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With the PicoScope 4262, focus on what’s important for measuring analog signals: increasing the resolution, improving dynamic range, and reducing noise and distortion.
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Personal Greeting

A digital oscilloscope for the analog world

16 bit oscilloscope

  • Dual channel oscilloscope / spectrum analyzer
  • 16-bit resolution
  • Low distortion (96 dB SFDR)
  • Low noise (8.5 µV RMS)
  • 5 MHz bandwidth
  • 16 MS buffer memory
  • Low-distortion signal generator
  • Arbitrary waveform generator
  • USB powered

Most digital oscilloscopes have been designed for viewing fast digital signals. The trend has been to use new technology solely to increase sampling rate and bandwidth. With the PicoScope 4262, however, we have focused on what’s important for measuring analog signals: increasing the resolution, improving dynamic range, and reducing noise and distortion.

The result is an oscilloscope / FFT analyzer that has a level of performance to put most audio analyzers to shame yet has a 5 MHz bandwidth making it equally suitable for vibration and ultrasound signals as well as a wide range of precision measurement tasks.

Many applications such as vibration analysis require long captures at high sampling rates, which requires a deep capture memory. The PicoScope 4262 has a 16 million sample buffer memory so can capture at 10 MS/s for timebases as long as 100 ms/div. If you require longer times, the USB streaming mode can sample directly into PC memory.

Advanced display

PicoScope software dedicates almost all of the display area to the waveform. This ensures that the maximum amount of data is seen at once. The viewing area is much bigger and of a higher resolution than with a traditional benchtop scope.

With a large display area available, you can also create a customizable split-screen display, and view multiple channels or different views of the same signal at the same time. As the example shows, the software can even show multiple oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer traces at once. Additionally, each waveform shown works with individual zoom, pan, and filter settings for ultimate flexibility.

The PicoScope software can be controlled by mouse, touchscreen or keyboard shortcuts.

FFT spectrum analyzer

The spectrum view plots amplitude vs frequency and is ideal for finding noise, crosstalk or distortion in signals. The spectrum analyzer in PicoScope is of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) type which, unlike a traditional swept spectrum analyzer, can display the spectrum of a single, non-repeating waveform.

A full range of settings gives you control over the number of spectrum bands (FFT bins), window types, scaling (including log/log) and display modes (instantaneous, average, or peak-hold).

You can display multiple spectrum views alongside oscilloscope views of the same data. A comprehensive set of automatic frequency-domain measurements can be added to the display, including THD, THD+N, SNR, SINAD and IMD. A mask limit test can be applied to a spectrum and you can even use the AWG and spectrum mode together to perform swept scalar network analysis.

More information on Spectrum analyzer >>

arbitrary waveform editor

Arbitrary waveform and function generator

The PicoScope 4262 has a built-in 20 kHz function generator (sine, square, triangle, DC voltage, ramp, sinc, Gaussian, half–sine, white noise and PRBS). The function generator offers an outstanding sine wave distortion performance of 102 dB SFDR.

As well as basic controls to set level, offset and frequency, more advanced controls allow you to sweep over a range of frequencies. Combined with the spectrum peak hold option this makes a powerful tool for testing amplifier and filter responses.

Trigger tools allow one or more cycles of a waveform to be output when various conditions are met such as the scope triggering or a mask limit test failing.

As well as the standard waveforms available from the function generator, custom waveforms can be created using the 16 bit / 192 kS/s arbitrary waveform generator (AWG). AWG waveforms can be created or edited using the built-in editor, imported from oscilloscope traces, or loaded from a spreadsheet.

More information on Arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) >>

High signal integrity

Most oscilloscopes are built down to a price. Ours are built up to a specification.

Careful front-end design and shielding reduces noise, crosstalk and harmonic distortion. Over 20 years of high resolution oscilloscope design experience leads to improved pulse response and bandwidth flatness.

We are proud of the dynamic performance of our products and publish these specifications in detail. The result is simple: when you probe a circuit, you can trust in the waveform you see on the screen.

Portability

The PicoScope 4262 oscilloscope is small, light and portable and requires no external power supply.  

In the lab they take up the minimum of bench space while for the engineer on the move they slip neatly into a laptop bag.

fast waveform update rate

Hardware acceleration ensures fast screen update rates even when collecting 10,000,000 samples per waveform

Hardware Acceleration Engine (HAL2)

Some oscilloscopes struggle when you enable deep memory; the screen update rate slows and controls become unresponsive. PicoScope 4262 avoids this limitation with use of a dedicated hardware acceleration engine inside the oscilloscope. Its parallel design effectively creates the waveform image to be displayed on the PC screen and allows the continuous capture and display to the screen of millions of samples every second. PicoScope oscilloscopes manage deep memory better than competing oscilloscopes, both PC-based and benchtop.

