It can be used to observe and measure voltage signals, either static or time-varying, over a very wide range of amplitudes and frequencies. We shall be using oscilloscopes as a measurement tool in a number of the labs this semester. The purpose of this lab is to give you an introduction to the oscilloscope and how it is used. The display screen of an oscilloscope draws a graph of the signal voltage, known as the trace, with time along the horizontal axis and voltage along the vertical axis. You can control the scaling of either or both axes in order to get the best possible picture of the signal.
Most oscilloscopes are capable of displaying two different traces at the same time.
We will start be examining the oscilloscope to display a single trace. Later in the lab we will use the oscilloscope to display two simultaneous signals. This lab is intended to give you practice in using an oscilloscope, a device which you need to use to make measurements in some later labs. Read through these pages to see what each of these controls is used for, and how it affects the trace on the screen. There are also some simulations included in these pages for you to use to see the effect of changing the setting of the respective controls.