TSP #76 - Keysight N7020A 2.0GHz Power Rail Probe Review, Teardown and Experiments

In this episode Shahriar reviews the Keysight N7020A 2.0GHz Power Rail Probe. This power rail probe boasts the following features:
Low noise: 1:1 attenuation ratio probe adds only 10% to the baseline noise of the oscilloscope it is attached to.
Large offset range: Has a large +/-24 V offset range, enabling users to set their oscilloscope at maximum sensitivity and have the signal centered on the screen.
Low DC loading: 50 kΩ DC input impedance will not significantly load DC power rails.
Large active signal range: Has a +/-850 mV active signal range in addition to its large offset range so users can measure large transitions of their power rails.
High bandwidth: 2-GHz bandwidth makes it very useful for finding high-speed transients that can have detrimental effects on clocks and digital data.
After a brief presentation about the benefits of the N7020A, the probe and probe accessories are examined. The probe’s capability to provide up to +/-24V of offset is demonstrated and the input impedance at DC is measured. The probe is then used in conjunction with a Xilinx FPGA board to characterize a broadband power supply noise issue.
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