The PicoScope 4262 is fitted with second-generation hardware acceleration (HAL2). This speeds up areas of oscilloscope operation such allowing thousands of waveform updates per second and the segmented memory/rapid trigger modes. The hardware acceleration engine ensures that any concerns about the USB connection or PC processor performance being a bottleneck are eliminated.

Advanced digital triggering

The majority of digital oscilloscopes still use an analog trigger architecture based on comparators. This causes time and amplitude errors that cannot always be calibrated out and often limits the trigger sensitivity at high bandwidths.

In 1991 Pico pioneered the use of fully digital triggering using the actual digitized data. This technique reduces trigger errors and allows our oscilloscopes to trigger on the smallest signals, even at the full bandwidth. Trigger levels and hysteresis can be set with high precision and resolution.

The sub-10 µs rearm delay provided by digital triggering, together with segmented memory, allows up to 10,000 waveforms to be captured in a 20 ms burst.

The PicoScope 4262 offers an industry-leading set of advanced triggers including pulse width, runt pulse, windowed, logic and dropout.

More information on Triggers, advanced >>

PicoScope color persistence mode

Digital persistence modes

Advanced display modes allow you to collect thousands of waveforms per second. New or more frequent data can be displayed in a brighter color or shade. This makes it easy to see glitches and dropouts and to estimate their relative frequency. Choose between analog persistence, digital color, fast or custom display modes.

More information on Persistence modes >>

Oscilloscope mask limit test

The waveform buffer navigator can quickly highlight waveforms that fail the mask limit test

Mask limit testing

Mask limit testing allows you to compare live signals against known good signals, and is designed for production and debugging environments. Simply capture a known good signal, draw a mask around it, and then attach the system under test. PicoScope will check for mask violations and perform pass/fail testing, capture intermittent glitches, and can show a failure count and other statistics in the Measurements window.

More information on Mask limit testing >>

waveform buffer

Waveform buffer and navigator

Ever spotted a glitch on a waveform, but by the time you’ve stopped the scope it has gone? With PicoScope you no longer need to worry about missing glitches or other transient events. PicoScope can store the last ten thousand oscilloscope or spectrum waveforms in its circular waveform buffer.

The buffer navigator provides an efficient way of navigating and searching through waveforms, effectively letting you turn back time. Tools such as mask limit testing can also be used to scan through each waveform in the buffer looking for mask violations.

More information on Waveform buffer >>

CAN bus serial decoding

Serial bus decoding and protocol analysis

PicoScope can decode 1-Wire, ARINC 429, CAN & CAN-FD, DCC, DMX512, Ethernet 10Base-T,  FlexRay, I²C, I²S, LIN, MODBUS, PS/2, SENT, SPI, UART (RS-232 / RS-422 / RS-485), and USB 1.1 protocol data as standard, with more protocols in development and available in the future with free-of-charge software upgrades.

Graph format shows the decoded data (in hex, binary, decimal or ASCII) in a data bus timing format, beneath the waveform on a common time axis, with error frames marked in red. These frames can be zoomed to investigate noise or signal integrity issues.

Table format shows a list of the decoded frames, including the data and all flags and identifiers. You can set up filtering conditions to display only the frames you are interested in or search for frames with specified properties. The statistics option reveals more detail about the physical layer such as frame times and voltage levels. PicoScope can also import a spreadsheet to decode the data into user-defined text strings.

More information on Serial bus decoding and protocol analysis - overview >>

High-end features as standard

Buying a PicoScope is not like making a purchase from other oscilloscope companies, where optional extras considerably increase the price. With our scopes, high-end features such as serial decoding, mask limit testing, advanced math channels, segmented memory, and a signal generator are all included in the price.

To protect your investment, both the PC software and firmware inside the scope can be updated. Pico Technology have a long history of providing new features for free through software downloads. We deliver on our promises of future enhancements year after year, unlike many other companies in the field. Users of our products reward us by becoming lifelong customers and frequently recommending us to their colleagues.

