Section 25 - The Oscilloscope

25. The Oscilloscope

25.1 Introduction
Up to now you have used the multimeter for your circuit measurements. The multimeter is ideal for making
many types of precise circuit measurements, but its intent is to measure values that are static (i.e., values
that do not significantly change over time). The instrument for measuring dynamic, or time-varying, values
is the oscilloscope. An oscilloscope is generally less accurate than a digital multimeter and limited to
voltage measurements but can display rapidly changing signals. Most oscilloscopes have multiple channels
so that you can compare or combine signals, measure delays between events, and use an event on one
channel to initiate the capture of information on another. Other common features of modem oscilloscopes
include measurement cursors, digital time and amplitude displays, automatic detection of maximum and
minimum voltages, provisions to upload waveforms to removable media or computers, and on-line help
screens.

The Multisim software offers several varieties of oscilloscopes. The generic two- and four-channel
oscilloscopes provide basic features that are common to most oscilloscopes. The other oscilloscopes
emulate the form, features, and functions of actual oscilloscope models. Although the latter are excellent
tools for learning to use the actual oscilloscopes, this section will use the two-channel generic oscilloscope
to present the basic concepts and features that are common to all oscilloscopes.

In this section you will

• Leam the typical features of an oscilloscope.

• Leam how to read an oscilloscope display.

• Leam how to use the amplitude and timebase controls.

• Use the oscilloscope to make some basic circuit measurements.

25.2 Pre-Lab

25.2.1 Accessing the Oscilloscope

To access the two-channel oscilloscope, click the “Oscilloscope” tool (refer to Figure 25-1) in the
Instruments toolbar.

Figure 25-1: Oscilloscope Tool

Figure 25-2 shows the minimized view of the two-channel oscilloscope for the Multisim software. The
oscilloscope has three circuit connections. The two connections on the bottom of the oscilloscope are for
the A channel (left) and B channel (right) signal and ground. The connections on the right of the
oscilloscope are for the external trigger signal and ground.

XSC1

Figure 25-2: Minimized 2-Channel Oscilloscope View

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Figure 25-3 shows the enlarged view of the two-channel oscilloscope with a sample display. The display is
that for the Multisim 10 oscilloscope, although the Multisim 9 oscilloscope is similar.

Figure 25-3: Enlarged Two-Channel Oscilloscope View

The oscilloscope controls consist of the following six sections:

1) Graphical display

2) Display controls

3) Timebase controls

4) Channel A controls

5) Channel B controls

6) Trigger controls

The following sections discuss each of the oscilloscope control sections.

25.2.2 Graphical Display

The display occupies most of the upper portion of the enlarged oscilloscope view. This is the area in which
you view the channel signals and position the reference cursors. Practical oscilloscope displays are 10
divisions wide by 8 divisions high, but the Multisim generic oscilloscope displays are 10 divisions wide by
6 divisions high. The display in Figure 25-3 shows two signals, one from Channel A and one from Channel
B, and reference cursors (Multisim refers to these as “crosshairs”) 1 and 2. The small triangle at the top of
each cursor identifies the number of the cursor.

The reference cursors provide amplitude and time information for a specific point on the channel signals.
The cursors are normally located at the far right and left sides of the display. To directly position a cursor,

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click and drag the cursor to the desired position in the display and release the left mouse button. You can
also right-click the cursor and select a specific time or amplitude value for the cursor.

Directly beneath the graphical display is a scroll bar. If the collected data extends beyond one screen, you
can use the scroll bar to examine parts of the signal that are not on the screen.

25.2.3 Display Controls

The display controls are just below the oscilloscope display area. This section allows you to position the
cursors, view the amplitude and time information for the channel signals at the cursor positions, and select
the color of the display background. Refer to Figure 25-4.

Time Channel A Channel B

T1 «■ 1 j Reverse j|
0.000 s 0,000 V 0.000 V
T2 <■
0.000 s 0,000 V 0.000 V j
5ave
T2-T1 0,000 s 0,000 V 0.000 V

Figure 25-4: Oscilloscope Display Controls

The 4* and 4 buttons to the right of the T1 and T2 labels adjust the position of reference cursors 1 and 2,
respectively. The information associated with reference cursors 1 and 2 is in the window to the right of the
T1 and T2 buttons, respectively. The amplitude and time information associated with each cursor will
update as you adjust the position of the cursors.

