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Fluke Boosts Handheld Scope Family by Doubling Bandwidth

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ChipCenter's Alex Mendelsohn says . . .

New Fluke ScopeMeter 124 Industrial Test Tool Takes Powerful Oscilloscope Capability to the Field Everett, Wash.--Designed to meet the specific needs of industrial and plant maintenance engineers who regularly need to measure and check waveforms of increasingly complex systems, the compact Industrial ScopeMeter 124 from Fluke simplifies detection of the signal anomalies, dropouts, and glitches that cause a machine to go down. In addition to being dual-channel oscilloscope with a bandwidth of 40 MHz, the Fluke 124 ScopeMeter also provides dual-channel 5000-count, true-rms multimeter functionality and paperless data recorder capability. Optional FlukeView PC software enables users to add setup descriptions. It features 20 memories, each of which is able to store measurement data, full setup information, and user text. Additional on-screen cursor measurements supplement the 26 built-in automatic measurements. There is storage capacity for 10 sets of waveform data plus setup information and user text. The typical operating time per battery charge is seven hours. Product and Ordering Information The Fluke 124 Industrial ScopeMeter is available from Fluke distributors and representatives worldwide. The suggested U.S. list price is $1495. A rechargeable battery pack, alligator clips, shielded BNC adapter, hook clips, line adapter/charger, and shielded test-leads set are all included. The 124 also has a 10:1 voltage probe to minimize signal-source loading. Extensive user documentation is supplied on CD-ROM. For more information on the Fluke ScopeMeter 124 handheld oscilloscope, contact Fluke Corporation P.O. Box 9090 Everett, WA 98206 U.S.A. Phone: (888) 492-7541 FAX: (425) 446-5116 E-mail: fluke-info@fluke.com Web: www.fluke.com/scopemeter

Fluke's ever-expanding 120 Series of ScopeMeters now pushes the 20 MHz bandwidth of the firm's Model 123 predecessor out to 40 MHz. In addition to doubling the bandwidth, the new backlit monochrome LCD-equipped Model 124 scope also touts additional features such as built-in cursors, twice as much memory for screens and setups, and a longer life battery based on a NiMH battery pack. The predecessor Model 123 (which is still available) used a NiCd pack. In this version, the NiMH pack should ensure that you won't suffer from NiCD's so-called memory problems. It's also a safer and easier to charge chemistry. Fluke has done well to upgrade its offering with this better battery technology. DMM Functions Like the earlier Model 123, the new dual-channel Model 124 also packs a dual 5,000-count true RMS voltmeter and a dual-input trend recorder. As in the past, the unit's LCD depicts both waveforms and metered parameters simultaneously. The system's multimeter also measures current, resistance (with a continuity alarm), and temperature. As you'd expect on any well-endowed DMM, a diode test function is included. Lastly, the Model 124 also includes an optically isolated RS-232 interface that lets it handshake with a PC. Performance wise, the 124 scope touts a maximum sample rate of 25 Msamples/s, with an equivalent rate of 1.25 Gsamples/s. Vertical input sensitivity goes down to 5 mV/division, with a 500 V/division maximum range. Triggering can be from a single-shot event or from a signal's edge. You can even trigger from video, and of course there's a free-running option. More on triggering in a moment. Working With Windows Then there's the optional FlukeView PC software, which runs under Microsoft Windows. As the press release mentions, it lets you add setup descriptions and text. The FlukeView's note-taking feature should come in handy when recalling complex setups. Notably, FlukeView also promises to ease the storage of measurements—the software lets you transfer waveforms, screens, and measurement data from the ScopeMeter to the Windows environment for things such as printing and pasting into documentation and reports. The FlukeView PC software also supports archiving, permitting you to create a library of waveforms replete with your own annotations. The FlukeView PC software can also be used with many of Fluke's other instruments, including the 199 Series and 196 Series, the 192 Series, and the earlier Model 123. FlukeView also lets you run so-called Replay cycles to analyze waveform changes. A Waveform Compare function lets you store reference waveforms, add operator instructions, and send both to the ScopeMeter for waveform comparison and Pass/Fail testing. FlukeView also lets you do spectral analysis on captured data. Pretty nifty. Resident Firmware On the 124 platform itself, the handheld runs what Fluke calls Connect-and-View. The Connect-and-View function enables hands-off operation, optimizing position, range, time base, and triggering settings automatically to ensure a stable display on nearly all waveforms. That can be helpful when the ScopeMeter is being used by semi-skilled personnel who may not fully understand how to set up sweep rates or triggering, for example. With the 124, if the signal changes, the unit's automatic setup will track the changes. You can also freeze a screen at any time. A word more about the 124's triggering. Using Connect-and-View, the ScopeMeter recognizes a signal's pattern and then automatically sets up the scope's triggering. Fluke claims that that ensures the repeatable display of virtually any signal, including motor drive and control signals. Signal changes are always used to make settings changes to ensure a stable display. Even if you're an experienced scope user, you can also benefit from the 124's automatic triggering feature if you're using the instrument to probe at a number of test points in succession. Speaking of quick tests, the ScopeMeter 124 also relies on just one probe for all its measurements. One probe measures waveforms and makes all other measurements such as capacitance and resistance. Although Fluke says it designed the Model 124 to meet the needs of industrial and plant maintenance folks who would tote one afield, I'm sure many of you could benefit from having a relatively small ScopeMeter 124 more or less permanently ensconced on your messy workbench.

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