 

PicoScope 4262 Specifications

Oscilloscope — vertical
Input channels 2
Bandwidth
±20 mV range
±10 mV range
5 MHz
4 MHz
3 MHz
Hardware bandwidth limiter 200 kHz, switchable
Rise time (calculated)
±20 mV range
±10 mV range
70 ns
88 ns
117 ns
Input type Single-ended, BNC connector
Vertical resolution 16 bits
Enhanced vertical resolution 20 bits
Input sensitivity 2 mV/div to 4 V/div (10 vertical divisions)
Input ranges (full scale) ±10 mV to ±20 V in 11 ranges
Input coupling Software-selectable AC/DC
Input characteristics 1 MΩ ±2% || 15 pF ±2 pF
DC accuracy (% of full scale)
±50 mV range
±20 mV range
±10 mV range
±0.25%
±0.5%
±1%
±2%
Overvoltage protection ±50 V (DC + AC peak)
Oscilloscope — horizontal
Maximum sampling rate (real-time) 10 MS/s
Maximum sampling rate
(continuous streaming mode)
Using PicoScope
Using the SDK


10 MS/s
10 MS/s one channel (PC-dependent)
6.7 MS/s two channels (PC-dependent)
Timebase ranges 1 µs/div to 5000 s/div
Buffer memory 16 MS shared between active channels
Streaming buffer memory (PicoScope) 100 MS (shared)
Streaming buffer memory (SDK) Up to available PC memory
Maximum buffer segments (PicoScope) 10,000
Maximum buffer segments (SDK) 32,768
Maximum waveforms per second 9,100 (typical)
Timebase accuracy ±50 ppm
Sample jitter < 10 ps RMS
Dynamic performance (typical)
Crosstalk > 50,000:1
Harmonic distortion –95 dB typical @ 10 kHz, –1 dBfs input
SFDR 96 dB typical @ 10 kHz, –1 dBfs input
Noise 8.5 µV RMS (on most sensitive range)
Bandwidth flatness [+0.25 dB, –3 dB] from DC to full bandwidth
Pulse response < 1% overshoot on all ranges
Triggering (general)
Trigger modes Free run, auto, repeat, single, rapid (segmented memory)
Maximum pre–trigger capture Up to 100% of capture size
Maximum post–trigger delay Up to 4 billion samples
Trigger rearm time < 10 µs on fastest timebase
Triggering (main inputs)
Source Ch A, Ch B
Trigger types Rising, falling, adjustable hysteresis, window, pulse width, window pulse width, dropout, window dropout, interval, logic, runt pulse
Trigger level Adjustable over whole of selected voltage range
Trigger sensitivity Digital triggering provides 1 LSB accuracy up to full bandwidth of scope
Maximum pre–trigger capture Up to 100% of capture size
Maximum post–trigger delay Up to 4 billion samples
Trigger rearm time < 10 µs on fastest timebase
External trigger input
Trigger types Edge, pulse width, dropout, interval, logic, delayed
Input characteristics 1 MΩ ±2% || 15 pF ±2 pF
Input type Rear-panel BNC connector
Threshold range ±5 V and ±500 mV, DC coupled
Sensitivity 25 mV p-p at 1 MHz, typical
DC accuracy ±1% of full scale
Bandwidth 5 MHz
Overvoltage protection ±50 V
Signal generator
Standard output signals Sine, square, triangle, DC voltage, ramp, sinc, Gaussian, half–sine, white noise, PRBS
Standard signal frequency DC to 20 kHz
Sweep modes Up, down, dual
Frequency accuracy ±50 ppm
Frequency resolution < 0.01 Hz
Voltage range ±1 V (no load)
Amplitude and offset adjustment 100 µV steps (within overall ±1 V range)
Amplitude flatness < 0.1 dB to 20 kHz, typical
DC accuracy ±0.5% of full scale
SFDR 102 dB typical @ 10 kHz, -1 dBfs input
Connector type Front-panel BNC
Output characteristics 600 Ω
Overvoltage protection ±10 V
Arbitrary Waveform Generator
Update rate 192 kS/s
Buffer size 4 096 samples
Resolution 16 bits
Bandwidth 20 kHz
Rise time (10% to 90%) 11 µs, typical
Spectrum analyzer
Frequency range DC to 5 MHz
Display modes Magnitude, peak hold, average
Windowing functions Rectangular, Gaussian, triangular, Blackman, Blackman–Harris, Hamming, Hann, flat–top
Number of FFT points Selectable from 128 to 1 million in powers of 2
Scale / units X axis : linear or log 10
Y axis : logarithmic (dbV, dBu, dBm, arbitrary) or linear (volts)
Math channels
Functions −x, x+y, x−y, x*y, x/y, x^y, sqrt, exp, ln, log, abs, norm, sign, sin, cos, tan, arcsin, arccos, arctan, sinh, cosh, tanh, freq, derivative, integral, min, max, average, peak, delay
Operands A, B (input channels), T (time), reference waveforms, constants, Pi
Automatic measurements
Oscilloscope mode AC RMS, true RMS, cycle time, DC average, duty cycle, falling rate, fall time, frequency, high pulse width, low pulse width, maximum, minimum, peak to peak, rise time, rising rate.
