Most digital storage oscilloscopes include an internal arbitrary function generator (AFG). In the Tektronix MDO3000 instrument, there is a port on the back panel labeled AFG Out. To control the AFG and display its output, connect a BNC cable to this port and plug the other end into one of the analog channel inputs or […]
FAQ
Exploring the difference between a digital oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer
Traditionally, only the spectrum analyzer was capable of displaying electrical and electromagnetic signals in the frequency domain and the oscilloscope took control of the time domain. More recently, each instrument has become competent in the other’s territory. But this overlapping tendency is far from absolute. Oscilloscopes, working in the Math>FFT mode, have always had a […]
Analog and digital modulation and modulation measurements
In amplitude modulation (AM), the amplitude of a carrier wave whose frequency remains constant changes in response to the modulating signal. In frequency modulation (FM), it is the frequency of the carrier that varies with the amplitude of the modulating signal. The carrier frequency deviates more when the modulating signal amplitude is higher. There are […]
Three-phase testing basics – Mitigating harmonic current
An electrical conductor warms up when it conveys current. If the heat is high enough the conductor can be damaged, so it is beneficial to limit current flow. Three-phase electrical distribution systems are highly effective in limiting current flow without reducing the amount of power delivered to the load. They do this by separating phases […]
Testing Cat 5e unshielded twisted pair cable and Ethernet connections
Cat 5e (enhanced) cable is widely used in local area networks (LANs), telephone and video. It works well in applications that call for unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and telephone zone wiring in a star configuration. Two telephone lines can be run and two extra pairs are available for future use. Using modular RJ-45 connectors, a […]
RF menus in the Tektronix MDO3000 oscilloscope
Many oscilloscope users become adept at acquiring signals in the time domain and using Math>FFT in mixed domain oscilloscopes to display signals simultaneously in time and frequency domains. This is excellent for demonstrating the fundamental relationship between these different display modes, and the whole thing is user-friendly and intuitive. In a Tektronix MDO3000 oscilloscope, at […]
Safety guidelines for hipot testing and setting up a safe testing area
A few simple steps ensure testing takes place safely when potentially lethal voltages and currents are involved in the testing process. Kevin Clark, Vitrek Inc. Hipot testing has long been a standard procedure for assuring the electrical safety compliance of electronic equipment. Early commercial hipot testers were actually not much more than a variac-driven step-up […]
User review: the new Tektronix AFG31000 Series arbitrary function generators
In the consumer electronics boom following World War Two, a rapidly-growing number of homes contained analog CRT-based TVs, and repair shops soon appeared on every street. Technicians found these complex devices could best be serviced by injecting a synthesized signal at various points and accessing it downstream by means of an oscilloscope, thus isolating the […]
Oscilloscope technology – What lies ahead?
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 […]