18/10/2026
update:
12-๐๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ซ 16-๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐? ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐.
When selecting an oscilloscope, higher vertical resolution can make a significant difference - especially when measuring small signal variations alongside large voltage levels.
But is 16-bit resolution always the better choice?
12-bit resolution provides 4,096 levels, compared with 65,536 for 16-bit - 16 times more levels across the same input range. This can help engineers capture subtle details, analyze low-level signals and investigate power integrity issues with greater granularity.
Where does 16-bit resolution make a difference?
Applications such as power , switching supplies, measurements and low-noise can benefit from the ability to distinguish smaller voltage changes. This is particularly valuable when engineers need to examine ripple, noise, transient behavior or small signal components superimposed on a larger waveform.
Resolution is not the same as accuracy.
Real-world performance also depends on the oscilloscope's noise floor, effective number of bits ( ), , sampling rate and analog front-end design.
A 16-bit instrument will not automatically outperform a well-designed 12-bit oscilloscope in every application.
Consider your measurement conditions.:
If you are investigating fast transients, and may be just as important as vertical resolution. For small signals riding on large voltage levels, vertical resolution, input range and noise performance become particularly important.
The : Choose an oscilloscope based on the signals you need to measure, the smallest details you need to resolve and the instrument's overall performance, not simply the highest count on the datasheet.
Read more: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-choose-between-12-bit-vs-16-bit-oscilloscope-resolution-iveae/
Pico Technology (Automotive Diagnostics)
Arazim Ltd.- official Pico Technology distributor in Israel.
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