An oscilloscope (usually called a scope) is a visual voltmeter with a timer (clock) that shows when a voltage changes.

An analog scope uses a cathode ray tube (CRT) similar to a television screen to display voltage patterns.

Information given by oscilloscopes

Time and voltage Frequency and phase DC and AC components Spectral analysis Rise and fall time Mathematical analysis

A typical scope face has eight grids vertically (up and down) and ten grids horizontally. The grid lines on the scope screen are used as a reference scale, which is called a graticule.
An automotive oscilloscope (scope) is of the same construction as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or television screen. An automotive oscilloscope is a visual voltmeter. The higher up a trace (line) on the scope, the higher the voltage. The scope illustrates time from left to right. The longer the horizontal line, the longer the amount of time.

Most scopes use 10 graticules from left to right on the display. Setting the time base means setting how much time will be displayed in each block. A block is commonly referred to as a division.

The vertical scale has eight divisions. If each division is set to equal 1 volt, the display will show 0 to 8 volts. This is okay in a 0 to 5 volt variable sensor such as a throttle position (TP) sensor. The volts per division (V/div) should be set so that the entire anticipated waveform can be viewed.

DC coupling is the most used position on a scope because it allows the scope to display alternating current (AC) voltage signals and direct current (DC) voltage signals present in the circuit. The AC part of the signal will ride on top of the DC component.

When the AC coupling position is selected, a capacitor is placed into the meter lead circuit, which effectively blocks all DC voltage signals but allows the AC portion of the signal to pass and be displayed.

A DC voltage that turns on and off in a series of pulses is called a pulse train. Pulse trains differ from an AC signal in that they do not go below zero. An alternating voltage goes above and below zero voltage.

Frequency is the number of cycles per second measured in hertz. Engine RPM signal is an example of a signal that can occur at various frequencies. At low engine speed, the ignition pulses occur fewer times per second (lower frequency) than when the engine is operated at higher engine speeds (RPM).

Duty cycle refers to the percentage of on-time of the signal during one complete cycle.

(a) A scope representation of a complete cycle showing both on-time and off-time. (b) A meter display indicating the on-time duty cycle in percent (%). Note the trigger and negative () symbol. This indicates that the meter started to record the percentage of on time when the voltage dropped (start of on-time). (Courtesy of Fluke

Corporation)

The pulse width is a measure of the actual on-time measured in milliseconds. Fuel injectors are usually controlled by varying the pulse width.

Most automotive computer systems control the device by opening and closing the ground to the component. (Courtesy of Fluke

Corporation)

External Trigger
An external trigger is when the trace starts when a signal is received from another (external) source.

Trigger Level
The trigger level must be set to start the display.

Trigger Slope
The trigger slope is the voltage direction that a waveform must have in order to start the display.

(a) A symbol for a positive triggera trigger occurs at a rising (positive) edge of the signal (waveform). (b) A symbol for a negative trigger trigger occurs at a falling (negative) edge of the signal (waveform).

Most scopes, both analog and digital, normally use the same test leads. These leads usually attach to the scope through a BNC connector, a miniature standard coaxial cable connector. BNC is an international standard that is used in the electronics industry.

Information given by oscilloscopes

Time and voltage Frequency and phase DC and AC components Spectral analysis Rise and fall time Mathematical analysis

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Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) Digital Storage Oscilloscope (DSO) Digital Beam Oscilloscope (DBO) Analog Storage Oscilloscope (ASO) Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO)

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(Fig. 1) shows the schematic set-up of an oscilloscope tube, the real shapes of the single components are considerably more complex (Fig. 2). The grounded cathode K (0 V) is heated indirectly by a heating spiral (heating voltage UH) until thermal electron emission. The anode (A) ,placed at a distance from the cathode is kept at a high positive voltage UA of up to a few 1000 Volts. Thereby an electrical field EA develops between K and A with the magnitude:

Real-time display of signals Block diagram

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In a digital storage oscilloscope (briefly: digital oscilloscope), the analogue input signals are first converted into digital signals by means of an analogue/digital converter (A/D converter). The conversion analogue digital does not happen continuously, but at discrete periodic times, the so-called sampling points . The frequency at which a signal is scanned is determined by the sampling rate or sampling frequency a; its reciprocal value is the sampling interval Ta. The higher the sampling rate a , the more precisely the temporal course of the input signal can be represented.

For the equipment used in our laboratory course the maximum sampling frequency fa is 1 GHz .

Sampling theorem:-

The highest possible sampling frequency a simultaneously determines the maximum frequency s of the input signal that can be recorded by a digital storage oscilloscope. For a correct signal recording the condition must be satisfied. f a > 2 fs

Vertical Section Horizontal Section Trigger Section

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Focus control:
This control adjusts CRT focus to obtain the sharpest, most-detailed trace. In practice, focus needs to be adjusted slightly when observing quitedifferent signals, which means that it needs to be an external control. Flat-panel displays do not need focus adjustments and therefore do not include this control.

Intensity control:
This adjusts trace brightness. Slow traces on CRT oscilloscopes need less, and fast ones, especially if not often repeated, require more. On flat panels, however, trace brightness is essentially independent of sweep speed, because the internal signal processing effectively synthesizes the display from the digitized data.

Astigmatism:
Can also be called "Shape" or "spot shape". Adjusts the relative voltages on two of the CRT anodes such that a displayed spot changes from elliptical in one plane through a circular spot to an ellipse at 90 degrees to the first. This control may be absent from simpler oscilloscope designs or may even be an internal control. It is not necessary with flat panel displays.

Hold control:
Found on some better analog oscilloscopes, this varies the time (hold) during which the sweep circuit ignores triggers. It provides a stable display of some repetitive events in which some triggers would create confusing displays. It is usually set to minimum, because a longer time decreases the number of sweeps per second, resulting in a dimmer trace.

Automatic sweep mode:

Triggered sweeps can display a blank screen if there are no triggers. To avoid this, these sweeps include a timing circuit that generates free-running triggers so a trace is always visible. Once triggers arrive, the timer stops providing pseudo-triggers. Automatic sweep mode can be de-selected when observing low repetition rates.

Vertical system
attenuation or amplification of signal (volts/div)

Horizontal system
The Time base (sec/div)

Trigger system
To stabilize a repeating signal and to trigger on a single event

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Capture and view events

Digital storage oscilloscope (DSO)

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Sampling

Interpolation

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Components

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10 attenuation Good for low circuit loading Suitable to high frequency signal Difficult to measure less than 10mV signals 1 attenuation Good for small signals Introducing more interference

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High quality connector High impedance (10M) 50 for high frequency measurement

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