TPA-BNC Adapter enables existing TekProbe^® interface products (active, differential, high-voltage, current, and optical probes) to be used with the newest generation of Tektronix oscilloscopes which feature the TekVPI™ probe interface architecture. Existing TekProbe-BNC probe types simply plug into the TPA-BNC adapter which is then plugged directly into any channel of an oscilloscope equipped with the TekVPI probe interface. The TPA-BNC adapter recognizes and supplies the necessary power and serial communication and offset control as used by the connected TekProbe product accessory.

Note: Tektronix probe types using a BNC connection, or a BNC connection with a single analog encoding pin for attenuation factor detection connect directly to the oscilloscope’s TekVPI probe interface and do not require a TPA-BNC adapter.

TekProbe^® Interface

TekProbe is a probe interface architecture introduced in 1986, and used on many earlier models of Tektronix oscilloscopes including the TDS300, TDS400, TDS500, TDS600, TDS700, TDS3000/B/C, TDS5000/B, and TDS7000 Series. In addition to coupling the signal from the probe to the oscilloscope, the TekProbe interface provides power and offset control to active probes. It also allows the oscilloscope to sense the probe’s attenuation scale factor and/or probe type.