PicoScope® 3000D Series

The PicoScope 3000D Series USB Mixed-Signal Oscilloscope is designed for engineers, technicians, research laboratories, electronics manufacturers and educational institutions that require analogue and digital signal analysis in a portable USB-connected instrument.

The MSO models combine:

• Two or four analogue oscilloscope channels
• Sixteen digital logic inputs
• 50 MHz to 200 MHz model-dependent bandwidth
• Up to 1 GS/s real-time sampling
• Up to 512 MS capture memory
• Up to 100,000 waveform captures per second
• Built-in function generator
• Built-in 12-bit arbitrary waveform generator
• Advanced digital triggering
• Serial protocol decoding
• FFT spectrum analysis
• PicoScope 7 software
• PicoSDK support

PicoScope 3000D instruments connect to a Windows, macOS or Linux computer and use its display, storage and processing resources. Their compact enclosure and USB-powered design make them suitable for laboratory, production, education and portable field-testing applications.

PicoScope 3000D MSO Model Range

The range includes both two-channel and four-channel mixed-signal configurations.

The product page should use model-dependent wording because bandwidth and memory vary significantly across the range.

Two or Four Analogue Channels

The PicoScope 3000D Series is available with:

• Two analogue channels on 3200D MSO models
• Four analogue channels on 3400D MSO models

The analogue inputs are suitable for observing:

• Clock, data and enable signals
• Input and output waveforms
• Voltage and current
• Multiple power rails
• Sensor outputs
• PWM signals
• Switching power-supply waveforms
• Analogue amplifier signals
• Communication physical layers
• Phase and timing relationships

Four-channel models are useful when several related signals must be viewed simultaneously, while two-channel models provide a smaller and more cost-effective platform for paired signal measurements.

Sixteen Digital Logic Channels

Every PicoScope 3000D MSO model includes 16 digital inputs, arranged as two ports of eight channels.

The digital system provides:

• Channels D0 to D15
• Two independent threshold groups
• Maximum input frequency of 100 MHz
• Signal data rates up to approximately 200 Mb/s
• Minimum detectable pulse width of 5 ns
• ±20 V input range
• ±5 V threshold adjustment
• Time-correlated analogue and digital acquisition
• Logic pattern and edge triggering

The digital inputs can be displayed individually or grouped into buses with binary, decimal or hexadecimal values. This supports microcontroller, FPGA, CPLD and parallel bus debugging.

50 MHz to 200 MHz Analogue Bandwidth

The series offers four bandwidth options:

• 50 MHz
• 70 MHz
• 100 MHz
• 200 MHz

Calculated rise time ranges from:

• 7 ns on 50 MHz models
• 5 ns on 70 MHz models
• 3.5 ns on 100 MHz models
• 1.75 ns on 200 MHz models

A switchable 20 MHz hardware bandwidth limiter helps reduce high-frequency noise when the full model bandwidth is not required.

Typical applications include:

• Embedded-system debugging
• Microcontroller development
• FPGA testing
• Power-supply analysis
• PWM measurement
• Serial communication testing
• Sensor and actuator analysis
• Audio and general electronics
• Research and engineering education

Up to 1 GS/s Real-Time Sampling

The maximum real-time sampling rate depends on the number of enabled analogue channels and digital ports.

Typical allocation is:

• 1 GS/s with one analogue channel
• 500 MS/s with up to two analogue channels or digital ports
• 250 MS/s with up to four analogue channels or digital ports
• 125 MS/s with larger mixed analogue and digital configurations

One digital port represents eight digital channels. The available sampling rate is therefore affected when one or both digital ports are enabled.

High-speed sampling helps capture:

• Narrow pulses
• Fast waveform edges
• Overshoot and ringing
• Timing variation
• Communication errors
• Switching transients
• Intermittent glitches
• Signal dropouts

Equivalent-Time Sampling

For repetitive signals, supported models provide equivalent-time sampling rates up to 10 GS/s.

ETS performance depends on the model:

• Up to 2.5 GS/s on selected 50 MHz models
• Up to 5 GS/s on selected 70 MHz models
• Up to 10 GS/s on 100 MHz and 200 MHz configurations

Equivalent-time sampling is suitable for stable repetitive signals. It should not be used as the headline sample rate for single-shot or non-repetitive events.

Deep Buffer Memory

Buffer memory varies by model:

• 64 MS
• 128 MS
• 256 MS
• 512 MS

Deep memory allows engineers to:

• Capture long-duration waveforms
• Maintain higher sampling rates on slower time bases
• Zoom into individual events
• Record serial communication packets
• Analyse start-up sequences
• Investigate intermittent faults
• Compare repeated acquisitions
• Examine timing variation over long records

The highest-memory 3206D MSO and 3406D MSO models provide up to 512 million samples.

Segmented Memory and Rapid Triggering

The PicoScope 3000D Series supports segmented acquisition, allowing buffer memory to be divided into individual waveform records.

PicoScope software supports up to:

• 40,000 waveform segments

PicoSDK supports model-dependent segment counts of up to:

• 130,000
• 250,000
• 500,000
• 1,000,000

Rapid triggering can capture closely spaced events with a typical trigger rearm time below 0.7 µs under specified conditions.

Segmented acquisition is useful for:

• Serial packets
• Injector or ignition pulses
• Switching events
• Rare glitches
• Production test cycles
• Repetitive control signals
• Intermittent faults

Up to 100,000 Waveforms per Second

The hardware acceleration engine supports waveform capture and display rates up to approximately 100,000 wfms/s, depending on the connected computer and acquisition settings.

