February 2016
27
T
ools
& S
oftware
Portable, mobile‑use oscilloscope
with lab instrument performance
By Wolfgang Patelay,
Editor
This article presents the R&S Scope
Rider handheld oscilloscope,
which features the functionality and
touch-and-feel of a state-of-the-art
lab oscilloscope and combines five
instruments in a compact format.
It also includes an interview with
Jörg Fries, Vice President Oscilloscopes,
and Mathias Leutiger, Director
of Product Management Oscilloscopes,
on the launch of the R&S Scope
Rider RTH.
The R&S Scope Rider is suited for use in the
lab and in the field. With an acquisition rate
of 50,000 waveforms per second, a 10‑bit A/D
converter developed by Rohde &Schwarz and
a maximum bandwidth of 500 MHz for the
analog input channels, this portable oscillo-
scope outperforms comparable instruments.
It integrates five functions to offer a level of
versatility not found in any other instrument.
It is based on a high‑performance oscilloscope
featuring a precise digital trigger system, 33
automatic measurement functions, mask test
and XY diagram mode. Plus, the scope can
function as a logic analyzer with eight addi-
tional digital channels, as a protocol analyzer
with trigger and decoding capability, as a data
logger and a digital multimeter.
This wealth of functions makes it suited for
a wide range of tasks. The handheld oscil-
loscope is the first to be equipped with a
large‑format capacitive touchscreen, allow-
ing it to be operated as intuitively as a tablet
PC. It also features large buttons for use with
gloves and a practical multifunction wheel
for convenient parameter adjustment. Users
can confidently read their results at any time,
as all measurement information is displayed
in a clear, application‑oriented manner on
the brilliant screen. Well prepared for harsh
environments, the Scope Rider IP51‑certified
housing offers protection from environmental
hazards such as dust and dripping water. The
handheld oscilloscope has passed all mechan-
ical load tests in line with military standards.
The fully isolated instrument offers maximum
safety and meets the measurement category
requirements defined in IEC 61010-1 for CAT
IV up to 600V and for CAT III up to 1000V.
In addition to a microSD card, the instrument
features USB and Ethernet ports for uncom-
plicated storage and transfer of measurement
data. The scope also has an integrated WLAN
interface. This can be configured as a hotspot
to allow the instrument to be remotely con-
trolled via a Smartphone, Tablet PC or laptop.
A simple web browser on the mobile device is
all that is required. There is no need for addi-
tional software or apps.
With more than four hours of battery run-
time, the 2.4kg oscilloscope offers users a high
degree of flexibility during installation, main-
tenance and in emergency situations. The new
handheld oscilloscope goes beyond traditional
electrical engineering to serve a broad range
of industries. Technicians and specialists can
also use it to gain a clear understanding of
the condition of electrical installations, sys-
tems and components. For everything from
measurement data acquisition in industrial
and manufacturing settings to repairing ship-
board electrical drives and carrying out vehi-
cle test drive analyses, the R&S Scope Rider is
according to Rohde & Schwarz better suited to
the needs of such tasks than any other oscil-
loscope in its class. The R&S Scope Rider is
available as a four‑channel or a two‑channel
instrument, the latter with a digital multi-
meter, with bandwidths of 60MHz, 100MHz,
200MHz, 350MHz and 500MHz. There will
be trigger and decoding options available for
I2C, SPI, UART, RS‑232, RS‑422 and RS-485
at the time of market introduction.
Figure 1. The R
&
S Scope Rider is suited for
use in the lab and in the field and combines
five instruments in a compact IP51-certified
housing.