The information in the window to the right of the T2-T1 label is the difference in amplitude and time
between reference cursor 2 and reference cursor 1. This feature allows you to easily calculate time delays,
signal periods, peak-to-peak amplitudes, and other differential data.

The Reverse button allows you to change the background of the graphical display to black or white to
improve the visibility of the signals.

The Save button allows you to save the graphical display as a list of time and amplitude data points in a
scope display (.SCP), Lab VIEW measurement (.LVM), or TDM file format so that you can import the data
into other applications. The .SCP and .LVM files are in text format that you can open with a number of text
editors, word processors, and spreadsheets. In addition, the Multisim program’s Grapher utility (under the
View menu) can open the .SCP file and display it as a graphic that you can view, save, and print. The
.TDM file format is in a binary file format that is compatible with National Instruments’ DIAdem data
management and analysis software.

25.2.4 Timebase Controls

The controls in the Timebase section allow you to adjust the horizontal position and scale of the display
and select the format of the display. Refer to Figure 25-5.

- Timebase --
Scale j 200 us/DIv
X position j 0

| j Y/T~ Add | B/A [ A/B j

Figure 25-5: Oscilloscope Timebase Controls

The Scale value specifies how much time each horizontal division represents. The time settings use a 1-2-5
progression so that each setting is about twice that of the previous setting. For example, the setting before
the 200 us/Div setting is 100 ps/Div and the setting after it is 500 gs/Div. You can use the up and down
scroll buttons to set this value from 1 ps (10‘~12 seconds) per divison to 1000 Ts (1012 seconds) per division.
Unless you have nothing else to do for a while should avoid using the 1000 Ts/div setting, as each
horizontal division at this setting equals approximately 31.7 million years.

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The X position value allows you to manual shift the display in 0.1-division increments or use the scroll
arrows to shift the display in 0.2-division increments to the left or right. This allows you to better align the
display with a specific point on the horizontal axis.

The four buttons at the bottom of the Timebase section allow you to choose the format of the graphical
display.

• The Y/T button configures the oscilloscope to display the Channel A and Channel B signals
separately with the vertical axis configured for volts and the horizontal axis configured for time.
This is the typical operating mode of oscilloscopes.

• The Add button configures the oscilloscope to add the Channel A and Channel B signals and
display the result as a single signal with the vertical axis configured for volts and the horizontal
axis configured for time. The mode is useful for finding the voltage across a component that has
no direct connection to circuit ground.

• The B/A button configures the oscilloscope to plot the Channel A signal against the horizontal
axis and the Channel B signal against the vertical axis to create a two-dimensional plot called a
Lissajous figure. This is a convenient display mode for determining the relative amplitude,
frequency, and phase of two signals. Both the vertical and horizontal axes are configured for
amplitude although the oscilloscope shows no units.

• The function of the A/B button is similar to the B/A button, except that the oscilloscope plots the
Channel B signal against the horizontal axis and the Channel A signal against the vertical axis.

Note that the Scale and X position controls will work only with the Y/T and Add modes.

25.2.5 Channel A Controls

The controls in the Channel A section allow you to adjust the vertical position and scale of the Channel A
signal. Refer to Figure 25-6.

Channel A —..
Scale j~r V/Div

Y position "fo

ac t o [dc r

Figure 25-6: Oscilloscope Channel A Controls

The Scale value specifies how many volts each vertical division represents. The voltage settings use a 1-2-5
progression so that each setting is about twice the value of the previous setting. For example, the setting
before the 1 V/Div setting is 500 mV/Div, and the setting after it is 2 V/Div. You can use the up and down
scroll buttons to set this value from 1 pV per division to 1000 TV per division. Just for reference, 1000 TV
is enough electrical potential to generate a lightning bolt 189,000 miles long. If you plan to regularly
measure voltages on this order of magnitude be sure to observe adequate safety precautions.

