Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope is a tool that allows the user to do two things. The first is measure time-varying signals. The way it does this is it shows details of the wave shape. The faster the wave shape, the faster the signal over a period of time. This leads to the second thing it does which is measure different aspects of time-varying signals such as the frequency of the signal and the peak value of the signal. Whenever there is an instance when the signal varies as time goes on, you’ll want to use an oscilloscope to measure the frequency and the peak value of that signal.
Digital vs. Analogue
Digital oscilloscopes are becoming a standard among professionals. They are more accurate and precise, and have more features like data storage and network ports. However, this does not include computer software oscilloscopes that use sound cards for input ports. They are only suitable for educational use because of their low accuracy and limited range.
Parts of an Oscilloscope
The front panel has three sections: display, time base, and channels.
- The display is either a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), on which lines are displayed called traces.
- The time base controls the speed of the traces across the screen.
- The channel has a probe input and vertical control for each trace. Basic models have one or two channels, but the professional models usually have four or more.
Using an Oscilloscope
A probe is connected from one of the channel input to the conductor, carrying the signal to be measured. The channel’s vertical deflection knob is adjusted until the entire trace is shown on the screen. If the input signal is steady, the time base knob can be adjusted until the trace curve stops moving sideways. The amplitude is calculated by counting the number of grid rows above the line in the center, and multiplying by the vertical control setting. The period is calculated by counting the number of grid columns between two peaks, and multiplying it by the time base control setting. The frequency is the reciprocal of the period.
Uses of an Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope is used to measure analogue waveforms and digital pulses. Problem areas in equipment can be found by comparing the actual trace with the designed trace. Schematics will often have small graphs showing what the trace should look like at certain points in the circuit.
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