Spectrum mode Frequency at peak, amplitude at peak, average amplitude at peak,
total power, THD %, THD dB, THD plus noise, SFDR, SINAD, SNR, IMD
Statistics Minimum, maximum, average and standard deviation
Serial decoding
Protocols 1-Wire, ARINC 429, CAN, DCC, DMX512, FlexRay, I²C, LIN, PS/2, SENT, SPI, UART/RS-232, USB 1.0
Inputs All input channels with any mixture of protocols
Mask limit testing
Mask generation Auto generate from captured waveform, manual drawing, manual coordinate entry
Actions Highlight on screen, select in buffer overview, activate alarm
Statistics Pass/fail, failure count, total count
Alarms
Initiating events Capture, buffer full, mask fail
Alarm actions Beep, play sound, stop/restart capture, run executable, save current buffer/all buffers, trigger signal generator
Display
Interpolation Linear or sin(x)/x
Persistence modes Digital color, analog intensity, fast, custom
Data export
Output file formats BMP, CSV, GIF, JPG, MATLAB 4, PDF, PNG, PicoScope data, PicoScope settings, TXT
Output functions Copy to clipboard, print
Environmental
Temperature range (operating) 0 °C to 45 °C
Temperature range (stated accuracy) 20 °C to 30 °C
Temperature range (storage) –20 °C to +60 °C
Humidity range (operating) 5% to 80% RH non-condensing
Humidity range (storage) 5% to 95% RH non-condensing
Physical properties
Dimensions (including connectors) 210 x 135 x 40 mm (approx 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.5 in)
Weight < 500 g (approx 1.1 lb)
Software
Windows software PicoScope for Windows
Software development kit (SDK)
Windows 7, 8 or 10 recommended (read more)
macOS software PicoScope for macOS (beta: feature list)
Software development kit (SDK)
OS versions: see release notes
Linux software PicoScope for Linux (beta: feature list)
Software development kit (SDK)
See Linux Software & Drivers for details of supported distributions
Languages Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
General
Additional hardware (supplied) 2 x TA375 probes, USB 2.0 cable, user manuals
PC connectivity USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 3.0; USB 1.1 not recommended)
Power requirements Powered from USB port
Safety approvals European LVD standard
EMC approvals European EMC standard
Environmental approvals RoHS compliant
Total satisfaction guarantee In the event that this product does not fully meet your requirements you can return it for an exchange or refund. To claim, the product must be returned in good condition within 14 days.
Warranty 5 years
Product
Passive oscilloscope probe: 100 MHz bandwidth 1:1/10:1 switchable, BNC
TA375
Replacement spring probe tips, 5 pack
Recommended
Replacement rigid probe tips, 5 pack
Recommended
BNC to BNC cable, 1.1 m
MI030
Recommended
Terminator: feed-through, 1 GHz 50 Ω 1 W BNC (m-f)
TA051
Recommended
Attenuator set: 3-6-10-20 dB, 1 GHz 50 Ω 1 W BNC (m-f)
TA050
Recommended
BNC plug to 4 mm (banana) plug cable, 1.2 m
MI029
Sprung hook probe 1000 V CAT III, red
TA090
Sprung hook probe 1000 V CAT III, black
TA089
Small crocodile clip, red
TA004
Small crocodile clip, black
TA003
Multimeter probe, 1000 V CAT II, red
TA002
Multimeter probe, 1000 V CAT II, black
TA001
Large dolphin clip, 1000 V CAT III, red
TA006
Large dolphin clip, 1000 V CAT III, black
TA005
USB 2.0 cable, 1.8 m
MI106
   

 

PicoScope 4262 Manuals

Resource Language Version Size Updated
Data Sheets:
PicoScope 4262 Data Sheet English 10 3 MB June 08 2016
User's Guides:
PicoScope 4000 Series User’s Guide English 7 2 MB December 09 2015
PicoScope 6 User’s Guide English 48 10 MB February 12 2018
Programmer's Guides:
PicoScope 4000 Series Programmer’s Guide English 9 1 MB June 29 2016
Triggering a PicoScope signal generator using the PicoScope API functions English 1 54 KB April 01 2015
Quick Start Guides:
PicoScope USB Oscilloscope Quick Start Guide English
 
19 1 MB March 13 2018
Training Guides:
PicoScope 6 Frequently Asked Questions English 3 949 KB August 18 2016
PicoScope 6 Oscilloscope Software Training Manual English 3 8 MB October 01 2014
Beginner’s Guide to PicoScope English 1 2 MB August 26 2014
Declarations:
PicoScope 4262 EU Declaration of Conformity English 1 559 KB August 01 2011