Friday, May 13, 2011

Oscilloscope 101


        Using an oscilloscope, which is an electric device able to display time varying currents, we connected a function generator and practiced using different functions. The frequency was set to 5kHz and the voltage 5V. With the knobs we could adjust the position and # of period of the graph. By counting the grid we could find that the zero to peak amplitude was 5V, and peak to peak amplitude was 10V. We measured anticipated RMS by dividing 5V by square root 2, which was 3.54. Using DMM, the value was 3.33V relatively close to measured value.

        Afterwards, a +2.5V DC offset was added, and the sinusoidal graph needed to be readjusted. The VAC was 3.30V, similar to part 1, and the VDC was 2.51V, just as expected when adding 2.5V DC offset.

       In the end, we connected the scope to two mystery signals, and using our acquired skills we used the graphs to approximate DC voltage, Frequency, and Pk-Pk Amp of Channel 1 and 2: