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What is an Oscilloscope?
An oscilloscope is a test equipment device that is used to test or diagnose electrical circuits by graphically displaying how the voltage changes over time. Voltages, called signals, are usually represented on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis, and such a representation allows for the circuit's behaviour to be tested. There are two main types of oscilloscopes: analog and digital.
Analog Oscilloscope
- CRT displays are common
- Waveform shown in original form
- Less reliable than their digital counterparts
- Useful for applications where precision is not as important
- Generally lower cost
Digital Oscilloscope
- Uses LCD display
- Converts the analog signal to a digital stream using an analog-to-digital convertor before displaying to the screen
- Useful for measuring high frequency signals
- Recommended that an oscilloscope with a bandwidth of at least 5 times higher than the input waveform is used
- Usually more reliable than analog oscilloscopes
- Higher in cost
- Some forms include Handheld, PC-based, and Benchtop oscilloscopes