Keysight DSOX4024A vs Tektronix MDO4024C - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 03:52:09 pm
content: Hello EEVBlog,I'm looking to get an electronics bench set up for my company (we are working on embedded systems design - primarily at the PCB level in a wide-range of application areas). At the moment, we are not doing anything in the high-frequency realm and need the equipment for signal integrity testing of communication protocols (SPI, UART, I2C, USB2.0) as well as verification of power regulation/delivery circuits for solar charging systems.I reached out to a few distributors/manufacturers (Keysight, Tek, and LeCroy) and will be making a decision on some equipment shortly. I would like to get your thoughts/opinions on the Keysight DSOX4024A vs the Tektronix MDO4024C. I have been quoted the same price for these two scopes including the full application bundles - approx. CAD $6500. Surprising because the Tek scope's MSRP is significantly higher.The one glaring thing that stands out is that the Tek scope has significantly higher memory (20M vs. 4M for the Keysight scope). How much of an impact will this make, especially with Keysight touting its 'segmented memory' feature? The built-in spectrum analyzer in the Tek scope is nice, but you have to pay extra for it :/Are there any glaring deficiencies between these scopes or crucial features that would make you choose one over the other (assuming they are the same price)?Thanks!

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 03:58:38 pm
content: Did you look at this thread?https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/is-there-a-good-midrange-($3k-to-$10k)-scope/

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 04:06:39 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on September 30, 2016, 03:58:38 pmI did, indeed! I was hoping for some specific comparisons between these two scopes which wasn't discussed in that thread. Since it is the first purchase for our company, I guess I was looking for some feedback to make me feel reassured.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 04:18:37 pm
content: Judging from experience from others I wouldn't want the Tektronix MDO3000/MDO4000 series scope. The UI and decoding would be too slow otherwise it the Tektronix definitely has the better specs so in a way both the DSOX4024A and Tektronix MDO4024C wouldn't be the most ideal choice. If I had to choose between the two I'd go for the Keysight DSOX4024A but when looking at the whole spectrum of available scopes I'd buy something completely different.

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 04:20:14 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on September 30, 2016, 04:18:37 pmMay I ask which scope(s) you use and your experience with them?

author: sambran
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 04:35:44 pm
content: Spec wise I think the most obvious difference is that Tek has the SA and Keysight has a much faster sample rate.Specs aside I think the UI is very important and this is probably a matter of taste (I personally prefer Keysight). I would highly recommend asking your distributor to let you evaluate both so you can see which one you prefer using.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 04:37:13 pm
content: Quote from: knights on September 30, 2016, 04:20:14 pmI think I've owned about a dozen DSOs over the past decade or so. Currently I have a GW Instek GDS-2204E (4 channel 200MHz) and an Agilent DSO7104A (4 channel 1GHz).GDS-2204E:Pros: long memory (but not in all modes), versatile decoding triggering, long & fast FFT, easy to operate (seperate select button) and some features the DSO7104A doesn't have (like input filtering).Cons: relatively small screen, does many operations in software so can get slow, FFT on whole memory so no 'gating'DSO7104A:Pros: big screen, high bandwidth, fast protocol decoding, digital channels, FFT on displayed data so some form of selecting data to analyse.Cons: signals are noisy (but recent Keysight scopes are better), short memory, can be hard to operate due to the single select/push button, slow FFTEven though these scopes are worlds apart they both have their strong points. I use the DSO7104A as my daily scope though but for an upcoming project the GDS2204E will be better suited. I honestly wouldn't know what scope to buy which has the strong points from both combined.

author: FrankD
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 04:44:24 pm
content: Quote from: knights on September 30, 2016, 03:52:09 pmThe SA works up to the scopes bandwidth.You only need to pay extra for the SA if you need it's full bandwidth.( = for MDO3000, )MDO4000 is extra $$$$Main product page lists LA and AWG as optional but SA as 'up to 6GHz' on the crappy website.http://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/mdo4000c-mixed-domain-oscilloscope(the upgrade tab and configure and quote reveals the additional SA tax.)

