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How to Fix an Oscilloscope Image

Electricity exists is due to the flow of charged particles down metallic wires. There are two main types of electricity: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) sources. Direct current electricity operates at constant bias, whereas alternating current electricity has a voltage that oscillates up and down. You need a special device called an oscilloscope to visualize AC electrical signals. An oscilloscope has a main body with inputs, knobs, and a screen that shows the signal. Getting a good image on the screen requires knowing the various settings.

Things You'll Need

Oscilloscope

Instructions

- 1
  Plug the signal into one of the oscilloscope inputs. There are normally two inputs labelled "A" and "B". To get a good image, tune various settings. Switch on the relevant image by press ing the "A" or "B" button. To get a good image, it helps you have some knowledge of the input signal, such as amplitude or frequency.
- 2
  Alter the volts/div knob. This adjusts the vertical scale on the screen and the number of volts each vertical division represents. If you know the amplitude of the signal, set the volts/div to this value. If you don't know it, slowly change the volts/div knob from highest to lowest voltage. Eventually a fuzzy or moving signal should appear on the screen.
- 3
  Alter the time/div (timebase). The time/div adjusts the horizontal scale on the screen and the number of milliseconds each horizontal division represents. If you know the frequency of the input, set the time/div to 1 / frequency. For example if the frequency is 2 HZ, set the time/div to 1 / 2 = 0.5 s = 500 ms. If you don't know the frequency, slowly adjust the time/div until a signal appears on the screen.
- 4
  Adjust the vertical positioning. This moves the signal up and down on the screen. Center the signal for measurement. This should fix the oscilloscope image. It should not not vary in time.

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