Hello my name's Steve Smith and I'm an automotive application specialist here
at Pico and we're here to look at the new 4425A scope from Pico. Here's the
existing or the outgoing 4425 scope. You'll know instantly that
there's a difference in the front panel but we'll come to that in the moment.
Specification wise though they are identical so 400 million samples
a second, 250 million sample memory, 20 megahertz scope and 12-bit
resolution. Now in terms of the front panel that's a real game-changer.
The front panel of the 4425A scope still utilizes industry standard BNC
connections. You'll also see now we have six additional pins and we'll discuss
those a little bit later. But let's just go through the LEDs at the top left-hand
corner of each channel the channel colour now is represented by the relevant LED.
So channel A blue of course, red B, green C and yellow D.
The new 4425A still retains BNC industry standard connections for test leads
which is great because it still means your existing probes, your current clamps,
your test leads, whatever they may be can still connect to the new 4425A. So your
previous accessories they are not redundant in any way still connect.
So here we have examples of a conventional times one test lead. Still utilizes BNC so
existing ones at the moment and now BNC plus with the additional six
pins. Nothing changes in terms of how the signal enters the scope via these test
leads. So new and old will still fit the new 4425A. But we need to discuss
now the addition of these six pins and what BNC plus actually means for the
technician. Here we have a BNC plus times one blue test lead. Still utilizes the
conventional BNC for the signal but now with the additional six pins when we
connect, which is a clip connection, you'll notice that the blue shell of the
BNC plus lead is indicated with a blue LED all around the input.
So what are the advantages then of BNC plus? Well it reduces time, it saves set up errors, we
don't have to worry anymore now about setting up the probe menu .We push fit
BNC plus on to the scope, the scope recognizes the probe that's connected
amends the software so it sets the software probe in this case to times one and
channel A, zero offset is taken care of and you're ready to go. Moving on with BNC
plus we extend that now to current clamps. Here's the new 2000 amp clamp from Pico.
The shell of this clamp is blue and red so when we connect BNC plus, notice how the
shell indicates blue for the top half red for the bottom. Here's the real win
is that now there's power down to the clam via the scope. So now we've got no
issues with batteries going flat within the current clamp. So for those prolonged
measurements no concern there. Setup is easy the software
recognizes it's a 2000 amp clamp connected and sets the probe accordingly.
The zero offset that's taken care of as well on connections so no zero to worry
about. So again ease of use. It's a real win!
So BNC plus accessories, here we have the times ten attenuated lead that's high
impedance as well so CAN networks, FlexRay etc. You'll notice now blue
shell, yellow shell and the LED has responded accordingly and the software
has recognized it as a times ten lead connected. Another new feature for BNC
plus is the resistance lead. So now we can actually graph resistance. So again
BNC plus it's a push connection the software recognizes that the test lead
is connected the resistance lead. We can select the range that we want and I've
joined these leads together so as we can actually see that we've got a closed
circuit and that the red waveform here or the red signal is indicating zero
ohms. An additional new accessory BNC plus is the temperature probe. So now
again push connection, LEDs responds with green upper sorry yellow upper green lower the
opposite of the resistance lead. Software recognizes it's a temperature probe
connected.range there minus 50 to 150 degrees another accessory we're all
familiar with is the coil on plug probe so no different other than it has BNC
plus. So it's got Auto Pro recognition and set the scale range accordingly.
You'll notice again LEDs they've all responded to whatever shell color we
have for the relevant probe and it's selected millivolt scale because we're
not really KV directly we'll be looking at the low-voltage interpretation of the
field around the coil.
In addition to the BNC plus accessories we've already seen we've got the new
60 amp low current clamp. So wide jaw BNC plus when we connect LEDs respond to the
BNC shell so that's blue at the top yellow at the bottom, software responds
we don't have to worry about zero we don't have to now worry about power
supply down to this clamp as well it's all taken care of through B and C plus
through those additional six pins. And finally ignition pickup so HD pick up
again BNC plus connection push fit software recognizes the HD pickup is
being connected LEDs respond to B and C plus shell colors software has selected
minus 500 kV. So it is simplicity it is push fit and software sets the probe
for you zero offset taken care of if the probe requires power and that's
dealt with via the software and the scope itself. Picoscope 6 automotive
software functions as it did previously with the 4425, no difference at all.
We're demonstrating here ConnectDetect so we've got to BNC plus cables
times one test leads connected here ConnectDetect function is operational.
I'm just gonna disconnect the link between the signal wire and the ground
wire and channel B and you can see that B is updated there. Compatibility with
other files so any mix and match of files let's say you've saved PS data
files from two, three years ago with your previous scope. You've then purchased the
new 4425A you can open those in Picoscope 6. They are
completely compatible. Custom probes as well
nothing is sacrificed there so if you've made custom probes for pressure or
temperature whatever it may be still loaded into the software as normal there
is no trade off this will replace your existing scope, carry on using your existing
accessories with the current software.
The rear panel of the 4425A does have a slight difference in that,
yes USB three, but also now the
opportunity to add external power supply so that's five volt two amp power supply.
And that's for future accessories because as we develop the for 4425A
and additional new BNC Plus probes they may require additional power so its
future proofing really. But for the existing probes the BNC plus probes that
you've seen today no requirement for additional external power. The advantages
of the 4425A has to be BNC plus so think of a current clamp.
Push the current clamp on to the front of the scope, software recognizes
you've connected the clamp and selects the current amps as the units, ensures
the clamp is at zero and then powers the clamp as well so we don't have to worry
about internal battery within the clamp for those prolonged measurements, ease of use.
BNC plus, it improves connection speed operation time, push fit
connections, zero offset ,power supply it's all taken care of through BNC plus.
It reduces the risk of incorrect settings.
BNC pluses future-proof the scope even further. We've already seen what BNC
plus has done for the existing accessories that we use, the current
clamp, the times one test lead but what about the additional accessories
that we've now got. We've now got resistance lead ,temperature lead and
where we can go from there, how we can improve accessories that haven't
benefited at this point in time from BNC plus and additional future
accessories that we're working on right now. 4425A, become
comfortable and confident using the scope first time out of the box.