The Tektronix TDS520A is a professional-grade 500 MHz, 2-channel digital storage oscilloscope designed for high-performance waveform acquisition and analysis. Featuring a maximum sample rate of 500 MS/s, high vertical resolution up to 12 bits in HiRes mode, and an array of advanced triggering capabilities, it serves as a highly reliable tool for electronic design, debug, and compliance testing.
Specifications
General
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Interfaces | GPIB (standard); RS-232 and Centronics Parallel (with Option 13) |
| Display | 7-inch monochrome CRT with high resolution |
| Warm-up Time | 20 minutes |
Physical
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Supply | 90 to 250 V AC RMS, 45 to 440 Hz, < 300 W maximum |
| Operating Temperature | 4 to 50 |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 422 × 193 × 511 |
| Weight | 12.3 |
| Cooling Clearance | 2 in (51 mm) left side and rear |
Vertical System
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of Channels | 2 |
| Auxiliary Channels | 2 (Aux 1 and Aux 2) |
| Analog Bandwidth (-3 dB) | 500 MHz |
| Bandwidth Limit Filters | 20 MHz, 100 MHz, and Full (500 MHz) |
| Calculated Rise Time | 700 ps |
| Vertical Resolution | 8 bits (up to 12 bits with HiRes or averaging) |
| Input Sensitivity Range | 1 mV/div to 10 V/div |
| DC Gain Accuracy | ±1.5% |
| Input Impedance | 1 MΩ in parallel with 10 pF, or 50 Ω (selectable) |
| Input Coupling | AC, DC, GND |
| Maximum Input Voltage (1 MΩ) | ±400 V (DC + peak AC); derate at 20 dB/decade above 1 MHz |
| Maximum Input Voltage (50 Ω) | 5 V RMS |
| Channel-to-Channel Isolation | ≥ 100:1 at 100 MHz; ≥ 30:1 at 500 MHz |
| Offset Range | ±1 V (1 mV/div to 99.5 mV/div), ±10 V (100 mV/div to 995 mV/div), ±100 V (1 V/div to 10 V/div) |
| Position Range | ±5 divisions |
| Vertical Offset Range | ±1 V (1 mV to 99.5 mV/div), ±10 V (100 mV to 995 mV/div), ±100 V (1 V to 10 V/div) |
Horizontal System
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Timebase Range | 500 ps/div to 10 s/div |
| Timebase Modes | Main, Delayed |
| Timebase Accuracy | ±25 ppm (0.0025%) over any interval ≥ 1 ms |
| Channel Deskew Range | ±50 ns |
| Delay Jitter | < 10 ps + 1 ppm of delay time |
| Pre-trigger Delay Range | 0% to 100% of record |
| Post-trigger Delay Range | 0 to 250 seconds |
Acquisition System
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Real-Time Sample Rate | 500 MS/s |
| Maximum Equivalent-Time Sample Rate | 25 GS/s |
| Maximum Record Length | 50,000 points (Option 1M increases to 130,000 points) |
| Acquisition Modes | Sample, Envelope, Average, Peak Detect, High Resolution (HiRes) |
| Peak Detect Glitch Width | 4 ns minimum |
| HiRes Resolution Improvement | Up to 12 bits at 50 µs/div and slower |
Trigger System
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Trigger Sources | Ch 1, Ch 2, Aux 1, Aux 2, AC Line |
| Trigger Modes | Auto, Normal, Single Sequence |
| Trigger Coupling | DC, AC, Low Frequency Reject (LF Rej), High Frequency Reject (HF Rej), Noise Reject |
| Trigger Holdoff Range | 250 ns to 12 seconds |
| Edge Trigger Sensitivity | 0.35 div from DC to 50 MHz, increasing to 1.0 div at 500 MHz |
| Video Triggering Formats | NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and Custom formats (Option 05) |
| Glitch Triggering | Triggers on glitches < 2.5 ns to 1 s |
| Width Triggering | Triggers on width from 2.5 ns to 1 s |
| Pattern Triggering | AND, OR, NAND, NOR logic on 4 channels |
| State Triggering | Clocked logic state on 4 channels |
| Setup/Hold Triggering | Triggers on setup/hold violations |
| Trigger Level Range (Internal) | ±12 divisions from center of screen |
| Trigger Level Range (External) | ±5 V |
Waveform Measurements & Analysis
