Before renting an oscilloscope you should determine which measurements of your waveform you need as these capabilities vary by model.  Oscilloscopes also have maximum voltage and sampling rate restrictions, so determine your needs before renting.  Consider a multi-channel option if you need to measure more than one waveform; you may find the side-by-side comparison useful. Read our KWIPPED Tip article about renting an oscilloscope by clicking here.

Oscilloscopes have probes to attach the machine to the device under test, a digital or analog display, and controls to adjust the screen and measurement tools.  There are four types of controls on the panel of an oscilloscope.  Vertical controls adjust the voltage display on the screen (y-axis) and horizontal controls adjust the time displayed (x-axis).  There are also trigger and measurement controls.  Your KWIPPED network supplier will help you navigate the vertical, horizontal, trigger, and measurement controls.  Many oscilloscopes have multiple channels, 2-4 is common, to read more than one waveform simultaneously.  Newer models have LCD displays for multi-color waveform displays.  

A probe from the oscilloscope is grounded and joined to a network or circuit.  The waveform is displayed on the oscilloscope’s screen, the operator adjusts the controls to get a clear picture, and measurements of the wave frequency are taken.  Trigger controls are used to focus the oscilloscope on the desired portion of the waveform.  The trigger can be set to display when the wave reaches a specific characteristic, voltage, or a variety of other conditions.

Like many electrical test equipment devices, oscilloscopes measure the frequency of an electrical signal.  Oscilloscopes display waveform signals in the form of a graph, voltage over time.  This allows the operator to see what is occurring with their electrical signal in their network.  Oscilloscopes are used to describe waveforms, find noise, and determine measurements in electrical equipment.

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