionsof any combination of source waveforms.
PicoSample 4 has a built-in library of over 130 masks for testing data eyes. It can countor capture mask hits or route them to an alarm or acquisition control. You can stresstest against a mask using a specified margin, and locally compile or edit masks.

••

Choose from 60 math functions, or create your own.
Add, subtract, multiply, divide, invert, absolute, exponent, logarithm, differentiate,
integrate, inverse, FFT, interpolation, smoothing and trending.

There’s a choice of gray-scale and color-graded display modes, and a histogramming
feature, all of which aid in analyzing noise and jitter in eye diagrams. There is also astatistical display showing a failure count for both the original mask and the margin.
The extensive menu of built-in test waveforms is invaluable for checking your mask test
setup before using it on live signals.
Mask test features:

Masks:

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•

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•
•
•
•
•
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•
•

Standard predefined mask
Automask
Mask saved on disk
Create new mask
Edit any mask.

Ethernet (7 masks)
SONET/SDH (8 masks)
Fibre channel (23 masks)
PCI Express (29 mask)
InfiniBand (12 masks)XAUI (4 masks)
RapidIO (9 masks)
Serial ATA (24 masks)ITU G.703 (14 masks)
ANSI T1.102 (7 masks)
USB

Trending
Trending allows you to plot ameasured parameter, such as pulse
width, as an additional trace.

PicoScope® 9400 Series

FFT analysis

Histogram analysis

All PicoScope 9400 Series oscilloscopes can calculate real, imaginary and complex Fast
Fourier and Inverse Fast Fourier Transforms of input signals using a range of windowing
functions. The results can be further processed using the math functions. FFTs areuseful for finding crosstalk and distortion problems, adjusting filter circuits, testing
system impulse responses and identifying and locating noise and interference sources.

Behind the powerful measurement and display capabilities of the 9400 Series lies a fast,
efficient data histogram capability. A powerful visualization and analysis tool in its own
right, the histogram is a probability graph that shows the distribution of acquired datafrom a source within a user-definable window.
Histograms can be constructed on waveforms on either the vertical or horizontal
axes. The most common use for a vertical histogram is measuring and characterizing
noise and pulse parameters. A horizontal histogram is typically used to measure andcharacterize jitter.

Software development kit
The PicoSample 4 software can operate as a standalone oscilloscope program or under
ActiveX remote control. The ActiveX control conforms to the Windows COM interface
standard so that you can embed it in your own software. Unlike more complex driverbased programming methods, ActiveX commands are text strings that are easy to create
in any programming environment. Programming examples are provided in Visual Basic(VB.NET), MATLAB, LabVIEW and Delphi, but you can use any programming language
or standard that supports the COM interface, including JavaScript and C. National
Instruments LabVIEW drivers are also available. All the functions of the PicoScope 9400
and the PicoSample software are accessible remotely.
We supply a comprehensive programmer’s guide that details every function of the
ActiveX control. The SDK can control the oscilloscope over the USB or the LAN port.

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesPicoScope 9400 Series inputs, outputs and indicators

Front panel
4 x 5 GHz 50 ohm inputs
Power LED

Calibration output

Status LED

Trigger output

Power LED: Glows green under normal operation

Built-in CAL test signal: The calibrator output (CAL) provides a DC, 1 kHz square wave
or meander output. This can be used to verify the scope’s inputs.

Status LED: Indicates connection progress
Channel inputs: The PicoScope 9404 has four input channels: Ch 1 to Ch 4. You canenable any number of channels without affecting the sampling rate; only the capture
memory (250 kS) is shared between the enabled channels.

Ethernet port
USB port
RST (reset button)

TRIGGER OUT: Can be used to synchronize an external device to the PicoScope 9404’s
rising edge, falling edge and end of holdoff triggers.

