An oscilloscope is a versatile electronic measuring instrument. It can transform invisible electrical signals into visible images, which is convenient for people to study the changing process of various electrical phenomena. Oscilloscopes use a narrow beam of high-speed electrons to strike a phosphor-coated screen to produce tiny spots of light (this is how traditional analog oscilloscopes work). Under the action of the measured signal, the electron beam is like the tip of a pen, which can depict the change curve of the instantaneous value of the measured signal on the screen. Using an oscilloscope, you can observe the waveforms of various signal amplitudes changing with time, and you can also use it to test various electrical quantities, such as voltage, current, frequency, phase difference, amplitude modulation, and so on.
Before use, it is necessary to carry out a simple inspection of whether it can work and adjust the stability of the scanning circuit and the DC balance of the vertical amplifier circuit. After the inspection is completed, first select the Y-axis coupling method according to the frequency of the measured signal, and then according to the measured signal. Select the Y-axis sensitivity of the peak value, then select the source and polarity of the trigger signal, and then select the scanning speed according to the period of the signal under test, and finally input the signal under test.
The main uses of an oscilloscope are as follows:
Measuring Voltage: Any measurement made with an oscilloscope boils down to measuring voltage. Oscilloscopes can measure the voltage amplitude of various waveforms, both DC and sinusoidal voltages, as well as pulsed or non-sinusoidal voltage amplitudes. More usefully, it can measure the voltage amplitude of each part of a pulsed voltage waveform, such as overshoot or top drop. This is unmatched by any other voltage measuring instrument.
Measuring phase: It is practical to measure the phase difference between two sinusoidal voltages with an oscilloscope. A counter can measure frequency and time, but it cannot directly measure the phase relationship between sinusoidal voltages. There are many ways to measure phase with an oscilloscope.
Measuring time: The time base of the oscilloscope can generate a scan line that is linear with time, so the horizontal scale of the screen can be used to measure the time parameters of the waveform, such as the repetition period of the periodic signal, the width of the pulse signal, the time interval, the rise time ( leading edge) and fall time (trailing edge), the time difference between the two signals, etc.