Fast waveform updates improve the probability of detecting:

• Rare glitches
• Runt pulses
• Timing violations
• Unstable waveform edges
• Intermittent noise
• Communication faults
• Signal dropouts
• Abnormal pulse widths

Hardware acceleration processes waveform data inside the oscilloscope before transferring display information to the computer, reducing the burden on the USB connection and host processor.

Built-In Function Generator

Every PicoScope 3000D model includes a function generator.

Supported waveforms include:

• Sine
• Square
• Triangle
• DC
• Ramp
• Sinc
• Gaussian
• Half-sine
• White noise
• PRBS

The generator supports:

• Frequencies from DC to 1 MHz
• Upward, downward and dual sweeps
• Triggered or free-running operation
• Adjustable amplitude and DC offset
• ±2 V overall output range

The generator output is located on the rear panel of MSO models.

Built-In 12-Bit Arbitrary Waveform Generator

The integrated AWG provides:

• 12-bit output resolution
• 20 MS/s update rate
• 32 kS waveform memory
• Greater than 1 MHz analogue bandwidth
• Custom waveform creation
• Captured waveform replay
• Imported waveform support

The AWG can be used for:

• Amplifier testing
• Filter evaluation
• Sensor simulation
• Circuit stimulus generation
• Relay testing
• Clock generation
• Education and laboratory experiments
• Production validation

Serial Protocol Decoding

PicoScope 7 includes serial protocol decoding as standard, without separate paid decoding licences.

Supported protocols include common embedded, automotive, industrial, audio and aerospace buses such as:

• I²C
• SPI
• UART and RS232
• CAN and CAN FD
• CAN XL
• LIN
• FlexRay
• I²S
• USB
• Ethernet
• BroadR-Reach
• 10BASE-T1S
• ARINC 429
• MIL-STD-1553
• Modbus
• SENT
• PSI5
• PMBus
• SMBus
• Parallel bus

Decoded data can be shown beside the waveform, in a table or in both formats. All analogue and digital channels may be used as protocol sources, subject to the available bandwidth and channel count.

Advanced Digital Triggering

The PicoScope 3000D Series provides advanced triggering using digitised waveform data.

Trigger types include:

• Edge
• Window
• Pulse width
• Window pulse width
• Dropout
• Window dropout
• Interval
• Logic
• Runt pulse
• Digital pattern
• Combined pattern and edge

MSO models can trigger on any selected combination of analogue and digital conditions. This is useful for isolating timing errors, setup and hold violations, incomplete pulses and communication faults.

FFT Spectrum Analysis

PicoScope software includes an FFT spectrum analyser with:

• Frequency range from DC to the oscilloscope bandwidth
• Up to one million FFT points
• Magnitude, peak-hold and average modes
• Linear and logarithmic frequency axes
• Multiple window functions
• Harmonic and distortion measurements

Spectrum measurements include:

• Frequency at peak
• Amplitude at peak
• Total power
• THD
• THD+N
• SFDR
• SINAD
• SNR
• Intermodulation distortion

This is useful for harmonic analysis, switching noise investigation, filter testing and identifying unwanted oscillations.

Waveform Mathematics and Power Analysis

PicoScope software supports waveform mathematics such as:

• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Integration
• Differentiation
• RMS
• Frequency
• Duty cycle
• Phase and delay
• Low-pass filtering
• High-pass filtering
• Band-pass filtering
• Band-stop filtering

Power-related calculations include:

• True power
• Apparent power
• Reactive power
• Power factor
• DC power
• Crest factor
• Energy-related area measurements

Custom maths channels can be displayed alongside acquired and reference waveforms.

Mask Limit Testing

Mask testing compares live waveforms against a defined reference envelope.

Masks can be:

• Automatically generated
• User-drawn
• Entered as a table
• Imported from a file

Available actions include:

• Highlighting failed waveforms
• Selecting failures in the waveform buffer
• Activating an alarm
• Saving captures
• Stopping or restarting acquisition
• Running an external program

This supports production testing, repetitive quality checks and long-duration fault monitoring.

PicoScope 7 Software

PicoScope 7 is available for:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux

The software provides:

• Oscilloscope views
• Spectrum analysis
• Serial decoding
• Automatic measurements
• Waveform mathematics
• Mask testing
• Reference waveforms
• Custom probes
• Automated actions
• Segmented memory
• Waveform buffer navigation
• Measurement statistics

PicoScope 7 and protocol decoding are included without recurring software licence charges.

PicoSDK and Automated Test Integration

PicoSDK provides direct control of the PicoScope 3000D hardware for custom software and automated systems.

It can support:

• C
• C++
• C#
• Visual Basic .NET
• MATLAB
• LabVIEW
• Microsoft Excel integration
• Bespoke production software

Continuous streaming can reach up to approximately 125 MS/s through PicoSDK, depending on computer performance and application configuration.

Compact USB-Powered Design

The PicoScope 3000D Series enclosure measures approximately:

• 190 mm wide
• 170 mm deep
• 40 mm high

Weight is below 0.5 kg.

The instruments are powered through:

• One USB 3.0 port
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Included AC adaptor for four-channel models when required

This compact design is suitable for:

• Laptop-based field testing
• Portable engineering kits
• Small workbenches
• Educational laboratories
• Automated test fixtures
• OEM integration
• Service and repair applications

Applications

The PicoScope 3000D Series MSO is suitable for:

• Embedded-system development
• Microcontroller debugging
• FPGA and CPLD testing
• Mixed-signal circuit analysis
• Digital logic analysis
• Serial protocol debugging
• Power electronics
• Switching power-supply analysis
• Automotive electronics
• Sensor and actuator testing
• Analogue circuit development
• Research and development
• Production-line testing
• Electronic service and repair
• Engineering education
• Portable field measurement
• OEM and automated test integration