Rear panel

DC power input(AC adaptor supplied)

RST (reset button)
USB: The USB 2.0 port is used to connect the oscilloscope to the PC. If no USB host is found, the oscilloscope tries
to connect through the LAN port.
LAN: LAN settings must be supplied initially by connecting to the USB port. Once configured, the oscilloscope uses
the LAN port if no USB host is detected.
PicoSample 4 can control up to eight PicoScope 9400 Series units through the LAN port.
12 V DC input: A suitable mains adaptor is supplied with the oscilloscope

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesPicoScope 9404 specifications
VerticalNumber of input channels*Analog bandwidth (–3 dB)[1]*Passband flatness

Calculated rise time (Tr), typical

Step response, typical*RMS noise

Scale factors (sensitivity)*DC gain accuracy
Position range
DC offset range* Offset accuracy
Operating input voltage
Vertical Zoom and Position
Channel-to-channel crosstalk(channel isolation)
Delay between channels
ADC resolution
Hardware vertical resolution

Four channels. All channels are identical and digitized simultaneously.
Full: DC to 5 GHz
Middle: DC to 450 MHz
Narrow: DC to 100 MHz
Full: ±1 dB to 3 GHz
Calculated from the bandwidth.
10% to 90%: calculated from Tr = 0.35/BW
20% to 80%: calculated from Tr = 0.25/BW
Full: 10% to 90%: ≤ 70 ps, 20% to 80%: ≤ 50 ps
Middle: 10% to 90%: ≤ 780 ps, 20% to 80%: ≤ 560 ps
Narrow: 10% to 90%: ≤ 3.5 ns. 20% to 80%: ≤ 2.5 ns
Overshoot and ringing, full bandwidth: 6% to 10 ns, 3% to 400 ns, 1% thereafter.
Full: 1.8 mV, maximum, 1.6 mV, typical
Middle: 0.8 mV, maximum, 0.65 mV, typical
Narrow: 0.6 mV, maximum, 0.45 mV, typical
10 mV/div to 250 mV/div
Full scale is 8 vertical divisions
Adjustable in a 10-12.5-15-20-25-30-40-50-60-80-100-125-150-200-250 mV/div sequence.
Also adjustable in 1% fine increments or better.
With manual or calculator data entry the increment is 0.1 mV/div.
±2% of full scale. ±1.5% of full scale, typical±4 divisions from center screen
Adjustable from –1 V to +1 V in 10 mV increments (coarse).
Also adjustable in fine increments of 2 mV.
With manual or calculator data entry the increment is 0.01 mV for offset between –99.9 and 99.9 mV, and 0.1 mV for offset between –999.9
and 999.9 mV.
Referenced to the center of display graticule.
±2 mV ±2% of offset setting. ±1 mV ±1% of offset setting, typical±800 mVFor all input channels, waveform memories, or functions
Vertical factor: 0.01 to 100
Vertical position: ±800 divisions maximum of zoomed waveform≥ 50 dB (316:1) for input frequency DC to 1 GHz≥ 40 dB (100:1) for input frequency > 1 GHz to 3 GHz≥ 36 dB (63:1) for input frequency > 3 GHz to ≤ 5 GHz≤ 10 ps, typicalBetween any two channels, full bandwidth, equivalent time
12 bits
0.4 mV/LSB without averaging

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesOvervoltage protection* Input impedance
Input match
Input coupling
Input connectors
Internal probe power
Probe power per probe
Attenuation
Range
Units
Scale

±1.4 V (DC + peak AC)(50 ±1.5) Ω. (50 ±1) Ω, typicalReflections for 70 ps rise time: 10% or less, -20 dB typicalDC
SMA female
9.6 W maximum
3.3 V: 100 mA max.
12 V: 150 mA max.
Attenuation factors may be entered to scale the oscilloscope for external attenuators connected to the channel inputs.
0.0001:1 to 1 000 000:1
Ratio or dB
Volt, Watt, Ampere, or unknown

Horizontal
Timebase
Timebase range

Horizontal zoom and position
Timebase clock accuracy
Aging
Timebase resolution* Delta time measurement
accuracy
Pre-trigger delay

