Keysight’s 8 Most Expensive Oscilloscopes and Why You Should Buy One

A digital storage oscilloscope is an instrument that allows you to visualize electrical waveforms. You use oscilloscopes for various applications, from engineering new products to scientific research.

To read precise waveforms, digital scopes use very high-speed digital circuits. These digital circuits allow the oscilloscope to take quick and accurate measurements. The speed and accuracy of these digital circuits come at a cost, which is why oscilloscopes are generally more expensive than other types of test equipment.

Note other factors that contribute to the high cost of some oscilloscopes.

While the above factors contribute to the high price tag of some oscilloscopes, a great solution to get your hands on a high-end oscilloscope at a much lower price is to buy a Keysight premium used oscilloscope.

Did you know Keysight offers a wide range of high-quality, premium, refurbished oscilloscopes backed by a 1-year warranty? That means when you buy with Keysight, you can rest easy knowing you're getting a quality product backed by a trusted manufacturer.

See our premium used equipment page and pick up a refurbished oscilloscope with some of the highest standards and specifications in the industry.

The saying "you get what you pay for" couldn't be more true when buying an oscilloscope. For example, if you are a hobbyist, you won't need all the features of a high-end oscilloscope. However, if you work in a professional setting where precision and accuracy are critical, you will want to invest in an oscilloscope with all the bells and whistles. Here are some of the features that can drive up the price of an oscilloscope.

Bandwidth is one of the most important factors when buying an oscilloscope. A scope's bandwidth determines the frequency range at which it can display a signal accurately. Bandwidth becomes more important at higher frequencies. Otherwise, you will only be able to see some signal components, and the high-frequency noise is aliased (moved to a lower frequency).

A scope with a large bandwidth will be more expensive than one with a smaller bandwidth, but it will also be better able to capture delicate signals and provide more precise measurements. A 20 Mhz bandwidth scope would be considered lower-end, while a top-of-the-line oscilloscope has bandwidths reaching up to 100 GHz.

The sampling rate is the number of times per second that a digital oscilloscope takes a measurement (or sample). The Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem states that a signal can be perfectly reconstructed from an infinite series of samples taken at a rate greater than twice the signal's bandwidth.

In a simplified form, this means that the sampling rate must be at least two times greater than the highest frequency component in the measured signal. Most signals of interest require a sample rate in the megahertz (MHz) range. As you can imagine, taking millions of samples per second requires significant processing power, translating into a higher price tag for oscilloscopes with high sample rates.

Oscilloscopes are generally available with 1, 2, 4, or 8 channels. The number of channels on an oscilloscope refers to the number of input signals that the scope can measure at the same time. So if you are working with a 4-channel scope, you can simultaneously measure up to 4 different signals.

While a single-channel oscilloscope will be enough for many applications, having multiple channels can be extremely helpful (and even necessary) in certain situations. For example, if you are measuring the performance of a system with multiple components, it can be very helpful to see all of the signals on one screen. This allows you to identify any anomalies and diagnose problems quickly.

Of course, more channels also mean a higher price tag. A 4-channel oscilloscope will cost more than a 2-channel scope, and an 8-channel scope will cost even more.

Memory depth is the amount of data an oscilloscope can store and display. The deeper the memory, the more information the scope will show you. This is important because it affects the sample rate or the amount of information you can see and analyze at a time. A scope with shallow memory might only be able to store a few seconds' worth of data, which will not be enough to see signal anomalies over some time. But a scope with deep memory can keep hours' or even days' worth of data, letting you zoom in for a high-resolution view of whatever portion you're interested in viewing.​​ This is important for applications like power analysis, where you might need to see an entire day's worth of data to identify trends and optimize performance.

The deeper the memory, the more expensive the scope will be. But for many applications, deeper memory is worth the extra cost.

Now that we have looked at why premium oscilloscopes are so expensive, let's look at 8 of our most expensive Keysight oscilloscopes and see what sets them apart. We will look at things like

1. Specs
2. Uses
3. Why you should buy

The InfiniiVision MSOX3104A is best suited for advanced applications requiring the highest bandwidth, sample rate, and update rate available. The large 8.5 inch screen is perfect for viewing complex signals, and the deep memory lets you capture long non-repeating signals while maintaining a high sample rate. This is the oscilloscope for you if you need to measure low jitter in today's high-speed digital systems.

