Department of electrical engineering and computer science. Basics of oscopes an introduction to what, exactly, oscilloscopes are. The hardwarefirmware side of the oscilloscope is incredibly simple and takes advantage of a module built in to the arduino, the adc. You will learn what an oscilloscope is and how to use oscilloscopes. The display of the oscilloscope shows the amplitude usually voltage of a signal on the yaxis, and time along the xaxis. Oscilloscope basics readonly cooperative extension. The adc, which stands for analoguedigitalconverter, is a module that can take an analogue voltage between 0v and 5v, and convert it to a binary number. In digital phosphor oscilloscopes dpo, the zaxis can be. These tutorials will help you learn more about oscilloscope basics and compare oscilloscope models from key industry definitions to fundamental measurement concepts, such as how to use an oscilloscope and how an oscilloscope works. The 500mhz scope allows the 50mhz square wave to be digitized very accurately. Sep 30, 2012 the first lesson in the how to use an oscilloscope series. Preliminary control settings and adjustments 19 222.
This is basic presentation on lab scopes for the ones just getting started but may be and for those technicians wanting to refresh their basic knowledge of using an oscilloscope for diagnostics. The mostused oscilloscope probe attenuates the signal by a factor of 10. This application note provides an overview of basic oscilloscope fundamentals. Among the oscilloscopes, cathode ray oscilloscope cro is the basic one and it displays a time varying signal or waveform. You can specify the duration and direction of the pulse. This article is based on a threepart videotape series hp pin 90741d originally developed to. The cro is used to measure both ac and dc voltages. It will key the oscilloscope to start measuring when the signal voltage passes a certain level. These need to be set correctly if the required view of the signal is to be obtained. On older analog scopes, these are mostly controlled by a dedicated switch for each function. Digital storage oscilloscope dso 4210 rue jeanmarchand, quebec, qc g2c 1y6, canada phone.
Since its invention more than 100 years ago, new types, features and functionalities have been introduced. This tutorial is meant as a simple, interactive tutorial to get you to the point where you can use the basic features of an oscilloscope. Understand basic oscilloscope controls take simple measurements the manual provided with your oscilloscope will give you more specific information about how to use the oscilloscope in your work. Oscilloscopes come in two basic types, analogue or digital, and support various features and functions useful for measuring and testing electronic circuits. In particular, you should look at the application examples section and the frontpanel menus. Understanding the basic oscilloscope specifications can provide an understanding of the limitations of any given test instrument and also help in the selection when one needs to be hired, bought or even booked out of a common store. Basics of oscilloscopes how to use an oscilloscope rigol. Most probes consist of a probe head, a meter or two of flexible cable, and a connector which fits on the oscilloscope input. Quite simply, an oscilloscope is a diagnostic instrument that draws a graph of an electrical signal. Best way to get good at using an oscilloscope is to practice taking measurements and refer to the manual. The following steps will describe how to automatically create a stable oscilloscope display using a 1 khz, 5 v pkpk square wave. How to make a basic arduino pc oscilloscope arduino maker pro. Oscilloscope fundamentals case school of engineering.
Scope school part 2 the next step by steve smith pico technology. To do this select simulateinstruments and select oscilloscope. O s c ana l og o sci pe operation manual l s c o p e. Using the programming tool on your completed circuit now that the clock is functional, lets connect it to an arduino and write some code. Some oscilloscope manufacturers also provide a multitude of application notes to help you optimize the oscilloscope for your applicationspecific. Beginner oscilloscope tutorial contd once youve learned the basic oscilloscope controls, here are a few other things that you should know about. The oscilloscope vision is the art of seeing things invisible. The intensity or brightness of the display is sometimes called the zaxis. Introduction to oscilloscope probes lab experiment laboratory experiment introduction objectives 1.
Introduction to oscilloscopes lab experiment laboratory experiment introduction objectives 1. Basic oscilloscope controls in view of the flexibility and level of control required to use an oscilloscope, there are a large number of controls that are present. Most everyone has seen an oscilloscope in use, in the form of a heartrate monitor electrocardiogram, or ekg of the type seen in doctors offices and hospitals. Anatomy of an oscope an overview of the most critical systems on an oscilloscope the screen, horizontal and vertical controls, triggers, and probes.