Internal timebase common to all input channels.
Full horizontal scale is 10 divisions
Real time sampling: 10 ns/div to 1000 s/div
Random equivalent time sampling: 50 ps/div to 5 µs/div
Roll: 100 ms/div to 1000 s/div
Segmented: Total number of segments: 2 to 1024. Dead time between segments: 2 µs.
For all input channels, waveform memories, or functions
Horizontal factor: From 1 to 2000
Horizontal position: From 0% to 100% non-zoomed waveform
Frequency: 500 MHz
Initial set tolerance: ±10 ppm @ 25 °C ±3 °C* Overall frequency stability: ±50 ppm over operating temperature range±7 ppm over 10 years @ 25 °C
1 ps at random equivalent time sampling±(50 ppm * reading + 0.1% * screen width + 5 ps)

Record length ÷ current sampling rate (when delay = 0)
0 to 4.28 s. Coarse increment is one horizontal scale division, fine increment is 0.1 horizontal scale division, manual or calculator increment is
Post-trigger delay
0.01 horizontal scale division.
±50 ns range. Coarse increment is 100 ps, fine increment is 10 ps. With manual or calculator data entry the increment is four significant digits
Channel-to-channel deskew range
or 1 ps.

PicoScope® 9400 Series

Acquisition
Sampling modes

Segmented
Maximum sampling rate
Record length
Duration at highest sample rate

Acquisition modes

Trigger
Trigger sources
Trigger mode
Trigger coupling
Trigger style
Trigger holdoff mode
Trigger holdoff range

Bandwidth and sensitivity
Trigger level range

Real time: Captures all of the sample points used to reconstruct a waveform during a single trigger event
Random equivalent time: Acquires sample points over several trigger events, requiring the input waveform to be repetitive
Roll: Acquisition data will be displayed in a rolling fashion starting from the right side of the display and continuing to the left side of thedisplay (while the acquisition is running)
Segmented memory optimizes available memory for data streams that have long dead times between activity.
Number of segments: up to 1024.
Rearm time - as fast as 2 μs (minimum time between trigger events).
Real time: 500 MS/s per channel simultaneously
Random equivalent time: Up to 1 TS/s or 1 ps trigger placement resolution
Real time sampling: From 50 S/ch to 250 kS/ch for one channel, to 125 kS/ch for two channels, to 50 kS/ch for three and four channels
Random equivalent time sampling: From 500 S/ch to 250 kS/ch for one channel, to 125 kS/ch for two channels, to 50 kS/ch for three and fourchannels
0.5 ms for one channel, 0.25 ms for two channels, 0.125 ms for three and four channels
Sample (normal): Acquires first sample in decimation interval and displays results without further processing
Average: Average value of samples in decimation interval. Number of waveforms for average: 2 to 4096.
Envelope: Envelope of acquired waveforms. Minimum, Maximum or both Minimum and Maximum values acquired over one or moreacquisitions. Number of acquisitions is from 2 to 4096 in ×2 sequence and continuously.
Peak detect: Largest and smallest sample in decimation interval. Minimum pulse width: 1/(sampling rate) or 2 ns @ 50 µs/div or faster for
single channel.
High resolution: Averages all samples taken during an acquisition interval to create a record point. This average results in a higher-resolution,
lower-bandwidth waveform. Resolution can be expanded to 12.5 bits or more, up to 16 bits.
Internal from any channel
Freerun: Triggers automatically but not synchronized to the input in absence of trigger event.
Normal (triggered): Requires trigger event for oscilloscope to trigger.
Single: SW button that triggers only once on a trigger event. Not suitable for random equivalent time sampling.
DC
Edge: Triggers on a rising and falling edge of any source from DC to 2.5 GHz.
Divider: The trigger source is divided down four times (/4) before being applied to the trigger system. It has a trigger frequency range up to
5 GHz.
Time or random
Holdoff by time: Adjustable from 500 ns to 15 s in a 1-2-5-10 sequence or in 4 ns fine increments.
Random: This mode varies the trigger holdoff from one acquisition to another by randomizing the time value between triggers. The
randomized time values can be between the values specified in the Min Holdoff and Max Holdoff.
Low sensitivity: 100 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz increasing linearly from 100 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 200 mV p-p at 5 GHz. Pulse Width: 100 ps @200 mV p-p typical.
* High sensitivity: 30 mV p-p DC to 100 MHz increasing linearly from 30 mV p-p at 100 MHz to 70 mV p-p at 5 GHz. Pulse Width: 100 ps @ 70
mV p-p.
–1 V to 1 V in 10 mV increments (coarse). Also adjustable in fine increments of 1 mV.

