HP / Agilent 54542C 4 Channel 2 GSa/s Color Digitizing Oscilloscope

The HP/Agilent 54542C is a 4-channel digitizing oscilloscope delivering 500 MHz analog bandwidth and 2 GSa/s sampling rate per channel for high-fidelity signal acquisition across analog design, R&D, and manufacturing test environments. Its color LCD display, 32K-point acquisition memory per channel, and 1 ns peak detect capability enable capture and visualization of narrow transient events. The instrument combines sophisticated triggering—including logic, glitch (1 ns minimum), and TV triggering—with independent control of sample rate and record length, decoupled from sweep speed. Sequential single-shot acquisition eliminates dead time between successive events, benefiting pulsed-laser research and pulse-echo applications. Pre-trigger viewing captures signal behavior before the trigger point. Software-selectable input impedance (50 Ω or 1 MΩ) accommodates both RF and general-purpose measurements. Standard FFT delivers spectral analysis directly on acquired waveforms.

– Technical Specifications

• Analog Bandwidth: 500 MHz (4 channels)
• Sampling Rate: 2 GSa/s per channel
• Acquisition Memory: 32K points per channel
• Peak Detect: 1 ns minimum detectable width
• Input Impedance: 50 Ω or 1 MΩ (software selectable)
• Display: Color LCD
• Physical: 16 × 14 × 10 inches, 25 lbs

– Key Features

• Advanced triggering: logic, glitch (down to 1 ns), and TV modes
• Sequential single-shot acquisition for capturing successive events without dead time
• Independent record length and sample rate control
• Pre-trigger viewing of events preceding trigger point
• Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for spectral analysis
• 3.5-inch floppy disk drive (1.44 MB, MS-DOS compatible) for waveforms, setups, and screen captures (TIFF, PCX formats)
• Waveform storage: up to 665 failures of 500 points each, transferable via printer, plotter, or computer

– Typical Applications

• Pulsed-laser research and pulse-echo measurements
• Analog and digital design validation
• High-speed transient capture and characterization
• Spectral analysis via FFT

– Compatibility & Integration

• HP-IB (IEEE 488) programmability for remote control and data transfer
• Part of the 54520/54540 series; “C” suffix indicates color display and 4-channel configuration
• Flash ROM support for software upgrades via floppy disk drive