An edge trigger can be set to catch on a rising or falling edge or both. First is the physical attachment of the probe to the device under test. To connect a probe that uses a bnc connector, push and turn the probe connector until it slides on the oscilloscope channel input connector. Power up the oscilloscope by pushing the power button. This guidebook is useful to those with little knowledge of oscilloscopes as well as the expe. Make common electronic measurements with a digital oscilloscope. This safety information applies to all operator and service personnel.
Learn how to connect probes to various test points in a circuit. Connect the inputs of the oscilloscope to the appropriate places. In this post we will discuss about internal components of the oscilloscope. When monitoring heart beats, what do the two axes horizontal and vertical of the oscilloscope screen represent. Second is to minimize the impact on the device under test. Basic oscilloscope operation worksheet ac electric circuits. The oscilloscope is arguably one of the most useful general purpose tools ever created for use by electronic engineers. If the trigger mode is auto, then the oscilloscope will continue to sample even without a trigger.
Using the programming tool on your completed circuit. The oscilloscope section pages 712 and the systems and controls of an oscilloscope section pages 1933. Overview of an oscilloscope an oscilloscope is an electronic test instrument that displays the value of an electric signal over time. An pdf packed with great information about picoscope and how to use oscilloscopes for testing vehicle systems and components. Basics of oscopes the main purpose of an oscilloscope is to graph an electrical signal as it varies over time. Oscilloscope tutorial tektronix tds3012b and tds3012. An oscilloscope is connected to a battery of unknown voltage. Oscilloscope fundamentals amplitude amplitude refers to the amount of voltage between two points in a circuit. A pulse trigger tells the scope to key in on a specified pulse of. Understand basic operation and controls of an oscilloscope. This tutorial will guide you through the basics of using an. The modern oscilloscope is an invaluable tool used by researchers, engineers, technicians, students and hobbyists to design, debug, deploy and repair todays electronic designs. It includes vocabulary and multiple choice written exercises on oscilloscope theory and controls.
Most oscilloscopes can perform at least two mathematical operations on the waveforms. For most signals, the simple passive probe included with your scope will work. Push the frontpanel default setup button to set the oscilloscope to a known starting point. This first basic step in selecting the right oscilloscope is to determine the required analog bandwidth is needed for a particular application. Oscilloscope tutorial diy electrical electronics projects. The manual provided with your oscilloscope will give you more specific information about. Oscilloscope operation and basic measurements basic operation of an oscilloscope an oscilloscope is simply a small television set except that the user has control of what is being displayed. In order to use an oscilloscope to its best advantage, the technician and engineer should have a basic understanding of how an oscilloscope works as well as a good understanding of the oscilloscopes controls, features, and operating modes. This simple graph can tell you many things about a signal, such as. In this chapter, let us discuss about the block diagram of cro and measurements of some parameters by using cro. It includes vocabulary and multiple choice written exercises on.
Primer xyzs of oscilloscopes university of colorado boulder. Service information from hewlettpackard marchapril 1980 text, image compilation, and document reassembly by perry sandeen 32016 hp editors note. You can change the oscilloscopes settings by clicking on it. They are provided for your protection and to prevent damage to the oscilloscope. A signal the yellow sine wave in this case is graphed on a horizontal time axis and a vertical voltage axis. A pulse trigger tells the scope to key in on a specified pulse of voltage. Oscilloscope lexicon a glossary covering some of the more common oscilloscope characteristics. Third is to ensure adequate signal fidelity, making sure that what is seen on the oscilloscope is the most accurate representation of. On digital scopes, there may be a pushbutton, but you may have to locate the options in a menu. A digital oscilloscope acquires a waveform by conditioning the input signal in the. Alternatively, multisim has an oscilloscope components which when you run simulation lets you compare signal waveforms at particularly selected nodes. The oscilloscope, which displays voltage versus time, is an indispensable tool for testing and troubleshooting circuits and taking electrical measurements.