PicoScope® 9400 Series

Edge trigger slope* Internal RMS trigger jitter

Positive: Triggers on rising edge
Negative: Triggers on falling edge
Dual slope: Triggers on both edges of the signal
Combined trigger and interpolator jitter
Edge and divided trigger: 2 ps + 0.1 ppm of delay, maximum

Display

Persistence

Style
Graticule

FormatView Color
Trace annotation
Save/Recall
Management

Off: No persistence
Variable persistence: Time that each data point is retained on the display. Persistence time can be varied from 100 ms to 20 s.
Infinite persistence: In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever.
Variable Gray Scaling: Five levels of a single color that is varied in saturation and luminosity. Refresh time can be varied from 1 s to 200 s.
Infinite Gray Scaling: In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever in five levels of a single color.
Variable Color Grading: With Color Grading selected, historical timing information is represented by a temperature or spectral color scheme
providing “z-axis” information about rapidly changing waveforms. Refresh time can be varied from 1 to 200 s.
Infinite Color Grading: In this mode, a waveform sample point is displayed forever by a temperature or spectral color scheme.
Dots: Displays waveforms without persistence, each new waveform record replaces the previously acquired record for a channel.
Vector: This function draws a straight line through the data points on the display. Not suited to multi-value signals such as a displayed eye
diagram.
Full Grid, Axes with tick marks, Frame with tick marks, Off (no graticule).
Auto: Automatically places, adds or deletes graticules as you select more or fewer waveforms to display.
Single XT: All waveforms are superimposed and are eight divisions high.
Dual YT: With two graticules, all waveforms can be four divisions high, displayed separately or superimposed.
Quad YT: With four graticules, all waveforms can be two divisions high, displayed separately or superimposed.
When you select dual or quad screen display, every waveform channel, memory and function can be placed on a specified graticule.
XY: Displays voltages of two waveforms against each other. The amplitude of the first waveform is plotted on the horizontal X axis and theamplitude of the second waveform is is plotted on the vertical Y axis.
XY + YT: Displays both XY and YT pictures. The YT format appears on the upper part of the screen, and the XY format on the lower part of thescreen. The YT format display area is one screen and any displayed waveforms are superimposed.
XY + 2YT: Displays both YT and XY pictures. The YT format appears on the upper part of the screen, and the XY format on the lower part ofthe screen. The YT format display area is divided into two equal screens.
Tandem: Displays graticules to the left and to the right.
You may choose a default color selection, or select your own color set. Different colors are used for displaying selected items: background,channels, functions, waveform memories, FFTs, TDR/TDTs, and histograms.
The instrument gives you the ability to add an identifying label, bearing your own text, to a waveform display. For each waveform, you cancreate multiple labels and turn them all on or all off. Also, you can position them on the waveform by dragging or by specifying an exact
horizontal position.
Store and recall setups, waveforms and user mask files to any drive on your PC. Storage capacity is limited only by disk space.

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesFile extensions

Operating system
Waveform save/recall
Save to/recall from disk
Save/recall setups
Screen image
Autoscale

