Regardless of the application, an oscilloscope with deep memory offers numerous advantages that are difficult to live without. Thus, it is vital for users to understand the importance of a deep memory. The sample rate of an oscilloscope only indicates the maximum sample rate that can be achieved. To determine the sample rate, users should […]
Oscilloscope Descriptions
Categories of oscilloscope measurements
Digital oscilloscopes enable users to perform various types of measurements on the waveform. The range and complexity of measurements offered depend on the feature set of the oscilloscope. Oscilloscope measurements can be divided into three different categories – the vertical-axis, horizontal axis and the frequency domain. Analyzing the vertical component of the applied signal, vertical-axis […]
Oscilloscope Controls
Oscilloscopes are operated using the front-panel controls, which are divided into four main groups — the horizontal and vertical controls, input controls and the triggering controls. Found in the front-panel section marked Horizontal, the horizontal controls of the oscilloscope allow users to adjust the display’s horizontal scale. This section includes the control for the horizontal […]
Different types of oscilloscopes
Analog oscilloscopes, which employ cathoderay tubes to display a waveform, were the first oscilloscopes that were used by engineers. The screen’s photoluminescent phosphor illuminates every time an electron hits it. A representation of signal is displayed as successive bits of phosphor light up, while a trigger makes the displayed waveform appear stable. Upon completing an […]
Basic properties of waves in an oscilloscope
A powerful tool used for designing and testing electronic devices, the oscilloscope helps engineers determine which components of a system are malfunctioning and which are behaving correctly. It also helps engineers determine whether a newly designed component is functioning in a manner that it has been intended. The oscilloscope’s main purpose is to display electronic […]
A look at oscilloscopes and logic analyzers
A tool of choice of electronic engineers, digital oscilloscope has become an indispensable tool in virtually every engineering lab with designers confident and trusting in its results. The oscilloscope’s bandwidth and high sample rate allow it to easily capture high resolution views of signals of interest, making it suitable for measuring and displaying the analog […]
Determining oscilloscope amplitude frequency measurement
Electrical engineers consider the oscilloscope as one of the most important equipment in their lab. Working without it is just like working in blind fold since the oscilloscope provides engineers a clear view of the electronic signal’s hidden world. Aside from presenting a visual display of the circuit’s voltage level at a particular point, the […]
Advantages of modular oscilloscopes over modular digitizers
A powerful option within the tool kit of a test equipment designer, particularly in automatic test equipment (ATE) applications, modular instruments offers all the needed test functions without the added size and expense of benchtop instruments. However, modular digitizers are not as efficient as benchtop oscilloscopes, especially in terms of breadth of measurement functions and […]
The oscilloscope’s frequency domain measurements
The oscilloscope’s frequency domain measurements translate a time-domain waveform with a FFT (fast Fourier transform) and measures the frequency domain’s distortion and noise characteristics. Frequency domain measurements offer magnitude and phase characteristics over frequency. Utilizing the FFT to transform a signal quickly into its frequency components is powerful since it reveals the characteristics of signal […]
Oscilloscope performance terms and considerations
Learning to use an oscilloscope involves learning the measurement and performance terms of an oscilloscope. Understanding the terms help users compare and evaluate an oscilloscope with other models, and choose the proper oscilloscope for his application. Among the important performance terms and considerations are bandwidth, rise time, sample rate, waveform capture rate, triggering capabilities, record […]