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 05:04:23 pm
content: Quote from: FrankD on September 30, 2016, 04:44:24 pmMy understanding is that this is true for the 3000 series scopes, but not for the 4000 series scopes. I was told that enabling the SA option in the MDO4024C is a separate option (the base model will not have it enabled - even to the BW of the scope).

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 05:05:48 pm
content: The Keysight 3000X scope will probably do everything as the the 4000X, but the 4000X has a bigger screen.The Tektronix gets very slow, when you do any math or decoding or FFT.The Keysight scopes are usually faster.I am using the 2000X, 3000X, 6000X and 7000B series Keysight scope and I am very happy with them.These days, I would not even consider any of the newer Tek scopes and every time I am using one, I am disappointed again.

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 05:15:23 pm
content: Quote from: sambran on September 30, 2016, 04:35:44 pmYes, but unfortunately you need to pay extra (something like $3000-4000) to have it enabled on the 4000 series scope. I've heard that the SA option on the 3000 series scope is a glorified port that is just switched into the ADC which runs an FFT. My guess is that the 4000 series scope has a much better SA which is why they want you to pay for it.QuoteI am actually familiar with both Tek and Keysight (technically Agilent, at the time) scopes. I started learning on Tek scopes and am pretty comfortable with them. I thought they were great until I actually used an Agilent scope and noticed how slow the UI is. It's a shame because I like the way things are laid out on Tek scopes, but after noticing how slow they are, I started to enjoy using the Agilent scopes more.

author: Neganur
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 06:57:28 pm
content: If memory serves, I think to recall that there was a significant difference in SA performance between the 3k and 4K Tek, with the 4K being the proper one.EDIT: ah yes, you can't have both SA and time domain at once in the 3k. Only the 4K does that.https://www.testequity.com/documents/pdf/MDO3000-MDO-DPO4000B-Comparison.pdf

author: mk_
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 07:45:13 pm
content: Quote from: FrankD on September 30, 2016, 04:44:24 pmNo. Search the forum for the script which activates all(!) options on the TEK MDO3xxx.With all required options enabled price for the MDO3014 is ok, otherwise it is completly overpriced (compared with several LeCroys I use at customers site)mk_

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 09:10:00 pm
content: Quote from: mk_ on September 30, 2016, 07:45:13 pmDoes a script exist to enable the SA for the MDO4000 series scopes? That would be truly awesome and make it immediately worthwhile to go with Tek seeing as I am being quoted the same price for both at the moment.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 09:38:21 pm
content: Quote from: sambran on September 30, 2016, 04:35:44 pmThis is not a real SA!The "SA" part in the Tek MDO is nothing like a real SA, it's pretty much just FFT as on every other scope. All Tek did was adding another high bandwidth input with N connector to their scopes. That 'SA' port goes to the same 8bit acquisition system the conventional analog inputs are connected to, and in 'SA' mode the scope performs 8bit FFT on parts of the sample data (1Mpts on the MDO3k, can't remember how much its on the MDO4k). As a result, the RF performance is abysmal, it's slow (like everything else on these scopes), and, unlike a real SA, because it's just FFT on a an old and slow scope platform (these are essentially just DPO3000/4000 scopes) there are various limitation regarding span and RBW. The only real advantage is that the additional port offers a much higher BW (3GHz/6Ghz, if you pay for it) than the analog BW of the scope, but considering how poor the SA part is I'd say the real-life advantage is negligible.As stated in another thread, I have (again, because a colleague I gave it to brought it back) a MDO3054, and we had various MDO4000 models for evaluation and all have been slow and painful to use. Tek has come up with mediocre at best and often just poor DSOs since the days of analog scopes ended, and we now don't even consider them anymore unless one of our labs insists on including them (which is rare, and Tek never gets the business).I'm not a huge fan of the Keysight DSOX because in my opinion it sacrifices too much for its excessive waveform update rate (which isn't as much as an advantage as Keysight makes you believe), primarily sample memory (4Mpts is a sad joke, and depending on what you do this even half or quarters so you might end up with 1Mpts) and functionality. Plus Keysight really squeezes people with their pricing (the DSOX are very expensive for what they are, even the expensive DSOX6004 is pretty much an entry-level scope platform). However, I'd take a DSOX4k over a Tek MDO any day, no hesitation.BTW, just a word of warning as to "unlocking" options. That is generally tolerated for private users/consumers/hobbyists, but not when the scope is used in a role to earn money (i.e. a business). I don't know about Tek but Keysight, LeCroy and R&S keep records which scopes have which options enabled, from factory and after sale, and when an instrument comes back for service or calibration they tend to check if there are any illegitimate options enabled. And if they do find some then there are various outcomes, all of which are very unpleasant for the business that got caught using a hacked scope.