Waveform files:.wfm for binary format.txt for verbose format (text).txty for Y values formats (text)
Database files: .wdb
Setup files: .set
User mask files: .pcm
Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and 10, 32-bit and 64-bit.
Up to four waveforms may be stored into the waveform memories (M1 to M4), and then recalled for display.
You can save or recall your acquired waveforms to or from any drive on the PC. To save a waveform, use the standard Windows Save as
dialog box. From this dialog box you can create subdirectories and waveform files, or overwrite existing waveform files.
You can load, into one of the Waveform Memories, a file with a waveform you have previously saved and then recall it for display.
The instrument can store complete setups in the memory and then recall them.
You can copy a screen image into the clipboard with the following formats: Full Screen, Full Window, Client Part, Invert Client Part,
Oscilloscope Screen and Oscilloscope Screen.
Pressing the Autoscale key automatically adjusts the vertical channels, the horizontal scale factors, and the trigger level for a display
appropriate to the signals applied to the inputs.
The Autoscale feature requires a repetitive signal with a frequency greater than 100 Hz, duty cycle greater than 0.2%, amplitudes greater than
100 mV p-p. Autoscale is operative only for relatively stable input signals.

MarkerMarker typeMarker measurements
Marker motion
Ratiometric measurements
MeasureAutomated measurements
Automatic parametric
Amplitude measurements
Timing measurements
Inter-signal measurements
FFT measurements
Measurement statistics
Method of top-base definition
Thresholds

X-Marker: vertical bars (measure time)
Y-Marker: horizontal bars (measure volts)
XY-Marker: waveform markers
Absolute, Delta, Volt, Time, Frequency and Slope
Independent: both markers can be adjusted independently.
Paired: both markers can be adjusted together.
Provide ratiometric measurements between measured and reference values. These measurements give results in such ratiometric units as %,dB, and degrees.
Up to ten simultaneous measurements are supported at the same time.
48 automatic measurements available.
Maximum, Minimum, Top, Base, Peak-Peak, Amplitude, Middle, Mean, Cycle Mean, DC RMS, Cycle DC RMS, AC RMS, Cycle AC RMS, Positive
Overshoot, Negative Overshoot, Area, Cycle Area.
Period, Frequency, Positive Width, Negative Width, Rise Time, Fall Time, Positive Duty Cycle, Negative Duty Cycle, Positive Crossing, Negative
Crossing, Burst Width, Cycles, Time at Maximum, Time at Minimum, Positive Jitter p-p, Positive Jitter RMS, Negative Jitter p-p, Negative Jitter
RMS.
Delay (8 options), Phase Deg, Phase Rad, Phase %, Gain, Gain dB.
FFT Magnitude, FFT Delta Magnitude, THD, FFT Frequency, FFT Delta Frequency.
Displays current, minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation on any displayed waveform measurements.
Histogram, Min/Max, or User-Defined (in absolute voltage).
Upper, middle and lower horizontal bars settable in percentage, voltage or divisions. Standard thresholds are 10–50–90% or 20–50–80%.

PicoScope® 9400 Series

Margins
Measurement mode
Mathematics
Waveform mathCategories and math operators

Operands

FFT

Any region of the waveform may be isolated for measurement using left and right margins (vertical bars).
Repetitive or Single-shot
Up to four math waveforms can be defined and displayed using math functions F1 to F4Arithmetic: Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide, Ceil, Floor, Fix, Round, Absolute, Invert, Common, Rescale
Algebra: Exponentiation (e), Exponentiation (10), Exponentiation (a), Logarithm (e), Logarithm (10), Logarithm (a), Differentiate, Integrate,
Square, Square Root, Cube, Power (a), Inverse, Square Root of the Sum
Trigonometry: Sine, Cosine, Tangent, Cotangent, ArcSine, Arc Cosine, ArcTangent, Arc Cotangent, Hyperbolic Sine, Hyperbolic Cosine,
Hyperbolic Tangent, Hyperbolic Cotangent
FFT: Complex FFT, FFT Magnitude, FFT Phase, FFT Real part, FFT Imaginary part, Complex Inverse FFT, FFT Group Delay
Bit operator: AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, XNOR, NOT
Miscellaneous: Autocorrelation, Correlation, Convolution, Track, Trend, Linear Interpolation, Sin(x)/x Interpolation, Smoothing
Formula editor: You can build math waveforms using the Formula Editor control window.
Any channel, waveform memory, math function, spectrum, or constant can be selected as a source for one of two operands.
FFT frequency span: Frequency Span = Sample Rate / 2 = Record Length / (2 × Timebase Range)
FFT frequency resolution: Frequency Resolution = Sample Rate / Record Length
FFT windows: The built-in filters (Rectangular, Hamming, Hann, Flattop, Blackman–Harris and Kaiser–Bessel) allow optimization of frequency
resolution, transients, and amplitude accuracy.
FFT measurements: Marker measurements can be made on frequency, delta frequency, magnitude, and delta magnitude. Marker
measurements can be made on frequency, delta frequency, magnitude, and delta magnitude.
Automated FFT Measurements include: FFT Magnitude, FFT Delta Magnitude, THD, FFT Frequency, and FFT Delta Frequency.