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Automatic Measurements | 25 measurements (including Period, Frequency, Rise Time, Fall Time, Width, Duty Cycle, Amplitude, PK-PK, Mean, RMS) |
| Measurement Gating | Gate waveforms using cursors |
| Waveform Math Operations | Add, Subtract, Multiply, Invert |
| FFT Analysis | Optional (with Option 2F) |
| Limit Testing | Compares live waveforms to a template |
I/O Ports & Connectivity
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| GPIB Interface | IEEE-488.2 compatible (standard) |
| RS-232 Port | 9-pin D-sub (with Option 13) |
| Centronics Parallel Port | 25-pin D-sub (with Option 13) |
| Auxiliary Output | CH 1 Signal Output, Main Trigger Output, Delayed Trigger Output |
| External Trigger Input | Front-panel BNC input |
Storage & Documentation
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Internal Waveform Storage | 4 reference memory locations (Ref1 - Ref4) |
| Internal Setup Storage | 10 front-panel setup locations |
| Removable Storage Media | 3.5-inch floppy drive (standard on late production / Option 1F) |
| Hardcopy Output Formats | PostScript, HPGL, Interleaf, EPS, TIFF, BMP, PCX |
Power Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Line Voltage Range | 90 to 250 V AC RMS |
| Line Frequency Range | 45 to 440 Hz |
| Power Consumption | < 300 W |
Environmental & Safety
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Operating Temperature Range | 4 °C to 50 °C |
| Non-Operating Temperature Range | -22 °C to 60 °C |
| Operating Humidity | Up to 95% RH at or below 30 °C, up to 45% RH from 30 °C to 50 °C |
| Operating Altitude | Up to 4,570 meters (15,000 feet) |
| Non-Operating Altitude | Up to 15,240 meters (50,000 feet) |
| Safety Standards | UL 1244, CSA C22.2, EN 61010-1 |
| EMC Compatibility | EN 55011, EN 50082-1 |
| Calibration Cycle | 1 year |
Physical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | 193 mm |
| Width | 422 mm |
| Depth | 511 mm |
Display
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Display Type | 7-inch monochrome CRT (magnetic deflection) |
| Display Resolution | 640 × 480 pixels |
| Display Graticule | 8 × 10 divisions (1 division = 1 cm) |
| Display Diagonal Size | 7 in (178 mm) |
| Display Color | Monochrome |
Options
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Option 05 | Video Trigger (NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and custom formats) |
| Option 1F | File System (adds 3.5" floppy disk drive) |
| Option 1M | Extended record length (adds 50,000 points per channel) |
| Option 2F | Advanced DSP Math (adds integration, differentiation, and FFT) |
| Option 13 | Hardcopy Interface (adds RS-232 and Centronics parallel ports) |
| Option 1R | Rackmount Kit (adds slide rails and rackmounting hardware) |
| Option 95 | Calibration Test Data Report |
| Option 96 | Certificate of Traceable Calibration |
Accessories
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Included Probes | Two P6139A 10X Passive Probes |
Inputs & Outputs
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Probe Compensator Output Voltage | 0.5 V into ≥ 1 MΩ |
| Probe Compensator Output Frequency | 1 kHz |
Acquisition
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Autosetup Execution Time | < 5 seconds |
| Dual Window Zoom | Displays zoomed and unzoomed waveforms simultaneously in split screen |
| Horizontal Zoom Expansion | Up to 1000X |
| Vertical Zoom Expansion | Up to 10X |
Storage
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Floppy Disk Format (Option 1F) | 3.5-inch MS-DOS format (1.44 MB or 720 KB) |
Connectivity
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| GPIB Compliance | IEEE Std 488.2-1987 compatible |
Technology
Digital Storage Oscilloscope (DSO)
Applications
Electronic circuit design, signal integrity debugging, power analysis, and general-purpose laboratory test and measurement