High-Speed, High-Bandwidth Mixed Signal Oscilloscopes for Modern Engineering Workflows
The Analog Discovery Pro 2400 Series expands Digilent’s professional test and measurement lineup with a pair of USB-based mixed signal oscilloscopes designed for engineers who require higher bandwidth, deeper memory, and tight integration between analog and digital analysis, without moving to a full benchtop instrument.
The series consists of two models:
- Analog Discovery Pro 2440 (ADP2440)
Four-channel, 12-bit resolution oscilloscope with 100+ MHz bandwidth and up to 600 MS/s sampling
- Analog Discovery Pro 2450 (ADP2450)
Four-channel, 8-bit resolution oscilloscope with 200+ MHz bandwidth and up to 1 GS/s sampling
Both devices share the same hardware platform, software environment, and I/O architecture, allowing educators and engineers to select the performance profile that best fits their application while maintaining a consistent lab experience.
Designed for Mixed-Signal Measurement
Modern engineering systems rarely exist in purely analog or purely digital domains. The ADP‑2400 Series addresses this by integrating:
- Four front-panel BNC analog inputs
- Sixteen bidirectional digital I/O channels
- An integrated arbitrary waveform generator
- External trigger I/O
- Deep, freely allocatable memory
This combination enables simultaneous analog and digital acquisition, protocol analysis, signal generation, and long-duration capture within a single instrument.
Both models support referenced single-ended inputs with selectable 50 ohm or 1 megaohm input impedance, input ranges up to ±25 V, and ten hardware input ranges that allow users to balance resolution and dynamic range depending on the measurement task.
Analog Performance Options
The key distinction within the ADP‑2400 Series is how each model balances bandwidth and vertical resolution.
ADP2440: Resolution-Oriented Measurements
- 12-bit vertical resolution
- 100+ MHz analog bandwidth
- Up to 600 MS/s interleaved sample rate
This configuration is well suited for applications where amplitude accuracy, noise performance, and signal fidelity are priorities.
ADP2450: Bandwidth-Oriented Measurements
- 8-bit vertical resolution
- 200+ MHz analog bandwidth
- Up to 1 GS/s interleaved sample rate
This model targets higher-speed digital interfaces, fast edge characterization, and applications that benefit from increased bandwidth.
Both devices support deep buffer memory, complex triggering modes including edge, pulse, glitch, timeout, transition, and window triggers, and advanced visualization tools such as FFT, persistence, eye diagrams, histograms, and custom math functions.
Integrated Arbitrary Waveform Generator
Each ADP‑2400 Series device includes a single-channel arbitrary waveform generator offering:
- 14-bit resolution
- ±5 V output range
- Greater than 15 MHz bandwidth
- Sample rates up to 125 MS/s
Standard waveforms, advanced modulation modes, frequency and amplitude sweeps, and custom waveforms are supported. The waveform generator integrates directly with oscilloscope, network analyzer, and impedance analyzer instruments within WaveForms, enabling closed-loop measurement and characterization workflows without additional hardware.
Digital I/O and Protocol Support
The sixteen digital I/O channels are internally clocked and configurable for both acquisition and generation tasks. Key capabilities include:
- Internally scaled sampling rates up to 1.2 GS/s
- Configurable pull resistors and drive strength
- Advanced digital triggering
- Pattern generation and digital stimulus output
Supported protocol analysis and generation includes SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, I2S, LIN, SWD, JTAG, HDMI CEC, SAE J1850, and additional industry-standard interfaces. These capabilities make the ADP‑2400 Series appropriate for embedded systems education, capstone projects, and early-stage product development.
Dual Mode Operation
The ADP‑2400 Series supports Dual Mode operation, allowing two devices to be synchronized and operated as a single system. In this configuration, users gain access to:
- Eight analog input channels
- Thirty-two digital I/O channels
- Two waveform generator outputs
Automatic phase adjustment and cross-triggering allow multiple instruments to operate together without external synchronization hardware, which is particularly useful in advanced teaching labs and scalable instructional environments.
WaveForms Software and SDK
All device functionality is accessed through Digilent’s WaveForms software, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. WaveForms provides a unified user interface that reflects traditional benchtop workflows while supporting simultaneous operation of multiple instruments.
For automation and customization, users can employ the integrated scripting environment or leverage the WaveForms SDK to create custom applications using C, C++, Python, C#, and other supported languages. This enables repeatable testing, hardware-in-the-loop setups, and integration with external systems.
Physical Design and Deployment
The ADP‑2400 Series is housed in a metal enclosure designed for both desktop and mounted use. Hardware features include:
- Front-panel BNC connections for analog inputs and waveform output
- Rear-panel BNC external trigger connections
- USB Type-C connectivity with USB 3.x data rates
- DIN rail mounting support
- External power supply included
This form factor supports use in teaching labs, development environments, and semi-permanent test setups.
The Digilent Product Family
Within the Digilent test and measurement portfolio, the ADP‑2400 Series sits between Discovery Essentials devices and higher-bandwidth Analog Discovery Pro 5000 Series instruments. It is intended for users who require more bandwidth, memory depth, and I/O capability than student-focused tools provide, while maintaining the flexibility of a USB-based platform.
For academic programs, this positions the ADP‑2400 Series well for upper-division laboratories and project-based courses. For practicing engineers, it offers a compact instrument aligned with professional measurement workflows.
