How Does An Oscilloscope Work

Oscilloscope also known as Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) is used in observing, studying, analysing and displaying electric signals in a wave form which is then represented as a graph which is made continuously against the calibrated scale. They are used in variety of fields like engineering, telecommunication industry, medical and others. The basic example of an oscilloscope is that beeping machine we generally see in any medical drama which measures the heartbeats. Due to being used in many areas, the functionality and handling becomes varied. Reviewertouch will try to cover the basic usage of the oscilloscopes.

Types:

There are two types of an oscilloscope. One is called Analog Oscilloscope and another is known as Digital oscilloscope. The basic difference between them is that an analog oscilloscope will show the waveform in its original form whereas the digital oscilloscope  converts the original analog waveform into digital numbers by sampling it and then it stores them in digital format.

Uses:

CRO can be used in various ways. It can be used in fixing your television or radio by locating the fault in them with this devise. It can be used to observe the change of signals in circuits. Apart form measuring electricity it can also be used to study the sound frequency, temperature changes or heartbeats in the form of vibrations. It is truly a very efficient machine.

Work:

Turn on the CRO (Cathode Ray Oscilloscope) and wait for tube to warm up then switch on the intensity control. Adjust the focus control to get the thin line on the screen then attach one probe to CH1 input and another to CAL output.For the CH1 adjust the amplitude control and time base control to achieve a full cycle of square wave. Make sure to adjust the trimmer to avoid overshoot or undershoot then remove the probe while getting the square waveform. Now you are ready to use your Oscilloscope.

Graphs:

The graph is made in the typical x-axis and y-axis and the display being 2d plus the x-axis signifies time whereas the y-axis signifies voltage.

Measurement:

CRO can measure two types of characteristics. One is Time and another is Voltage. Under time characteristic the devise can measure Frequency, rise and fall and the duty cycle. Under the voltage characteristic the device can measure mean and average voltage, amplitude and maximum and minimum voltage.

These are some of the vital points regarding the working of an oscilloscope. For the beginner or hobbyist these points are to be considered when taking upon any work where oscillation is to be used. But before working you must at least posesse the device to work on. There are many devices out there but you must find the one which is most compatible with you. Here are some of the best oscilloscope which are recommended by experts and also not much demanding towards your wallet. They are:

• Siglent Technologies SDS1202X-E 200mhz Digital Oscilloscope 2 Channels.
• Tektronix 1052B 50mhz, 2 Channels, Digital Oscilloscope
• Tektronix MDO3104 1ghz Mixed Domain Oscilloscope, 4 Analog Channels and 1ghz Spectrum Analyzer.