The oscilloscope is basically a graph-

displaying device
It draws a graph of an electrical signal.
In most applications the graph shows how
signals change over time:
the vertical (Y) axis represents voltage
the horizontal (X) axis represents time.
Uses of Oscilloscope

Measuring time-varying signals - by showing
details of the wave shape
Measuring aspects of time-varying signals
- Frequency of a signal
- Peak value of a signal
Parts of Oscilloscope

a) Display - the main feature of an oscilloscope is its display (Figure 1 A).
Analogue versions of oscilloscopes use Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
displays, while digital scopes use LCD (or similar) screens.
b) Probes - the voltage signals that are to be measured must
be transferred to the oscilloscope. This is done using
oscilloscope probes. Probes are specially designed to
minimize noise and interference, while also creating a
known load effect on the circuit.
c) Channels- an oscilloscope channel generally refers to the
input (Figure 1 E) of a signal (kind of like tuning in a TV
channel, except that you can see more than one channel at a time on a
scope). It can also refer to the path of the signal through the oscilloscope.
d) Controls - the controls of an oscilloscope can be used to adjust almost any
aspect of the scope from display parameters to advanced mathematical
functions. The controls themselves consist of dials, toggles,buttons, and
switches as seen in Figure 1.

How to use Oscilloscope
a. Horizontal and Vertical Scaling
and Positioning
b. Triggering
c. Cursors
d. Advanced Controls

Waveform shapes tell you a great deal about a signal
If a signal repeats, it has a frequency. The frequency is measured in
Hertz (Hz) and equals the number of times the signal repeats itself in
one second
Voltage, Current, & Phase
Performance Terms

Bandwidth

The bandwidth specification tells you the frequency range the oscilloscope accurately measures.

Rise Time

Rise time may be a more appropriate performance consideration when you expect to measure pulses and
steps. An oscilloscope cannot accurately display pulses with rise times faster than the specified rise time of the
oscilloscope.

Vertical Sensitivity

The vertical sensitivity indicates how much the vertical amplifier can amplify a weak signal. Vertical sensitivity is
usually given in millivolts (mV) per division.

Sweep Speed

For analog oscilloscopes, this specification indicates how fast the trace can sweep across the screen, allowing
you to see fine details. The fastest sweep speed of an oscilloscope is usually given in nanoseconds/div.

Gain Accuracy

The gain accuracy indicates how accurately the vertical system attenuates or amplifies a signal.

Time Base or Horizontal Accuracy

The time base or horizontal accuracy indicates how accurately the horizontal system displays the timing of a
signal.
Sample Rate

On digital oscilloscopes, the sampling rate indicates how many samples per second the ADC can acquire.
Maximum sample rates are usually given in megasamples per second (MS/s). The faster the oscilloscope can
sample, the more accurately it can represent fine details in a fast signal..

ADC Resolution (Or Vertical Resolution)

The resolution, in bits, of the ADC indicates how precisely it can turn input voltages into digital values.

Record Length

The record length of a digital oscilloscope indicates how many waveform points the oscilloscope is able to
acquire for one waveform record.
Grounding
Proper grounding is an important step when setting up to take
measurements.
Properly grounding the oscilloscope protects you from a hazardous shock
and protects your circuits from damage.
Grounding the oscilloscope is necessary for safety. If a high voltage contacts
the case of an ungrounded oscilloscope, any part of the case, including knobs
that appear insulated, it can give you a shock. However, with a properly
grounded oscilloscope, the current travels through the grounding path to
earth ground rather than through you to earth ground.
To ground the oscilloscope means to connect it to an electrically neutral
reference point (such as earth ground). Ground your oscilloscope by plugging
its three-pronged power cord into an outlet grounded to earth ground.
Grounding is also necessary for taking accurate measurements with your
oscilloscope. The oscilloscope needs to share the same ground as any
circuits you are testing.
Some oscilloscopes do not require the separate connection to earth ground.
These oscilloscopes have insulated cases and controls, which keeps any
possible shock hazard away from the user.
Scope Probes
Most passive probes have some degree of attenuation factor, such as 10X,
100X, and so on. By convention, attenuation factors, such as for the 10X
attenuator probe, have the X after the factor.
In contrast, magnification factors like X10 have the X first
Pulse and Rise Time Measurements
ANALOG and DIGITAL
OSCILLOSCOPE
ANALOG OSCILLOSCOPE
DIGITAL OSCILLOSCOPE
Analog vs. Digital Oscilloscope
FUNCTION GENERATOR
Use of Function Generator
Generate different types of
electrical waveforms over a wide range of
frequencies
How to use Function Generator
1. Press the power switch of the generator. After a short boot-up
sequence, the generator will be in its default state a sine
wave with 1-V peak-to-peak amplitude and frequency of 1 MHz
(106 Hz). There is no voltage being applied to the output at this
point.
2. To change the parameters of the waveform, use the parameters
buttons to select the parameter that you intend to alter.
Frequency and amplitude are the two things you will change
most frequently. The display next to the soft-keys will change to
reect the parameter choice. Use the soft-key to choose which
parameter you would like to specify. For example, if you pushed
the Frequency/Period parameter button, you can then choose
either Frequency or Period using the soft-keys.

3. Parameter values can be changed by two methods. The rst is to simply
punch in the value using the numeric keypad. Use the number keys to
change the period to 250 s. First, choose period using the soft-key,
then enter 250 with keypad, and then select the units s using the
soft-keys. The change takes effect when the units key is pushed. Note
that changing the period to 250 s has the same effect as changing the
frequency to 4 kHz. The parameter values and waveform shown on the
graph will change accordingly. The second method for changing
parameters is to use the rotary dial. The arrow keys beneath the dial can
be used to select to select the particular digit that the dial will adjust.
4. . To change the waveform type, use the waveform buttons, located in a
vertical column to the right of the display. In addition to three basic
periodic waveforms, there are others geared towards specic
applications in electronics and communication systems. Change the
waveform type to a square wave. Note the parameters for the square
wave. Finally change the waveform to ramp and note the different
parameters that can be set for that.
5. The output button (item 7 in Fig. 1) turns on the voltage waveform to the
output terminal. Until this button is pressed, the output voltage will be
zero. To connect the output to your circuit, you will need to use a BNC-
to-banana plug adapter. You can use a short length of coaxial cable with
BNC connectors at both ends between the function generator and the
adaptor, or you can connect the adapter directly to the generator output
port. Be careful to avoid accidentally connecting to the other ports on the
front panel.
6. The system function button at the bottom of the front panel (item 9)
provides access to some of the instrument settings. For the most part,
you wont need to access these, except for one bit of quirkiness that you
need to set every time that you start up the function generator.
END