An electron beam is generated in the cathode ray tube, directed at the back of the screen, and swept in time along the X-Axis. A voltage applied to the scope probes is amplified and applied to a pair of horizontal metal plates through which the electron beam passes. The sweep in the electron beam combined with vertical deflection results in the appearance of a waveform on the screen of the scope. Each channel has a vertical placement knob which moves the waveform for that channel up and down. Each channel also has a knob which selects the vertical scale of the waveform in terms of volts per division.
Divisions are the visible grid lines on the oscilloscope screen.
The knob which sets the horizontal scale in time per division controls both channels. The majority of all measurements made in this lab can be performed automatically with the HP54600 scope. To see the waveform, press Auto-scale . The Auto-scale button will be used more than any other on the scope. When you want to capture a waveform on the screen, the first thing to think of is Auto-scale .