PicoBNC+

The new Connection Technology PicoBNC+^TM

Pico Technology has developed the new connection technology PicoBNC+ in order to be able to connect probes with intelligent interfaces to the new PicoScope 4225A and PicoScope 4425A oscilloscopes, but at the same time also already existing probes and measuring leads with conventional BNC plugs.
This new connection technology for oscilloscopes currently is unique on the market and offers the opportunity to create new intelligent probes for the future.

Conventional BNC connectors are the industry standard and a good choice for fast, accurate voltage signals, but they are also very limited because they only have one electrical connector for the transfer of the voltage signals into the oscilloscope channel. This means that all active probes need a bulky box with a battery or an external power supply, and this should be avoided in the future.

The new PicoBNC+ connection is a plug-and-play construction - just connect and that's it!  The new measuring probes are automatically recognized by the software and set up accordingly by the oscilloscope. This enables a technician to use the PicoScope 4X25 which is also newly designed, even faster and to concentrate on checking the components in front of him.
PicoBNC+ eliminates the risk of incorrect hardware settings and ensures that the measurement curves are recorded as intended.

The new automotive diagnostics oscillosocpe now also have channel status indicators via LEDs of different colours. These help to set up the PicoScope quickly and safely by showing the user which probes and channela need to be connected and which status they have.

The PicoBNC+ interface continues to use the BNC connector to ensure the best high frequency analogue performance, but adds digital and power interfaces.
The new colour-codes plastic caps on the probes offer enough space for the electronics, which opens up unlimited possibilities for future probes. At the same time, all  BNC probes  already available to the user (without PicoBNC+) can still be used. This preserves the investment already made.

The intelligent probes are powered via the PiocScope with PicoBNC+ when they are connected to it, and thus enable long-duration captures (such as overnight battery parasitic drain tests) without the probes themselves having battery problems.

A new special feature of the PicoBNC+ measuring probes is the exchange protection:
The new PicoBNC+ measuring probes are recognized by the software which then saves this information in a PicoScope data file. When the file is subsequently opened, th software can recognize which probe is connected. The user is then informed whether the connected probe differs from the probe stored in the original configuration file.
The exchange protection is active from PicoScope Automotive Software version 7.

2-and 4-channel oscilloscopes are now available with the new connection technology as well as a wide range of known and new measurement accessories with PicoBNC+.