Unit 3

Cathode Ray Oscilloscope

Subject Code: EC306

Class : BE(ECE)- 2nd Year

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 INTRODUCTION
The cathode-ray oscilloscope (CRO) is a multipurpose display
instrument used for the observation, measurement ,and
analysis of waveforms.
A moving luminous spot over the screen displays the signal.
CROs are used to study waveforms, and other time-varying
phenomena from very low to very high frequencies.
The central unit of the oscilloscope is the Cathode- Ray Tube
(CRT), and the remaining part of the CRO consists of the
circuitry required to operate the cathode-ray tube.

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 Block diagram of a cathode-ray oscilloscope

Figure: Block diagram of Cathode Ray Oscilloscope

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 Components Of The Cathode-ray Oscilloscope
The CRO consists of the following:
I. CRT
II. Vertical amplifier
III. Horizontal amplifier
IV. Time-base generator
V. Triggering circuit
VI. Power supply

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 Cathode-Ray Tube
▪
▪
The electron gun or electron emitter

▪
The deflecting system and
The fluorescent screen
are the three major components of a general purpose CRT.

Figure: Component of a Cathode Ray Oscilloscope

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 Cathode Ray Tube

Figure: Cathode Ray Oscilloscope

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 Electron Gun
▪ control
The electron gun consists of an indirectly heated cathode, a

▪ emitting
grid, an accelerating anode and a focusing anode.
The electrodes are connected to the base pins. The cathode
the electrons is surrounded by a control grid with a fine

▪ The accelerated electron beam passes through the fine hole.

hole at its center.

▪ electrons
The negative voltage at the control grid controls the flow of
in the electron beam, and consequently, the brightness
of the spot on the CRO screen is controlled.

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 Deflection Systems
▪ vertical
The deflecting system consists of a pair of horizontal and

▪ and
deflecting plates.
Let us consider two parallel vertical deflecting plates P1
P2. The beam is focused at point O on the screen in

▪ plate
the absence of a deflecting plate voltage.
If a positive voltage is applied to plate P1 with respect to
P2, the negatively charged electrons are attracted
towards the positive plate P1, and these electrons will
come to focus at point Y1 on the fluorescent screen.

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 Deflection Systems
The deflection is proportional to the deflecting voltage between
the plates. If the polarity of the deflecting voltage is reversed,
the spot appears at the point Y2, as shown in Fig. below.

Figure: Deflection System using parallel vertical plates

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 Deflection Systems
To deflect the beam horizontally, voltage is applied to the horizontal
deflecting plates and the spot on the screen horizontally, as shown in
Fig. below.
• The electrons will focus at point X2. By changing the polarity of
voltage, the beam will focus at point X1. Thus, the horizontal
movement is controlled along X1OX2 line.

Figure: Deflection System using parallel horizontal plates

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 Spot Beam Deflection Sensitivity

Figure: Schematic diagram for

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Electrostatic Deflection SystemMr. Sanjiv Kumar (Asst. Prof. ,ECE)
 Electrostatic Deflection

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 Electrostatic Deflection

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 Electrostatic Deflection

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 Electrostatic Deflection

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 Fluorescent Screen
Phosphor is used as screen material on the inner surface of a CRT.
Phosphor absorbs the energy of the incident electrons. The spot of
light is produced on the screen where the electron beam hits.
The bombarding electrons striking the screen, release secondary
emission electrons. These electrons are collected or trapped by an
aqueous solution of graphite called “Aquadag” which is connected to
the second anode.
Collection of the secondary electrons is necessary to keep the screen
in a state of electrical equilibrium.
The type of phosphor used, determines the color of the light spot.
The brightest available phosphor isotope, P31, produces
yellow–green light.

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 TIME-BASE GENERATORS
The CRO is used to display a waveform that varies as a function of time. If the wave form
is to be accurately reproduced, the beam should have a constant horizontal velocity.
As the beam velocity is a function of the deflecting voltage, the deflecting voltage must
increase linearly with time.
A voltage with such characteristics is called a ramp voltage. If the voltage decreases
rapidly to zero—with the waveform repeatedly produced, as shown in Fig. 14-6—we
observe a pattern which is generally called a sawtooth waveform.
The time taken to return to its initial value is known as flyback or return time.

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 Time Base
is a saw-tooth voltage applied internally across the X-plates.

