Multiple channel and fast digitizing system suggestions - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: pFtr34wESD
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 23, 2022, 04:29:51 pm
content: I am looking for a system to digitize analog signals which are pulses with amplitude from 0 V up to 1 V, rise time 200-600 ps, peak duration from 1-3 ns and noise rms 0.5-2 mV. Currently I am using a LeCroy WaveRunner 9254M and it works very well, but now I need between 12 and 32 channels so I am looking for something else. I don't need an oscilloscope (i.e. no need for a screen, knobs, processing/measuring functions, etc), just need an acquisition system to digitize these signals in a similar way than the 9254M and get the raw data into a PC.A rough summary of what I need:- Number of analog channels >= 12.- Bandwidth > 2 GHz.- Sampling rate >= 20 GS/s.- Input range from 0 to 1 V.- Vertical resolution ~ 8 bit.- Time acquisition window ~ 100 ns.I have found a few products that can do something like this but not many. So if you have suggestions that would be very much welcome.I'm looking for some "black box" as much as possible "plug and play", don't want to develop my own acquisition system for this.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2022, 09:37:54 pm
content: Welcome to the forum.This is coming, will do what you need however as yet we don't know when:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sds6000l-2ghz-12bit-8-ch-(china-only)/

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2022, 10:11:13 pm
content: I'd look at data acquisition products that can have multiple acquisition modules in a mainframe. I would avoid a solution that consists of seperate boxes. The most difficult part is to get seperate boxes in precise time sync (time sync is a big step above frequency sync!) so you can time correlate the signals. This is not something to be underestimated; it is difficult to achieve even when the sampler modules are sitting in the same mainframe!

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2022, 11:36:22 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on November 23, 2022, 10:11:13 pmThe Siglent headless scopes Tautech mentioned have proper synchronization but as he says not available at the moment, unfortunately. Other manufacturers have headless scopes too..Specialized sampler mainframe would be great. I have no firsthand experience with those.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2022, 11:43:07 pm
content: Quote from: 2N3055 on November 23, 2022, 11:36:22 pmFirst of all the sampling rate is too low to meet OP's requirements. Secondly it is not a good idea to blindly recommend a product that has not been field tested. Thirdly -as having a lot of experience with synchronising equipment at the single digit picosecond level- I strongly doubt the Siglent solution can achieve time synchronisation at a sufficient level given the block diagram.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2022, 11:50:04 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on November 23, 2022, 11:43:07 pmFFS where do you think the largest single test field for Siglent actually is ?Have you not heard of a place called China ?Last I enquired it was to be available this year, Q4.

author: jhenderson0107
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2022, 12:23:42 am
content: The RTX16 SOMhttps://www.elkengineering.com/_files/ugd/d07548_fe8eb820d8084beb96fc20a054533fbe.pdfseems to meet your requirements.It is distributed via Avnet as the XRF16 gen3.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2022, 08:12:41 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on November 23, 2022, 11:43:07 pmWhy do you snap at people for no reason? I wasn't recommending anything. I made a comment to you that piece of equipment can in fact be synchronized opposite to what you said. You made an error, I corrected you. You re welcome!Picosecond level triggering is solid on these scopes, and even on single unit it requires careful attention to cabling propagation delays etc. I don't see OP requiring single ps level of accuracy though..And,again I didn't recommend it because it is not for sale in EU anyways.And you are right, sample rate is lower that OP asked for. There is also a 8000 series from Rigol that is rack mount, but only 4ch may per module. Which also does not meet the requirements and didn't try it myself either so can't say how it works in practice.