Understand the basic characteristics of an oscilloscope probe. This primer provides an overview of the basic, but most important building. In particular, you should look at the application examples section and the frontpanel menus and controls subsection of the getting started section. Using an oscilloscope tips and tricks for someone using an oscilloscope for the first time. In this video we do an introduction to the oscilloscope and learn the basics of how they work and what they are used for. Theory the oscilloscope, or scope for short, is a device for drawing calibrated graphs of voltage vs time very quickly and conveniently. Inside the oscilloscope user manual there should be a similar curve for the passive. A basic understanding of the terms and what they mean is very useful. Understand the block diagram and basic controls of a digital oscilloscope. Voltage scalingcontrols the vertical display scale for each channel, typically 0. Can anyone point me to a good tutorial on oscilloscopes. Next select simulaterun f5, and scale to get visible results. Basic electronics chapter 2, 3a test t5, t6 basic electrical principles and the functions of components figures in this course book are reproduced with the permission of the american radio relay league.
At the most basic level, an oscilloscope s graph of an electrical signal shows how the signal changes over time figure 2. An edge trigger is the most basic form of the trigger. An oscilloscope is a very useful piece of electronic test equipment. The basic arrangements of the scope is given above.
Basic techniques of waveform measurement using an oscilloscope. Setup an oscilloscope for a stable display of the applied signal. At the most basic level, an oscilloscopes graph of an electrical signal shows how the signal changes over time figure 2. At its simplest level the oscilloscope allows users to visualize the behavior of a signal by displaying its voltage over a time period. Introduction to oscilloscope probes lab experiment overview of oscilloscope probes introduction oscilloscope probes provide a physical and electrical connection between a signal source and an oscilloscope. I show the basics of the basics about how to use your digital scope. From a basic probe standpoint there are three factors to pay attention to. Swift 16671745 objective to learn to operate a cathode ray oscilloscope. Manual measurements rely upon the graticule on the display and the vertical.
Most scopes produce a twodimensional graph with time on the xaxis and voltage on the yaxis. Step 1 a picoscope guide to oscilloscope diagnostics by pico technology. Oscilloscope is an electronic equipment, which displays a voltage waveform. Describe the different types of probes and their uses.
Basic techniques of waveform measurement using an oscilloscope copied from. Oscilloscope basics todd montevideo director system protection and control wisconsin public service corporation purpose of today purpose of this training is to help you to set up the scope properly to take meaningful measurements. This tutorial will explain how to set up the oscilloscope and take basic measurements. An oscilloscope displays a voltage waveform versus time and has the following components. How to make a basic arduino pc oscilloscope arduino. The first lesson in the how to use an oscilloscope series.
Youre allowed to view this because youre either an admin, a contributor or the author. Dec 21, 2018 you can change the oscilloscopes settings by clicking on it. Amplitude commonly refers to the maximum voltage of a signal measured from ground, or zero volts. Slope determines whether the trigger point is on the rising edge positive slope or the falling edge negative slope of a signal.
Plus, to really understand the subtleties of using scopes theres more intensive stuff to learn about probes, transmission lines and sampling, which may be glossed over in a general oscilloscope tutorial, simply because the subject is too big. Take this example where a 50mhz square wave signal is viewed by 4 different oscilloscopes with various analog bandwidths. Ive been watching a lot on youtube but they seem to skip practical applications and make. Such an instrument is obviously useful for the design and. The xyzs of oscilloscopes pdf a great indepth introduction to oscilloscopes. The trigger mode determines whether or not the oscilloscope outputs a waveform. Educators training kit for xseries oscilloscopes lab. Level determines where on the edge the trigger point occurs. Assuming the oscilloscope display has been properly zeroed and the vertical sensitivity is set to 5 volts per division, determine the voltage of the battery. An oscilloscope is analogous to a camera that captures signal images that we can then observe and interpret. All oscilloscopes have some basic controls in common, be sure you can. This tutorial aims to introduce the concepts, terminology, and control systems of. The specifications for oscilloscopes can sometimes be confusing. Understand basic oscilloscope controls take simple measurements if you come across an unfamiliar term in this book, check the glossary in the back for a definition.
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