The Y position value allows you to manual shift the display in 0.1-division increments or use the scroll
arrows to shift the display in 0.2-division increments up or down. This allows you to separate the Channel
A and B signals for better viewing or to compensate for some unwanted dc offset in the signal.

The AC, 0, and DC buttons determine the signal coupling for the channel.

• The AC button removes any dc offset from the signal, so that Channel A couples (allows in) only
the ac portion of the signal into the oscilloscope.

• The 0 button connects Channel A directly to ground. This is useful if you want to determine a 0 V
reference for a signal on Channel A or if you wish to view only the B channel when the
oscilloscope is in the Add mode.

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• The DC button couples both the ac and dc components of the signal on Channel A into the
oscilloscope. You will often require this coupling when you are viewing low-frequency signals so
that the oscilloscope does not attenuate the signal.

25.2.6 Channel B Controls

The controls in the Channel B section are identical to those in the Channel A section, with the addition of
one more button. Refer to Figure 25-7.

Channel B..—.
Scale f 1 V/Div

Y position j 0

ac I o [dc”J r

Figure 25-7: Oscilloscope Channel B Controls

The extra button, marked with a inverts the signal on Channel B. You typically use this button when
you wish to find the difference between the Channel A and B signals. To do this, select the Add mode and
activate the Channel B button. Because this will invert the Channel B signal, the oscilloscope will
display Channel A - Channel B, rather than Channel A + Channel B.

25.2.7 Trigger Controls

The controls in the Trigger section determine the conditions that will trigger the oscilloscope (that is, cause
the oscilloscope to display waveforms). Refer to Figure 25-8.
Trigger-

Ed9e JlIF b~
Level [o ~ [\T

Type .SingJ Nor. j Auto {[None

Figure 25-8: Oscilloscope Trigger Control

The Edge controls specify whether the trigger voltage must be increasing (rising edge) or decreasing
(falling edge) for the oscilloscope to display the Channel A and Channel B signals. Refer to Figure 25-9,
which specifies a rising edge trigger, also called a leading edge or positive edge trigger. This means that the
trigger voltage must exceed the Level value to trigger the oscilloscope. A falling edge trigger, also called a
trailing edge or negative edge trigger, means that the trigger voltage must fall below the Level value to
trigger the oscilloscope.

Figure 25-9: Rising Edge Trigger

The A, B, and Ext buttons specify whether oscilloscope uses the signal on Channel A, Channel B, or
External Trigger for the trigger voltage.

The Level value sets the voltage level for the trigger signal. You can use the scroll buttons to specify the
value of the trigger signal or manually enter the value in the text box. Click in the units box and select the
unit you wish to use for the trigger level from the list.

The Type buttons determine the type of triggering.

• The Sing, (single-sweep) button configures the oscilloscope to make a single sweep when the
oscilloscope receives a valid trigger. After the oscilloscope completes a sweep across the screen, it
should halt until you use one of the Type buttons to initiate a new sweep. In actuality the scope

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will continue to capture waveforms, although the display will continue to show the date from the
first screen.

• The Nor. (normal) button is similar to the single-sweep button, but after the oscilloscope
completes a sweep across the screen it will clear the screen and initiate a new sweep if it receives a
valid trigger.

• The Auto (auto-trigger) button initiates a sweep whenever either of the following events occurs:

The oscilloscope receives a valid trigger.

A pre-defmed amount of time has passed and the oscilloscope has not received a valid
trigger.

• The None button specifies that there are no specific trigger conditions.

Most applications will use the auto-trigger mode, although nonperiodic signals or special conditions can
require other trigger modes for best results.

25.2.8 Oscilloscope Measurement Terminology

A static value possesses only a single characteristic, namely magnitude or amplitude, that describes it.
Time-varying signals have both time and amplitude characteristics to describe them. When you use an
oscilloscope to observe a time-varying signal you will measure specific amplitude and time characteristics
for the signal.

The most common signal you will observe in ac electronics is the sine wave. Refer to Figure 25-10.