author: FrankD
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 09:46:02 pm
content: Quote from: knights on September 30, 2016, 09:10:00 pmChances are that the key generator method is the same for the 4k model.The script for the 3k doesn't list specific options for the 4k model .I could not get the script working at first. (Never used python)I may be wrong but I run into problems with the script as it needed an older version of python.A little reverse engineering got it up and running:I could verify the generated key for the SA option (was include in the deal) and the DVM option was an exact match with the official keys. The hack is reversible just by generating a new key or use the original string.0x0000000002000000, "AERO", "Aerospace serial bus"0x0000000004000000, "AUDIO", "Audio serial bus key"0x0000000008000000, "AUTO", "Automotive serial bus"0x0000000010000000, "AUTOMAX", "Full Automotive serial bus"0x0000000020000000, "COMP", "Computer serial bus"0x0000000040000000, "EMBD", "Embedded serial bus"0x0000000080000000, "ENET", "Ethernet serial bus"0x0000000100000000, "FLEX", "FlexRay serial bus"0x0000000200000000, "USB", "USB serial bus"0x0000004000000000, "LMT", "Limit/Mask test"0x0000008000000000, "PWR", "Power analysis"0x0000080000000000, "TRIG", "RF triggering"0x0000040000000000, "VID", "HD and Custom Video"0x0000800000000000, "CAL", "Calibration bit for manufacturing test"0x0002000000000000, "BETA", "Beta release"0x0004000000000000, "DEMO", "Internal demo unit"0x0008000000000000, "DDU", "Distribution Demo Unit"0x0000000000000001, "70MHz", "70MHz bandwidth"0x0000000000000002, "100MHz", "100MHz bandwidth"0x0000000000000004, "200MHz bandwidth", "200MHz"0x0000000000000008, "300MHz", "300MHz bandwidth"0x0000000000000010, "350MHz", "350MHz bandwidth"0x0000000000000020, "500MHz", "500MHz bandwidth"0x0000000000000040, "1GHz", "1GHz bandwidth"0x0000000000000080, "2GHz", "2GHz bandwidth"0x0000000000000200, "BW0T1", "Upgrade bandwidth from 70MHz to 100MHz"0x0000000000000400, "Upgrade bandwidth from 70MHz to 200MHz", "BW0T2"0x0000000000000800, "BW1T2", "Upgrade bandwidth from 100MHz to 200MHz"0x0000000000001000, "BW1T3", "Upgrade bandwidth from 100MHz to 300MHz"0x0000000000002000, "BW1T3", "Upgrade bandwidth from 100MHz to 350MHz"0x0000000000004000, "BW1T5", "Upgrade bandwidth from 100MHz to 500MHz"0x0000000000008000, "BW2T3", "Upgrade bandwidth from 200MHz to 350MHz"0x0000000000010000, "BW2T5", "Upgrade bandwidth from 200MHz to 500MHz"0x0000000000020000, "BW3T5", "Upgrade bandwidth from 300MHz to 500MHz"0x0000000000040000, "BW3T5", "Upgrade bandwidth from 350MHz to 500MHz"0x0000000000080000, "BW1T10", "Upgrade bandwidth from 100MHz to 1GHz"0x0000000000100000, "BW2T10", "Upgrade bandwidth from 200MHz to 1GHz"0x0000000000200000, "BW3T10", "Upgrade bandwidth from 350MHz to 1GHz"0x0000000000400000, "BW5T10", "Upgrade bandwidth from 500MHz to 1GHz"0x0000000400000000, "DVM", "Digital Voltmeter"0x0000000800000000, "AFG", "Arbitrary Function Generator"0x0000001000000000, "MSO", "Mixed Signal Oscilloscope"0x0000002000000000, "SA", "Spectrum analyzer maximum input frequency"0x0000000000000100, "SEC", "Security lockout"The hex option string can be calculated by combining the options above-----------------------------------------------------------------------0x0000000400010000 = U500Mhz + DVM -> 'kkkkk-eeeee-yyyyy-ggggg-eeeee-n'0x0000000000000020 = 500MHz0x0000000400000000 DVM0x0000000800000000 AFG0x0000000C00000020 500 + DVM +AFG -> 'kkkkk-eeeee-yyyyy-ggggg-eeeee-n'Run module gen.py in Python. Run following code as command linetek.key.encode("MDO3xxx", "serialno", 0x000000DFFE000020) outputs key.= All options excluded SA

