Oscilloscopes Buying Guide

Oscilloscopes Buying Guide

Buying Guides

Selecting the right oscilloscope depends on the level of precision, signal integrity, and throughput your application demands. Keysight offers eight capability classes across four performance grades of oscilloscopes – Essential, Advanced, Expert, and Pro. This buying guide compares these grades and their specifications. Whether you are characterizing simple signals, ensuring compliance with the latest standards, or exploring new industry standards, each oscilloscope tier offers a unique combination of bandwidth, channels, sample rate, memory depth, resolution, and display size. Use this guide to determine which oscilloscope grade aligns with your application requirements.
 

Keysight’s oscilloscope lineup is structured into four main performance grades with varying core features:

  • Essential oscilloscopes come in three classes. The XR1-class includes InfiniiVision 1000- and 2000-series, XR2 includes 3000-series, and XR3 includes HD3. High-functionality meets affordability in these instruments, which offer a wide range of measurement capabilities in a compact package. Even the most affordable entry-level version integrates six instruments in one (an oscilloscope, waveform generator, protocol analyzer, digital voltmeter, frequency counter, and frequency response analyzer) and provides auto-measurement capabilities. You can configure options up to 1 GHz bandwidth and a 14-bit ADC with four times the resolution and half the noise floor of other general-purpose oscilloscopes. All Keysight Essential oscilloscopes feature automated test software for mask testing, FFT, and protocol triggering and decoding, plus histograms and Bode plots.
  • Advanced oscilloscopes come in two classes. The XR4-class includes 4000-series and XR5 includes 6000-series. Advanced oscilloscopes offer the same key features and capabilities as our Essential grade, plus higher bandwidth up to 1.5 GHz, faster sample rates up to 20 GSa/s, 4 Mpts memory, and a larger 12.1-inch touchscreen. With the addition of digital channels, these oscilloscopes integrate seven instruments in one. They are well-positioned for debugging more sophisticated designs that require jitter analysis, eye diagrams, and zone triggering.
  • Expert oscilloscopes come in one class. The XR6-class Expert oscilloscopes include the Infiniium EXR and MXR. For labs that demand precision measurements against the latest industry standards, these oscilloscopes reach frequencies up to 6 GHz and deliver up to eight analog channels compared with four in our Essential and Advanced oscilloscopes. Available configurations provide eight instruments in one with the addition of a real-time spectrum analyzer. They are well-suited for testing complex applications like 5G multiple-input / multiple-output, radar, and satellite communications.
  • Pro oscilloscopes come in two classes. The XR8-class includes the XR8 oscilloscope, and the XR9-class includes the Infiniium UXR. For labs that need to push the edges of performance and explore new industry standards, these oscilloscopes deliver exceptional precision and sensitivity. Pro oscilloscopes offer Keysight’s highest performance, with bandwidths up to 110 GHz, ultra-fast sampling rates up to 256 GSa/s, and the lowest jitter for maximum signal fidelity. These instruments support next-generation research and advanced compliance testing across standards such as Ethernet, PCIe, DDR, and MIPI.
     

Advanced features also help differentiate Keysight oscilloscope grades. Essential provides capabilities such as FFT analysis, mask testing, histograms, protocol decoding, and Bode plotting, delivering solid performance for entry-level applications. Advanced builds on this foundation with jitter analysis, a broader range of protocol triggering and decoding, and larger displays for faster workflows. Expert adds enhanced signal integrity analysis features and an extensive suite of standard compliance test software available for most mainstream high-speed digital signals up to 6 GHz. Pro further expands the suite of compliance test software to support cutting-edge research and development for next-generation high-speed standards.
 

Typical use cases further illustrate how each oscilloscope grade supports different engineering needs:

  • Essential oscilloscopes are ideal for education labs and general-purpose debugging. They enable you to debug low-speed signals, analyze basic waveforms, and characterize components in general electronics.
  • Advanced oscilloscopes are designed for embedded systems and mixed-signal designs, and they feature enhanced triggering and protocol decoding for analyzing mixed-signal environments in a variety of applications, such as automotive, aerospace and defense, and power electronics.
  • Expert oscilloscopes address more advanced applications such as 5G multiple-input / multiple-output, radar, and satellite communications testing. Aimed at high-speed digital and RF analysis, these oscilloscopes support signal integrity engineers working with mainstream standards or highspeed serial buses.
  • Pro oscilloscopes are ideal for next-generation research and development, high-speed compliance testing, photonic device testing, and more. They are well-suited for researchers developing next-generation standards like Ethernet, PCIe, DDR, and 5G New Radio.
     

Keysight also offers modular oscilloscopes for engineers who need benchtop performance in a compact form factor. These PXIe modules provide up to 1 GHz bandwidth and provide the same performance level as Essential and Advanced benchtop models while saving valuable rack space.
 

Keysight oscilloscopes are supported by a comprehensive suite of measurement, application, and compliance software covering protocol decoding, power analysis, signal integrity, and industry-specific compliance testing. Automated workflows and intuitive interfaces accelerate time to insight and ensure consistent, repeatable results for complex measurement tasks.
 

Before finalizing an oscilloscope purchase, it’s important to consider key selection factors:

  • Bandwidth: This determines the highest frequency an oscilloscope can accurately measure. Select Essential for signals up to 1 GHz, Advanced for up to 1.5 GHz, Expert for up to 6 GHz, and Pro for next-generation designs with signals reaching up to 110 GHz.
  • Channels: More channels enable synchronized analysis of multiple signals in complex systems. Choose Essential or Advanced for 2 or 4 analog channels for general-purpose applications, Expert for up to 8 analog channels, ideal for multiphase testing, and Pro for 2 or 4 ultra-high-speed analog channels designed for next-generation technologies.
  • Sample rate: Higher sample rates capture fast transients and preserve waveform details. Use Essential for general-purpose applications up to 5 GSa/s, Advanced for detailed signal analysis at lower bandwidths with up to 20 GSa/s, Expert for detailed signal analysis at higher bandwidths with up to 16 GSa/s, and Pro for capturing ultrafast transients in the most sophisticated applications and next-generation technologies with up to 256 GSa/s.
  • Memory depth: Greater memory depth enables long-duration captures at high resolution. Choose Essential or Advanced for short tests, Expert for extended monitoring, and Pro for high-resolution, long-duration logging and analysis.
     

Keysight oscilloscopes stand out for their high accuracy and precision, exceptional signal integrity, high-speed performance, and powerful software ecosystem. They are backed by Keysight Support Services, including calibration, repair, KeysightCare, educational resources, and Keysight Support to reduce your learning curve, enhance your uptime, and ensure the accuracy of your testing equipment.
 

Whether you're equipping a university lab, scaling up a high-speed validation lab, or pushing the frontier of next-generation communications, Keysight’s extensive range of oscilloscopes ensures there’s a great fit for your needs.