Figure 25-10: Example of Sine Wave Display

VPP is the peak-to-peak voltage. The peak-to-peak voltage for a sine wave is the difference between the
minimum and maximum amplitudes. VPP for the sine wave in Figure 25-10 is four divisions.

VP is the peak voltage, which is half the peak-to-peak value for a sine wave. VP for the sine wave in Figure
25-10 is two divisions.

T is the period of the sine wave, which is the time required for one cycle of the sine wave to repeat. You
will usually measure the period between consecutive positive zero-crossing points for the sine wave as
shown in Figure 25-10, but you can measure the period between any two corresponding points on
consecutive cycles. T for the sine wave in Figure 25-10 is five divisions.

Another characteristic of sine waves is f the frequency. The frequency is the number of times per second
that a sine wave repeats and is equal to the reciprocal of the period, 1/J. The unit of frequency is Hertz
(Hz).

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25.2.9 Reading Oscilloscope Displays

To understand oscilloscope measurements you must learn to read the display. Refer to Figure 25-11.

Figure 25-11: Example Oscilloscope Display

The oscilloscope display does not show numerical markings for the divisions. To determine the amplitude
and period of the signal you must either

1) use the timebase and channel scale settings to convert the number of vertical and horizontal
divisions into volts and seconds, or

2) use the cursors so that the Multisim program displays the measurement of interest in the display
controls window.

For the waveform of Figure 25-11, determine and record the values of VPP, VP, T, and/ for each of the
timebase and channel settings in Table 25-1.

Table 25-1: Calculated Waveform Values for Figure 25-11

Timebase = 5 ps/Div Timebase = 200 ps/Div Timebase = 1 ms/Div

Waveform Value
Channel = 200 pV/Div Channel = 50 mV/Div Channel = 10 V/Div

vPP
VP= VPP! 2
T
*3
1!

25.2.10 Determining the Oscilloscope Timebase and Voltage Scale Settings

If you know the approximate frequency and amplitude of a signal that you wish to measure, it is a good
idea for you to know the oscilloscope timebase and channel scale settings that you wall use to measure the
signal. This provides a check on the signal values that you expect to measure. Ideally you would like one
cycle to occupy the entire oscilloscope display so that the peak-to-peak signal amplitude is six divisions
high, and the period is ten divisions wide. Practically, however, you must round up to the nearest 1-2-5
scale settings that will show the full signal amplitude and period.

For each of the signal amplitudes and frequencies listed in Table 25-2, calculate and record the ideal and
practical (1-2-5 progression) oscilloscope timebase and channel scale settings.

Table 25-2: Calculated Oscilloscope Scale Settings

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VP = 200 mV Fp = 10 V VP= 189 V

Waveform Value
/= 250 kHz /= 400 Hz /= 60 kHz

VPP — 2 x VP
Ideal Channel Scale = VPP / 6

Practical Channel Scale

II

Ideal Timebase Scale = 77 10

Practical Channel Scale

25.3 Design Verification

Open the circuit file Ex25-01. Use the right-click menu for the ac voltage source to set the Voltage (Pk)
and Frequency (F) values to your calculated values of VP and/in Table 25-1. Simulate the circuit and
verify that the oscilloscope display matches that of Figure 25-11 for the corresponding timebase and
channel scale settings of Table 25-2.

Open the circuit file Ex25-02. Use the right-click menu for the ac voltage source to set the Voltage (Pk)
and Frequency (F) values to the values of VP and/in Table 25-2. Set the timebase and channel scale
settings to the corresponding practical scale settings you calculated for Table 25-2 and simulate the circuit.

Do your calculated settings allow you to view one complete cycle of the waveform?

Can you decrease either the timebase or channel scale setting and still view the complete waveform?

25.4 Section Summary

This section introduced the oscilloscope and discussed the various features of the Multisim generic
two-channel oscilloscope that are available in some form on practical oscilloscopes. This section also
covered the practical aspects of reading the oscilloscope display to measure amplitude and frequency and
determining the timebase and channel scale settings for making oscilloscope measurements. You will be
using the oscilloscope extensively to work with reactive and other ac circuits.

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