author: FrankD
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 10:02:31 pm
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on September 30, 2016, 09:38:21 pmThis might be true for the 3k which is not multi domain( It is a very basic SA but it is far superior to it's fft math)The 4k is able to display four channels plus the signal from the SA input simultaneously so it must have dedicated hardware for the sa channel.For business use a hacked scope is a no go. For some extended evaluation it could be handy though to try out an upgrade option before buying.

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 10:04:58 pm
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on September 30, 2016, 09:38:21 pmIs this true for both the 3000 and 4000 series scopes? My understanding was that the 4000 series scope's SA has much better performance. I guess having time-correlated frequency signals on one display is a nifty feature for sure - but if what you're saying is true, it seems that just buying a stand-alone SA would offer much better performance for the price you would pay.Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on September 30, 2016, 09:38:21 pmI tried contacting LeCroy's distributors (if I recall, you are a strong advocate of their scopes!) but was very disappointed with their response time. It took them 3 weeks just to respond to my initial quote request, and then during the demo, the representative did not even know how to operate the scope! I had to help with the setup and configuration and it was my first time using it! I was not reassured with the service or support we would get after making a purchase, and their scopes were quoted at a much higher price. The Wavesurfer 3000 was approximately $5500 CAD (without any protocol decoding bundles).Which scopes would you recommend I consider in the future (and are they in a similar price range - CAD $6000 - to what I'm being offered currently)?Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on September 30, 2016, 09:38:21 pmThanks for mentioning this. I definitely do not want to run into any legal issues as this scope is being used for official business purposes!

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 10:26:35 pm
content: Quote from: knights on September 30, 2016, 10:04:58 pmThat's truly abysmal. How does a reseller like that even get to represent any test equipment brand.In your case it might be wise to asses the support and response of any of your local dealers and then focus on what they've got to offer.Then there's the recent PSU problems with Keysight's that you need to consider and be sure to obtain an extended warranty as they can apparently fail just outside normal warranty.Yep, it's a minefield out there.

author: knights
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 10:58:59 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on September 30, 2016, 10:26:35 pmThe representative explained that they were not familiar with the lower models of their scopes as they are used to selling all of their fancy 60 GHz + equipment. I suppose that's understandable, but it definitely does not inspire confidence during the first meeting with a prospective client!Quote from: tautech on September 30, 2016, 10:26:35 pmOh wow, I haven't even heard of this issue. Do you have any links/sources for this? This is the equipment list I'll likely be settling on, by the way:Keysight DSOX4024A Oscilloscope (with DSOXAPPBNDL included)Keithley 2231-30-3 DC Power SupplyKeysight 34461A 6.5 Digit DMMTektronix AFG1022 Function GeneratorI hope I won't run into any issues!

