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Curve Tracers
A curve tracer is similar to a graphing calculator in ways. The graphical readout gives the viewer information about electricity flowing through a specific device being tested. Curve tracer users call the component being tested the "device under test" or DUT. The operator can generate a breadth of data about a given electrical component by testing and measuring voltage, polarity and current. The oscilloscope portion of the curve tracer represents the DUT's "voltage-versus-current" or V-I ratio.
Analog Curve Tracers
The first curve tracers were analog or nondigital devices, though analog curve tracers are still used today. As Samuel M. Goldwasser of Silicon Sam's Technology Resource site, points out, "Analog and digital meters behave quite differently when testing nonlinear devices like diodes and transistors." Goldwasser goes on to say, "An analog VOM [voltage meter] on the lowest resistance range may put out too much current for smaller devices possibly damaging them." A voltage meter with a oscilloscope readout is a curve tracer.
Digital Curve Tracers
Digital multimeters, or DMMs, with an oscilloscope readout also curve tracers. Digital curve tracers or digital DMMs with curve-trace readouts may not tell you any more than an analogy device can tell you. Digital curve tracers, however, are more likely to take some of the legwork out of testing for you, as they are more likely to have automated functions and an interface that guides your testing process.
Application-Specific Curve Tracers
Anyone who has used a modern digital multimeter to simply check whether or not a wire in a home is properly connected may have thought of the adage "less is more." These devices have broad applications which may only overwhelm or sidetrack users who are using the devices for only one purpose. If you are an electrical engineer, for example, the wide variety of functions are not going to get in your way. If you are building and testing one component over and over, for example, it can be beneficial to opt for a curve tracer specifically designed for you test instead of a general-purpose curve tracer.