How To Use an Oscilloscope

Created Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:29:23 +0000 by BobCochran

BobCochran

Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:29:23 +0000

[color=#0000FF]Friends,

I have never learned how to use an oscilloscope, and I've always wanted to. A couple years ago I purchased a beautiful Tek scope and used it one time. Some other life events then distracted me.

Circuits are still a lot of fun for me. It is time for me to learn how to use a scope. Can anyone suggest an online tutorial that can teach me the basics?

Thanks

Bob [/color]

unexpectedly

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:21:56 +0000

Hi Bob,

If your `scope is all manual dials, it's pretty easy - you literally turn them until you see what you want. The hard part is normally finding interesting sources. But you can attach a probe to a wire and look for the 60 (or 50) Hz induced by your lighting and the supply of AC to your house.

No need to hook it up to anything, like an antenna, there should be a standing wave you can now look at.

Use the screen and the "per div" settings, you should be able to see a few milliVolts peak to peak and a period that is just under 17 msec. If you put the time on 2 or 5 msec per division, you should see one or two waves on the screen.

I liked what I saw when I googled [color=#4000FF]getting started with an oscilloscope[/color], too.

majenko

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:24:29 +0000

Most scopes also have a calibration output as well - usually a 0.5Vp-p 1KHz square wave. Hook your probe to that and experiment away.

BobCochran

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 21:24:58 +0000

[color=#0000FF] Thanks! I am reading a primer from Tek (one scope manufacturer) and will try the exercises and Goolging you both suggest.

Bob

[/color]

pito

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 16:08:56 +0000

[color=#0000FF] ..a primer from Tek (one scope manufacturer) and will try the exercises.. [/color]

The scope Manufacturer ;)