Histogram
Histogram axis
Histogram measurement set
Histogram window

Vertical, Horizontal or Off
Both vertical and horizontal histograms, with periodically updated measurements, allow statistical distributions to be analyzed over any regionof the signal.
Scale, Offset, Hits in Box, Waveforms, Peak Hits, Pk-Pk, Median, Mean, Standard Deviation, Mean ±1 Std Dev, Mean ±2 Std Dev, Mean ±3 Std
Dev, Min, Max-Max, Max
The histogram window determines which part of the database is used to plot the histogram. You can set the size of the histogram window to
be any size that you want within the horizontal and vertical scaling limits of the scope.

Eye diagram
Eye diagram
NRZ measurement set

RZ measurement set

The PicoScope 9400 can automatically characterize an NRZ and RZ eye pattern. Measurements are based upon statistical analysis of the
waveform.
X: Area, Bit Rate, Bit Time, Crossing Time, Cycle Area, Duty Cycle Distortion (%, s), Eye Width (%, s), Fall Time, Frequency, Jitter (p-p, RMS),
Period, Rise Time
Y: AC RMS, Crossing %, Crossing Level, Eye Amplitude, Eye Height, Eye Height dB, Max, Mean, Mid, Min, Negative Overshoot, Noise p-p (One,Zero), Noise RMS (One, Zero), One Level, Peak-Peak, Positive Overshoot, RMS, Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Signal- to-Noise Ratio dB, Zero Level
X: Area, Bit Rate, Bit Time, Cycle Area, Eye Width (%, s), Fall Time, Jitter P-p (Fall, Rise), Jitter RMS (Fall, Rise), Negative Crossing, Positive
Crossing, Positive Duty Cycle, Pulse Symmetry, Pulse Width, Rise Time
Y: AC RMS, Contrast Ratio (dB, %, ratio), Eye Amplitude, Eye High, Eye High dB, Eye Opening Factor, Max, Mean, Mid, Min, Noise P-p (One, Zero),
Noise RMS (One, Zero), One Level, Peak-Peak, RMS, Signal-to-Noise, Zero Level

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesMask test
Mask test

Standard mask

Mask margin
Automask creation
Data collected during test
Calibrator output
Calibrator output mode
Output DC level* Output DC level accuracy
Output impedanceRise/fall time
Output connectors
Trigger output
TimingLow level
Amplitude
Rise time
RMS jitter
Output delay
Output coupling
Output connectors
Power requirement
Power supply voltage
Power supply current
Protection

