Oscilloscope technology advanced rapidly from its early 19th Century roots through the triggered sweep and digital/flat-screen transformation in the 1980s. The trend has accelerated. Bandwidth and sampling rates have expanded exponentially. Additionally, new features and measuring and display capabilities have emerged. In this context, one wonders what lies ahead. The major oscilloscope manufacturers maintain robust […]
Understanding and testing asynchronous logic
Traditionally, computer and instrumentation engineers work with synchronous logic, where a global clock circuit imposes a timing structure to which all circuits down to the components level adhere. In synchronous logic, an autonomous oscillator outputs a square wave that never varies in frequency or amplitude. At the rising edge (sometimes falling edge) a potentially vast […]
The difference between MDO and MSO displays with time domain and Fast Fourier Transforms
Mixed-domain oscilloscopes and mixed-signal oscilloscopes differ significantly in how they display waveforms. Both are useful because they permit users to simultaneously view different electrical aspects of equipment under investigation. The MDO displays a single signal simultaneously in the time and frequency domains, demonstrating how they change together. The MSO displays two different signals in the […]
Working with optical fiber
Optical fiber is actually a waveguide for light and operates in accordance with a principle known as total internal reflection. In contrast to electrical conduction, there is low loss and signals can be conveyed over considerable distances without amplification. Total internal reflection happens when a propagated wave strikes the boundary between two dissimilar materials, provided […]
Understanding and debugging antenna designs
Any conductive body functions intentionally or otherwise as an antenna in the presence of an oscillating electromagnetic field. This radiation excites free electrons in the conductor, and if a load is connected, a small but measurable current will flow in that load. By the same token, if oscillating voltage is applied to a conductor, it […]
Understanding oscilloscope bandwidth enhancement techniques
Data communication rates have soared in recent years and there is every reason to believe that this trend will accelerate. Information speeds that were less than 1 Gb/sec have surpassed 10 Gb/sec. Optical communication is greater than 100 Gb/sec, with 1 Tb/sec down the road. RF wireless communications is in the mid-gigahertz range, and RF […]
Mask and limit testing on oscilloscopes
Mask testing is used in production facilities for screening and quality control of components and electronic equipment and also for debugging and troubleshooting. It is quick and efficient and lets users identify harmful anomalous behavior that arises in one or a billion waveforms. It involves setting limits of acceptability on signals at the outputs of […]
Basics of active and differential scope probes
By far the most used oscilloscope probes are the passive 10:1 attenuation probe. It is appropriate when the frequency of the signal under investigation is less than 600 MHz. Impedance matching from the probe tip to channel input port is critical. A mismatch gives rise to reflections, collisions and loss of data. At dc to […]
Basics of Lan Extensions for Instrumentation (LXI) and SCPI
Keysight Technologies conceived of LAN Extensions for Instrumentation (LXI) in 2005 as a way to enable test and measurement interfaces using web servers in conjunction with Ethernet. LXI is used extensively in connecting computers and electronic test equipment, particularly oscilloscopes. Local Area Network (LAN)-enabled instruments can connect to a computer, using as a medium the […]
Working with the PicoScope PC-based oscilloscope
A PC-based oscilloscope, or USB oscilloscope as it is also known, has a lot going for it. For one thing, it costs substantially less than a bench model with equivalent specifications, given that most users already own the major component. The PC or Mac provides the processing and display parts of the equation. (The computer, […]
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