What is an oscilloscope? Measurement devices that allow monitoring the variations of electrical voltage over time are called oscilloscopes. These devices display the variation of electrical voltage over time in the form of a two-axis graph.
Oscilloscopes should not be confused with voltmeters. To measure electrical voltage, a voltmeter is used, but it only provides the magnitude and direction of the voltage in the circuit.
How do oscilloscopes work?
There are two types of oscilloscopes, digital and analog, and their operating principles differ accordingly. Analog oscilloscopes work similarly to cathode ray tube televisions.
Analog oscilloscopes operate on the principle of transmitting the received signal to coils used to deflect the electron beam created in the cathode ray tube. These signals create an image on the phosphor screen. Below you can watch a video about the construction and operating principle of the analog oscilloscope:
Digital oscilloscopes operate on the principle of sampling the input signal with the help of microprocessors. In digital oscilloscopes, the signal can be stopped at any time, triggered at a certain level, recorded, and replayed.
How to use an oscilloscope?
On the device screen, the Y-axis shows the amplitude/intensity of the measured signal, and the X-axis shows the time.
- Volts/Div: Allows adjusting the electrical voltage corresponding to each vertical division visible on the screen. It can be adjusted in steps between 1mV and 5V.
- Secs/Div: Determines the horizontal resolution of the signal on the screen. It adjusts how many seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds each division represents.
- AC/DC Coupling: Allows setting the signal reference as DC or AC voltage difference.
- Trigger: Available on digital oscilloscopes. Allows setting the level at which the signal measurement starts. It is used when the image is irregular or jumpy.
- Horizontal Pos: Used to adjust the horizontal position of the signal on the screen.
- Vertical Pos: Used to adjust the vertical position of the signal on the screen.
- Auto: Automatically adjusts the measured signal to fit on the screen vertically and horizontally. Available on digital models.
- Stop: Allows freezing the image of the measured signal at that moment for detailed analysis.
What are the types of oscilloscopes?
- Digital oscilloscope
- Analog oscilloscope
- USB oscilloscope
- Portable oscilloscope
Second-hand oscilloscope prices
Second-hand oscilloscope prices start at affordable levels depending on the purpose of use. Second-hand devices are much more economical compared to new ones.
A two-channel digital oscilloscope with medium quality from Gigadata IT Technology can meet your needs and represents an affordable solution. You can purchase these devices from us for a few hundred dollars.