Acquired signals are tested for fit outside areas defined by up to eight polygons. Any samples that fall within the polygon boundaries result in
test failures. Masks can be loaded from disk, or created automatically or manually.
Standard predefined optical or standard electrical masks can be created.
SONET/SDH: OC1/STMO (51.84 Mb/s) to FEC 2666 (2.6666 Gb/s)
Fibre Channel: FC133 Electrical (132.8 Mb/s) to FC2125E Abs Gamma Tx.mask (2.125 Gb/s)
Ethernet: 100BASE-BX10 (125 Mb/s) to 3.125 Gb/s 10GBase-CX4 Absolute TP2 (3.125 Gb/s)
InfiniBand: 2.5G InfiniBand Cable mask (2.5 Gb/s) to 2.5G InfiniBand Receiver mask (2.5 Gb/s)
InfiniBand (2.5 Gb/s)
XAUI: 3.125 Gb/s XAUI Far End (3.125 Gb/s) to XAUI-E Near (3.125 Gb/s)
ITU G.703: DS1, 100 Ω twisted pair (1.544 Mb/s) to 155 Mb 1 Inv, 75 Ω coax (155.520 Mb/s)
ANSI T1/102: DS1, 100 Ω twisted pair, (1.544 Mb/s) to STS3, 75 Ω coax, (155.520 Mb/s)
RapidIO: RapidIO Serial Level 1, 1.25G Rx (1.25 Gb/s) to RapidIO Serial Level 1, 3.125G Tx SR (3.125 Gb/s)
PCI Express: R1.0a 2.5G Add-in Card Transmitter Non-Transition bit mask (2.5 Gb/s) to R1.1 2.5G Transmitter Transition bit mask (2.5 Gb/s)
Serial ATA: Ext Length, 1.5G 250 Cycle, Rx Mask (1.5 Gb/s) to Gen1m, 3.0G 5 Cycle, Tx Mask (3 Gb/s)
Available for industry-standard mask testing
Masks are created automatically for single-valued voltage signals. Automask specifies both delta X and delta Y tolerances. The failure actions
are identical to those of limit testing.
Total number of waveforms examined, number of failed samples, number of hits within each polygon boundaryDC, 1 kHz square, Meander with frequency from 15.266 Hz to 500 kHz
Adjustable from –1 V to +1 V into 50 Ω. Coarse increment: 50 mV, fine increment: 1 mV.
±1 mV ±0.5% of output DC level
50 Ω nominal
150 ns, typical
SMA female
Positive transition equivalent to acquisition trigger point(–0.2 ±0.1) V. Measured into 50 Ω(900 ±200) mV. Measured into 50 Ω
10% to 90%: ≤ 0.45 ns
20% to 80%: ≤ 0.3 ns
2 ps or less
4 ±1 ns
DC coupled
SMA female+12 V ±5%
PicoScope 9404: 2.6 A max
Auto shutdown on excess or reverse voltage

PicoScope® 9400 Series

AC-DC adaptor
PC connection
PC connection

Universal adaptor supplied
USB 2.0 (high speed). Also compatible with USB 3.0.
LAN

Physical characteristics
Dimensions
Net weight
Environmental conditions

Width: 245 mm
Height: 60 mm
Depth: 232 mm
1.4 kg (PicoScope 9404)

Operating: +5 °C to +40 °C for normal operation, +15 °C to +25 °C for quoted accuracy
Storage: –20 °C to +50 °C
Operating: Up to 85 %RH (non-condensing) at +25 °C
Humidity
Storage: Up to 95 %RH (non-condensing)* Specifications marked with (*) are checked in the Performance Verification chapter.
[1] These specifications are valid after a 30-minute warm-up period and ±2 °C from firmware calibration temperature.
Temperature

PicoScope® 9400 Series

Kit contents and accessories
Your PicoScope 9400 Series oscilloscope kit contains the following items:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

PicoScope 9400 Series sampler-extended real-time oscilloscope (SXRTO)PicoSample 4 software (supplied on a USB stick and also available as a freedownload from www.picotech.com)
Quick start guide
12 V power supply, universal input
3 x localized IEC mains leads
USB cable, 1.8 m
SMA / PC3.5 / 2.92 wrench
Storage / carry case
LAN cable, 1 m

Optional accessories
Order code

Description

Adaptors
TA313
3 GHz SMA(f)-BNC(m) interseries adaptor
TA314
18 GHz SMA(f) to N(m) interseries adaptor
TA170
18 GHz 50 Ω SMA(m-f) connector saver adaptor
TA172
18 GHz, 50 Ω N(f) to SMA(m) interseries adaptor
Bessel-Thomson reference filters
TA124
Bessel-Thomson reference filter 2.488 Gb/s / 2.5 Gb/s
TA123
Bessel-Thomson reference filter 1.25 Gb/s
TA121
Bessel-Thomson reference filter 155 Mb/s
TA120
Bessel-Thomson reference filter 51.8 Mb/s
TA122

Bessel-Thomson reference filter 622 Mb/s

PicoConnect 900 Series passive probes
TA274
PicoConnect 911 20:1 960 Ω AC-coupled 4 GHz RF, microwave and pulse probe
TA275
PicoConnect 912 20:1 960 Ω DC-coupled 4 GHz RF, microwave and pulse probe
TA278
PicoConnect 913 10:1 440 Ω AC-coupled 4 GHz RF, microwave and pulse probe
TA279
PicoConnect 914 10:1 440 Ω DC-coupled 4 GHz RF, microwave and pulse probe
TA282
PicoConnect 915 5:1 230 Ω AC-coupled 5 GHz RF, microwave and pulse probe

USD*

EUR*

GBP*

19

16

13

119

99

81

20

18

14

129

119

92

129
129
129

119
119
119

92
92
92

129

119

92

129

119

92

699

579

459

699

579

459

699

579

459

699

579

459

849

709

559

PicoScope® 9400 Series

Optional accessories
Order code

Description

USD*

EUR*

GBP*

PicoConnect 900 Series Kits
PQ067
PicoConnect 910 Kit: all six microwave and pulse probe heads with two cables
PQ066
PicoConnect 920 Kit: all six gigabit probe heads with two cables

3 095

2 595

2 045

5 105

4 285

3 375

TA315

39

33

26

2005

1785

1405

75

67

53

75

67

53

75

67

53

75

67

53

75

67

53

65

58

46

65

58

46

70

59

47

199

169

139

PicoConnect probe tips and solder in kit

Tetris high-impedance 10:1 active probe
TA223
2.5 GHz 0.9 pF probe, 50 Ω SMA(m) output, with accessory kit and BNC adaptor
Attenuators
TA181
Attenuator 3 dB 10 GHz 50 ohm SMA (m-f)
TA261
Attenuator 6 dB 10 GHz 50 ohm SMA (m-f)
TA262
Attenuator 10 dB 10 GHz 50 ohm SMA (m-f)
TA173
Attenuator 20 dB 10 GHz 50 ohm SMA (m-f)
Coaxial cable assemblies
TA263
Precision high-flex unsleeved coaxial cable 60 cm SMA(m-m) 1.9 dB loss @ 13 GHz
TA264
Precision high-flex unsleeved coaxial cable 30 cm SMA(m-m) 1.1 dB loss @ 13 GHz
TA265
Precision sleeved coaxial cable 30 cm SMA(m-m) 1.3 dB loss @ 13 GHz
TA312
Precision sleeved coaxial cable 60 cm SMA(m-m) 2.2 dB loss @ 13 GHz
Tools
TA356

Dual-break torque wrench SMA/PC3.5/K, 1 N·m (8.85 in·lb)

PicoScope® 9400 SeriesPicoScope 9400 Series ordering information
Description
PicoScope 9404-05 sampler-extended real-time oscilloscope

Bandwidth (GHz)

Channels

Order code

USD*

EUR*

GBP*

5

4

PQ181

14 995

11 995

10 995* Prices correct at time of publication. Sales taxes not included. Please contact Pico Technology for the latest prices before ordering.

UK global headquarters:
Pico Technology
James House
Colmworth Business Park
St. Neots
Cambridgeshire
PE19 8YP
United Kingdom+44 (0) 1480 396 395+44 (0) 1480 396 296
sales@picotech.com

US regional office:Pico Technology
320 N Glenwood Blvd
Tyler
Texas 75702
United States

+1 800 591 2796
+1 620 272 0981
sales@picotech.com

Asia-Pacific regional office:Room 2252, 22/F, Centro
568 Hengfeng Road
Zhabei District
Shanghai 200070
PR China+86 (0) 21 226-5152

pico.china@picotech.com

Errors and omissions excepted. Windows is a registered trade mark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States andother countries. Pico Technology and PicoScope are internationally registered trade marks of Pico Technology Ltd.
MM092.en-1 Copyright © 2019 Pico Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.

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