About Pico Technology
Pico Technology Test & Measurement Equipment
Pico Technology, founded in 1991, is a specialist manufacturer of USB-based oscilloscopes, data loggers and RF test equipment serving electronic design engineers, technicians, educators and automotive diagnosticians worldwide. The company has built a reputation for compact, cost-effective alternatives to traditional laboratory test instruments by delivering PC-based measurement solutions with professional-grade bandwidth, sampling rates and analysis software.
The PicoScope oscilloscope family spans entry-level models (2000 Series, 48–100 MHz) through mid-range (3000 Series, up to 500 MHz with 5 GS/s sampling) to advanced research instruments (6000 and 9000 Series for specialized RF and protocol analysis). All models feature USB connectivity, allowing operation directly from a laptop or industrial PC without requiring dedicated bench space or external power supplies.
Pico's data-logging platform includes the TC-08 thermocouple logger (8-channel, cold-junction-compensated for temperature monitoring), PT-104 high-accuracy temperature logger (Pt100/Pt1000 RTD inputs for thermal profiling) and PicoLog 1000 Series multifunction data acquisition modules. These loggers support long-duration environmental monitoring, process validation and equipment troubleshooting across manufacturing, HVAC, materials testing and quality-assurance workflows.
RF and advanced measurement products include vector network analyzers (2-port S-parameter measurement up to 6 GHz), arbitrary waveform generators, spectrum analyzers and current monitors for power-electronics analysis and EMC diagnostics. All instruments use standardized USB interfaces, Pico's comprehensive measurement software (PicoScope capture and offline analysis, PicoLog data management) and exportable data formats for integration with engineering workflows and reporting systems.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the advantage of a USB oscilloscope over a traditional benchtop oscilloscope?
USB oscilloscopes offer portability, lower cost and smaller footprint since the PC provides the display and analysis software; benchtop models are self-contained and ideal for high-volume production testing or 24/7 unattended operation. For field service, design debugging and educational labs, USB oscilloscopes like PicoScope deliver professional bandwidth (100–500 MHz) and 8-bit sampling with significant cost savings and ability to integrate with laptops.
How do I choose between the PicoScope 2000, 3000 and 4000 series?
The 2000 Series (48–100 MHz) is suitable for digital logic, power supplies and basic analog circuits; the 3000 Series (up to 500 MHz, 5 GS/s) handles RF component testing, fast digital protocols and high-speed signal integrity work; the 4000+ Series add advanced triggering, waveform masking and protocol decoding for automotive CAN/LIN and industrial fieldbus analysis. Select based on your fastest signal of interest — rule of thumb is oscilloscope bandwidth at least 5× the signal frequency.
What's the difference between a thermocouple data logger and an RTD (Pt100) data logger?
Thermocouples (measured by TC-08) have a wide temperature range (−50 to +150°C typical, extended to +300°C with special types), fast response and lower cost but lower absolute accuracy (~1–2°C); RTD sensors (PT-104 input) are highly accurate (±0.1°C achievable) with excellent linearity but narrower range (−50 to +200°C typical) and slower thermal response. Choose thermocouples for fast transient measurements or wide-range industrial heating/cooling; choose RTD for precision calibration, process validation or long-term stability monitoring.
Can I use a Pico oscilloscope or data logger for autonomous vehicle testing or CAN bus diagnostics?
Yes — Pico's 4000+ oscilloscope series include built-in CAN/LIN/FlexRay protocol decoding, and automotive engineers use lower-bandwidth models (3000 Series) with external CAN adapters for powertrain and vehicle-network analysis. The PicoScope automotive suite adds dedicated CAN/LIN triggering and frame filtering; for full OBD-II and vehicle-specific diagnostics, integrating Pico scopes with aftermarket diagnostic software or scope add-ons is common practice.
Do Pico data loggers support remote monitoring or cloud upload of captured data?
Standard Pico loggers connect to a PC via USB and store data locally or export via USB; they do not natively support wireless/cloud connectivity. However, engineers often integrate Pico loggers into industrial IoT platforms using MQTT bridges, edge devices or custom Python scripts (Pico provides SDKs) to relay data to cloud servers or remote monitoring dashboards for long-duration environmental or process monitoring.