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 11:12:38 pm
content: First one must say that forum member Daniel from Keysight beavered behind the scenes to appease their customer however it should have never come to that should the local dealer have been more supportive of their customer.It was with a 2kA model and if you have a hunt within the forum you can find the 13 page thread.It got a bit heated as these thing do so the OP finished by offering his thanks to Daniel in this thread:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/thank-you-daniel-my-faith-in-agilent-keysight-has-been-restored-)/

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 30, 2016, 11:22:21 pm
content: I'm not aware of any power supply issue with the Keysight scopes. There were some 2000s and 3000s that suffered from corrupted flash images though. The latest firmware version has changes to help with the problem according to Daniel(from Keysight).knights - that is a great collection of gear that should serve the company well, also Keysight has great warranty support in Canada on the off chance you ever need to use it.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2016, 01:13:13 am
content: Quote from: knights on September 30, 2016, 10:04:58 pmThe MDO4k is slightly better but it's still not a "real" SA but merely an extra high BW input that feeds into the scope's normal 8bit acquisition system for FFT (with the SA option enabled you lose the 4ch 5GSa/s mode, i.e. it's still 5GSa/s in 1 and 2ch mode but only 2.5GSa/s in 4ch mode as the rest goes to the SA). It's still 8bit resolution, and a (for an SA) pretty poor timebase stability.QuoteDon't forget that you can get TD on some standalone SA's as well, which in split mode would give you a time-correlated image of the waveform and the spectrum.QuoteYeah, that's bad. But I have a certain dislike for distributors anyways (I hate them as they rarely provide any benefit for their piece of the cake, and I get better offers from the manufacturers directly) so that's not completely surprising. My experience with the Canadian market is limited, but I'd always recommend to go through the manufacturer, which should either deal with you directly or kick one of its distributors into action. Also, don't confuse the laziness of some of the leeches (distributors) with what you can expect as product support which comes from the manufacturer, which pretty much all big brands (except Tek) deliver to a very high standard. LeCroy is no exception and in fact offers some of the longest support periods in the industry. Plus they provide software maintenance much longer than anyone else, including Keysight.In terms of scope, the WS3000 sounds like a fitting candidate. The 200Mhz 4ch version should be around $3800 (that's USD). In practice you also shouldn't really have to pay extra for the decode options. Like other big brands, LeCroy regularly offers ex-demo scopes (which tend to come with all options) with discounts of up to 45%.QuoteCAD6k is roughly US$4500. That should buy you a 200Mhz 4ch WS3024 and still leaves you with some money to spend on other things (i.e. active probe). With some luck that might even buy you a 500MHz 4ch ex-demo WS3054.One last bit of advice: don't decide on a scope on what you read here or what the spec sheet say. Get loaners of all scopes that you consider in your lab and give them a spin around the block (even the Tek MDO4k, who knows, maybe you're one of the three people in the world who like them), and then decide which one to buy. Never spend what by any standard is a significant amount of money on test gear without having a test drive. After all, at the end of the day*you*and your colleagues have to feel comfortable with the scope and its capabilities.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2016, 01:19:47 am
content: Quote from: FrankD on September 30, 2016, 10:02:31 pmIt *is* the same as it's FFT math. I know because I have a MDO3K here. The only difference is FFT math only uses the analog channels and is therefore limited to the analog scope BW. That's it. There's nothing that's "far superior" in the SA part, only in your mind.QuoteNo, it doesn't. It's the samescamprinciple as on the MDO3k. The reason the MDO4k can run scope and SA simultaneously is because it has more spare capacity in it's acquisition system (4x 5GSa/s on the MDO4k vs 4x 2.5GSa/s on the MDO3kA <1GHz). The MDO4k can run all four channels at 5GSa/s (one ADC per channel) unless the SA option has been enabled after which the sample rate drops to 2.5GSa/s in 4ch mode (2 ADCs for scope, 2 ADCs for SA).BTW: fixed your full quote

