The RIGOL DHO4404 Digital Oscilloscope is a four-channel, 400 MHz instrument developed for engineers who require high vertical resolution, low-noise acquisition and reliable analysis of fast-changing electronic signals.
It is part of the RIGOL DHO4000 Series and uses the Centaurus technical platform with UltraVision III architecture. The oscilloscope combines 12-bit signal acquisition, deep memory, advanced triggering and fast waveform capture in a compact benchtop system.
Unlike an 8-bit oscilloscope with 256 vertical quantisation levels, the DHO4404 provides 4,096 quantisation levels at 12-bit resolution. This helps engineers distinguish low-amplitude variations, noise, ripple, distortion and transient events that may be difficult to observe with lower-resolution instruments.
400 MHz Bandwidth and Four Analogue Channels
The DHO4404 provides:
- 400 MHz analogue bandwidth
- Four analogue input channels
- One external trigger input
- Typical rise time of 875 ps at 50 Ω
- Selectable 1 MΩ and 50 Ω input impedance
- 20 MHz, 250 MHz and full-bandwidth limiting
The four-channel configuration allows engineers to view several related signals simultaneously, including clock and data lines, gate-drive signals, converter input and output waveforms, current-sense outputs and control signals.
The DHO4404 provides 400 MHz bandwidth using either the 50 Ω or 1 MΩ input path. It can also be upgraded to 800 MHz using the applicable bandwidth licence.
High-Resolution Signal Acquisition
The native 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter is suitable for measurements where small amplitude details must be observed alongside larger signals.
Typical applications include:
- Power-supply ripple analysis
- Power-rail disturbance testing
- Low-noise analogue circuit development
- Sensor output measurements
- Audio signal analysis
- Switching waveform analysis
- Control-loop evaluation
- Semiconductor testing
- Battery-management system development
- Signal-integrity troubleshooting
High-resolution acquisition modes provide 14-bit or 16-bit processing when the measurement settings allow reduced bandwidth.
Low-Noise Measurement Performance
The DHO4000 Series provides a typical noise floor as low as 18 µVrms under specified operating conditions. It also offers vertical sensitivity down to 100 µV/div.
These capabilities help engineers examine:
- Low-level sensor outputs
- Small AC signals on DC power rails
- Switching ripple
- Reference voltage stability
- Amplifier noise
- Power-converter disturbances
- Low-amplitude analogue waveforms
The low-noise front end and 12-bit resolution make the DHO4404 particularly suitable for power integrity and precision analogue measurements.
Channel-Dependent Sampling Rate
The DHO4404 provides a maximum real-time sampling rate of 4 GSa/s. The available sampling rate depends on the number of active analogue channels:
- 4 GSa/s with one channel active
- 2 GSa/s per channel in half-channel operation
- 1 GSa/s per channel with all four channels active
Half-channel operation uses one active channel from each acquisition group. Engineers should consider this allocation when performing simultaneous high-frequency measurements on several channels.
Deep Acquisition Memory
The oscilloscope includes up to 250 Mpts standard memory depth and supports an optional expansion to 500 Mpts.
Standard memory allocation:
- 250 Mpts with one channel active
- 125 Mpts per channel in half-channel operation
- 62.5 Mpts per channel with all four channels active
Optional memory allocation:
- 500 Mpts with one channel active
- 250 Mpts per channel in half-channel operation
- 125 Mpts per channel with all four channels active
Deep acquisition memory allows users to capture longer signal sequences while maintaining useful sample resolution. This is valuable for serial bus debugging, converter start-up testing, long control cycles and intermittent-event investigation.
UltraAcquire Waveform Capture
The DHO4404 supports UltraAcquire mode as a standard function, delivering a waveform capture rate of up to 1,500,000 waveforms per second.
Fast waveform capture improves the probability of finding:
- Rare glitches
- Runt pulses
- Timing violations
- Signal dropouts
- Unstable edges
- Occasional communication errors
- Power-supply disturbances
- Intermittent circuit faults
The oscilloscope also supports a waveform capture rate of up to 50,000 wfms/s in vector mode.
Hardware Waveform Recording and Playback
The DHO4404 supports hardware real-time waveform recording and playback of up to 500,000 frames.
This allows engineers to:
- Record extended test sequences
- Replay waveforms frame by frame
- Review intermittent faults
- Compare normal and abnormal events
- Analyse rare waveform changes
- Perform post-acquisition measurements
- Evaluate signal behaviour over time
Peak-detect acquisition can capture glitches as narrow as 500 ps under specified conditions.
