How does MDO3000 RF trigger work?

[luisprata]

Hi,

I wonder how MDO3000 RF trigger works.
It`s possible to trigger it by an external trigger?
I would like to use another scope to view time correlated waveforms. (almost like MDO4000) It would be possible?

Thanks.

[Howardlong]

No, unlike the MDO4000, the MDO3000 does not offer time correlated triggering.

Either you operate the MDO3000 as a scope or you operate it as an SA, both cannot be operated at the same time, again unlike the MDO4000.

This restriction is not very well communicated IMHO by Tek marketing, probably deliberately so.

[luisprata]

Yes,

I`ve seen on EEVBlog teardown video that it seems to use all ADCs sample rate to RF. So you really can't use RF and time at same time.
But my question is about using 2 equipments ...  MDO3000 as SA  and another scope to see time domain.
But to use it, I would need to source an external trigger input to start Signal Analysis. Or some external trigger from SA to synchonize the second scope.

Well, the main question is if there is a way to get or source some trigger to SA in MDO3000.
Certainly, there is no easy way to do it, but I`m thinking about some internal hack or something.
I`ve seen an unmounted Trigger input in teardown.  And There is an "spectrum run free" menu button.

Thank you again.

[Howardlong]

I had a quick look just now and the only way it seems to operate is with continuous free run mode, or stopped. i couldn't find a way to trigger it externally. It's not my main SA so I don't use it a great deal as an SA, so it's possible I've missed something, but the settings in SA mode are pretty rudimentary.

Obscurely you can enable the scope's trigger menu while in SA mode, but it doesn't affect the SA sweep, I did try.

There is a non-changeable menu item "Spectrum Free Run", I don't know why it's a menu item, you can't do anything with it as far as I can tell, but to be fair the UI is a bit of a dog's dinner so I might not have the right telepathy rating for changing it.