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 Time Base
controls the speed at which the spot sweeps across the screen
horizontally from left to right.

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 Time Base

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 Time Base
it helps to display the actual waveform of any a.c. applied across the Y-
plates
normally calibrated in
– s/cm
– ms/cm
– s/cm

gives the time required for the spot to sweep 1 cmhorizontally across
the screen.

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 Time Base: How It Works

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 Figure: CRO Screen

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 Triggering circuit
The TRIGGER controls are used to maintain a steady trace on
the screen.
To display stationary wave pattern sweep voltage is
synchronized with input signal
SYNCRONISATION is the method of locking frequency of time
base generator to the frequency of input signal.
If not synchronized they are set wrongly you may see a trace
drifting sideways, a confusing 'scribble' on the screen, or no
trace at all!

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 One of the method to achieve synchronization is
trigger circuit.
In trigger circuit part of vertical amplifiers output is
feed to trigger generator (fig.)
The trigger generator produces a pulse of voltage
which act as a start command to the time base
generator and it starts one sweep cycle of the time
base.

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 Vertical Amplifier
Vertical amplifiers determines the sensitivity and bandwidth
of an oscilloscope. Sensitivity, which is expressed in terms of
V/cm.
The gain of the vertical amplifier determines the smallest
signal that the oscilloscope can satisfactorily measure by
reproducing it on the CRT screen.
The sensitivity of an oscilloscope is directly proportional to
the gain of the vertical amplifier. So, as the gain increases the
sensitivity also increases.

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 Horizontal Amplifier
The sweep generator output can’t drive horizontal plates, it
must be initially amplified by horizontal amplifier.
Voltage to horizontal plate can be applied by internal source
(INT) or external source (EXT)
When switch at EXT mode – plates disconnected from INT
sources beam is stationary and spot at the center of screen.
When switch at INT mode wave form will appear on screen.

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 Power supply
Low voltage power supply
• It supplies power to
• 1) amplifiers 2) Trigger generator 3) Time base generator.
• This voltage of the order of few tens or hundreds of volts.
High voltage power supply
• It supplies power to electrodes of electron gun
• It supplies voltage of 1600 – 2200 volts.

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 Uses of CRO
Measure potential difference
– d.c.
– a.c.
Display waveforms of alternating p.d.
Measure short intervals of time, and
Compare frequencies

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 Displaying Waveforms
▪ frequency
When input voltage frequency is the same as the time-base

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 Displaying Waveforms
• When input voltage frequency is the twice the
time-base frequency

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 Measuring Short Time Intervals
• Set time-base to its lowest frequency range
• Connect microphone to the Y-input
• Blow two short whistles into the microphone
– two short pulses, at short interval apart will be
displayed on the c.r.o. screen

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 Measuring Short Time Intervals
If the time-base is 10 ms/division

and
If the separation between pulses is t
divisions

then
time interval is 10t ms

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 Function Generator
• A function generator is a signal source that has the capability of producing
different types of waveforms as its output signal. The most common output
waveforms are sine-waves, triangular waves. square waves. and sawtooth
waves.

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 Figure: Function Generator
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 Spectrum Analyzer
• The electronic instrument, used for analyzing waves in frequency domain is
called spectrum analyzer. Basically, it displays the energy distribution of a signal
on its CRT screen. Here, x-axis represents frequency and y-axis represents the
amplitude.
Types of Spectrum Analyzers
1. Filter Bank Spectrum Analyzer
2. Superheterodyne Spectrum Analyzer
The spectrum analyzer, used for analyzing the signals are of AF range is
called filter bank spectrum analyzer, or real time spectrum analyzer because
it shows (displays) any variations in all input frequencies.

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 Figure: Filter Bank Spectrum Analyzer
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 Superheterodyne Spectrum Analyzer

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Working of superheterodyne SA
The working of superheterodyne spectrum analyzer is mentioned
below.
• The RF signal, which is to be analyzed is applied to input attenuator. If
the signal amplitude is too large, then it can be attenuated by
an input attenuator.
• Low Pass Filter (LPF) allows only the frequency components that are
less than the cut-off frequency.
• Mixer gets the inputs from Low pass filter and voltage tuned
oscillator. It produces an output, which is the difference of
frequencies of the two signals that are applied to it.
• IF amplifier amplifies the Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal, i.e. the
output of mixer. The amplified IF signal is applied to detector.
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