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2016, 01:30:31 am
content: Quote from: knights on September 30, 2016, 10:58:59 pmThere's a chance to save quite a bit of money by buying the original instead of the rebadgehttp://www.owon.com.hk/products_info.asp?ProID=177#sthash.P9MhxxHH.dpbs

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2016, 01:57:13 am
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on October 01, 2016, 01:13:13 amThat is good advice and what also helps is to come up with a real test plan and spend a day going through it to make sure you have covered some ground and have a good feel for the instrument.

author: jjoonathan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 02:52:25 am
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on October 01, 2016, 01:19:47 amExcept that they've paid attention tophase noiseandspurs, they've broken outpower,amplitude/frequency/phase(includingdeviation), etc as first class triggerable traces, they store downconverted I/Q data so you can capture time-correlatednon-basebandspectra withmassive bandwidth/ acrossmultiple bandswhile maintaining temporal resolution. Then you can feed that into signal-vu and performwideband demodulationwithequalization, time-correlatedconstellation diagrams,EVM measurements,decodes, and the like.Quote from: WuerstchenhundYou keep throwing the "FFT Mpts" figure around even though both myself and that poor R&S engineer you got on the phone earlier have tried to explain why it's not a good tool for talking about Nt!=Nf FFTs. Instead, the relevant quantity is noise floor as a function of time localization and bandwidth. The careful wording in that last bit is a hint at the tradeoffs that are being made.RTSA: Bad Bandwidth, Good Time Localization, Good Noise FloorSHSA: Good Bandwidth, Bad Time Localization, Good Noise FloorMDO: Good Bandwidth, Good Time Localization, Bad Noise FloorOf course, these are only tradeoffs in the sense of their extrema. If you can live in narrow bands, an RTSA is all you need. If you can live without superb time localization, a swept-het SA is all you need. If you can live without an excellent noise floor, the MDO is all you need. IMO, the MDO sounds like an awfully powerful combination. It has warts and shortcomings in abundance, but there is no good excuse for refusing to even try to tease out the tradeoffs. Pure laziness. Bleh.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 05:44:47 am
content: Quote from: jjoonathan on October 04, 2016, 02:52:25 amYeah, great. Just that I can do pretty much the same (except the 3/6GHz BW) with most other scopes in the price class of the MDO4k (don't forget the naked MDO4104C is already $17k, and the 6Ghz SA option is another $6k).As to SignalVu, there's similar VSA software from Keysight (VSA 89600A/B) and R&S (VSE), all paid-for as SignalVu. LeCroy has OFDM demodulation and signal analysis options for its normal scope software.QuoteAs already stated, the R&S guy didn't "explain" anything, in fact he was pretty much just parroting what the brochures say - which isn't a lot for a scope for which R&S wants in excess of $10k. He simply couldn't tell me how FFT on the RTO is implemented because he didn't know.Also, for the way most scopes do FFT (and do so for a reason), the FFT sample size *is* important. The fact that you can use alternative methods to calculate FFTs which don't have the same memory requirements is irrelevant if that's not what your scope does.QuoteOf course the MDO's "SA" has a good RBW and time localization, but that's pretty much true for any scope with decent FFT. And yes, the noise floor (and the dynamic range) is poor on the MDOs, because they only have an 8bit ADC.Besides, a RTSA isn't necessarily worse in BW than a Superhet-based SA (swept SA).QuoteYeah, well, while that is all nice and interesting, it's completely missing the point. Which is that the "SA" in the MDO isn't more than FFT as on any other scope, just coupled with a high BW input. And it's RF performance is nowhere near what you can expect from a decent standalone swept SA. or even a good FFT/Vector SA.