Recently, according to public reports, a research team in China has successfully developed a real-time oscilloscope with a bandwidth of 90GHz, achieving performance indicators that meet international advanced levels. This achievement breaks the decades-long technological monopoly of European and American companies in the field of high-end electronic measurement instruments and is seen as an important step towards achieving autonomy and control in the semiconductor and chip industry chain.
This technological breakthrough has quickly sparked public discussion, primarily due to its symbolic significance that far exceeds the technology itself. In the context of intensified Sino-U.S. technological competition and frequent “bottleneck” issues with key equipment, high-end oscilloscopes serve as the “eyes” in fields such as chip design, communication research and development, and radar systems. Long-term reliance on imports not only incurs high costs but also poses supply chain security risks. The success of domestic production coincides with a strategic window period in which the country is vigorously promoting technological independence and self-reliance, naturally becoming a focal point for public confidence in national technology.
On a deeper level, this event reflects the long-standing structural contradictions in China’s technology industry: insufficient basic research and high-end manufacturing capabilities, and a serious dependence on external core instruments and equipment. Although electronic measurement instruments are not as widely known as chips or operating systems, they are the “cornerstone tools” of the entire electronic information industry. For decades, high-end oscilloscopes used by domestic universities, research institutes, and even leading enterprises have almost exclusively come from foreign manufacturers such as Tektronix and Keysight Technologies. This “invisible dependence” not only restricts research and development efficiency but can also become a soft spot for technological blockade at critical moments. The breakthrough of the 90GHz oscilloscope is a powerful response to this hidden shortcoming.
It is worth considering that the breakthrough of a single product does not equate to the maturity of the entire industry chain. The research and development of high-end instruments involves interdisciplinary intersections such as precision analog circuits, high-speed ADC/DAC, signal integrity, and algorithm software, requiring long-term technological accumulation and ecological collaboration. Some opinions suggest that China’s shortcomings in the instrument field partly stem from the past development inertia of “emphasizing application while neglecting fundamentals” and “focusing on complete machines while overlooking components.” To truly achieve comprehensive autonomy in high-end instruments in the future, systematic layouts are needed in areas such as talent cultivation, breakthroughs in basic components, and collaborative mechanisms between industry, academia, and research. For example, encouraging universities to offer programs in instrument science and technology, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to focus on the research and development of niche components, and establishing national-level testing and verification platforms are all feasible paths.
Moreover, the market mechanism also needs to be activated simultaneously. For a long time, domestic instruments have struggled to enter high-end application scenarios due to low brand recognition and insufficient user trust, forming a vicious cycle of “dare not use – difficult to iterate – even less dare to use.” On the policy level, the “first set” insurance compensation mechanism can be referenced to promote priority procurement of domestic high-end equipment in key industries, providing real feedback and iteration space for local innovation.
Technological independence is not just a slogan; it is hard power that is honed step by step in laboratories, production lines, and markets. The emergence of the 90GHz oscilloscope is not only a technical victory but also a mirror reflecting our past dependence and illuminating future possibilities. True autonomy and control begin with breakthroughs, are achieved through ecosystems, and ultimately rest on the trust and choices made in everyday use.