Digital Channels 6
Agilent InfiniiVision 3000 X-Series Oscilloscopes User's Guide 119
 
Increasing the ground inductance (L), increasing the current (di) or 
decreasing the transition time (dt), will all result in increasing the voltage 
(V). When this voltage exceeds the threshold voltage defined in the 
oscilloscope, a false data measurement will occur.
Sharing one probe ground with many probes forces all the current that 
flows into each probe to return through the same common ground 
inductance of the probe whose ground return is used. The result is 
increased current (di) in the above equation, and, depending on the 
transition time (dt), the common mode voltage may increase to a level that 
causes false data generation.
In addition to the common mode voltage,longer ground returns also 
degrade the pulse fidelity of the probe system. Rise time is increased, and 
ringing, due to the undamped LC circuit at the input of the probe, is also 
increased. Because the digital channels display reconstructed waveforms, 
they do not show ringing and perturbations. You will not find ground 
problems through examination of the waveform display. In fact, it is likely 
Figure 24 Common Mode Input Voltage Model
Z
in
Z
in
i
n
i
2
+i
 
2
i
1
i
1
+i
 
n
+i
 
n
Z
in
Probe 1
Probe
Ground
Probe 2
Probe N
L (GND)
Vn (Common Mode)