If you need an oscilloscope with a capacitive touch screen and a simple interface, the MSOX3104T is for you! From the start of product development, we designed every aspect of this oscilloscope to be seamlessly driven by a touch interface that adapts to show you more. A large, sensitive, capacitive touch screen combined with a graphical user interface makes operation quick and natural, just like your favorite tablet devices.

If test speed is a must, Keysight's DSXOX415A DSOX4154A is the solution. Powered by MegaZoom IV smart memory technology, the InfiniiVision DSOX4154A lets you see more waveforms and has the uncompromised ability to find the most challenging problems in your design. Unlike other oscilloscopes, uncompromised ability means

1. Always-fast, responsive operation
2. No slowdown with logic channels on
3. No slowdown with protocol decoding on N
4. o slowdown with math functions turned on
5. No slowdown with measurements turned on

If you need an oscilloscope that is easy to use, it may surprise you just how easy it is to use the MSOX4154A X-Series. A 12.1-inch capacitive touch screen is the largest in the industry. It works like your favorite tablet or smartphone, so debugging your devices is faster than ever. Innovative zone touch triggering makes triggering on anything a breeze. Just draw a box around signals of interest and the oscilloscope triggers on them.

If you need an oscilloscope with uncompromising bandwidth and sample rates, look no further than the MSOX6004A. It has up to 6-GHz bandwidth and a 20-GSa/s sampling rate, so you can confidently measure digital signals with rise times faster than 150 ps or signals with higher than 2-Gbps NRZ (non-return to zero) data signal rates.

If an extended history mode and segmented memory are a must, then the Infiniium EXR108A is for you. It comes standard with two valuable tools that allow you to look forward and backward in time. With history mode, stop the oscilloscope at any time to review up to 1,024 previous trigger events. With segmented memory, you can capture > 100,000 events post-trigger for analysis, with no limit between events. If your design has an elusive event that only seems to happen when you're not around, these tools can help you arm the oscilloscope to look for it, then let you review what gets captured.

If a superior time base is a must, the DSOS604A has you covered. Time scale accuracy is critical, especially for deep-memory applications. Measurement of jitter is necessary for ensuring high-speed system reliability. Intrinsic jitter associated with an oscilloscope includes the internal jitter measurement of the scope. The lower the value, the better you'll be able to characterize your device. DSOS604A scopes achieve precise time accuracy with a next-generation time base architecture. It has a best-in-industry time scale accuracy of 12 ppb (after calibration) for accurate deep memory measurements and a low jitter measurement floor with 100 fs (typical) of intrinsic jitter.

If you need an oscilloscope that can do it all with a broad range of capabilities, then the MSOS804A Infiniium is the only oscilloscope you need. It packs 16 digital channels on MSO models and supports up to 100 probes, current and voltage, active and passive, 1 MΩ, and 50 Ω inputs. The MSOS804A supports feature-rich software with 50 automated measurements, 16 math functions, gating, and a spectral viewer.

If you need optional expandable software applications and flexible licensing, the MSOS804A can

1. Add protocol decode/trigger for dozens of serial buses
2. Choose from a large selection of analysis applications, including eye diagrams and measurements with SDA, jitter, InfiniiScan, and de-embedding
3. Test to ensure adherence to industry standards with compliance apps

Buy an Award Winning Keysight Oscilloscope and Improve Test Times!

If you work in an industry that demands consistent, accurate results with no room for test errors, Keysight's line of premium oscilloscopes is the best in the business. They're the best in the business because they carry some of the highest specs in the industry.

Yes, these high-end specs come with a high price tag, but it gives you both the performance and the assurance that our oscilloscopes can handle any task you throw at them and still give you the accurate results you need.

If you're in the market for a high-performance oscilloscope, don't settle for anything less than the best. Invest in a Keysight oscilloscope that gives you real peace of mind.

So why wait? Buy one of our premium, industry-leading oscilloscopes and see your testing times decrease and accuracy increase!

You are an Engineer that can’t wait 25+ weeks for your oscilloscope? You just need to finish that project? We’ve got your back! Engineers all over the world trust our refurbished oscilloscopes. Why? With slightly less capabilities, they come with

• faster shipping times
• big discounts
• Keysight Care options & optional warranty

What are you waiting for? We have limited stocks available!

Browse our premium used oscilloscope offers

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