Standard Serial Bus Analysis
The DHO4404 includes triggering and decoding for commonly used embedded and automotive communication protocols.
Standard protocols include:
- RS232/UART
- I2C
- SPI
- CAN
- Parallel bus decoding
Up to four protocol types can be decoded and enabled simultaneously. CAN analysis supports signal types including CAN_H, CAN_L, transmit/receive and differential input configurations.
Optional Serial Protocol Analysis
Additional software options are available for:
- CAN FD
- LIN
- FlexRay
- I2S
- MIL-STD-1553
These options are intended for automotive, audio, aerospace and advanced embedded-system testing.
Optional protocol packages include:
- DHO4000-AUTOA for CAN FD and LIN
- DHO4000-FLEXA for FlexRay
- DHO4000-AUDIOA for I2S
- DHO4000-AEROA for MIL-STD-1553
These functions should not be described as standard unless the relevant licence is included in the quotation.
Advanced Trigger Functions
The DHO4404 provides a broad set of trigger modes for isolating specific waveform conditions.
Standard trigger functions include:
- Edge
- Pulse width
- Slope
- Video
- Pattern
- Duration
- Timeout
- Runt
- Window
- Delay
- Setup and hold
- Nth edge
- I2C
- SPI
- RS232/UART
- CAN
Optional serial triggers are available for CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay, I2S and MIL-STD-1553.
Waveform Measurement and Analysis
The oscilloscope supports a wide range of measurement and analysis functions for engineering validation and troubleshooting.
Available functions include:
- Automatic waveform measurements
- Cursor measurements
- Measurement statistics
- FFT frequency-domain analysis
- Waveform mathematics
- Digital filtering
- Waveform histograms
- Mask testing
- Search and navigation
- Reference waveform comparison
- Waveform recording and playback
- Digital voltmeter
- Precision frequency counter
- 48-bit totaliser
The digital voltmeter supports DC, AC RMS and AC+DC RMS measurements. The precision counter supports frequency, period and totalising measurements with selectable resolution from three to six digits.
Power Electronics Applications
The DHO4404 is suitable for power electronics testing because it combines 12-bit resolution, low-noise acquisition, four channels and compatibility with high-voltage and current probes.
Typical applications include:
- AC-DC and DC-DC converter testing
- Inverter measurements
- Motor-drive analysis
- Gate-drive signal testing
- Switching-loss investigation
- Power-rail ripple measurement
- Control-loop analysis
- Start-up and shutdown testing
- Battery-management system testing
- SiC and GaN power-device development
Optional power-analysis software is available as the DHO4000-PWRA licence. Suitable probes must be selected according to voltage, current, bandwidth, common-mode voltage and measurement category.
Connectivity and Remote Operation
The DHO4404 supports modern laboratory, networked and automated test environments.
Standard connectivity includes:
- Two front-panel USB 3.0 Host ports
- One rear-panel USB 3.0 Device port
- 10/100/1000 Base-T LAN
- LXI-C support
- HDMI output
- AUX output
- Web Control
- SCPI command support
Web Control allows the oscilloscope interface to be operated through a compatible browser. SCPI support enables integration into automated production and validation systems.
Optional Battery Operation
The DHO4000 Series supports optional battery packs for portable operation.
Battery operation can be useful for:
- Automotive field testing
- Industrial maintenance
- Mobile laboratory work
- Remote equipment inspection
- Locations without convenient AC power
- Portable engineering demonstrations
The battery and battery holder are optional accessories and should be quoted separately.
Applications
The RIGOL DHO4404 is suitable for:
- Power electronics testing
- Embedded-system development
- Automotive electronics validation
- CAN and CAN FD bus analysis
- Industrial control-system testing
- Power-rail and ripple measurement
- Semiconductor testing
- FPGA and microcontroller debugging
- Sensor and analogue circuit development
- Audio electronics testing
- Signal-integrity analysis
- EMI troubleshooting
- Production-line testing
- Research and development
- Engineering education
- Automated test-system integration
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Why Buy from RevineTech?
RevineTech supplies test and measurement instruments for electronics development, research, industrial validation and production testing.
Technical selection support can include:
- Bandwidth and memory configuration
- Passive probe selection
- High-voltage differential probes
- Optical-isolation probes
- Current probes
- Serial protocol options
- Power-analysis software
- Battery accessories
- Calibration requirements
- Automated test integration
