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Analog Oscilloscope

An oscilloscope is a device used to measure time-varying signals and calibrate equipment. There are two main types: analog and digital. Analog oscilloscopes, also called cathode ray oscilloscopes (CROs), use cathode ray tube technology to display signal amplitude over time. Key parameters for analog oscilloscopes include bandwidth, number of channels, sample rate, and display capabilities.

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269 views4 pages

Analog Oscilloscope

An oscilloscope is a device used to measure time-varying signals and calibrate equipment. There are two main types: analog and digital. Analog oscilloscopes, also called cathode ray oscilloscopes (CROs), use cathode ray tube technology to display signal amplitude over time. Key parameters for analog oscilloscopes include bandwidth, number of channels, sample rate, and display capabilities.

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Oscilloscope

An oscilloscope is a device that is used to measure time based varying


signals and also to calibrate equipments to bring their standard value.
Certain faults in electronic circuits can be identified and corrected with the
help of oscilloscopes. Nowadays, many types of oscilloscopes are available
in the market today. Since each type has different pros as well as cons,
buying the right one depends on the type of circuit to be tested, or the
equipment to be calibrated. There are mainly 2 types of oscilloscopes,
analog and digital. Apart from some minor differences, both serve the same
purpose. The selection criteria mainly depends on the different parameters
these devices carry.

Analog Oscilloscope
When it comes to oscilloscopes, another word that people usually have
heard along with it is the CRO or Cathode Ray Oscilloscope. The CRO is
just an old name for the analog oscilloscope, which has been serving its
purpose for almost 100 years. Since its invention, the analogue
oscilloscope took many forms, ending up with the digital oscilloscope
technology that is mostly used nowadays. Since the CRO is the first
technology used, it has been named the analog oscilloscope.

An analog oscilloscope or CRO uses Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) technology


to measure and study the waveshapes of a repetitive electronic signal.
Other parameters like voltage, current, power and frequency can also be
measured width the help of a CRO. The only one criteria is that the quantity
provided must comprise of an amplitude and a waveform. e analog
oscilloscope helps us to see the amplitude of electrical signals as a function
of time on the screen.

When the signal is given as input, it is used to deflect an electron beam


vertically and horizontally. The person gets to view the relative output
simultaneously on the screen and thus identify the signal’s shape. Knowing
more about the signal gives the user a better idea on the problems with the
electronic circuit being checked, and thus make the necessary changes.

To get a better idea of the CRO, it is necessary to know the working of the
different parts of it like the trigger circuit, horizontal amplifier, vertical
amplifier, time base generator, deflection plates and so on. We have
explained this in detail in our previous post – CRO – Cathode Ray
Oscilloscope.
The different parameters that define the CRO are explained below. All of
these functions are also available in digital oscilloscopes.

Bandwidth

The bandwidth of a wave is the measuring parameter used to define the


frequency at which the measured amplitude of a particular sine wave has a
certain decibel value lower or higher than the actual wave amplitude.
Bandwidth will be the difference between the highest and lowest frequency
roll-offs, where the response has fallen by -3 decibels. This specifies that
the bandwidth of a wave is independent of time, but only depends on the
frequency of the wave. Other parameters of the oscilloscope are all time
dependent.

Oscilloscopes that are available in the market today also respond to DC (0


Hertz) and thus are said to be DC coupled. The bandwidth in such a case
is the highest frequency of operation.

Speed wise, the slowest analog oscilloscope available in the market today
has a frequency of 10 MHertz. There are oscilloscopes with 20, 30, 40, 50,
70 and 100 MHertz.

Number of Channels

As the number of channels increase, the number of waveforms to be


displayed on the screen can also be increased. Most oscilloscopes in use
today are dual-channel models. Before you purchase an oscilloscope make
sure if it is a 2 or 4 channels. Single-channel oscilloscopes can display one
waveform at once, dual-channel oscilloscopes can display two waveforms
at once and 4-channels oscilloscopes can display four waveforms at once.

Sample Rate

When buying an analog oscilloscope always look out for the sampling rate
of the device. The better the sampling rate, the more accurate will be the
smaller details in a fast signal. A faster sampling rate also means that the
signal has more resolution, thus eliminating the possibility of losing even
the minute details in the signal.

By definition “Sample rate can be explained as the rate at which the input
signal from the circuit converted to its digital representation.

Sampling rate (SR) = 1/Resolution


If a 50 nanoseconds resolution is needed between two points, then the
sampling rate can be calculated as

SR = 1/50 = 20×10^6 samples per second.

Display Capability

All CRO’s of different bandwidth have the capability to measure and display
different parameters of the waveform like phase shift, rise time, fall time,
delay, pulse width, duty cycle, frequency and period. All these parameters
are clearly explained below. The display of these measurements on a CRO
is shown below.

Signal Triggering

All analog oscilloscopes has this feature where you can trigger and display
periodic and nonperiodic signals for comparison with the circuit output. The
signals include single pulses, sine waves, square waves and so on. These
triggers can be delayed with a predefined time interval to compare with the
output signal. All analog oscilloscopes display the triggered signal after
giving the trigger.

X-Y Mode

This mode is used to compare the channel output signal amplitude. This
feature comes in handy while measuring the phase difference.

Probes

The probes are used to connect your circuit that is to be tested to the input
channels in the oscilloscope. Based on the CRO, there are three kinds of
oscilloscope probes: the 1X probe supplies an input signal which has the
same amplitude as the signal being measured. Another one is the 10X
probe that delivers an input signal multiplied by a factor of 10. The third
probe is a combination of 1X and1 10X. A small switch is included to
change between both the settings. `

Other parameters referring to a CRO are explained below:

 Maximum Time Base is used to raise the time for the corresponding
value on the Y-axis. The time varies from nanoseconds to microseconds.
Providing a maximum time base will help in obtaining the most precise
results. Since this parameter defines the longest time between signals, you
can get a clear picture of the waveform.
 Minimum Time Base, being the opposite of the maximum time base
is used to lower the time for the corresponding value on the Y-axis.
 Maximum Vertical Sensitivity is used to see the maximum limit as to
how much the CRO can boost a weak signal. The maximum value is
always measured in millivolts and will have different values according to the
change in oscilloscope.
 Minimum Vertical Sensitivity always has a value of 2 millivolts per
vertical screen division. It rarely varies for certain oscilloscopes.
 Rise Time value, in most cases is the same as the value of your
device bandwidth. The useful frequency range is observed as the rise time
of the device. The device becomes more accurate if the rise time is faster.

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